La Vie March & April 2022
Spring Into Putting Your Membership to Use!
A Message from the President Hello Fellow Members, It has been a privilege to have served on the Board for the last 4 years and I want to thank my fellow Board Members for entrusting me with the position of President. I am honored and humbled by the opportunity and will do my best to continue the positive upward trend our past Presidents have set for us. I would like us to take a look at the amazing strides we have made in the 6+ years since turnover. In 2017, it was time to start the process of our first Master Club Improvement Plan. The McMahon Group was hired to help us with the plans and tell us what had been successful in other clubs around the country. However, there was a punitive clause in our loan agreement which prevented us from securing another loan which was necessary in order to go forward with our comprehensive Master Plan. We also realized that unless we got a plan in place to handle our Charter Debt, we were never going to be financially stable enough to tackle Capital Improvements around the facilities without constant capital infusions from our Membership. In 2019, the Charter Resolution created a mutually beneficial solution to our timing issues and future payouts associated with our refund obligations. Almost $2.5 million was 100% surrendered to our Club from our Charter and Non-Equity Members. Fast forward to 2020, our first year of Covid conditions and our Management Team and Board successfully navigated through all the challenges and restrictions Covid brought. We felt that even though Covid was not going away, we were strong enough as a Club to bring back a Long-Range Plan. The Long-Range Planning Committee was reconvened, and a plan was unanimously approved and brought to the Board as a recommendation. In 2021, the Board announced in a video communication, three Town Hall meetings and several emails what our plan was and the financial responsibility this would have to the Membership. A vote was taken and approved by our Membership. The vote passed by a close margin with 32% approval, 31% disapproval and 37% who did not vote at all. This meant that of the voting Members we had a 51% approval, and this constituted a legal and binding vote. This left us with a very conflicted Membership. In an effort to gain more understanding about the project and to help some of our Members be more comfortable with the plan, we formed a Subcommittee. This Subcommittee was deliberately made up of a combination of Members who voted for and against the project in an effort to find compromises to help alleviate the stress of having such a vocal division in our Club. This Subcommittee did some excellent work and came up with several suggestions that made our final version of the MAC the best it could be. These compromises included • • • • •
A reduction in the size of the West facing patio to reduce noise or activity near hole 9, Narrowing of the overall shape of the building and moving the building east to maintain the integrity of the hole, Increasing the size of the restrooms and creating a hallway for direct access from outside for the golfers, Creating a moveable glass system between the inside area and the outside porch to allow a larger social area and the functional and aesthetic benefit of an indoor/outdoor environment, Adding an additional simulator in the open area for Member entertainment and adding a small bar area to enhance the Member experience.
Now we are in 2022 and we continue our efforts to build consensus. We as your Board are doing our best to communicate as clearly and openly as possible to show where we are now and how we got here. That does not seem to be sufficient. We have got to put this divisiveness behind us and start concentrating on the future of our Club. Royal Oaks is a Club where we are all excited to come up and see old friends and make some new ones. I sat in a Committee meeting a few days ago and we were asked to say what was our favorite thing was about ROCC. It broke my heart that I had to think about it because my answer has always been the same, which is the CAMARADERIE that we have always shared here. The sense of family and belonging we have always had is not like it once was. There is now unfortunately a dividing “us versus them” mentality for some of our Membership. My future vision for our Club is for us to mend these fences and move on. We have so much to be proud of let’s start enjoying it. Last year, we had the best fiscal year since turnover. We have almost finished paying our Charter obligation from a few years ago, we have successfully completed a bunker renovation, we have a fabulous new Chef and are on track to build a new state-of-the-art training center and amenity that will attract and retain Members. With the financial success we have had over the past few years we can start investing in some much-needed Capital Improvements. We have allowed too many distractions this year instead of focusing on the positives. Let’s stop turning our Club into a battlefield and start respecting and enjoying one another’s company again. Together let’s help get our Club back to the old ROCC that made Royal Oaks so special.
Allison Zuber Royal Oaks Country Club President
ROCCLA is in full swing as plans continue for International Themed Happy Hours. January’s Lunar New Year Themed Happy Hour was a great success with 50 ladies in attendance, most in red outfits making it more festive. The food and atmosphere were well received. Su Kamis and Susan Lee did an outstanding job at decorating for us. February’s Carnival/Mardi Carnival-themed Happy Hour featured a mix of Brazilian and Mardi Gras beverages and food. We are preparing to celebrate Scotland, Ireland, Canada, India, Hispanic Heritage, Italian Heritage, Japanese cultures, and of course our All American 4th Themed Happy Hours this coming year. Check the club calendar and social media for suggested attire for each month. On January 20th, the ROCCLA Board, Committee Members, and some of the ladies who regularly attend our gathers got together for a brainstorming session. Wow, did the ideas ever flow! There are sure to be plenty of interesting things to do this coming year. Lunch Bunch gatherings, on the third Monday of the month, have been a terrific way to try out new cuisine while getting to know the ladies better in a casual atmosphere. Agas Restaurant, Union Kitchen, and The Bull & Bear Tavern, and Eatery were our first three choices to begin our year. Watch for new locations as Jennipher Ward and Dianne Williams team up this year to bring us together over lunch. Have a suggestion for a lunch spot? Please contact Dianne at diannebwilliams@aol. com to let her know. A private tour of the Museum of Fine Arts “Incomparable Impressionism” exhibit on January 21st was a huge success. A private bus made for a carefree day. Arriving before the museum opened, we broke into two groups of 10 and 11, each with our private tour guide, and had the museum to ourselves before opening time. There was enough time for many to stroll through other museum exhibits before heading to Cleburne Cafeteria for lunch. Thanks, Jen Ward, for planning such a fun day. Both Bridge groups continue to enjoy gathering to play while welcoming new members. The ROCCLA Book Club meets in the Ladies Locker Room on the last Wednesday of the month at 4 pm, just before our Happy Hour. It’s always a well-attended gathering where drop-ins and recommendations are always welcomed. The group is reading “The Lincoln Highway” by Amor Towles for their March 30th discussion. April’s choice is “Charleston Conundrum” by
Stacy (Edick) Wilder. Co-Chairs Ellie Beeckman and Karen Shewbart have been busy planning authors coming to speak to the group in the near future. Julie Gray is planning another Preservation Houston Tour this Spring. Watch for details as numbers are always limited. Our Mah Jong Co-Chairs, Kindel Burton, and Trish Maley continue keeping the ladies shuffling the tiles in the Ladies Locker Room on Thursdays at 1 pm. There will be opportunities in the Spring to learn how to play this challenging game. The card changes each Spring so we will wait until those are available before scheduling the classes. Mexican Train Dominoes, Chaired by Gerrie Fick and Missie Villere, meets the first Thursday of each month at 10 am, in the Ladies Locker Room. It’s a fun, easy game to learn that allows for lots of good-natured banter during play. New players are welcome. Pop in to see what Mexican Train is all about. You’re sure to learn the game quickly and enjoyed the morning with lots of laughter. Julie Gray, our own PhD Bingologist, with the assistance of Lorie Kapila, organized a fun Couples Bingo Night on February 8th, with 45 attendees. The specialty menu of light bites and beverages made for a nice night out. Having maxed out attendance, the prizes were higher with $550 in cash prizes, many door prizes and a lovely gift from the Kendra Scott pop-up the same evening. We can’t stress enough that you do not have to come as a couple to our couples events. Ladies are always welcome to come by themselves or with a friend if they choose. Our couples events are an opportunity to include husbands every now and then so they can see firsthand what a fun and welcoming group we are. There’s always something interesting to do with the ROCC Ladies. Be sure to check out our events on the Club Calendar, the ROCCLA tab on the Club app and follow us on Next Door and Facebook to see what the Executive Committee and Committee Chairs have been planning for ROCCLA Happy Hours and events for 2022. Suggestions of activities are always welcomed to keep all our members assured of a great experience with our vibrant group.
CLUB CONTACTS General Questions/Club Reservations:
Welcome New Members
Concierge 281-899-3200 | concierge@royaloakscc.com
January & February
Membership:
Doyle & Sarah Kindle Kiem & Olivia Dong Tracy & Zayta McDonald Richard & Bianca Ragusa Roland Keller & Lauren Craft Michael & Candace France Daiki & Aki Sato Rafael & Ana Carrasco Ken & Quingmei Wang Lane & Chita Craft Tom & Sandy Schneider Greg & Melinda Armstrong
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
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
www.royaloakscc.com
A MESSAGE FROM MEMBERSHIP Dearest Members, I hope you have been enjoying some of these beautiful days. Have you had a meal yet prepared by Chef Olivier and his team?! The feedback has been amazing, and you can see it with the volume in the Bistro. Be sure to call ahead and make a reservation today!
YOUNG PROFESSIONAL – The word is out on this membership as our fastest growing category. Seeing all the young families join is the best glimpse into the club’s long-term future success. Not only do Young Professional’s benefit by locking in their initiation fee at the age they join, but their kids are also taking lessons in both tennis and golf that is pulling in a whole new Legacy of Royal Oaks members!
I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of our specialty memberships you may not be familiar LEGACY – This membership is for children of with to share with your friends and co-workers. members who have been in good standing for 2 years or more who get a 50% discount on their initiation CORPORATE: Our Corporate memberships are fee. I have really enjoyed welcoming in these legacy where a corporation holds two or more full equity golf members as most of them grew up at the club. Now memberships. The benefit to the corporation is that they have a membership of their own to carry on the they can transfer the membership when Executives legacy with their growing families. change out by paying 20% of the initiation fee instead of purchasing a new membership each time. I encourage you to maximize on your membership by trying something new today! Pickleball perhaps?! While the club is a wonderful social outlet, we also have some wonderful benefits for those who use if for business. Cheers to the Future! With the complimentary meeting space, complimentary A/V and a discount on the Food & Beverage there are many more ways to use the club than just taking clients out to golf. Make sure to reach out to the Catering team for some creative ways to utilize your membership for entertainment. EXPAT- Did you know that we offer a temporary membership for individuals here on a work visa? They pay a discounted initiation fee that covers them for 2 years with the option of adding a third if their visa is extended. While they are here, they pay the dues of a Equity Golf member with the same privileges. NATIONAL- This membership has been a great option for current members to downgrade into when they retire and move but still have opportunities to be in Houston. Alternately, its been a good option for individuals who do business in Houston regularly so they have access to a country club while in town. The dues are paid for the year in advance, and they have access to the entire club with up to 25 rounds of golf per year. They qualify if their main residence is more than 100 miles from the club
Membership Director - Meghan Smith msmith@royaloakscc.com
SPRING INTO THE CLUB! As warm weather approches here at the Club, we will begin to have a plethora of opportunities to participate in fun events! I know I say it in each La Vie, but please remember to snap a picture while you’re here! Whether you’re here attending an event or dining with us in the Bistro. We love to see how our Members utilize the Club and look forward to sharing your photos with our Membership! If you haven’t done so yet, be sure to follow us on our social media pages to stay up to date on what’s going on at the Club! Our Facebook and Instagram handle is @RoyalOaksHTX! I’d love to hear about what you’d like to see more of on our social media pages! If you want more Bistro features, or more details about Golf, I’d love to hear your feedback! Feel free to send me an email with your ideas and thoughts so that I can ensure our Members are seeing the content THEY want!!
Communications Manager - Hannah Vines hvines@royaloakscc.com
SHARE YOUR SPECIAL MOMENTS WITH US! Share life’s special moments with us! Whether celebrating here at the Club or from afar, we want to celebrate with you! @RoyalOaksHTX
KITCHEN NEWS I would like to thank all of you for your warm welcome and for being so supportive by dining with us. As planned, we introduced a new menu in the Bistro this month along with a new banquet menu. We have been overjoyed by seeing so many of you at the Bistro and also ordering meals “to go”. We are planning more opportunities for you to enjoy the Club’s dining experiences in the coming months. I will be sharing them with you as we go. The first one will be the introduction of our bi-monthly “Degustation Dinner”. From the Late Latin “Degustationem” which is the “act of tasting”, a Degustation Dinner displays a menu that offers multiple sample courses. Those dishes are the expression of the Chef ’s character, skills, imagination, and also mood as it uses only fresh ingredients and spontaneity of ideas. It is designed for culinary discovery and can be paired with wines to enhance the experience.
Executive Chef - Olivier Burgos oburgos@royaloakscc.com
Twice a month, we will feature such a dinner for 8 guests only. The Degustation Dinner is intended to be a mix of members and does not have to be reserved as one party. While this experience is primarily about food, we will welcome you in a private room set up for the occasion. We aim to have our first “Degustation Dinner” in March and we will email the details soon. I am pleased to share that we will soon offer in-person cooking classes. Finally, our portable pizza oven will be up and running soon and we will offer woodfired pizza on specific nights. Stay tuned to your emails for more details and dates to come!
Future Wine Events... I happy to announce that we will be hosting the Plumpjack Family and their portfolio of Napa Valley wines in early April. Alongside the Plumjack wines we will be featuring some of their other projects like Cade and Odette as well. Chef Olivier and his team are very excited to create a memorably delicious meal to pair alongside this awesome lineup of wines. Wine & Beverage Manager - Eric Blokkum eblokkum@royaloakscc.com
Occasionally, a member will reach out for clarification or focus on how to make workouts fit their needs, schedule, abilities, and injury history. Remember that Your Past Does Not Define Your Future. Look forward and start now by re-calculating. Perhaps some of the following may ring true and help you jump-start your results.
who you believe and say you are. Start identifying with who you want to be. “I am a fit person.” “I work hard.” “I am an athlete.” The identity statement that has continuously worked for me is the fact that I am a person who keeps promises. I keep my promises to others and therefore deserve to keep my promise to myself. When I commit to something for myself, I keep my promise. There have been times when I got 1. Creating the workout habit is a skill that gets out of bed and did a 5-minute cardio session because stronger the more you do it. You are most likely to I made a promise to do it that day. It sounds silly but succeed when you block the time to do it. You deserve when you don’t keep a promise you get better at not to take care of yourself and it’s not selfish to do so. We keeping promises. Who wants that?! get one body. Create the habit one day at a time. What can you do today? Really, right now... today before your 5. Reduce the task. If you can’t do the full, perfect head hits the pillow. workout program then do the version that works for you. 1% effort over time produces compounding gains. 2. Be open-minded and adapt. Create multiple ways You can use full workouts, shorter classes, and sessions. to make a routine happen. Adapt the ideal workout to Make it work for you. a version for home, gym, and travel, plus understand it can be done as a shorter, medium, or long version. 6. Injury in one area doesn’t mean you can’t work Adaptability is a mindset and involves creativity. As a out in other areas. Working out makes you smarter coach and human, I use this skill daily. on how to do just this! It might seem crazy to you but 95% of my clients walk in the door with some 3. Address your limiting beliefs. If you repeatedly significant limitation. We work around it. Working default to limiting beliefs, then you are likely sunk before around a limitation/injury is a skill. I’m not saying you start. Limiting beliefs causes you to wait, delay and workouts replace medical treatment, rehab, or medical build barriers to doing the task. Unfortunately, you may advice. There are times when you should stop moving not know which beliefs are limiting or not true. Here but those are rare, and your doctor will advise you. We are some examples. Some believe they can only work never want to move in ranges that cause pain which out in a gym or a defined setting. Other limiting beliefs is a fundamental concept to follow. But what I am I hear are, “I am waiting for my schedule to change,” or saying is that when you stop moving because of an “As soon as my knee gets better.” Nope, those are not injury then your whole body gets weaker and creates good reasons to wait either. Because when you hang a greater likelihood of not healing in the injury site on to such beliefs you are still NOT creating the habit. plus leads to more weakness, more compensations, and Challenge those beliefs and change your scripts! When more injuries. It’s important to learn more about how a barrier presents itself ask how you can get around to continue to move safely without compensation so it. Ask yourself what CAN you do. Your injury in X you can move independently, continue to make gains, doesn’t mean you can’t work out all the other areas of and avoid additional entropy. Pausing can create the body. Coach yourself up with your self-talk and a cascading effect which leads to this overriding build your productive belief system. Dump the old concept... scripts and old beliefs that don’t work and never will. 4. Your identity defines your habits. Start changing
7. Do what you can with what you have, start wherever you are with what you now know. It’s never the perfect time, the perfect workout, and the perfect anything. Start now, re-start now and keep going. You are not behind. Look forward and focus on getting 1% better every day. TIME is on your side when you do something daily. YES, time works to your advantage as we age when you do something. When you don’t do something then entropy happens, and time is the enemy. Be smart about it and use coaching expertise. This.... is.... a .... journey.
Finally, please know that our trainers and instructors care about you. The Sports Club is not just a facility. We are staffed to meet your fitness goals. FYI, I’ve hired coaches many times and currently hired my own accountability coach for this year, 2022. We can become your coach so let us work with you for accountability, information, a new perspective, problem-solving, and any other aspect of your journey. Here are some great concepts to use when creating change in your life.
8. NOW Celebrate! Celebrate what you accomplish without comparison to others. I am celebrating with you. Woo Hoo! I often talk out loud when I am working out saying, “you can do it!” or “let’s do this!” and finish with “I did it!” Coach yourself up and celebrate your wins.
Fitness Director - Pam Owens powens@royaloakscc.com
FEATS OF FITNESS! Want to get on the Feats of Fitness board? Contact Pam, Nicki or Curtis to test and see where your numbers are!
ROCC SOCIAL SCENE Hello Members! I hope you are all enjoying the nice weather we have had lately. This is typically when we have the best temperatures before the summer heat starts heading our way, and with great weather comes great parties! There is just something about 70° and sunshine that makes people happy! We have several great events scheduled this spring, so hopefully, the weather will last throughout these next couple of months.
games, movie screening and more! This allows parents to drop off their kids at one party while they enjoy another…. it’s a win-win for all! As you can see, we have a lot of outdoor events this spring to take advantage of the lovely weather, and I hope you will be able to join us for some of these memorable occasions!
On March 19th we are hosting our 2nd Annual Crawfish Cookoff. Last year was such a success with Chef Morgan and Chef Darrian battling it out to provide the member’s favorite crawfish! The lively zydeco band, cold drinks, and two delicious styles of crawfish created a perfect night out for our members. Don’t miss out on this fun event and come see who we have cooking head-to-head this year! Another chance to enjoy the beautiful spring weather is at our Yappy Hour on March 27th. This is an event we only host twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall, and is a great opportunity to bring your furry loved ones to play with others! It is open to all members, with or without dogs, and is always so much fun seeing all the dogs interact with each other. Dogs are also welcome to take a dip in the pool at this event, and this event only! Of course, springtime also means we have our Annual Easter Egg Hunt, which is a sellout event of around 400 people! This will be on Saturday, April 16th, and is a “can’t miss event” for kids. From the petting zoo and Easter Bunny to the face painters, balloon artists, and our beloved DJ Jeffrey, this is a day filled with excitement and memories to last a lifetime! We utilize all our outside spaces around the pool, Palm Grille, croquet lawn, and Event Lawn to make this day super special and entertaining! On April 29th we have our Annual “ROCC’n the Range” concert & dinner event on the Driving Range. This year, we plan to have everything outside on the range to take full advantage of the gorgeous atmosphere and provide a true festival feel. In conjunction with this event, we have our Kids Pajama Party at the Palm Grille, complete with a DJ,
www.royaloakscc.com
Catering & Events Director - Allyson Brown abrown@royaloakscc.com
UPCOMING EVENTS... Check the online calendar for the most up to date info!
PICKLEBALL SOCIAL Thursday, March 17
CRAWFISH COOKOFF Saturday, March 19
YAPPY HOUR Sunday, March 27
EASTER EGG HUNT Saturday, April 16
EASTER BRUNCH Sunday, April 17
STINGRAY ROUNDUP Thursday, April 28
ROCC’N THE RANGE & KIDS PJ PARTY Friday, April 29
SCENE AROUND THE CLUB Our Members enjoying the many Club amentities!
@RoyalOaksHTX
www.royaloakscc.com
PRACTICE IS A WASTE OF TIME That’s right! The time you are spending on the driving range is doing nothing to improve your golf game and is simply a waste of your valuable time. Now I know you have been told that the only way to get better at golf is to practice. But the key question here is this – What type of practice do you need to do to really improve your golf game? I can tell you this; it is not what I see the majority of golfers doing on the driving range. What they are doing can only be described as exercise. Every other sport has practice sessions and scrimmages on the actual playing field. They simulate real game situations so that they can transfer the newly acquired skills into play as quickly and easily as possible. When was the last time during a round of golf you hit 30, 7 irons in a row, off a perfectly flat lie, to no specific target and with no consequences based on the results of the shot? I’m not sure how you play but I have never seen a player do that on the course. So why waste your time by practicing that way? I regularly hear players discussing the fact that they hit the ball great on the range but when they get on the course they can’t perform to the same level. That’s because they are not practicing on the range what they want to do on the course. If you want to play better then you have to learn to practice better.
3. Consequences – there are consequences for every shot you play on the course. You have to play from where your last shot finished, or take a penalty and play again, but they all have an effect on your overall score. To create this when you practice you can repeat a set of shots until you achieve the desired outcome. For example, using your wedge to chip onto a green and putt out. Repeat this six times from six different locations and to different holes adding up your total score. If you do not meet your pre-set goal you must repeat it until you do. 4. Variety – it is very rare that you will hit the exact same shot twice in a row on the golf course, so why practice that way? Play each ball with a different club to a different target, and if possible, from a different lie. So, if your purpose in going to the range is to get some exercise and fresh air, keep hitting the same club to no specific target over and over again. But if you are tired of mediocrity and you want to play your best golf, start to practice more like you play and you will see a dramatic improvement to your scores.
Golf practice must simulate real, on course experiences if you want to play better. Here are some simple steps that you can implement today to add more value to your practice time: 1. Target – every shot must be hit to a specific target. Golf is a target game and must be practiced that way. Before you work through your pre-shot routine, decide what your target will be and what will be acceptable in relation to that target. For example, your target may be a flag on a green and acceptable would be for the ball to finish on the green. 2. Score – you score on the course so it makes sense to keep score when you practice. This does two things for you. Firstly, it helps to keep you focused as every ball is important as it contributes to an overall score, and secondly it allows you to track your progress over weeks and months to make sure you are improving.
Director of Instruction - Derek Hooper dhooper@royaloakscc.com
NEW YEAR, MORE GOLF I hope you all have enjoyed another mild Houston Winter as much as we have. The warmer temperatures have been nice to keep our games in shape. Spring is right around the corner and most of the new equipment has already launched and is fantastic. Please look at your calendars and attend one or more of the fitting days scheduled or schedule a personal club fitting with a staff Professional soon. The Professional Staff is gearing up for a great year and looking forward to seeing everyone out in full force as the weather continues to improve.
Callaway - March 12th & April 8th Titleist - March 18th & April 21st Taylor Made - March 25th & May 14th Mizuno - March 26th Ping - April 30th
Please remember to visit the website for the upcoming events around the Club and upcoming MGA and WGA tournaments and Socials. Below is the upcoming schedule of events • • • • • • • •
WGA Better Ball, March 1st – 3rd MGA Better Ball, March 5th & 6th WGA Spring Member / Guest, March 23rd MGA Fleur de Lis Classic, April 1st & 2nd WGA Member / Member Ringer, April 19th & 20th MGA Spring Member / Guest, April 22nd & 23rd MGA/WGA Cinco de Mayo Margarita Mixer, May 5th Nine, Wine & Dine, May 6th
Our Operation 36 program continues to have great success and each semester fills up very quickly as it is the best way to prepare those golfers wanting to take up the game of golf from the ground up and help you become comfortable with the golf operation all the way to those golfers wanting to take your game to the next level. It’s time to bring those clubs and your game out of hibernation, contact the Instructional Staff to re-grip those clubs, schedule a lesson to improve your golf games, find more fairways, hit more greens and make more putts.
Head Golf Professional - James D. Brown jbrown@royaloakscc.com
WHAT’S UP IN TENNIS?
WARMER WINTER WEATHER This winter has definitely been kinder to us than that of last year, but we still encountered enough cold days to make it feel like winter. The winter had been relatively comfortable up until the first week of February which brought lows in the upper 20’s for multiple nights in a row. The green color that was retained in the turf for much of the winter was zapped from the plant during this time and gave much of the course a straw-colored dormancy. This dormancy should only last for a few weeks as temperatures began to warm up in early March.
To cap off the month of April we will be completing our first greens aerification of the year. This aerification is scheduled for Monday, April 25 through Wednesday, April 27. Please be sure to mark your calendars during this important time. This will again be the smaller tines that were used last year and should cause only some disruption to the putting surface for the following weeks. We in Golf Course Maintenance look forward to seeing you out here this spring and are always here working to provide you with the best conditions possible for your next round of golf.
In the coming weeks we will be completing our annual cutbacks of ornamental plantings around the club and course. During this time, we will also take advantage of the dormant grass and begin lowering the heights in the rough. This gradual lowering of heights is important this time of year to allow ample sunlight to the lower canopy and promote improved shoot growth. The remainder of the spring will be very similar to that of years past with increased cultural practices and fertility applications to the golf course. Drainage repair and enhancements are continuing over the next couple of months along with landscape refurbishments in select areas. Golf Course Superintendent - Cody Alexander calexander@royaloakscc.com
www.royaloakscc.com
CALENDAR AT A GLANCE Check the online calendar for the most up to date events!
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