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PRESIDENT'SMESSAGE
Written by Jim Walker
A common sentiment expressed around the golf courses and racquet courts is that we are among the luckiest people on Earth to be living here in this wonderful place.
While Hilton Head is a prime vacation destination for millions, they only get to stay temporarily, but we get to live here! How great is that?!!
As we celebrate Independence Day on the Fourth of July, this is a good time for us to remember that much of our “luck” has been enabled by the sacrifice and dedication of those who risked their lives serving in the military on our behalf. This remarkable group includes many of our members and non-member neighbors, including an impressive number of military academy graduates – far too many to list here
On behalf of the entire Port Royal Golf and Racquet Club, I would like to say a big Thank You to you all! Your willingness to put yourselves at risk for your fellow countrymen and women is greatly appreciated!
A Thank You is also due to the spouses of those who served, as you also sacrificed in ways that are often overlooked
Happy 4th of July, everyone – enjoy those parties and barbeques And maybe hoist a cold one to our military (active and retired) while you ’ re at it!
See you around the clubhouse!
FUN Written
Things really heat up during summer in the Lowcountry, but things are also heating up at the Club in July
We begin our July activities with our monthly member social on Monday, July 8 Our monthly event starts at 5 PM and runs till 7 PM and is still only $10 per person Come socialize with your club friends and enjoy a cold drink and some great food.
RSVP HERE
Join us on Monday, July 15, for an old-fashioned Summer Picnic We will have a cookout on the veranda with hamburgers, hotdogs, bratwurst, and chicken with all the sides We will feature live music by Marc Anthony and games. It might be hot, but the beer will be COLD! Come celebrate July and join the fun
RSVP HERE
The fun continues with our Nine and Dine golf event on July 18. Play nine holes of golf and then join us for dinner Registration is in the pro shop, and your $25 (golf members) fee includes nine holes of golf, your cart, and dinner Non-golf members pay $35 If you are a new member of the club, we will be happy to pair you up with another golfing couple, so please do not hesitate to sign up The event begins at 4:30 PM with a shotgun start
Mark your calendars now for our last trivia night of 2024 on August 19.
MEXICAN FIESTA NIGHT
GOLFREPORT
Written by Bud Henry
The planning has begun for this year ’ s Heritage Member/Guest Golf Invitational! Expect to see the Save the Date flyer soon, with official invitations being generated in late July.
The dates have been locked in for Thursday, September 26 through Saturday, September 28, with an optional practice day on Wednesday, September 25. This year ’ s event will have an Australian theme, and more specifics will be provided as we near the event. All of the comments I received after last year ’ s Invitational were very positive, so the intent is to replicate Guy’s wonderful execution
The format will be the same as last year, with hopefully 5 or 6 men ’ s flights of 6 teams each. The Ladies Golf Committee is trying to generate interest in 2 ladies' flights of 6 teams each. The 6-team flights will allow each team to compete against all other teams in their flight in 5 better ball matches: 2 on Thursday, 2 on Friday, and 1 on Saturday morning Like prior years, each hole will be worth 1 point, and the total points earned over the 5 matches will determine the flight winners and entry into the three-hole shootout to determine the 2024 Champions. Specifics of the shootout will be similar to last year ’ s event, with possible adjustments based on the final number of entrants we have
We are also budgeting based on last year, but inflation is real, and many costs have increased significantly. The intent will be to stay as close to prior year costs without sacrificing the experience Anecdotally, I have heard comments that vary from “ spare no expense ” to “the event should just focus on the golf ” Should you have thoughts or suggestions, please reach out directly through email or at the Club. As noted above, the goal is to replicate last year ’ s wonderful event.
A final note about the heat and humidity we will be facing over the next couple of months: Please stay hydrated and find shade whenever possible while playing The ice and water machine should be installed in the Robber’s Row Outpost by the time this is published, which will be a big help. Play well and stay safe!
LADIES GOLF COMMITTEE
Written by Linda Gorski
Wonder Woman’s Day May 31st - another huge success.
Lady golfers at Port Royal enjoyed another beautiful day on Friday, May 31, for the second Wonder W ’ D f Thi l dies participated in the fun – and several came decked out as the nly are!
It was a hard-fought round, but the team of Lisa Adamsky, Julie DeLaurence, Amy Giglio, and Terri Johnson prevailed as winners with a fabulous round of 52 in the scramble format tournament
Following the tournament, Jim Henington and his team prepared a delicious soup and salad bar lunch that was perfect after a hot day of golf!
Shari Box and Nancy Sheahan
Linda Gorski and Cherie Bailey
LADIES GOLF COMMITTEE
Written by Linda Gorski
As most of you know, the quarterly Wonder Woman’s Day tournaments began in November 2023 to give all 96 lady golfers at Port Royal an opportunity to play and compete together – and to enjoy each other’s company. So far, they have been a rip-roaring success. The scramble format gives everyone on the team a chance to shine! The next Wonder Woman’s Day will be Friday, August 16 I think we are going to call this one the “Hotter than Hell WWD Tournament”! Watch for sign-up information and Golf Genius announcements from Mary Grace Tabb coming up in July and August.
More good news – with the success of the Wonder Woman’s Day events, Mary Grace announced that she is p ave any suggest
The Wonder Women of Port Royal!
Finally, the Ladies Golf Committee (LGC) was formed earlier this year to ensure that all lady golfers at Port Royal are represented and have a voice at the table when decisions affecting golf at our courses are being discussed I hope that the emails I send to you all on a regular basis about course conditions, upcoming events, and even updated bathroom codes are helpful If you have any questions or comments about ladies’ golf at Port Royal, please email me (Linda Gorski) at lindagorski@cs.com or call/text 713-557-1496.
GOLF IS FUN! PLAY HAPPY!
18 HOLE LADIES GOLF
Written by Gay Halleman
Summer has arrived, and those nice "winter rules" are no longer available We may not pick up our ball, clean it, or roll it in the fairway
We will now play it from where it lies, which will be easier since there is grass
The "move it out of a divot" local rule was established because we were alternating weeks with "Guests " This rule still applies if you are playing casually with friends In a tournament situation, the divot rule should be addressed before the start of the game
There are two new rules which several of us confirmed with Mary Grace and Conner since we thought it was not possible that these rules had changed
If you "whiff" the ball and it does NOT move, you do not have to count it. Wow!
2.
1. When playing over a water hazard, if the ball lands on the ground on the far side but rolls back into the water, you may play it from the other side, with just a one-stroke penalty and no closer to the pin
These rule changes were instituted to speed up the game, which rule 2 certainly will Lastly, try to avoid the “nasty” sand bunkers!
9 HOLE LADIES GOLF
Written by Linda Gorski
June was a wicked HOT month, but the Nine Hole Ladies didn’t let the high temps and even higher humidity keep them away from golf!
Kudos to Nefeli Keebaugh, our Director of the Month, for coming up with a great schedule of games and a totally unique Girls Night Out! Our monthly Thursday games kicked off on June 6 with our low putts contest Champion putters were Kathy Jacobson and Tess Hegedus with 16 putts each. Nefeli had to do a scorecard playoff back to Hole 5, where Kathy had a 2 putt and Tess had a 3 putt So Kathy took the prize and Tess came in second place. Four ladies came in third place with 17 putts each –Mary Ellen Pilkington, Nancy Sheahan, Joan Hazel, and Nancy Simpson. Congrats to all!
Kathy Jacobson – Putting champ!
Julie DeLaurence - Two time winner in the month of June!
On June 13, the ladies competed in a “throw out your worst two holes” game
Congratulations to Julie DeLaurence, who posted an incredible net 23 and took first place! Tess Hegedus came in second with an impressive net 25 Nene Dryer posted a net 26 for third place
9 HOLE LADIES GOLF
Written by Linda Gorski
According to DOM Nefeli, June 20 was a Great Day for golf Nice breeze, very few bugs, the fairways were rolling, and unfortunately so were the greens… as in they were fast! But nonetheless, some great scores were posted! First place again went to Julie DeLaurence with an impressive net 33!
Second place went to Carroll Lindseth, clocking in a real nice net 37 Two players, Sarah Fanjul and Chris Hall, came in with a net of 38 for third place. Nefeli had to go to a hole-by-hole comparison, and Sarah took third place by a hair on a mole cricket’s chin
The absolute best time was had on June 12 when Nefeli and caterer par excellence Robin Kelleher teamed up to put on the most amazing Girls Night Out Beach Party The party was complete with beautifully presented and delicious food, fancy canopies and tables, and of course, BEACH MUSIC! I am sure that folks walking on the beach at the end of the Beach House boardwalk were taken aback by all the Golf Goddesses in various forms of dress shimmying in the evening shadows. Who knew that our Kathy McGown could belly dance?? I will let the photos tell the story! Well done, Nefeli, for a gre h f lf
9 Hole Ladies at the Beach Party
Dancing to the Beach Music!
9 HOLE LADIES GOLF
Written by Linda Gorski
And lastly, the team of Sue Walker, Joan Hazel and our terrific Director of the Month, Nefeli Keebaugh took first place honors in the June 27th “Twisted Shamble” on the back nine of Barony. Congratulations ladies!
Carroll Lindseth and Linda Maloney – Cornhole!
Jackie Darling and Chris Hall –Cornhole Champs!
Fancy Beach Picnic under a beautiful canopy
MEN'SGOLF
Written by John Strasburger
Super-Seniors Tournament
Individual Stroke-Play, Two rounds with Net scoring Wow, these guys are good!
024 Champion – Don Muehlberger: 143 (71,72)
nd place honors: Rick Keebaugh: 148 (77,71)
rd place honors: Jeff Barbic: 152 (78,74)
Don Muehlberger has won many tournaments over the years I asked Don what the keys to his winning ways are, and he humbly replied, “ game management and short game... I’ve lost some distance, but my short game has been consistent ” As many of us who play with Don regularly can attest, his chipping and putting are outstanding Don is a smart player and has helped many of us become better players as well Congrats, Don!
Top 9 Super-Senior Qualifiers
Rick Keebaugh, Keith Swinehart, Jeff Barbic
Rick Gorski, Larry Ernst, Bill Doney
Bob Fratarcangelo, Al Lindseth, Don Muehlberger
MEN’SGOLF
Written by John Strasburger
June 12th Super Men’s Day
“Summer Step-Aside” Scramble
Thirty-six players (nine teams) battled it out on Barony. This is a friendly scramble format with everybody hitting a tee ball The p whose ball is selected for the next shot must “step aside” and rely his fellow teammates. This format continues through the hole. To spice things up, we added one gold tee and one green tee of choic each team
First place honors, with a score of 57, went to the team of Howard Strauss, Dave Donnelly, Keith Swinehart, and Todd Bruner. Howard’s putter was so hot that Captain Bruner was strategically selecting other balls on approach shots just so Howard would not have to “step aside” once they got on or near the green
The team of Lanny Bailey, Bob Fratarcangelo, Kevin Nattrass, and Bruce Dumler also shot a 57; however, in a match of scorecards, they lost the back nine by 2 strokes to the Bruner team
SMD Closest to the Pin honors were won by Trevor Owens on Barony, hole #16: 2 ’ 7 ” Trevor barely nudged out pin-seeker Ron Tucker
What? No way – another Hole-In-One?
Incredible! Six hole-in-ones in six months Early Bird Jack Blatz recorded his second lifetime HIO on Thursday, June 13 On the par 3, number 2 hole on Barony, Jack hit a perfect 6 iron 153 yards to a blue flag pin
Bryson DeChambeau and Todd Bruner win US Open Sweeps
Playing Pinehurst #2 and Port Royal Barony, they shot a pair of net 67’s Two bombers!
Payout: DeChambeau $4.3M, Bruner $55... now that ain’t right.
Next Up:
Super Men’s Day: Tuesday, July 16
British Open Sweeps: July 20/21
MEN’SGOLF
Written by John Strasburger
RACQUET'S UP!
Written by Angelo Verde
We are ready for our Member/Member Tournament June 28-29th.
Friday night kicks off with a taco bar at the Club beginning at 6:00 PM, and tournament play begins Saturday morning We have 20+ members signed up at 3 5 and 4 0 levels Good luck to all teams competing for Club champions!
Don’t forget to practice good hydration and sun protection as our temperatures soar to 90+ degrees and higher heat indexes
Before play: Drink 16-20 oz. of water or an electrolyte-enhanced sports drink two hours before playing.
During play: Drink 4-8 ounces of water or an electrolyte-enhanced carbohydrate fluid every time you change over If you are sweating heavily, drink 8-16 ounces
After play: Consider using a low sugar sports drink to help you recover and provide lasting energy Continue to drink fluids throughout the day
For play in 90+ degree weather, applying cold towels to your forehead and neck area is most helpful
Reminder: With the weather becoming warmer, court time will be at a premium for early morning times. Most days, there is group play, clinics, and lessons all happening between 8 AM and 1 PM.
Court Maintenance
Outstanding items include the rehab of tennis benches and continued monitoring of Court Five's playing surface. If you see an issue that needs to be addressed, please let Dale Brown know of the situation.
Other committee news:
New Date: The Member Round Robin will now be on September 5th. Please mark your calendars and stay tuned for details on sign-ups and start times We hope to have a grill courtside to promote meeting new members and enjoying time together Monday Afternoon Round Robin: This has been dropped due to lack of participation, but Wednesday afternoon from 3-5 will still be offered
Recycling: Please use the recycle container outside the pro shop near Court #1
Key Dates remaining for 2024:
Member Round Robin: September 5th, Thursday evening
Member/Guest Tournament: October 18-19th
Closing Dinner: November 13th, Beach House
Dale’s Corner
Doubles play:
Remember that getting passed down the line in doubles is going to happen but probably not that often. The real spot to pay attention to is the middle. Do not forget, there are two of you playing. Do not let yourself get passed down the middle of the court. Stop worrying so much about the line and cover the middle of the court.
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 @tenniswithdale
The hot temperatures have returned! Remember to dress appropriately for summer play. Lather on the sunscreen and bring plenty of appropriate hydration drinks. Add a cool towel and rosin bag in your tennis bag, and stretch and warm up properly.
As always, we hope your racquet play is improving, your member experience is at a high level, and you are enjoying your time with friends and competitive play! Above all, HAVE FUN!
Picnic in July
Nine & Dine
Trivia Night
Terry Herron & Friends
