Jack Chavez, Staff Writer

(Nov. 25, 2022) The Ocean Pines Golf Committee discussed several items during its Thursday meeting.

Sand Dawgs

The committee heard an update from the progress of the Sand Dawgs, a group of golfers who regularly assist with golf course maintenance, committee chair Frank Brown said. Each member is assigned a hole on the course and tends to it. The committee is starting to consider the annual Spring Clean Up, which typically occurs around the beginning of April, to prepare the course for the next summer season.

Course update

Director of Golf Maintenance Justin Hartshorne updated the committee on the state of the course, which he said was in very good shape. Brown said he agreed with the assessment and that dead tree removal is scheduled for this winter.

“There are areas where some sod is needed,” Brown said. “We redid the golf cart path along (hole) 18. Some of the area along the new cart path needed to be sodden, which we will do.”

New pro

A discussion with the new golf professional for the course, Bob Beckelman, centered on new inventory to be delivered to the pro shop, which should be in the works shortly. Smith said there will be an after-Thanksgiving pro shop sale where they’ll encourage patrons to buy gear for the upcoming holidays.

Programs, practice

Smith said that there will be new programs and lessons in the spring. He also mentioned two practice areas — one new and the resurrection of an old one that existed years ago at the far end of the driving range.

“We’re just setting up a good relationship between the committee and members of the club,” Brown said. “We’re really happy about that.”

Donations and awards

Members council president Bill Bevis updated the committee on scholarships and other awards. The club gave away $10,500, mostly from funds raised from the Taylor Bank Tournament and individual sponsors.

“He also mentioned we had a Toys for Tots campaign, sponsored by the (US) Marine (Corps),” Brown said. “We got 75 brand-new toys for the campaign.”

The club also sponsored a summer “gold” camp with $1,000 put toward the camp intended to help youths who couldn’t quite afford the camp and buy equipment, Brown said.

New Term

Both the Ocean Pines Men and Women associations talked about the new-term schedule that will be set up soon. Women’s Association President Ann Shockley said her group is pleased to have more participation this year than in the past and hopes to have even more as the club continues to advertise more.

Communications

Committee member Bob Long talked about some items he’s been concerned with concerning communications. Beckelman favors increasing communications between the various groups of the golf club, which will help get messages out to association members, Brown said.

Membership

The advisory committee supports the idea of more varied types of membership, Brown said. The committee talked to Beckelman about promoting the idea of other kinds of memberships. Not just “yes or no” membership, Brown said, but also afternoon, 30-round, junior, family, and many other types of memberships that the club doesn’t currently offer, intending to promote the club and get more people involved.