2023 Summer Newsletter

president’s message

We have enjoyed an amazing start to the season. The course conditions have been some of the best we have seen to start a season, and I hope that each of you has enjoyed both the Hawk and Raven courses as much as I have. The condition of both golf courses and good weather has directly correlated to increased participation within internal club leagues and tournaments.

Financially the Club has benefited from high traffic levels from the outset of the 2023 season. We are well aligned with the budget through June and expect this to continue through the balance of the season.

I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank the Long-range Planning, Membership and Finance committees, along with our Management team and all the Members who took the opportunity to attend the open house where we introduced “The Nest”. We had a lot of great feedback on the design, location, and concept. It truly is fulfilling to provide you, our owners with an investment opportunity that was born out of the numerous surveys and individual discussions you provided to the Board and Management. For more information on this exciting project, we encourage you to visit our newly launched webpage, which is also available on the mobile app.

As we embark on the second half of the 2023 golf season, I hope that each of you will take the time to find pleasure in our Club, the fellowship it offers and the pure beauty we have the privilege to enjoy.

Ross Babcock President

Membership (Board)

Roger Maslen

Daniel Kolibar

Paul Briske

Will Grisdale

Gordon Keon

Doug Hamatami

Dave Evans

Matt Entwistle

Ron Laugher

Chad Thomlinson

directors & management

Long-range Planning (Board)

Carolyn Soules

Jason Baba

Maggie McGee

Rob Hozjan

Chris Minnema

Dan Butterwick

Philip Goodwin

Bas Wheeler

Matt Entwistle

Ron Laugher

Chad Thomlinson

club committees

Finance (Board)

Ken Baron

Michael Hodgson

Todd Heavisides

Rob Hozjan

Brad Trumble

Victor Lough

Darcy Michailuck

Ron Laugher

Chad Thomlinson

Green (Operations)

James Beebe

David Donaldson

Crandell Ruholl

Diane Main

Brian Head

John Wilson

Jordan Earl

Cam Huard

Chad Thomlinson

Golf (Operations)

John Wilson

Carolyn Soules

Jason Baba

Shannon Schrader

Ryan Russell

Don Bauer

Doug Virginillo

James Beebe

Chad Thomlinson

House (Operations)

Franck Trutet

Ross Babcock

Maggie McGee

Kristan Goodwin

Erin Rowley

Hugh Hamilton

Dean Gallagher

Chad Thomlinson

ROSS BABCOCK President House Liaison

CAROLYN SOULES Vice-President LRP Co-Chair; Golf Liaison

DAVID DONALDSON Past President Green Liaison

DANIEL KOLIBAR Secretary Membership Co-Chair

ROGER MASLEN Director Membership Co-Chair

KEN BARON Director Finance Co-Chair

JASON BABA Director LRP Co-Chair; Golf Liaison

MICHAEL HODGSON Director Finance Co-Chair

Chair(s) Board Liaison Ex-Officio

CHAD THOMLINSON General Manager JOHN WILSON Head Golf Professional

JAMES BEEBE Golf Course Manager

FRANCK TRUTET Clubhouse Manager

DARCY MICHAILUCK Finance Manager

MATT ENTWISTLE Club Operations Manager

RON LAUGHER Sales Manager

membership committee

Welcome to mid-summer! I hope everyone is playing good golf and enjoying our long days at Priddis Greens.

I want to start by saying a big THANK YOU to Darrell Danyluk for his leadership of the membership committee. Darrell’s time with the Board of Directors has come to an end as does his time as Chair of the committee. As serving as Darrell’s Vice Chair last year, I know how much time and dedication he put forward in this role. Last year, we improved our onboarding of new members, not only in accepting members but also in how we introduce new members to the Club. Darrell was exceptional in reaching out to new members and making sure they felt welcome.

This year, I am joined by a new Board Member, Daniel Kolibar, to lead the committee. We added Doug Hamatani and Gord Keon to the committee in May and last week have added Dave Evans. I am excited to have some fresh thoughts and ideas moving forward.

Ron Laugher has settled into his Sales Manager role and between January to June, the Membership Sales Team has sold 20 new memberships and 3 Young Professional Memberships. He has embraced his role, and it seems to be paying dividends. Ron is now meeting prospective members and giving them a tour of our facilities, spending at least 90 minutes with them to ensure they see our great golf courses. Ron recently mentioned that almost everyone he has met with and walked the grounds has commented on members’ friendliness. Thank you to all, as that helps to sell our Club. It’s also nice to see that more sales are coming from the Sellers’ list, and these outgoing members receive full membership value.

The Membership Committee is looking at ways to improve the membership experience. We need to look 10-15 years down the road and try to understand what we want in the Club. Many of our facilities need or will need updating; thus, we will be looking at “what we want the Club to look like”. Feedback from the members is always appreciated.

Let us look forward to great weather and awesome course conditions for the rest of the summer. For those of you playing in the Club Championship over the August weekend, good luck to all.

Roger Maslen

Daniel Kolibar Committee Co-Chair Committee Co-Chair

long-range planning committee

Despite the recent, prolonged, daily thunderstorm activity, what a great start we have had to the golf season at Priddis Greens. The upcoming weather forecast is, however, looking great and full-on summer is about to launch. We are so fortunate to be able to play golf on two such amazing golf courses in such a beautiful setting.

Over the last several months, the Long-range Planning (LRP) Committee has been focused on following a roadmap of decision points (developed in 2022 to help guide several key decisions around our planning) and focusing on key areas to assist in updating the Strategic Plan. As part of that process, a large joint meeting was held with members of all the Club committees to discuss these items, and it was confirmed that our first priority in achieving our long-term plans should be The Nest project and that rejuvenation of the Clubhouse would then be a subsequent project which will likely be addressed in two or three phases.

Following those projects, improving our practice facilities would be on the agenda. The scope of and plans for that phase will depend on whether we acquire the additional land adjacent to the golf course that has been discussed in prior newsletters. The potential sale of the land is continuing at a measured pace by the current owners who are not yet ready to make a decision on how or even if they would like to proceed. We are respecting that their deliberations may take some time and, for now, have advised them of our potential interest without unduly pressuring them. In the meantime, we are proceeding with plans that are not dependent on their decision.

Many of you attended the recent open house and saw the presentation from the architects and designers of The Nest. It is very exciting for the Club, and we are looking forward to the next phase of communication with additional details, costs and, of course, seeking approval from the membership to proceed.

The Strategic Plan has recently been updated as a result of a facilitated planning session held with the Board of Directors and taking into consideration input from committees and member surveys. Much of the work of the LRP Committee is included in the Strategic Plan which was recently circulated to the membership. The Strategic Plan has now become the “roadmap” for the future of the club.

Carolyn Soules Jason Baba

Committee Co-Chair Committee Co-Chair

finance committee

Michael Hodgson continues as a member of the committee and in addition, is now Co-Chair after being recently elected to the Board. Victor Lough has also joined the committee. In addition, continuing are Todd Heavisides, Brad Trumble and Rob Hozjan. Harry Reid and Paul Fisher have both departed from the committee—a big thank you to both Harry and Paul for their time and contributions to the Club. We wish to welcome Victor and Michael in his expanded role and look forward to working with this group in the coming year.

Operating vs Capital

Your Club approaches the financing part of its business in two elements:

1) Operating is essentially the annual operation of the Club and all its activities including Turf Care, Golf Operations, Food & Beverage, Club Administration, and repayment of debt. Our annual dues fully fund these expenses.

2) Capital is the annual maintenance, improvements and additions to the physical facilities and equipment the Club employs. Capital needs are funded in part by a small portion of the annual dues up to an amount as specified by the Club by-laws. Capital needs above this annual amount are funded by membership redemptions, borrowing, reserves, levies, donations, and or other contributions beyond the annual dues.

Previous Approaches to Funding Capital Needs

The Club historically has funded special capital needs by a variety of means. While not an exhaustive list, these needs were met by additional memberships sold (expansion of courses), assessment (dam repair) and borrowing (for Raven and Hawk courses green resurfacing and irrigation replacement). All were seen as unique needs and addressed accordingly. These needs were considered and resulted in thoughtful actions by previous Boards based on the prevailing circumstances at the time.

Funding the Future

The Club has a good funding model for meeting its current annual operating needs with annual dues.

On the capital side of the business, it is less clear on meeting future needs including maintenance, improvements, and aspirational. Except for a small apportionment for capital, as noted above, annual dues do not create sufficient surpluses necessary to meet the growing capital requirements. Our Club has been operating for 40 years, and most of the major assets require updating or replacement. This list is no longer unique items but rather evolving to constant and ongoing requirements. The funding approach should mirror the demand.

The Committee is tasked with recommending to Management and the Board a funding model that will support the future. There is a strong belief in the Committee that the Club would benefit from building a reserve that would be predictable in its accumulation and would assist in smoothing the annual spending needs. In conjunction with other measures, this will be considered the solution to future funding. Other measures to be considered include a transfer/initiation fee on membership sales, reduction or elimination of member equity, assessment tied to a specific project, and additional borrowing despite the Club making special efforts to retire previous debt over the last several years. The committee will consider all options. A comment on future borrowing; repayment of debt and its carrying costs have historically come from annual dues which in effect inhibits the Club’s ability to meet annual operational needs and will put additional pressure on annual dues. The cost of debt has increased significantly over the last year or so, and ultimately, the lenders benefit the most from debt. The Club is not a profit-seeking entity; therefore, using leverage to maximize return does not really apply.

The Committee believes that the future of the Club and being able to attract future members is contingent upon the members reinvesting in it and we will make every effort to address the issue in a considered and informed manner. We are working on funding model details and once reviewed by the Board, it will be communicated to all members.

Ken Baron Michael Hodgson

Committee Co-Chair Committee Co-Chair

welcome new members

Please join us in welcoming the following Equity & Corporate Associate Members who joined the Club since our Spring Newsletter publication:

Andre Arrata

Mason Bowden

Tom Chesser

Scott Clements

Robert Gilmour

Ken Gray

Mike Margarit

Christine McBride

Jeremy Peesker

Today I am writing you about a cherished tradition at the Club; the Priddis Greens Charity Classic.

I am extremely proud of our Club’s crucial involvement in helping to create and sustain a world-class health facility here in the city. The Calgary Prostate Cancer Centre has benefited from our tournament for the past 24 years with this event raising nearly $7.7 million dollars of vital funding. Because the Centre receives no government support, it is not an overstatement to claim that the Centre’s viability depends on the success of our tournament.

With prostate cancer being the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Canadian men and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths, the groundbreaking research and treatment model of the Centre is essential for Southern Alberta. Roughly 1-in-7 Canadian men are expected to develop prostate cancer during their lifetime and 1-in-29 will succumb to the disease.

I would love to see our membership broaden its support and become more involved in this year’s tournament. Please see the next page or visit pgcharityclassic.com for more information as there are a number of ways to participate over the three days from August 29th to 31st;

• enter a team and participate in the golf tournament and festivities;

• a cash donation of any amount is always appreciated and adds to our success;

• provide or solicit a silent or live auction item;

• attend only the gala event hosted at Azuridge Estate Hotel (tickets available for purchase);

• we are always in need of volunteers for the gala and the tournament - if you can contribute in that manner, please contact Tim Main. Thank you so much for your consideration. I hope to see you involved this year!

Brian Murray

Chairman, Priddis Greens Charity Classic

teams & donors

TEAM ENTRY - $10,000

• tournament fees for four (4) participants (verified handicap required)

• eight (8) Gala Evening passes (4 participants + 4 guests)

• one (1) double-sided 48” x 31” recognition sign

• thank you signage displayed at first tee

FUND-A-NEED DONORS - $2,000 or more

The Prostate Cancer Centre annually identifies specific requirements they have at the tournament such as specialized equipment, supplies or programs. This Fund-A-Need program will be present throughout the tournament and attendees can donate directly towards those items in return for a tax receipt.

GALA EVENING ONLY (FOR TWO) - $500

For those unable to enter a team in the golf tournament, new this year is the opportunity for an individual and their guest to attend the much anticipated Gala evening at Azuridge Hotel in exchange for a tax deductible donation.

DIRECT DONATION

All donations are greatly appreciated by the Prostate Cancer Centre. Donations for any amount of $20 or more can be made directly to the Centre and a tax receipt will be provided.

LIVE AUCTION ITEMS

Promote your business while supporting the Prostate Cancer Centre by donating an item or package of value to be included with our auction. Please contact us for details.

sponsorship

ENTERTAINMENT - $5,000

• includes four (4) Gala Evening passes

• one (1) double-sided 48” x 31” recognition sign

BEVERAGE - $5,000

• includes four (4) Gala Evening passes

• one (1) double-sided 48” x 31” recognition sign

FOOD - $5,000

• includes four (4) Gala Evening passes

• one (1) double-sided 48” x 31” recognition sign

BEVERAGE CART SPONSOR - $2,500

• company name/logo on beverage carts

• one (1) double-sided 48” x 31” recognition sign

HOLE SPONSOR - $2,000

• company name/logo on sponsored hole

• one (1) double-sided 48” x 31” recognition sign

GOLF CART SPONSOR - $1,500

• company name/logo on sponsored carts

• one (1) double-sided 48” x 31” recognition sign

register now view full brochure

club projects & strategic plan

Thank you to the 247 members and dependents who recently attended our open house to learn more about “The Nest”.

As previously announced, we are thrilled to launch The Nest webpage featuring a gallery of the proposed structure in addition to details surrounding the purpose, background, scope, timeline, and funding. Members can also use this webpage as a portal for two-way communication by submitting confidential comments and reading our continually updated FAQ section. There is also a display area on the upper level of the Clubhouse outside of the Presidents Room showing some of the open house materials.

This exciting investment opportunity is part of the Club’s master long-range plan, creating a unique and exceptional social space that will directly engage the surrounding green space, putting green, and the Raven course. The Nest is also being designed in concert with a future Clubhouse rejuvenation. In addition to the project webpage, we have added another page dedicated to the Club’s Strategic Plan. A condensed version of the Strategic Plan is laid out in a digestible format communicating the Club’s focus areas and priorities as part of a broader long-range plan that has been evolving since 2005.

With your continued engagement in providing feedback on this unique opportunity and more, we look forward to moving one step closer to creating an unrivalled member experience in combination with our two exceptional golf courses.

Chad Thomlinson General Manager & PGA Executive Professional

view “the nest” online

view “strategic plan” online

hole-in-one

Congratulations to all members who have scored an ace or albatross during the 2023 season thus far. These individuals will be cordially invited to a very exclusive dinner at the end of the season, along with a guest, to honour their achievement and receive a commemorative gift. Please join us in recognizing the following:

• DIANE MAIN

• BILL MOORE

• DOUG WOOD

upcoming events

August 5 - 7

• CARMEN URQUHART

• LARRY GRAY

• CHRIS NG

Men’s & Ladies’ Club Championship

August 10 Foothills Academy Society (Corporate)

August 13

August 13

Outdoor Yoga: Deep Stretch & Restore

Member Appreciation Day

August 16 Senior Member Guest

August 18 - 20 Solheim Cup

August 24

BILD Calgary Foundation (Corporate)

August 25 - 27 Priddis Cup

August 28 & 29

Junior Club Championship

August 30 & 31 Charity Classic

September 7

September 10

September 12 & 13

September 14

September 16

September 18

Aecon (Corporate)

Mixed Fall Classic

Senior Priddis Cup

Trotter & Morton (Corporate)

Men’s & Ladies’ Fall Classic

Senior Men’s Fall Classic

September 21 Whitecap Resources (Corporate)

October 20

Hole-In-One Dinner

tournament champions

• CRAIG COOK

• MARK BUCKWOLD

• MATT ENGELHARDT

Our full slate of member events in 2023 is well underway with a great mix of competition and comraderie. In recognition of those victorious members from this season’s Club tourna ments thus far, please join us in congratulating the following (see next two pages):

mixed opening day

ladies’ spring bloomers

senior men’s opening day

junior parent child

men’s member member

PAUL ROBERTS ZORA ROBERTS

DAVE LEONZIO SUSAN SYWAK

MALINDA CHANYI MIKAELA CALMA

SUSAN SYWAK DEDIE HUDSON

BRIAN MURRAY GARY MCPHEE

LEO DUCHARME MARK MCCARTHY

WILL GRISDALE Black Tee Low Gross

ADAM HENNING Black Tee Low Gross

JACK MARTYN Black Tee Low Net

BRANT ZURAWELL Black Tee Low Net

MIKE DELAHUNT Blue Tee Flight 1 Low Net ROB PURCELL Blue Tee Flight 1 Low Net

COLIN PETRYK Blue Tee Flight 2 Low Net

BRADY PETRYK Blue Tee Flight 2 Low Net

JACK COLHOUN & RYAN COLHOUN Father/Son Low Gross

JOSHUAH LEUNG & JAYDEN GRACIE Father/Daughter Low Gross

ELYSE KELBA & SAMUEL LAQUERRE Mother/Son Low Gross

MALINDA CHANYI & CLAIRE CHANYI Mother/Daughter Low Gross

MARK FRASER & MATTHEW FRASER Father/Son Low Net

ROSS AITKEN & PAYTON AITKEN Father/Daughter Low Net

TREVA HAMLIN & BRAEDEN MARSHALLMother/Son Low Net

DALE TIMOFFEE & CIANNA LAW Mother/Daughter Low Net

junior member member

ladies’ member guest

mixed club champs

men’s member guest

senior men’s club champs

senior ladies’ club champs

greenkeeper challenge

STEPHANIE MCWILLIAM LISA OTTO

CARSON PAVEY DILLON COLE

TIM MAIN DIANE MAIN

GREG NICHOLS Black Tee Low Gross

BOB LACEY Black Tee Low Gross

STEVEN SIMS Black Tee Low Net

DAN ERICKSON Black Tee Low Net

IAN SHARP Blue Tee Low Net

PATRICK SHARP Blue Tee Low Net

JUSTIN WEBSTER, RYAN HODGES, JEFF RUST, SHAWN HUDON Photos to be published in Fall Newsletter.

ROB MCLEAY Blue Tee Low Gross

KAM LAM Blue Tee Low Net

GARY MCPHEE Silver Tee Low Net

PAT PETERS Low Gross BARB ATNIKOV Low Net

PAULETTE LAWRICK First Flight Low Net

40th commemorative recognition

We are excited to share this moment of excellence with all Priddis Greens stakeholders as 2023 marks the 40th year since our inception in 1983. With great respect to the four founders of Priddis Creek Developments, Burl Aycock, Stan Carscallen, Ron Goodwin, and Bill Newis, we thank them for their vision that has allowed us to continue enriching the lives of our members through golf.

Members receive a special commemorative ball marker on their fifth year that indicates the number of years since joining the Club. As this number increases, we will continue to provide new centrepieces for their ball marker that will display 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 years, etc. Please join us in congratulating the following active members for their continued dedication to the Club:

40 Years:

BURL AYCOCK

BROCK CARSCALLEN

GAVIN CARSCALLEN

JOHN DELOREY

THADDEUS DEMONG

DAVID PIMM

DAVID PLATT

JEFFREY WILLIAMSON

35 Years:

DIANA BON BERNARD

DAN BUTTERWICK

WAYNE CHRISTIE

BRIAN CRAIG

LANNY FENWICK

JOHN FRANK

RANDY GAUDET

WAYNE GIFFORD

GARY HINTON

BEZO KHADR

RICK LEONG

DANIEL LI

BRENT LLOYD

SCOTT MCWILLIAM

BILL NEWIS

PAT PETERS

JENNIFER RADBOURNE

GERRY RICE

ALBERT ROSENGARTEN

STEVE ROSENSTEIN

DON ROSTAD

KEN ROWORTH

BOB RUFF

KEN SATO

FRED SERJEANT

FRED THIESSEN

KENNETH VERES

ANDREW WISWELL

30 Years:

ROSS AITKEN

NILS BODTKER

GIO DEFRANCESCO

GEORGE HENDRICKSON

ART LAING

VIC LUHOWY

JACK SHEPPARD

25 Years:

BRIAN BEARY

MIKE BEGIN

MIKE BUNYAN

PETER CHAN

DENNIS HUCULAK

DAVID KAMITAKAHARA

BILL MOORE

GEORGE MOTTER

DAVID PUHL

HARRY REID

RANDY REMINGTON

BYRON TAM

BRENT TEULON

DOUG VIRGINILLO

GARRY WRIGHT

20 Years:

GARTH ANDERSON

DARREN ANDERSON

DUNCAN AU

JASON BABA

DANY BABAKHANIAN

ZEEV BERGER

KELLY BOWLES

CARL BRITTAIN

DONALD CAMPBELL

IAN CAMPBELL

JOHN CHAPUT

PHILLIP CRAM

BRUCE CRAWFORD

AARON DAGAN

DARRELL DANYLUK

MURRAY DAVID

JOHN DEWIT

ROBERT EDNEY

BOB ELLIOTT

DOUG FOSTER

GARY FREEMAN

GIL GAUTHIER

FRED GIFFORD

LES GUZOWSKI

ROSE HALLSTROM

TIMOTHY HART

TODD HEAVISIDES

DOUG HOOD

JOEL HORWITZ

LOYOLA KEOUGH

ERWIN KOEHN

DANIEL KOLIBAR

TODD LANDSIEDEL

HOWARD LOWENSTEIN

BRAD MAHEU

TIM MAIN

MIKE MAJOR

DONALD MCARTHUR

ED MCGILLIVRAY

BRIAN MURRAY

TRENT NESS

GREG NICHOLS

KEITH NICHOLSON

ANDREW OPPENHEIM

MAX PATEL

JERRY PATTERSON

KENNETH PRETTY

ALAN SHARP

BRYAN SHETTLER

DON SLATER

GREG STAPLES

PETER SUCHLANDT

WEI TAM

ED TOMALTY

KEN WHELLAMS

JASON WILLIAMS

KIM WILMOT

THOMAS WONG

15 Years:

LERON CRAPO

TIMOTHY CURRY

PATRICK DEIS

MATTHEW DUNN

NORMAN FRAPE

LLOYD HEINE

CECIL JENKINSON

CALVIN JOHNSON

KEVIN KIRKWOOD

GREGG LITTLE

CHRIS LOFGREN

ART MARCHE

GREG PRATT

MARK ROGERS

CRANDELL RUHOLL

DARCY SCHULTZ

TIM SHERWIN

ROGER VERHELST

DONALD WALKER

10 Years:

MONICA ALLAN

BRENT BARANIUK

JAMIE BERTWELL

CHRIS BLAKE

RICHARD BROWN

NEVIN BURNE

JORDAN CHAPUT

BILL CHISHOLM

BRUCE COLLINGE

MARTIN CURTIS

DAN DI STEFANO

LEE EMOND

KRIS EYOLFSON

MARK FREEMAN

DOUGLAS GOWLAND

CHARLES LARIVIERE

CLIFFORD LAWRICK

THOMAS MACLEOD

JOHN MALLEY

BILL MCKENZIE

GREG MYSLICKI

MICHAEL PATE

LARRY REVITT

KEN ROSSI

ERIN ROWLEY

JONATHAN SAGI

GERALDINE TOFIN

LEW TURNQUIST

JENNIFER WYNKER

5 Years:

MARK ALLEN

RYAN COLHOUN

GARY DAVIES

BRYAN DE LOTTINVILLE

RICK DI DANIELI

DAVID EVANS

JEFF EVANS

MARK GAUDRY

MARK GLOECKLER

DAVID IZETT

BRANDON KELLY

LINDA MADER

JAMES MCCORQUODALE

KEVIN MECKELBORG

BRIAN MURPHY

PATRICK O’REILLY

CRAIG STEWART

ROBERT VAN HORNE

KEVIN WATSON

DOUGLAS WESTERSUND

ASHLEY WILLIAMS

To

learn more about where Priddis Greens all began, members are encouraged to read “A Dream 40 Years in the Making” by Gary Davies.

men’s executive committee

We are now halfway through the 2023 season and looking forward to a great second half. The course is in great shape, and the weather has been exceptional.

This year’s two-day Member-Member tournament was a huge success with over 220 players playing in both black tee and blue tee flights. The two-day Member-Guest was another outstanding event that was well over-subscribed with a big waiting list. Sign up early for next year’s event and enjoy playing our courses in championship conditions along with superb food.

The next event up is our Club Championship which will be held on the August long weekend. For new members, the Club Championship is a fun-filled three-day tournament for players of all handicaps. There are flights playing off the Pink, Black or Blue Tees. The highlight of the event is the Saturday night Horse Race which draws a large crowd to watch (no pressure for players who qualified from the first-day play). Our Turf Care will do everything possible to present an “August-Like” championship condition for this event.

The Priddis Cup is scheduled for August 25, 26 and 27, and qualifying every Saturday Men’s League is open until Aug 12. A couple of good Saturday scores can still qualify you for our “Ryder Cup” event—another outstanding event enjoyed by all players lucky enough to qualify.

Gerald Stoddart Men’s Executive President

ladies’ executive committee

All ladies’ events are well underway for the year. Both Tuesday and Saturday leagues are enjoying increased participation and our spring opening tournament, the Spring Bloomers, enjoyed a record turnout this year. Both singles and team match play are underway, with semi-final matches currently being played.

Senior Club Championships enjoyed good weather but a smaller field than normal this year. The Ladies’ Member Guest had the largest field in club history. The day was warm and thoroughly enjoyed by all. Congratulations to all the winners!

Next up is the Club Championship. Come and enjoy three days of golf, comradery, and great food. Also, try to make it into the horse race, the Club’s most fun event of the year. Even if you don’t qualify to play, make sure to come and watch as it is a great time for all! For those qualifying for Solheim Cup, remember there are 10 bonus points up for grabs for playing in the Club Championship! The ladies’ season will finish the year with the Fall Classic, and we look forward to seeing all the ladies out to finish the competitive season.

Rose McWilliam

Ladies’ Executive President

green committee

Purpose: The role of the Green Committee is to provide feedback, input, and recommendations to Club Management with respect to golf course development, maintenance, and improvements. The Committee is also responsible to provide input and guidance in developing the long-range capital plan within the scope of the Committee.

The Green Committee has met twice this golf season, once on April 27 and once on July 13, to meet with the USGA’s consulting agronomist.

April 27 - Topics of Discussion:

• Changes to the Turf Care department’s organizational structure for 2023.

• Two potential safety issues related to golfers hitting into other groups on Raven #1 and Hawk #5.

• 2023 departmental Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s):

1. Root depth and density - improve green health as measured by root depth and density.

2. Green speed – improve consistency of green speed as measured by the Stimp meter.

3. Green clipping yields – improve greens health and playability as measured by clipping yields.

• Weekly golf course maintenance schedule and weekly maintenance gap program.

• Departmental communication plan.

• Needs for additional mid-season putting green aeration date to ensure putting surfaces were kept healthy and in the best possible condition.

• Issue of more than two golf carts per tee time and the negative effects on turf health.

July 13 - Topics of Discussion:

• The USGA Agronomist discussed his evaluation of the golf course and how putting surfaces had improved since 2022. The benefit of the added putting surface aeration was discussed.

• The committee and the USGA Agronomist discussed the long-range plan for putting surface maintenance. Pros and cons of re-surfacing the putting greens were discussed, and the USGA encouraged the philosophy of living with poa annua and suggested focusing on growing the best turf possible, whether bentgrass or poa annua.

• The benefits of enhancing drainage through the installation of slit drainage was discussed.

Greens Aeration

To ensure that our putting surfaces maintain the highest standard of performance, it is crucial to incorporate an extra aeration that was scheduled into July’s program. This additional aeration was designed to enhance the putting surfaces’ short- and long-term health and performance. Without this aeration, the putting surfaces would undoubtedly decline. Fortunately, the Turf Care team has an excellent aeration process in place, resulting in smooth, fast greens immediately after aeration and the aeration holes heal rapidly. The positive results of this aeration will outweigh the short-term inconvenience of members’ golf experience being affected by aerated greens.

Raven Front Nine Irrigation Renovation

The Raven front nine irrigation renovation will commence on August 14th. Please refer to weekly Member E-News and Member Central for updates for information regarding how this project will affect your golf experience.

Spruce Budworm Update

The two sequential aerial spray applications were made in mid-June to control the Spruce Budworm issue affecting golf course spruce trees. The application timing and weather conditions were excellent for both applications which bodes well for a high level of efficacy. The forestry management consultant will be inspecting golf course trees in late July to confirm.

James Beebe

Golf Course Manager golf committee

Purpose: The role of the Golf Committee is to provide feedback, input, and recommendations to Club Management with respect to golf operations including pace of play, tee time bookings, member and guest golf privileges, on-course dress code, course playability, competitions, leagues, Pro Shop amenities and services including Back Shop, and Practice Facility operations. The Committee is also responsible to provide input and guidance in developing the long-range capital plan within the scope of the Committee.

The Golf Committee met on Tuesday, June 27. There was a complete review of the participation of all member leagues and tournaments. All league participation is up over 2022 averages, but this could tail off as summer progresses. Member tournament participation has also increased; please see the chart below for 2023 thus far.

The Golf Committee confirmed and supported the mandate of the Handicap Committee that for all members to be eligible for league and tournament play, they would need to be keeping an active handicap within Golf Canada. This means, 80% of all starts are posted in Golf Canada.

Golf Operations suspended the one-time advance booking favour at the start of the 2023 season. There was a fulsome discussion on this, and the Golf Committee was in support of not allowing advance bookings outside of the normal three-day booking window for special bookings or match plays. Exceptions to this restriction include Sanctioned Association Match Plays such as Riley’s Best Ball, reciprocal tee times for

our reciprocal clubs Seymour, St Charles, and Royal Ottawa, and other select times within Club policy or at the discretion of Management. The Committee’s feeling is that although the tee sheet is busy, there is still ample space for members to book with guests through the normal booking parameters. It is also important to the Committee that we strive to be fair and inclusive which almost any version of pre-bookings is not. Additionally, the administrative burden of managing hundreds of bookings that clog up prime-time tee times for members with guests over others was not a positive for the Club as a whole.

The Golf Committee reviewed & determined the current Policy Statement #4: Dress Code was acceptable. A further review will take place at the next meeting with Golf Operations preparing additional information from private golf courses in Western Canada.

Rounds of golf (ROG) were discussed. Rounds are up over 2022 (see chart below) which is interesting as the tee sheet appears to be more manageable on day-of bookings. The elimination of advanced bookings and perhaps less 6:45 AM panic to book tee times are contributors

The next scheduled Golf Committee meeting will take place this fall.

Pace of Play & Tag Marshal

The out-of-position alert was adjusted for 2023 from 15 minutes to 10 minutes. As a result, this has allowed us to identify out-of-position groups sooner. Our Golf Operations team has been more proactive in addresssing out-of-position groups. Raven has an expected pace for 2023 at 4:06, and Hawk at 4:04. Golf Operations maintains a KPI to have 85% of all rounds completed at or below this pace. Pace continues to be good but Saturdays still require improvement.

The use of the new displays in the Pro Shop has helped with the transparency of information available for members. Please click here for a link to our June results.

John Wilson

Head Golf Professional

house committee

Purpose: The role of the House Committee is to provide feedback, input, and recommendations to Club Management with respect to the operation and maintenance of the Clubhouse, all Food & Beverage amenities and services, and member non-golf social programming. The House Committee is also responsible to provide input and guidance in developing the long-range capital plan within the scope of the Committee.

Events & Catering

We are excited to introduce and welcome a new addition to our team, Elizabeth Cook as Events & Catering Manager. Elizabeth brings extensive experience to the Club with a prolonged career in Food & Beverage. She is an excellent asset to the team and will continue to work closely with corporate tournaments and member events, meetings, weddings and retreats. She has adapted well to the Club and is wellliked by members and the team. Book your upcoming personal or corporate event with Elizabeth – click here to learn more.

Our aim this year is to give a great experience on food quality and service at all member tournaments. As such, thank you for participating in the golf event surveys; learning more about your likes and dislikes will improve future F&B events.

The Grandview

As promised earlier this year, we aim to deliver a service to members and their guests at a level of excellence by improving consistency. With appreciation for your continued feedback, the new menu design has been well received. The food quality and consistency have improved considerably compared to previous years, and Chef Epi and his team are working to bring new dishes to our August menu. We change 15 items monthly.

Catherine has implemented a service to have our servers trained to offer modifications on making dairy-free and gluten-free dishes. She is still introducing and training new employees, preparing for September and October. Tatjana manages our beers and cocktails selections, introducing a weekly feature cocktail and rotating beer taps with a blonde beer from Cold Garden.

Our new Happy Hour feature (Monday thru Thursday, 2:00PM to 4:00PM) has brought tremendous value to our members. Be sure to try our most popular steak sandwich for only $12.

Concessions

Marley has been promoted to Concession Manager and does a great job. So far, the new menu with french fries and wings at Raven’s Nest has been exceptionally well received. We will review the menu and introduce new items like brisket sandwiches to replace unpopular ones.

We are still bringing you new choices of beers and coolers to try new things. As a reminder, we have 20 oz beer draught for only $7 with Railyard and Pabst Blue Ribbon available at Hawk Hideaway, and Original 16 at Raven’s Nest. The Hawk #9 barbecue is now available Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 11:00AM to 6:00PM.

To conclude, the F&B team wants to enrich your life by continuously improving and elevating our food quality, consistency and value. Thank you for your continued support.

Franck Trutet

Clubhouse Manager