Hooper Happenings

November 17, 2011

BREAKING NEWS

The Hooper Study Committee is now officially formed. I signed up for it as I heard that not many were clamoring to get on the committee. I received a letter from the Walpole selectmen on Friday, November 16, 2011. The letter stated that the committee had been formed and that I was not one of the chosen members. The following people are the ones chosen for the committee.

Peggy Pschirrer, chair

Steve Dalessio, vice chair

Joseph Dion

Holly Gowdy

Peter Kenney

Charlie Lennon

Jeffery Miller

Jerry Galloway, non-voting Ex-Officio

Sheldon Sawyer, non-voting Ex-Officio

Vicki Gohl, non voting Secretary

I wanted to join the committee to of course, try to save Hooper, but to also come up with some ideas that maybe have never been thought about. After attending the meeting in October at the townhall and finding out that the Hooper Accumulater trust (trust funds to be used for scholarships and building maintenance) was near broke, and that being the main reason that the selectmen had thought about selling the golf course. I then found out that any money collected for rent (Hooper Golf Club, $35000.00 a year, Hooper Cottage, $10,800.00 per year) could not be used for building maintenance. To me, the first change that should be made is that building maintenence should be taken from the rent monies, not from a trust that is accumulating nothing. Have you looked at what the market is doing lately, or what kind of interest one gets in a savings account at the bank. It is obvious that the Hooper Accumulater trust is making no money.

Another thought came to mind after speaking with someone at the special meeting in October. The HooperInstitute and the Hooper Golf Club are like two separate entities. I got to wondering, why doesn't the Institute and the Golf Club work together. There is a wealth of opportunity at both places. Hooper Golf Club could have a couple of tournaments durring the season to raise money for the scholarships at the Hooper Institute. A $10.00 to $20.00 donation for the Hooper Institute could be added to the membership application for the Hooper Golf Club as is done for the McDonough Fund. The Hooper Institute could have the students cut hiking paths (snow shoe paths in the winter) around the golf course in the wooded areas. I have done some snow shoeing down through there and have seen otters and other wild life. It would be a shame to carve that up into housing lots. The maple trees along the course could be tapped in the early spring for the students to make maple syrup. A small sugar house could be built where the tennis court used to sit. These are just a couple of ideas I had, I am sure there are many more

In closing, I am in hopes that this committee can see the opportunities that could abound from saving the golf course and the two entities working together. I am in hopes the committee members can see that Hooper Golf Club and the Hooper Institute are both important to the town. Where there is a will there is a way, SAVE HOOPER.

January 24, 2011

News Release

Event: Hooper Golf Club Hires PGA Professional

Contact: Ronald J. Rosko, PGA, Head Golf Professional, Hooper Golf Club, Walpole, NH

Phone: (802) 345 4160

Hooper Golf Club Hires First PGA Professional

Walpole, NH – January 24, 2011

Hooper Golf Club of Walpole, NH hired their first ever PGA golf professional earlier this winter. Ron Rosko, PGA of Landgrove, VT is replacing long time Hooper golf professional Jay Clace. Clace had iconically served as Hooper’s golf professional for 38 years before deciding to retire at the conclusion of the 2010 season.

Rosko is very excited to be Hooper’s head golf professional, saying, “I grew up playing this place. 36 holes a day was the norm. It was just such a wonderful place to be, that we never wanted to do anything else. The Clace’s were like mentors to me. Jay with his gentlemanly demeanor and Pam with her smiling face and motherly advice. They have left a tremendous legacy at Hooper and I am honored to be following in their footsteps.”

Rosko truly believes through Hooper’s history and leadership the future is bright for the nine hole facility. “The golf course has always been very well maintained, the clubhouse mansion is a beautiful structure dating back to 1788, and the Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleek design has stood the test of time since 1927”, Rosko stated as he looked out over the snow laden course.

His point is well validated as the course has received some recent national recognition. In Golf World’s February 2010 issue Hooper was voted the 11th best nine hole course in the country. And, in Yankee Magazine’s May/June 2010 issue “Best of New England”, Hooper was named, “Best Little Golf Club.” Rosko commented, “A hidden gem you might say.”

Rosko looks forward to serving members with lessons, junior golf programs, a full service pro shop, tournament director and an increased focus on customer service. He stated, “Teaching is what I most enjoy and at the root of the PGA professionals mission to grow the game and make it more enjoyable. I don’t believe there is a greater way I can impact a person’s golf game than by providing sound instruction and work towards that goal of lowering their handicap. I have worked very hard to improve my teaching skills over the years and have spent countless hours on the lesson tee providing instruction; a mission that will forever be a passion to me.”

Junior golf will also be a focus for Hooper’s new pro. Programs will start immediately after school lets out for the summer and will continue until it is back in session meeting every Wednesday morning at 8:00 a.m. Interesting to hear him talk about the program, “Junior golf instruction has come a long way recently. The practice of putting a club in a child’s hands and asking him to hit balls for 60 – 90 minutes with instruction has proven to be ineffective. Yes, instruction is still a big part of it, but equally important is a child’s development of motor and coordination skills as well as speed and strength. It sounds very complex and it is. If a child doesn’t develop the correct athletic skills and traits he will never be able to develop them later in life, PERIOD.” Look for additional details about the program to be posted on the hoopergolfclub.com website as we near the end of the school year. But, plan on every Wednesday morning at 8:00 a.m.

Rosko is currently working with golf manufacturers like, Titleist, Taylor Made, Callaway, Adidas, Ashworth, and Footjoy as well as numerous others. “I am constantly keeping my eyes open looking for new products that may suit the member’s needs at Hooper. Look for competitive prices and a personal touch that you can only get from your local PGA golf professional.”

Customer service is also part of the PGA professional’s mission. Look for new services this year at Hooper like club storage and cleaning and push cart storage. He stated, “If I know you’re scheduled to play that day, I will have your clubs out, and on your push cart, if you have one with me. It adds a nice personal touch.”

Rosko has been a golf professional since 2002 and attained his PGA class A membership in April 2007. His last position was at the Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown, MA, serving as their first assistant golf professional. And, before that was the first assistant golf professional at Dorset Field Club, in Dorset, Vt.

Upon attaining membership in the PGA of America, Rosko immediately studied to become a PGA Certified Professional. And in January 2009, became one of only 31 PGA professionals to be certified in all six areas of the PGA Certified Professional Program, instruction, retail, ownership/leasing, golf operations, general management, and executive management. Today, the PGA of America only has 66 PGA professionals Certified in all six areas, including Rosko. When talking about the PGA Certified Professional Program, Rosko states, “It takes many late nights and long days of study to achieve certification in just one area of the program. I thought I would be done after that but I just wasn’t satisfied knowing there was more out there for me to do, so my late nights and long days continued. When I look back at it now, I am glad I did it, it prepared me very well to have an impact as a PGA professional.”

The PGA describes the program as, “The call of golf industry employers for enhanced business, financial and service performance by their management teams, led The PGA of America to develop a world-class program aligning the skills and knowledge of PGA Professionals with the changing dynamics of the industry. Developed with the input of the PGA Employment Council – comprised of highly respected leaders representing all types of golf facilities and industries – the PGA Certified Professional Program enables PGA members committed to lifelong learning, to distinguish themselves as the game’s leading managers.”

Hooper Golf Club, located at the top of Prospect Hill in the quaint village of Walpole, NH was once a working farm. Its transition to a classic golf course in 1927, with rolling fairways, many bunkers and large sloping greens was a challenging yet natural task for course designers Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleek.

Stiles and Van Kleek had an uncanny ability to use the natural contours of the land and augment them with dips and rolls, bumps and hollows, numerous bunkers and greens that test one’s short game mightily.

Ron Rosko, PGA can be reached at ronaldjrosko@pga.com with any questions or comments.

WINTER FUN AT THE HOOP

WEEEEEEEE!

WHAT? NO ROPE TOW?

OUT OF CONTROL

IN TOTAL CONTROL

NO COMMENT

ALMOST AS FUN AS GOLF?

 

 

 

BREAKING NEWS

On Sunday, June 26th there will be the INNAUGURAL WALPOLE OLD HOME DAYS TOURNAMENT. This tournament will benefit the Walpole Recreation Departmeent Playground Fund. The tournament is open to all Hooper Members and non- members as well. There will be par 3 prizes given out as well as a long drive contest. Open to Men and Women. The entry fee is $100.00 per two person team (includes an embroidered Addidas golf shirt, prizes and charitable donation. Click on the link below to view and print the signup sheet.

LINK TO INNAGURAL WALPOLE OLD HOME DAYS TOURNAMENT