RIPPLES THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF RIVERTON COUNTRY CLUB
VOLUME 1 • SUMMER 2022 ISSUE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
03
From The President's Desk
04 General Manager's Message 05
Membership news | Donna
06 HEar from Hannah 07
A transformation back in time | Drew
08 A Summer full of golf | Kevin 09 J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship 10
Summer events
11
A calendar full of fun | Alexis
12
Omar's corner
from the editor As I sat down to write this edition, I thought about the best way to describe that familiar feeling of summer approaching but found that F. Scott Fitzgerald did it best: "And so, with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer." You can almost hear the birds chirping, smell the freshly cut grass, and feel the warm breeze in the air as you read it. And, it's true, life does begin again with the summer, and summers here at Riverton are filled with a special kind of magic. The grass seems greener, the sky bluer, the laughter of children splashing in the pool drifts to every corner of the club, and a sense of nostalgic, unbridled freedom and joy seems to be present in members, guests, and staff alike. And this summer promises to be one of the best we have had in years. Following the completion of the Ross Restoration, our course has never looked or played better! Golfers, young and old, beginner to advanced, can look forward to playing a course that now almost exactly mirrors Donald Ross's original design. If that's not exciting enough, our beautiful new patio has changed the game entirely. You, your family, friends, and guests can now take in the breathtaking views of the course under a stunning, covered, state-of-the-art patio while enjoying a delicious meal or refreshing drink. Want to catch some sun? Or reminisce under the stars? Grab a seat in one of our new lounge areas, complete with a fire pit with that added ambiance or instagrammable moment. So as Fitzgerald said, as the sun shines and the leaves burst bright on the trees, let us all celebrate in the knowledge that the distinctive magic of a Riverton summer is upon us! Cheers to all the fun adventures this season may hold and as always, remember... when you're here, you're home.
Casey-Lee Waldron director of communications & Marketing
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK TOM KEARNS Welcome to the Summer Edition of Ripples (it seems it keeps coming faster every year). I would first like to thank the Board for their vote of confidence and for providing me the honor of being your President for another year. I would also like to congratulate Doug Cohen, Jim Lutz, and Marty Rosica on their election to the Board and extend a sincere thank you to Joanne Elvert for her years of service to the Board and the many committees she served/chaired. Keeping the thanks going, I would like to thank everyone who attended our Annual Meeting in April. We hope you all find the amount and level of information provided in these forums helpful. For those who were unable to attend, I hope you take the time to review the presentation and video available on our website. Some highlights we shared from the meeting: Another very successful year of membership and the resulting financial performance of the club. Finalizing the completion of the Ross Restoration of our golf course, per the approved Master Plan. Tracking to complete our new patio in June and continuing to work on the new Golf Center and Pool complex plans. Reviewed the outcome of the Board’s goals for FY22 and the committed goals for FY23 Recognized members who have been a part of our family for more than 25 years. One of our top priorities continues to be working to improve how we can better serve your needs; it is the joint mission of the Board and staff to provide you, your family, and guests with the best overall experience. There is much more information in the following pages, so please take the time to read this quarterly update. In addition, be sure to stay current with our email updates and information posted regularly on the website. I look forward to seeing you all at the club, and, as always, please feel free to drop me a note with any ideas or comments.
Ripples | Page 3
GENERAL MANAGER'S MESSAGE
JOE MENDEZ, CCM, CCE
We l l , w e h a v e c o mp l e t e d t h e f i r s t two pieces of Phase I of the Facility Ma s t e r P l a n P r o j e c t , i n c l u d i n g t h e c o mp l e t i o n o f t h e g o l f c o u r s e R o s s R e s t o r a t i o n . We a r e e x c i t e d b y t h e results of everything thus far and look forward to taking the next steps. It was fantastic to celebrate the opening of our new patio with everyone, and we look forward to c r e a t i n g ma n y s p e c i a l me mo r i e s o n our beautiful new dining space. We r e c e n t l y c o mp l e t e d o u r 2 - d a y Me n ’ s Me mb e r - G u e s t T o u r n a me n t w i t h g r e a t c o mme n t s f r o m me mb e r s and guests alike on the changes ma d e t o t h e c o u r s e a n d t h e r e s u l t s of the restoration. Things will c o n t i n u e t o i mp r o v e a s t h e w o r k ma t u r e s , a n d w e c a n t r u l y a p p r e c i a t e the beauty of our outstanding course. O u r me mb e r s h i p c o n t i n u e s i t s s t r o n g p e r f o r ma n c e o v e r t h e p a s t f e w y e a r s . Wh i l e s e v e r a l H o u s e / S o c i a l Me mb e r s h i p s a r e a v a i l a b l e , o n l y a f e w s p o t s r e ma i n t o j o i n R i v e r t o n a s a G o l f Me mb e r . S h o u l d s o me o n e y o u k n o w b e i n t e r e s t e d i n me mb e r s h i p , please have them contact Donna Surrette as soon as possible--she is a l w a y s t h e r e w i t h a s mi l e , r e a d y t o a s s i s t p r o s p e c t i v e me mb e r s a n d c u r r e n t me mb e r s .
Ma n y o f y o u h a v e e x p e r i e n c e d t h e N P S s u r v e y i n g w e h a v e i mp l e me n t e d for those who dine with us--we will b e r o l l i n g t h a t s a me s u r v e y p r o c e s s out to other aspects of our o p e r a t i o n s mo v i n g f o r w a r d , a s w e l l . Keep your eye out for surveys regarding golf, racquets, and pool o p e r a t i o n s s o o n . We a s k y o u t o p l e a s e r e me mb e r t h e p u r p o s e o f these surveys is for us to identify where we are successful and where w e h a v e o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o i mp r o v e . T h e s u r v e y i s r e l a t e d t o y o u r mo s t recent experience, and recalling an experience from a year ago takes away from the purpose of identifying h o w w e a r e p e r f o r mi n g t o d a y . Additionally, we appreciate your honest feedback, but please understand that the leaders in the d e p a r t me n t y o u a r e b e i n g s u r v e y e d on see your replies, so we ask you to be respectful when speaking about any individual in your response. Should you have questions about the survey, please reach out, and I will be happy to speak with you about it. As always, we look forward to serving you soon!
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Honoring our rich history & Traditions Donna surrette When thinking about our rich history and traditions here at Riverton and our collective goal satistfy the expectations of the membership, I wanted to highlight members that have shown us unyielding support for over 25 years. I thought it would be nice to share a few of the special stories some of these members have passed on to me when asked to recall their Riverton journeys: When we think about our memories of RCC, the first thing that comes to mind is the Christmas dance parties. Truly a gala event, with women in beautiful formal gowns and men in black tie-always sold out, and you would have to arrive early to sign up. Being members since the late ’70s, RCC is like home for us, it's our “happy place”. The members are the best! Seeing all the young members join the club truly warms our hearts. We often kid now that we are the old people when, in fact, we were the young ones back in the late ’70s Being members of RCC has gifted us the opportunity to have lifetime friends. - Mike & Kate Givnish I find myself reminiscing daily about starting the first junior golf team back in the 1960s. I also take a lot of pride in beginning the Dorothy Porter Annual Tournament hosted every year here at RCC. - Gail Reedy My first memory is of the old Clan Room with bartenders Bobby Biancone and Joe Clifford. Then, of course, Mrs. Meeks, who always knew the intrigue of where to seat couples of the parties. Oh, and the dances, black tie, and gowns. We were so grand. Golf, wine, and Friday nights. RCC has always been my happy place.- Gertrude Kennedy With sincere thanks, appreciation, and gratitude, we celebrate the following members for 25+ years of membership and special memories here at RCC: Carolyn Rapp Elizabeth Miller Kay Mufalli Claire Falls Roland & Jean Stratton Harry & Beatrice Val Gerald & Nancy Tarr Yvonne Tester Helen C Villari Gertrude Hajduk Norina Andreola David & Paula Stahl William &Barbara Colsey Karen Harris Samuel & Mitizi Corsello Gayle Reedy Theodore & Hazel Thompson Joseph & Janice Giordano Edward Y Camille Brill Ronald & Phaedra Pollock Ross & Bridget Hagstoz Thomas & Deborah Whitesell Michael & Mary Kearney Andrew & Kathleen Collier William & Jennifer Colfer
Samuel Jones Robert Gegnas Robert Verrocchio George & Barbara Gibson Thomas & Carol Morgan Kathy McCracken Lila Graziano Philip & Barbara Mueller William & Grace Barr Marilyn Lippincott Joan Halfen Michael & Kate Givnish Edward & Maggie Bridge Don Carberry Ann Laughlin Richard & Lois Blash Trudy Kennedy Albert & Mary Chinappi James & Carol Landgraf Joseph Y Maryann Mancine Thomas & Ellen Parente Michael Laino Gerald Dinon & Virgil Maderich Rose Minniti Marissa Dare
Ronald & Barbara Green Robert & Agnes Thompson Francis & Ann Chardo John & Carmel Dorsey James & Michelle Daloisio Frank & Brenda Giordano Michael & Maryann Strong Matthew Pellegrino Gail McFadden Ralph & Catherine Scott Robert & Christine Thorton Michael & Mari Veneziano John & Bonnie Zanger William & Carol Herbert Roger & Jonni Moore Maryann Hajduk John & Ann Kernan Charles & Kathleen Ogan James & Lois McQuaide Louis Colaguori Alison & Kevin Magann Thomas & Louise Hagner Stephanie Zarus Ronald & Linda Kowalski Thomas & Patrice Michaux
Richard & Lynne Cureton William & Connie Young William & Cathy Rough Geraldine Bresan Kenneth Jones James Nickels Thomas Schweich George & Barbara Piperno Phillip & Laurie Villari Scott Schaeffer Gordon & Ellen Thomas Gloria Fisher Joseph & Barbara Gross Janice Sweeten John Slimm Phyllis Tamburri Frank Kerbeck Alan & Helene Lilholt Brady & Laurie Marrone James & Shirley Richardson John & Barbara Raleigh Richard & Rita Fitch Charles & Jean Gamble Ken & Maureen Coppola Thomas & Dianne Doyle
Harry & Elizabeth Segner Anthony & Colette Villari Charles & Loretta Granito George & Michelle Shirmer Joseph & Carole Frawley Charles & Elizabeth Berry Michael & Doreen Lacatena Mark & Leslie Pellegrino Donald & Jennifer Chapman Clifford & Kathleen Mancine Mary Rush Kevin & Deborah Hogan Thomas & Marie Gorman Robert & Beth Mueller Daniel & Patricia McCormick John & Jacquelyn Langel Dolores Murphy Christopher & Cara Mueller Donald & Gretchen Patrick Lisa Cerchiaro John & Lyn Cech Michael & Danielle O’Hara Wayne & Kathleen Farren James Kelly
How fun to think of our future members just joining us today and how their years will affect their lives 25 years from now. Please help me welcome and celebrate the newest members of our Riverton Family. James & Dr. Alicia McDowell (Cinnaminson) Stephen Levin & Brett Griffin Levin (Cherry Hill) Dr. Robert & Deborah Falconiero (Moorestown) Matthew Salka & Lindsey Van Horn (Marlton) Jamey Collidge & Katherine Dahlmeier (Cherry Hill) Michael Viselli (Palmyra) Gerald & Athena Sokolowski (Delanco) Charles & Leah Coursey (Moorestown) Coyle Connolly (Moorestown) Eugene & Janey Kang (Cinnaminson) Denise & James Walsh (Cinnaminson)
Full Golf Full Golf Full Golf Int. Res. Int. Res. Young Pro II Rest House House Jr, House House
Dr. Theodore & Megan Plush (Moorestown) Kyle & Sarah Ashworth (Cherry Hill) Bryan LoSasso & Kristina Nicoles-LoSasso (Cinnaminson) Ajay Bhalodia (Moorestown) Andrew Drangula (Cinnaminson) Stephen Hrubec & Dr. Maria Sciotto (Riverton) Michael & Sarah Armanious (Philadelphia) Brandon & Carolyn Gribbin (Delran) David Preston & Mandy Lane (Marlton) Matthew Dauphinais & Jaime Brunner (Moorestown) Dr. Pak Leung & Jordan DiSanzo-Leung (Delanco)
To no surprise we had an amazing start of the season. Thank you everyone for all your support! Ripples | Page 5
House House Young Pro III Jr. House House House Young Pro III Young Pro III House House
27
hear from hannah HANNAH LIBRIZZI
Summer has arrived here at Riverton! And the Food and Beverage team has been working tirelessly to ensure this summer at Riverton will be the best yet! We have just finished hiring, onboarding, and training our seasonal employees, and they are excited to meet and serve you! To those who recommended Riverton to your friends and neighbors for job opportunities, I thank you sincerely for your support! It is always great to hire someone who comes highly recommended by one of our own. We are thrilled for the summer ahead and have worked hard to put together some exciting events for you and your guests to come out and enjoy! One we are most looking forward to bringing you is our Summer Concert Series on July 21st, featuring Moondance, The Ultimate Van Morrison Tribute Band. Just picture it now: beautiful summer night on the course, relaxing on blankets and lawn chairs, surrounded by friends, family, and neighbors--pretty awesome, right? Registration is open on the app, so signup today and do not miss this incredible outdoor concert experience under the stars! Another great event we are excited to bring you (back by popular demand) is our poolside Luau Experience on August
18th. You can look forward to a night full of authentic Hawaiian cuisine, live music, performers, and of course, the opportunity to see who will be the 2022 Big Kahuna! It really is an exciting time to be part of the RCC family! Besides a summer full of great events, you can look forward to spending your days and evening dining and relaxing on our beautiful new patio. We cannot wait to serve you and you guests and ask you take a moment to review some of policies below: Reservations are always strongly recommended. To provide the best possible experience to you and your guests, we ask you please make a reservation whenever dining at the club. Patio seating will be on a firstcome, first-serve basis. Please check in with the hostess, beginning at 4:45 PM, and they will seat you. While you can access the patio from various entrances, we ask you not to seat yourself and always see the hostess (during dinner) or a member of the waitstaff. Please keep in mind, without a reservation, you and your guests may be subject to a wait until we can service you.
Smoking on the patio and grass is prohibited. Children must be supervised at all times. To ensure the safety of all members and staff, if the lighting detector alarms, we ask you kindly move inside and continue your dining experience until the storm has passed and it is safe to return outside. Outside food and beverages are prohibited. The dress code for the patio follows the same rules as the clubhouse. Dress code information can be found on the website or mobile app. On a final note, as most of you are aware, Amanda Gorman, our Food and Beverage Operations Manager (former beloved Bartender and Bar Manager), has accepted a new position opening a Hell’s Kitchen in Atlantic City. Amanda has been a valuable asset to the club for the past eight years and has always given 110% to everything she does. Although she will be missed by so many, we are excited for her to take on this new chapter and wish her the best always.
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A TRANSFORMATION BACK IN TIME DREW WHITE This year marks one hundred and five years of our Donald Rossdesigned golf course here at Riverton. In 2004, our club enlisted the architectural service of Ron Prichard, a world-renowned golf course architect, to design a master plan that restored the main features of Ross’s original design. In 2017, Prichard, his associate designer & protégé Tyler Rae, and the Riverton Agronomy Team, broke ground and started on Phase I of the plan. After Prichard announced his retirement in 2019, we entrusted Tyler Rae with the task of completing the restoration. On October 25, 2021, we broke ground on the final phase of the restoration-restoring the bunkers on holes 2, 4, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 14. And finally, after many long days and tireless hours, the Agronomy Team and Tyler completed the restoration this May. It has been a remarkable process; the course now mirrors Ross’s design so closely that most of the bunkering is within a few feet of their original locations. We even uncovered old bunker sand during the construction of many of the new bunkers. Now that we have completed the Ross Restoration bunkering, I took a moment to pause and look back to February 2019, when I took over as Golf Course Superintendent here at Riverton. While this look back is highlighted most by the Ross Restoration, many other bright spots have helped transform our golf course. When I first arrived, my main areas of focus were improving the consistency of the greens, increasing the turf density/quality in the rough and fairways, and providing tournament-like playing conditions daily. After implementing an aggressive agronomic plan: our green speeds consistently are within a foot of each other on the stimpmeter throughout the course, the rough has become a true deterrent during play, and the turf on the fairways and tees have a high level of quality, creating tight, firm, and fast recovering playing surfaces. Additionally, the thoughtful removal of trees has created better-growing environments and spectacular vistas of our course. It is hard to reflect on the past without looking toward the future. Although we have completed the majority of the Ross Restoration, there are design and playability features in the planning phase. These features include the construction of mounds highlighted in Ross’s original design, the re-grassing areas of rough, as well as a long-term desire to construct a short game practice area and enhance the driving range. The agronomic plan for the continued transformation of the golf course will follow the same foundation that has been laid out but expand its focus into areas such as the fescue, cart paths, and tree management.
#14 BEFORE
#14 AFTER
#4 BEFORE
The reflection of the past three years has made me extremely proud and happy to be a part of this great club, and then looking ahead at the path for the future makes me excited for many more years to come. Ripples | Page 7
#4 AFTER
A SUMMER FULL OF GOLF KEVIN DUFFY We recently hosted two of our biggest golf events of the summer, in our Men’s and Ladies Member Guest Tournaments. After a couple of long days of competition and camaraderie, please join me in congratulating our 2022 Champions! Men’s Champion Ted Fitzpatrick & Ron Kraft Ladies Net Champion Carmela Rogers, Barbara Griest, Ruth Rogers, & Betsy Burke Ladies Gross Champion Andrea Klaus, Susan Kirk, Virgil Maderich, & Liza Zoubek We have a summer packed full of great events and we hope to see you out for some our popular upcoming events: Cigar, Steak & Bourbon Skins Game | June 21 Mixed Club Championship | June 25 SMGA Tournament | June 29 Par 3 Shootout | June 29 July 4th Primary & Mixed Tournament | July 4 Long Drive Championship | July 6 Men’s Club Championship | July 9, 10, 16, 17 SMGA Tournament | July 13 Mixed 9 & Dine | July 14 Ladies Club Championship | July 16-17 Junior Club Championship | July 17 SMGA & Tavistock – Home | July 20 Ladies Secretary’s Cup | July 23 One Day Member-Guest | July 28 Mixed Member-Guest | July 31 Board of Governors Tournament | August 6-7 Aerification – Course Closed | August 8-11 Adult Glow Golf | August 12 Member-Member Calcutta | August 20 Edward H. Ogden (Rescheduled Date) | August 27 Labor Day Tournament | September 5 Men’s Member-Member | September 9-11 Ladies Member-Member | September 17-18 SMGA & Philly Cricket Club (Away) – September 15th 9 Holers Member-Guest – September 15th 6th Annual “Golf for a Cure” benefitting Cure SPG47 – September 20th Mixed 9 & Dine – September 22nd SMGA Tournament – September 28th The 1900 Invitational – September 30th & October 1st Ripples | Page 8
2022
THE
J. Wood Platt CADDIE SCHOLARSHIP
T
he J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship was started in 1958 by the Golf Association of Philadelphia and named after the era’s premier golfer in Philadelphia. The trusts mission, which has remained constant since inception, is to financially aid deserving caddies in their pursuit of higher education. Since 1958, they have awarded more than $24 million to more than 3600 caddies. Scholarships are awarded based on financial need, and this past year, J. Wood Platt has granted more than $1.1 million dollars to 137 deserving caddies. Three of these deserving caddies are from Riverton Country Club! We are proud to announce that three of Riverton’s own:
CHRIS MCGEE, RYAN RAMIREZ, & REID WALKER have all received scholarships from the J. Wood Platt Scholarship Trust to help with their current college tuition. To help honor and identify our J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholars, you will now notice three of our caddies wearing red caddie bibs, signifying their JWP Scholar status. If you see one of these fine young men on the course, please be sure to stop and congratulate them!
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For those who would like to learn more about the J. Wood Platt Caddie Trust or to make a donation, please visit www.plattscholar.org!
A CALENDAR FULL OF FUN ALEXIS RYAN Summer is right around the corner, and what better way to welcome it than with our Memorial Day poolside BBQ! Warm weather always signifies the start of a busy golf course. In addition to our many club tournaments, we are excited to have welcomed some new golf outings to our line-up after releasing our new golf outing packages last year. One of those new outings was the first annual Noelle’s Light Golf Classic; Noelle's Light is a foundation started by members Alex & Jodi Laughlin in memory of their daughter, Noelle, and we look forward to hosting this great event next year! On the member event side of things, our team has been working to put together a fun and exciting summer, featuring our Firework Extravaganza on June 30th & Summer Concert Series on July 21st. We can’t wait to welcome everyone for two great nights full of exciting entertainment! Be sure to check out all the great events we have planned for the summer and be sure to RSVP! On the catering front, we've seen an influx in private events since COVID restrictions have lifted, and it has not slowed down since! Our fall and winter calendar are already filling up quickly, so if you are looking to book an outing, birthday party, wedding, anniversary celebration, business meeting, or holiday dinner, please reach out to me as soon as possible. In the meantime, here's to yet another great summer at Riverton!
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OMAR'S CORNER OMAR GONZALEZ
With summer easing its way in, we are all looking forward to a season full of exciting activities and programs for our members. After a cold, rainy spring, we hope summer will bring us better weather, and with the end of the school year, the opportunity for parents and kids to enjoy the summer together with us. On the Pickleball front, we have two great events planned, the first on July 24th will be our Member-Guest Day, and the second will be a Ryder Cup on August 8th. On the tennis side of things, first, I want to congratulate all of our adult beginner, intermediate, and advanced players for their dedication and passion, making it possible for our tennis program to continue to grow. Adult and junior programs will continue throughout the summer, and we look forward to Summer Camp running from June 20th to August 26th. In closing, I encourage everyone to stay up to date with the racquets calendar and remember to use the app to sign up for any event or reserve court time. My best wishes to you and your families for a happy, healthy, and fun summer; I hope to see you all on the courts!
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