Earlier this summer, Braemar Country Club was purchased by brothers Steve & Walt Pavlovych of Hilton, NY. After spending most of their lives in the Tool & Die Industry, they were ready for a challenge; and a challenge is what they got.
Braemar Country Club always had the potential to be an elite course, but after many years of neglect, the course became run down and outdated. That didn’t stop Steve and Walt though. They saw something special in this golf course and knew that with some time and hard work they could bring it back to the type of course it should have been all along.
Their first order of business was to make improvements that would present an immediate impact. The brothers started out by fixing the run down sand traps that encompass much of the course. They removed all the old sand, increased the size of the traps, and edged around them. They added over 200 tons of professional grade golf course sand making them more playable and visually appealing. Walt stated that the golfers were very appreciative of the new sand but joked that they now would have to improve their game to hit out of “real” sandtraps. Michael Leahy of Walworth said “I love the new sandtraps. The bright white sand gives the course a totally different look.”
The next order of business was to trim all the low hanging branches on each tree throughout the course. The goal was to help speed up play, eliminate the number of loss balls for their customers, and give the course a more cleanly and maintained appearance. Much of this work was performed by the high school and college students that work for Braemar Country Club each season. The brothers also added flower beds near the tee boxes, filled in the low spots that were present in each fairway, fixed the pot holes on the cart paths, and turned on the irrigation system that many of the seasonal employees didn’t know even existed.
In just under 2 months, Braemar Country Club has experienced more changes than ever before. They are currently in the process of remodeling the inside and outside of both the current pro shop and the restaurant. The outside of each building has been painted and cedar shake siding has been added at the peak of each building. The women’s bathroom was completely remodeled with the men’s bathroom to follow. The inside of the pro shop and restaurant was painted giving it a nice clean appearance. Both Walt and Steve said they want to create a private course atmosphere at a public course price. Joe Pagano of Greece loves the changes so far. He said “I have played here more in the last 2 months than I have in the last 5 years. I love the changes and can’t wait to see what the future holds for this course.”
The restaurant/bar is now open Monday thru Friday, offering a fish fry on Friday’s. With the ability to accommodate 60 -70 people, Walt and Steve are excited to know they have the capabilities to host large gatherings. They also have a hot dog stand that is open throughout the day that offers a quick lunch or snack. On the course, you can grab an ice cold drink from one of the cart girls that drive up and down the fairways.
Some other future improvements include:
– 50 new electric carts arriving in mid August
– Large patio off the 18th green
– New hole signs and ball washers
– More ponds and sandtraps
– Increasing the course length
– New putting green
With the all current improvements made, we recommend that you visit Braemar Country Club. Their weekday rates are $20 for 18 holes with a cart and only $25 on the weekend. They are currently offering an unlimited play membership for the remainder of the season for only $250. Contact the pro shop at 585-352-5360 to schedule your tee time today.
Archive for August, 2010
Changes Plentiful At Braemar Country Club & More Too Come
Fifteen Year Old Gavin Hall Takes His Game To Turning Stone After Receiving Sponsor’s Exemption
After almost a 3 1/2 hour rain delay Gavin Hall finally got the chance to display his game to the large crowds at The Turning Stone Resort Championship in Verona N.Y. Looking relaxed and confident on the 1st Tee, Gavin Hall along with playing partners Tim Wilkinson and Cameron Tringale began their 1st round at Atunyote Golf Club.
Gavin, an upcoming sophomore at Pittsford Mendon High School, calmly approached the 1st tee and hit his drive straight down the middle of the fairway as the crowd roared. As if he had been here before, Gavin was cool, calm and collected taking it all in stride. However, he opened up his round by taking a double bogey on the 1st hole after a wayward approach shot and failed chip.
Not to be defeated, Gavin quickly got on track by parring the 2nd, 3rd and 4th holes. The 5th hole, a 520 yard par 5 was no match for Hall. After his tee shot found the rough just in front of the large bunker, Hall hit a 3 wood just right of the flagstick approximately 20 feet from the hole. Using his putter off the fringe, he ran his 3rd shot within 2 feet of the hole nearly making an eagle. With a tap in birdie, Gavin was now at 1 over and looking confident.
Making par on the 6th hole, Hall’s tee shot found the trees on the left side of the 7th fairway. With his ball resting in the wet mulch, Gavin hit a spectacular shot onto the left side of the green. With a long putt left for birdie, Hall ran it up within a few feet and tapped in with another par.
It is hard to believe how incredibly talented Gavin Hall really is. On the 8th hole, Hall hit his tee shot approximately 327 yards straight down the fairway, nearly 50 yards further then his playing partners. With length like that it is no wonder why he beat the field by 18 strokes at the Rochester District Amateur Championship at Oak Hill Country Club back in July.
Hall’s approach shot on 8th drifted left, bounced off the cart path, and came to rest on top of a drainage grate. After getting relief, he calmly chipped up and 2-putted for his 6th par on the front 9. With a bounce in his step and the front nine almost complete he once again hit a smashing tee shot on the 9th hole just right of the fairway. His approached shot flew over the flagstick leaving him with a 25 foot winding downhill putt for birdie. Leaving the first putt short, Hall ended his front 9 with a 3 putt double bogey going 2 over on the front nine.
Starting off par, par on the back, Hall then proceeded by going bogey, triple and then another bogey taking him to 7 over par after 14. Rattled but not completely defeated, Gavin put up pars on the next 3 holes and finished his day with a nice birdie on the 18th. With an opening round of 78, 6 over par, Hall finds himself 13 shots behind the leader Omar Uresti.
Gavin Hall and all of Rochester should be very proud of what he did in his 1st round of The Turning Stone Resort Championship. Remember he is a 15 year old playing with men 2 and 3 times his age. Gavin, keep your head up and good luck with your 2nd round. It is certain we will be seeing a lot of you in the near future.
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The Golf Cradle – A Must Have For All Golfers
Recently we were on Facebook and came across a product called The Golf Cradle. The Golf Cradle is a breakthrough golf club protector designed to safeguard your clubs as you transport them to and from the golf course.
The company was founded in 2006 and is based in Rochester, NY. The Golf Cradle was the company’s first invention, developed out of frustration of the inventors expensive golf clubs shifting and rolling about in the trunk of his car.
The Golf Cradle protects your clubs
One of the biggest investments made by a seasoned golfer is his or her golf clubs. The Golf Cradle protects that investment by elevating the club heads and open end of the bag. It locks down the golf clubs in place, preventing them from moving. Many golf clubs over time become weak when they are set in the trunk of a car. Using the Golf Cradle eliminates the chance of head and shaft damage.
GolfLocal.com tests out the Golf Cradle
We received our Golf Cradle via Fed Ex in a nice yellow box with the Golf Cradle logo on it. Once opened the Golf Cradle was wrapped in a nice designed instruction package informing the user on how to use this product step by step. We placed the unit into the trunk and inserted the golf bag as instructed securing it with the straps provided. It really was that simple. The Golf Cradle kept the clubs elevated. My Callaway X22 irons and Taylor Made R9 driver did not shift at all.
It is as easy as 1, 2, 3 to install the Golf Cradle
1. First you insert The Golf Cradle golf club protector in the trunk of your car or SUV. Its weighted base and ridged bottom are designed to ensure it stays put even over rough terrain.
2. Next you place the open end of your golf bag into The Golf Cradle golf club protector. The arms automatically close, grasping your bag and securing it in place.
3. Lastly you strap your bag in and lock it in place. The Golf Cradle golf club protector’s strap secures everything in place. The built-in buckle locks to keep your clubs stationary to and from the golf course. Simple as that!
Where to buy the Golf Cradle
We love the Golf Cradle! The Golf Cradle is a fantastic product. For all golfers that have invested in their golf clubs they need the Golf Cradle. To purchase the Golf Cradle you can visit them online a www.golfcradle.com. They sell the unit for only $24.95.
Also check out the Golf Cradle commercial – we think you’ll get a laugh. Not sure I have ever seen golf clubs look like that in the back of a car but I guess it could happen.
