THE
CREEK August 2022
STAFF DIRECTORY & CLUB HOURS Please note that we have recently updated our direct line phone numbers. Joel Inman - General Manager/COO jinman@laurelcreek.org | (856) 291-9702 Elisha Carson - Controller ecarson@laurelcreek.org | (856) 291-9703 Patty Fagan - Director of Membership pfagan@laurelcreek.org | (856) 291-9706 Erin Schafer - Director of Events eschafer@laurelcreek.org | (856) 291-9707 Karen Wright Clubhouse Manager kwright@laurelcreek.org | (856) 291-9711 John Geller - Service Director jgeller@laurelcreek.org | (856) 291-9713 Nevada Groulx - Director of Communications ngroulx@laurelcreek.org | (856) 291-9715
Golf Course
Tuesday to Thursday 8:00 a.m. - Sunset Friday 7:30 a.m. - Sunset Saturday & Sunday 7:00 a.m. - Sunset
Pro Shop
Tuesday to Friday 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Saturday & Sunday 6:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Dining
Tuesday thru Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
John Slade - Director of Golf Course Operations jslade@laurelcreek.org | (856) 291-9713
Saturday & Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Bob Hennefer, PGA - Head Golf Professional bhennefer@laurelcreek.org | (856) 291-9712
Tennis
Courts are open for play Peter Rosenblatt - Executive Chef prosenblatt@laurelcreek.org | (856) 291-9710 Carol MacLennan - Director of Tennis cmaclennan@laurelcreek.org | (856) 291-9722 Mike Holak - Pool Manager mholak@laurelcreek.org | (856) 291-9723
FRONT DESK | (856) 291-9701 PRO SHOP DIRECT LINE | (856) 291-9718
Pool & Oasis
Pool: Open 7 Days a Week from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. until Labor Day. Oasis Food Service: 11:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Oasis Bar: 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The Creek Creamery: 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. On the Cover: Women’s Club Champion Erin Lo defends her Club Champion Title once again!
BOARD OF
TRUSTEES Daniel Bianco President
Troy Hopper Vice President
John Venne Treasurer
Michael Hughey Secretary
Scott Duman
Sean Fox
Erich Herkloz
Troy Hopper
Dean Kramer
John Higgins
Greg Markus
Gene Martin
Ken Zimmer
Joel Inman
GENERAL MANAGER
O
ver the past few years, aside from the weather it wasn’t easy to tell when spring ended, and summer began. The golf course, restaurant and pool were busy most every day as members were staying close to home and enjoying their time here at the club. Pre-Covid it was pretty clear…as soon as the weather turned nice, people headed to the shore and took their summer vacations. Well it looks like we’ve returned to those pre-Covid times.
complex, is a great spot to swing by, grab a pizza, enjoy some live music (Thursday nights), or hang out on Sundays with our DJ blasting some summer tunes. The Creamery, also at the pool complex, is our very own little ice cream shop that has soft serve, water ice, housemade chipwiches and an incredible peanut butter sundae! Having dinner at the club? Great…get dessert at the Creamery! Simply stroll on down after dinner and enjoy your favorite ice cream.
Regardless of whether you are choosing to stay close to home this summer, or taking some time away, make sure you keep your eye open for the exciting things we have going on. One of the bigger events this summer is “The Mentalist” on July 30th. Eric Dittleman from America’s Got Talent is an incredible show to watch. Also the Oasis, at the pool
Regardless of whether you are staying close to home this summer or heading out on a great family vacation, all of us here hope you have an incredible time this summer and we’ll see you around the club soon.
MEMBERSHIP
Patty Fagan D I RE C TOR OF M E M B E RS H I P
O
ne of my favorite things about summertime at the club is seeing the smiling faces of the children enjoying the many camps and junior programs that we offer. The best part of my day would be the all the high fives and fist pumps I receive from the KE Campers as they pass by my office heading out to one of their fun activities. I’ve had the pleasure of watching many of these kids grow up over the years, some who were just babies when they first joined and others who were born after their parents became members. The memories that they will make at the club will no doubt be everlasting. One day when they are adults, they’ll look back and be grateful to you, their parents for the opportunity to be part of such a special community. Which brings me to tell you about Erica Yaszemski who recently joined Laurel Creek Country Club. Erica was nine years old when her parents, Eric & Susan Yaszemski joined
LCCC in 1997 and are still members today. Erica recalls weekly dinners at the clubhouse with her parents, family parties with her grandparents and fond memories of attending Dance Assembly. There were endless summer days spent at the pool which included a very special Sweet 15 birthday party with all her friends. Erica eventually aged out of her parents’ membership but would occasionally join them for dinner or attend holiday events. In 2014, Erica got engaged to Drew O’Toole and a year later had her bridal shower at the club which remains today as one of her favorite LC memories. Now Erica O’Toole, she and her husband Drew are the proud parents of a two-yearold son named Eric and looking forward to giving their son the same gift that her parents gave to her— wonderful memories at Laurel Creek Country Club that he will cherish forever.
GOLF
Bob Hennefer H E AD GOL F PROF ESSI O N A L CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2022 CLUB CHAMPIONS
Erin Lo Women’s Club Champion
Brian Wigoda Palmer/Medal Club Champion
Terri Corbo Mickey Wright Flight Champion
Mike Sinko Medal Club Champion
Brad Mills Men’s Club Champion
Savannah Laverty 13 & Under Junior Club Champion
Steve Kavney Palmer Club Champion
Carson Thompson Junior Club Champion
All of our Champions earned a seat at the Champions Dinner this November, Congratulations to all of the competitors, thank you for a great Championship!
LCWGA
T
he sky was the bluest, the grass was the greenest, the company was the most enjoyable – all contributed to a winning Member-Member event on June 22. Eileen Ramasamy not only put together a fabulous event with the collaboration of Eileen Burke, but she and her team mate Christine Normand snagged the 18-hole overall prize for the competition. Ineke Daniels and Lisa Caruso, in hot pursuit, won second place overall. In 9-hole world, the tenacious team of Mary Heselton and Susan Studley brought home the 1st prize honors and Jaquie Ebert and Donna Collabella claimed not only second prize but best props for their fabulously coordinated outfits! Jaquie and Eileen Ramasamy also won closes to the pin two weeks in a row and 9 holers Laura Venne and Dana Phipps won longest drive in weeks one and two respectively. Blessing and Caruso won longest drive for the 18 holers in weeks one and two. Congratulations to the winners and to all of the golfers, seasoned and newbie, who came out to play! In other news, LCWGA hosted Jersey Girls at our club with Little Mills, Medford Lakes, Medford Village and Tavistock. The team of Blessing, Caruso, Daniels, Normand, Ramasamy and Taras represented Laurel Creek and on last count, are ranking first for the season. The competition continues! And, finally, on July 20 -- a day when you could fry an egg on the sidewalk -- the valiant women of six golf clubs met for the Laurel Creek Invitational. More on this event in the next newsletter but a well-earned congratulation to out tireless organizer Lynne Sergi and to the following first place winners: Anne Cantwell, Eileen Megaw and our own Gloria Duenas. Happy golfing!
FOOD & BEVERAGE
Karen Wright CLUBHOUSE MANAGER
W
ith temperatures in the high nineties and heat indexes well over 100 degrees we are all looking for ways to cool off. So why not cool off with a dip in our renovated salt water pool or a frozen drink at the “Oasis” bar. If you just want to dine at the club, why not stop over between 4 and 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and enjoy “Happy Hour” in the Pub followed by live music on Fridays and Saturdays. Remember, there is always something going on at the Creek
SO MUCH IS HAPPENING AT THE CLUB! SUNDAES AND BANANA SPLITS @ THE CREEK CREAMERY MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY 11:00 A.M. – 8:00 P.M.
WEEKEND BUTCHER BOX BEGINNING AUGUST 5TH PERFECT FOR THE BACK YARD OR THE BEACH! MORE INFORMATION ON THE APP!
PIZZA & WINE Every Saturday at the “Oasis” between 5:00 -7:30 p.m. All pizzas are $10 and select wines $6
WINE & CHARCUTERIE TRAY “TO GO” WHAT A GREAT GIFT! 2 BOTTLES OF WINE, IMPORTED MEATS & ARTISAN CHEESES ON REUSABLE ACACIA WOOD SERVING BOARD $75. MORE INFO CAN BE FOUND ON THE APP.
KID’S CLUB IS NOW ON SATURDAYS BEGINNING ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 6TH 5:00 TO 8:30 P.M.
CHEF’S CORNER
Pete Rosenblatt EXECU T I VE CHEF JERSEY TOMATO & CORN GAZPACHO Yields 2.5 quarts 3 large ripe Jersey tomatoes 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1 cup fresh raw corn kernels, cut from 2 ears of corn ¼ cup red onion, chopped 1 small clove garlic, peeled 1 ½ inch slice of Italian bread or baguette 2 tbsp cilantro leaves 2 tbsp basil leaves 1 quart tomato juice ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp. sherry vinegar Salt and black pepper to taste
LORI SOLOMENTO BANQUET SERVER
Thank you, Lori for all that you do!
Working in batches, puree all of the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Chill for 2 hours before serving. Garnish with diced avocado and a drizzle of good olive oil. Enjoy!
RACQUETS
Carol MacLennan DI REC TOR OF TE N N I S SUMMER TENNIS MIXER We had a small but very competitive crowd at the July Mixer at the courts. Fun tennis was had by all followed by dinner and cold beverages at the courts. Thanks to all who came out to play.
JUNIOR TENNIS Reminder for all kids at Laurel Creek. There’s more time to play summer tennis at LCCC. Join us for Summer Tennis Camp. Camp runs until August 26th. JUNIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS Registration is open in the app for Junior Club Championships. Ages 8 and under – RED BALL (Kids must be able to serve, rally and keep score on the Red Court) Ages 10 and under – ORANGE BALL (60 foot Court) Ages 12 and under – GREEN BALL – (Full Court) All Ages – YELLOW BALL JUNIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE COURTS LCCC Pickleball League - Every Tuesday night at 6 pm. Registration is limited. Sign up in advance Family Pizza Night at the Courts – Thursday, August 18th – 6 pm. Bring the family for a fun night of tennis at the courts. Men’s Night Out – Thursday, September 8th – 6 pm. Here’s a great opportunity to play competitive doubles and enjoy dinner and cold brews at the courts. Guests are welcome! GUEST FEE REMINDER Please take a minute to sign in your guest using the “Bring A Guest” tab on the app. We “app”-reciate it!! DRESS CODE REMINDER Tennis Shoes and proper attire required at the courts. This includes Tennis, Pickleball and Basketball courts.
ON THE COURSE
John Slade D IR E C TO R OF G O L F C O UR S E O P ER A T I ONS The course received approximately 50% more rain than average in June, so it probably shouldn’t have been much of a surprise that July was going to be payback time. With one week left in the month, we are way behind in precipitation, with only 28% of the normal rainfall total for July-which has also clearly lived up to being the hottest month of the year. Yes, you might not be aware (if you happen to be a cave dweller), but it has been just a tad warm of late... This extreme weather combination of high temperatures and lack of rain, makes water management critical. Striking the right balance between too wet and too dry during this kind of weather pattern is challenging to say the least.
Most of the golf course, if allowed to dry down and go dormant, will recover without issue when temperatures moderate and available moisture returns to the root zone. However, areas which go dormant and then have to deal with stresses such as cart traffic, may become severely damaged. On the other hand, since water is a great conductor of heat, saturated soils can be no better for the turf than dry, with the potential for rapid root loss. Additionally, the course’s predominantly short-rooted Poa annua greens are constructed primarily of well-draining sand, and will not last long if allowed to dry down. Hand watering, checking sprinkler arcs and adjusting run times are currently a fulltime job for several staff members.
Upcoming Events SUN
MON 1
7 Live DJ Music at The Pool
14 Live DJ Music at The Pool
21 Live DJ Music at The Pool
28 Live DJ Music at The Pool
8
15
22
29
TUES 2 $22 Tuesday Wine & Dinner Specials
9 $22 Tuesday Wine & Dinner Specials
16 $22 Tuesday Wine & Dinner Specials
23 $22 Tuesday Wine & Dinner Specials
30 $22 Tuesday Wine & Dinner Specials
WED THURS 3 Raft Night at The Pool
10 Raft Night at The Pool
17 Raft Night at The Pool
24 Raft Night at The Pool
31 Raft Night at The Pool
4 Thirsty Thursday at The Oasis with Modern Mojo
11 Thirsty Thursday at The Oasis with Jeff Selby Duo
18 Thirsty Thursday at The Oasis with Kenny Curcio
25 Thirsty Thursday at The Oasis with TBD
AUGUST FRI 5 Live Music: Chris Stevens Band Frozen Drink Friday at The Oasis
SAT 6 Prime Rib Night Pizza & Wine at The Pool Live Music: Dennis Matthews
12 13 Live Music: Prime Rib Oliver Dagum NIght Frozen Drink Friday at The Oasis
Pizza & Wine at The Pool
19 Live Music: Class A Kings
20 Prime Rib NIght
Frozen Drink Friday at The Oasis
Pizza & Wine at The Pool
26 Live Music: Michaela McClain
27 Prime Rib NIght
Frozen Drink Friday at The Oasis
Live Music: Doug Jennings
Live Music: Chris Stevens Band
Pizza & Wine at The Pool Live Music: Joe Parker
SEPTEMBER SUN
MON
TUES
WED THURS 1 Thirsty Thursday at The Oasis with The Jeff Selby
4 Labor Day Pool Party & BBQ
5 Labor Day Pool Party & BBQ
6 $22 Tuesday Wine & Dinner Specials
7
11
12
13 $22 Tuesday Wine & Dinner Specials
14
20 $22 Tuesday Wine & Dinner Specials
21
27 $22 Tuesday Wine & Dinner Specials
28
18
25
19
26
8
FRI
SAT
2 Live Music: Chris Stevens
3 Prime Rib NIght
Frozen Drink Friday at The Oasis
Pizza & Wine at The Pool Live Music: Carl Filbert
9 10 Live Music: Prime Rib Oliver Dagum NIght Live Music: Kelly LaVigna
15
16 Live Music: Class A Kings
17 Prime Rib NIght Live Music: Chris Stevens Band
22
29
23 Live Music: Michaela McClain
30 Live Music: Doug Jennings
24 Prime Rib NIght Live Music: Brat
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