Cordillera Ranch has been recognized as one of the very best golf courses in the state of Texas since it opened in 2006.  Now, some of the best amateur players in the state are going to see why.

The Texas Golf Association has selected Cordillera Ranch to host the Texas State Mid-Amateur Championship in 2014 and the State Four-Ball Championship in 2016.  These two events are majors on the TGA calendar and give us a chance to continue to expose our Jack Nicklaus Signature Course to some of the best amateur players in the state.  Both events present the right demographic of players that will be competing, many of who have not played here before.   The Mid-Am will take place September 18-21, 2014 while the Four-Ball will be held May 12-15, 2016.  Our Club will join a list of some of the state’s top clubs to recently host these championships.

The TGA has long been considered a leader in championship administration and conducts some of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious competitions.  More details will be coming soon as we move forward but we are excited about the opportunity to continue promoting amateur golf in Texas as well as expanding the Club’s history and tradition of being good stewards of the game.  Please stop by the Golf Shop to learn more about these great events.

We still have a few great events left on the calendar as we move toward the Holiday Season.  On Sunday November 4th we will be hosting the Couples Invitational.  This event is a great way to showcase the Club and community to some good friends.  Members invite a guest couple to play golf and Chef Brad has a wonderful dinner planned for participants following play.  The MGA Turkey Shoot Scramble is set for Saturday November 17 so get your team together and sign-up in the Golf Shop.

The Golf and Trading Shop is stocked with some great merchandise this Fall and is ready for all of your Holiday shopping needs.  Stop by and speak with one of our professional staff members to get some great gift ideas.  Thanks to all of you for your support of the golf operation throughout the year and we wish you a blessed Holiday Season.

See you on the course,

Marc DeWall, PGA
Director of Golf

C-STAR RESULTS

The 7th Annual C-Star Member-Guest was held October 18-20 and once again was the highlight event on the golf calendar. A full field of 60 teams competed over three great days on the Cordillera Ranch Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course.

The format this year once again had teams playing five 9-hole matches against other teams in their flight. All of the flight winners
then competed in the LoneStar Shoot-Out to determine the winners of the event. The format has been well received by participants as it gives everyone a chance to play with numerous different people during the course of the competition.

Highlighting the Players Pool party on the first evening was a Jack Nicklaus themed putting contest showcasing some of Jack’s greatest holes from his Signature Golf Courses from around the world. A Game Box truck was also on hand that had participants enjoying in some friendly competition.

Forecaddies were introduced to the tournament this year and placed with each group. This added to the overall experience of the event as well as helping to improve the pace of play.

Larry Smith and his guest Drew Smith from Boerne were crowned the Grand Champions of the 2012 C-Star Member-Guest when they defeated Charlie Hill and his partner Michael Sedlak on the last hole of the Shoot-Out. Congratulations to all of our winners!

The Lob Shot

There are a few basic fundamentals for the Lob Shot that start with the address position. If you can get yourself in a good position to start before trying to execute this shot you will have a much better chance to succeed. Here are the important things to remember:

• Slightly open clubface position.
• Ball position more forward in stance.
• Slightly wider stance that is open to the target.
• Hands even with the ball.
• Clubface passes the hands during the swing. Continue rotating through the ball.
• Soft arms.

To see a video of how this shot should be executed go to cordilleraranch.com/golftips.

Playing the Course

Hole 15 599 yards Par 5  Hndcp. 4

This month we have our fourth installment in a series of articles describing course strategy for some of the best holes at Cordillera Ranch.  Hole #15 is one of the most beautiful holes on the golf course and considered to be one of the really good birdie opportunities on the course as it can sometimes be reached in two with the right wind conditions.  Six-time Senior Club Champion Jarratt Jones gives a few tips on how to best conquer this hole:

Hole fifteen starts a very challenging stretch of 4 finishing holes.  The tee shot should be struck down the right edge with a little draw as the fairway slopes slightly right to left.  This hole can be reached in two with a longer tee-shot and has little trouble to prevent you from trying.

If you have 270 or less, take your second shot at the greenside bunker on the right. Prevailing wind and slope will bring it back to the green and the ball will run out.  Do not go directly at the pin as there is a swale in front that will direct your shot below the green to the left.  The trouble spot is the deep bunker on the left-hand side of the green.  The best layup option leaves you short and left of the 3 cross bunkers.

This green is deceptively quick from front to back with the back left hole locations being the most difficult.  Par is always a good score but this is an excellent birdie opportunity.