The Creek News September 2023

CREEK

STAFF DIRECTORY & CLUB HOURS

Joel Inman - General Manager/COO jinman@laurelcreek.org

Elisha Carson - Controller ecarson@laurelcreek.org

Patty Fagan - Director of Membership & pfagan@laurelcreek.org

Erin Schafer - Director of Events eschafer@laurelcreek.org

Karen Wright - Clubhouse Manager kwright@laurelcreek.org

John Geller - Service Director 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 bhennefer@laurelcreek.org

Peter Rosenblatt - Executive Chef prosenblatt@laurelcreek.org

Carol MacLennan - Director of Tennis cmaclennan@laurelcreek.org

Mike Holak - Pool Manager mholak@laurelcreek.org

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

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

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

Blu Friday & Saturday evenings 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.

Tennis

Courts are open for play

Pool & Oasis

Pool is open 7 days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Oasis is open from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. until Labor Day

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Joel Inman

GENERAL MANAGER

The end of a rainbow…

Why am I sharing this with you?

Kiel Gilliland

So earlier this week I brought my oldest son to college to start his sophomore year. I can say it was a little tough, not as tough as his freshmen year, but still difficult. While we were unloading our car and getting his things into his room, a storm rolled through. Heavy rains, but also some sun and we all know what happens when there’s rain and sun…yup a rainbow appear and from standing in the foyer of his dorm it looked like it was right in the middle of the street. I remember when I was a kid, I was told there was a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow…all you had to do was find the end. Imagine how excited I was to finally see the end of a rainbow! Pot of gold here I come! I didn’t hesitate…I ran out into the street dreaming of all of the great things I was going to do with my newly found treasure. As I got to the middle of the street and the end of the rainbow the only thing I got was soaked. I was absolutely drenched… it felt like my shoes were 20lbs heavier from the water they took on and my clothes were stuck to me.

As a reminder….

All too soon you are going to turn around and that little person you brought to the club to play golf, swim at the pool, attend one of our events, will not be so little anymore and you’re going to ask yourself “where did all of the time go?”. Take times like these to soak it all in, don’t let life’s distractions take your mind somewhere else, stay in the present and enjoy these times playing golf, swimming at the pool, or attending one of our great events.

Erich Herkloz

Michael Hughey

John Higgins

Needless to say I was a little disappointed.

No pot of gold…well I guess that all depends.

Greg Markus

Chris Noyes

On the drive home I was reminiscing about our family time while the kids were growing up and what a happy time those times were. Everything from baseball and softball in the spring, to cookouts and vacations, to pumpkin picking in the fall and all the family holidays we spent together. Watching my kids grow up, while at times difficult, has truly been my pot of gold and I’m extremely lucky to have such great kids and such a loving family.

On another note if you’ve seen the work going on in the lower employee lot you’re seeing the fruits of our work that started almost 2 years ago. We are installing a solar array as a first step in going green and also to reduce some of the cost of our utilities. Once completed this array will produce over 515,000 KwH of energy which is the amount of energy the clubhouse typically uses in a year. Being a Notfor-profit entity purchasing it outright didn’t make sense as we would not be entitled to the tax credits. So instead we signed onto a purchase agreement which cut our per KwH in half. So instead of paying almost $0.12 per KwH we will only pay $.065 per KwH. The savings come out to almost $65,000 per year for the club. Once the structure is completed, we are also planning on installing a few car charging stations so that when you’re here you can have your electric car charged.

Not quite as exciting as spending family time at the club, but still exciting for the club.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and I hope to see you at the club soon.

Daniel Bianco President

Michael Hughey Vice President

John Venne Treasurer

Dean Kramer Secretary

Scott Duman

Sean Fox

Patty Fagan

DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP

As summer fades into fall, I find myself caught between the wistful nostalgia of warmer days and the anticipation of the crisp, colorful embrace of autumn. It’s a bittersweet blend of longing for the past and embracing the change ahead.

We had another successful summer filled with poolside gatherings and competitive golf and tennis tournaments. Pickle Ball continued to grow in popularity; our new dining venue, Blu opened in July and our new Pub & Bistro menu received glowing reviews. Here are just a few comments members have recently shared about the new menu:

There has been a significant improvement over the last 2 years. We had the Buffalo Cauliflower, Green Salads, Ravioli, Crab Rigatoni, Chicken Milanese and Blackened Mahi. All were delicious! We had dessert as well. Dessert is where I’ve seen the most improvement. The ice cream custom sundaes are terrific.

-Todd & Tricia Williamson

Our group of friends were excited to try the new menu and decided to split four different new selections along with several new appetizers. We had the Tuna, Chicken Dumplings, Mahi Tacos, Steak Tacos, Chicken Milanese, and BBQ Pork shoulder. Our experience was excellent and the new menu certainly improved the dining experience! -Dylan

Sinclair

The club is buzzing with excitement over Chef’s new menu! Everyone loves the variety of new offerings! Our family highlights include the Tuna Poke, Jersey Tomato Gazpacho, Crab Cake, Tacos, pasta dishes, and Sticky Tofu Bahn Mi. Thanks for mixing it up Chef! -The Licausi Family

We had buffalo cauliflower as an appetizer. Smruti had the blackened fish entree which was very good and I had the chicken milanese which was excellent. The portion size was perfect. The new menu is a welcome change and has options for all different palates. -Vivek & Smruti Salem

My favorite summer memories were the sounds of laughter and the pitter patter of little feet throughout the clubhouse from the kids attending KE Camp. We had many returning kids this year which was very helpful to those who attended camp for the first time. Although there were a few tears from kids after drop off, watching our seasoned campers like Samantha Arbittier and Lacey Gilliland take the younger campers under their wings was a true testament on the positive values we strive to instill at LCCC. My sincere gratitude to our wonderful families who entrusted us with your children’s summer experience this year. Your support is what makes all our programs at LCCC a success.

I empathize with parents who, like me, sent their firstborns to college this month, evoking memories of summer camp and the fleeting nature of time. From baby steps to college steps, each stage has been a building block in their lives. Cherish the memories, embrace the changes, and look forward to the remarkable journey ahead. Congratulations to all the moms and dads for a job well done. I wish all the college kids a great year, making new friends and exploring their passions. More importantly, I hope they don’t forget to call and text you often. Thank you all for being part of the Laurel Creek family and making this summer truly special. Here’s to more memories, more adventure, and more reasons to smile in the seasons to come.

Bob Hennefer

HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL

JUNIOR GOLF

August concluded our summer Junior Camps and what a pleasure it was to get to know the future golfers of the club! We averaged 35 kids for each week of Junior Camp and each day we provided golf instruction, played some golf, some fun games, and friendly competition. We hope your kids enjoyed camp as much as we did and can’t wait to see them out again soon! We played a lot of golf, learned on the indoor simulator, one on one lessons and even turned the driving range into a short course one day!

PARENT CHILD

Congratulations to our Parent Child Champions Gene and Gene Martin Jr! They defeated Michael and Nate Bove on the second playoff hole. Other division winners, 11 and under, Jamison and Jamison Licausi, Michael and Nate Bove 12-17 Division.

It’s Wednesday August 16th at 6:45 am in the Laurel Creek parking lot. Four Eighteen Holers, and two Nine Holers are anxiously awaiting the big reveal from Bob and Brett…which course have they selected for that day’s Mystery Golf Course Event? Finally it’s announced that they’ll be heading down the Parkway with Union League National Golf Club as their destination. Our players, Joanne Seltzer, Eileen Ramasamy, Christine Blessing, Susan Studley, Chrissy Duman and Linda Toogood, along with Bob and Brett, reported that the course was beautiful, and a good time was had by all.

Our 2023 Member Guest event “Divots and Divas” is quickly approaching. Please sign up via the LC app by Sept 6th. This year we have some fun things planned such as being able to pay for a pro to take your tee shot on a designated hole, prizes for the best dressed divas and much more. You won’t want to miss this event! All ladies with full golfing privileges are eligible to participate. If you would like to play but don’t have a guest to bring, we will find a team for you.

On September 20th we’ll be having our first Solheim Cup event at LCCC. We’re looking forward to what our chairs Linda Angstreich, Lisa Caruso, Barbara Kelly and Dana Phipps have planned for the day. Will you play for Team USA or Team Europe? You won’t want to miss this inaugural event, so mark your calendars. This event is only open to LCWGA members. If you are interested in playing it’s not too late to sign up for LCWGA. Membership dues are prorated and there is still plenty of golf ahead of us before closing day on October 25th.

Please email kellyanneredcay@hotmail. com for more information on Member Guest or joining LCWGA.

Rules Tip of The Month

Q: Is it illegal to putt your ball without first lifting your ball marker?

A: Rule 14.1 does prohibit playing a ball without first removing the ball marker, a breach for which your fellow competitor would deserve one penalty stroke. Always be sure to lift your marker BEFORE putting your ball.

Karen Wright

CLUBHOUSE MANAGER

Summer is coming to an end and for a lot of us that means a busier schedule. Whether you are running to your children’s practices, games or if you just want to enjoy a quiet night out, why not Laurel Creek? Our new Pub and Bistro menu is a big hit, or you can dine in Blu our newest dining venue which is open every Friday and Saturday evening.

So much is happening at the Club!

Labor Day BBQ & Pool Party

Monday, September 4th

Buffet Open 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.

“Members only Event”

Movie Night on the Range

October 13th 7:30 p.m.

“Monsters University”

$10 pp

Includes: Popcorn, Candy, & Soft drinks

Bourbon & Cigars Under the Stars

Introducing Laurel Creek’s Custom Barrel

Exclusively for our Members

by Knob Creek

September 28th 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Grille Patio, $50 pp

Mark your Calendars!

Family Halloween Party

Monday, October 23

4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

RESERVATIONS

Recently we’ve had a tremendous number of walk-ins and in order for us to better serve you and your guests’ reservations are an essential tool that allows us to staff correctly helping to ensure a wonderful experience while dining at the club. Please be sure to make a reservation on the App or call the Hostess at ext. 101 and they will be happy to assist you. G23 We look forward to seeing you at the club.

RICARDO MUNOZ-HERNANDEZ GROUNDS

Pete Rosenblatt EXECUTIVE CHEF

SWEET CORN SOUP

Vegetarian, Serves 10

10 ears of fresh corn

1 small white onion, thinly sliced

2 sprigs of fresh tarragon

1 cup heavy cream

3 Tbsp. butter

½ gallon water

Salt and pepper to taste

Peel the corn and cut the kernels from the cob, reserve the cobs. In a stock pot cover the reserved corn cobs with ½ gallon of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the corn stock and reserve. In a large pot, sauté the onions in butter until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the corn kernels, corn stock, tarragon, salt and pepper. Simmer on for 20 minutes on low heat, add the cream and simmer for 10 more minutes. Working in batches puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Serve hot and enjoy!

Carol MacLennan

DIRECTOR OF TENNIS

Congratulations to our 2023 Junior Club Champions.

These are a few of my favorite things…Family – Tennis – Pizza!!! Thanks to all the families who came out for a fun night of tennis at Family Pizza Night.

It was another great year at LCCC Summer Tennis Camp. Thanks to our great staff of coaches for their outstanding work on the court. You know it’s been a long time when some of your coaches were former campers!

UPCOMING EVENTS

MEN’S NIGHT OUT

September 14th – 6:00 PM

KING AND QUEEN OF THE COURT

Sunday, October 8th – 4 PM

END OF THE SEASON LADIES DAY

Thursday, October 12th

PARENT/CHILD UP & DOWN THE RIVER DOUBLES

Sunday, October 22nd – 4 PM

JUNIOR TENNIS CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS

FAMILY PIZZA NIGHT AT THE COURTS

JUNIOR SUMMER TENNIS CAMP

Red Ball Champion Bryson Leimberg

Runner Up Ashwin Ramanathan

Orange Ball Champion Brady Burns

Runner Up Callum Reid

Green Ball Champion Nicholas Bartholo

Runner up Emma Cowan

Junior Tennis Champion Aaron Cohen

Runner Up Nicholas Bartholo

ON THE COURSE

John Slade

DIRECTOR OF GOLF COURSE OPERATIONS

With phragmites surrounding many of the 14 ponds on the golf course, we have begun cutting it back in an effort to restore the views. When dealing with a job like this, having the right tools is important, and our Ventrac tractor gets the job done like nothing else.

Removing 12’ tall phragmites helps provide a cleaner look, and improved sight lines off the tee.

A good amount of the phragmites is growing in the water, so working from inside the pond would be helpful. All we need is a nice cold winter with some ice!