January 2024 Port Royal Around the Clubhouse

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Newsletter

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In This Issue Welcome New Members President's Message New Member Ambassador Program Fun Around the Club Member Holiday Cocktail Party Photos Holiday Gala Photos Golf Report Nightmare Nine Photos Men's Golf 18 Holes Woman Golf 9 Holers Racquet's Up! Man on the Street Events Chili Night Monthly Member Social Trivia Night Heritage Golf Text Club

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AROUND THE CLUBHOUSE

Welcome New Members

PLEASE WELCOME OUR NEWEST CLUB MEMBERS: Ron and Melissa Blandford – Family Golf Tom and Maureen Korzik – Family Golf

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Written by Jim Walker Happy New Year and best wishes for a healthy and happy 2024!

I feel fortunate to be taking over the reins from Dave Donnelly, who was truly an exemplary club President.

Dave, with the help of the 2023 PRPC Board, has left the club in excellent shape going into this year. Hopefully, the fine 2024 Board the club members have put in place will be able to continue their great work!

In 2023, we saw the signing of an updated Agreement between Heritage Golf Group and the Port Royal Plantation Landowners Association. This was the culmination of several years of hard work on the part of many people. The Board believes this is a great stride forward for the club as the 2023 Agreement provides a stable basis for future investment

by Heritage Golf Group and removes many inaccurate/outdated statements and clauses in the previous, 35-year-old 1988 Agreement. Thank you to all those involved in helping realize this important achievement.

Also in 2023, several new golf happenings were introduced, including a very successful, member-driven course cleanup effort, a couple’s league, and a new women’s golf tournament series - quarterly Wonder Women’s Days. I can’t wait to see what 2024 brings!

Rolling off the Board after many years of service are Jon Wormley and Dan Renbarger.

Dan’s efforts as Treasurer have helped keep our club running smoothly and on budget.

Jon’s service in many roles, including President, has been invaluable to the club. Thank you, Jon and Dan! I’d like to introduce the members of our new 2024 board who are volunteering their time and energy to keep the member experience here the best it can be. It’s exciting to work with such an outstanding group of people! The 2024 Board includes Guy Suchy (VP), Kathy McGown (Secretary), Rhonda Heuple (Treasurer), Bud Henry (Golf Chair), Anne Gerth (Social Chair), Angelo Verde (Racquet Chair), Linda Gorski (Membership Chair), Jim Stauffer (Newsletter), and Bill Hazel (Communications).

We are all here to help keep things moving smoothly, as well as try to address those concerns that might arise. Please feel free to reach out to any member of the Board via the email links that can be found on the “Members Resources” page on the “Member Central Port Royal” website.

Finally, on a personal note, when Sue and I came to Port Royal Plantation just over three years ago, the pandemic was raging and public social events were virtually non-existent.

Our decision to join the club at that time has turned out to be one of the best we’ve made.

Even in the face of the havoc that COVID was wreaking in everyone’s lives, it enabled us to become part of a community populated by some of the best people we have ever met.

Although our members come from very different places and backgrounds, there is an overarching willingness (even eagerness) to embrace newcomers like old friends. In addition, seeing the generosity of our members in their support of so many worthy causes has been inspirational. This is truly a special group of people and we are so happy to have been welcomed into it – thank you all!

Again, best wishes in 2024 and I look forward to seeing you all around the club!

NEW MEMBER AMBASSADOR PROGRAM Written by Linda Gorski RENEWING THE PORT ROYAL PLANTATION CLUB’S AMBASSADOR PROGRAM When Rick and I moved to Hilton Head Island in spring 2022 and joined the Port Royal Golf and Racquet Club we were blessed to have TWO sets of ambassadors who welcomed us to the Club. Linda and Jim Stauffer and Dave and Judi Chmielowiec welcomed us to the men’s and ladies’ golf groups and to the social activities offered through the Club. Through their guidance, we immediately felt part of the club and became active sports and social members - and for that, we will be eternally grateful!

Unfortunately, the Ambassadors program has become inactive over the past couple of years but thanks to a proposal by our new Board president, Jim Walker, we are planning to resurrect the program in the New Year. We hope you will join us as Ambassadors to welcome new members to the club.

Being an Ambassador is not hard work!!!! It simply requires sharing your enthusiasm for all our Club has to offer with the new members to whom you’ve been assigned. Ambassadors mentor new members for approximately two to three months; however, in many cases (as in our experience), the relationship develops into a lifelong friendship! Ambassadors introduce new members to other members, inform them about Club activities, and are the “go-to” contacts for help and questions – sort of a Port Royal Plantation Club Welcome Wagon. Some suggested Ambassador functions include: 1. Exposing the new member and spouse to one or more golf and/or tennis groups and ensuring they know how to use the sports facilities of the Club; 2. Inviting them to join you at one or more upcoming social events to enable them to meet other members and become comfortable with these events; and 3. Make sure the new member is receiving the Port Royal Golf and Racquet Club newsletter and “eblasts” to ensure they are receiving information about Club sports.

We encourage you to join Port Royal Plantation Club’s Ambassador Program! If interested, please contact Rick or Linda Gorski via email or phone. Linda (713-557-1496, lindagorski@cs.com), Rick (832-513-5845, rick.gorski@att.net). We would love to share our extremely positive experiences with our Ambassadors a couple of years ago and help you join us as Ambassadors to other new members.

FUN AROUND THE CLUB Written by Anne Gerth Happy 2024! I want to thank my terrific team of Merry Makers for all the hard work last year planning and executing your club's social events. Specifically, thanks go out to Nancy Sheahan, Susan Riley, and daughter Kelly who often lends a helping hand during event setup, and Sharon Donnelly.

The 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 for preferred dining or $26 for member price. 6-8 PM.

RSVP HERE Back by popular demand…Mark your calendar for another DJ Trivia Night on Monday, February 19. Can we ever get too much Trivia? Apparently not, according to my feedback. Our last Trivia night had an epic attendance so be sure to register when you see the ad come across the e-blast or in the newsletter. Our meal before February Trivia will be an Italian feast for $28 per person. It’s a perfect way to spend a winter’s night with your club friends.

PLEASE NOTE: Each participant on a Trivia team must register themselves through the portal. This ensures you are on the attendance list. Remember to note your team name and the others of your team so the club staff can cross reference the names and bill our members correctly. It will also make the check-in process easier.

RSVP HERE St. Patrick’s Day will be here before we know it! We will be celebrating at the club on March 18 with a traditional Irish dinner and some live entertainment. Watch your e-blasts for more details to come.

HOLIDAY COCKTAIL PARTY

HOLIDAY GALA

GOLF REPORT Written by Bud Henry When Guy Suchy asked if I would be interested in assuming his role as golf chair, I had no idea of the amount of activities Guy started during his tenure.

The Course Cleanup Committee, the Rules Meeting, the Winter Men’s League, the Summer Men’s League, and the inaugural Wonder Women are just a few of the activities for which we can express our gratitude to Guy. This was all topped by a wildly successful Heritage Invitational. Everyone I spoke with noted that this event was one of the best at Port Royal. It will be a tough act to follow, but the good news is that Guy is still on the PRGC board and can assist and advise.

I plan to spend some time in next month’s report on the second round of the men’s winter league. The initial thoughts are to kick this off as the interclub season ends in late February. We will be looking for 6 to 8 teams depending on interest. We will try to have a set day with blocked tee times for the matches. Please provide any input you have about the league as you see me, or via email.

As we enter winter, the Bermuda grass has entered its dormancy stage. The club has successfully overseeded the tees and greens, and from my perspective the transition was quick and now the greens are back to speed. The fairways were dyed rather than painted this year, allowing the crews to complete the task in less than a day, rather than over 4 days. Look for another application in late January or early February, depending on the weather (as always).

In case you missed it, the World Handicap System has made some enhancements for 2024, including 9-hole scores impacting your handicap the next day. There are also some changes to how incomplete rounds (10 to 17 holes) will be handled. The link below will direct you to the full article: Click here.

On November 30th a team of 18 golf members volunteered to fill divots on the fairways of Robbers Row. All 18 holes were completed. Barony will be next! Thanks very much to everyone who helped.

NIGHTMARE NINE

MEN'S GOLF Written by John Strasburger As I start my 2nd year as chairman of the Men’s Golf Committee I look back on 2023 and think . ..WOW, that flew by way too quickly. Yes, the golf was great but my biggest takeaway from 2023 has to be the laughs, the fellowship, and the start of a new tradition -The Don Muehlberger Sportsmanship Award.

Excluding the Heritage Invitational member/guest, we held 16 tournaments. I have a lot of people to thank and without them, none of this would be possible. Starting with Nigel Jones, Nigel has been a true mentor and a significant contributor to Men’s Golf at Port Royal. I am also thankful for committee members: Dennis Darling, Ernie Marsico, Bud Henry, and Dave Renbarger. With Nigel dropping off the committee and Bud taking over as the 2024 Golf Chairman, I welcome 3 new Committee members: Bill Doney, John Simpson, and Bill Whalen.

Key advisors at our committee meetings throughout 2023 have been Ron Tucker and Golf Chairman Guy Suchy. Jay Rusch has been a solid partner, contributor, and supporter of our Men’s program. Special thanks to Mary Grace Tabb for helping us manage the tournaments, tally Champions Cup points, and sports shop credits. The committee also appreciates the input and exchange of information we receive from Charlie Duncan regarding course conditions and improvement projects. I’m sure you will all agree that Austin and the outside services crew along with Jim, Sydney, Keresha, and staff in the Clubhouse have helped to make all our events feel special and rewarding.

December Super Men’s Day In British Open-like weather with wind gusts over 35 mph, nine teams played in the final 2023 Men’s SMD tournament. The format was a basic scramble with one exception; each team had to play one hole of their choice from a green tee marker and one tee of their choice from a gold tee.

Scoring a net 55, Lanny Bailey captained a team to his 3rd SMD win in 2023.

Pictured from left to right: Lanny Bailey, Mike Hall, Ernie Marsico, and Ed Harbauer.

Given the tough conditions, the format was perfect and well-received by everyone. Some interesting tee selections were witnessed as teams strategized in their attempt to card a birdie or the elusive eagle. The format is a keeper and we decided to name it the Green & Gold Packers Scramble. (I know the Green Bay fans will relate) We also had two SMD Closest to the Pin Awards winning golf balls and Xmas cheer: Carl Nelson Barony #6, 15’ 1” Ken Gerth - Barony # 16, 7’ 8” 2023 Champions Cup Points are now being tallied with the final audit by PwC in progress.

Multiple 2023 Leader Board Winners Lanny Bailey (4) Rick D’Arienzo (4) Jim Stauffer (3) Ron Tucker (3) Tim Aller (2) Dennis Darling (2) Rick Gorski (2) Ed Harbauer (2) Bud Henry (2) Rick Keebaugh (2)

John Strasburger representing the Men’s golf committee thanking Nigel Jones for his work on the committee. Thank You Nigel!

On Saturday, December 16th the Members Tee Group had their annual Ugly Sweater Day featuring some great holiday outfits.

The Early Birds group had an appreciation luncheon on Tuesday, December 19th to thank the Club staff. Great fun!

Up Next: Super Men’s Day Wednesday January 17th

18 HOLE WOMAN’S GOLF Written by Gay Halleman A festive time of year and a very festive group of 18-hole lady golfers! The Annual Awards Luncheon was attended by 25 ladies.

Tournament Winners Match Play: Flight 1: Hiltrud Gabler and Gail Brown, Flight 2: Heather Stevens and Gay Halleman Two Day RingerTournament: Flight 1: Karen Elrod, Flight 2: Heather Stevens Last Chance Tournament: Flight 1: Lisa Adamsky, Flight 2: Arlene Jenkinson Great job "newbies"!

Stroke Play Championship: 18 hole Champion: Liz Bailey, Flight 1 (low net): Cheryl Moore, Flight 2 (low net): Polly Jackson

Carol Duffin and Hiltrud Gabler.

Heather Stevens and Betsy Papale

Arlene Jenkinson, Liz Bailey, Carole Howell and Lisa Adamsky

Sophie Burger, Gay Halleman, Tricia Higgins, Cheryl Moore and Yvonne White.

Our Social organizers, Carole Howell and Cathy Grigoriou have been great all year and both will be helping with our Member/Guest in May. At the of September, Tammie Blank will set up the Sadie Hawkins event, which is always a huge, fun event.

Carole Howell, Cheryl Moore and Linda Gorski

Tammie Blank, Barb Steiger and Cathy Grigoriou

Amy Ray, Mary Zych, and Jolanta Taylor.

Tricia Higgins and Linda Muehlberger

Next event: Tuesday, January 9th.Golf after the opening breakfast. See y'all then!

NINE HOLERS

Written by Karen Simpson Happy New Year!

Let’s all welcome in 2024 with a list of our new golf resolutions and fun events.

But first, we need to recap 2023. We had 40 ladies signed up to have fun, walk, ride, and have lunch and dinner together.

We had 27 ladies get at least one chip-in.

Joann Gibbs was our Queen of The Green with a total of 6 chip-ins.

Congratulations Joann!

Sue Walker was awarded Most Improved Golfer. She also was awarded the winner of the Ringer Tournament.

Net: 31 Way To Go Sue! Low Net #1 was Joann Gibbs Net: 31 Low Net #2 was Linda Gorski Net: 34

Before our Holiday Award luncheon, we gathered at the Christmas Tree for a picture.

The Ladies 9 Hole Championship winner is…… Julie Delaurence with a Net 70 on 2 rounds of 9!

CONGRATULATIONS!

Our last 9 holes of golf for 2023 on 12/28 were followed up with lunch together.

The officers from 2023 were all re-elected and renewed for 2024. President: Karen Simpson, Vice President: Joan Hazel, Treasurer: Sue Walker, Secretary: Linda Gorski.

Some New Year’s Golf Resolutions to think about…… #5 Take a Lesson #4 Practice your putting #3 Work on Chipping #2 Work on slowly lowering your score. Set a goal #1 Have a cold drink after your round with your golf partner. Recapping your round adds to the fun!

Next year we will have our Ringer Tournament in April, Low Net in May and September, and Championship Tournaments in October.

I am looking forward to another year with everyone and all the special golf events PRGC will be having in 2024.

I am always available at 508-272-2250 or Kssimpson4@me.com.

RACQUET'S UP! Written by Angelo Verde A Happy New Year to all! I can’t believe our first year representing the racquet members has come to a close.

Our committee is very appreciative of the support of the club and racquet members. We had a productive year improving the facilities and hopefully member experience. The activity around the tennis and pickleball courts is robust and more teams are playing USTA men and women and combo teams than previous years. We look forward to another great year with all committee members coming back and one additional added. Please refer to the member portal for all our contact information and please don’t hesitate to reach out to talk to any of us.

Thank you, Angelo, Dave, Penny, Luann, Marsha, Bill, and Bernard.

Court Resurfacing: Our tennis court resurfacing was completed in December and the courts look great. The winter weather and increased rainfall will present challenges but Dale and his team have the experience to manage through what Mother Nature brings to the island. Reading through our General Manager Jay’s State of the Club letter reminded me of the many projects completed this year at our racquet facility including resurfacing on all 10 courts, new nets, lines, color palate, and new equipment to maintain the courts. If you have not played on the new surfaces yet, I am sure you will be very impressed. I would put our tennis courts up against any facility on the island and our pickleball courts are top notch understanding we need to increase the number to have teams based out of Port Royal.

Battle of the Paddles Charity Event On December 4th, a charity round-robin was held for pickleball and tennis players. Over 30 players participated and raised over $3,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of the Low Country.

The players were treated to hot chocolate, coffee, and freshly baked cookies, and a good time was had by all. This was the first year that men were invited to participate and based on the feedback we will continue with that format next year. Thanks to all who participated and contributed to this worthy cause.

Tennis Committee Update: In 2024 we will be implementing new technology to help with the administration of the racquet program and facilitate pros-hop check-in, guest fee payment, and reservation confirmation. A simple check-in with your smartphone is all that will be needed for most players. Stay tuned for an update from Dale as to when the system will be in place. All tennis committee members have agreed to sign up for another year and a new member will be joining.

Agenda items on the schedule for next year currently include: Sanctioned court time for member play Recycle program for balls and containers.

No-show rules and regulations Winter weather protection of courts and players.

Key Dates for 2024: February 8th Opening Dinner / Meeting at Beach House (Chili and ….)

May 17-18th Member/Member tournament -Taco bar courtside Friday evening- play Saturday October 18-19th Member/Guest tournament November 13- Closing Dinner – Beach House Dale’s Corner A new recurring feature to this article will be our pro Dale Brown’s tips for members to improve their play. Tip of the month: Looking for a little more power, consider dropping the tension in your strings next time you restring your racquet. Looking for more control, consider increasing the tension in your racquet strings. Many people go with what they have done for a long time. Don’t be afraid to experiment with your string tension to help your game.

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

Follow Dale on Instagram and Facebook @tenniswithdale.

Member Mixed Doubles is Back Every Sunday we will have members mixed doubles social tennis from 2pm – 4pm. 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 As the temperatures drop remember to warm up properly, stretch, keep hydrated, and stay safe out there.

Above all HAVE FUN OUT THERE!

MAN ON THE STREET Jack Schrader

1. Where did you grow up?

I was born in Iron Mountain, MI, and after 9 years spent various amounts of time in Denver, San Diego, and Weston /Clarksburg, WV. 2. In what year did you move to Hilton Head Island?

We moved to Hilton Head in January 2007 3. What is your favorite car?

1965 Mustang fastback 4. What is your most unusual talent?

Doing the "hambone" 5. Who is your favorite athlete and why?

Roberto Clemente - great athlete and greater humanitarian 6. What is your favorite spot in the United States?

Squaw Lake, MI, Chesapeake Beach, MD and Hilton Head Island, SC 7. What is your favorite drink?

Tito’s Vodka 8. What is your favorite restaurant?

Twin Oaks Restaurant, Clarksburg, WV, and Kettering Village Inn, Dayton, OH 9. What is the title of your autobiography? “ ...Is This a GREAT Country, orWhat?”

10. Five minutes of perfect happiness?

First 5 minutes of a jog on "our" beach

EVENTS WHAT'S COMING UP IN JANUARY GOLF 2 Tues Women’s 18 Hole Open Play 4 Thurs 9 Hole Individual Stroke Play 8 Mon Men’s Interclub - Hampton Hall 9 Tues Women’s 18 Hole Low Gross Low Net 10 Wed Men’s Interclub - Barony 11 Thurs 9 Hole Tee Time Dinner 16 Tues Men's Interclub at Arthur Hills 16 Tues Women's 18 Hole Even Plus Odd - Team 17 Wed Super Men’s Day 18 Thurs Men's Interclub at Palmetto Dunes 18 Thurs Women's 9 Hole Low Putts 23 Tues Women's 18 Hole Criers Individual - Team 24 Wed Men's Interclub at Dolphin Head 25 Thurs Women's 9 Hole Scramble/Shamble 30 Tues Women's 18 Hole Forgive & Forget Twosome/Threesome 31 Wed Men's Interclub at the Landings

SOCIAL

12 Fri Chili Night

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Chili Night

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Monthly Member Social

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Trivia Night

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