October 2020 Olympian

Vol. 108 | No. 10 | October 2020

E XTRAORDINARY SQUASH NATIONAL CHAMPION AND CHAMPION OF EQUAL PAY

S TAT E M E N T OF OW N E R SH I P, MANAG E M E N T A N D C I RC U LAT ION

OLYMPIAN EDITORIAL STAFF www.olyclub.com

1. Publication Title: Olympian 2. Publication Number: 4081–40 3. Filing Date: 9.1.2020 4. Issue of Frequency: Monthly 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 11 6. Annual Subscription Rate: $49.20 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: The Olympic Club, 524 Post Street, San Francisco CA 94102. Contact Person: Cindy Passanisi. Telephone: 415.345.5152.

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Creative Manager/Editor-in-Chief Robin Cheung (rcheung@olyclub.com) Editor/Graphic Designer Christine U’Ren Contributing Writers Sean Arietta, Kevin Bresnahan, Bob Del Torre, Lee Hammer, Frank Lawson, K.C. Murphy, Colman O’Leary, John Perez, Max Rausch, Jessica Smith, Frank Stranzl, Gerry Stratford, Christine U’Ren, Richard Wright Contributing Photographers Gene Choi, Jack Gruber, Betsy Lauritzen, Mark Reilly

OLYMPIC CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Leslie J. Davis, Vice President Jack F. Bair, Secretary Mark S. McGranahan, Treasurer James K. Ketcham, Susan M. Campbell, Marcus O. Colabianchi, Patricia A. Cornett, Adrian E. Dollard, Joseph F. Ferrero, K.C. Murphy, Paul D. O’Driscoll, Gerald E. O’Hara

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MEMBER TIP The Olympic Club is now offering outdoor barber services at both clubhouses. Haircuts are $40, and appointments are available in one-hour intervals. Check out schedules for our Master Barbers, and book a reservation via www.olyclub.com, the OC Mobile App, or by calling 415.345.5100. For questions, email barber@olyclub.com.

The OC’s Communications team depends on submissions from members to produce the Olympian magazine and website. All members are encouraged to contribute. If you have a story to share, an event to cover, or a member’s OC achievements to highlight, please send it to olympian@olyclub.com with the subject line “[Month] Olympian Submission” for consideration.

Stories should be 300–600 words on Clubspecific activities. Please include high-resolution photos if available, with appropriate captions and photo credits. Content is due one month before publication. While we cannot publish every submission, we strive to use as many as possible in the magazine and on our site.

We look forward to hearing from you!

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CONTACT US Suggestions or Comments offices@olyclub.com | 415.345.5110 Membership membership@olyclub.com | 415.345.5201 Accounting billing@olyclub.com | 415.345.5200 Athletics athletics@olyclub.com | 415.345.5107 City Clubhouse: 415.345.5100 Lakeside Clubhouse: 415.404.4300 Golf Shop: 415.404.4333 Tennis Shop: 415.404.4350 OLYMPIAN (ISSN 0030–2163) is published monthly for $49.20 per year (single copies $4.10 each) by The Olympic Club at 524 Post Street, San Francisco, California 94102.

Phone 415.345.5100. Periodicals Postage Paid at the Post Office at San Francisco, California. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Olympic Club, 524 Post Street, San Francisco, California 94102. For prompt delivery of the magazine, Olympians should please notify the Membership Department of any change of address at 524 Post Street, San Francisco, California 94102 or email Membership at membership@olyclub.com. The views & opinions expressed in the Olympian are solely of its respective authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect those of The Olympic Club. © 2020 THE OLYMPIC CLUB. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED.

MAIN FEATURES

SPORTS & WELLNESS

3 Extraordinary Squash National 28 Exercise Medicine — Champion and Champion of Equal Pay

10 Hall of Fame

Take a Breath

30 Basketball Tip — Shooting Progression

Top: The Olympic Club hosted Junior athletic camps for tennis and golf at Lakeside in July. Campers had a great time developing their skills, while following socialdistancing guidelines. Photo by Sean Arietta.

Cover: Mika Bardin is not only the current Girls Under 15 (GU 15) U.S. Squash National Champion, but she also led a successful campaign to get equal pay for male and female players at the NetSuite Open Squash Championship. Photo by Jack Gruber.

14 OC Generations — Families of 32 Director of Golf’s Update the Club

18 OCF — Fight Night is Down, But Not Out

21 Introducing Tennis Director Tom Whitten

OC AT HOME 23 Bay Area Wildlife Crossword

SOCIAL & DINING 24 Fleet Week Through the Years 26 Member Photos 27 OC Volunteers at 2020 PGA Championship

34 OC Junior Awards Nominees 38 Back to the Basics — Speed Control in Putting

41 Golf Times of Play 43 SGA Corner 44 Tee to Green

MONTHLY FEATURES 2 President’s Memo 16 From the Archives — Was the OC’s Jim Corbett the First Film Star?

22 Employee Spotlight: Willie Toney The Olympic Club | October 2020

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PRESIDENT’S MEMO

Dear Fellow Olympians, As October begins, I can’t resist noting that we are in the homestretch of 2020, a year that will be remembered as one of the most challenging in our Club’s history. In 2020, we have faced a global pandemic, social unrest, wildfires and economic uncertainty. As the days shorten, the natural inclination is to want to put this year behind us and move on. However, this year has given us a new perspective on what is possible for our Club.

Better days will certainly come, and the Club will be in a secure position for your future enjoyment due to continued member financial support, which has also enabled us to gradually reopen services. Unlike many clubs and businesses that have been forced to close permanently, The Olympic Club has been able to weather considerable storms due to members’ deep pride of ownership. While we have experienced a loss in many of our revenue sources due to closures, and have needed to place discretionary capital projects on indefinite hold, we will eventually fully recover, thanks to you.

The Olympian spirit continues to be strong, resilient and flexible. A year ago, who would have dreamed that we would see lap pools and outdoor exercise areas at Lakeside? We are fortunate to have the staff and the physical space (importantly, in San Mateo County where there are fewer restrictions) to enable these ideas.

In addition to addressing the unique and pressing issues this year, the Board has also continued to work on a few initiatives that we began early in the year, prior to COVID-19.

I am proud to be a member of a Board, which, despite some rather daunting unplanned demands on its time, can continue to effectively lead with an eye to the future.

By the time this issue prints, you may have heard about progress made on two initiatives that have been underway since January. The first is a review of the Club’s governance structure,

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and the second is the launch of a Board Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion.

Club governance has been an interest of mine for a long time. I not only observed my family’s experiences serving on Olympic Club committees and the Board, but also became active in committee service very early on. With over a decade of committee experience prior to joining the Board, including two stints on the Nominating Committee, I developed an appreciation of our governance system and the value of member involvement in the health and vibrancy of the Club. As the committee system has evolved, some areas of overlap and inefficiencies have emerged. The goal is to make modifications to a few committees in order to improve the experience of both members who serve on them and the staff who serve as liaisons.

In addition, many who have served on the Board, and have also had the opportunity to serve on other not-for-profit and for-profit boards, believe aspects of our governance structure could be improved and/or modernized, particularly as it relates to how the Board of Directors is organized and operates.

was approved unanimously by the Board in September. Members of the subcommittee represent a cross-section of Olympians, balanced in terms of age, gender, ethnicity and areas of Club involvement. Board and staff liaisons will support this group of 10 members. This subcommittee will focus on a few key deliverables, and will present their findings to the Board within 60 days. Briefly, the charge of this committee is to: 1. Identify a methodology of collecting diversity data of existing and future members.

2. Facilitate a forum focused on diversity and inclusion in order to gain a better understanding of the perspective and objectives of underrepresented groups.

3. Propose potential improvements to the current committee-selection process.

Some people may ask, “Why so much change in a challenging year? Shouldn’t we just defer everything else until we are out of the eye of the storm?” My answer is that we have been dealt a hand that was unexpected, but it also includes a few interesting opportunities. We are not the same Club that we were in early March. There is an attitude of the possible that embraces lap pools in the parking lot at Lakeside, Article III dining on the sixth floor Sky Deck at City Clubhouse, virtual exercise classes and so much more.

The conversation about improving Club governance is not a new one, but has now gained some positive momentum. This year, a subcommittee of the Board has studied best practices in board governance — including input from other organizations, external consulting and legal This edition of the Olympian includes an article experts — culminating in a draft proposal that about multigenerational Olympian families. As we are refining. As an important part of this pro- a member of a three-generation Olympic Club cess, the subcommittee held discussions with 50+ family myself, I deeply respect our history and past Olympic Club directors, who have provided traditions, yet also view changes to our Club as valuable insight and encouragement. This project a natural evolution that will attract and retain is unquestionably a heavy lift that will affect all future generations.

Olympians, and is not one to take lightly. Work on the proposed model will continue through Be well and hang in there. the end of the year, including a thoughtful transition plan.

The second initiative is the formation of a Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee, which

Leslie J. Davis

EXTRAORDINARY SQUASH NATIONAL CHAMPION AND CHAMPION OF EQUAL PAY

by Lee Hammer, Contributing Member

Mika Bardin was not happy.

Made aware of a disparity in the prize money for men and women at the NetSuite Open Squash Championship in San Francisco, this Olympian set out on a mission to change things. And change things she did. This is her amazing story.

We need to turn the calendar back to 2015. While at Stanford University one afternoon, Bardin overheard NetSuite

founder and avid squash player Evan Goldberg telling a small group of players that, after four very successful years, the tournament was finally going to have a women’s division.

“I thought it was great they were finally setting up a women’s division, but what really struck me was when I found out that the total prize money for men was $50,000, while the prize money for women

was only $5,000,” Bardin said. “And that was the total to be divided among all the players, not just to the winner. That didn’t make sense. We’re both playing the same game, why are women being paid so much less?”

Bardin decided this inequity needed to be corrected, and she was the one to lead the effort. She started a campaign, Play for Equal Pay, and launched a GoFundMe

John Nimick, President of Squash Engine, Inc., presents Mika Bardin with a plaque in honor of her work to bring pay equity to the NetSuite Open Squash Championship.

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page to raise funds to increase the women’s prize money.

“I think we did an incredible job. We were successful in raising $20,000 to get the prize money up to $25,000 in 2015. Since then, the purse has gotten bigger and bigger every year, and I’m proud to say that last year, in 2019, the prize money was the same for both men and women, with each now at $121,000. So that was a great accomplishment.”

An amazing accomplishment indeed. Not too many people would take on such a personal fundraising mission, instead leaving that task to marketing pros and corporate sponsors, but Bardin is not like most people.

But, wait. I forgot to mention two key facts.

First, when Bardin started this effort in 2015, she was only nine years old! Secondly, she is the current GU 15 U.S. Squash National Champion.

“I thought it was great that a young person was not just interested in their own success, but also thinking about systemic change,” Goldberg said in response to Bardin’s unselfish fundraising campaign. “Mika is a supremely gifted squash player who wants to use her success to effect positive social change.”

Bardin’s efforts also drew praise from John Nimick, President of Squash Engine, Inc., and the producer of the Oracle NetSuite Open.

“Mika is a success. She’s a very intelligent and impressive young woman. The 2019 event was the first year that both the number of female players and the exact dollar amounts Top: Mika Bardin accepts the Remy Johnston Certificate of Merit from the International Dyslexia Association in 2019.

Bottom: Bardin on the top of the podium at the 2019 Junior Nationals.

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were equal for the men’s and women’s draws.

That mission and trajectory of reaching full pay and equality was very much sparked by Mika’s efforts.”

To recognize her efforts in establishing pay equality at the NetSuite Open, Nimick awarded Bardin a special plaque at last year’s tournament in Justin Herman Plaza.

“Mika accomplishes everything she sets her mind to,” said her proud mother Lisa. “She thinks big in a way that few other teenagers do. What I love about her is that she shares.

So many young kids are all about what they can do for themselves, but Mika has always seen the bigger picture and works to see how she can make other people’s lives better.”

Right outside the door were the squash courts, and one thing led to another. Mika and Lisa met and talked with legendary Stanford squash coach Mark Talbott who gave Mika a racquet and a pair of goggles, and Mika’s squash career was set in motion.

“I love squash because it’s an individual sport,” Bardin said. “I’m the one who gets to take all the credit for the wins, and at

mode, she becomes incredibly hyper-focused and dialed in to achieve what she wants to accomplish that day. I think it’s unusual for someone at her age to have that intense level of focus, drive and determination. I haven’t seen that in many of the people I’ve coached over the years, including some pro players.”

“On the court she gets a steely glaze of determination in her eyes and the grit to win,”

“The 2019 event was the first year that both the number of female players and the exact dollar amounts were equal for the men’s and women’s draws. That mission and trajectory of reaching full pay and equality was very much sparked by Mika’s efforts.”

— John Nimick, President of Squash Engine, Inc.

SQUASH BY ACCIDENT When it comes to participating in sports, young girls often gravitate to basketball or soccer, because they see these sports on TV. So what compelled Bardin to choose, of all things, squash?

“It’s one of my favorite stories actually,” Bardin explained. “My Mom and I were at Stanford University one day, where my older sister Shai was fencing, and I always liked rock climbing. As I was about to begin climbing, somebody fell off the rock wall and was carried out on a gurney by paramedics. My overprotective mom saw that, and the next thing I knew, we were headed for the exit!”

the same time, learn all the lessons from the losses. I wouldn’t trade it for any other sport.

One thing is for sure, it’s not a sport to make money. You really have to have a strong passion for squash and with that, you just want to keep training and do whatever you can to win.”

Bardin’s meteoric rise in squash is attributable to her drive to be the best, says her coach Peter Nicol, the former number-one ranked squash player in the world.

“I see Mika in two different ways. First, she’s a regular and normal teenage girl, smiling, laughing and having fun,” Nicol says. “But when she flips the switch and gets into squash

Nicol adds. “She’s always looking for perfection, while at the same time she understands that it’s not necessarily always about being perfect; it’s about winning. She strives for perfection, but accepts the fact she’s doing the best she can with what she’s got at any given time.”

Nicol also admits something not every coach is willing to acknowledge publicly.

He has to continually step up his game just to keep up with Bardin.

“It really is a pleasure to be Mika’s coach.

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate working with someone who wants to learn and has that drive and desire to get better every day.

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She’s actually helping me as a coach because she challenges me every day to get her better, so I’ve had to learn and improve as a coach to help her achieve her ultimate goal.”

There aren’t many 15-year-olds who possess the mental capacity to understand and accept the ups and downs that sports present on a daily basis. But as you’ve probably seen by now, Bardin isn’t like most ordinary teenagers.

the raw skills such that, if she chooses to, she can continue to experience that kind of national or even international success.”

DEALING WITH DYSLEXIA Bardin was born and raised in Israel until the family moved to Los Altos. She joined The Olympic Club when she was nine years old.

When she was in second grade, her teachers

“All the challenges a person with dyslexia has to go through and maybe not succeed on the first, second, or third try, presents you with a valuable life lesson — if you focus and work harder, you can succeed.”

— Mika Bardin

“Through squash, I’ve learned to accept that life will throw challenges at you, whether it’s in school or sports. I’m learning how to not only handle things, but to learn from the last challenge how to react in the future. These defeats and challenges help build who you are and make you a more well-rounded person.”

Goldberg, who still finds time occasionally to play against Bardin, knew right away she had a gift.

“The first time I saw Mika play I could tell she was a special talent. I’m not a professional coach, but she appears to have the drive and

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noticed she was falling behind and having difficulty with her reading and writing. At first, school officials thought it was the adjustment of having to learn a completely different language. However, after some testing, Bardin was diagnosed with dyslexia.

While some people may view being dyslexic as an obstacle, Bardin takes the opposite approach and actually looks at it as a positive, and embraces it as an opportunity.

“Personally, I don’t think dyslexia is a disability at all. I think it’s a gift. When I was younger, it was challenging to see my classmates

do better than I was in school because I was working twice as hard as they were. But I think that’s exactly what makes it a gift. All the challenges a person with dyslexia has to go through and maybe not succeed on the first, second, or third try, presents you with a valuable life lesson — if you focus and work harder, you can succeed.”

Bardin also feels her dyslexia has actually made her a better squash player.

“Because I have dyslexia, I’ve learned that I have to focus and concentrate more on the task at hand, and I’m able to do that. The life lesson is — you shouldn’t look at your challenges, you should look at what you’re gaining from your challenges and how you can always improve yourself.”

Bardin’s mother, Lisa, agrees.

“Mika has had to fight harder to get where she is because of her dyslexia. She has an incredible level of grit, will and determination.

Although it may make her read slower, I think it makes her a better person and better squash player. She really dials in and blocks out any distractions.”

Helping others is also a major part of what drives Bardin. To that end, she’s the founder and host of a podcast, Dyslexic Solutions with Mika Bardin. In the podcast, she interviews some of the world’s leading experts on dyslexia, who offer tips and tools on how to successfully deal with life’s daily challenges.

WHAT LIES AHEAD Days, weeks and months of grueling training, both on and off the court, paid off for Bardin. Last March at the U.S. Squash Championships in Charlottesville, Va., she took top honors in the Under-15 age group.

Although thoroughly appreciative of the victory, she has her sights set on bigger things ahead.

“I hope to be world champion one day soon,” Bardin said. “Don’t get me wrong; It means a great deal to me to be the U.S. National Champion, but I’m constantly training, recovering and eating properly to be in the best shape I can, so I can become a world champion. Squash is what I love. It’s what I’m passionate about. To have that glory and title of world champion would mean everything to me.”

After recovering from some injuries in the start of 2020, Bardin spent the better part of this summer quarantined in Coventry, Conn., working out and training on court with Coach Nicol and a few other select elite-level players.

“She really is a force of nature and she has an incredible drive and passion,” Nicol noted.

“To be a world champion is difficult, but if she keeps focusing and working hard over the next ten years, the future is very bright for Mika and she just might be a world champion.”

Goldberg agrees, adding, “She is fortunate to have so much opportunity ahead of her, whether in squash or many other areas — Top: Bardin at the finals of the Junior Nationals, where she won in four games competing against Lucy Stefanoni.

Bottom: Bardin, who hosts a podcast exploring dyslexia, was a featured panelist at the MIT Integrated Learning Initiative Science of Reading Symposium on June 4, 2019.

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and judging from what I know of her, she will seize them!”

If Bardin stays on course and still has the drive, Nimick says there could be gold in her future.

“There have been three distinct efforts over the last 16 years to get squash into the Olympic Games, but the International Olympic Committee didn’t accept it in any one of those quadrennial decision periods. Right now there isn’t an active campaign to get it into Paris in 2024. But I expect there will be a plan to get squash into the 2028 Games in Los Angeles eight years from now. That’s perfectly set up for Mika, who in eight years will be at the prime of her career at 23 years old.”

“It would be an incredible opportunity for squash to be included into the Olympics,”

Bardin said. “Squash is a rigorous and popular international sport, and it would be an honor to represent the United States at the Olympics.”

A high school sophomore now living in Connecticut, Bardin said she loved working out at The Olympic Club when she was younger, commuting from Los Altos almost every weekend. Her mother believes her OC coaches had a lot to do with setting her on her current path.

“We just love The Olympic Club and the support of everybody there. I can’t say enough about Gareth Webber (current OC Squash Director) and Jeff Young (former OC Squash Director). Jeff’s commitment to Mika was just unbelievable, and we’re forever grateful.

A huge part of Mika’s early years, her foundation really, is attributable to the work, instruction and guidance of both Jeff and Gareth.”

Mika (far right) with Shai, her older sister, Noam, her father, and Lisa, her mother.

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Although she’s only 15 years old, Bardin exudes the confidence, poise and selfassurance of somebody much older.

“I think it’s important to acknowledge the accomplishments you’ve achieved in life, but I don’t look back too often. I’m just so focused on the next step and my goals, and until I get there it’s hard to see straight. I always want to be the best at what I’m doing. For me it’s about doing what you love, and if you do what you love, I feel you never work a day in your life.”

A straight-A student in school, a mentor at SquashBond and a GoFundMe “Kid Hero” for her 2015 fundraising efforts at the NetSuite Open, Mika Bardin is now happy.

Very happy. 

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CALL FOR COMMITTEE SERVICE WE’RE LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD PEOPLE! The Olympic Club prides itself on the integration of professional management via the voluntary committee system. It’s that time of the year when members are encouraged to apply to serve on one of these committees. Each year, individual members step forward and volunteer their time, expertise and ideas to Club issues on a broad range of topics.

The qualifications are simple: All Active and Athletic members with two or more years of membership at the OC are eligible to participate in the committee system and are encouraged to apply.

It’s important to receive applications from members who belong to different communities at our Club. Diversity of opinions is important for the integrity of the system. Please email Membership Director Kin Ho at governance@olyclub.com with questions or comments.

The online application will open in mid-October.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the announcement in our weekly Online Clubhouse email!

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COMMODORE COCHRAN Commodore Shelton (C.S.) Cochran traveled the country for track and field exhibitions before settling in the Bay Area. He joined The Olympic Club to focus on the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, France. He won the 400m at the 1924 Northern California tryouts, besting the 1920 Olympic gold medal time. In Paris, he ran the first leg of ypically, The Olympic Club hosts the gold-medal-winning 4x400m relay, the the Hall of Fame induction cere- fastest anyone had run a quarter mile to that mony the first week of October. point. The relay team set a new world record This year, the celebration has been post- of 3.16.0. poned. However, we wanted to congratulate our 2020 inductees and acknowledge their accomplishments. Like all our Hall of Famers, their stories emphasize not only the hard work and commitment necessary to achieve greatness, but also the importance of the Club in their development.

T

The Hall of Fame Committee worked diligently this year to nominate this slate of inductees. We want to thank them for their hard work in these unprecedented times: Michael Fox, Chair; Michael Benham, Kevin Brunner, Graham Chernoff, Justine Higueras, James Scullion and Douglas Kilroy (ex-officio).

We look forward to coming together in the future to toast these great Olympians.

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C.S. “Racehorse” Cochran in 1924.

RUSSELL A. HAFFERKAMP Russ Hafferkamp knows where the Hall of Fame is at The Olympic Club, having been inducted twice before as a member of the 1982–1986 and 1992–1995 water polo teams. His 2020 induction as an individual speaks volumes about his love for the sport of water polo and The Olympic Club. His record as a consensus All-American selection and multiple National and World Champion, spanning four decades in Open and Masters competition, is unmatched. As a 12-time competitor in the FINA Masters World Championships, and a three-time MVP in U.S National Championships, Hafferkamp was also instrumental in pushing USA Water Polo to create the Masters Water Polo program. He is an extraordinary Olympian, having served as coach for the OC women’s water polo team, as well as on numerous governance committees. Hafferkamp was only the second water polo player to be inducted into the Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Russ Hafferkamp during one of his many Masters National Championship appearances.

MARGERY MEYER Margery Meyer did not start competitive swimming until 1987 at the age of 64, but that did not inhibit her accomplishments.

She joined The Olympic Club in 1994, one of the early female members of the Club and its swim team. Meyer held 47 FINA Masters world records in freestyle events from the 100m to the 1500m, and swam in four FINA World Championships, winning 11 gold, five silver and two bronze medals. Meyer’s personal highlights include the Escape from Alcatraz swim at age 71, as well as being a member of a winning relay team across the Maui Channel in Hawaii, the oldest participant ever at the time. Meyer certainly embodies the spirit of The Olympic Club, swimming competitively until she passed away in 2009.

Margery Meyer during a cover shoot for the Olympian in 2009. Photo by Julia West/The Olympic Club.

ADOLFO “AL” SANDOVAL Al Sandoval is a four-time national handball champion: YMCA singles (1994), YMCA doubles (1994), USHA Masters doubles 35+ (1995) and USHA Masters doubles 40+ (2000). His career also includes many local tournament victories and deep runs in pro tournaments. Since joining the Club in 1980, Sandoval has been a constant presence on the fourth-floor courts at City Clubhouse, competing against many of the Club’s other great handball players, teaming up with fellow Club members to win titles and generously teaching younger players.

A member of the Northern California Handball Association Hall of Fame, Sandoval has been aptly described as a “great player, great competitor and even a better person.”

Al Sandoval was featured on the cover of the November 2006 Olympian. Photo by Robert Mizono.

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PETER VARELLAS Peter Varellas is a two-time men’s water polo Olympian, representing the United States at the 2008 Beijing and the 2012 London Olympic Games. In 2008, Varellas helped Team USA reach the podium for the first time in 20 years, bringing home the silver medal. He was a member of the gold-medal-​ winning teams at the 2007 and 2011 Pan American games. He also competed with the national team for six years, while playing in Open and Masters competition for the Club. An Olympian Award for Athletic Achievement recipient in 2012, Varellas continues to represent the OC in national and international competition and serves on the Board of Directors for USA Water Polo.

Peter Varellas competing in the 2013 Humphrey-Thompson Cup for The Olympic Club. Photo by Julia West/The OIympic Club.

2015 OC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM The members of the 2015 OC Women’s Basketball Team represent the best that OC basketball has to offer. Many were founding members of the women’s basketball program in 2008 and part of teams that won Pacific Coast titles in 2008–2010 and 2012–2019, as well as National titles in 2008, 2009 and 2013–2018. Of the 10 women on this team, six are still active players, with three currently serving within the Club’s committee system.

The 2015 Women’s Basketball Team took home the title at the Pacific Coast Athletic Club (PCAC) tournament.

12 The Olympic Club | October 2020

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The Olympic Club | October 2020

13

OC GENERATIONS

Families of the Club

by Frank Stranzl & Richard Wright (Contributing Member)

T

he Olympic Club starts a new regular feature this month, dedicated to multigenerational Winged “O” families.

Family has been an important theme at this Club over the years. The OC is a place of tradition, with a recorded history in our archives, as well as a spoken legacy passed down through members who lived those moments. Many families share stories amongst themselves that cover large swaths of our 160-year history, and this monthly piece will honor those stories.

Debuting are the Labaghs. Marty, Paul and Greg were the original OC members of the family, and the group has contributed quite a bit to the Club since their arrival. Both Marty and Greg served on the Club�s Board of Directors, as President and Treasurer, respectively.

Now, younger generations have arrived, as Marty’s daughter, Aimee (Labagh Tenente), is currently the Communications Committee Chair. Her brothers Justin and Jason are both Olympians; Jason is an active participant in OC basketball leagues.

From Junior athletics to governance to social events, and more, the Labaghs have

14 The Olympic Club | October 2020

seen and done just about everything at this Club. And while they’re just one of many fine families here, they’re the first you’ll read about in this series.

We hope you enjoy reading about the Labaghs, and the new celebration of our OC families!

THE LABAGHS Martin “Marty” Labagh joined The Olympic Club as a junior in 1968 in order to play basketball at the Club. When elected, he knew he’d started something special. What he couldn’t know then was that some 50 years later, his family would become an Olympic Club legacy; including 15 family members enjoying sports, events, service and friendships at the Club.

“It has been a community that has grown alongside our family for over 50 years,” said Tenente. “We look forward to the Club’s new events, friendly staff, athletic challenges and the opportunity to give back through the OC Foundation and committee work.”

And as Marty’s basketball tradition laid the foundation for his family’s love of the Club

in 1968, new traditions have emerged along with the growing family.

“My first event at The Olympic Club was when I was three years old, joining my father and sister Lauren at the 1989 Father/Daughter Night,” said Tenente. “It started a tradition that we still carry on to this day, and it’s one of the best events I think the Club offers for families.”

The annual events at the Club have always been memorable for the Labagh family, but one event in particular really stands out for the clan.

“At the President’s Ball when my father was inaugurated, we had all of his nine brothers and sisters and their spouses attend, as well as my immediate family, making it a mini Labagh reunion,” said Tenente. “The day also happened to be my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary. During my father’s acceptance speech, he dedicated the night to my mother, and I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room. It was truly wonderful to be witness to that moment that we will all cherish.”

And all these special moments are founded upon — and began with — Marty Labagh’s experiences on the OC Basketball team.

Far left: Aimee (3), Marty and Lauren (7), just about the time they all went to a long-ago Father/Daughter Night at the Club — Aimee’s first OC event!

Middle: Aimee, Marty and Lauren have continued to attend the Father/Daughter Nights through the years, here in 2019. Photo by Jordan Sofris.

Left: The Labagh family at the 2014 President’s Ball, when Aimee’s dad Marty was Club President. Left to right: Justin Labagh, his wife Layla, Jason Labagh, his wife Athena, Aimee’s mom Donna, dad Marty, sister Lauren, Aimee. Four of the family members pictured here are current Olympians (Justin, Jason, Marty and Aimee). Photo

by Dinno Kovic.

“I have a lot of great memories,” said Marty.

“We attended many tournaments throughout the years all over the country. I made so many friendships that I still enjoy today.”

Finding a competitive league and athletes of equal prowess to play basketball with after college was what drew Marty to the OC. But he soon discovered other sports and aspects of the Club he enjoyed.

“I played on a couple of OC tennis teams and really enjoyed all of the tennis events,” said Marty. “When I was elected to the Board of Directors, I learned the inner workings of the Club, which were new to me coming from OC sports. After being elected President of the Club, traveling as an ambassador for the OC was a special privilege.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has stifled Club use but hasn’t stopped the Labaghs from interacting and being a part of Club life.

“Spending all this time at home, away from both City Clubhouse and Lakeside, really grows one’s appreciation for what they offer,” said Tenente. “City Clubhouse is my go-to gym. I am excited to get back there for routine workouts. I also miss the team at the

Club, like having conversations with Manny at the bar! And when I was younger and my father was President in 2014, I really enjoyed spending time with him. It was great for us to get to work out together, or grab dinner and talk about our day. His dedication and love of the Club really inspired me to get involved in committee work and take a larger interest in the Club and its governance.”

Marty is excited about getting back into his Olympic Club routine.

“I look forward to getting back downtown to work out on the sixth floor and also to swimming,” said Marty. “I also look forward to seeing all of the employees who became my friends when I was downtown so often.”

Tenente is also anxious to get back to her routine but has had her work cut out for her serving on the Communications Committee, during this time of Zoom meetings and zero face-to-face interaction.

“As the current chair of the Communications Committee, I’ve been able to check in regularly and see how they’ve been coping,” said Tenente. “Everybody has been very creative during this time, whether when it comes to

their work ethic, travel, homeschooling, or at-home workouts. We start and end each meeting by sharing stories and tips with each other. We recognize that this is a pandemic, but we are also human and enjoy having a laugh at the current situation. It’s good to lighten up, talk and connect.”

Basketball, anniversaries, dinners and dances — as well as serving the OC community — the Labagh family is an Olympic Club institution. And soon, they’ll all be back on the court, and Aimee, Lauren and Marty will be dancing up a storm at the next Father/ Daughter Night.  Would you like to share your OC family story in a future edition of Olympian magazine?

Please email olympian@olyclub.com.

The Olympic Club | October 2020

15

from the

ARCHIVES

WAS THE OC’S JIM CORBETT

A feature from the History & Archives Committee giving Olympians a look at the way we were.

by Jessica Smith & Christine U’Ren

I

n the August Olympian, we explored the life of Eadweard Muybridge and the sequential images he took of Olympic Club athletes in 1878. But William S. Lawton and his fellow athletes are not the only early moving picture stars from the Club. Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World “Gentleman Jim” Corbett also played a part in film history.

In 1888, as Muybridge traveled the world to show off his moving pictures, he visited Thomas Edison’s laboratory in West Orange, N.J., and proposed developing a new device — a combination of the Zoopraxiscope and the Edison phonograph. While the partnership never came to fruition, it seems to have sparked a desire in Edison to create a new type of camera. He filed a motion with the Patent Office on October 17, 1888, describing a device that would “do for the eye what the phonograph does for the ear.”

What Edison and his assistant, William Kennedy Laurie Dickson, eventually produced was the Kinetograph (the camera) and the Kinetoscope (the player), which combined the Greek words “kineto” or movement with “scopos” or “to watch.” Kinetoscopes were single-person viewing machines, generally maintained in amusement venues.

By 1891, Edison’s lab was creating experimental films featuring vaudeville acts, dancers and later, famous performers like members of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. In 1894, while he still held the heavyweight title, Corbett appeared in a boxing film made at Edison’s “Black Maria” studio. The bout, between Corbett and Peter Courtney, was a specially arranged match filmed for display on Kinetoscopes.

According to a letter from Edison to New Movie Magazine in 1930, Corbett was contracted for the “first motion picture that we made for public exhibition,” thus allowing Corbett to “claim the distinction of being the oldest living film star.” Edison clearly wrote a cagey description; other famous athletes, like strongman Eugene Sandow, had been filmed,

16 The Olympic Club | October 2020

The director told Corbett where to stand in the final round, reminding him, “Be sure, Jim, when you do hit him, to stand on this chalk mark. Otherwise you won’t be in focus.” It took two tries for Corbett to successfully knock him out — while in focus.

Still taken from the film Corbett and Courtney before the Kinetograph, 1894. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

but Corbett may have been the first to receive royalties. He was certainly among the earliest performers in motion pictures, and used his name recognition to full advantage.

Corbett remembered his manager coming to him, saying, “I have a proposition from Edison’s place in New Jersey, saying they would like to have you go over there and box for them. They want to see if they can catch a knockout blow and reproduce it in moving pictures.” Corbett noted in 1930 that his percentage was significant: “I can now say that it was fifteen thousand dollars that we made out of the project, which wasn’t so bad thirty-five years ago!” He earned the money for a day’s work that featured six rounds of fighting, potentially fulfilling the first movie star contract.

He later recalled his movie debut proudly, remarking, “Although I have played in the movies many times since — and in some elaborate pictures — I have never had the same thrill that came to me that day at Mr. Edison’s laboratory 35 years ago...”

The six-part series (one for each round) was the biggest earner of any Kinetoscope picture ever made, and according to historian Dan Streible, ‘Gentleman Jim’ was the central attraction, a figure of rising and multifaceted celebrity.”

“They put us in the ring, and I do think without exaggeration that it was not more than eight feet square,” Corbett described. “But we had a referee and all the props of a real fight and they called time.” The fight was fixed — Corbett was to knock out Courtney in the sixth round — but Courtney did not know that.

Gentleman Jim Corbett, the World Heavyweight Champion 1892–1897. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

THE FIRST FILM STAR?

In 1897, Corbett was invited to box in an even more ambitious undertaking, a full battle for the heavyweight title on film. Instead of being divided into Kinetoscope snippets, this picture would be projected as one piece and viewed by a theater audience. To accommodate the regulation 24-foot-wide ring, director/cinematographer Enoch Rector ordered custom 63mm film from Eastman Kodak. To achieve the necessary shooting length, he invented a new type of camera. The result was the longest film recorded to date, widely considered the first feature-length movie, as well as the first widescreen projection, running 75–90 minutes (sources vary) and covering the full 14 rounds of the fight. The picture was a blockbuster, particularly with female spectators, who were often barred from attending fights at that time.

Once again, Corbett and his manager wisely demanded royalties, which must have helped make up for the heartbreaking loss to the challenger, Bob Fitzsimmons. Author Samuel Hawley believes that the post-fight footage, showing Corbett lunging at his opponent and demanding a rematch, was as effective a drama for viewers as the actual fight.

Corbett (right) displays his million-dollar smile before his bout with Bob Fitzsimmons (left). Fitzsimmons reportedly asked during a screening of the “Veriscope” film, “What do you think of those bathrobes? Ain’t they peaches?”

While it’s hard to prove that Corbett was the first film star, his canny participation in the pictures — and the popularity of prizefighting — made a crucial contribution to the foundation of the movie industry.

After he retired from boxing, Corbett continued to perform on stage and in films. He kept in touch with his friends at the Club and frequently visited. After he died, his life was turned into a movie, Gentleman Jim, starring Errol Flynn, in 1942.  In 1927, Corbett returned to San Francisco for a week-long vaudeville show. Following his first night’s performance, over 500 Olympians honored him at a midnight reception and dinner at the Club.

The Olympic Club | October 2020

17

FIGHT NIGHT IS DOWN, BUT NOT OUT

by Christine U’Ren, photos by Mark Reilly

F

ight Night 2020 was on track to be just as successful as previous years when the pandemic hit, and The Olympic Club Foundation (OCF) was forced to cancel the event. As Board Member David McCallum says, everyone feels the loss. “Our fellow members and guests did not get to gather and create lifelong memories at what is always a special evening. A young athlete was not empowered

reopen, and children whose families survive on a limited income are among the hardest hit. Fight Night for Charity has netted over $100,000 per year since its revival in 2016 as an annual fundraiser for the Foundation. As Foundation Board Vice-Chair Stephen Wynne puts it, “Without Fight Night, thousands of children and hundreds of organizations could be negatively impacted.”

“Without Fight Night, thousands of children and hundreds of organizations could be negatively impacted.”

— Stephen Wynne, OC Member and Foundation Board Vice-Chair

to tell their uniquely inspiring story. A group of committed young boxers didn’t get to have the once-in-a-lifetime experience of being treated like prizefighters, something they will never forget. Most importantly, our members did not have the opportunity to show their unyielding support for our Foundation by supporting this event they treasure … And, without Fight Night, it is the kids who will suffer the most.”

As Foundation board members pointed out, underserved kids now need support more than ever. Most Bay Area schools cannot yet 18 The Olympic Club | October 2020

Fight Night is one of the most popular events at The Olympic Club — tickets typically sell out in a matter of hours. Olympians wear their best evening attire in homage to the Club’s original Fight Nights, which date back to the 1930’s. In addition to the spectacle inside the ring, attendees enjoy whiskey and tequila tastings, performances from various local artists, and of course, a gourmet dinner created by City Clubhouse Executive Chef Derek Ingraham.

DON’T THROW IN THE TOWEL!

PLEASE HELP US VIRTUALLY FILL THESE SEATS DONATE AT OCFKIDS.ORG • 415.710.0580 • JRING@OCFKIDS.ORG Donations are tax-deductible. Tax ID# 94–3160462.

As fun as it is for the crowd, it’s important to remember the young boxers are getting a valuable experience, competing for points to advance their amateur careers. Some have dreams of boxing in the Olympics and/or turning professional, and the event is sanctioned by USA Boxing: the fighters are all over 18, and the event is always run 100 percent in compliance with USA Boxing rules and regulations for amateur boxing.

Outgoing Executive Director Rebecca Figone stresses that “the OCF puts tremendous focus on ensuring the boxers’ experience is extremely positive and that they all feel valued and appreciated.”

In 2019, Fight Night celebrated San Francisco’s sister-city relationship with Cork, Ireland. Two young Irish boxers arrived at The Olympic Club gymnasium to exhibit their talent on the canvas alongside highly-ranked Californians, proving that, as the Lord Mayor of Cork put it, sports “promote inclusion and community engagement.”

As Wynne says, “Playing sports is so essential to a kid’s upbringing.” The purpose of the Foundation is to provide all children of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties

FOUNDATION SUCCESS STORY: KEVIN MONTANO

the opportunity to participate in organized athletics. As school budgets decrease, and families are asked to bear the cost of uniforms, equipment and transportation, participation in sports decreases, especially for children from low-income households.

EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS Funds donated by Olympians are crucial to these children. The good news is that every donation makes a difference. $50 buys one racket and equipment for a youth tennis program $150 pays for 30 rounds of golf through a youth reduced-price golf program $300 pays a track and field team’s leagueregistration fee $1,000 covers the league costs for an entire youth basketball team $2,200 buys 20 anti-concussion helmets for a youth football team $3,000 covers player fees, uniforms, coaching and equipment for one soccer team Now more than ever, we need our members to answer the bell for these deserving kids! 

Kevin Montano (pictured above) joined the Concord Community Youth Center program for disadvantaged youth — a program supported by The Olympic Club Foundation — when he was eight years old. He was a very shy and introverted boy, with minimal social skills. No one would have ever seen it coming, but over the years he blossomed into an exemplary student-athlete and a wonderful role model for younger students.

Montano’s prowess in the ring has always belied his mild-tempered demeanor.

Due to serious illnesses in the family, he has had to take time away from training and school to help raise his two younger brothers. Still, despite these challenges, he remains one of the nicest young men you could ever meet.

Montano has been an important part of The Olympic Club Foundation’s Fight Night for Charity as both a fighter and an inspirational speaker. He won his bouts in 2017 and 2018, as well as earning the 2017 Best Boxer award, and appeared as the grantee speaker in 2019. In his boxing career, Montano has amassed over 140 bouts in competition and has reached a rating of No. 2 in the U.S. His dream came true in March 2019 when he won his way into the USA Olympic Trials for the 2020 Olympics.

The Olympic Club | October 2020

19

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INTRODUCING TENNIS DIRECTOR TOM WHITTEN

by Max Rausch, photo by Gene Choi (Contributing Members)

W

hat motivated The Olympic Club’s new Director of Tennis, Tom Whitten, to leave the successful program he built at The Oaks Club in Sarasota, Fla., and move all the way across the country to San Francisco?

Oddly enough the answer, at least in part, is Barry Bonds.

“I grew up in Virginia, but I fell in love with the Giants in the early 2000’s when Barry Bonds was smashing balls into the Bay, and I got to see a few games from the front row, with my friends at Sun Oaks Club in Redding,” Whitten said. “From there, San Francisco became my family’s favorite city to visit, so when the opportunity arose to work at a San Francisco institution like The Olympic Club, I just couldn’t say no.”

Bay Area ties aside, Olympians should be excited that Whitten decided to pack up his rackets and move west — his track record of success speaks for itself. Not only is Whitten a United States Professional Tennis Association Certified Professional, he’s also achieved the rare rank of Competitive Player Development Specialist and coached over 100 students of all levels to United States Tennis Association rankings and national championships.

But don’t let the competitive accolades fool you — Whitten loves working with players of all skill levels.

“What’s great about tennis is that the challenges of the game are pretty much the same for everyone,” Whitten said. “Oftentimes beginners and super advanced players will have the same problem areas, just at different levels, so it’s fun and challenging for me to try and figure out unique ways to coach different students.”

Whitten is excited to continue to raise the bar of The Olympic Club tennis program, and plans to use his first few months on the job to really get to know the tennis community and gather ideas for what they want out of the program. He’s only been on-site since August 15, but has already been impressed with the passion of the membership.

“The members here are passionate about competition in a way that really sets The Olympic Club apart from other places I’ve worked,” said Whitten. “The energy is great, and it’s neat to see so many people striving to be the best tennis player they can be, whether they are a 5.0 former college player or a 3.0 who is on the water polo team.”

Tennis has been recognized as a low-risk activity during COVID-19, and the courts are open to singles play, guests and tennis-themed groupfitness classes. Book a court time and drop by to meet Whitten and learn more about his plans for the program!

“I’m really looking forward to the vibe,” he said. “And the weather.” 

The Olympic Club | October 2020

21

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

WILLIE TONEY

by Christine U’Ren photo by Gene Choi, Contributing Member

A

s part of the team at the Golf Shop, Assistant Head Golf Professional Willie Toney gets to work every day with the sport he has loved since he was a kid. A committed family man, he’s also dedicated to ensuring that OC members receive optimal experiences on the Club’s three courses.

Q: Can you tell us more about your start?

A: I started playing golf at age 10, at the Bing Maloney municipal golf course in Sacramento where I grew up. I began playing competitively at 13, and won a scholarship to play collegiate golf at Prairie View A&M, down in Texas.

Q: Do you still play competitively?

A: I sure do. I’ve continued now for over 40 years. As of 2015, I went to the PGA Tour Champions Q-School [the annual qualifying tournaments for golfers 50 and over]. This year, unfortunately, it was canceled due to COVID-19. I will keep in shape, and do it next year.

Golf is something you can do from the time you can stand up and hit a golf ball until you are literally into your 90s. OC member Judge Robertson, who is 83, plays every weekend. Bill Bush, 87, walks and plays.

So you can do this until you drop.

Q: Do you have any favorite memories of OC golfing events?

A: When I got to The Olympic Club, I didn’t think I would still be here 15 years later. But the 2007 U.S. Amateur came, and then they announced we would host the 2012 U.S. Open and I thought “I need to stay.” And ’12 was phenomenal! Huge, huge experience.

Q: What do you do outside of work?

A: Besides golf, just spending time with my family. I have four kids. We do everything from swimming to running to gaming on Xbox Live — it’s hilarious. 

22 The Olympic Club | October 2020

BAY AREA WILDLIFE CROSSWORD

1

With its famous piers, beaches and parks, the Bay Area is home to animals of all kinds, from birds to mammals to reptiles to fish. Some of them we can even call by name!

How many do you recognize? And how many have you seen in person?

3

2

4

5

6

9

7

8

10

11

12 13

14

15 16

18

17 19

20

21 22 23

24 25

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ACROSS 2 We clean up after Giants games 3 Guard the dumpsters at Lakeside in the afternoon 9 Seal who hangs out at Oracle Park 10 Feast for a “Feed” 12 After the dogs go home, we come out at Fort Funston 14 Most famous animal on Nextdoor 15 More than just a color

16 Occasionally hunts gophers instead of typical fish diet 19 What you don’t want to see on the courses 20 Better be in a cage to see me 22 Seals that populate Año Nuevo 23 Albino alligator who lives at Cal Academy 25 Gone fishing, just for the _____ 26 Bandit of the animal kingdom

DOWN 1 Humpback who entered the Bay in 1985 and 1990 4 Perch on telephone poles along Lake Merced Drive 5 Frequents birdfeeders at houses near golf courses 6 Protected coastline avian 7 Scallop lover in kelp forests 8 Rumored to be more of us than children in SF

11 Commonly found at Pier 39 13 Popular bear at NCAA Tip-Off 17 Grizzly bear who was a model for the state flag 18 We like to stand around in a Golden Gate paddock 21 You’ll find us at OB scooping up fish 24 We used to hang out solely on Telegraph Hill but have since spread our wings

The Olympic Club | October 2020

23

1969

2019

2019

THANK YOU TO O The Olympic Club’s matchups with United States Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard teams have been postponed this October, so we’re taking a look back at some memorable Fleet Week moments.

2017

1930s

2019 24 The Olympic Club | October 2020

1933

1969

2017

2018

UR SERVICE MEMBERS

Since the competitions started in the late 1920s, they have evolved to include more than pistol and rifle matches, featuring at various times golf, skeet, sailing, softball and basketball.

2019

1947

1945 1951 1992 The Olympic Club | October 2020

25

1

MEMBER PHOTOS

2

3

Olympians can experience San Francisco’s many moods and microclimates at both City Clubhouse and Lakeside. Thank you to the members pictured here for sharing your photos with us! It’s wonderful to see so many of you enjoying the summer. (Submit your pictures to olympian@olyclub.com.)

1. Melissa Daimler, Eric Daimler, Michael Aguilera and Jack Tilney.

2. Chris Denten.

4

3. Colman, Tessa, Sadie and Charlotte O’Leary.

4. Francis Lally.

5. Phoebe Strauss and Charlotte O’Leary.

6. Fumiko Haruyama, Bev Steffen and Mary McKeegan.

7. Emmy Ehrlich, Barbara Bocci and Barbara Azevedo.

5

6

7

26 The Olympic Club | October 2020

OC VOLUNTEERS AT 2020 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

by K.C. Murphy, Member

The PGA week started Monday, Aug. 3, with the PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) at The Olympic Club, a casual golf opportunity for military veterans.

Next, the golf at the PGA Championship at Harding Park was spectacular. Even more spectacular were the numbers of Olympians volunteering at the event, including many in leadership positions.

Every time I turned around in the volunteer tent, I was greeted by another Olympian ready to donate their time at the PGA. The volunteer work was an enjoyable and gratifying experience. What fun to see championship golf up close, while performing a necessary service to allow the PGA Tournament to run so smoothly.

Don’t forget, another major golf volunteering experience is right around the corner. Look forward to the United States Women’s Open Championship at the Club in June 2021.

The Olympic Club | October 2020

27

EXERCISE MEDICINE Colman O’Leary is a graduate of the University of California San Francisco School of Physical Therapy and part owner of Active Care Physical Therapy. His practice serves athletes throughout the state.

by Colman O’Leary, Contributing Member

TAKE A BREATH A funny thing about masks — it is surprisingly hard to picture what a new face may look like. One message is loud and clear though: That masked face is communicating, “I’m doing my best to keep both of us safe.”

As Olympians get together for workouts during the pandemic, masks will likely be part of the process. For half a year, I have watched patients exercise, and have exercised myself, in a mask, and I have become more curious about our new normal.

Your breathing rate increases during exercise, chiefly to rid the body of the carbon dioxide produced by increased muscle oxygen consumption. The increased rate also ensures that the hard-working muscles have enough oxygen. Too much carbon dioxide or too little oxygen are major factors in performance and fatigue with exercise.

Since face masks restrict airflow, our lungs have to work harder when wearing a mask. This throws off the normal rhythm of our breathing during exercise, especially at higher exertion levels.

Dr. Will McKleroy, a Fellow in Pulmonology and Critical Care at the University of California San Francisco, reminds us: “The good news is that masks won’t decrease the amount of oxygen you can breathe in, or the oxygen levels in your blood, even if you are exercising. The major issue that most exercisers will experience is airflow limitation — the inability to meet the demands of

your lungs for increased air during exercise. This can cause a feeling of shortness of breath, but this alone doesn’t equate to low oxygen in the blood.” So, masks will affect our comfort during exercise, and ultimately performance, but are safe.

In addition to airflow restriction, other variables can affect exercise satisfaction and performance while in a mask. Here is a list, from my experience, to help you prepare for your upcoming workout: 1. Mask type and fit count: An ideal mask fits comfortably and is made of double-layered cotton or a synthetic blend of materials. It can’t hurt to bring a spare — especially if you will be sweating a lot. If you haven’t heard yet, masks with vents are on the outs, and the popular and comfortable gaiters (double-layered preferred) are currently back in (see Tara Parker-Pope’s New York Times article “Save The Gaiters!” from Aug. 17, 2020).

Masks with adjustable ear straps and different sizes are now on the market, since a loose, poorly fitted mask defeats the purpose, regardless of material. Paper surgical masks, while valued for general safety, respond poorly to sweat and break down quickly. A wet mask will collapse on your face, increasing resistance to breathing, and is also presumed to be less effective as a filter. In a recent

study by a German exercise physiology group, N95 masks were found to cause impaired pulmonary function and comfort with intense exercise, and most experts agree should be reserved for front-line workers.

2. Keep your cool: Scarano and colleagues point out in their July 2020 study, “Facial Skin Temperature and Discomfort When Wearing Protective Face Masks,” that we do heat up when just wearing masks, much less when exercising in them. The researchers point out that our heads have a key role in thermoregulation of the whole body, and we quickly become uncomfortable with increased facial temperatures.

This is important because we then touch the mask and start breaking one of the important rules (along with social distancing) for hand hygiene.

Have cool liquids ready to go.

Dabbing your forehead may help your mask endurance during exercise. Make sure to

Double-layered cotton or synthetic blends can be ideal fabric for masks, as long as the design fits closely and comfortably.

28 The Olympic Club | October 2020

wash your hands or use hand sanitizer if you do touch your mask or face.

3. Head game: Expect cardio performance to take a mild hit from limitations on breathing. Even weightlifting and interval training can be affected, as predicted in 2016

by Motoyama in the journal Sports, whose research looked at airflow-restricting masks.

I see this decrease in muscular performance with patients daily. Interestingly, Motoyama points out that resistance performance may be heavily influenced by a complex brain system that perceives the mask as uncomfortable, leading to a sense of fatigue and thus lower performance! The take-home here is to stay confident while exercising in the mask, and set expectations with workouts accordingly.

4. Breathing: Ironically, a focus on breathing is at the frontier of exercise performance, despite being studied over

centuries for mental and spiritual health. Your breathing pattern is a highly coordinated symphony of muscles creating air in and air out, played at different volumes during rest and exercise. Of course, the mask changes that. In searching for my best pattern during exercise, I find myself using the mask naturally as a “resistance barrier” to exhaling.

I find the longer air intake creates enough potential energy to relax and let the air out — like exhaling through pursed lips. Maybe this helps create the positive mindset that breathing techniques are proven to foster. It is also possible that muscles that expel breath feel like they’re trying to recover from the work of pulling the air in. Regardless, don’t worry if you notice a new breathing pattern; follow what feels good.

exercising in a mask. Feeling lightheaded or dizzy can be a sign that your body is not getting enough oxygen, and always means that you should take a break. Raise your arms over your head like a track star and focus on deep, regular breathing. If you have to take your mask off to catch your breath, make sure you find as much space away from others as you can.

Don’t let the mask stop you from getting back to workouts at the Club when the time finally comes.

That way you’ll still recognize yourself when this is all over. 

MASK GUIDANCE FROM SAN FRANCISCO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH Best Protection f Surgical mask.

Although these masks are highly effective, Colman notes they respond poorly to sweat and become less effective. If a surgical mask is all you have available, consider bringing a spare to swap out during or after your workout. f Multi-layered cloth face covering.

If using a multi-layered cloth face covering, it should be tightly woven, high thread count cotton, or a cotton blend. f Mask should fit securely over your nose, mouth and under the chin.

Good Protection

Of course, anyone with cardio, pulmonary, or breathing issues should consult their doctor before

f Single-layer cloth face covering. f Double-layered neck gaiter. f Lower thread count cotton, silk, linen, or polyester.

Not Recommended f Face covering that is loosely woven or loosely knit, folded bandana, or single-layer neck gaiter. f Unbreathable material such as plastic or leather. f Overly porous material such as nylon or fleece.

A well-fitted, double-layered neck gaiter can work as well as other types of masks.

Paper surgical masks, while very effective, respond poorly to sweat and can become less effective than cloth if wet.

San Francisco Department of Public Health does not permit masks with vents, as they can allow respiratory droplets to escape.

Not Permitted f Face covering with vents.

The Olympic Club | October 2020

29

BASKETBALL TIP SHOOTING PROGRESSION

by John Perez, photos by Gene Choi (Contributing Member) Shooting is the key offensive fundamental in the game. A team can play great defense, can rebound like crazy, can be extremely quick and fast and can even pass the ball well, but if they cannot put the ball in the basket, the best they can hope for is a 0–0 tie.

2. BODY POSITION & SETUP f Strong, balanced position. f Body should be squared to the basket.

f Butt down, “Hand Targets” up means ready to shoot. You power your shot up by getting your butt down.

The use of proper shooting technique is very important. Most players hurt f You don’t have to shoot quickly, but you DO need to set up to their technique by trying to shoot shoot quickly. from too far out. Select a distance from which you can shoot comfort- f Body position and setup is ably and accurately. a common shooting fault for players of all ages.

Perfecting the shot does not come easily, even after the proper technique is used. It takes hours upon 3. GRIP hours to get comfortable with the f Snap the ball quickly into movement and make it natural. your “Shooting Pocket;” “Lock Consider the following points and Load.” while practicing the shot — we f Hold the ball not in front of call it the shooting progression, your sternum, but in front of which is demonstrated by Jazmine the shooting-side shoulder.

Jackson from our competitive f The ball should rest on the basketball program. pads of your fingers, not the palm or fingertips.

1. START WITH A GOOD BASE

AND A SOLID FOUNDATION f The guide hand (or “off hand”)

f Your feet should be spread comfortably, shoulder-width apart. f Right handers, your right foot is slightly ahead of your left.

Opposite for lefties. f You should have a strong, balanced stance — “A good shooter is a balanced shooter.” f Point your feet at the target at all times — “Straight Feet, Straight Shot.”

should be on the side, or slightly under, the ball. The shooter must make certain the guide does not interfere with the flight of the ball. Its job is to guide, not propel the ball. f Your guide hand comes OFF the ball before you release it. f Your fingers should be spread evenly and should be comfortably relaxed on the ball.

Reserve your basketball hoop or strength training pod in advance via the Club’s website, or OC Mobile App, or by calling 415.345.5100.

If you have any issues booking digitally or have a question, please email athletics@olyclub.com.

30 The Olympic Club | October 2020

The Olympic Club | October 2020

31

OC SPORTS DIRECTOR OF GOLF’S UPDATE — WILL HUT TER

CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF IN UNUSUAL TIMES As we continue to move forward in this extraordinary year, one bright spot in the golf world was the 2020 PGA Championship at neighboring TPC Harding Park in early August. The event had a most unusual “feel” without spectators, but produced one of the best PGA Championships in history, with multiple players in position to win late on Sunday. The event was described as a “college tournament with caddies,” due to the intensity of the competitive golf without the buzz of a large golf crowd.

The first major championship conducted without fans was a success, with the membership and staff of The Olympic Club playing significant roles in hosting the Championship. TPC Harding Park is a municipal course without members, so the PGA relied on the experienced volunteers of The Olympic Club to fill the void. Dan Dillon served as the General Chair, with Dennis Murphy and Mark Schultz as Vice Chairs. Numerous other members served as volunteer division chairs, including Michael Carr, Kevin Cronin and Steve Molinelli. The Host Committee included Kevin Chessen and me. The volunteer corps was reduced significantly from the over 3,000 volunteers originally required to cover essential services like walking scorers, shot link and other player services.

Some of the Olympians serving in these areas included Phil Havlicek, Joanne Hickman, Bob Loback, John McLaughlin, K.C. Murphy, Pat Murphy, Paul O’Driscoll, Bruce Osterman, Alex Paras and John Wu.

32 The Olympic Club | October 2020

Two members of the golf maintenance team, Lake Course Assistant Superintendents Phillip Gill and Kyle Moore, joined the Harding Park crew to provide great playing conditions. In a normal year, golf course superintendents and assistant superintendents from all over the country volunteer daily for the week to prepare the course at a championship level, but with travel restrictions, our local crew members jumped in.

In addition, the team from CBS needed additional utility crew members for the week to set up cables, assist camera operators and help with handheld on-course microphones to add to the TV broadcast. Several of the crew, including Olympic Club members John Bradley, Curtis Abbey and J.P. Morgan, along with a core group of our caddies, worked long hours to enhance the record number of hours of televised golf.

Without fans, the normal first-tee introductions became a bit strange.

Prior to the final putt holed by champion Collin Morikawa, the loudest applause of the week was for TPC Harding Park General Manager Tom Smith. Playing as a marker at 8am Saturday morning, Smith received hearty applause from the few staff and volunteers around the tee. Conversely, some of the best players in the game teed off without any applause at all. Smith and his team at Harding did an outstanding job with the ups and downs of the event postponement, finally hosting in August to very positive reviews.

The 2021 U.S. Women’s Open in the first week of June will be a wonderful event for The Olympic Club to host, adding to our storied championship history. The United States Golf Association team is planning and preparing for the event on-site, and recruitment of volunteers has been going well.

If you would like to volunteer, you can register by going to www.usga. org/2021uswovolunteers.

As we continue to operate under unusual circumstances, I want to thank the membership for your patience and understanding of the policies and limitations required to allow golf to be played. While we all are ready for a return to normal, we must stay diligent and adhere to guidelines to keep your fellow members and our staff safe and healthy.

OLYMPIAN HANDBALL PLAYER ANTHONY SULLIVAN NAMED U.S. HANDBALL ASSOCIATION COLLEGIATE ALL-AMERICAN

by Bob Del Torre, Member

Handball phenom Anthony Sullivan was recently selected for the 2020 U.S. Handball Association Collegiate All-American Team.

Sullivan started his handball journey at the age of five, when he started playing 3-Wall Ball in San Jose under coach Roberto Chavez.

That same year, he won his first doubles state championship. The Olympic Club recognized his talent and quickly recruited him to be a member. Sullivan has been a great representative of the Winged “O,” dominating handball throughout the country.

At 12, he won his first “C” Division 4-Wall Championship in Fresno.

He rapidly moved up in the divisions.

His tireless practicing quickly paid off, as he went on to win two Junior

After graduation from Santa Clara High in 2017, Sullivan was accepted to Lake Forest College in Illinois. At 19, he won the singles and doubles national titles.

“Achieving Collegiate All-American honors is an outstanding benchmark every player who has passed through the collegiate ranks hopes to achieve. Anthony made a very impressive debut as a junior, and given his success since then, he is most deserving to share the honor associated with the names of Hall of Fame players who have achieved the same feat.”

— Matthew Krueger, Executive Director, U.S. Handball Association

Championships at 13 in 3-Wall and He was named MVP of his college 4-Wall play. He moved up to the team in 2019. Sullivan is workcompetitive Open Division when ing toward a B.A. in Biology and he was only 14. At 16, he won his eventually hopes to become a first Open Singles Championship physician’s assistant. in Fresno, beating very experienced Sullivan plans to continue playCalifornia players. Between the ages ing, as he simply loves the fierce of 13 and 19, this young man won competition, camaraderie and not one, but 12 national titles, in family atmosphere of the sport. both singles and doubles.

He praises his father, Matt, for Before Sullivan even had a driver’s guiding him in his athletic endeavlicense, he dipped his toe in the ors. Also instrumental to his sucWorld Players of Handball qualifier cess were coaches Roberto Chavez circuit, the closest thing handfrom Fresno and Coach Michael ball has to a professional level.

Dau from Lake Forest College.

Anthony Sullivan has been winning national handball championships since age 12.

Photo by Joey Mucha.

The Olympic Club is extremely proud of Sullivan, who has represented our Club with utmost professionalism in this highly competitive sport. Congratulations to Anthony Sullivan on being selected All-American! 

The Olympic Club | October 2020

33

OC SPORTS OC JUNIOR AWARDS NOMINEES

by Sean Arietta

The Junior Awards Ceremony is currently set for Friday, Oct. 30, with a small gathering outdoors at Lakeside. As with all events in the era of COVID-19, the traditional format of the ceremony will be changed greatly. Nevertheless, the Junior Members Committee is committed to honoring The Olympic Club’s esteemed junior members.

wins, all these nominees deserve a resounding “Standing O” for their commitment to excellence in athletics and beyond.

BOYS

Cameron Keith | Golf: Keith earned his Junior Golf Privilege at The Olympic Club at age 14, after shooting a 77 to win the Junior Golf Qualifier. In recent years, As in years past, the nominees he has played in the Northern represent a strong and competiCalifornia Golf Association (NCGA), tive set of young Olympians from Junior Tour of Northern California the Club’s sports programs. The qualities sought after by the Junior and Junior Golf Association of Northern California events, as well Members Committee include an as several regional and national obvious focus on athletic exceltournaments. He tied for third lence, but also incorporate the in the U.S. Kids Golf Teen World core values of Sportsmanship, Integrity, Responsibility and Respect, Championships, and recently qualified for the NCGA Junior which are meant to evoke The Championship at Lake Merced, Olympic Club’s foundational guidwhich he won with a final round ing light: “To promote physical score of 68 to join other notaculture, social interaction and the ble winners such as Ken Venturi fostering of amateur athletics in (1949), Johnny Miller (1963) and a spirit of close harmony among Bobby Clampett (1976). Keith is its membership.” ranked nationally and averages While the selection criteria remains over 285 yards on his drives. He steadfast, the biggest change is a junior at De La Salle High this year is the introduction of School, where he has focused his the Junior Olympian of the Year interests on computer science and trophy. Similar in appearance to maintained a GPA of 4.1. He raises the Olympian Award for Athletic money for the National Pancreatic Achievement trophy — apart from Cancer Foundation in honor of his its notable “junior” size — the two golfing partner, his grandfather. exceptional junior athletes (one boy Henry Lipson | Swimming: and one girl) who win this award Lipson has perennially qualified will have their names engraved on the trophy. No matter who ultimately for the Junior Olympic and Far

Cameron Keith

34 The Olympic Club | October 2020

Henry Lipson

Western Regional Swimming Championships, representing the OC. As a junior in 2019, he was named captain of Urban High’s swim team and is currently on pace to be The Olympic Club’s next Junior National Qualifier.

Lipson is known for his reliable leadership and his ability to motivate his team as well as younger swimmers. Out of the pool, he is a juvenile swim instructor and lifeguard, and volunteers his time for ecology and social justice causes.

Mika Bardin

handball team and won the Junior Club Championship twice. He volunteers regularly — tutoring, helping serve food to the homeless and coaching the San Francisco Special Olympics basketball team.

Joshua Puccinelli | Basketball: Puccinelli has participated in OC basketball since the age of eight. In third grade, he began in the Junior Sunday Basketball League where he won the League Championship three times and the MVP twice. From fourth though eighth grade, Puccinelli played on the OC Elite Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball team.

Known for his three-point shot and his solid defense, Puccinelli led his team to numerous championships. He plays for Stuart Hall, where he played junior varsity for two years and varsity his junior year. Puccinelli was an integral part of his team winning the Bay Counties League West Championship and the North Coast Section Championship. He will be a team captain and starter on the varsity team his senior year.

In addition to basketball, Puccinelli has played three years on the OC

David Sanchez III | Handball: Sanchez joined The Olympic Club in 2018 and has since won a slew of handball tournaments while representing the Club. He competed in the 2019 U.S. Handball Association National Junior 3-Wall Championship, winning first place in the 17 & Under Big Ball Singles, second place in the 19 & Under Big Ball Doubles and third place in the 19 & Under Small Ball Singles. At the 2019 U.S. Handball Association National Junior 4-Wall Championship, he won first place in the 19 & Under Big Ball Singles and first place in the 17 & Under Small Ball Doubles. Sanchez coaches and mentors many younger handball players around the Bay Area, and volunteers

Joshua Puccinelli

David Sanchez III

Mirabel Fernald

India Houghton

his time at the Community Hospice Hope Chest Thrift Store in Stockton.

in the U.S. Squash Girls Under 15 (GU 15), and was the 2019 U.S. Squash GU 15 National Champion.

She has also participated in the European Championships and the British Junior Open. In addition to her squash accomplishments, she is the founder of Play for Equal Pay, and host of the podcast Dyslexic Solutions. She is also a mentor and coach for StreetSquash, focusing on helping underprivileged children in after-school squash programs, and is the creator of the Olympic Squash 2024 campaign.

Callan Venkatesan | Squash: Venkatesan is a member of The Olympic Club’s Division 1 Squash Team, where he helped the team reach the NorCal Division 1 Championship. He also recently represented The Olympic Club in the U.S. Junior Open Tournament, where he reached the quarterfinals. Venkatesan is currently ranked seventh in the U.S. Squash Boys Under 15 (BU 15) rankings.

Outside of squash, he supports SquashDrive, a community outreach program helping students to excel in academics and athletics.

GIRLS Mika Bardin | Squash: Bardin is a member of The Olympic Club’s squash team, and represented them in the recent U.S. Squash West Coast Junior Championship Tour. She is currently ranked No. 1

Payton King

Lauren Williams

globally for children in need. She also volunteers at food banks and displaced-family shelters and is the co-founder of a nonprofit organization for equality and justice.

team; first team All-League, Offensive Player of the Year and Santa Clara Valley Athletic League Attacker of the Year in field hockey; and a three-year starter on the lacrosse team. King is a India Houghton | Tennis: leader in the Big Brother/Sister Houghton is the current Olympic Club program, a member of the Saint Women’s Open Singles Champion.

Ignatius Block Club and prestiShe has an International Tennis gious Service Club, and volunFederation (ITF) World Ranking teers in the TOPSoccer league for of 326 and has reached a United physically and mentally disabled States Tennis Association (USTA) children. She also volunteers her ranking of 4.0 in the United States. time as a coach of sixth-grade She won the 2019 Coral Gables volleyball at The Father Sauer ITF tournament in both singles Academy, and for the Club’s sumand doubles and was the 2020 mer camps. King maintains a 4.4 winner of the USTA Scholar Mirabel Fernald | Swimming: GPA at Saint Ignatius and plans to Athlete Award. At The Olympic Fernald has been swimming be a pediatric neurosurgeon.

Club, she has been working with competitively for The Olympic the Junior program to produce Lauren Williams | Golf: Williams Club for seven years, and has videos to encourage and instruct earned her Junior Golf Privilege qualified for the Junior Olympics upcoming players. Houghton’s in June 2019 by winning the Junior since fourth grade, and the Far talents were noted by Stanford Qualifier. She is a multisport Western Regional Swimming University, where she will play on athlete, playing soccer for the Championships since middle the women’s tennis team starting nonprofit Girls Leading Girls in school. She helped lead her in the spring. addition to golf. She is also a swimUniversity High swim team mer and a certified scuba diver. to the Bay Area Conference Payton King | Basketball: Since Williams recently graduated from Championship, and placed at the the age of eight, King has been The Hamlin School and is now North Coast Section section meets a member of one of the most attending University High School. in 2019. Fernald is also an accomsuccessful Olympic Club AAU Elite Off the field, she is committed to plished violinist and pianist, and girls teams in Club history, culmihelping those in need, most has been the Concertmaster of nating in winning the West Coast exemplified by the service trip the Golden Gate Philharmonic and Championship in Reno in 2017. she took with her fellow classreceived Highest Honors for piano She is a decorated three-sport mates to Costa Rica in 2017.  at the Royal Conservatory of Music. varsity athlete at Saint Ignatius She attends University High, where College Prep, starring in basketshe maintains a GPA of 3.9, and is ball, lacrosse and field hockey. responsible for starting the school’s She is captain of her basketball UNICEF Club, which raises money

Callan Venkatesan The Olympic Club | October 2020

35

OC SPORTS

OLYMPIANS COMPETE IN VIRTUAL GIANT RACE

by Christine U’Ren

The Giant Race celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2019, and is keeping up the momentum with its eleventh series in 2020. This year, for the first time, The Olympic Club partnered with the Giants, and sponsors Alaska Airlines and Lululemon, to bring special perks to participating Olympians.

Racers who signed up received not only the Giant Race swag bag, including a Renel Brooks-Moon Bobblehead, official tee and a San Francisco medal, but also a Lululemon gift card and training regimens designed by the OC Athletics Department. In addition, when it’s deemed safe to do so, participating Olympians will be invited to join a private workout at Oracle Park!

In a typical year, the Giant Race in San Francisco would attract thousands of baseball fans running together through the Embarcadero out to the Presidio, and finishing at Oracle Park. The shutdown made that impossible in 2020, but Joey Nevin, OC member and Vice President, Giants Enterprises, believed that the race could have even more importance to fans this year, as everyone struggles to maintain their wellness and fitness — both mental and physical. A virtual race was the solution. Nevin even saw a silver lining: “This has opened our scope of thinking. You could be a Giants fan and live in New York or New Orleans and still participate.”

WHAT IS A VIRTUAL RACE?

Runners can’t come together on a single City course right now,

36 The Olympic Club | October 2020

medals and honors. They posted their progress and cheered each other on via social media with the tags @giantrace and #giantrace.

As the Giant Race team puts it, “You may be running virtually, but your awards and bragging rights are very real.”

so the Giants Enterprises put together a set of guidelines, including suggested training regimens and race courses.

Participants could run their own race anytime between September 1–8, and track their steps and time using the ASICS Runkeeper™ app. Runners had a choice of courses, which made it easier to maintain social distancing, and were still eligible for

All in all, the race was a big boost to everyone who joined, even though they could only run as one group in the digital world.

“The San Francisco Giants are strong believers in promoting health and wellness to our fans in general, but especially now during the pandemic. Get out, whether you’re running or walking, do something to stay active and maintain your mental well-being.

I think The Olympic Club sees the same value and importance of that for their membership.” 

SUNDAY SKILLS

EVERY SUNDAY IN NOVEMBER AGES 6–14 $150 junior member

$200 child of member BASKE TBALL CLUB $250 guest of a member AT L AKESIDE SIGN UP AT WWW.OLYCLUB.COM

FREE FALL COACHES CLINIC L AKESIDE NOV. 6, 6–9PM

Coaching Philosophy | Practice Planning | Skills & Drills to Teach

NOV. 7, 9AM–12PM

Man & Zone Offense | Man & Zone Pressing/Breaking Out of Bounds Situation

photo by Gene Choi

FITNESS AND FANDOM

Almost 200 Olympians signed up for the virtual race. Nevin believes the event was the perfect way for the Club and the team to come together, as both have a mission to promote health, wellness and fitness. “Part of the OC mission is to provide experiences that revolve around professionalism in athletics. For me, creating a collaboration between these two San Francisco institutions makes so much sense.” He commends the Athletics and Activities Committees at the Club for their spirit of collaboration that made this partnership a reality.

photo by Gene Choi

SIGN UP AT WWW.OLYCLUB.COM The Olympic Club | October 2020

37

BACK TO THE

BASICS

These pictures represent the hole width at various entry speeds. The hole becomes less than 1˝ wide if the putt rolls four feet past it.

SPEED CONTROL IN PUTTING

by Kevin Bresnahan, photos by Betsy Lauritzen & Richard Sheridan How important is speed control in putting? Let’s take a look.

sleepless nights! In my opinion, the most underpracticed element of speed control is entry speed.

(In other words, the speed at which the ball falls into the hole.)

If we can control the speed of our putts, especially from long

distances, we can leave our second putt closer to the hole, which in turn makes that second putt easier to sink. But, if we take a closer look at entry speed, we discover other factors that can lead to successful putting.

But the hole’s width increases slightly to 1.4˝ if the putt rolls only three feet beyond it.

Here, the putt has rolled only one foot past the hole.

This putt has rolled just ½ foot past the hole.

Entry Speed Facts

Three-Ball Speed Test Next time you are out on a putting green, try this three-ball speed test. Set up three straight three-foot putts.

Even though the direction a putt travels is important, I think the pace of that putt is more important to holing that putt! We need to putt our ball to the hole at a pace that allows gravity to do its job. If we putt with too much momentum, then gravity cannot do its job. 

We often think of speed control as how good a player is at rolling the putt up close to the hole from long range. The dreaded three-putt brings us many

f The hole is less than 1˝ wide for a putt that rolls four feet past the hole f Even a putt that rolls only three feet beyond the hole — leaving that distance to a tap-in — is only 1.4˝ wide If these images show you anything, it is that the cup gets very small, very quickly!

So where does that leave us? The firmer you hit the putt the smaller the effective hole size is.

38 The Olympic Club | October 2020

1. Hit the first putt firm to the back of the hole, or the equivalent of the putt rolling three feet past the hole if missed.

2. Hit the second putt dead center, or finishing one foot past.

3. Hit the third just dying into the hole, or what I would consider a “Dead Weight” pace.

KEVIN BRESNAHAN

kbresnahan@olyclub.com 415.404.4316

The Olympic Club | October 2020

39

IN MEMOR I AM

GEORGE SULLIVAN

ANDREW BURKE

MICHAEL GLEASON

RICHARD DOY LE

Passed away May 9 Member since 1962

Passed away May 22 Member since 2018

Passed away August 21 Member since 1945

Passed away August 23 Member since 1967

MARY LOU SCHLICHTING Passed away July 12 Member since 2017

Serving the San Francisco Bay Area Commercial and Residential community for over 100 years

THOMAS GURNEE Passed away August 16 Member since 2012

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40 The Olympic Club | October 2020

MARIE T. CARR, ESQ.

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Broker Associate Sotheby’s International Realty 415.531.0324 DRE #01739426 Marie.carr@ sothebyshomes.com

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The Olympic Club | October 2020

41

Lake & Ocean: subject to use by WSGPS 7:35–10am Cliffs: 9am

Lake & Ocean: open play Cliffs: 9am

Lake & Ocean: open play*

TUES

WED

THURS

Lake & Ocean: open play Cliffs: 8:30am

Lake & Ocean: open play Cliffs: 8am

Lake & Ocean: open play Cliffs: 8am

Lake & Ocean: open play Cliffs: 8am

FRI

SAT

SUN

HOLIDAY

Cliffs: 9am

*unless Monday is a holiday

Open. No guest play.

MON

MHGP

Lake: after 11:30am Ocean: open play Cliffs: 8am

Lake: after 10am Ocean: open play Cliffs: 8am

Lake: after 11:30am Ocean: open play Cliffs: 8am

Lake: 9–11am & after 1pm Ocean: before 11:25am & after 1:05pm Cliffs: 8:30am

Lake: 9–11am & after 1pm Ocean: before 11:25am & after 1:05pm Cliffs: 9am

Lake: 9–11am & after 1pm Ocean: before 11:25am & after 1:05pm Cliffs: 9am

Lake: 10–11am & after 1pm Ocean: 10:05am–11:25am & after 1pm Cliffs: 9am

Members

Lake: after 12pm Ocean: after 10:05am Cliffs: 8am

Lake: after 12pm Ocean: after 10:05am Cliffs: 8am

Lake: no play Ocean: after 10:05am Cliffs: 8am

Lake: before 9am Ocean: before 10:05am & after 2:05pm Cliffs: 8:30am

Lake: before 9am & after 2pm Ocean: before 10:05am & after 2:05pm Cliffs: 9am

Lake: no play Ocean: before 10:05am & after 2:05pm Cliffs: 9am

Lake & Ocean: 10:05–11:05am & after 1:05pm Cliffs: 9am

Open. No guest play.

Junior Golf

Lake: after 10:30am Ocean: after 10:05am Cliffs: 8am

Lake: after 10:30am Ocean: after 10:05am Cliffs: 8am

Lake: no play Ocean: after 11:35am Cliffs: 8am

Lake: before 9am Ocean: before 11:05am & after 1:05pm Cliffs: 8:30am

Lake: before 9am & after 1pm Ocean: before 11:05am & after 1:05pm Cliffs: 9am

Lake: no play Ocean: before 11:05am & after 1:05pm Cliffs: 9am

Ocean: preferential use 7:35–10:05am, regular play 10:05–11:05am & after 1:05pm Lake: Regular play 7:30–11am & after 1pm Cliffs: 9am

Open. No guest play.

WSGPS

Guest

Cliffs: MHGP & Member guest after 8am, WSGPS guest after 12pm

*unless otherwise noted

Lake: after 1pm* Ocean: after 12:35pm*

Lake: after 12:30pm Ocean: MHGP guest 10:05–11:05am & after 11:35am, Member guest after 11:35am Cliffs: MHGP & Member guest after 8am, WSGPS guest after 12pm

Lake: no play Ocean: MHGP guest 10:05–11:05am & after 12:35pm, Member guest after 12:35pm Cliffs: MHGP & Member guest after 8am, WSGPS guest after 12pm

Lake: 9–10:30am Ocean: 9:05–11:05am & after 1:05pm Cliffs: MHGP & Member guest after 8:30am, WSGPS guest after 12pm

Lake & Ocean: 9–11am & after 1pm Cliffs: MHGP & Member guest after 9am, WSGPS guest after 12pm

Lake & Ocean: 9–11am & after 1pm Cliffs: MHGP & Member guest after 9am, WSGPS guest after 12pm

Lake & Ocean: 10–11am & after 1pm Cliffs: MHGP & Member guest after 9am, WSGPS guest after 12pm

No play.

Effective 11.1.20 to 3.13.21 (Pacific Standard Time) *Subject to COVID-19 Golf Policies

No play.

GOLF TIMES OF PLAY

GOLF TIMES OF PLAY Starting times may be booked online at www.olyclub.com > Make a Tee Time under Online Reservations on the homepage, by phone after 7:30am on weekdays or 7am on weekends and holidays, or in person after 9am with the Golf Shop Staff. Starting times will be issued only to groups of two or more players. The Golf Staff has the discretion to group individual requests. Starting times will be set at 10-minute intervals for MHGP and Members.

their appearance when all players have arrived at the Golf Shop ready to play.

The driving range will open at 7am weekdays & 6:30am on weekends and holidays. Daily closing times are approximately one hour before sunset. Check with the Golf Shop for current hours.

A member may bring a guest(s) to the driving range only when the applicable guest(s) fee has been paid for one of the courses. The minimum age on the driving range and all practice areas is 8 years of age. Junior members 8 to 17 and Intermediate members 18–20 years of age, unless a Junior Golf Privilege Holder, must be supervised by an adult.

DRIVING RANGE

Talking on your cell phone is only permitted in the upper and lower parking lots. The discreet, silent use of electronic devices is allowed.

Hats must be worn with bill facing forward.

Shirts must be worn tucked in.

No denim.

No cargo pants.

No yoga pants.

DRESS CODE & CELL PHONE POLICIES

A MHGP, an Active Member and a Member of the WSGPS may have up to three guests per day on the Cliffs Course. Guests must be accompanied by the member whose account is being charged. The same guest may not play more than one time in any one calendar month. These guests will not apply to the monthly or quarterly guest counts, and will only be permitted during Guest Times of Play.

CLIFFS COURSE GUEST POLICY

Effective 11.1.20 to 3.13.21 (Pacific Standard Time) *Subject to COVID-19 Golf Policies

STARTING TIMES — LAKE & OCEAN COURSES

Starting times shall be required for all play on both golf courses throughout the week during the following designated time periods:

Regular starting times and open times shall be assigned on an alternating basis throughout the Starting Time period.

Courses are open for play at 7:30am Tuesdays through Fridays.

Players must not be past the 10th tee before 9am.

TUESDAY Lake & Ocean: 10–11am & 1–5pm

Courses are open for play at 7am Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Players must not be past the 10th tee before 8:30am.

WEDNESDAY–FRIDAY Lake & Ocean: 9am–11am & 1–5pm

Open on Monday to MHGP, WSGPS and Jr. Golf when tournaments are being played on the Lake or Ocean Courses.

No guests permitted on Mondays.

No golf carts or push carts permitted.

To play a second round, players must again check in with the Golf Shop.

Players must check in at the Golf Shop prior to play.

CLIFFS COURSE CHECK-IN PROCEDURES

Two days in advance of your tee time, you will receive an email reminder and be asked to provide each player name in your group. If no one from the group shows up or you do not cancel up to two hours in advance of your scheduled tee time, you will be charged a no-show fee of $20/member and $100 for your guests.

NO-SHOW POLICY

Following Monday holidays, Tuesdays will operate on a normal Monday schedule, and the Thursday schedules shall provide Women’s Spousal Golf Privilege (WSGPS) Holders with preferential use of Lake and Ocean Courses from 7:30–9am.

SATURDAY Lake: 11:30am–5pm Ocean: 10am–5pm SUNDAY Lake & Ocean: 10am–5pm

STARTING TIMES & PROCEDURES 1. Regular starting times: available to all players. a. A Member Holding a Golf Privilege (MHGP) may obtain a regular starting time up to 28 days prior to the desired day of play. b. An Active Member may obtain a regular starting time up to seven days prior to the desired day of play.

2. Open times: available to MHGP groups only. a. A MHGP may obtain an open time for a Golf Privilege Holder-Only Group up to 24 hours in advance, by phone or in person at the time of play. b. Open times not used by MHGP shall then be made available to all other players/groups in the order of

42 The Olympic Club | October 2020

GOLF REPORT CONGRATULATIONS!

GREAT GOLF FEATS

HOLE-IN-ONE ANDREA RAWSON 7.26.20 | Ocean Course Hole 5 130 yards | 7-iron

SUSAN MORSE 8.29.20 | Ocean Course Hole 2 147 yards | 5-wood

SHOOT YOUR AGE PETER FORTUNE Ocean Course | Age: 76 8.7.20 | Score: 73 8.8.20 | Score: 76 8.13.20 | Score: 73 8.14.20 | Score: 74 8.21.20 | Score: 75

DON ONKEN Lake Course | Age: 79 9.1.20 | Score: 79

SGA CORNER by Frank Lawson, 2020 SGA President Fall is upon us, and it’s great golfing weather this time of year. It’s hard to believe how fast this year has gone, and I’m sure most of us would like to forget it and move on to 2021.

We had a good turnout for our recent SGA away event at Harding Park, with 60 players participating. Harding Park is a great layout and it’s fun to play a course that hosted the recent PGA Championship. We also just concluded our first SGA Lake/Ocean Challenge at the end of September; over 70 SGA members participated in this inaugural event. The winners of the event will be posted in next month’s article. Finally, we will be able to share the results of an SGA competition!

As of this writing, we are still hoping to host the SGA Championship this month. This annual championship started in 1989, when Ray Healy won, and has been played ever since. Last year’s winner was Tim Sacheck, joining many other illustrious Olympians who have won this event, including Mark Avelar, Mike Cinelli, Michael Heaton, Robert Ireland, Maurice Monserez, Ned Nix, Warren Richter and others. I don’t mean to leave any names out — the rest of the winners are on the website.

We are still working with our travel agent for next year’s Spring Getaway, and will hopefully have a plan and a location that will be enjoyable for all the SGA members who participate in this annual event. We will announce the location and dates once we have them.

We have drafted a preliminary schedule for next year’s activities, which include our Spring Tune-up, Four-Ball Classic, SGA Invitational, SGA Championship and our YearEnd Tournament. In next year’s Home and Home schedule, we welcome Sonoma Golf Club as a new partner. Final schedule dates will be published at the end of the year, and we are all anxious to get back to playing in our SGA tournaments.

Remember to check out the SGA section of the Club’s website. The website is updated monthly to show who has shot their age, SGA news and other items of interest

for the SGA membership. Also on the website is the application form for prospective new SGA board members. Each year we retire three members and add three new ones. Serving on the SGA board is a very rewarding and enjoyable experience. We have monthly meetings, and when we met at the Club prior to the pandemic, golf would usually follow, so we have some work and some play.

Please look out for our monthly email newsletter, which comes out after our mid-month board meeting, to update you on board decisions and any cancellations of upcoming events. We hope all of you are staying safe through this pandemic, and look forward to seeing all of you at an upcoming SGA event. 

2019 SGA Champion Tim Sacheck and Chris Stein.

The Olympic Club | October 2020

43

GOLF REPORT TEE TO GREEN by Gerry Stratford, Member

SUBJECTIVE RATING We are all aware of course ratings.

Two major golf magazines publish their lists every year, and Tom Doak publishes books periodically, but how do those rankings actually work for those of us who are not scratch players?

As an accredited rater for one of the magazines, I am charged with applying several standard criteria in my assessments. First articulated by my longtime friend, Brad Klein, these criteria define

not only certain attributes of the course but also personal reactions to it. There are architectural questions about the routing, shaping and integration of adjacent construction; strategic questions about the variety of challenges; and aesthetic ones concerning the interest of the greens and their hazardous surroundings. Each of these criteria is given a ranking from 1 to 10. Significantly though, the final overall ranking of a particular course by each rater is neither

a sum nor an average of these separate scores. It is instead a new number, offered as a comparison with other courses the individual rater has rated or read about, and the understanding that even such courses as Pine Valley, Royal Dornoch and Cypress Point, though close to 10s, are none of them perfect.

What is very interesting is that, if we attempt to find some correlation between high scores in one or more of these categories with a high final rating, we discover that for an individual rater there may be such a tendency. However, all raters are not the same. Some prize variation over setting, others may value risk/reward higher than resistance to scoring. And, of course, ratings are probably unfairly boosted by exclusivity or historical tournament play.

So, what does all of this really mean? Why is it that, of the classic courses, Cypress Point and Pebble Beach are ranked so high, and our own Lake Course, the California Club and Pasatiempo are clustered

by Golf Week down in the 30s?

An even bigger question we might ask is why, for many Olympians, the Lake Course, famous as it is, is not our first choice to play. Oh yes, if we have a guest in town, we will treat them to the championship track; but if we are just going to play on the weekend ourselves, we frequently choose the Ocean Course.

For many the Lake is too difficult; the holes too long; the tiny firm greens unreceptive to long low shots; the bunkers are too severe; and, most significantly, there are few optional strategies. The Ocean is more fun. Why do we play this game after all? What was it that Shivas said? “It’s nae about the shots, Michael. It’s for the walking.” Perhaps there should be a different rating system — “Most Enjoyable Courses in the World.”

I would vote that our Ocean belongs on such a list.

In fairness, I must give high marks to our Lake Course for two features, though. You do not need to carry a heavy bag when you play the Lake, as you will probably not need more than a driver, a fairway wood, a sand wedge and a putter all day long. Also, it should be noted that the course offers multiple opportunities to purchase Burger Dogs and beverages from Hot Dog Bills’ different houses. “Best Burgers” should be a rating category too. 

2020 has brought new challenges to San Francisco and its real estate market. You’re likely to have many questions. Ask someone who’s been there before.

Ask Joe. Since 1987

Joseph Gartland Moore 2019 Top Producer 415.309.5908 jmoore@mcguire.com

Joe Moore, Jr. 2019 Top Producer 415.613.1429 jmoorejr@mcguire.com

AskJoeSF.com

DRE# 00987189 | DRE# 02033554

The Olympic Club | October 2020

45

AT T N : P OS T MAS T E R PE R I ODI C ALS

FPO FSC LOGO

SKYWALKER VINEYARDS

Virtual Wine Tasting

OCTOBER 14 | 6:30PM | ZOOM Join us for a virtual wine tasting with Tom Johnson, Executive Director for Skywalker Ranch, Vineyards and Retreats. A sixthgeneration Sonoma County native, Johnson grew up in the wine industry managing amazing properties, such as Chateau St. Jean, Stag’s Leap and Benziger Family Winery. $125 w/ cheese pairing | $100 w/o cheese pairing Includes three full bottles of wine Curbside pickup Oct. 10 & 11 10am–2pm

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PAPAPIETRO PERRY

Virtual Wine Tasting

NOVEMBER 11 | 6:30PM | ZOOM Join us for a virtual wine tasting with Ben Papapietro, Owner and Winemaker for Papapietro, along with his wife Yolanda. A San Francisco native, Papapietro grew up with wine as part of every family meal and gathering. Today, the Papapietro Perry cellar is simply a more elaborate version of his garage where he started making wine more than 35 years ago. “Authentic, not pretentious,” says Papapietro. “Confident, but not too serious. Humble. The winery is an extension of my home and personal hospitality.” $155 w/ cheese pairing | $130 w/o cheese pairing Includes three full bottles of wine Curbside pickup Nov. 7 & 8 10am–2pm

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