Articles
President’s Posting
President’s Report: JPMGC Membership Survey Responses Heartening and Illuminating By Mark Ohrenschall, President, Jackson Park Men’s Golf Club Jackson Park Men’s Golf Club exists to serve our members. With that in mind, we recently conducted an online membership survey to gauge your views about the club and about Jackson Park. The response was heartening and illuminating. Heartening: We received 105 completed surveys, representing about 20 percent of our regular membership. That indicates many of you care enough about the club to share your thoughts. Illuminating: The responses–both collective and individual–provide abundant information on your likes, dislikes and suggestions to serve our membership. It’s too soon to know exactly what will come out of this survey, which closed in early May. Your JPMGC Board of Trustees is just starting to examine the responses. But after reviewing the survey results and making 10 pages of handwritten notes, I’ll share a few preliminary observations/thoughts. First, a large number of respondents expressed support of and appreciation for the club and its offerings. One member wrote: “I like the competition, tournaments and meeting like-minded competitive golfers.” Another wrote: “Just being a part of the men’s club is fun and meeting all the different members and playing with others has been great in expanding my golfing circle.” As those comments suggest and the overall responses confirm, club competitions and connecting with other golfers are high priorities for members. On the question of what you value most about membership, checking all that apply, the biggest vote-getter was tournament competitions (79 percent). That was followed by, in order, handicap services (73.3 percent), meeting fellow golfers (70.5 percent), club camaraderie (55.2 percent), winning book money (54.3 percent), getting tee times at Jackson Park (49.5 percent) and the 10-percent pro-shop merchandise discount for members (29.5 percent). The survey also inquired about member golf goals for 2025. The most popular responses, by far, revolved around playing better, either lowering handicap indexes and/or improving games, generally or specifically. One member wrote: “Lower overall scores, shoot in the 75-78 range consistently and lower my putts below 30 per round. Tighten up my short pitches and chips. 70-80 percent of drives in play and the rest still playable. Minimize big mistakes and take advantage of opportunities to score. You know; what all golfers want!” Hear, hear! Playing more and having fun were other oft-listed goals. We also received (and I appreciated reading) hundreds of thoughtful and occasionally detailed individual comments on specific topics including club communications, rules, tournaments, course conditions, pace of play and Jackson Park facilities such as the restaurant and pro shop. Although the survey was anonymous, some general demographic information emerged. Survey respondents were primarily newer members; nearly 60 percent have been members 2-5 years, 15.2 percent 6-10 years and 12.4 percent 1 year or less. They also tend to be active: About one-third of respondents typically play five or more events per month during the season, and another 28.5 percent play three or four events per month. And, the survey shows JPMGC members materially boost Jackson Park revenue, outside of greens/tournaments fees and cart rentals. Nearly 45 percent of respondents report spending $26-$75 monthly on items like pro shop merchandise, driving range buckets and food/beverage, while about 33 percent spend $76 or more monthly. Although we did not break out book money in this query, responding club members spend a collective minimum of at least $50,000 annually beyond greens/tournament fees and cart rentals. The true and total economic impact to Jackson Park of the JPMGC membership is likely much, much greater. Many thanks to members who completed this survey. All responses will be reviewed and considered, as your board decides how to proceed. A couple of other things to bear in mind in the meantime: While JPMGC works closely with Jackson Park management, especially on tournaments, we as a club have no direct authority over the golf courses or facilities. Jackson Park is owned by the City of Seattle and managed by Premier Golf. We will share membership survey results with those entities, and continue to engage with them on behalf of our members. The club website offers a wealth of information on tournaments, rules, pace of play, membership, score posting, club history, board of trustees and more. It also includes a section on general club info and FAQs. We encourage you to access it: https://www.jacksonparkmensgolfclub.org/. As we near the midpoint of 2025 and head into summer, best wishes to all for a successful golf season, however you define success.
Jackson Park Report: General Manager Bo Lewis Departs; Matt Lipe Takes Over as GM
Jackson Park Golf Course is under new leadership. General Manager Bo Lewis worked his last day at Jackson on May 16, and was succeeded in that role by Head Golf Professional Matt Lipe. Here’s part of an email note Bo shared April 30 about this transition: “My wife and I have decided to move to the Denver, Colorado area to be closer to family. Erin has supported me throughout my career transition over the past few years, and it’s time for me to repay her kindness. While I have mixed emotions about leaving, I’m truly excited about the future of Jackson Park and the fantastic team we’ve built.” Bo also wrote that Lipe’s “experience and leadership will empower everyone at the facility, and I’m confident he will continue to drive success in revenue, team development, and customer experience.” JPMGC thanks Bo for his support of and collaboration with the men’s club during his tenure at Jackson, and wishes him the best. We look forward to an ongoing strong partnership with Jackson Park and facility manager Premier Golf, with Matt at the helm.
JPMGC Competitions in Full Swing
By Jeff Schoening, Jackson Park Men’s Golf Club Tournament Chairman All three leagues and six of the seven match play tournaments are underway for Jackson Park Men’s Golf Club. The club’s final match play tournament, Non-Championship Gross Summer, begins on June 30 with an entry deadline of June 17. To register by paying online, please click here. The Saturday league is run by Dan Fabela, who also manages Venmo. Poor weather has lowered attendance so far this year, averaging 18 fewer players per event to date compared to last year as a whole. Returning this year is our policy of emphasizing the importance of the Field Days and the two-day Jackson Classic by having larger payouts for those events. The club share and first-place payouts for Field Days and the Jackson Classic will be around 35 percent and $120, and for the other tournaments will be around 25 percent and $100. Next up in the Saturday rotation is the Jackson Classic on June 21-22, in which the club Stroke Play Champions will be crowned, for Gross and Senior Gross (55-plus). Champions must play from the blue tees. The Tuesday league is run by Karl Meier, with Walt Dickhoff managing Venmo. It kicked off March 18. Attendance is up this year, averaging 44 players for the first nine events. Tee times are reserved from 9 a.m. to about 10:45 a.m., plus about a dozen players often make their own tee times before 9 a.m. The league features a Tuesday Championship held over July 8 and 15 and a Tuesday Cup, a season-long event akin to the FedEx Cup. The 32 players with the most points qualify to compete for the Cup in the third-to-last event; the 16 players with the most points after that then qualify for the second-to-last event; and eight players qualify to compete for the Cup in the final event. The Wednesday league is run by Brian Asplund, who also manages Venmo. This league began play April 30. Even with starting tee times being moved back to 4 p.m. from 3:30 pm, league attendance is up from last year, averaging 61 players per event. This is a popular league, with tee sheets filling quickly. To get on the waitlist for a specific Wednesday, send Brian an email (brian.d.asplund at gmail.com). When registered players withdraw, he will add waitlisted players to the tee sheet. Match Play Click here for the Match Play page on the club website, a page well worth bookmarking as it includes brackets, results and other information for each of the seven competitions. Gross match play began on May 26, run by Cecil Grant. There is a 16-player bracket. Kyle Miller is the 2024 champ. Net match play began on April 28, run by Patrick Wilson. With only 40 players signed up, we could not have pods for the first round. Instead, there are four brackets with 10 players and many first-round byes. The first round ended on May 25. Dan Fabela is the 2024 champ. Four-Ball Net is run by John McDermott. There are 58 players (29 teams) playing in two brackets. The first round ends on June 8. Jeff LeCompte and Bruce Peterson are the 2024 champs. Non-Championship Gross Spring began on April 28, run by Cecil Grant. There are 18 players with three brackets. The first round ended on May 25. Cecil will also run Non-Championship Gross Summer. Senior Gross began on May 26, run by Jack Whelan. There is a 16-player bracket. Tom Thorson is the 2024 champ. Legends Net began on May 26, run by Jack Whelan. There is a 16-player bracket. For 11 of the players, this will be their only match play tournament this year, so far. Reed Johnson is the 2024 champ in this event for members 70 and over. Net and Four-Ball Net have lower participation this year, with 98 players total versus 128 like last year. On the other hand, Legends Net doubled attendance, with 16 players this year. Final match-play attendance numbers will be known once Non-Championship Gross Summer registration closes on June 17. That tournament accepts unlimited numbers of players, who are flighted according to handicap. The brackets generally have an eight-player maximum.
Treasurer’s Note: JPMGC Finances Through May 15
Below is an accounting of Jackson Park Men’s Golf Club income and expenses for the year to date, along with year-beginning and YTD balances. For questions or more information about club finances, feel free to contact JPMGC Treasurer David Foreman: dforman at csuchico.edu.
Julius Jorgensen: Washington Golf Icon Shares Ties to Jackson Park
By David Foreman, Jackson Park Men’s Golf Club Treasurer Julius Jorgensen, a PGA professional and Washington state golfing world icon, recently shared his ties to Jackson Park in a lightly edited Q/A with JPMGC Treasurer David Foreman. What led you into the golf profession? When I was in high school, I wanted to earn my varsity letter, but I only had two choices, wrestling or golf, because of my size. I chose golf, but I had no clubs and so I told my father I needed some help to buy some clubs. He told me to get a job because we didn’t have much money. That summer I sold soda pop between two holes at the municipal golf course. My Mom would take me to the store and we’d get a couple cases of Cragmont soda pop and on Saturdays she would drop me off with my cooler of pop and I would sell it by the can in between those two holes. By the end of the summer I had made $90 and I was able to purchase a set of Wilson K28 irons. Dad had some old woods that he had acquired over the years even though he didn’t really play golf. There was a par-3 course on the grounds of the nearby VA hospital that I was able to access, with my dad being in the military. I begged to go out there every weekend and learned to play golf on that course and developed a really good short game, but no long game to speak of. I tried out for the team at James Monroe High School in Sepulveda (California) and made it, barely. I was the last one on the team and lost every match and never broke 80. Our team finished first in the league. The next year nearly all the players had graduated and I was a senior, but I continued to lose and still hadn’t broken 80, but it hadn’t broken my spirit and I still had a love for golf. After graduating I started college, but made a couple wrong turns and ended up getting drafted and went into the military medical corps. After training I had a choice of going to Vietnam or extending my training for another year in Houston. Choosing the latter gave me classes in the mornings and afternoons off, so I had my clubs shipped to me and I played every afternoon and weekend that I could and got my handicap down to a 6. Orders again came for Vietnam, but this time I was assigned special medical field training in microbiology at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center (Colorado), but still found time to golf every day and got my handicap down to a 3 and won the club championship—first to win it from the Medical Center since Orville “Sarge” Moody, winner of the 1969 U.S. Open. After the military I went to school here at UW on the GI Bill and tried out for the team. The non-exempt players had to vie for a place by competing in a tournament at the Seattle Golf Club. I placed well enough to qualify, but the coach said he wasn’t putting me on the team because I didn’t hit it far enough. That derailed my golf dreams, but I continued my studies and graduated with a degree in microbiology and worked at UW until I was 30 and found myself at another crossroad, pursue a PhD or do what I love. It was 1980 and I choose the PGA. What brought you to Jackson Park? Even though I hadn’t made the team at UW I still had a love for the game and joined Jackson Park in 1974 and bought the annual pass for $175, which allowed me to play all the city courses year-round. Then with my career change I applied for a job with Mike Reasor, who had just acquired the lease at Jackson Park. I wrote him a letter expressing my love for the game and my desire to serve golfers. He hired me and I ran his business and gave lessons so he could continue to play lots of golf. When he hired me he could only afford to pay me $750 a month, but he did have an apartment he could offer me that would only cost $25 per month. That apartment was the second story of the Jackson Park clubhouse. That’s where I resided from January 10th, 1980, to the fall of 1982. My first job of the day was opening the gate for the golfers and my last job of the day was making sure the gate was locked up and there were no stray golfers testing their night vision, which could be as late as 10:00 in the summer. What are some of your memories living at Jackson Park? Mike told me that he was going to be my first full-swing lesson with woods and irons. I did OK and he told me afterwards “just teach what you know and don’t try and teach someone else’s methods.” During lessons we would hit balls down the hill where the old number 9 used to be, then drive down and pick up the balls and hit them back up the hill. Our second year there we set a record for rounds of golf on the West Coast. They even sent a reporter out to identify the person who put us over the mark. We attributed our success to revising the tee time policy so that the 7, 15 and 45 min tee times were only for walk-ons, no reservations allowed for those times. This served two purposes. We were able to keep the tee sheet filled even if reservations were cancelled or there were no shows and we were able to sell more merchandise as the walk-ons browsed the shop waiting to get on the course. This also led to a sales record for the shop. One night the alarm went off so […]
News and Notes: JPMGC Special Events, Service Project
By Mark Ohrenschall, President, Jackson Park Men’s Golf Club Late spring and summer are busy for Jackson Park Men’s Golf Club, with club competitions in full swing (sorry, couldn’t resist) and numerous special events on the calendar. Here’s a chronological summary of those events, which we encourage members to participate in and/or support to the extent possible. 2nd Annual Family and Friends Charity Golf Classic (Saturday, June 7) The 2nd Annual Family and Friends Charity Golf Classic took place Saturday, June 7, at Jackson Park, co-sponsored by JPMGC, Jackson Jills Golf Club and Jackson Park Golf Course. The two-person scramble event, with teams consisting of family members or friends, attracted 44 participants and, with the help of sponsors and donors, raised about $3,200 for First Tee of Greater Seattle, which provides young people with programs that build character, instilling life-enhancing values, and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. Fun, camaraderie and generosity were the emphases of this second annual event. Mulligans, throws, automatic two-putts on greens, prizes for KPs and straight drives, gross and net contests in multiple flights, and a jar raffle were all part of the day. Thanks to co-chairs Lee Jones, Jeff Schoening and Beth Corey, volunteers, Jackson Park staff and participants for making this special event happen and raising money for First Tee. 8th Annual Charity Golf Classic Benefitting Harvest Against Hunger (Tuesday, July 22) JPMGC is co-sponsoring the 7th Annual Charity Golf Classic benefiting Harvest Against Hunger, coming to Jackson Park on Tuesday, July 22. Look for more information soon on this popular event, which over the years has raised about $60,000 to benefit Harvest Against Hunger, a longstanding Seattle-based non-profit. Jackson Park Junior Golf Classic (Monday, Aug. 11) The 16th annual Jackson Park Junior Golf Classic, sponsored by JPMGC, will be held Monday, Aug. 11. This longtime event, which has afforded a tournament experience to hundreds of local junior golfers over the years, will be played on the Jackson par-3 course for younger players and on the regulation 18-hole course for older youngsters. All boys and girls ages 5 to 17 are invited and welcome to play. Tournament organizer Dan Puetz Sr. reports a dozen entries already, with hopes for attracting between 60 and 90 participants, or even more. Many hundreds of dollars of book money and golf balls have been donated by JPMGC membership to date. JPMGC members interested in donating book money or other prizes, and/or volunteering on tournament day, can contact Dan via email: seniorroofing1 at gmail.com. Those who want to register their kids to play can also reach him at that email address. Seattle Cup (Weekends of Aug. 16-17, 23-24) The 2025 Seattle Cup, an annual Ryder Cup-style match-play competition between men’s club teams from the four Seattle municipal golf courses, is scheduled for two weekends in late August. Schedule/format: Bill Wright, Best Ball, Saturday, Aug. 16 West Seattle, Scramble, Sunday, Aug. 17 Interbay, Chapman, Saturday, Aug. 23 Jackson Park, Singles, Sunday, Aug. 24 The JPMGC team is captained by Brian Asplund, assisted by David Foreman and Mark Ohrenschall. Their primary criteria for selecting the squad include the following: Participation in 2025 JPMGC events, notably including club match-play participation. Results from 2024 and 2025 JPMGC competitions. Prior results in JPMGC events and the Seattle Cup as well as other notable tournament finishes in amateur tournament play. Commitment to a MINIMUM of two of the four days of Seattle Cup play; and A desire to have fun, play hard and represent your club respectfully, emphasizing good sportsmanship. All Seattle Cup matches are played at net (not gross), and accordingly we’ll include a range of handicaps on the 24-member team (plus one pro). Also, please note there is a maximum 18-handicap limit for Seattle Cup participants. More information on Seattle Cup will be sent to JPMGC members in the coming weeks. In the meantime, for more information, contact brian.d.asplund at gmail.com. Service Project: Sand/Seed Bottles Refills JPMGC is developing an ongoing service project to support better course conditions at Jackson Park, and you as a member can participate. For background, JPMGC member (and past president) Walt Dickhoff built a rack (see photo) to store plastic sand/seed bottles for golfers to use to fill divots. Made of TimberTech composite decking, the rack is located at the confluence near the 6th and 15th greens and the 7th and 16th tees. A container lies next to the rack, to refill bottles. To help ensure a consistent supply of sand/seed, JPMGC is working with Course Superintendent Jon Fulmer to set up a regular system of refilling the bottles and container. JPMGC members are encouraged to use the bottles during play, to fill divots. (And while you’re on the course, also please repair ball marks on greens, leave broken tees in the boxes next to markers, pick up trash, and generally leave the course in better condition than you found it.) Members are invited to participate in “refill parties” for the bottles and container throughout the season. Contact Mark Ohrenschall via email – markohren05 at gmail.com – to get in on the fun.