The Creek News February 2023

THE CREEK

STAFF DIRECTORY & CLUB HOURS

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

John Slade - Director of Golf Course Operations jslade@laurelcreek.org | (856) 291-9713

Bob Hennefer, PGA - Head Golf Professional bhennefer@laurelcreek.org | (856) 291-9712

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 | (856) 291-9718

Golf Course

Tuesday to Thursday

8:00 a.m. - Sunset

Friday 8:00 a.m. - Sunset

Saturday & Sunday 8:00 a.m. - Sunset

Pro Shop

Tuesday to Friday 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Dining

Tuesday thru Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Tennis Courts are open for play

Pool & Oasis Closed for the Season

On the Cover: Thank you to the Controvich family for this lovely photo from the Father & Daughter Dance.

Joel Inman

GENERAL MANAGER

Poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, “And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.”

Very appropriate for how we are starting this new year. Each year we all get excited about the possibilities of what the new year bring. Maybe more so this year for a few different reasons.

One of the new projects the staff and management are undertaking is a large project of switching our software to Northstar. For anyone who has ever undertaken a project like this, they understand how difficult and time consuming it is. Every single thing that happens at the club impacts or is impacted by our operating software. So, I’m sure you’re asking yourself ”why?” Why would we want to switch operating systems, if the one we currently have has managed to work for us? The simple answer is that the new software will provide you with a more robust experience. We will have a new website, app and other features that will have a positive impact on you and how you use the club. While you will still be able to book a tee time, dining reservation, or sign up for an event, additional features such as getting your check at the restaurant on your phone will now be available. Having your car retrieved from the valet will be done through the app. A new feed feature on the app will allow us the ability to better communicate with you. Yes you will need to install a new app and log in, however we will have a video that shows how it’s done and we will, of course, be ready to assist in any way we can. Please keep your eyes open over the course of the next month as we send videos on all of the app’s features as our go-live date for this is March 1st.

The second exciting thing we are offering this year is our new partnership with Escape Fitness. Escape Fitness is located at 2036 Briggs Rd Suite 300 in Mt Laurel Township. Until we have a fitness offering here at the club, Escape has offered our membership a discounted rate to use their facility. Also Christian Lee will be a fitness/wellness contributor to our newsletters. Please look out for the details being sent to you directly.

As we continue to find ways to be a green as possible, I’m excited to announce that we will be installing a solar array over the employee/lower level parking lot. While this will not bring us to 100% carbon neutral, it will help us as we start down this journey of going green and doing right by the environment as well as right by the club and it’s future. This project will create approximately 550,000Kwh of power that will be added back into the grid. The amount that it produces is based upon the amount of electricity the clubhouse consumes each year. This is only our first step as we continue to find ways in which to be more green and environmentally conscious.

One of the last things that are new for this year, and one I’m the most excited about, is our newest dining offering: Blu. The concept behind Blu is to provide you with an upscale, “Philly style” restaurant without having to travel into Philly to experience it. Chef Pete will create a new and exciting menu geared more towards those that want their meal to be the experience for the night. Blu will provide a more detailed service experience and will be opened initially only Friday and Saturday nights. One of the more exciting features of Blu will be the “Chef’s table”. This table will be in the kitchen itself so those that reserve this table will be able to see all that goes on inside of a professional kitchen. On top of that, it will offer those that reserve it the option of ordering off of Blu’s menu, or they can have our Chefs create a unique menu just for them. We are anticipating the grand opening of Blu sometime mid-April, so keep on the lookout for more information.

Thank you for your continued support of the club and I look forward to seeing you all in 2023!

Patty Fagan

DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP

With 2022 under wraps, we have begun planning for a successful and eventful 2023. We kicked things off in January with one of my favorite events, our annual Father & Daughter dance. The Club looked fantastic and the proud dads and their daughters had a fun-filled evening, despite having the Eagles playoff game at the same time.

Even though February is the shortest month of the year, there are plenty of reasons to come to the Club. Saturday, February 4th is our second annual “Galentine’s Brunch & Bubbly” followed by Valentine’s Day not far behind. We’ve also planned a wonderful Antinori Wine Dinner on the 23rd. But February is more than just romance, roses and wine. It’s the SUPERBOWL! Come join us on Sunday, February 12th to cheer on the Eagles with your fellow members. The party starts at 4 PM with a tailgate menu and drink specials in the Pub. E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles!

Ladies, I’m excited to announce that our Drag Queen Designer Bag Bingo is all set for Wednesday, March 1st. Registration will open on Saturday, Febraury 11th at 10:00 a.m. and due to the popularity of this event and its limited seating, this is for members only. March will also include Dueling Pianos (Friday, March 10th) and our Mother & Daughter Tea (Saturday, March 25th). Details coming soon.

Our goal with the LCCC team is to continue hosting fun events, engaging with other members, and making your experience enjoyable and active. Stay connected by opening our weekly emails, reading our newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram.

As for membership, we are pleased to welcome many new families who were approved in December and January. Please check out all the new faces in the following pages. If you have a friend or colleague interested in joining the Laurel Creek family, there are memberships available for House, Social and even full golf. Yes, it’s true! There are three golf memberships available for 2023 and once they are taken, we’ll add names to the golf wait list for 2024.

Hugs, kisses and Valentine’s wishes,

Patty Fagan

NEW MEMBERS

Donna & Jim McHugh

Doug Ball

Howard & Emily Orel

Jennifer & Chris Baxter

The Cox Family

The Gubitosi Family

The Rasheed FamilyThe O’Neil Family

The Shah Family

The Wang Family

The Florio Family

The Herbster Family

The Keating Family

The McCann Family

The Zaveri Family

Karen Harkaway & Michael Grace

The Gor Family

The Rumpff Family

Bob Hennefer

HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL

On behalf of the entire Professional Staff, we hope everyone had a great holiday season and a Happy New Year! Spring is just around the corner and we can’t wait to see you out golfing again soon. We’re excited to welcome back our key staff members and for you to meet some new faces.

We look forward to making every day you visit the club a memorable one in 2023!

Brett Fernandes 1st Assistant Professional

Glen Gardner Assistant Professional/ Tournament Director

Matt DiEleuterio Assistant Golf Professional

Butch Beri Outside Services Manager

Kyle Sander Outside Services Manager

David Quinn Director of Instruction

John Appleget Teaching Professional/Junior Golf Leader

Bob Hennefer, PGA Head Golf Professional

Movement quality is an important component in sports performance and fitness in general. As a biomechanics specialist with over 20 years experience and an avid golfer himself, Christian Lee understands the movement patterns for his clients and how to enhance their abilities.

“In sports such as golf, athletes are always striving for consistent and repeatable movements. It is important to understand that in order to create such movement, athletes must prepare their body to be able to produce such a desired task. Without working on your body movement quality, it becomes a difficult task to repeat and create the swing patterns.

For example, we understand that when we create hip to shoulder separation, we can create more potential energy to swing faster and in result we will hit the ball farther. On the contrary, if you have hard time controlling your hip during backswing, it is much more difficult to get the efficient separation needed.

Take the time to work on your body so that you can find your desired swings. Move better, feel better, perform better.” - Christian Lee

Laurel Creek is excited to team with Escape Fitness in Mount Laurel for all of your health and fitness needs! Escape Fitness offers packages to choose from to get your new year off to the right start. Call (856) 581-9120 to schedule a tour or for more information.

FOOD & BEVERAGE Karen Wright

CLUBHOUSE MANAGER

Everyone loves being recognized for their achievements and it is also something that is very important to the management team at Laurel Creek. We want to make sure that our team knows what an important part of our daily operation they are. We also want them to have an opportunity to be acknowledged for their hard work and dedication. So, how do we accomplish this? On a monthly basis employees are nominated by department heads for “Employee of the Month”. The monthly winners then have an opportunity to be selected as “Employee of the Year”. January, the management team at Laurel Creek discusses which employees should be recognized for their outstanding efforts throughout the previous year. We vote, and an “Employee of the Year” is selected. In addition to “Employee of the Year”, each department, has their own awards. So, there are many ways for employees to be recognized.

This year, I am delighted to announce that an employee from the Food and Beverage team has won the coveted title of “Employee of the Year”. The winner is Lori Solometo. Lori was our employee of the month winner for May. Please be sure to congratulate these employees when you see them around the club.

MEET OUR 2022 FOOD & BEVERAGE AND CLUBHOUSE STANDOUT EMPLOYEES!

Marta Delia Barrera Montoya

CLUBHOUSE AMBASSADOR

Lori Solometo

EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

Tyler Conklin

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Anthony Scerati

SILVER SERVICE AWARD

WENTZELL

Pete Rosenblatt

EXECUTIVE CHEF

KOREAN BBQ CHICKEN WINGS

The Korean Wings on the Grill menu at LCCC have been popular this spring. In this recipe the wings are marinated, grilled and then tossed with sesame seeds, scallion and a sweet and spicy glaze. These easy to prepare wings can be prepped a day in advance and are sure to be a hit on game day or your next summer barbeque.

Wings: yields 6 portions

4 pounds fresh chicken wings, separated at the joint

2 tbs minced ginger

1 tbs minced garlic

¼ cup soy sauce

3 tbs vegetable oil

¼ cup sliced scallion

1 tbs black sesame seeds

Glaze:

2 tbs minced ginger

2 tbs minced garlic

1 tbs sriracha hot sauce

½ cup soy sauce

½ cup honey

3 tbs brown sugar

2 tbs white vinegar

1 ½ tbs sesame oil

Method:

1. Wings: In a large bowl combine the wings with 2 tbs ginger, 2 tbs garlic, ¼ cup soy sauce, and 3 tbs vegetable oil, toss evenly and marinate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

2. Glaze: In a small pot over medium heat, sweat ginger and garlic in sesame oil for 30 seconds, add remaining ingredients, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Reserve.

3. Grill wing over medium heat for approximately 5 to 7 minutes per side or until lightly charred, and cooked through. In a large bowl combine cooked wings with the glaze, ¼ cup scallion and 1 tbs black sesame seeds. Toss the wings evenly to coat and serve.

Carol MacLennan

DIRECTOR OF TENNIS

Happy New Year! Thanks to a mild winter so far, there’s been lots of activity at the Pickleball courts. For you cold weather Picklers, here’s an interesting fact from the Harvard Health Medical School Blog:

“Exercising in colder temperatures offers many advantages. In colder temperatures, your heart doesn’t have to work as hard, you sweat less, and expend less energy, all of which means you can exercise more efficiently. Studies also have shown that exercising in cold weather can transform white fat, specifically belly and thigh fat, into calorie burning brown fat. However, cold muscles are at a greater risk for strains and injuries, so make sure to warm up before playing.”

Attention all Ladies Tennis Players

Did you know that Laurel Creek has three teams in the Women’s Inter-club Tennis Association of Philadelphia? This prestigious league dates back to 1899 with almost 50 clubs participating in the Greater Philadelphia area. Team members represent Laurel Creek competing in fun yet challenging matches. We host visiting teams at Laurel Creek and travel to clubs in Philadelphia for away matches. We are always looking for team members and would love to have you! Matches are played on Mondays (Team Cup 6) and Wednesdays (Team Cup D and G) based on your level of play. The season runs from April thru June. What a perfect way to improve your game and meet new members!

Please contact Marianne Sims Kellogg for more information at (267) 240-1341 or mysimskellogg@gmail.com

Join us for “Thirsty Third Thursdays”

All Tennis players and their spouses are invited to meet in the Pub for a casual happy hour the third Thursday of every month at 6:30 pm. Enjoy drinks, bar bites and tennis talk!

New Guest Policy

We are happy to see the tennis and pickleball courts active through the winter with members and their guests. However, starting in 2023, the board has instituted a limit to the number of times a guest may play at the courts. A guest may play no more than ten times. The Adult Guest Fee per visit is $10.00 and is charged to the member’s account. We hope you understand and respect this decision. Any violations will be brought to the grievance committee.

Stay tuned for more fun tennis and pickleball opportunities this spring!

ON THE COURSE John Slade

DIRECTOR OF GOLF COURSE OPERATIONS

While we were hit with some bitterly cold weather pre-Christmas, thus far, January has been quite mild. Because of this, the covers on the putting greens have not been a “set it and forget it” for the bulk of the winter. In fact, most weeks, the team has pulled the covers at least one time, whether it’s for mowing and rolling the green at the range, or applying a fertilizer or fungicide to the seeded Clubhouse C68 putting green.

When we have forecast low temperatures remaining at 40 degrees or above, we will typically leave the covers off for the night. As you can see, the sodded putting green has been enjoying the warmth that the blanket provides.