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| OHCC LIVING | APRIL 2025 | 37 Billiards - How Much Does a Good Cue Cost? Well, the Billiards Club sells the cues on our walls to our members for $20. Are they good cues? Certainly not, but if a beginner wants their own cue, it will work for them until… it doesn't. e next meaningful step up is for cues around $150. ey shoot well and maybe all that occasional players will ever need. At $300+ you'll get a cue with most of the professional features, but a plastic wrap instead of wood inlays on the butt. For $500 you'll get everything, plus beautiful wood inlays. Want the latest technology? Add $400 for a carbon ber sha. You're up to $900 now. Yes, you can spend even more, but it will be for exotic woods and intricate inlays of abalone, ivory, and precious stones. Such cues won't play any better, but enthusiasts may nd their beauty and crasmanship worth the cost. is February, the pool professional Calvin Coker spent four hours in our Billiard Room. He taught private lessons to players, gave a 90-minute lesson on "Getting Better Fast," and brought these cues to sell at a steep discount from online prices: ese ARE good cues, costing from $280 to $650. Members were allowed to assemble them, chalk the tips, and practice shooting to get a feel for how a good cue plays. At least one person usually makes a purchase. Here's Calvin getting ready to shoot "Double 8-Ball" during his warm-up. He will attempt to pocket all the solid balls rst, followed by all the striped balls, and nally the 8-Ball. Is that even possible? Well, I guess so because he did it. Written by Charlie Payne Billiards Newbies, the ocial welcoming group for Ocean Hills Country Club residents, holds quarterly potlucks where new and established residents can meet and mingle. Our goal is to have you walk away with new friends and a feeling of community. Club membership is the fastest and best way for new residents to make friends and become involved in their new community. OHCC has 40 clubs oering a wide range of activities. We encourage Newbies to join clubs and explore opportunities to be of service to others. Living in OHCC is truly a year-round summer camp and We're So Glad You're Here. is month we are introducing new residents, Susan Rodriguez and Glenn Gomes, who moved to OHCC last November from nearby Rancho Sante Fe. Susan and Glenn met on a bus in Bangkok almost 15 years ago while traveling independently on a tour of ailand and Cambodia. ey have been living and traveling the world together ever since. Susan and Glenn consider themselves to be active retirees with multiple interests and hobbies, and they were drawn to OHCC by the wide variety of recreational opportunities available. ey were aware of OHCC's reputation for friendliness, and the welcoming nature of their neighbors was immediately evident. OHCC's attention to safety and security made their choice to move here an easy decision. A realtor for almost 50 years, Susan is both a parent and a grandparent to family residing in San Diego County. When not visiting or entertaining the family, she can be found painting in her "art room," tending to her garden, or cooking up something special in the kitchen. Susan looks forward to spending time at the pool, golng, walking in the neighborhood, and joining a few clubs. Planning their next international travel adventure is always on her agenda. Glenn was born, raised, and educated in the San Francisco Bay Area, where some family members still reside. He always wanted to be a teacher, and he spent over three decades in the classroom. Much of his career aer receiving his PhD from USC was as a tenured professor of business administration at California State University, Chico. Now happily retired, he enjoys walking, hiking, bicycling, the gym, playing cards (especially pinochle and cribbage) and, of course, traveling the world with Susan. e last Newbies gathering was held on March 22, and we will provide an overview of that event next month. e next one is scheduled for June 14 and details will be published well in advance. For more information email us at ohccnewbies@gmail.com or visit our website: https://ohccnewbies.wixsite.com/ohccnewbies. Sincerely, Lynn Bible and Rosemary Bray, Newbies Co-Leaders Newbies Susan Rodriguez & Glenn Gomes

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