Second Annual R.A. Schiavone Memorial Cup Slated for April 30 – May 1 at Forsgate Country Club

MONROE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (March 25, 2013)—Forsgate Country Club, the award winning, central New Jersey private golf club operated by RDC Golf Group, Inc., proudly announces the second annual R.A. Schiavone Memorial Cup, April 30 – May 1, 2013.  This two-day, pro-senior scratch tournament, to be staged on Forsgate’s renowned 6,844-yard, par-71 Banks Course, is sanctioned by both the New Jersey section of the PGA and the New Jersey State Golf Association. 

The Cup is named in honor of longtime Garden State golf course owner/investor Ronald A. Schiavone.

“As the R.A. Schiavone Cup continues on a path to becoming a great annual tradition, we look forward to greeting a field of top senior amateurs and club pros at Forsgate,” said RDC President Christopher Schiavone. “The Banks Course will be ready to challenge some of the area’s best at our second annual event.”

Open to senior (50+) scratch amateur players and club pros, the event begins on April 30, with a skills competition followed by a welcome luncheon. The action on the course will then take off with a two-man team, aggregate scorePro/Senior Scratch Championship. While competing as a team, the pros will also be competing in an Individual Pro Medal Play Championship, featuring a $5000 purse ($2,000 first place) and the amateurs will be carding the first 18-holes of their 36-hole Senior Scratch Individual Medal Play Championship.  A steak and lobster dinner and awards presentation will cap off the day’s activities.

  

The following day on May 1, the senior amateurs will return to the club for the final round of the Senior Scratch Individual Medal Play Championship.  First place will be a $600 gift certificate and gift cards in various denominations will be awarded to second place – fifth place finishers.

Last year, Metuchen’s Ron Venelli shot 143 in the 36-hole senior amateur competition capturing the top prize and the “Cup.”  Venelli and his partner pro Andy Brock joined forces to also claim first place in the team division. Brooklake pro Frank Esposito carded a 69 on the Banks Course to win the pro division.

The entry fee for each pro and amateur team is only $295 and the field is limited to 60 teams.  For more information or to register your team, contact either Forsgate Director of Golf Carolyn McKenzie Andrews at (732) 656-8959 or Forsgate Head Golf Professional Mark Mazzola at (732) 656-8953.  To learn more about Forsgate Country Club and the venerable Banks Course visit www.forsgatecc.com or the club’s Facebook page.

ABOUT FORSGATE COUNTRY CLUB

Forsgate Country Club ( www.forsgatecc.com ) is an exclusive, full service, family-oriented private country club located in the heart of New Jersey.  Forsgate offers permanent golf, sports, and social memberships for individuals, families, and corporations.  Established in 1931, Forsgate Country Club features 36 holes of world-class golf, including the renowned Banks Course, designed to recreate historic holes throughout Europe, and the Palmer Course, is a traditional American design with challenging water hazards on ten of its scenic holes.  The country club also offers facilities for banquet events and corporate meetings as well as a new state-of-the-art sports complex that includes a fitness center, pool and cabana cafe.  Forsgate Country Club, which is located midway between New York City and Philadelphia at Exit 8A of the NJ Turnpike, is owned and operated by RDC Golf Group, Inc.      For more information on Forsgate, visit the club’s page on Facebook, follow the club on Twitter or visit www.forsgatecc.com.

New Year's Eve Party 2013 | Forsgate Country Club NJ

Salmon Recipe Chef Kasperek

Photograph by MarinersMenu.org

Chef Kasperek's Cedar Planked Salmon Recipe

As the grilling season approaches, I start thinking cedar planks which you can find almost anywhere now in places like Costco, Wegman’s or even Home Depot.  




Cedar planks produce a nice smoky flavor for your dishes, add moisture and provide a smooth, even surface for delicate items like fish fillets. 

Cedar Planked Salmon

- 2 Cedar Planks soaked in apple juice 1 hr.

- Chef Kasperek’s Rub

- 4 tbsp kosher salt

- 4tbsp brown sugar

- 2 tbsp black pepper

- 2 tbsp garlic powder

- 2 tbsp basil

- 2 tbsp paprika

- 2 tbsp tarragon

- 1 tbsp cilli or ancho powder

- Mix all together and rub on top of salmon portions 1hr before grilling

Orange teriyaki Mop sauce

- 1 bottle teriyaki 8oz

- ½ cup orange juice 

- ¼ cup sugar

- Mix and bring to boil chill and set aside

- Fire grill up on high. Place planks on grill and when they began to crackle, place salmon seasoned side up and use mop sauce to prevent flare ups and planks catching on fire. Grill until fish is flaky and opaque (or however you desire). 

Serve on top quick pickled cucumber salad.

Mike Kasperek

Executive Chef

Chef@forsgatecc.com

Forsgate Country Club

375 Forsgate Dr.

Monroe Twp., NJ 08831

Some Words About Golf Chris Schiavone

Some “Words” About Golf…

By Christopher Schiavone

This column first appeard in the Spring 2012 issue of Golfer's Tee Times

Being both a cruciverbalist (a lover of crossword puzzles) and a “golf-o-phile” (or perhaps “golfaholic” is better), I was pleasantly surprised recently when the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle contained a golfer’s theme, mostly of double entendres using common golf terms.


It caused me to look into the some of the more interesting words and terms in the game of golf. For example, did you know that …

“Sabbath Sticks” were golf clubs designed to look like walking sticks, so that players could surreptitiously play on Sundays, when the Church frowned upon engaging in sport.

A “Biarritz Green” is a putting surface with a large gully through the middle of it, named after the Biarritz Golf Club in France, from where the original green of this style is copied.

“Caddie” likely comes from the French word “cadet” -- a boy or youngest member of the family.  (It is not surprising that the Scots derive words from the French, as the two countries were often allies, including at the time golf first came into “vogue” in the 16th century.  Mary, Queen of Scots was both a golfer and fluent in French.)

“Dormie” – the term used to describe the status of a match-play contest, when one is leading by as many holes as are left to play – also comes from the French.  “Dormir” is French for “sleep,” and the leading player can rest knowing he can’t lose when the match is dormie.

“Fore” probably came from “fore-caddie” – the boys (usually male, anyway) often sent before the golfers to track golf balls.  Calling to these helpers likely shortened from “Fore-caddy!” to just “Fore!”

The term “Birdie” for a score of one under par is said to have its origin locally.  Players at the Atlantic City Country Club apparently coined the term.

While there is no definitive story about how “Mulligan” came to mean a “do-over” in golf, but some believe it is also of Garden State origin.  A gentleman named Mulligan was said to be known for his errant and often-replayed tee shots at Essex Fells Country Club.

The “Nassau” – probably the most common form of golf match played by average golfers – is said to have originated at the Nassau Country Club on Long Island.

And in case you are playing a round one afternoon with your old high school English teacher, remember that in bragging about your multiple aces, say “holes-in-one” and not “hole-in-ones.”  (If it’s your old civics teacher, remember “Attorneys-General”…)

Of course, with my game, cross words – the kind not suitable for print -- and golf often go together.

Christopher Schiavone is the President and Chief Executive Officer of RDC Golf Group Inc.

Quick Tip for Golf Players

Trevor Alexander

Early spring in the northeast can bring a plethora of weather. Temperatures still drop and the wind will gust making the already challenging game of golf even more difficult. My advice is to attempt to simplify what we are trying to accomplish. Below are a couple points that will hopefully help during these spring months.

• Get to the course 15 minutes earlier than normal; warming up is key when temperatures are low. Hitting a few balls before jumping on the tee will also help prevent injuries. 
• Use an extra club; this will allow you to swing a little easier and also the lower loft will keep the ball down out of the spring winds.
• When putting use less break and hit putts with slightly more pace. Greens in the spring can be inconsistent due to the weather, be more aggressive on bumpy greens.
• Try not to think that it is July already; it is not 90 degrees and sunny, plus we have not had a chance to home in our games yet. Keep realistic expectations such as aiming for the middle of fairways and greens and not at small targets.

Spring has sprung at Forsgate

Carolyn McKenzie Andrews,
Director of Golf

Spring has sprung at Forsgate!


How many of you put your clubs away for the winter? How many of you rushed out the other day to play when it was in the 70’s? I bet a lot of you! Did any of you feel sore or tight the next day?  Here is a quick tip to get you ready for this season and shake off the winter.


It may seem silly and unimportant but you have to warm up your body before you go out on to the course. It may not always be possible but you have to give yourself at least 15-20 minutes to loosen up that body. Touch your toes, take practice swings. Begin your warm up by hitting half shots with your wedge. Then work yourself up to your driver.  When I see someone grab the driver for the first swing….  I think to myself, OUCH! (unless you are a  9 year old).
If you go straight to the first tee and begin playing, it may take you two or three holes to warm up. Don’t make the mistake of starting your round with an 8, and blaming it on “warming up.”


So get the season and your golf game off to a positive start.  Get on the range to warm up before you play! Good luck and let me know how it goes!!

HELPFUL HINDSIGHT HINTS FOR HACKERS

Over the past two years, RDC Golf Group Chief Executive Officer Chris Schiavone has been a regular columnist for New Jersey's Golfer's Tee Times newspaper, offering insights and anecdotes about his passion and ours...GOLF. Here's another one of our favorites:

Upon reaching age 50, I took the time to reflect upon my golf game.  This proved to be a terrible mistake, and I should have known better.  The depressing truth is that my golfing skills (such as they were) appear to have peaked at about age 43, and have been in almost a full decade of decline.  Since I began playing golf at age 8, and my life expectancy is about 78, it appears I am on a perfectly symmetrical curve -- 35 years on the way up, and 35 years on the slow and self-pity-filled way down.

Perhaps there will be a few trend-bucking moments during the pathetic decline that lies ahead, but that decline is inevitable.  I can’t give it up, and my athletic talent is limited.  My fate is sealed. 

Now I can only hope to hang on to whatever elements of a decent golf game I can sustain for as long as I’m able, and I have been analyzing how to best accomplish this.  I share my conclusions in the hope that fellow mediocre golfers who face a similar fate may prolong the inevitable for as long as possible (Remember, this is advice from a guy with a good two score years of golf, who now only has about two good scores a year.):

1)   Try for a Consistent Swing Instead of a Great One -- Unathletic golfers like me can only dream of a swing like Davis Love or Ernie Els.  Trying to achieve it is an exercise in futility and frustration.  If you can confidently hit a 190-yard pull/fade almost every time off the tee, work with it!  If you are playing the white tees (see No. 2 below), the average par-4 is about 360 yards (the front of the green only about 345 yards away).  At only 160 yards out, you will often be in better shape than the guy who hits it 250 but is often in the trees or thick rough.

2)  Play the White Tees -- We mediocre players should not be masochists.  Those black and blue tees will beat you up…that’s why they’re black and blue!

3)  Try Sticking with One Club Around the Greens -- Most of us hackers don’t practice as much as good golfers, and chip and sand shots require feel and finesse.  Get use to the feel of one club for these shots with your limited practice time; you’ll improve your “touch” with a more focused motor/muscle memory.  A corollary is to use the putter whenever you can, as in from flat, short-mowed lies off the green.  It will eliminate some of the skulled and chunked chip shots.

4)  Get Your Putts to the Hole --  Golfers of my class rarely get “tap-in” birdies (or “gimmie” pars, for that matter), so don’t miss the chance for lightning to strike once in a while.  You’re just as likely to miss the one you left three feet short as the one that goes three feet past.

5)  Stay Conscious of Your Fundamentals -- I am sorry if I appear to be stating the obvious here, but one of the reasons I’m not a good golfer is that I frequently forget to keep a smooth tempo to my swing, or keep my head down.  We tend to get anxious when the match is on the line, or we’re on the verge of breaking 90 (or 100) for the first time in a while, and that makes us over swing, or peek. 

That’s about all I’ve come up with in trying to cope with my long, downhill journey.  But I do love the game, and I’m in it for the duration.

Turf Talk With Tom Saunders

The weather is still amazingly temperate for January.  We have been edging bunkers and pruning up low hanging branches since there is no snow cover.

We also are continuing to move hole locations regularly and, believe it or not, have been hand mowing greens.  The guys mowed the Banks course greens last week and we removed 3 utility vehicles full of grass clippings so obviously the turf is still healthy and growing.

Take a look around the club next time you visit.  My staff has been painting many locations and new carpeting is being installed downstairs in the Gallery, near the ladies locker room and in front of the Edinburgh room. New furniture and area rugs are in the Great room also.  I think it all looks fantastic.

Zerny and “the Dog”

Over the past two years, RDC Golf Group Chief Executive Officer Chris Schiavone has been a regular columnist for New Jersey's Golfer's Tee Times newspaper offering insights and anecdotes about his passion and ours...GOLF. Enjoy this column highlighting his experiences with the game's most colorful characters...caddies!

What other sport has a competitor’s assistant following you around while you play, carrying your equipment and giving you advice, but not directly participating in the game itself?  While I am not familiar with every sport practiced around the world, golf seems unique in this regard.  It also results in some wonderful anecdotes told amongst golfers about this often-unusual bag-carrying bunch.

About 15 years ago, I and three friends played at Royal Dornoch in the Scottish Highlands.  Our foursome was provided two caddies, both about age 60 it appeared, who did an excellent job of reading greens and selecting clubs.  They were so well attired that one of our group remarked to them on the fifth or sixth tee that they “dressed better than most members, much less caddies!” 

“We are members!” they replied.  (In fact, this is not unusual over there.) 

We joined them for lunch after our morning round, and when we inquired about whether they would go out with us again in the afternoon, they told us they were playing in a tournament down the road at another club!  I don’t imagine that at 60 years old I would be physically capable of “double-bagging” in the morning, and playing in a 18-hole match that afternoon, much less willing!

But as physical feats go, my caddy experience in West Virginia is the most impressive.  Twenty years ago my wife and I, along with another couple, traveled to the Greenbrier resort.  On the first morning we awoke to a steady, soaking rain, which showed no sign of abatement after breakfast.  The ladies didn’t mind the weather; they had a day of spa treatments scheduled and displayed no concern for what me and my buddy were going to do with ourselves, as if to say “you’re the one-trick ponies addicted to golf…don’t look at us.”

So we looked at each other instead, and thought the same thing without needing to utter the words.  “Let’s play in the rain.”  We went to the pro shop and told the man behind the counter of our intention to play. 

“We’ll try to get you out as soon as it lets up,” he responded. 

“That’s alright,” we countered, “we’ll play now.” 

“I’m sorry, but we aren’t letting carts out,” he rejoined. 

“We’ll take caddies,” we replied, undeterred.

“I don’t know if any of them will go out in this weather,” he said.  “I’ll call down to the caddyshack and check.”

The Greenbrier has 54 holes of golf and a large retinue of caddies, many of whom are young.  Only two were willing to work in that weather, but two was all we needed.  The younger of these two, Al, was 73, and carried my friend’s bag because it was bigger than mine.  My bag went onto the shoulder of Zerny Wykle, age 87. 

So we started playing golf in a heavy rain, and the four of us -- two rather stupid middle-aged golfers, and two elderly, gritty, bag-toting Mountaineers – were drenched before we reached the first green. 

But by the third hole, the sky cleared, the sun shone, and we had the Old White course at Greenbrier all to ourselves, or at least it seemed that way.  Zerny was a good caddie for any age, reading putts with acumen, recommending clubs, and describing aspects of the course not easily discerned by the view from the tee or fairway.  He also imparted other information, such as how to cook possum (“Boil it until the pot rattles.”).  Some bits of information were more helpful than others. 

We talked and walked, and Zerny informed me that he had been caddying for decades, but had given up carrying two bags (at a time) when he turned 80.  When I inquired as to the key to his health and stamina (wrongly expecting to get another reference to possum-eating), he said simply, “Milk.”  At the halfway house I asked him what he would like to drink (it was hot and sunny by then) he looked at me curiously, as if it were a foolish question, and again said “Milk.” 

Zerny provided me with the best caddy experience of my life, and to top it off, he was ready bright and early the following morning, and carried for me again.  He remembered my shots from the day before, even to the point where he re-clubbed me on the 10^th hole to keep me from landing in the same creek I had found the round before.  Perhaps milk is also good for your memory.

A year or so later, at Pebble Beach, one of the caddies in our group was called “the Dog.”  You had only to look at him to understand.  Our foursome was hungover from a late night, and we walked slowly to the tee for our 6:45am start time.  But we looked well-rested compared to “the Dog.”  Clearly a hard drinker, he looked as if he had been mugged between the pro shop and the tee box. (The golfers at Pebble are mugged in the pro shop with the cost of a souvenir hat or shirt.)

On the fifth hole, one of the assistant pros drove up to our group to ask how we were enjoying our round.  After we chatted, he turned to “the Dog” and asked him if he needed anything.  “A red, white and blue,” he answered in a voice that went well with the chain-smoking he was doing.  By the time we got halfway down the par-5 sixth hole, there was a can of Budweiser (I did not understand what “the Dog” had asked for until I saw the colors on the can.) waiting for “the Dog” on the edge of the cart path.  The other caddy with us, a young kid, said that the caddy rules prohibiting drinking while “looping” were waived for “the Dog.”  I thought of telling him about Zerny’s beverage of choice, but then, you can’t teach an old “Dog” new tricks.

Zerny would be about 108 now, so I assume he has left us, although he was a robust 87 back then.  “The Dog,” though younger, probably didn’t make it to half of 108.  Both, however, along with others like them, live on in the memories of those who love the game of golf and the colorful characters that populate it.