La Vie
November & December 2023
Club Contacts General Questions/Club Reservations
Concierge 281-899-3200 | concerige@royaloakscc.com
Membership
Membership Assistant - Lizz Barber 281-272-6665 | lbarber@royaloakscc.com Member Statement/Accounts Receivable 281-899-3253 | ar@royaloakscc.com
Dining
Pick-Up/To-Go Orders The Bistro, 281-899-3230 The Turn, 281-899-3227
Events
Catering & Events Director - Allyson Brown 281-899-3293 | abrown@royaloakscc.com
Sports Club
Front Desk 281-899-3250 | sportsclub@royaloakscc.com Fitness Director - Pam Owens 281-899-3236 | powens@royaloakscc.com Tennis Director - Peter Farrell 281-899-3219 | pfarrell@royaloakscc.com
Golf
Welcome New Members! September & October 2023 Jeff and Marisol Allen John Slater and Ximena Diz Logan and Samantha Lane Lucas Cowan and Meghan Flanery Aldo and Michaele Donati Jake and Madison Fruge Clement Zhang and Gabrielle Li David and Karen Bray Colby Anthony and Sidney Duckworth Will and Annie Bullock Mark Lai and Jessica Tsai Peng Long Ju Jorge and Wilai Toledo
Golf Shop 281-899-3270 | golfshop@royaloakscc.com
Victor and Ana Zurita
Head Golf Professional - Ryan Miller 281-899-3205 | rmiller@royaloakscc.com
Kevin and Wendy Swantkowski
Director of Instruction - Derek Hooper 281-899-3217 | dhooper@royaloakscc.com
Have a comment or suggestion? Let us know your thoughts on our Mobile App under My Club > Compliments & Comments or on the Member Central page of our website!
Membership Over the last year and a half, we have had a surprising number of prospective Members ask questions about joining the Club. We have learned a lot over the past decade of Club Membership about what prospective Members look for in a new golf club, things they consider, and amenities they love. If you are speaking with a friend, family member, or business associate about Membership at Royal Oaks, here are some questions that may help them decide that Royal Oaks is a PERFICT FIT!
1. Do you want to be a Member of a Golf Club or a Country Club? Understanding the difference between these
two is important. Generally speaking, a Country Club has more amenities and a greater social scene beyond a golf club. Country Clubs usually offer Tennis, Pickleball, Swimming, Fitness, Dining, and Social Events. Royal Oaks is definitely a Country Club.
2. Is Royal Oaks an Equity or Non-Equity Club? Essentially equity clubs are owned by the members. Royal Oaks is an equity owned Club and offers their Equity Members voting rights in the Club. Members are also offered the ability to run for Club President or be on the Board and/or participate on various committees. Non-Equity Clubs are usually owned by either an individual or a corporation.
3. Does Royal Oaks offer a Golf Course that is well maintained? Although Houston experienced a severe drought this year, Royal Oaks continued to maintain the golf course to the highest level of expectations for its Membership.
4. Are there any restrictions on family or spouse play? Royal Oaks offers the same privileges for all family
members and spouses. Some clubs limit the ability for children or spouses to play at certain times of day or week. No family member or spouse will be subject to any of these limitations.
5. Does Royal Oaks offer a Junior Membership? At Royal Oaks, we refer to these as Young Professional Memberships.
These Memberships are tiered according to the age of the Member and the Spouse. These age groups are (21-29), (30-34), and (35-39), and are priced accordingly. Young Members have increased in joining Royal Oaks over the past year due to this offering.
For more information on Membership, please contact the Membership Office at (281) 899-3207.
A Message from the President Well, here we are again and isn’t this weather gorgeous!! What a change from the long HOT drought we just suffered through. Time to break out your boots and sweaters and get ready to enjoy the holiday season that is upon us. We hope you enjoyed the Family Halloween Party with a corn maze and a haunted hayride. Be on the lookout for our Thanksgiving Brunch and to-go packages and of course all the festivities around the Christmas season with Brunch with Santa and real snow to Golf Cart Caroling and tons of fun in-between. I will leave the rest of the promoting to Allyson Brown’s update later in this issue. The Clubhouse has reopened, and I am so impressed with how the place spruced up. I think the decorators did an excellent job with the lightening and brightening. We asked the interior designer to strike a balance between old world charm with a modern twist and I think she did a great job. We still have a few things to tweak with TVs to be rehung, area rugs to be delivered, artwork to be installed, etc. just to name a few. Come up and belly up to the new bar and check it out if you haven’t already. The golf course has really flourished under the reprieve from the burning sun and the much needed rain. It has really grown in and turned into a lovely shade of emerald. We are doing our final interviews with our leading candidates for the course architect to guide us into our next few years of master planning for our golf course and are planning to have him/her chosen soon. The Oaks is in the countdown for completion. We have been busy installing all the technical equipment in the Golf Performance Center and entertainment simulator, kitchen appliances, etc. We are expecting construction to be finished in December and open for business in January to allow our staff to fire up the ovens and get prepared for the Members enjoyment. The project remains on budget. The kitchen will serve a combination of Turn style (quick bites) food and upscale bar food. It is not meant to be fine dining so if you want a nice night out with all of Chef’s specialties then the place for you is in the Bistro. This will be a fun casual space for gathering after golf or tennis, to get a quick bite and enjoying an adult beverage, and sit around the two firepits outside. There will be inside and outdoor seating and more fire pits so you can have your pick of venues. You can sit by the Nano wall which will be either open or closed based on the weather but either way you’ll have a beautiful view of our bubbling brook with our gorgeous course as a backdrop. Sit down and relax while watching someone else struggle to make a ball land and stop on the ninth green. Ugh! And of course, there will be the Golf Performance Center with two teaching bays and a fitting bay to improve your golf game with our instructors. These training bays will have all the latest and greatest equipment for getting the
best out of your game. You can sign up for a lesson online so our golf staff can tweak your existing swing with the latest swing analysis technology to make sure you are maximizing your abilities, or they can outfit you with new clubs using all the newest tools. Either way it is sure to improve your game. It is so much better to judge how you are striking the ball when you are taking a lesson or getting fitted while you are hitting onto the practice area and not onto a screen. Last but not least, The Oaks will also have a games simulator which you can rent and play some of the best courses in the world with your friends or enjoy other sports with your family. There will be 13 sports to play all in the comfort of air-conditioning and food and drinks served with a smile. The Club continues to do well financially allowing us to reinvest in the Club. We continue to discuss the best way to balance the wants and needs of our many Members who all use the Club in different ways. We are also trying to plan around when is the right season to do these projects to minimize the disruption it causes our Members. Some of the projects your Board is considering include a Racquet Court expansion to add more Tennis courts and finally have dedicated Pickleball courts and renovating the kitchen serving the Main Dining Room. And longer term, a special Committee has undertaken a project to develop a Golf Course Master Plan to make sure our course is ready for the next 20-25 years. As we get further along in our plans, we will keep you informed. We have sent out the voting ballots for the three Board positions that are open, and voting closes on November 19. We have four candidates running this year: Chris Gallio, Amy McCully, Rob Walsh, and Dennis Whalen. Please make sure to have the primary Member fill out the ballot and choose THREE candidates. If you do not select three candidates, unfortunately, your ballot will be null and void. And that is it for this La Vie. Sadly, this will be my last La Vie article for you all although there will be one more Going Places with the President coming out soon. I am finishing my sixth and final year on the Board and my second year as your President and it is time to say farewell. I leave you in very capable hands with a wonderful group of dedicated Board Members with steady hands to lead the Club forward. I have enjoyed my time as your Board representative, and I thank you for giving me the chance. Thanks for reading this and I’ll look forward to seeing you around the Club! Allison Zuber
Have you been to the Bistro Recently?
Ladies Association Welcome back to all who have traveled this summer and into the fall. You’ve been missed. There have been and will continue to be many activities to enjoy. The Ladies Association’s September 27th Happy Hour, honoring feminist and trades union organizer, Leonora O’Reilly, found us back on the main floor of the Clubhouse after the long hot summer and beautiful refresh of the Club. October 11th was Movie Night, when we watched “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” in the Versailles Room donned in our comfy pj’s. Susan Nelson did a terrific job in decorating to fit the movie theme and Chef Olivier and his staff prepared a Greek themed salad bar along with coffee, tea, and cupcakes for dessert. Of course, there was fresh popcorn and a candy bar. The specialty drink was Ouzo Lemonade. For the October 25th, the Dia De Los Muertos themed happy hour, we kept with our monthly honoring a woman of note. This month the ladies were asked to bring a framed photo of a woman who made a difference in her life who is longer with us. For more information on our happy hours, please contact Roc’C Semmelbeck (semmelbeckr@gmail.com) or Su Kamis (suryani.kamis@gmail.com). Our Annual Ladies Luncheon on November 2nd utilized all of the main floor dining and social areas of the recently renovated Club. Doors opened at 10:30 am with door prize drawings throughout the morning while ROCCLA Members strolled through the displays in the Member Showcase and listened to a musical trio play “Decades of American Popular Music” all while enjoying a glass of bubbly and passed hors d’oeuvres. Photos will appear in the next issue. There’s been lots of planning going into our biggest event of the year. Sincere gratitude to Isabela Ortiz, Digital Marketing & Communications Manager, for her dedicated and tireless work on the Royal Recipe Ladies Cookbook, this year’s luncheon gift. Thanks, too, to Jan Parker, Jennie Hampton, and Aileen Hansen for compiling and editing all of the Royal Recipe Ladies submissions for each monthly themed luncheon. Special thanks to our tireless leader, Roc’C Semmelbeck, as she passes the torch of President to Maureen Singleton. Our December 13th Happy Hour will once again be an Open House at Diane and Rich Sperandio’s home. Sign up on the Club app to stop by to view their Dept 56 Christmas Village they have spent the past 47 years collecting, building, and redesigning a miniature city. Like the ROCC, the Sperandio’s village has undergone a refresh this year thanks to some lovely gifts from a few friends. Be sure to bring your families, children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews. The Royal Bookies book club meets at 4pm on the last Wednesday of each month, prior to our monthly ROCCLA Happy Hour. This year’s classic choice of W. Somerset Maugham’s, “The Painted Veil” was discussed on October 25th. David Gann’s, “Killers of the Flower Moon” was reviewed on November 15th. Our own Stacy Edick Wilder’s just published novella, “Christmas Conundrum” was added for December 13th. Stacy will join us to give insight on her recent work. Stacy is currently working on another Liz Adams mystery, which we expect to be added to the Royal Bookies reading list when it’s published. January will begin the new year of reading with “Tom Lake” by Ann Patchett. Karen Shewbart (kshewbart@comcast.net) and Ellie Beeckman (beeckmae@sbcglobal. net) continue to do an outstanding job at book selections and interesting discussions. They are always open to suggestions of books the group might be interested in reading. Lunch Bunch meets on the third Monday of each month at a different restaurant to try new cuisine while spending time in this smaller group setting that allows for friendly conversation. On October 16th, we gathered at Rosalie Italian Soul located inside C. Baldwin Hotel on Dallas Street. November 27th the Lunch Bunch will enjoy the beautiful holiday decorations at the Taste of Texas while eating lunch at this Houston icon. Details for each month’s gathering can be found on the Club app. Not sure about driving to a particular location? No worries, we meet at the club to carpool. Reach out to either Angie Gooch at angie.gooch@me.com or Jan Parker at jan.parker2022@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or suggestions. The Royal Recipe Ladies, under the well-organized leadership of Aileen Hansen, continues to get stronger each month. Join in to experience the group’s motto of Food, Friendship and Fun! Be sure to check the Quick Links
on the Club App for dates to sign up to join the monthly gatherings. This season will be on specific days to better fit the schedules of the hostesses with major day changes in the new year. Aileen and the hostesses have been busy scheduling this upcoming year. The Thursday, September 21st theme was a Japanese washoku, with Su Kamis as hostess. Thursday, October 12th was German Oktoberfest, hosted by Mary Ann Hammerle. Lorie Kapilia will host November 16th’s Indian cuisine. You can reach out to Aileen with any questions or comments at aileen913@yahoo.com The MahJongg ladies continue to gather on Thursday afternoons at 1pm in the Ladies Locker Room. Two to three tables have gathered each week throughout the summer months. More are gathering now that everyone’s back in town. Be sure to contact our jovial mother/daughter co-chairs, Kindel Burton (kindelvc@ gmail) and Trisha Maley (trishmaley@yahoo.com), if you’d like to be added to the list for the next class to learn how to play MahJongg. Toot! Toot! Hop on board to play Mexican Train Dominos on the first Thursday of each month at 10 am in the Ladies Locker Room. The game is easy to learn and those who have been playing a while are always gracious to newcomers. Many of the ladies stay for lunch. Contact Missie Villere (missieV316@gmail.com) or Gerrie Fick (fjimgerrie@aol.com) with any questions. The Casual Bridge ladies play on Tuesday’s at 10 am and Advanced Bridge group plays on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Friday of each month. They, too, have grown in numbers with returning sunbirds. Contact Nancy Richard (nancywrichard@gmail.com) for Casual Bridge and Jane Williams (janerwms@yahoo.com) about Friday Bridge. Thank you to all our Executive Board and Committee Chairs for making 2022-2023 a memorable year. We’re looking forward to enjoying what the 2023-2024 Committee already has in the planning stages. As always, we highly recommend you keep up to date by checking out the club app. You’re sure to find updates as the ROCCLA board and committees continue to come up with new and interesting things to do. We are always open to suggestions. We look forward to seeing you at our future events.
A Message from Chef Dear Members, It is hard to believe that 2023 is coming to an end. Time flew by fast this year, but we have plenty of good meals cooking up to celebrate the holiday season. We are ready to help you celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas at the Club or at home with our traditional brunches and “to-go” packages. Santa will join us for brunch, we will celebrate you during our Annual Member Holiday Party, and let’s not forget the New Year’s Eve Gala to welcome 2024. This year we invested a lot of time in searching for better quality ingredients, from beef to butter and our seafood, we tasted, evaluated and compared to make sure that you always get the best quality we can offer. We organized more wine dinners, themed dinners (Truffle, Texas Gyulais beef, etc…), buffets, and cooking classes than ever and we are looking forward to do more of them when our busy calendar permits it. Thank you to all our Members who asked to organize a private dinner party in the Wine Cellar or the Boardroom. We love a challenge and we love celebrating the important events in your life or your business with you. On a personal note, it is my second year at the Club and I want to thank you all for your support, patience, and feedback (the good and the not so good), and for helping me better understand your needs in order to make you proud of your Club. I’m looking forward to see you at the Club.
Olivier Burgos, CEC
Executive Chef oburgos@royaloakscc.com (281) 899-3294
The Wine Times Hello Royal Oaks! For the fall season, we put together a new cocktail menu. Come check out some of the new flavors being mixed behind our bars. We have something to satiate any pallet, whether it’s the Santa Teresa Rum Old Fashioned or the Spiked Apple Cider. We bring the fall flavors and some classics! We also are happy to offer non-alcohol options as well! Options will include a variety of mocktails both original and classic, as well as some new non-alcohol beers. Athletic Brewing Co is a non-alcohol brewery from Connecticut that makes a wide variety of brews such as Hazy IPA’s, Mexican style lagers, and Belgian Whites. There is only one way to see just how good these are, and that’s by coming in and trying them for yourself. On November 17th we are hosting Kendal Jackson for a wonderful wine dinner! This will be the last wine dinner of the year, so I encourage you all to come join us for a night of great wine, food, and company! I want to take this time to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving as well. This is a holiday that means so much to me and my family, and so I sincerely wish you can eat, drink and be merry to your hearts content! Nazdrowie!
Marek Lubecki
Food and Beverage Manager mlubecki@royaloakscc.com (281) 899-5225
Social Life Hello Members, Happy fall! It is finally starting to get a bit cooler, and I know everyone is happy for sweater weather and patio season. On November 16th we will host the monthly Themed Thursday Buffet, which will be Mexican food, complete with a live mariachi band! The following evening is the Jackson Family Wine Dinner featuring a 4-course dinner with wine pairings from the popular Jackson Family Wines. Round out the weekend with our Cars, Carts & Coffee on the morning of Saturday, November 18th. Whether you want to showcase your car or golf cart, or attend as an admirer, make sure to RSVP on the app. This helps us prepare not only for food & beverage, but also the arrangements of vehicles. That same night we will have our Family Movie Night showing “Elemental”. We will have the pizza oven out for this event as well as a popcorn & candy bar, and of course a bar for the parents! December is full of our favorite annual events starting with Brunch with Santa on Saturday, December 2nd. Last year, we offered two seatings, and this worked well not only to accommodate all our families, but also offer a later time for those that prefer. This is a kid-favorite complete with real snow, pictures with Santa, reindeer food station, donuts, hot cocoa, and games! On Tuesday, December 5th, we will host our annual Member Holiday Party. This event always sells out quickly with over 300 members! We revamped this event last year making it reception style with mostly cocktail tables for standing and some seating available based on space. The majority of Members that attended preferred this format over the previous years’ seated format, because it made the party more comfortable, as well as more social and festive. This allows us to host more members for the event as well, which is great! Also, this month we have our Ladies Holiday Tea on Sunday, December 10th. During this afternoon tea we provide a rare treat with guitarist, John Carney, from Panama, who visits Houston in the month of December! The following Sunday, December 17th, will be our annual Gingerbread House Decorating event. We are spicing up the event this year by adding a visit from Mrs. Claus with story time! The week before Christmas will include the ever-popular Christmas Cart Caroling on Wednesday, December 20th, and our Family Christmas Dinner on Friday, December 22nd. If you would like carolers to come to your house on the 20th, please RSVP on the app or let me know directly! Of course, we can’t end the year without our New Year’s Eve Gala, in which the theme for this year is “Carnivale”. After several years of hosting a plated dinner, feedback from past attendees, and on the advice of the Social Committee, we have decided to serve dinner with custom food stations, rather than a seated dinner. We realize that New Year’s Eve is a festive holiday, one in which Members want to celebrate and socialize with their friends, rather than spend the evening sitting at a table for dinner. Our New Year’s Eve party is the best value in town, if you are looking for an all-inclusive event, and we always have a few little surprises as well! I look forward to seeing you around the Club, and hopefully at one of these fun events!
Allyson Brown
Catering and Events Director abrown@royaloakscc.com (281) 899-3293
Upcoming Events
November 16
November 17
November 18
Themed Thursday: Mexican
Jackson Family Wine Dinner
Cars, Carts, and Coffee
December 5
December 10
December 17
Member Holiday Party
Ladies Holiday Tea
Gingerbread Decorating Party
RSV P Today!
November 18
November 23
December 2
Family Movie Night
Thanksgiving Brunch
Brunch with Santa
December 20
December 22
December 31
Christmas Cart Caroling
Family Christmas Dinner
New Years Eve Gala
Greens Update It has been a long and miserably hot summer. Although the heat has subsided some and granted us a few mornings in the 50’s recently, the dry conditions persist. Since July 8th we have received only 5.8 inches of rain here at Royal Oaks with 5.3 inches of that falling since September 15th. This reduced rainfall coupled with the oppressive heat has been challenging to put it lightly but the team has done an excellent job in keeping up with watering the course with only minimal disruption. The fall tournament season is underway, and the golf course is in terrific shape. Green speeds are up, rough is up and the fairways are firm. This is an excellent condition for the golf course as it enters the cooler months of winter. The turf growth has already slowed significantly and has allowed us to reduce our regular mowing maintenance. This reduction in regular summer maintenance will allow us to target some of the pending projects we have on the horizon. We have already begun some of these projects including adding new sod in key areas and replacing weak or damaged landscape plants. This winter we will again place an emphasis on improving drainage in key areas primarily focused along the cart paths that hold water. The reduction of “collar dams” is an ongoing process and will again be addressed this year with areas already identified for improvement. This will be a busy winter with the various projects for the team to tackle before the spring mowing season arrives. We look forward to seeing you out on the course and feel free to ask about our progress anytime.
Cody Alexander
Golf Course Superintendent calexander@royaloakscc.com (281) 899-3200
The World of Golf Out with the Fall Tournament Season and in with the Holiday Season. As we near the end of our golfing season, I just wanted to take the time to congratulate all our winners and thank those who have participated. The schedule for 2024 is being finalized and will be released to the Membership upon its completion and approval so be on the lookout for another year full of fun and competitive events. This time of year, as we all enjoy traveling and visiting family, remember to also invite family and friends to the Club for a round of golf or to participate in some of the other many activities that are scheduled for the holidays. Please travel safely and check the website or app for all upcoming events. Need a gift for Christmas? Come by the golf shop for the Golf Shop Balloon Sale scheduled for Saturday, December 2nd. Select the perfect gift, then pop your balloon for massive savings! Thank you to all our Members for your continued support during the year. From the Golf Staff to you and your families, we wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays. It has been an absolute pleasure to lead the golf operation at Royal Oaks in 2023 and I look forward to an even more successful 2024!
Ryan Miller, PGA
Head Golf Professional rmiller@royaloakscc.com (281) 899-3205
Manage Your Expectations Most golfers set their expectations too high, especially when it comes to hitting Greens in Regulation*. It’s easy to do. We watch the golf telecast each week and it looks like the best players in the world never miss a shot. Shouldn’t we expect to do the same?
*A green in regulation is when you are on the green in one shot on a par 3, two shots on a par 4 and 3 shots on a par 5 As you can see from the table above, the majority of players will not hit a lot of Greens in Regulation and don’t actually need to if the goal is to break 90 or 100. If you only hit three or less greens per round, you have fifteen or more opportunities to chip and pitch around the greens. Notice the percentage of getting up and down by a golfer who shoots 90 is only 17%, or less than one out of 5! This player also makes very few sand saves. One key to note is the better the player, the fewer number of putts per round.
So, what does this mean for your game? That to score well you need to do a few key things: 1. Keep the ball in play – practice to eliminate the big miss and then choose targets that match your shot dispersion patterns 2. Increase your percentage of up and downs – start by getting good with one wedge and being able to get the ball on the green in one shot from inside 50 yards 3. Have fewer putts per round – be sure to invest time on the putting green and focus on controlling your distance from long range and then work on making more putts between 3 and 5 feet. You do not need to be a great ball striker to shoot lower scores. You do need to manage your game on the course and have a good short game. Try recording these statistics the next time you play and see how you compare to the recommended numbers in the table above. I am certain they will give you wonderful insights into the areas of you game that require attention if you want to break through your next scoring barrier. If you are unsure of what the numbers show you or what your goals should be based on your scoring goals, bring your card to one of the Teaching Professionals and we will be happy to walk you through your statistics and guide you to the skills you should be practicing. It was shared with me that some Members are having a difficult time finding open lesson times on my calendar. Although my calendar gets busy from time to time, and when looking online it may show that no lesson times area available, I will always work with you to find time for anyone looking for a lesson with me. If you are ever unable to find a lesson time through the app or website, please email me and I will work with you to find a time that we can get together as soon as possible. Derek Hooper
Director of Instruction dhooper@royaloakscc.com (281) 899-3217
The Sports Club Member Spotlight Jimmy Howard, Golf Member regarding Knee Rehab with Dr. Steven Islas “Steven has done an excellent job with me, and I am very satisfied. His knowledge and experience is impressive. He always knows exactly what I need for each session. He gives me one-on-one attention vs another rehab facility which might not even know my name. I am also pleased with the convenience of doing my rehab right here at Royal Oaks vs driving to another facility.”
The News on the Courts Greetings, Royal Oaks! Tennis is in full swing at the beginning of autumn. Both men’s and ladies’ tennis leagues are over halfway done by the end of October, with 9 different teams competing with their peers. ROTA hosted an October Ladies’ Social on the 26th. Junior tennis has continued its after school drilling as well as match play days on Saturdays, in preparation for USTA competition and the upcoming Junior Davis Cup. Pickleball has settled into a comfortable and familiar rhythm. As the weather cools and summer travels conclude, pickleball social play on Mondays and Wednesdays has started to swell in attendance. Competitive play has been on a brief break after a busy start of the fall season. The inaugural PickleFest and Pickleball Club Championship occurred on September 30th. This event, comprised of an Open Club Championship main event and a flighted PickleFest side event, took most of a Saturday and ended in a lot of tired pickleballers. Congratulations to the PickleFest winners of Flight A, B, C, and D respectively: Julie Gray & Nghi Ho, Lamar Mckay, Honor Canon, and David Maldonado & Mark Semmelbeck. Also, huge congratulations to our first Pickleball Club Champions, Julie & Ivor Gray! Then, the very next week, the Fall Pickleball Ladder came to an end, resulting in a playoff tie victory for, Ivor and Julie Gray. Congratulations again to Ivor and Julie, and a special thank you for consistent participants Doyle Kindle and Guillermo Martinez-Sans who showed up every single week! In November and December, the racquets department is looking forward to a busy schedule surrounding the holiday season. Kids camps during Winter Break should keep them busy while out of school, and Junior Davis Cup will be a great opportunity for all of our kids to compete. The pickleball ladder will be restarting in November, refreshing a competitive pickleball system which will continue into the beginning of 2024. We have a lot to look forward to this winter. Come join our drop-in clinics or social events to get in on the fun! See you on the courts, Your Pros
Peter Farrell, USPTA Elite Pro Director of Tennis pfarrell@royaloakscc.com (281) 899-3219
November
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1 WGA Play Day
2 ROCCLA Annual Luncheon
3
4 Tennis Club Championship
5 Tennis Club Championship
6
7
8 WGA Play Day
9 MGA FDL Cup Dinner
10
11 MGA FDL Cup
12 MGA FDL Cup
13
14
15 -WGA Turkey Shoot -ROCCLA Happy Hour
16 -Themed Thursdays -ROCCLA Royal Recipes
17 Jackson Family Wine Dinner
18 Cars, Carts, and Coffee
22 WGA Play Day
23 Thanksgiving Brunch
24
19
20
21
Family Movie Night: Elemental 25
Thanksgiving 27 ROCCLA Lunch Bunch
December
26
Sunday
28
Monday
Tuesday
29 WGA Play Day
30
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2 -Brunch with Santa -Golf Shop Balloon Sale
3
4
5 Member Holiday Party
6 WGA Santa Scramble
7
8
9
10 Ladies Holiday Tea
11 ROCCLA Cookie Swap
12
13 -WGA Holiday Luncheon -ROCCLA Happy Hour
14
15
16 MGA Superintendants Revenge
17 Gingerbread Decorating Party
18 ROCCLA Lunch Bunch
19
20 Christmas Cart Caroling
21
22 23 Family Christmas Dinner
24 CLUB CLOSES AT 2PM
25 CLUB CLOSED
26
27
28
29
30
31 New Year’s Eve Gala
Happy Holidays from Royal Oaks Country Club!
Mission Statement
Royal Oaks Country Club provides an environment of enjoyment to all Members and their families by offering exceptional golf, fitness, recreational sports, social and dining experiences.
Vision Statement
To be recognized as the private club of choice for Houston families by offering a convenient and relaxed lifestyle with superior amenities and facilities.
Values
Members Members are our most important asset Membership is a privilege through a thoughtful selection process Amenities First class golf and recreational sports experience Remarkable social experiences promoted by Members Employees Attract staff who are high performers and outstanding in their field Uphold fiscal responsibility through effective Club governance Community Promote fellowship in a welcoming social environment Adhere to the Golden Rule...treat others as you want to be treated