THE
CREEK OCTOBER 2020
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 7:00 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 Matt Walbert, PGA Head Golf Professional mwalbert@laurelcreek.org Peter Rosenblatt Executive Chef prosenblatt@laurelcreek.org
Tuesday to Friday 7:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Saturday & Sunday 7:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Outdoor 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
Carol MacLennan Director of Tennis cmaclennan@laurelcreek.org Mike Holak Pool Manager mholak@laurelcreek.org
ON THE COVER
L to R: Lynne Demmerly, Chrissy Duman, Christine Blessing & Angela Rekant at the Ladies’ Member-Member tournament.
BOARD OF
TRUSTEES Daniel Bianco President Michael Hughey Vice President
Scott Duman Treasurer
Sean Fox Secretary
Erich Herkloz
Troy Hopper
Michael Kassak
Gene Martin
Mark Muir
Tony Palmer
John Venne
Ken Zimmer
Joel Inman
I
GE NE RAL M AN A G E R
was reading an article this month in The Boardroom magazine which is one of the publications that address issues with private clubs This article is titled “Who’s Accountable?” and it dives into how club governance works…and it got me thinking. I wonder how many of our members actually understand the governance model of Laurel Creek and the “who, what, and why.” Quick overview: ”The Who”(no, not the Rock Band) and “The What” The Board of Trustees. The Board is a group of 12 Equity Members that have been selected by the membership. Their responsibility is to set policies as well as provide a strategic direction for the club. The Executive Committee. The executive committee has duties and responsibilities similar to those of the board of directors. It essentially is a “mini-board” that acts in lieu of the club’s full board between meetings, whenever an emergency comes up, or when something minor must be handled quickly that does not necessitate calling the whole board together. There are a few standing Committees, Finance, Audit, Golf, Greens, Nominating, and House Experience Committee. Committees are a collective group of members, Equity and Non-Equity, that recommend policies to the Board. They meet regularly to discuss policies that will enhance the club and the member experience. Committees
can only recommend policies, the Board votes on and sets policies. Management. Management’s responsibility is to enact the polices that the Board sets. So now you know the “who and what”. What is “The Why”? This is a bigger question and one that may not fit entirely in this article. It can be quite a philosophical debate and can change depending upon “The Who’s” of the club, but…why does the club exist? I’m a firm believer that the club exists to enrich those that chose to be a member. I believe that by belonging to a club, this club, you are joining a collective, similar thinking group that enjoys the amenities that the club has as well as the other people that belong here. Yes we offer golf, tennis, dining, social events and a pool, but for me and my team, it’s much more than that. It’s a community, a tribe of like minded individuals that don’t just join the club, they join the group and they belong to it because of what they believe. You can all chose to be one of “The Who’s” in the clubs direction and governance by volunteering your time in Committees. By doing this you help shape “The Why” as well as where the club goes in the future. If you would like more information on becoming part of a Committee please reach out directly to me and I will help find the appropriate Committee.
MEMBERSHIP
Patty Fagan
T
he fall season is upon us which means Halloween is right around the corner. I am thrilled to announce that our HUGE family Halloween party is confirmed for Monday, October 26th. We have changed the original start time to 4 pm (instead of 5 PM) and will end at 8 PM. This will be good for those of you with little kids so you can get them home in time for bath time and bed. With the CDC guidelines and restrictions, this year’s Halloween party will be a little different. The entire event will be held outdoors with fun activities for the kids. We will have an outdoor movie, “trick or treat” stations, rides, pumpkin picking, costume contests and a live DJ. There will be food tents with grab and go items, but not the full dinner buffet as we have done in previous years as we must follow the guidelines set before us. Regardless of these changes, I’m confident that your LCCC team will
D I REC TOR OF M EM BERS H I P have a great Halloween party for your family this year. I can’t wait to see all the kids and some of you parents in your costumes. I am grateful to all of you for being patient and understanding this year with all the changes we have had to make to keep you safe during these unprecedented times. Membership at LCCC is a greater benefit now than ever before. Even with our limited offerings, our membership has grown with nearly 60 families joining since April. Most of these new families were introduced to the club by you, our members so I cannot thank you enough for referring your friends to LCCC. It speaks volumes to me when you send me names of friends that I should contact knowing that I will do everything to make them feel warm and welcomed at your home away from home. The best compliment you can give is a referral. Hope to see you soon at LCCC.
Welcome
OUR NEW MEMBERS TO THE LCCC FAMILY
Mary Ann & Ryan Evans
Donald & Lauren Kwasnicki
FOOD MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: As you know, the club minimums have been suspended since March. Now that more dining options have been put back into place at the club, the minimums will go back into effect beginning October 1st. The first minimum period that you will be responsible for is as follows: Last Name A -D 10/1 to 10/31 Last Name E - L 10/9 to 11/8 Last Name M – Q 10/16 to 11/15 Last Name R – Z 10/24 to 11/23
The Byrne Family
GOLF
Matt Walbert HEAD GOL F PROF E SSI O N A L
W
ith the arrival of October, Fall Golf is officially upon us! The playing conditions on the golf course have been absolutely perfect for the last few weeks – if you haven’t been on the course recently, come out and take advantage. We have consistently seen new faces in our weekly Women’s 30&3 Beginner Clinic, as well as some of our regulars converting into 9-Holers! Our Junior Golf “After School Academy” has been booked every Thursday and Friday. We will continue these sessions through the end of October as long as the weather continues to cooperate!
With the optimal conditions came a flurry of Championships at the Club, including our Senior and Women’s Club Championship, Women’s Member-Member, Men’s Member-Guest, and Women’s Member-Guest. Congratulations to our 2020 Champions: Senior Club Champion: Andy Dietz Women’s Club Champion: Erin Lo Women’s Member-Member Champions: Chrissy Duman and Lynne Demmerly Men’s Member-Guest Champions: Matt Flannery and Rob Bower Women’s Member-Guest Champions: Eileen Kennedy, Angela Rekant, Susan Hodges, and Chrissy Sky Be on the lookout to register for a few more events before we close out the season, including the Men’s Better-Ball on Saturday, October 10, Closing Day on Saturday, October 24, and a brand new “Trick-or-Treat” Tournament on Saturday, October 31.
LCWGA
H
ard to believe it is almost October and that means our season is winding down but if Mother Nature cooperates our season will extend to 10/28. I think most will agree that as much as we don’t want to see the season end we can’t wait for 2021! This week is a twist on our annual member guest and it will be “bring a friend“. Thanks to Eileen Kennedy and Marybeth Taras for putting together what will be sure to be an amazing day for the women. Also, check out the calendar for the rest of the October events. September was a short month with the holiday weekend but there was a lot of golf action. The Women’s annual Member/ Member was rescheduled from May. The nine holers tied their best turn out for the season. Congratulations to Jacquie Ebert and Donna Colabella on their great win! Way to go! Also, congratulations to Rita Gordon and Linda Angstreich on their second place finish. The 18 holers event was decided in an extra hole playoff. Lynne Demmerly and Chrissy Duman
Ladies’ Bring A Guest Day
defeated Christine Blessing and Angela Rekant on the 19th hole. The women’s club championship took place and Erin Lo, was once again victorious and Christine Blessing was the LCWGA champion. With one month to go Lynne Demmerly is in the lead for the 18 holers Laurel Cup and she could possibly rack up some more points as she is competing in the finals of the President’s cup. Second place is up for grabs between Eileen Ramasamy, Christine Blessing and Ineke Daniels, respectively. The pandemic has been good for Ineke since she was not able to travel. It allowed her to play more golf at Laurel Creek and rack up Laurel Cup points. Laurel Creek will be hosting the final Jersey Girls match of the season on Tuesday, October 13. Please contact Christine Blessing if you would like to play. Finally, it is never too late to join the LCWGA, as we welcome new member Kelly Redcay. If you find yourself available on Wednesdays this month check us out for a discounted rate.
AROUND TH
HE CLUB
FOOD & BEVERAGE
John Geller C L U BHOU SE M ANAG E R What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given? Standing for what I believe in and not letting other people falter my ideas and ambitions. This month’s employee spotlight is on none other than Dona (yes, with one n) Stillwell. Dona has been at LCCC for a little over 2 years now as a hostess and reservation specialist.
How would your friends describe you? Fun and easy going. If you could live anywhere on this planet, where would you choose to live? Santorini, Greece If you could have any one superpower, which would you choose? Teleporting, I hate traffic If you had one free hour each day, how would you use it? Take time for myself, read a book What is a great book you have read recently? ‘I’m thinking about ending things’ What is your dream job? Event Coordinator, Wedding Planner What is the first thing you notice about a person? Their eyes and their manners. Do you have any hobbies? I like to color adult coloring books
Dona Stillwell
If you could splurge on ONE must have item, what would it be? Gucci Marmont Bag What kind of music do you listen to? All music except heavy metal Which movie have you seen recently or what are you watching on Netflix? High School Musical, the Musical series. Do you play an instrument? Playing the Flute since 4th grade a total of 10 years. I was the section leader at school for 3 years and at Western Burlington County.
CHEF’S CORNER
Pete Rosenblatt E X E C U TI VE C H E F BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP Yields 8 servings: 1 large butternut squash, peeled cut into large pieces 4 shallots, sliced 1 clove garlic, minced 3 sage leaves 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. butter 1 quart vegetable or chicken stock 1 cup heavy cream salt and pepper to taste Optional: Crème fraiche for garnish 1. Preheat oven to 375. Season the butternut with 2 Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper and evenly spread onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes until soft.
Pedro Atenco Line Cook
Thank you, Pedro, for all that you do!
2. In a large pot over medium low heat sauté the shallots and garlic in 2 Tbsp. butter until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the roasted butternut, sage and stock. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. 3. Add the cream and simmer for 10 more minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste. 4. In a blender, working in batches puree the soup until smooth. 5. Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche.
RACQUETS
Carol MacLennan DI RE C TOR OF TEN N I S October is Club Championship Finals Month at Laurel Creek! Look for these upcoming matches!! Men’s Singles: Marcelo Bartholo (Finalist) against the winner of Ross Charbonne vs. Brian Kares Men’s Doubles: Brian Kares and Joe Hanuscin vs. Greg and John Gentek Women’s Singles: Pascale Salah vs. Denise Giannone
Women’s Doubles: Greta Beatty and Sue Williams will play the winner of Denise Giannone and Danai Hanrahan vs. Angelica Dau and Marianne Sims-Kellogg Women’s B Doubles: Angelica Dau and Marianne Sims-Kellogg vs. Sonia Bodiwala and Reetika Joshi Mixed Doubles: We Have a WINNER!! Congratulations to Denise Giannone and Grier Arthur who defeated Lak Stockham and Ross Charbonne in a closely contested final match, 6-4, 6-4
CLINICS WILL CONTINUE AS LONG AS THE WEATHER ALLOWS Junior Tennis Clinics every Monday and Wednesday, 4 to 5:30 pm – Ages 7 and up Adult Clinics Wednesday at 5 pm (Beginners) and 6:30 for intermediate, Saturday at 8:30 (advanced) and 10 am (intermediate). These clinics fill up fast. Don’t forget to register on the app to reserve your spot. LAUREL CREEK TENNIS TRIVIA The winner of the Trivia Contest will get a free Tennis Clinic or half-hour private lesson! 1) How many courts are there at Laurel Creek? 2) What is the code to the Ball Machine Shed? 3) Who won the Mixed Doubles Club Championship in 2019? 4) What is the surface of the tennis courts? 5) We follow the ROGY progression of coaching. What does ROGY stand for? 6) What brand of tennis balls do we use at Laurel Creek? 7) What is the score when you start a new game of pickleball? Think you know all the answers? The first member to email Carol at cmaclennan@laurelcreek.org with the correct answers will get a free clinic or half-hour private lesson. Answers will appear in next month’s newsletter.
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
A
fter the past six months, many of us could use a good haircut, and we can include the course’s native areas in this list as well. While we typically we wait until October to begin the process of mowing, the summer’s weather has many of these areas out of control. We did a spring mowing, and came into the summer with good weed control, however between July and August we had close to 16” of rain. Combine this with the summer’s heat, and we had prime conditions for grass and weed growth--and lost balls. In addition to the mowing, we have also gotten back on addressing any weeds, and are using a number of different selective herbicides to target the sedges, undesirable grasses, and broadleaf weeds. As we often say, you can call these native areas, Fescue, or low-mow, but you definitely can’t call them low maintenance.
Upcoming Events SUN
MON
TUES
OCTOBER
WED THURS 1
Oktoberfest Dinner Specials
FRI 2
Live Music: Chris Stevens Band 6:00 pm Oktoberfest Dinner Specials
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Oktoberfest Dinner Specials
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Wine Show (SOLD OUT) 6:00 pm
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Live Music: Carl Filbert 6:00 pm
SAT 3
Live Music: TBA 6:00 pm Oktoberfest Dinner Specials
10
Comedy Night (SOLD OUT) 5:30 pm Live Music: Oliver Dagum 6:00 pm
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Halloween
Party (SOLD OUT) 5:30 pm
Live Music: Class A Kings 6:00 pm
Live Music: Michaela McClain 6:00 pm
Live Music: JB Rocks 6:00 pm
Live Music: The Wayside Shakeup 6:00 pm
Live Music: Jeff Selby Duo 6:00 pm
Live Music: TBA 6:00 pm
NOVEMBER SUN
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Live Music: Chris Stevens Band 6:00 pm
Live Music: Class A Kings 6:00 pm
Live Music: Michaela McClain 6:00 pm
Live Music: TBA 6:00 pm
Live Music: Oliver Dagum 6:00 pm
Live Music: Wayside Shakeup 6:00 pm
Live Music: Live Music: Jeff Selby Duo Carl Filbert 6:00 pm 6:00 pm
701 Centerton Road - Mount Laurel, NJ - 08054 - www.laurelcreek.org