Men’s Golf Club News

By Bruce Aboudara, President

We have had a very successful first three months of the season which has included a significant number of new events, particularly our Saturday additions to the traditional Back Tee game, despite the flooding of the wash and just general challenging weather. We started the year with fourteen new members and an overall membership of 180. We also support an Associate Membership where we provide Handicap Services for non-Monterey Men’s Golf Association members.

After kicking off with our traditional opening cocktail party followed by a one-day tournament, we conducted nine more events. These included the Presidents Cup and Club Championship, along with guest days and lots of opportunities to play competitive formats with the Saturday Back Tee Game, Saturday Play Days, Thursday Ryder Cup, a Member-Member Tournament and Thursday Nine Hole Play Days. The Board has worked very hard to create a schedule of events that can appeal to a large cross-section of our membership by providing a variety of formats and schedules.

As we close the season out in April and May, we have a lot more to look forward to with ten additional events. This period includes preparing for our annual invitational golf tournament, the Monterey Shootout 2023. This three-day tournament is the premier event of the season and serves to showcase our club and community to many outsiders. We receive significant sponsorships from local businesses and expect a field of 100 members and guests this year.

Our annual Board elections will be held in April where we will welcome three new members. Board Members serve for a three-year term with no limits on the number of times you may be on the board. It is a great opportunity to become involved in our Association, help guide the events and bring in new ideas and approaches. So, if you have an interest and want to contribute to the growth and health of our Association, feel free to self-nominate or contact Gilbert Matossian, gmsunset57@gmail.com, the Nominations Committee Chair.

We wrap up in May with our Finale and the Memorial Day Member-Member. The Finale is always a fun, eclectic format event that is great fun. Our Memorial Day Tournament caps off the season with an eye to recognizing our veterans and honoring service members who have died in military service to the nation. Like last year, we will have the Desert Hot Springs Junior Marine ROTC present the colors with a playing of our national anthem. The holiday has roots dating back to the post-Civil War era, when citizens would informally place spring flower memorials on the graves of fallen soldiers.

As I end my term as President of the MGA, I want to thank all our Board for their tremendous support and effort in making the past two years a very successful one for our membership. I also must thank Mike Feeney, the entire Golf Operations staff and Lyle Calvin of Food and Beverage for all their efforts in making sure our events ran smoothly and provided a quality experience.

Mcc Emergency Preparedness Program

This program provides disaster preparedness education and training for the residents of Monterey CC. If you would like information or are interested in working on the committee. Please contact: David Bangsund, (503) 866-6130 or epc@montereyhoaboard.com