3 minute read
A MessAge FroM The PresidenT gM
sTeVen sonenreiCh
President As we head into the month of March, things continue to improve at the Club. Our newsletter this month will provide you with updates on several topics of interest to you, our members.
On the renovation front, Origin Construction continues to move forward in several areas. They continue to stay on schedule with the project, particularly AC, Plumbing, Fire Safety, and site work that may not always be visible to you in some areas of the Club. They have been getting the necessary inspections to portions of the work as it is completed so they can move on to next steps on the construction schedule. Most noticeable in the month of February was the opening of the east wall of the clubhouse, closest to the practice putting green, to remove the AC units that service the men’s locker room, ladies locker room and bar/lounge. They then installed three new units, piping and ductwork. This presented some discomfort to these areas for members (and associates) as the Golf Shop and Admin Offices were affected, but necessary in advance of the chiller replacement that is coming up soon. Following that will be the work on the expansion of the Fitness Center and Group Exercise Room. We continue to work on the low voltage plan and installation so they can move ahead with hanging of drywall in the bar/lounge and youth room. We are happy to announce the permit for the new enhanced 19th Hole is out of Zoning and moving through the remaining city approvals.
The condition of our greens has been a widely discussed topic over the past 60 days. As Jimmy Germana has been reporting, the agronomic practices, sunshine and warm weather have all been favorable and the greens are improving. We expect by mid-March that they will be better than 80%. The heavy rain we had in mid-February actually helped our cause as it flushed unwanted salt buildup through the soil and gave the grass and roots fresh water to help absorb the fertilizers that he has been applying. To aid in the recovery of the greens, and overall condition of the course, please take great pride in repairing your ball marks, filling divots and focusing on better driving habits, particularly around the greens and tees.
Membership activity continues to be very positive. While we continue interviewing for a Director, Daniella has been extremely busy fielding inquiries, giving tours and processing new members who are interested in joining the Club. Our membership counts are tracking to budget with many new Preview Members joining the Club. Our conversion rate on these Preview members is very good, but we can all act as ambassadors in being welcoming to all our new members, to assist in their orientation, and to help demonstrate why Deering Bay is such a great club to belong to for years to come. We continue to work on scheduling more member events and activities where we can and still provide them in a COVID safe manner. Car Club, Wine Tasting, Movie Nights, Fitness Power Walks, Garden Plantings and Guest Lectures are just a few of the offerings we have had, with many more to come.
Although too early to report on our February financial results, we can let you know that 2021 started off well for us financially. January’s numbers were aided by increased rounds, continued strong retail sales of merchandise, particularly clubs and bags. Food and Beverage had strong sales as members begin to feel safer returning to the Club or taking advantage of our Curbside offerings. Tennis lessons, as with golf rounds, are well above the norm. Collectively, these factors helped us end our first month slightly ahead of budget. One month does not make a trend, but we forward to similar results in February.
As we have communicated in the past, we continue to ask everyone to still follow our COVID guidelines. Although many of you have been vaccinated, it is not a 100% guarantee. Please continue to wear your masks, practice social distancing, have your temperature taken, use sanitizer and wash hands frequently. This goes a long way in keeping you and others safer and respecting those who are more at risk.
March is such a great month to be in Florida. Take time to enjoy the longer days, great weather, your friends and all the activities our Club at Deering Bay has to offer.
Sincerely,
Steven Sonenreich Peter J. Serena
PeTer serenA General ManaGer
President General Manager