A Lifestyle Magazine for Alpine Country Club Members January - February 2016 | Volume 1 | Issue 1
Start the New Year off Right Three Essential Steps to a Sound Retirement Plan Goals, Plans & Updates What’s happening around the Club & with members Tour of Italy New menu options inspired by Milan, Tuscany, Sicily and Naples
2016!
Welcome
Nic Haun General Manager nhaun@AlpineCC.com Ext. 14 Mike Morin Food & Beverage Manager mmorin@AlpineCC.com Ext. 29 Brian Schaffer, PGA Director of Golf bschaffer@AlpineCC.com Ext. 26 Liane McDonnell Director of Sales & Marketing lmcdonnell@AlpineCC.com Ext. 23 Douglas Foss Executive Chef dfoss@AlpineCC.com Ext. 12 Scott Gabrielson Golf Course Superintendent sgabrielson@AlpineCC.com 401-943-0059 Amanda Greenwood Wedding & Events Coordinator agreenwood@AlpineCC.com Ext. 13 Golf Shop 401-944-9760 Stephanie Sauro Accounts Payable/Receivable ssauro@AlpineCC.com Ext. 22 Edgar Guzman Director of Maintenance eguzman@AlpineCC.com Ext. 32
Table of Contents 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Back Cover
Welcome to Alpine Life Message from Nic Haun Message from the Board Build a Sound Retirement Plan What to Expect in Taxes What to Expect in the Stock Market Alpine Rewards Golf Shop, Golf Course & Dining Events & Delicious Dish! Goals & Updates, Welcome New Members, Member Announcements
Welcome to Alpine Life,
Alpine Country Club’s lifestyle magazine
Just as Alpine is more than golf and events, so too should your monthly newsletter be more than a communication from management and staff to the membership. While we will still include this important information, our new magazine format will also feature articles for and by you. Each edition will include up to three articles from members who are experts in the areas we are covering. This month includes articles on financial planning and taxes from Michael Vendituoli, Mark and Donna Caccia and Eduard Hamamjian. Future editions will cover topics such as health and wellness, managing your property, and food and wine, as well as member superlatives. Please check your emails from Alpine for what topics will be featured and please consider contributing a column.
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I
wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the new General Manager of The Alpine Country Club, and to let everyone know how excited I am to get started in my new role. I look forward to getting to
know all of the members as well as working with the amazing team that we have in place here at the Club. The Alpine has had a lot of success in the recent past and I look forward to working with everyone to continue to make The Alpine the best private club in Rhode Island!
I was born in a small town in western Nebraska and received my degree in Business from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, after a two year stint playing golf in junior college at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. Three years ago, my wife, Abby, and I were excited to move to Tucson, Arizona to pursue a career with Troon and we are even more excited to make the transition to The Alpine. Abby also played golf in college at Nebraska Wesleyan, but outside of golf our hobbies include: Husker football, attending concerts, hiking, and enjoying time with our two dogs. I look forward to seeing everyone in 2016!
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Message from the Board
2016 General Plans and Goals:
We are moving into 2016 without slowing down one bit! In the month of December we gained several members, which is unheard of for the winter. We are as committed as ever to growing the Club but will refocus on YOU and your satisfaction. Here’s how: Alpine Rewards should truly enhance your membership. Please see the Alpine Rewards section in this newsletter for more information or contact Josh Bennett, Member Concierge! We plan on hiring a couple of key roles in the Food & Beverage department moving into next year. One of these positions is a Food & Beverage Manager to work alongside Mike Morin and split some of the responsibilities. This will enhance the service in the restaurant, pool and banquets. Through the survey we conducted in the fall, we know improved service is paramount and we plan on improving. We will also be hiring a new Sous Chef. This position is an integral part of our kitchen and will work through Chef Doug’s vision. This will enhance the leadership and consistency in the kitchen, which was also reflected in the survey. The golf department will also have more flexibility. This will allow the professional staff to teach more, grow the game and get YOU involved and playing better golf. The Club has reintroduced Committees for 2016 with the new and updated bylaws. These committees serve as wonderful outlets for the membership to learn about programs, updates and anything in between. Think of the committees as a conduit between the membership, management and Board of Directors. We want to make sure you are enjoying your Club more than ever. We hope to have better, more participated events this year. The Social Committee will be a great outlet for the Club in helping us plan these events. Please stay tuned for emails and postings for the events in 2016! We look forward to growing membership in 2016, and improving your satisfaction. If there is anything YOU would like to see changed or updated, please don’t hesitate to speak to anyone on the management team!
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Build a Sound Retirement Plan
Start With These Three Essential Steps Provided By: Michael T Vendituoli; Northwestern Mutual
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ike most people, you may find it difficult to predict what you’ll be doing a year from now, let alone in one or more decades. Yet the ability to project into the future may be crucial to making long-term financial goals more achievable, according to a recent study. In fact, researchers at Stanford University reported in the Journal of Marketing Research (Volume XLVIII) that people who took time to imagine themselves as retirees reported that they would save twice as much as those who didn’t. It makes sense. In order to save enough for a financially secure retirement, you first need to know what you want your retirement to look like. It is only then you can create a plan that takes into account the three essential components of a sound retirement plan: protecting your assets by managing the risks of retirement, creating income that lasts your lifetime, and planning your legacy. Visualizing Your Goals The process of wealth accumulation typically begins when you start earning a paycheck and continues throughout your career. It involves a consistent plan of saving and investing to help you build financial security for the future. But how much savings will you need? The answer depends on the lifestyle you hope to have in retirement. Start by imagining life once you stop working: Where would you like to live? What activities would you like to pursue? How much travel do you plan on doing? Do you see yourself volunteering? Working part time? Pursuing new educational or business interests?
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The clearer the picture, the easier it will be for you to quantify what you’ll need to make your goals a reality. If you’re married, don’t forget to get your spouse’s input. Your partner is likely to have his or her own views on what constitutes a comfortable retirement. Step 1: Protect Assets by Managing Retirement Risks As you think about your retirement goals, it’s crucial to also understand and manage six key risks that can impact your financial security in retirement. Those risks include (1) longevity risk and the very real possibility that your retirement income may need to last three or more decades once you stop working; (2) market risk and the chance that a market downturn could significantly impact the amount of money you may have to live on in the future; (3) inflation and tax risk, and how both can take a significant bite out of your budget; (4) health care risk and the damaging affect rapidly increasing medical costs may have on your future financial security; (5) long-term care risk and the possibility that you may require unexpected extended care in the future—that’s not covered by Medicare; and (6) legacy risk and the need to balance your desire to provide for your heirs with the need to fund your own retirement. Step 2: Create Income that Lasts a Lifetime Once you have taken steps to manage against the risks in retirement, you will want to take steps to optimize your income in retirement. An important part of this involves turning all or part of your accumulated assets into a steady, predictable stream of income that can meet your needs throughout your entire lifetime.
A prudent distribution plan doesn’t rest on one scenario, however. It considers the possibility that the economy, the markets and/or your needs may change over time. It factors in all your sources of retirement income, such as Social Security, pensions and any other retirement plans you may have. It provides a strategy to help you prioritize and manage your retirement distribution and rollover options so that you can maximize the potential of both your tax-deferred and taxable accounts. And finally, it considers various planning solutions, such as income annuities, that are specifically designed to provide a foundation of retirement securityby providing a guaranteed income for life. Step 3: Plan for Future Generations For many people, creating a legacy to benefit loved ones, future generations and/or a favorite charitable organization is an important part of their vision for retirement. Some retirees try to plan their charitable giving with the very same assets used to fund retirement. The problem is, this can potentially jeopardize the legacy they hoped to create. Even if you don’t consider yourself wealthy, a well-thought-out plan can help you maintain your lifestyle in retirement while ensuring that your assets go to the people and organizations you want, when
you want. In many cases, permanent life insurance, which provides both the ability to build cash value over time to meet your future cash needs and protection for your heirs, can be an important estate planning tool to make this happen. Don’t go it alone Financial security in retirement is something you can achieve with confidence when you start with a clear vision of what you want in the future and put in place the right combination of tailored solutions to address key risks and optimize income. This is where professional guidance can make a difference. A qualified financial representative can assess your individual circumstances and develop a customized plan designed to generate a lifetime income that can help bring your vision of retirement to life. Article prepared by Northwestern Mutual with the cooperation of Michael T Vendituoli. Michael T Vendituoli is a Financial Representative with Northwestern Mutual, the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and its subsidiaries. Michael T Vendituoli is based in Providence, RI. To contact Michael T Vendituoli, please call (401) 457-2946, e-mail at michael.vendituoli@nm.com, or visit michaelvendituoli.com
What to Expect in Taxes By Mark and Donna Caccia
In December, Congress passed the “Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015”. Although there were no major revisions to tax law in this Act, this tax legislation may affect you and your business. Highlights of this legislation for individuals include: • The ability of individuals at least 70 1/2 years of age to exclude from gross income qualified charitable distributions from IRAs. • A charitable deduction for contributions of real estate for conservation purposes. • Making the American Opportunity Tax Credit permanent. This provision allows for a tax credit of $2,500 per year for the first four years of post-secondary education, but is subject to phase-out if your income exceeds $80,000 if single, or $160,000 if married filing jointly. • Expanding allowable distributions from 529 college savings plans to include computer equipment and technology. • The major changes which may affect your small business include: • Permanently extending the Section 179 expensing allowance to $500,000. This allows small businesses to expense up to $500,000 per year of equipment purchases, rather than having to depreciate the assets over a period of years. • Allowing a 15 year depreciation for qualified leasehold improvements, restaurant, and retail improvement property. If any of these provisions apply to you, please call Mark or Donna Caccia at Cayer Caccia, LLP, 732-8900, to further discuss
how to maximize your tax benefits under this Act.
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What to expect in the 2016 Stock Market By Eduard Hamamjian
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he first week of 2016 started with a big move down in equity prices as a result of geopolitical events in emerging markets and fears of slowing economies worldwide. However, these and other reasons ignore the larger trends influencing markets today. Understanding today’s market-moves requires the study of market history and secular trends that dominate market direction. Most investors are unaware of secular Bull and Bear markets that control long-term direction of markets for significant periods of time. Let’s review the last century of stock market cycles. Classifying Bull markets and Bear markets is necessary to understand their impact on short-term trends. I define secular Bull markets as extended periods or years when the stock market achieves higher highs and higher lows, and Bear markets retreat to lower highs and even lower lows. These extended Bear and Bull markets can last for 8 to 20 years for either market. It is important to remember that the stock market is an auction system made up of millions of investors interacting electronically to achieve the best results for their efforts. People are emotional by nature, often influenced by both the
If you accept the existence of secular market trends, then the question is: where are we in 2016? To understand the answer to this question, let’s review the Bear market that began in the year 2000. The Bear market began in March of 2000 after one of the greatest Bull markets in history (1982-2000); giving investors a 1099% return if they invested in the S&P 500 for that period of time. The Bear market of 2000 began with the busting of the ‘dot com’ bubble and the S&P500 falling in value until October of 2002 with the final low reached in March of 2003 before rising in value for the next four and a half years until October of 2007. The market fell again until March of 2009 before starting its rise to current levels with the market highs reached in May of 2015. The S&P500 did one extraordinary thing that did not happen during the prior fourteen years of the secular Bear market. In May of 2013, it reached the highs achieved in the years 2000 and 2007, but this time, it broke through the ceiling and has continued to rise to current (2016) levels. We believe that the breakout in 2013 was the end of the fourteen year secular Bear market and the beginning of the next secular Bull market. If you have more sellers than buyers in the market, markets will go down; and the reverse is true that if you have more buyers than sellers in the market, it will go up. We believe the market has begun the next secular Bull market that will last another 15 to 20 years.
fear of losing wealth and the greed of not attaining enough wealth; as a result, overbidding for desired stocks will push markets to much higher highs years before ending Bull markets and beginning the Bear markets that follow. There are, of course, other contributing factors, but most secular market trends are driven by the basic human emotions of fear and greed.
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We live in a time of the 24 hour news cycle, in which information that used to be interesting only to professionals is now packaged and highlighted with great graphics and music to investors with sensational entertainment values-- and yes, this might make good television, but it does not make good investors. Enjoy the ride because it’s going to be a long one. Eduard Hamamjian, GeaSphere Advisors, 401-351-4900, Support@geasphere.com
Alpine
Rewards
We are excited to begin Alpine Rewards, a way members can earn points simply by utilizing the Club. A way for the Club to ‘give back’ to all of our members! Beginning this month, similar to other rewards programs, every dollar you spend on applicable purchases earns you 1 point. Once you accumulate a certain number of points, you will hit rewards status levels. Social Membership categories & Golfing Membership categories will have their own status levels with different point totals to reach. Each category is explained below: Golfing Members “Gold Status” - Accumulating 6,500 Alpine Rewards points, you will receive a 5% discount on eligible purchases for the remainder of that calendar year and the following calendar year. “Platinum Status” - Accumulating 10,000 Alpine Rewards points, you will receive a 10% discount on eligible purchases for the remainder of that calendar year and the following calendar year. Social, Dining, Taste of Alpine Members “Gold Status” - Accumulating 1,600 Alpine Rewards points, you will receive a 2.5% discount on eligible purchases for the remainder of that calendar year and the following and following calendar year. “Platinum Status” - Accumulating 3,000 Alpine Rewards points, you will receive a 5% discount on eligible purchases for the remainder of that calendar year and the following calendar year. ‘Applicable Purchases’ to earn Alpine Rewards points include, but are not limited to: guest fees, cart fees, merchandise, food and beverage, tournament entry fees, and member related special event fees. All points are equal to $1 USD. $1 spent is equal to 1 Alpine Rewards point. For every 1,250 Alpine Rewards points earned, golfing members will receive one free Guest Pass. Please feel free to contact the office anytime for questions or concerns about this exciting new program! We hope you enjoy it! 7
Golf Shop Info:
Golf Course Info:
Now that winter is here, it will be very hard to keep your swing in shape. A great way to keep your swing for the 2016 season is to use our Simulator in Pub Amici.
Once the winter weather officially hits, we will be covering the greens; temporary greens will be set up on the front 9 for play when there is no snow cover. We ask you to review the following:
We are starting a new league at the end of January. If you would like to sign up, please contact Brian in the Golf Shop (bschaffer@ alpinecc.com or 401-943-2670 x26). Once we have all the sign ups, we will send out the details on dates and tee time information. If you don’t want to be in the League, that’s OK! We want you and your guests to enjoy the Simulator at your leisure… To book the simulator, just go to AlpineCC.com and login as you normally would. Click on the TEE TIMES tab in the middle/right of the page. Then, on the top of the screen you will see two courses: Alpine and Amici. Select Amici and you can book one hour sessions. Members can always use the simulator for FREE, and guests are $20 per hour, per person. If you would like to host a group or special event we can certainly accommodate for special pricing. The Golf Shop and Bag Room are now closed. The course is walkable as long as there is no snow on the ground. During this time, there will be no formal tee sheet, just first-come first-serve. The Golf Shop will reopen on March 1st. The course will reopen around the same time but it will be weather dependent.
• The uncovered greens will remain open until the ground is frozen • Temporary tees are set for winter play
• When the greens are finally closed, temporary greens are set up on the front 9
• If you decide to play, please wait for frost to clear before heading out.
The Greens Staff and I appreciate your consideration and support. We look forward to seeing you in the spring. Yours in golf, The Greens Staff Scott Gabrielson, CGCS
Dining Hours: January 22nd - March 31st Mondays: Closed Tuesdays: Closed Wednesdays: 11am - 9pm Thursdays: Closed Fridays: 11am - 9pm Saturdays: 4pm - 9pm Sundays: 11am - 5pm Sunday Chicken Dinner from 1/24 – 3/13
Dinner for Two and Parent’s Night Out A Tour of Italy every other Saturday from 1/23 - 3/19
Dinner for Two is getting a face lift this year! Each Dinner for Two night will feature items inspired by a different region of Italy. We will still have the classic options on the menus, but the new ones will take you on a journey from Tuscany to Naples and from Milan to Sicily! Be sure to experience the best that Italy has to offer at every Dinner for Two!
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Please check the online calendar for specific regions and menus.
This Season’s Exciting Member Events! January
Saturday 1/23 Comedy Night Tour of Italy/Parents’ Night Out Friday 1/29 Poker Night
February
Saturday 2/6 Saturday 2/13 Sunday 2/14 Saturday 2/20 Saturday 2/27
March
Tour of Italy/Parents’ Night Out Valentine’s Dinner with Live Music and Complimentary Ballroom Dancing Valentine’s Day Family & Friends Brunch Tour of Italy/Parents’ Night Out Murder Mystery Dinner
Wednesday 3/2 Guest Chef featuring Keith Beck Saturday 3/5 Tour of Italy/Parents’ Night Out Saturday 3/19 St. Joseph’s Day Zeppoles Tour of Italy/Parents’ Night Out Sunday 3/20 Palm Sunday Dinner Sunday 3/27 Easter Dinner
Recipe:
Roasted Salmon & Fennel Bulb with pistachio gremolata 2 medium fennel bulbs, cored and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick wedges 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil (4) 6-oz. skinless salmon fillets 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1/2 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped 1 Tbs. lemon zest 1 Tbs. chopped garlic Kosher Salt and Coarse Black Pepper to taste
Pre heat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil or parchment. On the pan, toss the fennel and onion with the olive oil and a big pinch each of salt and pepper. Spread the fennel evenly and roast until tender and browned at the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
In a medium bowl, mix parsley, pistachios, lemon zest, and garlic to make the gremolata. Add a small splash of olive oil. Serve the salmon and vegetables topped with the gremolata and an extra sprinkling of salt.
Push the fennel into a pile to make a bed for the salmon. Place the fillets on fennel. Space evenly apart, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the salmon is just cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.
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Goals, Plans & Updates Winter Updates: Tyrolean Room
The one space in the building that did not get touched during the renovation a year ago was the Tyrolean Room. We are happy to announce that we will be giving it a much needed face lift this winter! We are going to mirror the dining room with carpet, wood trim and a ‘light and bright’ contemporary feel. The blinds, light fixtures and valances over the windows will also be replaced. Lastly, we are installing permanent TV’s that will serve as more than just standard televisions. They will be wired for presentations so that businesses can rent the room equipped with state-of-the-art technology.
New Wedding Ceremony Site
As Alpine has been the wedding venue location for so many brides and grooms, we often hear one piece of critical feedback that costs the Club revenue. That one item concerns the location of our ceremony site right next to the parking lot. So the team got together to search for a new location and discovered a beautiful open space in the trees between holes 10 and 18. There is a growing trend among brides to get married in a natural environment, and we have discovered that location in the wilderness. This project is minimally invasive; leveling some ground, adding some irrigation and turf. It will be one of the most beautiful sites in Rhode Island to get married.
Welcome New Members! Bryan & Sarah Maroney, Warwick, RI Brian & Kristine Mahone, Exeter, RI Anthony DeFusco & Dale Venturini, Cranston, RI Home Point Financial: Zachary Levesque, Matthew Resnick, Neil Russo, Jonathan DePina Atomic LED: Kyle Wandyes, Mark Natale, Patrick Hannigan, Wayne Bates, Joshua Mountford
Member Announcements Dale Venturini received an Honor Award from the National Organization of Italian American Women on January 10, 2016. She is the President/CEO of the RI Hospitality Association, the RI Hospitality Education Foundation and the Hospitality Training Academy. We are proud to have Dale as a part of the Alpine family!
Fairway Shift Hole 2
Scott and his team have started to mow Hole 2 differently than years past. Previously, if you hit the golf ball in the middle of the fairway it may bound left into the rough. To reduce this unfair result we have decided to shift the fairway left about 10 yards. We will bring the rough down on the right so that we are not expanding the fairway, simply shifting it. This will allow a good shot to be rewarded instead of penalized.
Pool Resurface
If you frequent the pool, it was pretty obvious this year that it is in desperate need of a face lift. Specifically to the pool itself - the tile work, base of the pool and the walls. We are having it all resurfaced, painted and tiled. This will make it look brand new again! These projects are only possible because of your support. We hope to continue these types of improvements every year to keep your Club current and exciting!