THE
CREEK MAY 2021
STAFF DIRECTORY & CLUB HOURS Joel Inman General Manager/COO jinman@laurelcreek.org
Golf Course Tuesday to Friday 8:00 a.m. - Sunset
Elisha Carson Controller ecarson@laurelcreek.org
Saturday & Sunday 7:30 a.m. - Sunset
Patty Fagan Director of Membership pfagan@laurelcreek.org
Pro Shop
Erin Schafer Director of Events eschafer@laurelcreek.org John Geller Clubhouse Manager jgeller@laurelcreek.org Nevada Groulx Director of Communications ngroulx@laurelcreek.org John Slade Director of Golf Course Operations jslade@laurelcreek.org Bob Hennefer, PGA Head Golf Professional bhennfer@laurelcreek.org Peter Rosenblatt Executive Chef prosenblatt@laurelcreek.org Carol MacLennan Director of Tennis cmaclennan@laurelcreek.org Mike Holak Pool Manager mholak@laurelcreek.org
Tuesday to Friday 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Saturday & Sunday 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Dining
Tuesday thru Friday 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
Closed for the season
BOARD OF
TRUSTEES Daniel Bianco President
Sean Fox Vice President
Scott Duman Treasurer
Troy Hopper Secretary
Erich Herkloz
John Higgins
Michael Hughey
Gene Martin
Mark Muir
Tony Palmer
John Venne
Ken Zimmer
Joel Inman GE NE RAL M ANA G E R “Blossom by Blossom the Spring Begins” We can see it happen here each day. As the weather breaks, things slowly start to change here. We start to see the trees bud, the flowers start to bloom, new team members arrive, the golf course gets green, and the best part…members start to spend more time here. It all happens slowly, but before you know it…it’s here! Along with these things we are feverishly working to get our capital projects either completed or started, depending on what the project is. For example I started the new Cabana Restaurant building in November of 2020 and just this week we were able to put a shovel in the ground. With a lot of luck and some dogged persistence I hope to have it ready for the pool season. And just like that, with each blossom that blooms, we look around and realize spring is here and how lucky we are all to be able to experience all that it offers. I’d like to take this time to welcome all of the new members into our family. Over the past 12 months we have seen an incredible amount of interest for membership. So much so that just this past month, the Board of Trustees has decided on capping our golfing membership classifications. This will be the first time in our club’s history that we have done this. And even though golfing memberships are full, we are still welcoming in new House and Social members. So, thank you to all of our members that have helped us achieve this milestone by referring their friends, family and neighbors. We couldn’t have done it without you. Lastly, I hope everyone has enjoyed our videos regarding our expectations on the course. If you haven’t seen them please visit our Vimeo (search Laurel Creek Country Club). I also ask that everyone make themselves familiar with our Dress Code. Too often I see members and their guests dining in the restaurant not adhering to our rules. Please help us make everyone’s time here more enjoyable by following our dress code. You can find a copy of our dress code on our website and on our app. Thank you and I hope to see you all at the club.
MEMBERSHIP
Patty Fagan D I REC TOR OF M EM BERS H I P
T
here is an undeniable energy felt throughout the club lately. The warm weather really seems to have lifted everyone’s spirits and it has been lovely to see all the golf and tennis members enjoying their time outdoors. Membership interest remains high, and it is no secret that this is the club that families want to join. As I mentioned last month, we are at a wait list for golf but House and Social memberships are still available. If you have friends who are interested in joining before the summer season, please let them know that the process for joining can take up to 30 days. If you’d like information on membership to pass along, just give me call or send me an email. I’m sure you’ve noticed many new faces around the club. I’d like to take a moment and welcome all the families who were recently approved membership. We are so excited to have you part of the Laurel Creek Family. If you are new to LCCC, please attend one of our monthly New Member Orientations where you will meet the team, learn all the “ins and outs” of membership, the activities offered and events held throughout the year. It is a great way to meet some new friends while enjoying some complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. The next date for orientation will be Saturday, May 15th at 5 pm. Please register for this event on the mobile app. Have you downloaded the new LCCC App? It is the best way to stay connected and not miss out on upcoming events at the club. If you need help with the App, see the instructions on this page or give me a call and I’d be happy to walk you through the steps. I can’t wait to see you at the club!
Your user name is your member number, please include any zeros that are a part of your member number as seen on your billing statement. Your password is your last name (all lowercase). Spouses: Simply add an “A” after your member number. Your password is the same as noted above.
Welcome
OUR NEW MEMBERS TO THE LCCC FAMILY
Barbara & Alberto McGregor Nichole & Kevin Patullo
The DiGerolamo Family
Brent & Carla Sheppard The Wasdyke Family The Camaratta Family
Jacob & Holly Ballarotto
The Esser Family
Rawan & Michael Friel The Pello Family
Sameer Khandhar & Anu Munshi
Mesveskas Family
The Arora Family
GOLF
Bob Hennefer
I
H E AD GOL F PROF ESSI O N A L
t’s still early, but it’s been April was a busy month, and we’re excited to keep it rolling! Let’s take a look back on April and then get a glance at what we have in the month ahead. A Look Back We hosted our first few events of the season, beginning with the Masters Par 3 Contest, Ladies Opening Day, Men’s Opening Day, and our Spring Member-Member. Congratulations to all of our winners! Our ladies clinics are in full swing and we’ve started our Operation 36 Junior Program as well. As we move into the season, we have a full calendar of events, and we hope you find something you enjoy! Next, we have welcomed two new faces to the professional staff. Josh Thibeault comes to us from Deerwood Country Club and is serving as our Player Services Manager. Please also extend a welcome to Brett Fernandes from Woodcrest Country Club as our First Assistant Professional. Please extend your warmest welcome to them the next time you are at the club. We have a great team and are excited for the season to continue! May at a Glance Looking to get some new clubs? We have a full slate of Fitting Experiences where you can get fit for the best equipment for your game! May will also conclude our annual Men’s and Women’s GAP Matches. Our Ladies 30 & 3 Clinics will begin on Tuesday evenings, all sign ups can be made through the app. Please let us know, how we can continue to make your experience enjoyable!
Josh Thibeault
Brett Fernandes
LCWGA
M
other Nature was good to us this year for our opening day scramble on April 14th, and complied with this year’s slogan “Things Can Only Get Better.” Thanks once again to Susan Kaufman for chairing the festivities. The cocktail party, golf and luncheon were enjoyed by all the participants. Congratulations to the first place team of Eileen Burke, Chrissy Duman, MaryAnn Stack and Susan Studley. The second place team was Rita Gordon, Eileen Ramasamy, Kelly Redcay and Lisa Sindorf. Closest to the pin was won by Stephanie Moccia and Eileen Ramasamy won longest drive. We welcome Martha Harris, Joanne Seltzer, and Linda Toogood to the LCWGA! Martha and Joanne will be playing with the 9 holers and Linda will be playing with the 18 holers. The WGAP team matches started on April 27th in beautiful sunny weather, stay tuned for the results of their season. UPCOMING LADIES GOLF EVENTS
Wednesday May 19th President’s Cup (first round) – don’t need to be a member of LCWGA and don’t need to play first round this day Wednesday May 26th First Round of Jersey Girls at Medford Lakes CC (email blessinggolfs@gmail.com for more info and to sign up) Friday May 28th First Mixed Twilight of the season Monday May 31st Mixed Memorial day Tournament Wednesday June 2nd First round Secretary’s Cup (first round partner event) – don’t need to be a member of LCWGA and don’t need to play first round this day.
FOOD & BEVERAGE
John Geller C L U B HOU SE M ANAG E R AN INTERVIEW WITH
Anthony
Scerati
KITCHEN FOOD RUNNER
How long have you worked at LCCC? Coming up this June, I will have been at LCCC for 6 years. I know you are a great bowler. How many perfect games have you had? Did you ever want to become a professional bowler? I am currently 29 years old and started bowling when I was 3 years old. I have bowled 33 - 300 games and shot over 800 for a 3 game series twice (801 and 803). I started bowling competitively around the age of 10 when I started competing in higher level leagues and numerous tournaments across the state and country. Bowling professional is something I have always dreamed of doing as a kid and still to this day. What is the best piece of advice you have been given? The best piece of advice I have been given and live by everyday is to give your 110% in anything you do, even on your worse day. Your worst effort is better than not even trying at all.
Who had the most influence on you growing up? Growing up, my parents have had the most influence on me. They have given me all the tools and knowledge I need to succeed in everyday life activities. Respect is my most important trait I could ever give someone, and as cliche as it sounds, we all should respect each other the way we want to be treated. What is your favorite sport to watch, and which team do you root for? I enjoy watching pretty much any sport on television. My favorite sports to watch are baseball, football (preferably college football), bowling, golf, and horse racing. I root for the Yankees in baseball and the Giants in football. I also enjoying watching Justin Thomas and Justin Rose compete on the PGA Tour. What would we most likely find you doing on the weekend? When I’m not working, I enjoy visiting Wildwood or Atlantic City, playing golf, riding my bike, going to a racetrack, or just relaxing in the backyard listening to music.
CHEF’S CORNER
Pete Rosenblatt EXECU T I VE CHEF GUACAMOLE 4-6 SERVINGS
3 RIPE AVOCADOS, MASHED 2 PLUM TOMATOES, SEEDED AND DICED 1 LARGE LIME, JUICED ¼ CUP RED ONION, DICED 3 TBSP CILANTRO, CHOPPED 1 SMALL JALAPENO, MINCED SALT TO TASTE Combine all ingredients and mix well. Season to taste. Enjoy with tortilla chips and a margarita! *Can be made up to 8 hours in advance. Cover the surface tightly with plastic wrap to avoid discoloring.
LUKE KRINGLER
ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT
Thank you, Luke! For all that you do!
RACQUETS
Carol MacLennan DI RE C TOR OF TEN N I S Let’s Talk Tennis…Singles vs. Doubles…which game suits you better? Doubles is a very different game from singles. Doubles is a game of court position and shot selection and creating opportunities for your partner at the net. Doubles tactics are quite different from singles. Singles requires lots of patience! You want to move your opponent around at the baseline and patiently wait for your opportunity to close in to the net. In other words, you must be aggressively patient. However, in doubles, the strategy is quite the opposite. You want to get in and attack the net as soon as possible. So think patiently aggressive! Singles players rely heavily on powerful ground strokes from the baseline. Successful doubles players rely on a solid approach shot and a variety of shots at the net including power volleys, drop volleys and overheads depending on your court position. From behind the service line, think about volleying deep to the opponent’s court. If that deep volley keeps your opponent back, think about “dropping” the next volley. Good communication skills are required on the doubles court. Understanding both yours and your partners strengths and weaknesses will help you to work better as a team. So which game suits your style better? ATTENTION JUNIOR PLAYERS! A.S.K. After School Kids Tennis starts on Monday, May 3 and runs every Monday and Wednesday from 4 to 5:30 PM for six weeks. Junior Summer Tennis Camp begins on June 14th and runs for 11 weeks this year. You can register for half day, full day or full week. Please register your kids in advance on the new Laurel Creek app. Have questions about junior tennis? Call Carol at 856-840-4029.
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
W
e had some new paver parking areas installed this past week at #8, 11 and 15 greens. We have kept the same paver pattern throughout the course and Clubhouse, and these are certainly more appealing than additional asphalt.
As you can see above, for those who tend to always do the old “two tires on and two tires off” the path park job, we have kept some of the not so subtle reminders in place. These definitely help to encourage players to keep all four tires on the hard surface, and off the grass.
Upcoming Events SUN
MON
TUES
MAY
WED THURS
FRI
SAT 1
Live Music: Carl Filbert 6:00 pm
2
3
4
5
Cinco De Mayo Dinner Specials
6
7
Live Music: Chris Stevens Band 6:00 pm
8
Live Music: Doug Jennings 6:00 pm Mother’s Day Basket Pickup
9
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11
12
13
14
15
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19
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21
22
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24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Mother’s Day Brunch (SOLD OUT)
Wine Show (SOLD OUT)
Live Music: Oliver Dagum 6:00 pm
Live Music: Dennis Matthews 6:00 pm
Live Music: Nick Horn 6:00 pm Quiz Night 6:30 pm
Live Music: Class A Kings 6:00 pm
Live Music: Michaela McClain 6:00 pm
Live Music: Joe Parker 6:00 pm
JUNE SUN
MON
TUES 1
Club & Course Closed
WED THURS 2
3
FRI 4
Live Music: Chris Stevens Band 6:00 pm
SAT 5
Live Music: Carl Filbert 6:00 pm
Comedy Night 5:30 pm
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
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21
22
23
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25
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Live Music: Oliver Dagum 6:00 pm
Live Music: Class A Kings 6:00 pm
Live Music: Dennis Matthews 6:00 pm
Live Music: Mike Margarite 6:00 pm
Live Music: Joe Parker 6:00 pm
Live Music: TBA 6:00 pm
701 Centerton Road - Mount Laurel, NJ - 08054 - www.laurelcreek.org