Bob
Browne 1943-2003:
Natanis Golf Course majority owner and
general manager Bob Browne died unexpectedly, Wednesday, August 27th,
one day after his 60th birthday, of an apparent heart attack, while
working on the course he helped build into the largest in the state. Obituary
and news articles.
With
love & gratitude:
On behalf of all the Browne’s, I would like to thank all of you –
our members, our friends – for the many contributions to the funds created
in Bobby’s memory, the gifts of flowers and food, and especially the kind
thoughts and deeds during our hard time. It all helped, and eventually we will
write to each of you individually to say so. In the meantime, know that
nothing – at least we hope nothing – went unnoticed. Thank you so much. We
were truly touched.
The scholarship fund today is at $8,750. and in the process of being
transferred to the University of Maine Foundation where it will be
administered in Bob’s name. A central Maine student entering the College of
Life Science and Agriculture will be chosen to receive a portion of it. Our
little church received more than seventy-five donations. Bobby would be so
pleased. It is a childhood place that he has always held so dear and you have
helped to secure it’s future. And last but not least, next spring watch for
results of Eddie & Don’s granite fund. Bobby will be watching you with a
twinkle in his eye.
Julie Browne
Tomahawk
Opening Celebration: 
On September 6th, a celebration of the
opening of the new Tomahawk Course was held at Natanis. During the morning
there were clinics, contests and guided tours of the new holes, as well as a
chicken barbecue, put on by Le Club Calumet, for all in attendance.
A dedication ceremony was held at noon, with remarks by course
architect Dan Maples, followed by a benediction by friend and member Rev.
Steve Tolander. At 1:00pm a tournament was held on both courses with over 250
players. Prizes were awarded at a closing ceremony with Jim & Dick Browne
doing the honors. A final prayer led by the Rev. David Glusker ended the day.
Mother nature blessed us with wonderful weather and a great time was
had by all. Thank you to all the employees, volunteers, members & guests
who helped make this day so special.
2004
Rates:
The 2004 membership rates as well as green fees will remain the same as this year’s. Visit our rates page at the Natanis website for complete details.
Cribbage:
The Natanis cribbage league will begin Thursday, December 4th. Check-in starting at 6:00pm, play starts at 6:30pm. Cost is $9.00 per week. This fun evening is open to Natanis members, family & Vassalboro neighbors.
Gift
Certificates:
Any outstanding Natanis gift certificates (“Gray Money”) should be redeemed for Pro Shop merchandise before the end of the year. Call the Pro Shop at 623-3561 with any questions.
Pro’s
Corner:
A reminder to all golfers that now is the time to re-grip or re-shaft
your clubs, before putting them away for the season. Don’t get caught
in the spring rush and have to wait for your clubs. New grips before that trip
to Myrtle Beach or Florida! You can reach me at the clubhouse or at home at
622-4425, or by e-mail at dbpgagolf43@pga.com.
Dick Browne
Also check out our
website’s Pro’s
Corner page throughout the
winter for helpful drills you can do at home this winter. This month’s
drill: Tune
in that putting stroke.
Notice:
Natanis members, we will need you to clear your lockers and electric carts out of the basement this November. Any padlocks on lockers will also need to be removed. We will be doing maintenance work in the basement shortly and need the ability to move the lockers around. You can leave your key in your locker and the locker unlocked once you have cleaned it out. Thank you for your help in this matter. If you should have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me.
Rob Browne
Snack Bar:
This past season we added pizza and chicken wings to our snack bar menu. Next year we are planning on upgrading some of our equipment and we may add new items again.
Send us an e-mail with any ideas you would like to see.
Course Maintenance & Improvements:
Last winter was a tough one for many central Maine courses. Natanis was
no exception. To recover from the winter kill we had to re-sod most of #2 and
about half of #3 Arrowhead greens, as well as part of #16 Tomahawk. We
re-seeded many fairways, some 4 to 5 times. We have purchased some new
equipment such as a Graden Verti-Cut machine for linear (slicing) aerification,
and a Brillion Turfmaker for overseeding. These will make our job easier and
minimize disturbance to the course. Our plan is to plug aerate the greens and
fairways in the spring and slice aerate them in the fall. This will be done on
one course and just the opposite on the other. This will assure us of having
at least one 18 with no plug holes at all times.
During the off-season, we plan on building more cart paths on the
Tomahawk course and continue our efforts to clean out the wooded areas. We
also will be extending the fairway on #18 Tomahawk, around the back side of
the pond. We will build a new “middle” tee on #15 Tomahawk and will be
replacing some of our wooden bridges on the Arrowhead course.
We are committed to keeping Natanis one of the best golfing values in
Maine.
Allen Browne
Fall Rates:
Our rates till the end of the 2003 season are now as follows:
18 hole green fees - $30
9 hole green fees - $18
18 hole motor carts - $26
9 hole motor carts - $15
A Note From The MSGA:
The 2003 golf season officially concluded, for handicap purposes, on Tuesday, October 21st. The final revision of the season came out on Friday, October 24th. This means that you can’t post any scores locally till next spring. If you play courses in Florida, Myrtle Beach or any other course that opens year round, you can post your scores there using their computer and your GHIN number. If you are a Natanis member and you don’t know your GHIN number, e-mail us and we will send it to you. For more information please visit the Maine State Golf Association website at www.mesga.org.
Fall/Holiday Sale:
We will be having ongoing sales on all our pro-shop merchandise through the holidays. There are still plenty of items left as well as gift certificates. Our new merchandise should be arriving around January 1st. Our hours throughout the holiday season will be:
Weekdays – 9 to 3:00pm
Saturdays – 10 to 2:00pm
Or by appointment.
Remember Rob will even be in the pro-shop on Xmas eve morning and can deliver merchandise in the local area.
In closing:
Thank you for your patronage during the 2003 season. Despite adverse weather through the season, our new 36-hole layout was a great success, with golf being available to everyone just about anytime they wanted to play. Hopefully next summer will bring us more timely rains and another great season. But there is still plenty of golf to be played this fall, so come on out and see us.