New Members
WeWelcome:
Kerry Brink as a Resident Single Racquet..
Jim & Francoise Schwyn joined as Resident Family Golf.
Tom & Jen Stras joined as Non-Resident Family Sports.
PRESIDENT'SMESSAGE
Written by Jim Walker
At the end of September, Heritage hosted the 2024 Member-Guest Tournament (a.k.a. the Heritage Invitational) a premier event for our club
For those who haven’t played in it, the tournament includes three days of golf, great food, drink, and fun, and I encourage you to consider joining in the future! It’s truly a spectacular event, and even for those of us who didn’t play our best (to say the least), the experience and fellowship are absolutely fantastic Expect to see and hear more about this event over the next year as we hope to significantly expand the playing field in 2025.
This year, Hurricane Helene arrived on the second day of play, leaving the courses in shambles. Our staff, however, stepped up with Herculean effort to counter Mother Nature’s attempt to derail the proceedings! Although the golfers had to maneuver around several large trees lying across cart paths, handle debris fields that caused lost balls on or just off fairways, and more, play was only delayed by a few hours and concluded nearly on schedule! To make this possible, our crews braved difficult road conditions to arrive before dawn, leaving their homes (ignoring damage there too) from as far as the other side of Bluffton In contrast, some of our players (ok, me) struggled to make it to the club for the scheduled nine o ’clock start from less than a mile away The effort of these folks to get us up and running so quickly cannot be overstated. Many thanks to all of them!
Regarding the club’s status, a reminder that voting has begun for the candidates for next year ’ s Board of Governors. Please ensure your vote is in before the Annual Meeting on November 12, 2024, at 6:30 PM. Blank ballots and the ballot box are located just outside Jay’s office For the vote to be valid, we need completed ballots from a minimum of 50 members, so please get your vote in!
Finally, by the time you read this, the Concours d’Elegance will be underway at Port Royal, taking place from October 31 through November 3 To accommodate the car show, practice areas will be closed through November 6 (tentatively) I encourage you to take advantage of our access to the show (as members) and enjoy the remarkable examples of engineering and design, including the vintage airplane show (Aero Expo) at Hilton Head Airport on Saturday, November 2 Be aware that parking is not available at the airport, but a free shuttle will run between the car and air shows all day on Saturday.
Hope to see you around the club!
FUN
Written
We have some fun events lined up for the rest of the year!
November 11: Hook, Line, and Sinker Event
Seafood lovers, don’t miss our Hook, Line, and Sinker event! Thanks to club support, you can enjoy an amazing array of seafood for only $32 per person. The menu includes Shrimp and Grits, Seafood Paella, catfish, hush puppies, coleslaw, rocket salad, corn on the cob, green beans, and a cold seafood display with shrimp, oysters, and crab claws all while listening to the incredible steel drum player Dean St. Hillaire. We’ll be out on the veranda, weather permitting, so dress accordingly
RSVP HERE
November 18: Monthly Member Social
Join us for our Monthly Member Social on Monday, November 18! Enjoy appetizers and happy hour drinks for just $10 per person. Remember to register so we can prepare plenty of food. It’s a great chance to connect with fellow club members..
RSVP HERE
December 8: Jazzy Holiday Gala
Our biggest social event of the season is coming up! The Jazzy Holiday Gala will take place on Sunday night, December 8, with a festive, black-tie-optional evening featuring the smooth sounds of Levon Stevens, Louise Spencer, and the Jazz Corner band Mark your calendars now for this unforgettable night!
This event will have assigned seating at tables of 8 to 10 When registering, please provide the names of your preferred tablemates More information to follow!
December 16: Member Cocktail Party
Wrap up the season with our Member Cocktail Party on Monday, December 16, at 6 PM. Dress in festive holiday cocktail attire and enjoy drinks with friends, along with Chef’s selection of hors d’oeuvres and sweets for $20 per person
RSVP HERE
Important Request
Please don’t wait until the last minute to reserve your spot! Our kitchen and staff need an accurate headcount in advance, and low reservations could lead to event cancellations Always register through the portal to ensure we ’ re ready for you.
HALLOWEEN PARTY
HALLOWEEN PARTY
HALLOWEEN PARTY
GOLFREPORT
Written by Bud Henry
The two hurricanes that passed by in October caused considerable damage to our courses Hurricane Debbie brought 15 to 18 inches of rain, washing out many bunkers and causing erosion around several lagoons.
Strong winds knocked down trees and left debris scattered throughout both courses. Our maintenance staff did an outstanding job cleaning up, and with a couple of tournaments approaching, the club decided to replace all of the sand on both courses We also took the opportunity to modify and reshape several bunkers on Barony
Hurricane Helene largely missed us (unlike our neighbors in Georgia and North Carolina), but it brought down additional trees and left another round of debris on the courses Thanks to a tremendous effort by the Club and maintenance staff, we were able to get back on the courses quickly.
Below is a picture of Barony #18, showing the reshaping of the front right bunker, which is now smaller and offers a more accessible opening to the green Similar improvements were made to Barony #7 and #9 While the new sod and sand are still settling in, these enhancements will be enjoyed for years to come!
In October, the Ladies Golf Committee, guided by their new Handicap Committee, held a Handicap Meeting and Seminar in the member’s room at the club The Ladies Handicap Committee includes Amy Giglio, Joan Hazel, Maureen Korzik, and Phyllis Wibby. Special thanks to Amy and Maureen for providing the following notes from the meeting. The guest speaker, Clarissa Childs Executive Director of the WSCGA and an LPGA golf professional shared valuable insights on handicapping The seminar was well attended by both men and women golfers of the club.
Key points from the seminar:
You must play at least 9 holes for the score to count toward your handicap, and those 9 holes must have a Course Rating and Slope Rating.
When recording the number of holes played, options now include not only 9 and 18 holes but also 10–17 holes If you played between 10 and 17 holes and 9 of those correspond to a 9-hole Rating, the score is acceptable.
While hole-by-hole score posting is recommended, it’s required if you played between 10 and 17 holes This allows the USGA to calculate the Score Differential for the holes played and an expected Score Differential for unplayed holes
Now, 9-hole courses of at least 750 yards and 18-hole courses of at least 1,500 yards are eligible for Ratings This update means that hundreds of shorter and par-3 courses are now available for score posting toward your Handicap Index
LADIES GOLF COMMITTEE
Written by Linda Gorski
It’s November – Thanksgiving month – and we at Port Royal have so much to be thankful for, not the least of which is the perfect weather we ’ ve been enjoying recently We hope you ’ ve managed to fit in plenty of golf on these sunny, breezy, and balmy days!
October was a banner month for Ladies Golf. First, our new Handicap Committee hosted a handicap seminar at the Golf Club on Tuesday, October 15, at 4 p.m. The event was extremely well attended by both men and women golfers, filling the entire members’ dining room A full report on the seminar can be found elsewhere in this newsletter Special thanks to our Handicap Committee members Maureen Korzik, Amy Giglio, Joan Hazel, and Phyllis Wibby for organizing the event, and to the 18-Hole Ladies Golf President, Gay Halleman, for bringing in guest speaker Clarissa Childs, Executive Director of WSCGA and an LPGA golf professional.
Look out for upcoming announcements about a Rules Seminar on November 19 from 4 to 5 p m , presented by Jay and our Pro Shop staff
The highlight of October was our quarterly Wonder Woman’s Day Tournament on Friday, October 18! Thirty-five enthusiastic women enjoyed a spectacular day of golf, followed by a delicious soup and salad bar lunch prepared by Jim Henington and his team The scores were incredibly close, but the "winner, winner chicken dinner" was the team of Judy Arden, Sue Walker, Shari Box, and Maryann Shallcross, who scored an impressive 55! Congratulations to the winning team!
Winners Maryann Shallcross, Sue Walker, Judy Arden and Shari Box.
Port Royal Lady Golfers also showed up en masse for the 2024 WAHHI (Women’s Association of Hilton Head Island) “Fall in Love with Golf” Charity Tournament on Monday, October 14 at Long Cove, including three full teams, several other individual players and many volunteers from Port Royal Proceeds from this annual golf tournament go to the WAHHI Charitable Foundation.
Great news! With our part-timers back in action, the Monday morning Ladies Open Golf sanctioned tee times are filling up fast! All lady golf members at Port Royal are welcome to join. Please sign up via TeamReach (Group Code: MondayPlayDay) by Saturday morning, as we ’ re required to release unused tee times 48 hours in advance Currently, tee times are scheduled for 8:44 a.m., 8:52 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 9:08 a.m.
Starting Monday, November 11, due to popular demand and a strong “ yes ” response in our recent poll, the Monday Ladies Open Golf sanctioned tee times will shift to 10:36 a m , 10:44 a m , 10:52 a m , and 11:00 a m for the winter season
If you have questions about Ladies Golf at Port Royal, feel free to email me at lindagorski@cs com or call/text 713-557-1496
Happy Thanksgiving Y’all!
18 HOLE LADIES GOLF
Written by Gay Halleman
Hearty congratulations to our Stroke Play Champion, Liz Bailey! She had an outstanding score of 168 for the 2-day event covering both courses.
Cheryl Moore was low net in the first flight and Polly Jackson was the low net winner in the second flight Great job ladies!
Pictured below are the ladies who went on the away trip to Fripp Island From the left, Liz Bailey, Sophie Burger, Hiltrud Gabler, Cathy Grigoriou, Tammie Blank, Carol Duffin, Gail Brown and Heather Stevens. Another terrific time was enjoyed by all.
Along with being our Stroke Play Champ, Liz Bailey is able to feed a Fripp Island deer out of her hand
9 HOLE LADIES GOLF
Written by Karen Simpson
The cooler October weather is finally here, making it even more enjoyable to be out on the course, sharing great rounds and laughs without breaking a sweat or worrying about constant hydration
As we reflect on this year ’ s memories, we ’ re also wrapping up our final tournament, the 9Holers Championship.
October 3: The first round was held on Barony in beautiful, cooler weather
October 9: We had a “Bring Your Spouse” dinner at the Beach House, where 35 of us enjoyed a relaxing, phone-free evening No photos, but plenty of good food and company!
October 10: Round two of the Championship took place in challenging windy conditions with some residual debris from Helene’s quick visit Final results will be announced at our year-end luncheon in December
October 17: Sixteen ladies joined for a brisk morning of golf that turned into a perfectly sunny day Congratulations to Linda Gorski, our low gross winner with a score of 49, and Sue Walker, our low net winner with a 34 And a special shout-out to Doree Cook, who sank an impressive 30+ foot putt on #1!
October 24: Another gorgeous day for 16 ladies on the course Carroll Lindseth won low putts with three 1-putts and a total of 15 In second place, we had a tie between Sue Walker and Sally Ann Wormley with a score of 16.
October 31: On October 31th we had a Halloween Witch Shamble
Looking Ahead: On November 7, we ’ re thrilled to host the 9-Holers Exchange, themed “Casino Port Royale ” We’ll play 9 holes followed by a luncheon for over 60 ladies from other clubs an exciting opportunity to showcase all that Port Royal Golf has to offer.
MEN'SGOLF
Written by John Strasburger
Club Champion: Carl Nelson
Runner-up: Todd Bruner .
Member-Tee Net Flight
Flight Winner: Jim Stauffer
Runner-up: Jerry Bailey
2024 is shaping up to be an MVP year for Carl Nelson Carl has won both our Individual Match-Play & Stroke-play Majors as well as partnering (with Ron Tucker & Steve Dill) to win both 2-man Major Tournaments this year Carl has now notched his 3rd PRPC Club Championship by putting a “Full Nelson” on the field! (- highlighted in red is an addition)
The Grand Slam in professional golf is winning all of golf's major championships in the same calendar year The only player who accomplished a similar feat is Bobby Jones in 1930, winning the 4 major tournaments of that era open to amateurs (Wikipedia) and now, 94 years later we can add Carl Nelson Modern variations include a Career Grand Slam: winning all of the major tournaments within a player's career and the Tiger Slam: winning four consecutive major titles but not in the same calendar year (named after Tiger Woods, the only player to accomplish the feat)
From the white tees and scratch scoring, Carl & Todd were tied for the lead after day one with a pair of 79 ’ s. Day two proved to be close as well, with Carl managing to edge out Early-Bird Todd Bruner by 1 stroke Carl’s 2-day total was 161; Bruner’s 2-day total was 162
From the Member-Tees, under handicap net scoring, Jim Stauffer won the Member-Tee net flight with a 2-day net total of 142 Jerry Bailey won 2nd place honors with a 2-day net total of 146
October Super Men’s Day winners
Dennis Darling, Landon Gates, Jerry Bailey & John Beeder
This month, we rolled out an exciting new format for Super Men’s Day! Each foursome played the better ball of two 2-man shamble pairings, switching partners every 6 holes. Competition was fierce, with three teams tying for first place at 132 (12 under par) Under USGA guidelines, the team of Darling, Gates, J. Bailey, and Beeder clinched the victory thanks to their impressive back 9 score
The Email Golf group decided to give an extra handicap stroke to every player who showed up in H
Up Wednesday, Nov. 13: Round II
Wednesday, Nov. 20: Super Men’s Day
RACQUET'S UP!
Written by Angelo Verde
The Member/Guest Racquet event was a fantastic success, drawing 38 players for a full day of competitive matches, with some groups even extending play into the afternoon
Later, everyone gathered for a celebratory dinner at the club, where tilefish and beef short ribs were the stars of the menu, followed by a delectable dessert of apple fritters à la mode It was a day of great sportsmanship, excellent food, and camaraderie!
Congratulationstoallthewinners.Membernamesarehighlighted.
Men’s 4 0 – S. Camp & J Herman
D
November 13th The committee will cover part of the dinner costs with proceeds from social dues, and our tennis members are invited to contribute sides and desserts This dinner is a wonderful opportunity to shape our racquet events for 2025 and provide feedback on the 2024 programs and facilities We hope to see another great turnout like last year! Keep an eye out for details coming soon regarding member suggestions and the help needed for setup and cleanup.
In early December, we ’ re excited to anticipate our annual charity event for pickleball and tennis players Flyers and emails with the date and supported charities will be shared soon Thank you in advance for your participation in this holiday fundraiser!
Court Maintenance
We still have outstanding repairs to repaint the tennis benches and roofs at the courtside I will follow up with the board at the November meeting. If you notice any issues around the courts, please let Pro Dale Brown know
Key Dates Remaining for 2024:
November 13: Closing Dinner – Beach House
December (TBD): Holiday Charity Racquet Play for Tennis and Pickleball
Men’s 3.5 – K. Kolbe and J. Patterson
Dale’s Corner
A good strategy when receiving a serve and leading in a game (0-30 or 15-30) is to play conservatively. Rather than going for a big return, focus on hitting a deep cross-court return to start the point. If you win that point, you’ll have two or three break points, giving you the chance to take a bigger shot Remember, with the advantage, play wisely to secure the win! Don’t forget to sign yourself and your guests up for Dale’s weekly clinics and round-robin play
Check the website and pro shop for dates and times. Follow Dale on Instagram and Facebook @tenniswithdale
As the cool temperatures arrive, remember to apply sunscreen on sunny days and stay hydrated. Warm-ups and stretching are important as temperatures drop and muscles cool down We hope your racquet play is improving, your member experience is top-notch, and you ’ re enjoying time with friends or engaging in competitive play
Above all, HAVE FUN!
HERITAGEEMPLOYEE’S OFTHEMONTH
June Employee of the Month -
Betsy Figueroa
July Employee of the Month -
Herb Whildin
August Employee of the Month –
Kaitlin Murrell
MAHJONG
D O Y O U E N J O Y P L A Y I N G M A H J O N G ?
A group of ladies meets monthly on the first Wednesday of each month at 12:00 noon at the Club for lunch, fellowship and to play Mahjong If you know how to play and would like to be included on the group email list, please email Linda Stauffer at lbstauffer@gmail.com.
Linda sends an email to all in the group each month asking who is available to play
Got great photos from member events, golf tournaments, or fun outings?
Share them with Kaitlin Murrell at kmurrell@heritagegolfgroup.com.
We'd love to feature them on social media and celebrate all the fun together! Thank you!
Hook, Line, & Sinker
Art Charity Event
Thanksgiving To-Go
Holiday Cocktail Party
