By James Kelly, Head Golf Professional
2025 has been a different kind of year so far, with the cooler temperatures of spring surprising us all. However, summer temperatures are in full swing, and members are coming out to enjoy the warmth and play on our beautiful course—or working on their game on our driving range and practice areas.
But what else is going on at the West Bend Country Club, you ask? We’ve got you covered!
A busy beginning for the season
This year, May and June have been super busy months. Our recently completed men’s three-man and four-man derbies went off without a hitch—two of our largest men’s events! These events are a mixture of shamble and best ball events with random draws for the teams. We have it set up like this because it allows our newer members to play in the events and meet their fellow players. On the other side of things, unfortunately, our Ladies’ Days have been rained out multiple times this spring. However, we did host our first ladies’ shotgun called the Breakfast Blender, and we’re excited to announce that we had our highest turnout ever with 52 players in the event.
Everyone’s favorite topic: Bunker etiquette
No matter how long you’ve been with the club, it’s always good to go over some of the etiquette we all agree to abide by, right? Proper bunker etiquette is something that’s easy to forget so we figured we’d go over a few of our guidelines:
- Enter the bunker from the low point in the bunker.
- Rake any footprints and areas where your swings disturbed sand.
- Leave the rakes in the bunker rather than placing them outside the bunker.
- Most importantly, don’t walk up the faces of the bunkers. Yes, it may be a shorter path, but it’s dangerous and can cause damage.
The pro shop is heating up, too
Recently, the hot item at the pro shop has been golf clubs, and it’s probably because people haven’t fully considered their equipment needs yet as we’ve had a cooler spring. Now that summer is hitting, people are shopping.
An item that often goes overlooked the most is the replacement of grips and wedges. If you practice and your wedge is on its third season, you’re probably due for a replacement. Personally, I notice that after even one season my wedges aren’t performing to the standard I would like—so keep your eye on your wedges as you start to head out to the course this summer.
And speaking of the pro shop, we’d love to give a shoutout to our employee of the month for May, Jillian Breuer. A senior at Slinger High School and member of their varsity golf team, Jillian is an incredible associate that always brings her A-game to the shop and delivers a superb experience for members—we’re glad to have her with us!
45th Evans Scholarship Fundraiser
In June, we hosted an exceptionally important event; the 45th annual Evans Scholarship Fundraiser. The West Bend Country Club continues to feature the largest one-day fundraiser in the state for the Evans Scholarship, a statistic that we’re immensely proud of.
The Evans Scholarship is provided to youth that have caddied, have achieved the academic requirements, and have demonstrated a financial need. Without fundraising events such as this, the Evans Scholarship wouldn’t be possible. It’s an important event for everyone involved, and we always recommend members attend and bring friends!