Greensboro Country Club January | February 2014
Cover Photo: Aesthetic Images
President’s Message
Garson Rice Club President
While walking through the Club today, a fellow member called out: "Hey Garson, how do you feel being Club President? "
that we have a "great" and "fun" Club in regards to whatever your level of involvement might be with GCC.
"I feel great!" I responded.
And having a fun club doesn't just mean fun parties, but also fun dinners, socials, swimming and special events, fun tennis and fitness programs and yes, even fun and enjoyable golf events along with our serious tournaments.
Well this reminded me of a story President Ronald Reagan once told. It seems a farmer was riding his horse and wagon to town one day when a speeding car hit them head on and knocked them into the ditch.
I encourage all of you to speak up and Later on, when the issue went to trial, the offer to get involved in the committee of your lawyer representing the driver of the car choice. If you don't have the time or desire asked the farmer "Isn't it true that at the to serve on a committee, just let me, our scene of the accident, when an officer of General Manager Steve Matlaga, Inside Vice the law asked how you felt, you replied, and President Pete Davenport or Vice President I quote, 'I feel great!'?" of our outside events, Gail Bernstein know of your ideas or desires for a better Club "Well, yes," replied the farmer. experience. We want to hear from you. Upon redirect, the farmer's own attorney asked him "would you like to explain your rather interesting answer a little further?" To which the farmer replies "Well as I was laying there in the ditch, banged up pretty bad, I saw a deputy sheriff walk over to my poor horse, writhing in agony with two broken legs, put his gun to his ear and how should I say it, put my horse out of his misery. Then the Deputy walked over to Ol' Sam, my dog, who was whining with a broken back and did the same for my best friend Sam.
And as a “membership by invitation only” Club, we need every member to be actively engaged in helping bring in new members who will enjoy all that we have to offer. And next time I see any of you at GCC, I hope you can say you re having lots of fun and "feel great!"
Garson Rice "Well then the Deputy immediately walked President over to me and said, "Now old fella', how are you feeling?" As the president of your Club, I represent each and every one of you and your families collectively. I want everyone to truly feel
Membership Message from the Membership Chairman
Membership Committee Meeting Dates
As we plunge into 2014, I want to thank all the members who supported the Club last year by sponsoring or endorsing new applicants. We accepted 31 new members in 2013, as well as welcomed back 15 returning members. We are a stronger, more vibrant Club with the addition of these individuals and families.
The next scheduled Membership Committee meetings will be on Monday, January 20th and Monday, February 17th at 5:15 p.m. If you need an application package or have questions regarding sponsorship please contact Rachel Payne-Morrow, Director of Marketing & Membership Development at r.payne@ greensborocc.org or at 275-8506 Ext. 117.
The short-term and long-term health of our Club is dependent upon both the quality and quantity of our efforts to welcome new members. Our ability to sustain and improve a diverse range of programs, social events, children’s activities, golf, swimming, tennis, fitness and dining are impacted by membership levels. As a “membership by invitation only" Club, we are dependent upon every member to help us identify individuals who will appreciate, enjoy and value all that our Club has to offer. This year, the Membership Committee urges every member of the Club to sponsor just one applicant for membership. It is easier than you might think, and it starts by identifying a friend, a co-worker or neighbor whose company you enjoy. Reach out to them, invite them to come over to the Club as your guest for a drink, a meal, a round of golf, a game of tennis, an adult social event or a children’s party. They cannot experience any of these things without your invitation. But once they do, they will likely want to be part of our community. Please let me, the Membership Committee or Rachel Payne Morrow answer any questions you may have regarding how someone can become a member of the Club or how we can help showcase the club to a prospective member. I look forward to a successful year. Monty Hagler Membership Chair mhagler@rlfcommunications.com
2014 Membership Committee Monty Hagler, Chairman Daniel Craft Kelli Coley Don DeRosa Susan Stafford Kelly Chris Knox Ericka Medlin Ashley Meyer Dr. Prenard Mickens Andrew Nash Libby Ramsey Matthew Rankin Jenny Sar Michelle Sharpe Michelle Price Walker Scott Wyatt
General Manager’s Message
Steve Matlaga, CCM
General Manager/CEO
Happy New Year! Perhaps like many of you I am wondering how 2013 went by so quickly. For me, in my first season here at GCC I am deeply appreciative of all the hard work and effort our Board, Committees and staff put into making 2013 a year of growth and fun. I am extremely proud of the way everyone worked together to make sure we offered new, exciting events and activities in all areas of the Club. Most recently, I hope you had the opportunity to participate in one of the many Holiday events, and created memories that will last forever. I know the staff and I loved seeing all the families and guests with friends gathering at the festively decorated Club to share the spirit of the season. We often talk about our goal being “Big Happy” and we certainly saw a bunch of “Big Smiles” around the Club. From a business perspective we will look back at 2013 as a year where we met and exceeded the majority of our operating and capital project goals. Financially, we were significantly impacted in sports revenues by Mother Nature during our key spring and fall periods. Fortunately, we had a positive year in Membership, experienced incredible growth in Food and Beverage and the whole leadership team managed overall expenses well, to end up the year within 1% of our budget. For 2014 we are focused on continued improvement to your service experiences in every aspect of our operation and we have fun and exciting events scheduled based on your feedback. With the Board’s support, we will continue some capital improvements (such as the recent fire pit area) to enhance your Club experience and provide additional areas around the Club for you to enjoy. One of our key objectives is to always support membership growth and retention. We strive to make you proud of your Club and to trust our service consistency to hopefully encourage
you to bring guests and potential members to GCC. Having a healthy and participative membership is the lifeblood of any great Club so please continue to give me your feedback on how we are doing! I urge you to take a look at the upcoming events as we have a wide variety of fun activities planned for you. With the improvements to the Sunset Terrace and surrounding area we have scheduled live music on Fridays which will be fun. The team has done a great job of coordinating Parents' Night Out events with key Club events like both of the upcoming Valentine's-themed dinners which I assure you will be fabulous. From a communication perspective, there is so much happening at the Club it can be hard to keep up. I urge you to make sure that we have all your email addresses (we can store up to five per family) so we can keep you updated. As you know, we now have a mobile app to access the Club website, and as we add electronic Golf and Tennis tee/ court reservation times this spring it will be important for all your contact information to be current. Thank you all for welcoming me into the GCC family this year. I am humbled and deeply appreciate all of your warm support. On behalf of the whole GCC team, we wish you and your family a Happy and Healthy New Year and hope to see you at the Club very soon.
Steve Matlaga, CCM General Manager/CEO s.matlaga@greensborocc.org
Employee Holiday Fund The staff of GCC would like to express their deep gratitude to the members for their contributions to the Employee Holiday Fund. Thank you for your generosity. We wish you a prosperous and happy New Year!
Events Breakfast with Santa December 7, 2013
Santa said, "A good time was had by all and he'll see you next year!"
Events
Valentine's Day Celebrations Father & Daughter Valentine’s Dinner Dance
Valentine's Day Dinners
6:00 - 9:00 p.m. | Ballroom
6:00 – 10:00 p.m. | Sunset Room Enjoy a la cart Valentine’s Day specials, champagne and music on the Terrace.
Friday, February 7th
Friday, February 14th & Saturday, February 15th
Dads, spend quality time with your daughter at this very special event just for you!
Reservations are required and are limited. Please call the Club’s receptionist at 275-8506.
Chef Greg will offer a dinner buffet with the sounds of DJ Randy Smith and Aesthetic Images Photography will be on hand to capture the moments. Fathers $20 | Daughters $12 Children Under 4 - Our Guest Jacket and Tie Required Reservations are required. Please call the Club’s receptionist at 275-8506. 48-Hour Cancellation Policy in Effect
So You Can Enjoy Your Special Nights Out, Kids Can Attend... Parents' Nights Out "Picture Perfect"
Friday, February 14th 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. | Pavilion
Parents, have a perfect Valentine's Day evening while your children are dressing up for photos, playing minuteto-win-it games, making duct-tape crafts and decorating cupcakes. Sliders, corn dogs and treats will be served. $18 per child | Ages 4 to 11 | Maximum Participants: 30
"Movies & Games"
Saturday, February 15th 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. | Pavilion
The "Photo Booth" will be at this event, in addition to movies, board games & Wii! Sliders, corn dogs and treats will be served. $18 per child | Ages 4 to 11 | Maximum Participants: 30 Registration is required for Youth Activity events. Make reservations online at www.greensborocc.org or call the Club’s receptionist at 275-8506.
Events New Year’s Day Buffet
Oysters & Bloody Marys in January
11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. | Family Grille & 1909 Celebrate the New Year at GCC! Start the New Year off right at our New Year’s Day “Good Luck” Buffet. The menu will feature all of your favorites - please visit the website to view the full menu.
5:30 - 9:30 p.m. Why wait until spring for fresh oysters on the half shell and bloody marys? We will open the Carlisle Bar to the Terrace for this a la carte event serving a variety of fresh shucked-to-order oysters and seafood appetizers and entrees. We will also have our famous GCC Bloody Mary Bar with your favorite fixings. Bring your friends and enjoy live music and a lovely evening.
Wednesday, January 1st
Adults $12.95 | Children $7.50 Reservations are required. Please call the Club’s receptionist at 275-8506.
Friday, January 24th
Reservations are required. Please call the Club’s receptionist at 275-8506.
Jack Frost Bingo
Friday, January 10th
Dinner: 6:00 p.m. | Bingo: 7:00 p.m. | Ballroom Bundle up and enjoy a night of warm fun with your GCC friends and family. Spend a winter evening enjoying rounds of bingo, a healthy buffet dinner, winter raffle, face painting, and a visit from Jack Frost! Adults $13 | Children $8 | Children (Under 4) Our Guest Bingo Only $5 Reservations are required. Please call the Club’s receptionist at 275-8506.
Terra d’Oro Wine Dinner Tuesday, January 21st
6:30 - 9:30 p.m. | Irving Room Join us for our first wine dinner of the new year, featuring Terra d'Oro wines. Chef Greg John and his culinary team will carefully create courses to complement each wine selection. $75 per person Reservations are required. Please call the Club’s receptionist at 275-8506.
Parents' Night Out "Pajama-Rama" Friday, January 24th
6:00 - 9:00 p.m. | Pavilion Get into your P.J.'s, bring your blanket and pillow and get ready for some "Pajama-Rama" fun. Activities include fort building, slumber-party games and more. Enjoy pizza, popcorn, cookies and s'mores. $18 per child | Ages 4 to 11 | Maximum Participants: 30 Registration is required for Youth Activity events. Make reservations online at www.greensborocc.org or call the Club’s receptionist at 275-8506.
Save the Date
Signorello Wine Dinner Wednesday, February 5th More information to come.
Events Turkey Shoot November 23, 2013
Gobbles & Games November 27, 2013
Gingerbread House Event
December 11, 2013
Dining Notes from the Kitchen Happy New Year and thank you for making the holiday season so memorable. We have had some wonderful events the past two months including our annual Holiday Gala with more than 500 attendees, an extremely successful "Breakfast with Santa" with over 450 parents and children, families decorating over 100 gingerbread houses, and many other fantastic happenings. The culinary team is excited about what is on the horizon this new year. We will have new offerings in the Sunset Room once we install our new equipment on our hot line. In addition, we should have our new steak house section up and running by the middle of January. I will keep you all updated through our weekly emails. We have some exciting wine dinners planned over the next two months. The first is on January 21st and features the Terra d’Oro Winery. Our February 5th wine dinner features Signorella Vineyards. Come to the Club to make memories together with your friends; these are smaller events that feature an extraordinary opportunity to try many new wines paired with foods designed to highlight each varietal. Useless Food Information I love this type of information, and I thought some of you may also like to know what goes into an event at the Club. So, I thought Thanksgiving would give you an idea of the amount of food and preparation that is associated with serving 453 people on one day: Over 350 lbs. of Turkey, 120 lbs. Prime Rib, 45 lbs. of Ham, 70 lbs. of Shrimp Cocktail, 60 lbs. of Scottish Salmon and that’s just the protein. Next up - three cases of fresh sugar snap peas, two cases of baby carrots, 50 lbs. of rutabaga, 25 lbs. of golden beets, 20 lbs. of turnips, 100 lbs. of sweet potatoes, 150 lbs. of Idaho potatoes, two cases of fresh corn for pudding, 50 lbs. of Cape Cod cranberries, five cases of lettuce, four gallons of salad dressing, 600 devilled eggs, six cases of assorted fresh cut
fruit, and over 30 lbs. of baked brie. On top of all this we served 800 lbs. of turkeys to-go and over 100 pies and cakes for members' celebrations at home. Those are just a few fun food facts that may make you realize it’s never too late to book a personnel training session with your favorite GCC team member. I want to thank you for your continued support of our Club. We have a lot of great activities planned for all ages as we push on into the New Year. Cheers! Chef Gregory John, CEC
Farm Winter Operations
Offerings at The Farm have been slightly modified during the off-season. The Halfway House will be closed and this service will be provided in the Clubhouse. The soup, salad and sandwich bar will be offered Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with hot dogs and snacks available as well as the full bar. We will have the Thursday night buffet as usual and hope to see you there. Friday, Saturday and Sunday will offer the a la carte lunch menu from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with the bar open until 6:00 p.m. offering hot dogs and snacks. In addition, we will be offering one "Super Sunday Brunch" per month for your enjoyment. The first one is January 12th.
Live Music Fridays
Things are starting to heat at GCC, coming in January and February we will be featuring Live Music Friday nights from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. on the Sunset Terrace: January 2014 January 3rd January 10th January 17th January 24th January 31st
Benjy Johnson Jessica Mashburn Currie Wayne Clayton Benjy Johnson Jessica Mashburn
February 2014 February 7th February 14th February 21st February 28th
Jessica Mashburn Jazz Trio Clay Howard Benjy Johnson
Fitness News
Upcoming Events
Who Doesn’t Want All Things “BETTER”?
Fall Prevention Clinic
Join the GCC Fitness Team on Saturday, January 18th from 8:00 to 10:30 a.m. as we introduce you to all things BETTER! We will introduce a new line of classes, clinics, seminars, assessments and more to make all things BETTER for a more healthy you! What Can We Do? • Improve your golf or tennis game • Assist you with weight loss • Increase flexibility in athletic or aging joints • Boost your energy • Enhance overall wellness • Educate you on the latest research in health and wellness for 2014 Please call the Fitness Center at 691-5825 to register no later than Wednesday, January 15th.
Group Exercise Classes
In keeping with our 2014 goal to make things BETTER, we are revising our group exercise program starting February 1, 2014. We have increased our variety of low-impact type classes as members have requested, and we will be adding more Pilates classes, Gentle Stretch and Vinyasa Yoga. Additionally, we have simplified the fee for the group exercise program. Instead of a single pass or a double pass, there will be one cost to participate in any group exercise class of your choice. Now is the time to try something new!
Friday, February 7th 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Pavillion Are you experiencing difficulty keeping your balance? Do you have a fear that you may have a fall? Each year in the United States, nearly one-third of older adults experience a fall. For people 65 and older, falls are a major threat to their health and independence. Seminar by Lynne Davis Includes: • A personal Strength and Balance Assessment prior to your seminar date as well an eight week followup evaluation. • Educational Topics • Risk Factors for Falls • Demonstration of Balance, Mobility and Strength Exercises • Strategies to Reduce Your Risk of Falling Contact GCC Fitness Center at 691-5825 to register.
Relax & Rejuvenate
Thursday, February 27th | 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Whew! You made it through the holidays taking care of everyone else, and now it’s time to take care of you! Register for GCC’s Relax and Rejuvenate event and let the relaxing, re-energizing and fun with friends begin. During this revitalizing ladies' event you will experience dance, yoga, Pilates, Barre and chair massages along with wine and treats for a fantastic night created just for you. Please call the Fitness Center at 691-5825 to register no later than Monday, February 24th.
Tennis Winter Tennis Programs 2014 Clinics Begin Monday, January 6th
Women's Clinic
The Women’s Clinic will be geared towards staying fit and keeping your game sharp. Technique, fitness and strategy will be the focus each week with progress stages of lesson plans. We will work on all the shots of the game to help you better prepare for your outdoor competitive season.
Junior Program
Our Junior Program is geared to technique and competitive strategy to help our junior’s progress as a competitive or potential competitive player. We will make it fun while our juniors are still learning. We will offer a full compliment of junior lesson programs for all ages from the beginner to the high-performance competitive player. Come join us in the action! Adult Clinics Division I Division II Division III Division IV Cardio Tennis
Wednesday Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday
12:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m.
Junior Clinics Future Stars Ages 4-6 Monday
4:00 - 4:45 p.m.
Quickstart 8 & Under
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday
Junior Team Tennis 10 & Under Monday &/or Wednesday 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. 12 & Under Tuesday &/or Thursday 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. 16 & Under Tuesday &/or Thursday 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Ladies Gate City Tennis
The GCC Tennis staff would like to get a head start on the 2014 Ladies Gate City Spring Season. We are encouraging all members who have not played Gate City for GCC to participate this season. If you are interested, give the Tennis Pro Shop a call and we will place you on the appropriate team. This will give the us a better estimate of how many players GCC will have for the spring season.
A New Year!
As we move forward to 2014, we will take the success of 2013 and build on it with more events and activities. We will offer events for adults and juniors that will be fun and competitive. We are looking forward to an exciting Year of events and activities which will give our members many opportunities to be part of the Tennis Program. The following is an overview of our program.
Adult Activities
Men’s Interclub Men’s Warrior Workout Women’s Gate City League Women’s New Player League
Men’s Night Women’s Night Cardio Tennis
Junior Activities
Junior Doubles Tournament Junior Challenge Ladder USTA Junior Team Tennis (Play for State Championships) High Performance Junior Programs
Save the Date
Valentine’s Day Social St. Patrick’s Day Social Spring Kickoff Social
February 7th March 14th April 24th
Valentine’s Day Tennis Social Friday, February 7th
7:00 - 9:00 p.m. | Farm Join us for a fun filled evening of tennis, entertainment, food and drinks! $35 per couple
Sign up on the Club's website www.greensborocc.org or call the Tennis Pro Shop at 275-8162
Golf Tournament Results
Upcoming Events
Green Hot in Chairman’s Cup
Mark Your Calendar
With the sound play of Kevin Green as a partner on every two-man team in the Chairman’s Cup, all eyes were on his scorecard at the end of the round. In the best onescore-of-three format, the teams could use the Chairman’s scores for their better-ball total. With a little stutter early in the round, Chairman Green turned on the charge validating his earlier victory as Senior Club Champion. A strong set of important pars in the middle were followed by a four-birdie finish on holes 14, 15, 16 and 18. Much elation was exhibited by the two-man teams when they finished their round and recorded Green’s scores to mesh with theirs. In the net competition, Gene Grubb and Cabell Poindexter combined with Kevin Green for a mind blowing thirteen under par 59 with Gene Grubb producing an even par 72 on his own ball. Their impressive score was two strokes ahead of Charles Broadway and Glenn Davis who were tied for second with Daniel Craft and Holt Gwyn at 61. Green assisted the Broadway/Davis by two strokes on the 18th with his birdie finish. One shot arrears were Willie Bullock and Dean Norman at 62 for fourth place. Gross winners were Ryan Gioffre and Jay Kirkpatrick with eight under par 64 aided by a par from Green on the 16th and his birdie barrage. Following by a mere stroke was the team of Bob Hudson and James Mitchell who fashioned a second place 65.
Mixed Team Champions
Congratulations to our 2013 Champions recently crowned Mixed Team winners. Playing the Irving Park to under par perfection, Libby and Gene Grubb grasped the champions trophy with a one under par 70 in the gross division. In the net division, Cynthia and Eric Neijstrom were in a three-way tie for first place at six under par 65 along with Dot and Jimmy Powell and Nancy and Steve Joyce. A playoff was conducted and the Neijstroms were the triumphant team.
The Golf Committee has set the dates for the 2014 event calendar. You may get the full schedule of ladies' and men’s events on the GCC website with full details of the activities and formats. Here are a few of the major event dates for this year: March 26th 29th April 1st 8th May 3rd - 4th 15th - 17th 20th - 21st June 7th - 8th 14th July 26th - 27th 31st August 1st 22nd - 23rd 22nd - 24th September 4th October 3rd
Ladies' Opening Reception Men’s Breakfast Tournament Ladies' Opening Day Ladies' Fore Fun Men’s Match Play Club Championship Men’s Member-Guest Ladies' Member-Guest Senior Club Championship Father-Child Championship President’s Cup Junior Club Championship Junior Club Championship Ladies' Club Championship Men’s Club Championship Folds of Honor GCC Pro-Am
New Details for the Four-Ball Match Play Championship
Don’t forget to sign up early for the Men’s Four-Ball Match Play. The event last year was with a full field and a short wait list, so be sure you get your spot. New! The match time periods have been expanded so each match will have one month for the players to complete their play against the opposing team. This should provide ample time for each stage of the brackets to be finished on time. Full details on the schedule are on the GCC website. The entry fee is $25 for each player. It is a double elimination event. The winners of the main bracket will have their names on the champions board in the Irving Park Clubhouse. You may register in either Golf Pro Shop.
Golf Golf News GCC's Best Golf Value
Turkey Day Junior Grinder November 27, 2013
Whether you are a practice tee grinder or one who just likes to warm up the golf muscles before a round of golf, the Range Club is a bargain that is difficult to pass up. If you were to average hitting only two pails of practice balls per week for the season from April 1st to October 31st, that would be a cost of $325. The Range Club is only $205 for a single member and $280 for a couple. Being a Range Club member provides the opportunity to practice a wide variety of shots from short game pitches through the bag to the driver without the per pail charge. It is the perfect way to enjoy our fine practice area maintaining and improving your golf game. If you are not a Range Club member, let us know in the Golf Pro Shop so you can take advantage of this member program.
For Safety’s Sake
Please remember our safety regulations regarding riding on golf carts during play on the course. Members are not permitted to ride on the back of carts during a round. The Board determined not only is this an increased liability and is at variance to the restrictions in effect for the Club, it is contrary to the recommendations from the Club Car manufacturer. There have been instances where persons have fallen off a cart while attempting this and were injured, sometimes seriously.
Golf Course Winter Hours
Monday, January 6, 2014 through February 2014
The Irving Park Course and Golf Pro Shop will be CLOSED ON MONDAYS. The Farm course and practice areas will be OPEN ALL DAY (weather permitting) on those Mondays. The Farm course will be closed March 3rd & 4th for aerification. The practice areas will open at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, March 3rd and 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 4th (weather permitting). The Golf Pro Shop will be closed Monday, March 3rd and will open at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Our customary schedule will resume March 10th with a “late opening” at the Farm course (11:30 a.m. Golf Pro Shop, 12:00 p.m. practice areas and 12:30 p.m. course. The Irving Park course will again be open all day beginning March 3rd.
The cold and snow could not keep the kids away from the golf course! 15 juniors comprised three teams which competed in driving wind and light snow for the Turkey Day Junior Grinder title. One team played two holes and took a short lunch break in the Family Grille but went back out into the weather and completed their round. These kids are not only true golfers but brave young men.
Holiday Junior Golf Clinic November 29, 2013
Turf Talk 2013 Year in Review At the end of each year I ask my two course superintendents to provide the membership a glimpse into what they experienced and what they felt they were able to achieve over the past year through the hard work and dedication of their staff. Although it is difficult to give a true account of all the things accomplished over the past 365 days, I do think it is important to hear directly from these dedicated individuals who are most responsible for providing the membership with the best possible playing conditions day in and day out.
Farm Course Update
Brooks Turner, Farm Course Superintendent What a challenging year it was, the staff had countless days to give their rain suits a workout! The typical conversation we had this year was as follows, “Well it looks like it is going to rain over the next several days so we need every mower on the course. Also, we are going to work a couple of hours late for the next few days so that we can get as much done as we can.” This seemed to be the standard mode of action every week until it was time to start our drainage projects. Then our strategy change very slightly, “Well it looks like it is going to rain a couple of days later in the week so, get every mower on the course. Then we will start a drainage project and tell the staff we will stay until that project is done, so count on leaving around 5:30 p.m. that day.” This became akin to the movie "Groundhog Day"!
New Drainage #11
Finally, the rainy days subsided in September, just in time for the best time of year to play golf in the Piedmont. With the nice weather everyone seemed to enjoy playing this past fall. The greens were in superb condition during that time of the year and the staff tried their best to battle the falling leaves. Next year we are looking forward to adding more drainage throughout the course, continue fine tuning the sand traps and hopefully tackle a few small landscape projects. In the space I have left, I would like to thank the staff for their hard work last year by seeing those projects through to fruition.
Fine-Tuning Sand Traps
Irving Park Course Update
Wes Proctor, Irving Park Course Superintendent We had a great 2013 at Irving Park. The surplus of rain made it very difficult at times to complete tasks, but fortunately we were spared the high temperatures that we often see. High temperatures and high soil moisture can make Bentgrass very difficult to manage during the summer. With the lower than normal temperatures, However, with all the hurdles that the greens at Irving Park performed very well and were Mother Nature threw our way healthy all year. The higher than normal rain amounts this year, we are very pleased also brought to light many drainage issues throughout with the progress that we made the golf course. Dealing with the drainage issues was concerning drainage this year. a very high priority on the recent membership survey We added almost one-half mile and as such will be thoroughly studied in 2014. of drainage to the course, which had an immediate impact on Once spring arrived, we started our long list of turf conditions and playability. projects and additions to the course. One of the biggest additions was the brick pads for the new range mats.
Turf Talk
The brick pavers were an attractive substitute for the retaining wall and slate tile to the patio surface. The concrete pads that were discussed several years ago. patio consists of three fire pits, chairs, tables, a love The greatly improved range mats completed the project seat and a sofa. with better playability and much improved aesthetics.
Installation of New Range Mats & Pavers Next on the list was to renovate the stone walk paths at both ends of the bridge on #13. This had become a safety issue for anyone using the bridge. The stones were removed and replaced with brick pavers. We took this opportunity to improve the landscaping on both ends of the bridge as well. We incorporated new plant materials and additional sod to create a simple but more attractive look.
New Stone Walk Paths - Bridge #13 Most recently, with help from the House Maintenance staff we installed a new patio area near the putting green. We started by removing most of the holly shrubs at the existing patio border. Next, we installed the
We hope you enjoy the many changes and additions we made in 2013, and we hope to can accomplish even more in 2014.
Douglas Lowe, CGCS Director of Golf Course and Grounds Maintenance
Ladies Golf Association Golf News 2014 Golf Calendar
The majority of the Club’s golf events calendar is complete and is available on the Club’s website. If you know of any major potential schedule conflicts, please contact Mary Thomas as soon as possible so the schedule may be reconsidered. Your support and input are vital to our success.
Mark Your Calendars
Ladies' Golf Association Cocktail Reception & Information Night Tuesday, March 25th | 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Irving Park Ladies' Opening Days 18 Holers Tuesday, April 1st at the Farm Fore Fun (9 Holers) Monday, April 8th at Irving Park
2014 Ladies Golf Association Leadership
A very grateful thank you to Kris Flynt and Sonya Marino for their time and service to women’s golf and the Golf Committee at GCC in 2013. With Sonya Marino’s relocation to Chicago for much of the coming year, Kris Flynt has graciously agreed to serve another year as the LGA President. Becky Campbell will support her as Vice President. The LGA wishes to thank Sherry Marus for her spirited and continued leadership of Monday’s Fore Fun group as well. Please direct your suggestions for the LGA or GCC in general to these ladies for the new term of 2014 service. Other representatives include: Piedmont - BJ Williams and GWIGA - Becky Campbell.
Ladies' Opening Breakfast & Captain’s Choice Tuesday, April 22nd at Irving Park
2013 Annual Awards
Congratulations to first-year Club member Karen DeRosa who was awarded the “Most Improved Award” in the 18-hole division with improvement in handicap by three strokes over the April to November season. Candace Cummings must be enjoying retirement as well, with a two stroke reduction accompanied by Sharon Hicks and Suzanne Rhodes. Kelly McKee has caught the golf bug and won the 9 hole division honors with a four-stroke decrease. The Twilight golf group leader, Anne Fox lowered by two as well. Well done ladies! Work hard in 2014 and see your name in lights next year!
Ladies Jingle Bell Tournament & Brunch December 10, 2013
Upcoming Events Lunch with the Pro
Thursday, January 9th
12:00 p.m. | Irving Park - 1909
Join our Farm Head Golf Professional, Mary Thomas for “rules of golf” review and membersign lunch in 1909. Bring your rules questions and your appetite.
Ringer Book Winners
The Ringer Book is a record of rounds of golf played by our ladies which represents the best score on each hole over the whole season. It is a fun way to see how great you could score if you did your best on every hole. This year’s winners each scored 75; Carol Boles at Irving Park and Becky Campbell at the Farm course. Other notables: Kris Flynt was one higher with 76 at the Farm with Deb Staton with 79 at Irving Park.
Wine and Wisdom
Thursday, February 27th
5:30 p.m. | Irving Park Sunset Bar
Join Mary Thomas for a glass of wine and some rules of golf wisdom. Bring your questions and enjoy some time with your professional. Make reservations online at www.greensborocc.org or call the Farm Golf Shop.
Aquatics Blue Dolphin Swim Clinic
Looking Forward
Our competitive Swim Clinic provides both beginning and veteran swim team participants the opportunity to learn and improve their swimming skills in a fun and safe environment. Our instructors will motivate and encourage all swimmers to feel comfortable in the water as well as gain self-confidence in their swim ability through age-specific drills, games and exercises.
What is Swim Team?
Sessions for beginning swimmers will focus on the fundamentals of breathing, freestyle and backstroke; while the advanced group will focus on specific stroke techniques and racing skills, including starts, turns and finishes in all competitive strokes. Within both sessions, swimmers will be divided according to skill level into smaller groups with an instructor.
Dates and Location
• Tuesdays and Thursdays, March 11th – May 15th • Clinic will be held at The Club at the Oak Branch (21 Oak Branch Dr, Greensboro, NC 27407), off West Wendover Avenue.
Beginners
• Ages 5 through 12 with no previous swim team experience or less than one year of swim team experience. • Focus on breathing technique, fundamentals of freestyle and backstroke, body position, kick technique, diving and streamline, and group swim expectations. • Time: 4:30 - 5:15 p.m.
The GCC Blue Dolphin swim team is a competitive swim program open to all members ages 5 to 18 who are interested in racing across the pool. The Blue Dolphin swim team is one of twenty three teams that make up the Greensboro Community Swim Association (CSA). Our swimmers compete in six age groups, male and female, and race in five consecutive dual meets beginning on June 10th and culminating with the annual City Meet Swimming Championship, July 10th - 12th.
Coming up for the Blue Dolphins this Season
We will focus on swimmers reaching personal goals, gaining self-confidence, and practicing positive sportsmanship while having fun with their friends and coaches. • Blue Dolphin Incentive Program - This program highlights our swimmers’ hard work and accomplishments by awarding points for their practice attendance, best time improvements, and much more. • Big Dolphin/Little Dolphin Mentor Program - Younger swimmers will work with older swimmers to support one another through this mentor program. • Monday Morning News - This publication will be emailed weekly to Blue Dolphins, announcing upcoming events and highlighting team and individual achievements.
Advanced
• Ages seven and up - veteran swimmers and swimmers with at least one year of previous swim team experience • Focus on developing competitive racing skills; stroke development in all four swim strokes (freestyle, backstroke, breast stroke, butterfly), racing starts, turns and finishes and breath control. • Time: 5:15 - 6:00 p.m. Sign up for clinic online or by calling the Club receptionist at 275-8506.
Thank You!
HATS OFF to Michelle Sharpe and Heather Suire for hosting a yard sale for the Blue Dolphin Swim Team's "Swim for Cancer," raising over $600 that will be donated to the American Cancer Society.
Around the Club Holiday Gala December 14, 2013
Around the Club Holiday Gala December 14, 2013
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID GREENSBORO, NC PERMIT NO. 499
Greensboro Country Club 410 Sunset Drive Greensboro, NC 27408
2014 Board of Directors President Inside Vice President Outside Vice President Treasurer Assistant Treasurer Secretary Assistant Secretary Membership Chair Director Director Director Director Director Director Director
Garson L. Rice Jr. Preston E. Davenport Jr. Gail Bernstein Edward A. LeBlanc Jason Bohrer Thomas C. Watkins A. Holt Gwyn Monty D. Hagler Everette E. Mills III Jeff Beach Daniel C. Craft Kathryn L. Gesse Susan Stafford Kelly James Kirkpatrick III James M. Morgan III
Club Directory Phone Directory
Farm Clubhouse Farm Golf Pro Shop Farm Pool Farm Snack Bar Farm Tennis Pro Shop Fitness Center Irving Park Clubhouse Irving Park Golf Pro Shop Irving Park Pool Irving Park Tennis Pro Shop
Steve Matlaga, CCM - General Manager Melissa Clark - Director of Club Operations J. Scott Harmon - Catering Sales Director Bill Stone, CPA - CFO/Controller Rachel Payne Morrow, CMP - Marketing & Membership Brittany Mitchell - Executive Assistant Greg John, CEC - Executive Chef Matt Darnall - Farm Clubhouse Manager Doug Lowe, CGCS - Golf Course Superintendent Jim Deaton, PGA - Director of Golf Mary Thomas, PGA - Farm Head Golf Professional Adam Boehm, PGA - IP Head Golf Professional Tom Cascarano, USPTA - Director of Tennis Lori Lennon - Director of Fitness John Olinick - Purchasing Director Earl Waddell - Facilities Manager Lindsay Pegg - Aquatics & Youth Activities Director
(336) 288-3415 (336) 288-4461 (336) 288-9242 (336) 288-5607 (336) 288-7801 (336) 691-5825 (336) 275-8506 (336) 272-4364 (336) 691-5811 (336) 275-8162 s.matlaga@greensborocc.org m.clark@greensborocc.org s.harmon@greensborocc.org b.stone@greensborocc.org r.payne@greensborocc.org b.mitchell@greensborocc.org g.john@greensborocc.org m.darnall@greensborocc.org dmj1211@aol.com j.deaton@greensborocc.org m.thomas@greensborocc.org a.boehm@greensborocc.org gcctennis@greensborocc.org l.lennon@greensborocc.org j.olinick@greensborocc.org e.waddell@greensborocc.org l.pegg@greensborocc.org
Food Service Hours of Operation Sunset Room Reservations Recommended - Dressy Casual Dinner: Tuesday - Thursday: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Friday-Saturday: 6:00 - 9:30 p.m. Sunset Bar Tuesday - Thursday: 2:00 -10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday: 2:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Family Grille No Reservations - Casual Attire & Daily Specials Bar Service Available Family Grille Manager: April Newman Breakfast: Friday - Sunday: 7:30 - 10:30 a.m. Sunday Brunch: 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Lunch: Tuesday - Sunday: 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Dinner: Tuesday - Sunday: 5:30 - 9:00 p.m. 1909 Reservations Recommended - Casual Attire Lunch: Tuesday - Sunday: 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Dinner: Tuesday - Sunday: 5:30 - 9:00 p.m. Men’s Grille & Bar Tuesday - Sunday: 11:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Farm Clubhouse Reservations Recommended - Casual Attire Farm Clubhouse Manager: Matt Darnall Farm Grille (January) Tuesday - Thursday: 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Soup, Salad & Sandwich Bar Friday - Sunday: 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Full Lunch Menu Bar: Tuesday - Sunday 11:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Thursday Night Buffet: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Sunday Brunch: One Sunday per Month to be Announced