About Sonoma Valley Golf Club Membership
Sonoma Valley Golf Club is affiliated with Eagle Vines Golf Club. Your membership will go through
Eagle Vines. Nevertheless, SVGC is a separate identity in the Eagle Vines family.
- Our membership totals about 180 and about one half of the members play in Eagle Vines tournaments.
- Both men and women are encouraged to join and play from the tees that suit their abilities best red, gold or white.
- Three flights are set up to even the playing field for winning sweeps.
- Winnings are credited to your individual account in the Eagle Vines pro-shop and winnings can be used for equipment, food or green fees at Eagle Vines.
- You will be given an index from the NCGA after you enter 5 scores unless you already have done so.
- Our golf season begins in February and continues through November.
- Our home course is Eagle Vines in American Canyon where we usually play tournaments every 2 weeks normally the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays.
- Green fees and sweeps for the 2023 Season are $50 a round which includes $4 for sweeps and range balls.
- We also have at least 5 away events where we go to area courses and play tournaments.
- We use a fully digital sign-up system with Google Drive on the internet. Instructions on how to log-in and sign up for all events are on this website under the EVENTS Tab.
- See the EVENTS Tab on this website for the list schedule of play dates and locations.
2024 Season Membership
Regular Membership: $65
Associate Membership: $35 (For players who are already members of another NCGA Club)
SVGC does NOT collect membership dues via this website!
Contact the Membership Chair: Lisa Schimtz at SonomaValleyGC@gmail.com if you're ready to join.
THREE WAYS TO PAY FOR MEMBERSHIP:
1. PayPal - Click the link below:
https://paypal.me/sonomavalleygolf?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US
Type 2024 in the "What's it for" field. Paypal account must be linked to a checking account. No credit card payments are accepted.
2. Venmo - click the link below:
https://account.venmo.com/SonomaValleyGC
Type 2024 in the "What is this for?' field. Credit Cards can be used on VENMO. You will be charged a small fee.
3. CHECK - Make check payable to SVGC. Mail to Ken Schmitz, 274 Avenida Barbera, Sonoma, CA 95476
SVGC Members must also be Eagle Vines Bronze Card Members: The Eagle Vines Bronze Card is purchased at the Eagle Vines Pro Shop.
Choose one of the following:
- $50 for one calendar year. Eagle Vines Bronze Card which provides further discounts on green fees and merchandise.
- Purchase $200 in Gift Cards and the Bronze Card is FREE. The $200 Gift Cards can be used for virtually anything at Eagle Vines including golf, merchandise, food and drinks.
- Home Course Eagle Vines Golf Course
- NCGA Handicap
- Tournament Green Fees of $50, includes cart, range balls and sweeps
- 5-7 Away Tournaments yearly at Premium and Championship Golf Courses
- Annual Thompson Scramble with Cash Prizes, Raffle and Gift Cards for Eagle Vines
- Chance to meet new golfing friends on the Course
- 20% OFF Green Fees 7 days a week
- Frequent Player Card, After 10 paid rounds you get 1 round FREE
- Free Birthday Round, Can be used the week of your birthday
- Access to Member only events
- 10% Discount on apparel, equipment and special orders
- 20% Discount on lessons
- Special Tournament Day Menu
- 5% Discount at the restaurant
Sonoma Valley Golf Club Member Benefits
2024 SVGC Membership Requirements
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How can I get information to join SVGC?
A. See 2024 SVGC Membership Requirements on the website.
Q. What are different membership categories?
A. REGULAR membership with NCGA dues $65 or ASSOCIATE membership for $35 with paid membership in another NCGA club.
Q. Why do I have to buy a Bronze card from Eagle Vines?
A. It is required to be a Regular Member of SVGC and it gives you substantial discounts and is required by Eagle Vines Golf Course. (See Member Benefits)
Q How can I sign up for tournaments?
A. These are the instructions for getting into Google Drive or Google Docs in order to sign up for SVGC Tournaments:
1. Click on the Link below that reads: Go to Google Docs Signup Sheet. It will take you directly to the sign up sheet for all SVGC Tournaments.
Go to Google Docs Signup Sheet.
2. To sign up double click on the space corresponding to the time you wish and type your name in whatever box you wish and
then click anywhere else on the page away from that box to save your entry.
3. Close the site and it automatically saves your entry.
4. Do not change any other entries without permission from the golfer who signed up in that box.
Q. How do I pay for MEMBERSHIP & away tournaments?
A. You have THREE options
- PayPal - click the link below to pay using Paypal:
https://paypal.me/sonomavalleygolf?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US
Use the "Friends and Family" option for no fees. You MUST have a bank or savings account linked to Paypal. You CANNOT use a credit card to pay on Paypal! The account is under the Treasurer: Ken Schmitz
Include info in the NOTE field indicating what the payment is for. - VENMO - Click the link below to pay using VENMO:
https://account.venmo.com/u/SonomaValleyGC
You CAN use a credit card with VENMO, but you will be charged a small fee.
Use the "WHAT IS THIS FOR" field to indicated what the payment is for. - Check - Mail payment made out to SVGC to: Ken Schmitz, 274 Avenida Barbera, Sonoma CA 95476.
Q. How are points awarded for the Club Championship?
A. Look under News on the website.
Q. How often is my handicap index updated?
A. Daily by NCGA. Go to their site to look it up NCGA.org
Q. What is the difference between Handicap and Handicap Index?
A. Handicap is calculated from the best 8 of your latest 20 scores. A handicap is derived from the index for a given course
and given tee.
Q. If I make an error in posting a score, how can it be corrected?
A. Contact the Handicap Chairman, Jim Honeywell at honeywell.jim@gmail.com. If you are an Associate member you need to contact your home club.
Q. What happens to my sweeps winnings?
A. They are credited to an individual account in your name at Eagle Vines.
Q. How do I spend the money in my sweeps account?
A. It can be used for golf, food, equipment or whatever at Eagle Vines only.
Q. What happens if it rains on a scheduled tournament day?
A. The tournament director will either call off the round or give members other directions]] by e-mail
Q. Can I bring a guest who is not a member to play?
A. Yes, but that person cannot participate in the sweeps.
Q. How often can the same person be invited to play as a guest?
A. Only once and then they must join SVGC either as a regular or associate member.
Q. Is there a penalty for not showing up for a tournament which I have signed-up for?
A. No but it is best to remove your name from Google Docs or contact the tournament director in advance.
Q. What are the rules for tournaments?
A. Look on the website under Events
Q. What is a Net Double Bogey and how is it used?
A. To calculate a Net Double Bogey on a hole use this simple formula: Par+2+number of strokes allowed by your handicap. At EV the handicap strokes are the dots on each hole.
Net Double Bogey is used to adjust your score for POSTING only, not for tournament scoring. It is used when you have blow up hole. It takes the place of ESC.
The History of Sonoma Valley Golf Club
Sonoma National Golf Course from its beginning had men from Sonoma playing the course. At the time it only had a small shack behind the first tee to pay green fees. In 1984 some men got together to form a club which eventually became the Sonoma Valley Golf Club. I will describe the start:(note that a lot of information is lost in the early days.)
“We the undersigned men playing Sonoma National Golf Course would like to formulate a Men’s Week Day Golf Club under the name of Sonoma Golf Sand Trappers, Stingers, Short Drivers or Long Drivers, or any other name to be determined by the majority of the original signers. It was suggested to play every Friday if possible.
Arrangements to be made with the Sonoma Golf Pro Shop with Mr. Ron Blum, Golf Pro. “
Twenty five players signed up to start the club. The membership paid $3.00 the first year and increased to $5.00 year after year. Records were lost until 1989 and dues were $25, 1990-98 were $35, 1998-2000 were $40.
The club held semi-annual meetings to discuss NCGA dues, sweeps, tournaments and annual picnic. A managing board was elected every October. In 1998 the Sonoma Valley Golf Club went private and Sonoma Men’s Club was asked to leave. The club settled on Adobe Creek as its new home. At that time handicap cards were still mailed to the club from the NCGA and handed out each month at the Driving Range on Arnold Drive and the sheet with handicaps was posted on the wall.
NCGA started to go electronic in 2002 and we were going to have to charge $5 per month per member if we wanted to continue to send in scores by mail. Only one person understood computers at the time, so therefore a life long membership chair was formed to save the club money.
Sonoma Valley Golf Club started having quarterly board meetings in 2002 and put together committees to keep the club thriving. Standing committees were Tournament, Special Events, Handicap, Membership, Liaison, Sweeps and Publicity handled by a nine man board. The Club had 169 players with about 60 – 70 playing every other Tuesday at Adobe Creek. During the years at Adobe Creek we had a yearly BBQ every Oct. at Nick Grgich’s, a founding members, ranch. Most of the members attended for steak lunch, drinks, raffle and election of next year’s board.
The year 2010 saw the closing of Adobe Creek Golf Course and the club selected Eagle Vines Golf Course in Napa to continue our play. Every other Tuesday was still the day of sign up and sweeps play. An average of 60 players continued to be regulars for this format. An away tournament chair was added to the club who had the job of obtaining different clubs in Nor Cal for away tournaments for SVGC. This was a great addition to the club. There are so many golf courses within two hours of Sonoma that this gave us the chance to play different country clubs. Between 60 and 80 of our players sign up for six or more away tournaments per year.
Sonoma Valley Golf Club was still an Associate Club within the NCGA since we didn’t have our own course. Eagle Vines asked us to join the membership of their club in 2017. As of that year we became Sonoma Valley Golf Club at Eagle Vines.
We now hold our annual meeting and tournament with a lunch at the EV dining room. This event is held in October and is a memorial to one of our oldest members that managed our club for the many years we were at Adobe Creek. It also serves as a time for election of officers to the club for the next year. We currently have a roster of 151 members including both men and women. We have also developed a website which allow prospective members to get joining information and allows the club to communicate with its members.