A P R I L / M AY 2 01 9 N E W S L E T T E R
Leadership EX ECU T I VE CO M M I T T E E Seth Lee, President | slee@summittalentgroup.com Steve Schrenk, Vice President | sschrenk@eqr.com Scott Nicholson, Treasurer | snichlsn@gmail.com Scott Segrist, Secretary | ssegrist@apexhomeloans.com Howard Feldman, Past President | howard.feldman@cfmktg.com BOARD O F D I R EC TOR S Jeff Martin Colton O’Donoghue Lurdes Abruscato Sean Battle Mike Malone Scott Segrist Heather Smyth Dustin Heusser John Deleonibus Michael J. Jack Lou DeBenedetto Bob Zgorski CO M M I T T E E S Golf - Scott Segrist | ssegrist@apexhomeloans.com Junior Golf - Dustin Heusser | dustyh711@comcast.net Green - Colton O’Donoghue | odonoghueclan@verizon.net Tennis - Heather Smyth | hsmyth68@hotmail.com Membership - Lou DeBenedetto | ldebenedetto@gmail.com Finance - Scott Nicholson | snichlsn@gmail.com House - Mike Malone | michaelbmalone@gmail.com House - Lurdes Abruscato | lurdesabruscato@aol.com Swim Team - Sara Magden | saraeliz82@me.com Audit - Bob Zgorski | bobzgorski@yahoo.com Compensation - Seth Lee | slee@summittalentgroup.com CCWGA Chair - Sondra Rappaport | sondrarappaport@gmail.com CCWTA President - Amanda Shumate | amanda.shumate@me.com
M A NAG E M E NT Bill Jankowski General Manager bill.j@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 231 Steve O’Grady Interim Controller steve.o@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 232 Kirk Warburton Golf Course Superintendent kirk.w@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 250 Colin Brennan Director of Food and Beverage colin.b@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 234 Alicia LaPreze Food and Beverage Manager alicia.l@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 396 James Diamantides Food and Beverage Manager james.d@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 397 Tom Caswell Executive Chef tom.caswell@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 246 Rob Anderson Facilities Manager rob.anderson@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 247 Chris Cozzillio Director of Tennis chris.cozzillio@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 265 Daniel Bengtson Head Golf Professional daniel. bengtson@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 222 Deborah Eubank Membership Coordinator deborah.e@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 233 C LUB P HONE NUM B E R S Main Clubhouse 410.489.4653 Golf Shop 410.489.5224 Tennis & Fitness Pro Shop 410.989.3683 Green Department 410.489.9178
STAY CONNECTED CAT TALES 2019 • 2
FACEBOOK cattailcreekcc cattailcreekcountryclub cattailcreektennis
INSTAGRAM cattailcreekcc
APRIL/MAY 2019 • 3
A MESSAGE FROM
the General Manager Dear Members, The best time of the year is here, and we couldn’t be more excited to get back into the full swing of another great season at Cattail Creek! Here are just a few highlights of the many exciting happenings at our Club: Membership is growing at a record pace for the year. We have already exceeded more than a half of our annual Membership goal and are welcoming many new Golf and Social Members! As Members, you are our best form of marketing, touting Cattail through word-of-mouth and making Member referrals. I am asking for your assistance to keep this fantastic momentum going for this year and refer as many Members as you can to our great Club! DON’T FORGET ABOUT OUR MEMBER REFERRAL PROGRAM! GOLF - Refer a new, first-time Golf Member, receive a $500 statement credit SOCIAL - Refer a new, first-time Social Member, receive a $300 statement credit and the new Member receives a $300 statement credit
plete with excellent images of our beautiful course and a stunning drone flyover video. This is just one way we’re boosting our visibility and promoting our extensive offerings. Feel free to share this overview, linked here, with your friends and prospective Members!
Save the Date!
Don’t forget to save the date for our exclusive Cattail Creek Anniversary Celebration June 29 at 6:00 PM. This much-loved annual event features live entertainment, kids’ moon bounces and activities, topnotch food and beverage offerings, capped off by a spectacular firework display over the 18th green! REGISTER YOUR CHILD TODAY TO BE A CROC! Registration is open today for our 2019 Cattail Crocs Swim Team! Click here to register your child for swim team. Click here to learn more about the Crocs. WHY CROCS? The Crocs are “not your average” swim team. We are in search of swimmers who want to have fun while building self-esteem, proper swimming technique, personal best times, team spirit and sportsmanship!
CATTAIL CREEK FEATURED BY THE MSGA! In the 2019 Season Kickoff Issue of MSGA eMagazine, a See you at the Club, leading golf publication that reaches 30,000 readers, Cattail is profiled in a three-page advertorial, com-
Bill Jankowski, General Manager
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APRIL/MAY 2019 U P COMING E VE NTS A P RIL
PR EM I ER EV EN T: M OTH ER’S DAY BRU N CH S U N DAY, M AY 1 2 , 201 9 S E AT I N G S F R O M 9:30 AM - 2:00 PM Celebrate Mom & let us take care of the cooking! Our Main Buffet will feature a variety of brunch favorites and we will be offering an Omelette Station, Carving Station, Kid’s Buffet & Assorted Desserts. Cost: $38++ per adult, $16++ per kid (ages 4-12, 3 and under are complimentary) Reservations are available now through our Club Calendar at cattailcreekcc.com. DIN N ER BU F F ET AL SO AVAILABL E FRO M 5:00 - 8: 00 PM Plans earlier in the day? We’ll take care of Mom’s Dinner with a full Dinner Buffet, with Carving Stations, Kid’s Buffet & Assorted Desserts included.
21 Easter Brunch 23 CCWGA 18 Hole League begins 23 Men’s Spring League begins 24 After School Junior Golf Clinics begin 24 CCWGA Twilight League begins 25 CCWGA 9-Hole League begins 27 Men’s Opening Day 28 CCWTA Margarita Mixer 28 Swim Team Suit Fittings 30 2019 Tournament Club
MAY 2-5 Wild Dunes Resort Tennis Trip 2-4 Men’s Hialeah Golf Tournament 7 Crocs Welcome Back Dinner 9 Family Night 10 CCWTA Social 12 Mother’s Day Brunch & Dinner 17-19 Men’s Cattail Cup 22 Men’s Guest Day 25 Pool Opens May 29-June 2 Cattail Creek Tennis Classic
SAVE T HE DAT E S June 7 CCWGA Women’s Member-Guest June 8 School’s Out Pool Party June 13-15 26th Gentlemen’s Invitational June 16 Father’s Day Cookout June 29 26th Anniversary Celebration
PR EM I ER EV EN T: CATTAIL CREEK TEN N IS CLASS I C WE D N ESDAY, M AY 29 - SU N DAY, JU N E 2 , 201 9 Join us for our BIGGEST tennis event of the year! More information on pages 8 & 9 of this issue!
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SIPS & SAVORS UPDATE Spring has arrived at Cattail and we’re abuzz with some fresh and fun additions that are sure to get Members out of hibernation and ready to bask in the springtime season! We’re introducing: WINE BY THE GLASS PROGRAM Based on valuable Member feedback from recent events, including our exclusive 20 for 20 Wine Night, the Food & Beverage team is launching a brand-new Wine by the Glass Program. The program features 11 new wines that can be enjoyed by the glass! With 11 new varieties, there’s something for everyone, plus, we’re keeping all the Cattail favorites! Colin Brennan, Food & Beverage Director
NEW LUNCH MENU Our new spring menu features light, seasonal, and refreshing tastes that are ideal for brighter days and warmer evenings. And, they pair perfectly with our new wine offerings! Be sure to try our: Blackberry Kale Salad | Garden Couscous Salad | Avocado, Shrimp & Quinoa Bowl Mexican Chicken Burrito Bowl | Caribbean Jerk Chicken Tacos | Blackened Mahi Tacos Fish & Chips | Roasted Cauliflower Tiki Masala Tom Caswell, Executive Chef
WANT TO … Improve your core rotation for a better golf swing or tennis racket stroke? Create more sculpted, leaner muscles in your arms, legs and back? Lose weight before swimsuit season? Cattail Members now can make the most out of their gym visits with three new pieces of equipment that offer a variety of health and fitness benefits. Come check out these offerings in our Fitness Center: TORSO ROTATION MACHINE Benefits: Core strengthener, especially targeting the abs, obliques and hips. Replicates the body rotation of a swing. To Use: Face the machine, kneel on seat with chest again chest pad and grip handles. Rotate hips against resistance; lift the handle behind the seat to reverse direction. SMITH MACHINE Benefits: A safe way to perform barbell bench presses, squats, CAT TALES 2019 • 6
deadlifts, incline and military presses, all without a spotter. To Use: Set the safety stops at the appropriate height for you and the exercise; load bar with appropriate weight; lift and rotate bar to release catch; perform exercise; return bar to original position, rotating bar to re-engage catch. Please alternate sides when loading and unloading bar. When finished, unload bar and re-rack weight plates. Bar alone is counterbalanced to provide 15 pounds of resistance; you can add plates for up to 450 pounds. ROWER Benefits: Replacing our prior leaky rower, the new rowing machine offers an intensive aerobic workout with low impact on a user’s joints. Also strengthens upper and lower body. To Use: Securely fasten feet in the stirrups with shins close to a 90-degree angle to the floor. Keep back straight, core engaged, and row in a smooth, fluid motion. Our thanks to LifeFitness, Bill Jankowski and Rob Anderson for their assistance in procuring these items. Try out the new equipment or reboot your workout routine! The Fitness Center is open to Members seven days a week, from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
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BUNKER to BUNKER Dear Cattail Creek Members,
Merchandiser, Charlie Bryant, for a quote on corporate gifts, apparel and embroidery services.
The warm weather has arrived, and the golf season is under way! I would like to take this opportunity to update the Membership on Also, with the help of our Trackman launch monitor we can provide the changes to our Professional Staff and highlight the offering you an unforgettable club fitting experience. We carry all the major from our Golf Professional Shop. club brands like TaylorMade, Callaway, Titleist, Ping, Mizuno, PXG and XXIO. Please feel free to reach out to any member of the Professional Nick Confer, PGA, is one of our new Assistant Golf Professionals and Staff to arrange your personal fitting today! he is joining us from Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania. He recently moved to the Baltimore area and will be highly involved in UPCOMING EVENTS AND TOURNAMENTS all aspects of the golf operation. Tuesday, 4/14 Michael Thomas is our other new Assistant Golf Professional and he Men’s & Women’s Founders Cup is a Frederick, MD native. He has spent the last several golf seasons Men’s & Women’s Individual Match Registration Deadline down in Myrtle Beach, SC at Pawley’s Plantation. He is very excited to be at Cattail Creek and move back to his home state of Maryland. Tuesday, 4/16 Women’s Opening Day Charlene Bryant is our new Golf Shop Merchandiser and she goes by her nickname “Charlie.” She was born and raised in Annapolis, MD Tuesday, 4/23 and this will be her first experience working in the golf industry. In Men’s Spring Evening League Begins her own words she has always had a passion for fashion, so she is very eager to begin this new chapter of her career! Saturday, 4/27 Men’s Opening Day The Golf Professional Shop is always committed to providing the best quality merchandise at the most affordable prices to our Members Thursday, 5/2 - Saturday, 5/4 and their guests. In addition to an excellent in-stock selection of Men’s Hialeah Tournament apparel, equipment and accessories, we are always happy to place a special order for you from any of the companies we have an account Thank you again for all the continued support of the Golf Professional with. Please visit our Online Special-Order page on the golf portion Staff and Shop. We all look forward to seeing you around the Club of the website or email Charlie at charlie.b@cattailcreekcc.com. soon! One of the many great benefits of our club’s Mill River Plan is for Warm Regards, Corporate Ordering. We can embroider your company’s logo on just about anything, from apparel to Yeti Ramblers, and save you and your company money at the same time. Please allow us the opportunity to earn your corporate business. Please contact our
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Daniel Bengston, Head Golf Professional
The Green Report It is an absolute honor to have taken the reins as Golf Course Superintendent from my friend and colleague, Chris Harriman. I share the congrats sent his way as he carries his expertise down South. As I wrap up my first week here at the beautiful Cattail Creek Country Club, I have been humbled by the incredibly warm reception received from our Membership and am thrilled to be a part of such a strong team of staff. The Howard County area holds a special place for our family, as my wife grew up here, and it feels great to begin to put roots down here at Cattail Creek Country Club. I would like to formally thank the Search Committee, the Board of Directors and Bill Jankowski for making the interview experience thought-provoking and engaging. It was clear from our first meeting just how passionate and supportive you would all be to whomever was selected for the position. The success of our Green department would not be possible without our current staff of hardworking and committed team members. Matt Harvey and the team have maintained the pace throughout the last few weeks, and I am grateful for the solid foundation they have set. With growing season underway and Opening Day approaching, the Green department team has been hard at work wrapping up many of the winter improvement projects. The bulk of the initiatives focused on providing solutions to ensure uniformity in the playing surfaces and present conditioning that would deliver a consistent shot-making experience. In the area of tree management, you will find more sunlight and air movement on holes 6 and 11, which will
FROM KIRK WARBURTON GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT
directly increase the health of the turfgrass. Next, the investment of tall fescue sod on select green surrounds and landing areas near fairways will provide more reliable turfgrass species throughout the year. Last but not least, the first phase of bunker liner and new sand installation on the front 9 green side bunkers has been successfully completed. You’ll see noticeable improvement post heavy rain events, as the bunkers will drain much faster and washouts will not be as severe. We have completed our Spring aerification (April 8-10) and as you read this, the greens will be in the healing stage. Thank you for your patience and understanding. If the warm weather is on our side this month, the healing phase will be dramatically shortened. Beyond that, our team will be addressing areas of focus to sharpen the Course aesthetics through detail and definition. I absolutely live and breathe for being out on the Course and talking plant science and truly share your passion for the game of golf. To that end, my door is always open for discussion on your input and feedback. Communication between the Green department and Membership is crucial, and you will be able to continue to follow updates and progress reports through the same blog as always. Again, please feel free to reach out anytime. I look forward to warm days ahead and seeing our Membership and their families enjoying the game out there!
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ONE UP, ONE BACK, TWO LOSE There are three main ways we can be positioned with our doubles partner in tennis as the point develops. Each one has its own unique advantages and disadvantages. The three main positions are: One up, One back—Two at the Net—Two at the Baseline. 1. One up, One back—This is the strategy that we are all probably most likely to be playing in our USTA matches. The theory is, if one of us is up, and one of us is back, then we have the entire court covered. Although that may seem like the case, it is actually the opposite! When playing this strategy, we open ourselves to several areas of the court that are very difficult to cover. We can get lobbed, passed, dropped short—not to mention the opponents being able to hit the ball in between us and our partner, splitting us. 2. Two at the Net—This is the most aggressive of the three strategies. By playing two at the net, as long as we follow the ball correctly, the only place the opponents can beat us is over our heads! Crashing the net and rushing your opponent willl force the them to come up with a good lob. But what if you play an unbelievable lobber and this aggressive strategy doesn’t work? 3. Two Back—This is a very common strategy that is used predominantly on the return of serve and to disarm a tremendous lobber. Two back gives us one of the most desired things in tennis—TIME. If we feel overpowered or constantly thwarted by a good lobber—hang back at the baseline and defend, defend, defend. Scrap, claw, put balls in play. This will lead to one of two things—your opponent will either eventually miss, or you will earn yourself an easier ball to attack, and THEN follow in to the net. You also may have noticed that one of the most difficult things in tennis is taking pace OFF of the ball. By your only vulnerability being your opponent hitting the ball short, this is often very challenging for an opponent to do. Good luck and see you on the courts! Chris Cozzillio, Director of Tennis
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