La Vie July & August 2021
Celebrate Your Special Moments With Us Here At The Club!
A Message from the President Dear Members, It’s officially summertime here at the Club and we are definitely getting a taste of the Texas heat. It’s been great seeing all of our members taking advantage of the pool, outdoor events, and the Club overall. I’m also extremely pleased with the turnout we had at our recent Annual Meeting that was held on May 18th. It’s great to see all of our members taking an active role in ensuring our Club has a successful future. We had a great turnout of Members join us in person here at the Club as well as a handful join us via Zoom as we discussed important topics surrounding our Club’s future such as the 2020 Financials and many other items. As we dive into the middle of summer, I want to remind you that our Fourth of July event is quickly approaching, along with many other fun activities. Remember to visit the Club website and App to view the Club Calendar and RSVP or simply call Concierge at 281-899-3200. Over the last couple of years, we’ve had record-breaking numbers of Members and Guests join us for this great Fourth of July event. The Royal Oaks staff works extremely hard to put together this celebration that includes great food, fun games, a parade, and amazing fireworks show. I encourage all of our members to come out and enjoy this fantastic event – plus, you don’t want to miss taking a shot at dunking me in the dunk tank!! Looking forward to the rest of the year ahead, we have so many great things that are setting our Club up for future success such as the Bunker Renovation that have recently started and is going well. I also believe it’s important to address our ever-growing Membership. Over the last few months our Membership Director, Meghan Smith, has done a great job welcoming in the new faces that you might be seeing here around the Club. We are ecstatic about this growth and all the Young Professionals that are joining the Royal Oaks family as they look to building their families a future here with our Club. We want to continue to encourage our existing Members to invite their friends and family to come and check out the Club and learn all about what Royal Oaks has to offer. Be sure to direct them to our Membership department to learn more about our current Preview Program that is available with great incentives for both the new Member and the recruiting Member. I hope all of you have a great summer and look forward to seeing you at the Club! Sincerely, Dave McMahon Board of Directors, President
SHHHHH... LADIES ONLY It’s summer 2021! What a long, strange trip 2021 has The Book Club is going strong, and our ladies meet been! The Royal Oaks Ladies Association safely and on the last Wednesday of every month. If you love successfully keeps the activities going throughout the reading, we will save you a seat. first part of the year. The Lunch Bunch is a great way to try out a local Have you joined us for one of our activities? Members restaurant and get to know ROCCLA members enjoy monthly Happy Hours with complimentary in a smaller setting. On the 3rd Monday of every bites on the last Wednesday of every month. April’s month, ladies get together to enjoy a tasty lunch and Cocktails and Croquet Happy Hour had the dressed- conversation. in-white ladies sipping craft cocktails and trying their hand at Croquet. In May, we put our hats and boots on We are just getting started! Check the Club Calendar, for a Western-themed Happy Hour. We sure do miss the ROCCLA tab on the Club app, and follow us on the Houston Rodeo and can’t wait for it to return. Next Door so that you don’t miss out. The ladies made the most of the spring with some super fun special events. In April, we held our Spring Member Luncheon. It was a huge success, and it was wonderful to see everyone. We also brought spring inside with a floral arranging class, and the ladies and their partners enjoyed yoga and wine in May for the Wine and Unwind event – sure to become a fan favorite! Monthly Ladies’ and Couples’ Bingo kept our members entertained, and our lucky winners really had a great night! Bunko returned this spring to a warm welcome. Look out for the upcoming games. No experience is required – be ready for some lively competition! Weekly Bridge (Tuesday) and Mah Jongg (Thursdays) games are on in the ladies’ locker room, and first Thursday of every month, Mexican Train Dominoes are played.
Not a member yet? It’s easy to join. Contact the Club’s Membership Department, come to an event and signup, or contact one of our board members. We can’t wait to meet you!
CLUB CONTACTS General Questions/Club Reservations: Concierge 281-899-3200 | concierge@royaloakscc.com
Membership:
Membership Director - Meghan Smith 281-899-3207 | msmith@royaloakscc.com Membership Assistant - Lizz Barber 281-272-6665 | lbarber@royaloakscc.com Member Statement/Accounts Receivable 281-899-3253 | ar@royaloakscc.com
Dining:
Clubhouse Manager - Gregory Constantinou gconstantinou@royaloakscc.com 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 Catering Coordinator - Lauren Davis 281-899-3290 | ldavis@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:
Golf Shop 281-899-3270 Head Golf Professional - James Brown 281-899-3205 | jbrown@royaloakscc.com Director of Instruction - Derek Hooper 281-899-3217 | dhooper@royaloakscc.com
Welcome New Members May & June Todd & Vanessa Centurino Laura & Jordan Russell Ali & Sara Mostaghimi Koichi Tsubota Megan Rassmussen & Tim Wei Kip Haines & Rachelle Maldonado Todd & Lacey Wallerstein Chase & Kasie Randolph Dan & Brenda Clark John & Lisa Walker Chelsea Cusick & Robert Dozortsev Sylvia & John Gillean Nima & Sara Bousheri Mark & Wendy Bado Eric & Deborah Eyberg Rick & Donna Wrabel Sam & Mailyn Sheldon Ralph & Bonita Stevens Kentaro & Shinobu Ozaki Martin Rubio Dr. Hugo & Marian Blake
@RoyalOaksHTX
www.royaloakscc.com
A MESSAGE FROM MEMBERSHIP Dear Members, I hope that you are enjoying the club and finding ways to cool off here with us! The teams are thrilled to have things getting back to normal and we have enjoyed seeing all the families return this summer. Make sure to make some time to make your own memories with us soon! I know there has been a lot of discussions surrounding the Master Club plan and I appreciate all of you have reached out directly to ask questions. Misinformation can certainly move fast and knowing the facts is important in making an educated position on the plans presented by the Long Range Plan committee and town halls. I want you to know that I have been listening and am excited about the future of the club as the details are firmed up in the Capital Project Sub-Committee. As you know this project is member driven so staying involved and informed is important in ensuring your opinions are heard in advance of any club projects. If you ever have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out! The project is and continues to be member driven but I am certainly here to provide any facts you are interested in. One of the major discussion points has been the state of membership and I can tell you that we are sorry to have seen several members leave us, for varying reasons, but are also so happy to see the young and energetic new members and their families coming in! To see the joy on their faces in our orientations and learning about their differing backgrounds and goals for their memberships has been so inspiring! Starting July 1st, we are starting too see positive numbers in memberships again with so much interest and excitement surrounding the bunker projects underway, debt reduction and new technologies in the pending project. With operations opening back up, I am currently actively recruiting Ambassadors for the club. It’s not a large time commitment but a crucial role in the future success of the culture and engagement in the club. I am looking for active members who are willing to reach out to new members as a “Welcome Wagon,” and encourage them to get engaged from the members perspective.
At times we have those that apply for membership who may not already know a member but have heard about what is happening out here and want to be a part of the membership. I reach out to my Ambassadors at those times as well to do an informal interview to be their sponsoring member. Its been really great to see these new friendships form through this onboarding process. If you are interested in being one of the club’s Ambassadors, please let me know. Finally, but certainly not least, I want to remind you all that your referrals are how we are able to recruit new members. Our teams can provide the stage and we encourage you to share it with your friends. I am here to support you in any way that I can and am never too busy for your referrals! I wish you all the best summer and look forward to seeing your faces up at the club!
Membership Director - Meghan Smith msmith@royaloakscc.com
KITCHEN NEWS
Dear Members,
I hope you are having a wonderful summer. May was a very eventful month with the Men’s Invitational, Pizza Drive-Thru, Nine Wine and Dine, MGA/WGA Cinco de Mayo Social, as well as the month of June with Family Fun Night at the Palm Grille, Family Bingo, and last but not least Father’s Day Brunch. We have had a couple of months full of activities for all our Members to enjoy. It is always a pleasure to host and to see you and your families enjoying all the amenities Royal Oaks has to offer.
Thank you for your feedback through emails, Zingle, and comment cards. It helps the culinary team to learn more about our Members and their favorite dishes. Requests like the Mushroom Melt, Grouper Reuben, and Salmon Nicoise have been added as specials for our Members to enjoy. Please continue to let us know if there is anything else you would like to see on the daily specials.
I have heard several positive comments about the new bread pudding that Robert Henderson, Sous Chef The Palm Grille is open and running full time. developed for our current Bistro menu. So we thought Darrian Goode, Art Institute Culinary Graduate, and we’d love to share the receipe for all of our Members Junior Sous Chef is the Lead Chef at the Palm Grille to try. I hope you try it and enjoy it with your loved Kitchen this year. We are all happy to provide our ones. Members another option for dining at Royal during the summertime season. Have a wonderful summer! On another food note. Did you know that The Bistro and Palm Grille are now featuring new french fries? These fries are thicker and stay crispier for much longer. We’ve recieved great compliments about this change!
Chef ’s Kitchen Tricks & Tips: • When making soups, sauces, and stews, use vinegar to bring up the flavors. White vinegar is the best one. Lemon and limes work well, yet my favorite one is vinegar. Add little by little. • Soy sauce is another of my favorites. I add soy sauce to mushrooms, dark sauces, and light brown sauces, even consomes. Soy sauce adds acid and color without any after taste of the soy. • What to peel fresh ginger? Use a coffee spoon and scrape the skin. Super easy. Tune in for more tricks and tips.
– Chef Eva
Executive Chef - Eva Barrios, CEC ebarrios@royaloakscc.com
SOCIAL LIFE IN 2021 It’s hard to believe it’s July already, and half of the summer has passed us by! Soon we will be gearing up for a new school year, fall sports, and hopefully great fall weather. If you are looking to host a pool party before the season ends, ROCC is the place to be! We have a great patio space at the Palm Grille available to reserve for your party, and you get access to the family pool and splash pad areas as well. We make the planning process easy for you, and can provide everything from linens, napkins, balloons, cake/cupcakes, games, and more! This is a perfect opportunity to celebrate a birthday, end of summer, or back to school party for your family and friends! As we do start wrapping up the summer fun and getting into the fall season, don’t forget to book your events well in advance. The calendar is really getting full for the fall and holiday season, so it’s never too early to reserve your spot! Thank you again for your continued support and we look forward to partying with you soon!
Catering & Events Director - Allyson Brown abrown@royaloakscc.com
UPCOMING EVENTS...
CONGRATULATIONS 2021 GRADUATES! Manuela Murillo Sanchez Southern Methodist University
Daughter of Franklyn Murillo & Maria del Pilar Sanchez
Manuela will be graduating with a Mechanical Engineering & Mathematics major and will be joining Bain & Company as an Associate Consultant in the Fall and will continue to serve SMU and Dallas communities beyond her undergrad career as a Hispanic Alumni of SMU Board Member.
Kingsley Wallace Memorial High School
Daughter of Douglas Reedy & Heather Wallace-Reedy
Kingsley, who has grown up at Royal Oaks Country Club will be graduating from Memorial High School and has accepted her appointment to the United States Military Academy West Point, where she will also be a part of their Volleyball team.
Josh Caldwell Houston Christian High School Son of Chris Caldwell & Alys Caldwell
Josh will be graduating from Houston Christian High School this year and will be attending Texas Christian University this fall where he plans to study Business.
Sam Caldwell Houston Christian High School Son of Chris Caldwell & Alys Caldwell
Sam, along with his twin brother, will be graduating from Houston Christian High School. He plans to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder this Fall where he will be studying Business.
Lauren Ellerbusch Katy Taylor High School
Daughter of Tim Ellerbusch & Sue Ellerbusch
Lauren is graduating from Katy Taylor High School with honors, where she will be attending Texas Christian University in the fall. Lauren plans to study Fashion Merchandising and minor in Business.
Ashley Holt Second Baptist High School
Daughter of Russel Holt & Maureen Holt
Ashley, a senior at Second Baptist High School, who achieved many great accomplishments during her High School career will be continuing her education at the University of Texas at Austin! Hook’em Horns!
Darian Penichet Cornell University
Son of Ibela Garcia Jasso & Miguel Penichet
Darian, a lifelong member of Royal Oaks Country Club, will be graduating from Cornell University with a degree in Hotel Administration and a minor in Entrepreneurship.
Golf is hard. Golf is hard on your body. You can’t play well with a LIMITED SWING (like golfers on left with a compensation or limitation.) It’s way more fun with a POWERFUL SWING (like golfers on the right.) Either you “own” your movements or the loads can begin to take a toll on your joints... usually your lower back and create compensatory movements that take a toll on other areas. Is your swing writing “hot checks” that your body can’t cash? Lol. Maybe you even purposefully slow down because you KNOW you can’t make a powerful strike. Or maybe you “go for it” at all costs with an upper body that pulls your lower body through rather than the reverse. And one day that check is gonna’ bounce! Ouch. Because...
Limited mobility is a high cost to your performance now and in the future. Get in the Sports Club to start making deposits into your body’s account!
Fitness Director - Pam Owens powens@royaloakscc.com
WHAT’S UP IN TENNIS?
THE SECRET TO LOWER SCORES Most days of the week you can find me on the driving range helping players improve their game so they can shoot lower scores and gain more enjoyment from playing. As I stand there it is always exciting to see so many of our members dedicating time and energy to practice and striving to get a little better. I just wish more of those hard-working members had a better understanding of what it really takes to score lower on the course. In any given 18 holes of golf you will execute the following shots: • • • • •
Director of Instruction - Derek Hooper dhooper@royaloakscc.com
15% of shots with a driver 10% of shots with fairway woods and hybrids 13% of shots with irons 20% shots with wedges – inside 100 yards 42% strokes with the putter
Over the years, hundreds of our members and joined our Operation 36 community. They are players of all skill levels and all have seen their scores on the course reduced by focusing on the shots they will play over That is amazing 62% of shots played from inside 60% of the time on the course. 100 yards! If you are unsure how to improve these playing skills If you were to break up your practice based on the or need some help with what you need to do to improve, number of times you will play a shot then 2/3 of your consider signing up for the Fall semester of Operation practice should be spent on shots inside 100 yards. Yet 36. We offer weekly classes and Saturday afternoon I see so many players investing that amount of time on Matches twice per month, with classes open to ROCC their long game and treating their wedges and putting Members and their guests. as an afterthought.
The Fall semester of Operation 36 will begin the first week of September with classes for Juniors and adults. Additional information will available in mid-July with an email to be sent to the membership. Details will also be on the ROCC website, from the Golf Shop and by emailing Director of Instruction Derek Hooper at dhooper@royaloakscc.com .
For over 4 years we have delivered our Operation 36 Program which focuses on helping players shoot 36 or less for 9 holes. Players begin their program close to the green, learning to play the wedges and putt. We do this because it doesn’t matter which tees you play from, you will need to be able to play these shots if you want to score well. Only when the player can execute these shots and shoot 36 or less, are they allowed to Just think how much better you would score if you were able to get down in 3 or less every time you are move back to a longer tee. inside 100 yards. Wouldn’t that be fun!
www.royaloakscc.com
RECENT GOLF HAPPENINGS As we have seen with the temperatures in June, Summer is here, and we hope you all are staying out of the heat as much as possible. There is no doubt that this has not been a typical year at the Club, but we want to continue to say thank you to all the Members for their continued support of our events and we are glad to see so many of you playing more golf. Please remember, it is that time of year for course maintenance during the these, warm/hot months to perform verticutting, aerification and other practices to the golf course. The course will be closed Tuesday, July 13th and re-open on Friday, July 30th.
Mark your calendars for the upcoming events in the Fall… WGA - Wednesday Play Days Resume, September 1st - Kick-Off Scramble, September 8th - Stroke Play Championship, October 19th & 20th - Royal Tee Member / Guest, November 10th - Turkey Shoot, November 17th - Member / Member, November 23rd & 24th - Bordeaux Cup, November 30th & December 1st - Santa Scramble, December 8th - Husband/Wife Club Championship, November 7th
The range will be closed Tuesday, July 13th and reopen at 12:00pm noon on Wednesday, July 14th, on mats only. The range will close again on Tuesday, July 27th thru August 6th as part of the course bunker renovation work.
MGA - Match Play Championship, October 16th & 17th o Championship Flight Qualifier, October 15th - Junior Club Championship, October 17th - Stroke Play Championship, October 30th & 31st - Senior Stroke Play Championship, November 13th & 14th It has been fantastic seeing the juniors out for the - Fleur de Lis Cup, December 11th & 12th Camps in June and look forward to seeing more in July. o Fleur de Lis Cup Champions Dinner, December 10th Robert Scott and staff have planned fun filled events - Superintendent’s Revenge, December 18th for all ages and abilities…if you have not signed-up please reach out to Robert and see if there are any open Please remember to visit the website for upcoming spots. Remember the next semester of Operation 36 is events around the Club and upcoming MGA and WGA right around the corner so sign-up soon. tournaments. (Schedules are subject to change.) We hope that everyone is having a wonderful Summer and please be safe if you and your family will be traveling.
Head Golf Professional - James D. Brown jbrown@royaloakscc.com
d n u o r A e Scen
the Club @RoyalOaksHTX
SUMMERTIME & BUNKER RENOVATION We have started this summer off a little different than that of last summer. We first started the season with approximately 14 inches of rain in the three weeks following the Men’s Invitational and then immediately followed it up with unseasonably high temperatures for this early in the summer. All in all the golf course faired excellent during these few weeks and has leapt into summer ready to shine. The regular mowing schedule of the summer season is in full swing and will continue through October. The most exciting news to come from the start of summer is the commencement of our Bunker Renovation. This project has been a long time coming and after the last couple of weeks of May could not have come at a better time. Work on the bunker renovation began on June 11 and is forecasted to be complete by November 1st barring any extreme weather events. The crew is making great progress already and I think the entire membership will enjoy the completed project. As you are probably aware, we opted to not perform our regular early summer aerification in an effort to allow for more optimal playing days during the summer months. Our first summer aerification this year is scheduled to begin on July 12th with us wrapping things up by July 29th. We will be utilizing this time to continue with the aggressive cultural practices necessary for the long term health of the course you have become use to over the last couple of years. The greens and fairways will be aerated two times each with heavy sand top-dressing to both areas. Sanding the fairways is a practice we will be performing this summer that has not been completed in quite a few years. The addition of top-dressing the fairways is an effort to improve the playable area of the fairway and reduce the dreaded “mud ball”. In addition to aerating and sanding greens and fairways we will be addressing tee boxes and approaches as well. Cart path repair is again scheduled to take place during this year along with dead tree removal as a result of the deep freeze we experienced in February.
We are continually looking for ways to improve the overall landscaping around the club and the last couple of months have been no exception. The summer annuals were installed all around the club during the month of May and are really showing their beauty. In addition to annuals we are replacing plant material in beds around the course that are in need of a little refresher. Watch these areas throughout the summer as they will continue to fill out and mature. We in Golf Course Maintenance look forward to seeing you out here during the sweltering heat of summer and are always here working to provide you with the best conditions possible for your next round of golf.
Golf Course Superintendent - Cody Alexander calexander@royaloakscc.com
www.royaloakscc.com
COME SPEND TIME AT THE CLUB THIS SUMMER! Howdy Members! I can’t believe we are already making our way into July & August. It’s been exciting to see what a summer at Royal Oaks looks like and all the fun that families have here at the Club. I’m so excited to see our upcoming events unfold. Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays so I can’t wait to see all the exciting items that our Catering & Events team has prepared for this big event. I think you will also be impressed with some of the other events they have planned for our Members, they sound like loads of fun! I want to continue to encourage all of our Members to keep sharing their photos with us by emailing them to me or tagging us on social media! We love to see what you are up to when you are here at the Club.
Communications Manager - Hannah Vines hvines@royaloakscc.com
I look forward to sharing more updates on what’s happening here at the Club!
SHARE YOUR MOMENTS WITH US! Share life milestone’s with us! Birth announcements, engagements, or even retirements. We want to celebrate with you! @RoyalOaksHTX
CALENDAR AT A GLANCE
ENJOY THE CLUB WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY! The Club has so many amenities to offer! Be sure to bring your family and friends to see what the Club has to offer. Set up a tour with our Membership Department today by contacting our Membership Director, Meghan Smith, at msmith@royaloakscc.com or 281-899-3207
IMPORTANT DETAILS *PLEASE NOTE: MASKS ARE RECOMMENDED WHEN NAVIGATING ALL CLUB FACILITIES. We also encourage all our members to practice social distancing and to use hand sanitizer to protect yourself and other members!
www.royaloakscc.com
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
@RoyalOaksHTX