Port Royal December 2023 Around the Clubhouse

D E C E M B E R

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AROUND THE CLUBHOUSE

Newsletter

DECEMBER

2023

AROUND THE CLUBHOUSE

In This Issue Welcome New Members President's Message Fun Around the Club DJ Trivia Night Photos Member Social Photos Golf Report Men's Golf 18 Holes Woman Golf 9 Holers Racquet's Up! Woman on the Street Events Battle of the Paddles Member Holiday Sale Member Holiday Cocktail Party Nightmare Nine Chili Night Robber’s Row Grille Dinner Super Men’s Day Heritage Golf Text Club Happy Hour Menu

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DECEMBER 2023

AROUND THE CLUBHOUSE

Welcome New Members

PLEASE WELCOME OUR NEWEST CLUB MEMBERS: Drew & Julie Setser - Family Sports Terry Frech - Family Racquet Sports Mark Fernald - Single Racquet Sports

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Written by Dave Donnelly A big THANK YOU to this year’s PRPC board and to you, (our members), for making my year as President such a pleasure. I especially want to thank Jon Wormley, past president, for his mentoring and support and Dan Renbarger, Treasurer, for the way he supported all the fun activities while keeping us in the black. Both Jon and Dan will be leaving the board at the end of this year.

Members at the PRPC Annual meeting in November were mesmerized by the speeches and were happy the vote passed – “not to read last year’s minutes.”

Eric Boberg, Sr. V.P. of Operations, Heritage Golf Group, addressed questions from the floor at the annual meeting.

This year we increased golf and racquet sports play, improved the facilities, and thanks to Jim Henington and Chef Curtis, we have added additional stars to our member restaurant rating. Thanks to Linda Gorski, Membership Chair, we’ve become a little more welcoming at social events. Linda is succeeding in what I see as a personal mission to make walking into the clubhouse feel like “coming home!”

Thank YOU for engaging and volunteering for the various golf, racquet, and social activities. From the “course-clean-up” campaign to the volunteers who plan, decorate, host, and clean up for off-site member events- THANK YOU for participating and making our club better this year! As stated in January, this is your club and whether you are full-time or part-time, retired or still working, please let us know how we can enhance your experience at the club.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Written by Dave Donnelly There were many events throughout the year, but this year’s Early Bird Golf Group Friendsgiving dinner showcases our club’s sense of “family” with significantly less drama than we may have in our own family gatherings. I am grateful for our PRPC family and the acts of caring that I witnessed throughout the year.

“Golf is not just a Game; it’s an exercise in Friendship.” – Arnold Palmer

This year’s nominating committee did a great job and with the talent and energy of the 2024 board (listed below, the future looks bright. I am also excited by the participation in the inaugural Wonder Woman’s golf event and the increased participation in Women’s Golf!

Although I did not meet all of you; I met more members this year (new and tenured alike).

Our club’s unique dichotomy of personalities somehow blends like a good bottle of wine.

If you are able, we hope that you come and celebrate with us at the upcoming Holiday Cocktail Party and Holiday Gala. We are always here for you!

On behalf of the PRPC board, we wish each of you good health, happiness, and a memorable 2024!

2024 PRPC BOARD President – Jim Walker Vice President – Guy Suchy Secretary – Kathy McGown Treasurer – Rhonda Heuple Golf Chair – Bud Henry Social Chair – Anne Gerth Racquet Chair – Angelo Verde Membership Chair – Linda Gorski Newsletter – Jim Stauffer Communication Chair – Bill Hazel

FUN AROUND THE CLUB Written by Anne Gerth We kick off December with our annual Holiday Gala on Sunday, December 3. By the time we publish this newsletter, it will be over, however, the holiday festivities continue with the Club’s Annual Holiday Cocktail Party on December 8th at 6 PM. This event will feature appetizers and sweets for $20 pp. Be sure to try the holiday signature cocktail during the evening. Festive attire, please!

RSVP HERE Watch for news of the Holiday Toys for Tots drive in December.

Our first event of the New Year is our annual Chili Night Dinner on Friday night January 12.

Cozy up to an assortment of chili and hang out with your club friends. This year we are including hot dogs so you can make your own chili dog if desired. We will have three kinds of chili for you to sample and feast on including vegetarian, classic beef, and turkey. Our dinner will include Caesar salad, cornbread, and cookies. The cost is $21 preferred dining or $26 member price. 6-8 PM

RSVP HERE Mark your calendar for the ever-popular DJ Trivia Night on Monday, February 19. Can we ever get too much Trivia? Not according to my feedback. Our trivia nights usually sell out, so be sure to register when you see the ad come across the eblast or in the newsletter. Our meal before trivia that night will be an Italian feast. More info will come your way.

November Trivia Winners! Congratulations to the victorious team: Wrong Answer Pictured left to right are: Niki Suchy, Guy Suchy, Tony Ponturo, Wendy Porterfield, Bud Henry, Claudia Aller, and Tim Aller.

Happy Holidays and See you around the club

DJ TRIVIA NIGHT PHOTOS

MEMBER SOCIAL PHOTOS

GOLF REPORT Written by Guy Suchy Greetings… this will be my final report as Golf Chair. Effective January 1st, Bud Henry will step into the position. As my final gesture, let me give thanks to a few folks here at Port Royal who, in my eyes, have made this past year in Golf a success!

For starters, credit for the idea for the Course Clean-Up Campaign has to go to Ron Tucker. Through many rounds together in 2022, Ron kept telling me, if given the chance, what he would do to improve the aesthetics of the courses. In addition to me, Ron must have spoken to a number of other people because on the first day we started the campaign, over 40 people showed up to start work on Robber’s Row Hole No. 1.

We started on a Friday afternoon in January with manual saws and clippers and finished sometime in early Spring with all sorts of power tools making major improvements to the courses. After we finished the campaign, I heard stories of “rogue” groups continuing the work with someone who will not be named using their pick-up truck to remove stumps from the ground!

Thank you to everyone who worked on the campaign and expect an email in early 2024 asking for help again. Vines and tree suckers have grown back over the year and we’ll need to start this work up again in January to stay on top of the regrowth.

For Men’s Golf, I need to thank John Strasburger for a superhuman effort in running the Men’s Golf Committee and Dave Renbarger for serving as “the Commish” for our Spring and Summer Men’s Leagues. Both men worked hard behind the scenes to make sure the golfing experience at Port Royal was nothing less than superb. My hat is off to both of you gentlemen.

Couples golf got a huge boost this year with the Mixed League in May and June. Credit for the idea has to go to Jim Walker, and credit for organizing and running the teams has to go to the six-team captains: Allaire-Lyons’, Aller’s, Gorski’s, Hall’s, Sheahan’s, and Walker’s. Thank you, all, for your efforts here. Do you feel like I do, that this league was the most fun in golf we had this year at Port Royal?

As an additional note, some of you may be aware that the Member Tee Group is moving their sanctioned tee times from Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday to Monday/Wednesday/Saturday. This leaves a big opening on Tuesday’s late morning for play. To fill that opening, the Pro Shop will be organizing a 9-hole Singles / Couples Golf Weekly Play. No competitive game - no organized league, just sign up, show up, and play.

GOLF REPORT Written by Guy Suchy Starting in January 2024, every 9-hole round you play will be converted into an 18-hole equivalent score, so it will be easier to get and maintain a handicap reasonably close to your actual golfing ability. Hallelujah! Expect an email eblast with more information sometime in the near future.

Moving on, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention and thank all the staff at Port Royal for their hard work and effort. I know it’s their job, but they all take pride in their work and all go out of their way to make sure we have the best golfing experience possible. I will give a personal shout-out to Jay Rusch and Mary Grace Tabb as through my serving as Golf Chair, I have gotten to know both of them better this year. I can honestly say they care deeply about all of our members and work very hard to make sure every single person is treated like they are the most important member of the club. Well done!

Lastly, I have to thank the 2023 President of PRPC, Dave Donnelly, for his vision, for his support, and for creating the environment where we can try crazy ideas like a Course CleanUp Campaign or a Mixed League. Many times, Dave stepped in at exactly the right time to provide help, and many times Dave stepped away at exactly the right time to let things run loose. Not sure how he knew what to do and when to do it, but he did it to perfection. We as a group, and I as an individual, bow to you - thank you for all you did for us this year!

That’s it! I’m closing the cover on this book and handing it over to Bud. I thank all of you for allowing me the opportunity to serve you as Golf Chair. See you on the course (or courts!)…

Guy

MEN'S GOLF Written by John Strasburger We held our final Men’s Major of 2023 in November. Seventeen 2-man teams competed in our Two-Man Match Play event. Our Championship flight participants played without handicaps from the white tee markers. The remaining two Net flights played off the lowest handicap in each foursome from our Member tee markers.

Congratulations to Carl Nelson & Ron Tucker for winning their third 2-Man Match Play title in 4 years!

2023 Two-Man Match Play Champions

Ron Tucker & Carl Nelson 2nd place honors: Rick D’Arienzo & Chuck Wibby

Net Flight I Winners Jeff Barbic & Jim Stauffer 2nd place honors: Steve Johnson& John Manfre

Net Flight II Winners Tim Aller & John McMullan 2nd place honors: Bill Doney & John Strasburger

MEN'S GOLF Written by John Strasburger Mary Grace Tabb and the Sports Shop Golf Genius software did a very good job seeding the 3 flights.

The #1 & #2 seeds in each flight were in the finals.

Super Men’s Day – Wednesday 11/29 We had a great turnout of 35 golfers (9 teams) for our Monthly Super Men’s Day. The game was a 2 best net ball shamble on Barony. The winning team with an outstanding score of 122 (-22 to par) was the threesome of Tim (Big Tim) Aller, Jack (It’s a Great Country) Schrader, and Dave (Renbo) Renbarger.

Up Next: Tuesday, December 5th: Men’s Interclub at Moss Creek Monday, December 11th: Men’s Interclub at Sea Pines Thursday, December 14th: Super Men’s Day (note: this is a schedule change, previously scheduled for Monday, Dec 11) Friday, December 15th: Nightmare Nine

18 HOLE WOMAN’S GOLF Written by Linda Gorski INAUGURAL WONDER WOMAN’S DAY A HUGE SUCCESS! Gay Halleman has allowed me to be a “guest writer” this month for her 18 Hole Ladies column to highlight the success of the Inaugural Wonder Woman’s Day that was held at the Port Royal Golf Club on November 8th. All lady golfers who belong to Port Royal Golf Club were invited to play – and the turnout was phenomenal! We had 40 ladies from the 18-holers, 9-holers, and Golfing Gals with a waiting list!

After greetings and instructions from our club pro, Mary Grace Tabb, and the requisite group photo, we teed off on Robbers Row for an 18-hole step-aside scramble. The stars aligned on November 8th with beautiful weather, great golf, and wonderful camaraderie. Following the tournament, Jim Henington and his staff came through with a delicious soup and salad bar lunch and then it was time for awards!

Believe it or not, two teams Tied for the 1st place gross prize!!! Phyllis Wibby, Amy Ray, Carol Duffin, and Joanne Nattrass made up one team and Arlene Jenkinson, Judi Chmielowiec, Cherie Bailey, and Doree Cook comprised the second winning team. The low-net winner in first place was the team of Carroll Lindseth, Chris Hall, Rhonda Heuple, and JoAnn Gibbs. In second place was the team of Heather Nagle, Sue Walker, Joan Hazel, and Mary Beth Strasburger. Closest to the pin winner was Liz Bailey.

The best news about the success of this Wonder Woman’s Day (which is modeled after the monthly Super Men’s Days) is that we will be holding four WWD tournaments in 2024!!! So, Superheroines, watch for announcements for the next Wonder Woman’s Day which will likely be held in February 2024. And, finally, thanks so much to all Port Royal Lady Golfers for your incredible support of this inaugural tournament.

Forty golfers participated in the Inaugural Wonder Woman’s Day!

Event organizers Joan Hazel, Mary Grace Tabb, Linda Gorski.

NINE HOLERS Written by Karen Simpson Welcome to the 9 Holers end-of-year update. This time of year we are all thankful for family, good health, and the blessings that have been bestowed on us.

A very special thank you to Sally Ann and Jon Wormley for a wonderful event at their home on November 15th. We had an amazing assortment of food and over 40 people attended.

On October 26 we had a step aside scramble. Low scores were: 1st place Low Gross: Team Cross, Gorski & Strasburger with a team score of 39 2nd place Low Gross: Team Adamsky, Bailey & Gibbs with a team score of 40 1st place Low Net: Team Wormley, Sheahan & Voehringer with a team score of 26 2nd place Low Net (tie): Team Adamsky, Bailey & Gibbs with a team score of 28 and Team Cross, Gorski & Strasburger with a team score of 28 Rhonda Heuple also had a chip in on Hole #6!

On November 2nd & November 9th, we had our Championship tournament so there are no results to report.

On November 16th it was a great day to be a duck, but unfortunately, our Turkey Championship round was rained out.

We are all looking forward to our End of Year Luncheon on December 7th at Port Royal Golf Club

RACQUET'S UP! Written by Angelo Verde Court Resurfacing Our vendor has begun the tennis court resurfacing process. On most days two courts will be unavailable for play and you may be moved to a different court that signed up for.

Dale is managing this process to keep play moving and we appreciate everyone’s patience.

Soon we will have beautiful playing surfaces that are in “A+” condition.

Racquet End of Year Party and Beach House On November 10th the racquet end-of-year dinner was held. Approximately 40 members joined Dale and I for a BBQ-themed dinner and delicious offerings our members contributed.

We enjoyed BBQ, sides, chili, cornbread, and wonderful desserts. A special thanks to the tennis committee for helping organize, set up, and clean up. We had a good discussion about the recent Member/Guest tournament as well as thoughts on member-sanctioned play, communication, and general maintenance items. Dale was able to give updates on the court resurfacing, the charity event, and other thoughts about 2024 initiatives. We have good feedback on the Member/Guest as well as other items the tennis committee will take up in 2024. A special thanks to Roberta Beaudet for getting the tablecloths and table decorations together again for us!

Battle of the Paddles Charity Round Robin Monday, December 4th.

Once again we will organize a tennis and pickleball round-robin event to donate to a worthy charity on the island. A charity donation entry fee will help support the Boys and Girls Club of the Lowcountry this year. Men are also invited to participate this year. Let’s see who can raise the most money!

RACQUET'S UP! Written by Angelo Verde Tennis Committee Update: All tennis committee members have agreed to sign up for another year and a new member will be joining. Please welcome Bernard Webster to the committee as he joins the current group of Dave Johnson, Bill Burger, Marsha Doney, Luann O’Connell, Penny Osborne, myself, and Dale Brown. Next meeting we will be discussing feedback received at our year-end dinner, as well as updates on the new check-in process for all racquet play in the pro shop, membersanctioned courts, and implementing a tennis ball and container recycle program.

Dale’s Corner Tennis professional Dale Brown’s tips for members to improve play.

Ever wonder why you keep missing those high, floating volleys in the net? It should be easy, right? But ‘easy’ just might be the problem. When we see that easy floater, many times our brain tells our feet to stop moving because it is an ‘easy’ one. That is the time to move even more. The best thing to do with that floater is move more forward towards the ball before you hit it. The further away from the ball you are, the more likely you are to hit it in the net.

Take an extra small step or two forward and watch those floaters get even easier to put away.

Don’t forget to sign yourself and visiting guests up for Dale’s weekly clinics and round-robin play. Check the site and the pro shop for dates and times.

Follow Dale on Instagram and Facebook @tenniswith dale Member Mixed Doubles is Back Every Sunday we will have members mixed doubles social tennis 2-4. Single men and women are welcome and we will try to match people as best we can. If interested contact Kathy Verde at: Kathleen.Verde@icloud.com Remember to warm up properly, stretch, keep hydrated, and stay safe out there.

Above all HAVE FUN OUT THERE!

WOMAN ON THE STREET Cathy Vetrano

1. Where did you grow up?

Newmarket, Ontario, Canada 2. In what year did you move to Hilton Head Island?

I started to come to HHI in November 2015. I joined Port Royal Golf and Racquet Club in November 2021. I am now coming to HHI for four months per year. For the rest of the year, I live in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada.

3. What is your favorite part of the Club?

The people. They are very warm, open, friendly and fun 4. What is your most unusual talent?

I enjoy studying foreign languages, especially French and Italian 5. Who is your favorite athlete and why?

JoannieRochette. A Canadian figure skater who won a bronze medal in the Olympics in Vancouver in 2010, after receiving news of her mother’s unexpected passing.

6. What is your favorite spot in the United States or Canada?

My home in Collingwood, Ontario, and Hilton Head Island.

7. What is your favorite drink?

Rodney Strong Chardonnay 8. What is your favorite restaurant?

LIV RestaurantatWhiteOaksResortinNiagara on the lake, Ontario, Canada 9. What is the title of your autobiography?

“NeverGiveUp” 10. Five minutes of perfect happiness?

Morning coffee with Frank, sitting by the ocean

EVENTS WHAT'S COMING UP IN DECEMBER GOLF

1 Fri Heritage Cares Ugly Sweater Golf Tournament 7 Thurs Ladies 18 Annual Metting & Luncheon 7 Thurs Ladies 9 Annual Metting & Luncheon 14 Thurs Super Men’s Day 15 Fri Nightmare Nine

SOCIAL 1 Fri Luncheon and Bridge 3 Sun Holiday Gala 6 Wed First Wednesday Lunch & Mahjong 6 Wed Member Holiday Sale 8 Fri Member Holiday Cocktail Party RACQUET 4 Mon Battle of the Paddles

DECEMBER 2023

AROUND THE CLUBHOUSE

Battle of the Paddles

DECEMBER 2023

AROUND THE CLUBHOUSE

Member Holiday Sale

DECEMBER 2023

AROUND THE CLUBHOUSE

Member Holiday Cocktail Party

RSVP HERE

DECEMBER 2023

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Nightmare Nine

DECEMBER 2023

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Chili Night

RSVP HERE

DECEMBER 2023

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Robber's Row Grille Dinner

RSVP HERE

Happy Hour Menu