Football season is almost upon us, and The Georgia Club Golf Shop is well-prepared with new UGA merchandise sure to please even the most discriminating UGA fan. Pictured below are only a select few of our favorite items from the new merchandise. This fall we have never-before-seen UGA children’s outfits from Baleigh Grace Boutique and Ladies Nike UGA shirts (pictured below), outfitted with DriFit technology so you can stay cool whether you are at the game or teeing it up on The Chancellors Course.

For those who like to buy Christmas gifts well in advance, please your favorite cook with this beautiful Magnolia Lane holiday platter.

Pick up a copy of Garon Hart’s latest book, “The University of Georgia: Images and Recollections” for your coffee table at home to show off gorgeous photographic images of the University.

 Old favorites such as the Men’s Nike UGA shirt and Magnolia Lane serving platters are still available and perfect for use all year-round.

If you see something you would like to purchase, you can call the Golf Shop at 770-725-8101 to place an order. This is only a small sample of our fall offerings,  so come out to the Golf Shop and see the complete UGA merchandise collection!

ProAm golf tournaments attract a fair amount of publicity because of the popularity of playing with a golf celebrity. If you are local to Athens or the surrounding areas you probably recognize the status of many University of Georgia student-athletes as celebrity sports heroes.

The UGA Golf Teams pose before the 2008 Invitational Tournament begins.

This Wednesday at The Georgia Club dreams of playing 18 holes with a “celebrity” will come true for the lucky golfers who participate in the Seventh Annual UGA Golf Teams Invitational. This tournament groups four amatuers with a University of Georgia student-athlete from the Women’s or Men’s Golf Team.

Members and Guests look forward to this premier tournament every year according to Head Golf Professional Mike O’Malley.

“Our participants frequently comment about their memorable experiences from this event and how they have continued a personal relationship with some of the team members long after they have graduated from the University,” he said.

UGA Women's Golf Team exhibitioned at The Georgia Club's Demo Day in March.

Member Pat Pensyl has played in the tournament every year since its inception, and he sees it as the kickoff to the golf season.

“It is a pleasure and honor to have played with many friends and golf team members over the years and being able to play in the tournament and support UGA Golf is something I always look forward to,” he mentions.

Dan Davis, another Georgia Club Member feels the same way and has had quite a bit of success at the tournament. His team placed third the first year, won it the third year and came in second last year. Of course another win sits in the forefront of his mind, but the tournament is more than just victories to him.

“My favorite part is meeting and playing with the University golfers - they are great young people,” Mr. Davis states. “Bring your friends and business clients. They will really enjoy it!” he recommends.

Even if you don’t have arrangments for a team lined up, The Georgia Club has ample spectator space so you still have the chance to rub elbows with those local celebs and get a taste of some of the finest golfing around town.

The Spring Session of After School Junior Clinics began on Tuesday February 24.  This year we have eight fantastic junior golfers looking to have fun, learn more about their golf swing and build a competitive edge for future growth!

The first session began on the practice tee with an introduction and walk through of pre-swing fundamentals.  The students reviewed proper grip technique, the importance of balance and great posture and the results accompanied with good and bad alignement.  

After the introduction, the junior golfers were more than eager to take their swings to the huge pyramids of range balls!  The session focused on pre-swing fundamentals with an iron of their choice.  Overall, the students did an amazing  job and learned a lot about balance!  Posture and balance are the most common flaws that we see at junior and adult clinics.  

After the junior golfers hit their range balls, we moved to a fun competition correlated with a quick 20 degree drop in temperature!  We paired the boys versus the girls in a battle for the ages.  Each junior golfer took two shots from a preset tee box.   The results were great as each student made solid contact and kept their ball in line to the intended target green!  In addition, the students also learned a couple great rules.  First, we had a discussion about where you can and cannot tee a ball up within the tee markers.  Lastly, we demonstrated the procedures, rules and penalty for playing a shot after hitting the initial shot out of bounds.

Overall the junior golfers did a great job, learned a lot and had fun!  The contest ended in a draw as everyone hit at least one shot to the green!  We look forward to the upcoming weeks in the clinic.  

Come back and visit the forum for updated information on the junior clinics and other golf information!

The Georgia Club's Sandmen Crew take a break from filling fairway divots. From left are Bob Willoughby, Don Poor, Bob Cullerton, Vic Mixon, Ron Alton, Frank Chandley, Jim Nelson and Nelson Brown. Not pictured was George Otwell who was filling divots on the tees.

(Hum along) Mr. Sandmen, bring me a dream,
Make the grass the best I’ve ever seen….

Nearly 10 Georgia Club Members put in some sweat equity (or make that cold equity since the temperature was in the high 40s) to make The Chancellor’s Course a little bit better come spring. The group took it upon themselves to contact the grounds maintenance crew to see if they could walk the fairways and fill divots on a cold February morning.  One Member concentrated on filling the divots on each tee box.

Member Frank Chandley got the idea because they used to do it at his former Club in Colorado.  He organized his regular Wednesday golf group and they invited a few others to cover the Black Nine of the course.   Course Superintendent John McMullan fixed the group up with a mule-load of sand (the group went through two loads before the day was over) and Frank supplied each crew member with plastic sand buckets and shovels for the task ahead.

The Georgia Club CEO Jim Vanden Berg was thrilled with the Member initiative.  “This time of year is tough,” he commented.  “People don’t see green grass so they don’t fill their divots.  And, since it is cart path only a lot of days, many golfers don’t carry sand with them out into the fairway.”

The Sandmen got a lot out of the project, too.  When asked if they were surprised by the number of divots they were filling, one crew member commented as he was filling a bare spot, “I’m not surprised because we made most of them.”

The Sandmen crew plans to do the other two nine-hole courses in the next few weeks.

Course Superintendent John McMullan and Levi stop by to refill the truck with sand.

Recent golfers at The Georgia Club left quite a few complimentary reviews on Last Minute Tee Times.

“There are not enough good things to say about this course-From being greeted at bag drop to Golf Shop personnel to condition of course. The bermuda fairways have not been shaved down like most courses so you still get a great lie in the fairway. The greens are immaculate-I played the course silver to red and the design is more than challenging. If in Athens area you’ve got to give it a try.” — February 1, 2009