Service Events
Keepers Golf and Grounds/Golf Staff Appreciation Kook-Out-2017
For our third year running it was The Keepers great pleasure to sponsor an appreciation kook-out for the Golf & Grounds and Golf Staff. We want to acknowledge the amazing efforts of Pete’s staff who prepare and maintain our courses as well as all the people who run the golf shop and stage, schedule, and administrate the first tee. Their efforts allow Woodmont members to enjoy the finest golf experience in the DC Metro Area every day.
By Fox News count there were 70+ staff and members in attendance for today’s delicious kook-out. The fare included brats, dogs, and burgers off the grill manned by Adam Suelflow, Matt Sumpter, and Pete Wendt and bar-b-que beef, chicken, and pork from Mission BBQ. Pete’s specialty were the frozen pond cheeseburgers you can normally only get north of the border. There were sides, fruit, and multi-media cookies for dessert.
For The Keepers community service commitment begins close to home and we are glad to be able to do this special event each year. Woodmont provides a first rate golf course and golf experience to all of our members and we are blessed to have such a committed staff of people supporting this effort every day.
Keepers Used Club Kollections
Through the generosity of Keepers, Woodmont Members, and the Golf Shop the Keepers Second Time Around Used Club Program has compiled a nice kollection of used clubs, golf bags, accessories, and balls to donate to the military rehab programs in our area. We have accumulated 10 to 15 sets of irons, 50 assorted drivers and woods, 10 wedges, 5 putters, 10 to 15 golf bags, 1000 golf balls, and 40 pieces of new Keepers Klothing to donate.
Through the help of Steve Greiner down at the Fort Belvoir Army Golf Facility we will pass these on to veterans who are participating in the rehab programs down at Fort Belvoir and a new program at Andrews Air Force Base. We appreciate the help of Steve Keller, Moe Dweck, Konnor Farrell, and the men in the Starters Area for helping to marshal these donations.
Community service involvement and support is one of the central pillars of The Keepers and we approach it from many angles. This year, besides this Second Time Around Program, The Keepers have done the following:
Made a $1000 Donation to the Woodmont Employee Assistance Fund
Kollected over $2000 in donations for the First Tee Program of Greater Washington
Ran the First Tee Mentor Outing
Donated $200 to the Alzheimers Fund through the Women’s 9-Holers Event
Donating $200 to the Play For Pink through the Women’s 18-Holer Event
Underwriting the prizes for the Men’s Play for Pink Event in October
Underwriting the Greens and Golf Staff Annual Kook-Out
Making total donations of over $4000 to the SMGA-Wounded Vets, Folds of Honor, and IDF Wounded Vets through our Players Pools Events and a matching Keepers Donation
Thanks so much to all the Keepers for helping us provide this support to worthy causes in our community.
Keepers Wounded Warriors Fund Raisers: SAVE THE DATE
The Keepers are sponsoring a pair of fund raising events for the Folds of Honor/SMGA Wounded Warriors Fund on Tuesday July 28 from 2:30 to 7 p.m. These are new unique events you won’t want to miss…… so mark your calendar.
Planet Golf Presentation and Book Signing
Darius Oliver, an expert in Golf Course Design and Architecture, will be the feature guest at a cocktail reception at 5:30 p.m. He is the author of two stunning coffee table golf books you should have in your golf library “Planet Golf” and “Planet Golf USA”. After cocktails and hors d’oeuvres Darius will make a presentation of the making of his books and his views on course design around the world. After his presentation and conversation members will be able to purchase personalized signed copies of the two books for $40 each or $70 for the pair-$10 of each book sale will go to support our military charity fund.
Each book catalogs of over 130 courses and are the definitive references to the greatest golf courses around the world and in the U.S.. The books include vivid photography from professional golf photographers David Scaletti and John and Jeannine Henebry of the most famous and interesting golf courses on the planet accompanied with Oliver’s extensive history and review of each course. For remembering great courses you have played or simply wanting to know more about one’s you should play these two books will get plenty of attention sitting next to you favorite couch.
This event is open to all Woodmont members and their guests click to see more information about this cool event.
Wounded Warrior Golf Fund Raiser
Earlier that day The Keepers will have a Keepers & Friends 9-Hole event to celebrate the Planet Golf Book Presentation and to raise money for our annual donation to the Folds of Honor/SMGA Wounded Warriors organizations. This will be a fun format open to all Keepers, spouses, Woodmont friends, and guests-$20 a player plus cart fee (no guest fees are required)-with half the money going to support our charities. Starting at 2:30 p.m. we hope all the players will stay to enjoy the cocktail reception which follows at 5:30.
So start thinking about who you want to bring. You are encouraged to invite your spouse, friends, or outside guests to these two events. Sign ups will begin on July 8th through another posting on this site. For more information on Darius Oliver check out his website at http://planetgolfusa.com/
Keepers ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
The gauntlet was thrown down by Neuralstem and Ted Harada for The Keepers to accept the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Being a group of dodgy old fools how could we not accept this invitation. So today 10 of our members agreed to take a Dunkin Coolata Dowsing from family and friends at Woodmont Country Club. Included in this chillin’ experience were Len Goldman, Micha Green, Rusty Minkoff, Howard Wollner, Alan Levine, Steve Keller, Moe Dweck, Allen Zweig, Sol Gordon, and Eddie Cohen. As you can see below it was full of laughs and giggles.
The Keepers have passed on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to The Young Guns of Woodmont Country Club who we know can use a cold shower. So assemble Young Guns and take the challenge!!!!
Through the generosity of many of our members we have assembled a contribution to the ALS Association of over $500 to aid in the research to conquer this dreaded disease. We thank everyone involved at Woodmont who helped make fulfillment of this challenge possible and all the members of The Keepers who supported this worthy effort.
If you would like to make a donation directly to the ALS Foundation you can click here to get to the ALS Association secure website.
Keepers-First Tee Kids Celebration
F
or the fifth time this summer The Keepers sponsored an annual mentor outing with the sweet kids for the Montgomery County First Tee Program. A grand time was had by all who participated in an afternoon of instruction, a little food, and some quality course time. Special thanks to the folks from the First Tee, Woodmont Staff, Keepers Management and Volunteers, and the smiles of the kids that make all of this worthwhile.
Check out the shots below of the day’s festivities (click on any picture for a larger view).
For more action photos check out the Keepers-First Tee posting at Moegolf.net
Keepers-First Tee Mentor Outing
You are invited to join us as a volunteer/mentor at the annual Keepers-First Tee Mentor Outing on Thursday July 31st from 11 to 3 pm at Woodmont. This is a fun day of “being a grandparent” to 25 wonderful kids who participate in the Montgomery County First Tee Program. The kids age from 8 to 16 but all share two things in common-they love golf and know how to comport themselves in a golfing environment. You will be amazed out what this First Tee Program does for these kids.
The outing begins at 11 am with a series of clinics on the range and in the Sidney Harman Short Game area. Trillium and Brice will run the clinics and all you have to do as a volunteer is be supportive and lend a mentoring hand when needed. A picnic lunch with the kids from around 12:30 to 1:oo on the range is then followed by some golf when we take them out for four holes of real mentor time on the course. It all wraps up around 3:00 pm.
Don’t miss this opportunity to volunteer for this memorable day. Keepers, Keepers Spouses, and any other Woodmont member are invited to participate-there is no cost to the volunteers. If you or someone you know is interested please have them email us at moedweck@comcast.net and we will add them to the list.
Special thanks to Steve Keller and John Friedson for organizing and chairing this event once again this year.
Some of last year’s revelry:
Keepers-Wounded Warriors Outing
Through the generosity of 25 Keepers and Woodmont member sponsors the 3rd Annual Keepers/SMGA/Wounded Warriors Outing was held at Woodmont on June 25th. Smiles abounded as 11 Keepers and 17 Warriors participated in an afternoon of golfin’ fun which included instruction time with Trillium Sellers, John Ronis, and Brice Busse, a picnic lunch, 18 holes of zoysia golf on the South Course, and some spinning of yarn after the golf over drinks and munchies.
Our guests included military husbands and wives, older and younger brothers, buddies, and folks of all ilk who have served their country protecting the freedoms we share. This is always a special day for both The Keepers and the Warriors who spend time sharing stories, jokes, and an occasional high five……kind of what we do all the time with our friends on the golf course.
These are special people who are blessed to have this SMGA/Wounded Warriors program provide them with golf lessons, equipment, assistive devices, and a strong dose of what the game of golf can do for your soul. Talking with them it is unanimous how much Jim Estes and his folks have done for them through this program in helping them rediscover a little bit of normalcy in their lives.
Thanks to all of the sponsors who helped underwrite this afternoon’s fun. We were able to add another $750 to our fund that facilitates a donation to the SMGA/Wounded Warriors at year’s end.
Photos courtesy of Rita Mhley Communications
Keepers Rules Education Initiative
As part of the Keepers Seven Kampaign we are running a year-long initiative to educate the full Woodmont membership in the rules of the game and their responsibility in shepherding fair competitions in all Woodmont and Keepers events.
Under the guidance of the trusted rules consulting firm of Friedson, Zweig, and Dweck a library of circumstantial rules have been compiled in a colorful and readable format. We will be introducing a rule a week to all participants in golf events at the club through the season.
Flyers will be distributed at the events and posted at solemn matriculation stations throughout the club. The Double-D Staff will support these with brief Q & A conversations of these rules and reminders of the player’s responsibility to protect the field and implement correct rules adherence within their foursomes.
The process begins at Opening Day with a brief overview of:
Signing and Attesting A Scorecard
The rule of the week flyers will be emailed to our members and be posted on this website for your reference under the link to your right called Keepers Rules Education.
The hope is that recognition of the proper implementation of the rules will become part of the fabric of all golf competitions at Woodmont. All who play will benefit from knowledge of these rules and the sense of fair play in “protecting the field” by policing all participants respect for the Rules of Golf.
Keepers Kontributions
Our community support has to start at home and The Keepers once again made an annual contribution to the Woodmont Employees Assitance Fund. This fund was created a number of years ago to provide emergency assistance for Woodmont employees who face financial needs because of a family crisis. The fund is supported in large part by contributions of the employees themselves through self directed deductions from their regular paychecks. It continues to grow because of their generosity and the generosity of Woodmont members who support the program with a pledges of their own. This is just a small way our members can thank those who serve their needs every day.
The Keepers are very proud of the fact that we were a founding contributor to this fund in it’s first year and have matched that contribution in each subsequent year. The fund has grown and provides employees with a bit of help when they need it most.
Through annual contributions The Keepers have made to military charities we have been able to support those brave men and women who protect our freedom and way of life. The contribution we make to the Marines Helping Marines of Maryland is one of those opportunities. This organization supports the treatment and recuperation of injured U.S. Marines at the Bethesda Naval Hospital, Walter Reed Army Hospital, and other military hospitals across the country. Contributions enable the program to provide TVs/CD players in patient rooms, airline tickets and travel money to family members, monthly cookouts on hospital grounds for the walking wounded, family members, and staff, and support, and other support services to recovering service men and women.
Through our year long Folds of Honor/SMGA Players Pool competitions The Keepers raise money for these two veteran’s organizations. The Folds of Honor Foundation program awards post secondary scholarships to spouses and children of military personal who lost their lives serving their country. SMGA and the Wounded Warriors provide golf equipment, instruction, practice time, and on course opportunities to vets and their families in the Washington Metropolitan area.
In addition, The Keepers spearhead the Second Time Around Program at Woodmont which collects used golf clubs, golf bags, and golf balls from our members and directs them to the Army Rehab Program at Fort Belvoir. As part of their rehab services for returning personnel from active military theaters this program provides golf instruction and playing opportunities to help injured veterans rediscover a life of normal back home. We have sent hundreds of sets of clubs and tens of thousands of golf balls over the last four years to help this program prosper.
Supporting worthy causes like these is part of the core mission of The Keepers. We are happy to be in a position to help them in their efforts to serve those in our community.
Keepers Golf 