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APPY HOUR | BUBBA WATSON’S DUFF PUTT | DOUBLES CHEMISTRY
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Moms night out Wednesday, September 21 | 6:30 p.m.
Ditch the diaper bags and sippy cups for a relaxing night with the girls. Join other Cattail Ladies for a fun night of painting custom wine glasses. Guests welcome!
$35++ Per Person | Complimentary Appetizers, Drinks By Signature, & Painting Class by Wine:30
LEADERSHIP E X E C U T I V E
C O M M I T T E E
Howard Feldman, President | howard.feldman@cfmktg.com Seth Lee,Vice President | slee@summittalentgroup.com Scott Nicholson, Treasurer | snichlsn@gmail.com Steve Schrenk, Secretary | sschrenk@eqrworld.com Dick Lombardo, Past President | dlombardo@harkinsbuilders.com B O A R D
O F
D I R E C T O R S Jeff Martin Mike Jack Colton O’Donoghue Lurdes Abruscato Sean Battle Mike Malone Scott Segrist Eileen Dietz Ray Ignacio
C O M M I T T E E S Golf - Scott Segrist | ssegrist@apexhomeloans.com Junior Golf - Scott Allen | sallene3@verizon.net Green - Colton O’Donoghue | odonoghueclan@verizon.net Membership - Lurdes Abruscato | lurdesabruscato@aol.com Finance - Scott Nicholson | snichlsn@gmail.com House - Mike Malone | michaelbmalone@gmail.com Tennis - Eileen Dietz | eileendietz@verizon.net Swim Team - Lisa Noss | lap0811@yahoo.com Audit Committee - Ray Ignacio | raymond.ignacio@verizon.net
M A N A G E M E N T Gregory Colombo General Manager greg.colombo@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 231 Kim Kordon Controller kim.kordon@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 232 Chris Harriman Golf Course Superintendent chris@cattailcreekcc.com 410.489.9178 Gabby Forte Membership Director gabby@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 233 Gianna Rico Communications Director gianna.r@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 241 Bob Wampler Head Golf Professional bob@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 222 John Foelber Director of Fitness john@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 249 Alex Justiniani Director of Tennis alex@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 265 Tom Caswell Executive Chef tom.caswell@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 246 Jennifer Turowski Catering Director jennifer@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 234 Samantha Smith Food & Beverage Manager samantha.s@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 396 Rob Anderson Facilities Engineer rob.anderson@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 247 C L U B
P H O N E
N U M 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
Compensation Committee - Seth Lee | slee@summittalentgroup.com CCWGA Chair - Sondra Rappaport | sondrarappaport@verizon.net CCWTA President - Chari Mellner | chariandlee@aol.com
STAY CONNECTED
FACEBOOK cattailcreekcc cattailcreekcountryclub cattailcreektennis
INSTAGRAM cattailcreekcc
SEPTEMBER 2016
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Cat S E P T E M B E R
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Save-The-Date for our ‘Appy Hour’ on Friday, September 23 to launch our new app!
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D E PA R T M E N T S :
5. GENERAL MANAGER NOTES Employee Spotlight Sucess at the AJGA Tournament
6. MEMBERSHIP & CLUBHOUSE Welcome, New Members! A beautiful sunrise looking over our beautiful Course. It’s almost fall, and Chris Harriman wants to tell you what’s happening on your favorite links. Check out the Green Report on page 8.
Towel Amnesty “Appy” Hour Family Night
F E AT U R E S :
6. “APPY” HOUR 11. BUBBA WATSON AND THE DUFF PUTT 15. DOUBLES CHEMISTRY
6. FITNESS Fitness Update
8. GOLF & GREEN The Green Report Bunker to Bunker Bubba Watson’s Duff Putt Ricky’s Tip: The Fairway Bunker Shot
18. TENNIS Is It Time For a Tune-Up? Doubles Chemistry On the Cover: A birds eye view of the #9 fairway overlooking the Clubhouse.
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N O T E S One of the constant challenges of every club is creating a fun and exciting social, golf and tennis calendar that has something for everyone. Occasionally, we create an event that we are really excited about, yet the Member participation is simply not there. We never really know why, but the most common explanations we receive are “it just didn’t fit our schedule” or “what was offered did not interest my family.” We are always looking for new ideas for social events at the Club, so please feel free to reach out with any suggestions. I often get asked by Members how they can help or participate in the Club – the first step is to join a Committee. We are a Memberdriven Club with Member-driven activities; who better than you, the Members, to help give us guidance on the events and programming that interest you and will get you to attend? New Members are a terrific resource for new ideas, and you are in tune with what your fellow Members and peers want to do and what interests they may have. Every demographic has interests in different activities, but you all want the same thing: to
use your Club, meet other Members and have a good time. If you have any interest in joining a Committee, would like to simply attend a Committee Meeting or send me an email with ideas, I welcome any and all suggestions as we begin to plan our calendar for 2017 (hard to believe!). A new feature to the Newsletter that we started a couple of months ago is our ‘Employee Spotlight’ section. This helps you get to know the staff that takes care of the Members each and every day. So far you have gotten to meet Bailey Tabor from the golf staff and Matt Danen from the green staff. This month we are putting the spotlight on someone you may be a little more familiar with, Jessica Curto from the food and beverage staff. These are the folks that make it happen each and every day; thank you to all of the Cattail staff for a terrific season thus far!
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Jess has worked at Cattail in the Food & Beverage department under Jennifer Turowski, Catering Director, for the past 3 years. Most of you probably see her smiling face on the drink cart out on the Golf Course or on the Lower Patio. 1. You’re still in school – what are you studying? I’m studying Nursing with a Minor in Healthcare Management. 2. What is your favorite meal to order at Cattail? Buffalo chicken Caesar salad 3. What’s your favorite meal to make yourself at home? Stuffed southwest peppers
Greg Colombo, CCM General Manager
4. What do you like to do outside of work? I like to hike, shop, and work out!
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL AJGA TOURNAMENT
5. We’ve heard you have a cute pooch – tell us about him. Oakley is the best thing since sliced
For three years we have successfully
bread! He is the sweetest dog who
hosted the AJGA Tournament, hosting
loves to snuggle.
over 100 talented junior golfers from around the world. Thanks to all of our
6. What is your favorite music?
Members who helped make it a success!
Music – I like alternative rock!
The participants appriciate the hard
7. What is your favorite sports team?
work, and each of them wrote a thank you letter (to the left)!
Baltimore Ravens!
SEPTEMBER 2016
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Getting Your Mind Fit!
WELCOME, NEW MEMBERS!
JOHN FOELBER [DIRECTOR OF FITNESS]
This January marks four years for me as your Fitness Director, and one of the key accomplishments during
THE PITSLEY FAMILY Scott, Karen, Jack, Colt & Georgianna
this time has been the expansion of options for group MR. LLOYD STIRMER
fitness. Our fitness center can now accommodate almost any workout style, but we still have limited space, particularly for group fitness activities. Despite this, we have been able to offer a variety of classes.
TOWEL AMNESTY PROJECT:
Since July 2013, we started offering a bi-weekly “bootcamp” style class from 6 to 7a.m. This has been
A friendly reminder to collect all Cattail
a hit, mainly because of Kristi Gorey, our dynamite
Creek towels (pool, tennis, golf) and
instructor.
The success of this class and the strong
Member response led to the addition of five different group fitness classes.
We have two bootcamp style
classes, two mid-morning hybrid classes (currently titled “Get Fit For Summer”)
and one strength and
return them to the Club. We understand that our
towels may inadvertantly
end up at home or in your car; it’s no
conditioning class which is typically held in the Fitness
problem! If you see any around the
Center. We have also offered a Kettlebell class, a youth
house, please bring them to us!
speed and conditioning, and three sport specific classes – “Get your Game in Shape” and “Power Golf Clinic” for golf, and “Cardio Tennis Boot Camp” for tennis. These classes come in and out of our regular cycle depending on demand and the availability of our instructors. Finally, we had a one-evening nutritional cooking class with Sara Cooper and Chef Tom, which we hope to do again this fall or winter. The newest addition to our class lineup is a Saturday Morning Yoga Class. Yoga was the highest requested
SAVE THE DATE: ‘APPY HOUR’ COMING SOON! Our App is here and we can’t wait to share it will you! Join us for our ‘Appy Hour’ on Friday, September 23. Stay tuned for more details!
class on the most recent Club-wide survey, and we are pleased that we are able to make it available. Our first class started Saturday, August 27 and will continue for the next 7 weeks. There are a few benefits to holding these classes on Saturday mornings: 1) It will encourage healthier decisions on Friday night, 2) It allows you maintain your fitness activities through the weekend, and 3) You will still have the rest of your Saturday for your normal weekend activities. I hope that you are able to take advantage of this new group fitness activity.
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FAMILY NIGHT:
Dinosaurs WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 | 5:00 P.M. KID’S BUFFET | 6:30 P.M. SHOWTIME Macaraoni & Cheese | Chicken Tenders | Pigs n Blanket | Cheese Pizza | Applesauce Carrot & Celery Sticks | Fresh Fruit | Ice Cream Novelties | Cookies Open to all ages | $16++ per child SEPTEMBER 2016
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Top Photo: It has been hot but Yukon is surviving Photo Above: Our fans (and the new placement on 13) keep air moving across the turf and temperatures down, keeping the turf alive.
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we were not able to do this consistently or effectively because of a smaller sized pump. Now, not much water Every
summer
in
the
Mid-
overflows and goes downstream on #18, instead it is
Atlantic has its challenges, and
helping keep our irrigation pond full.
this year was no different. This
Our main focus for the fall will be getting the Golf Course
summer was one of the toughest
dialed back in to championship condition like it was in
in recent memory.
We saw
the spring. We have a few spots scattered through the
over 40 days with 90 degree
fairways that will fill back in and then a few areas on
temperatures or higher and that
greens that will cover over as temperatures continue
was accompanied by stifling
to drop.
humidity and moisture levels.
bentgrass that do not enjoy living in dramatic summer
Big
temperatures. Nature is selecting these areas out and
thunderstorms
continued
to slam us in August.
These areas are simply different clones of
The
more superior bentgrass will fill in or be seeded in. The
combined moisture levels and
one cuts around the fairways and the new walkways to
lack of roots thanks to the heat
the fairways are where we have seen the most damage
has left the Golf Course soft and
from summer. These ryegrass surfaces cannot tolerate
susceptible to more ballmarks
hot, humid and moist conditions.
and divots.
special fertilizer or fungicide we apply, the rye in our
We welcome September and
worst environments has given up on life this summer.
some cooler temperatures with
All of these areas will be identified in September and
open arms. Last year we were
seeded with turf type tall fescue. The fescue has a much
battling some dry weather and
better tolerance for heat stress and disease than the rye,
really saw pond levels go down.
so we should have a much more reliable surface next
This, year thanks to only about 2
summer.
inches more rain than last year,
With our larger projects completed for the year in the
the ponds are completely full.
spring, we will be looking at small fine tuning projects
Two reasons for better pond
this fall. We will continue seeding more turf type tall
levels are a revived well pump on
fescue into the roughs and we will be evaluating more
#15 and a new transfer pump in
irrigation improvements. We have a lot of work to do with
the pond on #18. The well on #15
replacing rotting railroad tie steps and a few more stone
gives us close to 50,000 gallons
curbs to replace. More time will be put into the bunkers
of water per day.
To put that
so that we can make the depths more consistent and
into perspective, our average
manage the liner underneath better. Other than that,
watering
is
we are excited to focus on daily conditioning, getting
225,000 gallons so 50,000 more
some divots and ballmarks healed and providing a great
per day is a huge improvement.
playing experience for the fall!
event
at
night
No matter what
The transfer pump that sits in the bottom of 18 pond can transfer over 150,000 gallons
Image to the left: A beautiful summer sunrise gives us the smallest
of water a day. We have been managing the pond on #18 at
glimpse of fall around the corner. We are almost out of the hot
about a foot lower than full pool.
season and couldn’t be more excited!
This allows us to capture water from a storm and then move it to the pond on #9. In the past
JUNE 2016
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BUNKERtoBUNKER hello fall!
The kids are heading back to school, the Ravens and
premiere Men’s Golf event of the season in October, the
Redskins are only a week away from opening up their
Men’s Member-Member. If you haven’t registered yet,
season, and the Orioles and Nationals are right in the
make sure to sign up soon as this event is sure to sell
thick of the pennant race. All of that must mean fall
out. Don’t have a partner? We will do our best to find
is here! The golf course remains in superb condition,
you one! The event is scheduled for Thursday-Saturday,
and we have some exciting events on the horizon.
October 6-8.
Congratulations to the team of Michael Chin and John Jolly for their exciting victory in this year’s Men’s Special, winning on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. Also, congratulations to Cattail’s own Caleb Taylor. Caleb (13) has really blossomed into one of the top junior golfers in the region in his age group, winning multiple Middle Atlantic PGA Section Junior Tour events this summer. We are all proud of you!
apparel selections, and we hope you all will stop by to see us soon. We are currently in the process of finding the right candidate to fill the Golf Shop Merchandiser position, but in the meantime, I’d like to thank Tyler, K.J.,
the transition. Each of them have stepped up and taken on a heavier work load in order to maintain the service
Men’s and Women’s Club Championship,
levels we have worked hard to deliver consistently to our
along with the fall evening Men’s
Members. We will continue to strive to deliver quality
Husband
&
League. about
Wife
Lastly, don’t forget the
Women’s
Member-Member, and our
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We are excited about all of this year’s fall colors and
Championship,
Tournament,
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to cool off, the Professional Shop has changed its look.
Jonathan, Jason, Bailey and David for their help during
Looking ahead, September features the Parent-Child
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As we head into the fall season and the weather begins
merchandise at exceptional prices, with first class service and timely follow-up. Thank you, and we hope to see you on the Golf Course and at the Club soon!
BUBBA WATSON AND THE
DUFF PUTT TYLER CHAPLIN [FIRST ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL]
Golf has not been in the Olympic Games since the 1904. It seems like just about every golf tournament has some questionable or controversial rulings.
This particular
ruling occurred during the Olympics on the 14th green in Rio, involving Bubba Watson. After he lined up his 35 foot birdie putt, he addressed the ball. He made a putting stroke, but as he made his forward swing, it appeared that he tried to stop and accidentally advanced the ball about 5 feet. Bubba claimed that he thought there was a bee or some foreign object on the ball, but he couldn’t stop the putter head before it contacted the ball.
So what is the ruling? 1 stroke penalty and replace ball, no penalty and play as it lies? The answer, in this case, is that there is no penalty because his intention was to make a stroke when he took his stance by the ball. What if he accidentally hit the ball on his practice swing, before addressing the ball? In this case, Bubba would incur a one stroke penalty and would be required to replace the ball as near as possible to its original position. If he fails to replace the ball, he will incur a total penalty of loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play. Please refer to the Penalty Statement under Rule 18. (Rule 18-2a and Decision 182a/20)
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Ricky’s Tip: THE FAIRWAY BUNKER SHOT RICKY SERRANO [DIRECTOR OF GOLF INSTRUCTION]
The fairway bunker shot, where you’re having to cover a long distance, is unlike any other shot from the sand. In many ways it is just like playing a shot from the fairway, only there is even greater emphasis on the necessity to the strike the ball cleanly. You simply cannot afford to let sand come between the clubface and the ball. Your first priority is clearing the front lip of the bunker. Once you have chosen the correct club to do this, then you asses wether or not you can reach the target. If you can’t, then don’t be tempted to try a longer club- just settle for advancing the ball down the fairway. Take your club and choke down on the grip an inch or two. This increases the likelihood of perfect contact, while having the added benefit of shortening your swing and increasing your control. With the ball positioned in the center or slightly back or your stance, commit yourself to making a controlled, three-quarter swing from a solid address position. If your feet are settled securely down into the sand, this will naturally quieten down your leg action and help you make your swing tidy and compact. If you’ve chosen your club wisely, choke down on your club, position the ball in the center and you commit yourself to executing the shot in a controlled fashion, you’ll clip the ball cleanly, with the merest puff of sand though impact. Your back on the move again, having negotiated a hazardous bunker without falling behind in your score.
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CRAB FEAST
on the Lower Patio FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
6:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M.
An awesome event for the whole famiy! Make an evening of drinking beers and picking crabs with your favorite people! We will have ‘kid friendly’ food items for the kiddos that haven’t fallen in love with crabs yet!
all-you can-eat
CRABS! Slow Roasted Potatoes | Corn on the Cob Cornbread | Maryland Crab Soup Watermelon & Arugula Salad | Cookies Peanuts, Cider Vinegar & Old Bay on Tables
$45++ per Adult | $20++ per Child (13 & under) | Children 3 & Under Complimentary | Drinks by signature.
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IS IT TIME FOR A TUNE-UP? Racquets, Strings & More! ALEX JUSTINIANI [DIRECTOR OF TENNIS]
point even if you love your racquet and it would feel
STRINGS!
like betraying your equipment by just looking at other
Power VS. Control & Comfort
options. All racquets, depending on wear and tear, need
If you are looking for more performance on any string,
to be replaced due to the micro fractures (dings and
whether its spin or power, you will most likely fall under
dents) the racquet endures during play. Strings also
a Polyester customer. The string does perform better
need to be replaced but obviously not as often. The
when you add speed and spin, but the downside is the
frequency in which you should restring your racquet
comfort level. A lot of players develop discomfort at
depends on what type of string you use. The following
some point while using this string. One helpful tip would
is a guide to find that perfect array of equipment, and it
be to string it at a lower tension than you are normally
can all be purchased right here at Cattail!
used to.
All racquets and strings must be replaced at some
If you are looking for control or comfort you will most
RACQUETS!
likely use a multifilament string or natural gut. The most
Power VS. Control
expensive string out there. Most multifilament strings
If you are looking for more power in your game, you will need to look into a bigger head size and wider string pattern. The bigger the racquet frame and wider
comfortable string will be natural gut but it is the most will be just as comfortable for a third of the price and will also last longer. For more comfort you can also lower the tension.
the string pattern, the more pop the racquet will give.
A popular choice these days is to get the best of both
This is usually recommended for players with a shorter
worlds and string your racquet with a combination or
and slower swing. These racquets will usually be 100 +
Hybrid. We take the polyester string that provides the
square inches and will weigh between 9.0 – 10.6 ounces.
power and put them on the mains of the racquet and
If you are looking for control, you need to look into smaller head size racquets as well as a denser string pattern. These racquets will usually be between 95 to 100 square inches and will weigh between 10 to 11.5 + ounces. We usually find that manufacturers make a lot of their all-around racquets to fit anyone’s game. These give them control and power all in one, and are usually a 100 square inch racquet that weighs about 10.6 ounces.
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then we take the multifilament string that provides the comfort and put them on the crossed of the racquet. Most players love the feel of this combination, and it’s a great transition from either side of the equation.
DOUBLES CHEMISTRY CHRIS COZZILIO [HEAD TENNIS PROFESSIONAL]
Finding the Right Doubles Partner The combo season is in full swing, the Classic is coming up, and the next USTA season will be here before we know it. All of these leagues and tournaments are an excellent way to compete and have fun. However, there is always one area that can cause some frustration—finding a compatible doubles partner. It is not as easy as it may seem, and requires a good amount of trial and error. Some of you have been lucky enough to come up through the ratings with the same partner—you clicked from the get-go and never looked back. Even in these cases, there are ways to further improve the partnership to enhance and strengthen as a team. Below are the main “deal-breakers” when seeking your USTA soul mate. 1)
On-Court
Personalities:
The
most
common
to say that two like-styled players cannot play well
misconception in my opinion is that one of your best
together. If two people are exceptional baseliners,
friends will automatically translate to one of your best
they can be successful if they use those skills in a way
options as a doubles partner. This can sometimes be
that compliments their partner.
the case, but isn’t always. For instance, Alex Justiniani and I are the closest of friends off the court, but our personalities don’t always mesh well on court. He is more docile, whereas I need to feed off someone else’s intensity. Sure, you should be friendly with your partner. No one wants to play doubles with someone they dislike, but your “on-court” personalities have to blend well to be successful.
3) Communication: This is the key to ANY relationship, right? How well do you communicate between points, after points, on the changeover, etc.
This can be
about anything—talking about strategy, giving your partner an ego boost when they need it, or evaluating your performance as a team after the matches so that you can improve. This is different than “coaching” your partner. I have seen partners get deflated when
2) Game Styles:
There are several different game
their partner says something like, “You need to bend
styles in tennis.
Some people are singles players
your knees.” No one likes feeling like they are being
that have turned doubles players, and therefore have
critiqued or blamed for lost points mid-match by their
strong groundstrokes, but are afraid of the net. Some
partner. On the other hand, you do not want to let
people have a “get me to the net as quickly as possible”
repeated mistakes cost you matches, right? There is
mentality. Everyone is different, but it is important
a way to have both. Say it in a way that puts BOTH
that you play with someone that compliments YOUR
of you in the same position. For example, “Hey, we
style, and vice versa. Bobby and I play well together
are missing a lot in the net.
because he is steady from the baseline and doesn’t
hitting higher of the net.” That comes across as a
make many mistakes, so it enables me to be a little
team effort. Great communication is key to a winning
more aggressive. We even each other out. This is not
doubles team.
Let’s really focus on
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Find Your Zen. SIX WEEK Yoga Classes at cattail Creek 9/10 • 9/17 • 9/24 • 10/1 • 10/8 • 10/15 CAT TALES 2016
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