La Vie
September & October 2021
Kick Off The Fall Season Here At the Club!
A Message from the President Dear ROCC Members, I hope everyone has had a great summer as we get back to a more normal pace of life with events and traveling. As we wrap up the summer, looking back on all the great events that we’ve had here at the Club it is so refreshing to see how our Membership has remained engaged through even some of the hottest months. Some of the highlights of the last couple of months were our wonderful July 4th event, various family fun nights, Ladies Association Happy Hours and so many more great events that have kept our Members active and connected! The ROCC staff truly strives to go above and beyond to provide our Members with the best experience possible. As the Club continues to propel forward and plan for the future, we are excited to look towards many upcoming projects. One we just completed was our annual golf course aerification which went better than we could have anticipated. We experienced great weather the entire time allowing our maintenance team to successfully complete the project without any interruptions. We are also on schedule with our Bunker Renovation project as well. Some other exciting projects we have completed here around the Club include installing new mats for the driving range, along with state of the art yardage devices! The yardage devices will make everyone’s range time more productive. As we continue to look forward to the future of the Club, the Capital Project Sub-Committee is about to wrap up their findings on how to move forward with the teaching center. Our Board of Directors and Capital Project Sub-Committee is looking forward to the outcome and we will be sure to update the Membership once we know more. Our Sub-Committee has pulled together and put together findings that will support the Memberships best interest all around. Another exciting aspect happening here at the Club, is the continued growth of our Membership. I truly believe that our Members are seeing the value of being a part of Royal Oaks and encouraging new faces to join and become a part of the ROCC family. Please continue to direct your friends and family to our Membership Department and visit with Meghan Smith, our Membership Director. Meghan does a great job at advocating for our Club and is committed to ensuring our new members are welcomed warmly and can maximize their Membership through the all the wonderful things the Club has to offer. As always, I look forward to seeing you at the Club! Sincerely, Dave McMahon Board of Directors, President
SHHHHH... LADIES ONLY ROCCLA’s monthly Happy Hour on the last Wednesday of every month continues to be a wonderful opportunity to get to know each other better while enjoying complimentary bites. The Summer Sips Happy Hour on July 28th had unexpected “guests” in a drop-in visit from Fraulein Maria (aka Jan Parker), and two nuns portrayed by Mary Alice Lester and Susan Nelsen to announce ROCCLA’s September 28th Movie Night featuring The Sound of Music. August 25th Fiesta Happy Hour helped us say adios to summer. The September 29th tailgate themed Happy Hour will be at the Palm Grille and Croquet Lawn where lawn bowling will be set up for the ladies to learn how to play. As always, complimentary hors d’oeuvres are served with member sign beverages. Be sure to sign up on the Club Calendar to join us.
Our MahJongg group continues to meet in the Ladies Locker Room on Thursdays at 1pm. Interested in learning how to play? Watch for more opportunities to learn this challenging game in the near future.
The summer months have seen smaller numbers as vacations abound. Due to those vacations and the extreme heat, we temporarily suspended our summer lunch bunch gatherings until September, when we’ll meet at Shabu Zone. Watch for future lunch bunch locations on the 3rd Monday of each month.
Mexican Train Dominoes meet the first Thursday of each month at 10am, also in the Ladies Locker Room.
Have you read a good book lately? The Royal Bookies have and has had excellent attendance over the summer. Seventeen ladies enjoyed a lively discussion about Fannie Flagg’s “The Wonder Boy of Whistlestop”. After reading “The Henna Artist” by Alka Joshi; ROCCLA member, Simran Rihal attended to explain the cultural references in the book. The Royal Bookies are currently reading “In the Midst of Winter” by Isabel Allende. Next in cue is “The Four Winds” by Kristen Hannah. The Royal Bookies meet in the Ladies Locker Room on the last Wednesday of the month at 4pm, just prior to our Happy Hour.
If you are not yet a member, it’s easy to join. Simply contact club membership, come to an event and sign-up or contact one of our board members. We look forward to meeting you and getting to know you better.
We have two groups playing Bridge. Casual Bridge meets on Tuesday’s at 10:30am in the Ladies Locker Room. A more serious Friday Bridge group players meet on the first, third and fifth Friday of the month at 9:30am-12:30pm in the Bistro. The ladies who gathered for Bunko on July 13th had a fun evening with lots of laughs. That’s the beauty of Bunko…you don’t really need to know how to play. The dice read themselves, allowing for lots of chatter and hearty laughter.
Still looking for something else interesting to do? We’ve got it. There are outings/tours being considered for the Fall and Winter. Our Annual Luncheon is scheduled for November 2nd. Be sure to check out our many events Many of other indoor activities continued to keep those on the Club Calendar, the ROCCLA tab on the club app still in Houston plenty busy. and follow us on Next Door.
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
Welcome New Members July & August Wei Chen & Nina Nie Thomas Tran & Tina Le David Maldonado & Annie Beeson Randy & Tabbetha Lopez Lawernce & Karin Jamieson Hiroyuki & Yasuko Takahashi Andrew & Naomi Omomehin Scott & Kelley Washburn Erik Zuber Frank & Laura Karbarz Christian Armas Ford & Emily Rose Noe Grant & Susan Lane Bojon Baros & Maria Galvez Joselio & Amani Hanson Jesus Hinajosa & Maria Esteban
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
@RoyalOaksHTX www.royaloakscc.com
A MESSAGE FROM MEMBERSHIP Dear Members, I hope everyone enjoyed their summer. We really loved seeing everyone up here playing with their friends and families. It was a fun filled summer and we wish a wonderful school year to our student members. Be sure to come in for dinner or pick up to-go on those busy weeknights. We are always here for you!
My door is always open, and I look forward to connecting with you if we have not had the opportunity already. Get involved, the team is working hard to provide you the best club programs and amenities we can. Keep an eye out for the weekly email updates and you can always check out what is new at the Club Happenings Tab on the website.
This is your club, you are the owners, and I have always said that we are “only as good as what we are The Golf Course may be our crown jewel, but we have communicated.“ Well, you have an opportunity to a whole treasure chest to share with you! influence decisions by getting involved in one of our many committees. We couldn’t do what we do without the support and direction from these committees. It is not a large commitment of time, but it does make a huge impact. This is where a lot of the magic happens. Each Department has an associated committee, please reach out if we can answer any questions for you on what kind of matters are discussed by each one. We, the operations team, are constantly pushing for the WOW’s so our member experiences are ones that they want to brag about. No better promotion than creating FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and giving our members a great memory to share. I can speak about the Membership Development Committee for one. While we rely on Member referrals we are always looking at ways to, not only attract new members, but also retain existing ones. This committee meets several times a year to review promotional programs, new member engagement strategies, marketing materials and incentives for members who are actively recruiting their friends and family members. If you have ideas on what we can do better in these areas, I encourage you to get involved. Additionally, we are always looking for club Ambassadors. This is an easy and fun role, where you can connect new members to get them engaged or meet with prospective members who do not already know a member to be their sponsor but want to be a part of the community they have heard about and seen images of on our social media platforms. Nothing makes me happier than to hear “I was looking around for a club and my co-worker said that I had to check you all out.”
Membership Director - Meghan Smith msmith@royaloakscc.com
KITCHEN NEWS
Dear Members,
As always I am very proud to be part of the Royal Oaks team as your Executive Chef. The culinary team and I are happy to cook for you daily for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and at our monthly member events. Thank you very much for the support you have shown us throughout your time with us. As the lead of the culinary team, I am always working towards to improve your dining experiences to you and your guests, as well as creating a positive and motivational culture in the kitchen. We had a great summer. The Summer Solstice Wine Dinner was a huge success. Dinners like this one gives the team an opportunity to show their level of culinary talent we have here at Royal Oaks. We also hosted a National Sugar Cookie day as well at the Palm Grille, where we offered decorated cookies and house made ice cream sandwiches! They were absolutely delicious! Did you get a chance to try them? I hope you did. We offered several events throughout the summer, but these two were my personal favorites! Which one was yours? We’d love to hear your feedback! The busy season is here, and we are ready! Remember, I am here for you. If you have any questions or simply want to say hi, do not hesitate to ask for me! I will be right out to greet you!
Chef’s Kitchen Tricks & Tips: • You can use a coffee grinder to make your own spice blend.
Executive Chef - Eva Barrios, CEC ebarrios@royaloakscc.com
• Using a frother, you can make foamy milk for your coffee just as perfect as the coffee shops! Remember for the foam to form, you need fat. Any milk less than 2% will not work as well. • Use a microplane to zest lemons, limes, ginger and even garlic! Tune in for more tricks and tips.
– Chef Eva
SOCIAL LIFE IN 2021 Dear Members,
As we wind down from summer and start another school year, I can’t wait for cozy fall nights at the club with all the events the Catering and Events team has planned. Our Back to School Bash and annual regatta race is back on September 4th, so I hope you have started on your boats and are ready for a competitive afternoon at the pool! Yappy hour is back in October, as well as my favorite event, Diner en Blanc on October 15th. Lastly, be sure to save the date for our Family Halloween Party, which is sure to be a wicked good time!
Lauren here, Catering Coordinator, for this La Vie issue! I recently hit my two-year anniversary here at Royal Oaks this past June, and I have loved getting to know many of you throughout my time here so far! While expanding my experience in the Catering and Events department, I have been given numerous opportunities to work with Allyson Brown and the rest of the food and beverage team to put on some amazing events here at the club. Wine dinners in a room filled with vines, exquisite holiday brunches with Chef Eva’s Hope you can make it out to the club this fall to attend creative menus, and lawns filled with chairs to hear the one of our many events and be sure to stop by and infamous COVID-5, just to name a few! introduce yourself if we haven’t had the chance to meet yet. Can’t wait to see you around the club! My main responsibilities are on the back ends of events such as creating and printing out menus, collaborating with Allyson on club event themes, and coordinating arrival times with vendors to ensure the event can start on time. My favorite part of my job would have to be seeing the event come together. All the small details, whether its matching a napkin with a baby shower invitation or cutting out each individual menu for a private dinner, just makes everything worth it when I see a member or clients smile as they walk into the room! Another responsibility I have here at the club is being the ROCC Ladies Association, or ROCCLA, liaison. I work with the ladies to schedule all their fun events such as bingo, movie nights, floral arranging classes, and so much more! They have played a huge part in encouraging so many ladies to utilize the club while their husbands are out golfing or enjoying a drink in the locker room and provide ample opportunities to make the club their home away from home as well. ROCCLA sends out flyers for each of their events, so be sure to look out for them on the club happenings page.
Catering Coordinator - Lauren Davis ldavis@royaloakscc.com
UPCOMING EVENTS...
Strong heart & lungs are so important for longevity and health. A good cardiovascular base is an absolute must for a powerful tennis serve and golf swing too. So how much cardio is enough to make a difference? Just 15 minutes of exercise a day can boost life expectancy by three years research shows. Even a small amount of regular cardio training can greatly improve health too with benefits such as this:
Here’s a simple calculation for finding your aerobic HR range: • 1st 220 – Age = Max Heart Rate BPM (beats/ minute) • 2nd Max Heart Rate BPM x 60% • 3rd Max Heart Rate BPM x 90%
Exercise within your targeted aerobic heart rate range *Lower rates of total body fat, osteoporosis and all- (between 60 – 90% of your max heart rate) for at cause mortality least 15 minutes a day trying to get longer sessions a few more days per week. You should shoot to do *Lower rate of some cancers, type 2 diabetes and longer cardio sessions as able. This will result in more cardiovascular disease benefits and ability to do longer distances in the Cooper 12-Minute Test. *Increased blood volume Complete your 12-minute test using our tracking forms *Increased oxygen uptake at the Sports Club desk, work to improve your capacity, then retest. You can make progress with consistent Aerobic endurance defined is the level at which your effort playing tennis, doing cycle classes, running, lap heart, lungs, and muscles work together when you’re swimming and treadmill walking. exercising for an extended period of time. To attain optimal cardiovascular fitness, exercise between 60Now be sure to sign-up and participate in our ROCC90% of maximal heart rate. the-TRI in November!
Fitness Director - Pam Owens powens@royaloakscc.com
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Lamar & Nancy McKay are ‘active’ Members of the Sports Club and are very involved with the various amenities the Club offers. They enjoy a small group TRX training session with personal trianer, Cathy Staerker, once a week. Lamar works out several afternoons a week in the Strength Room with Gerry Kehoe and Tom Zellers, while Nancy gets some cardio and muscle conditioning by taking several of the Group Fitness classes in the mornings. Both Lamar and Nancy also play pickleball and golf with their friends here at the Club. Sundays are ‘couples’ golf and you can find them finishing their day at the fire pits. We love to see them using all areas of the Club and are here to help all Members stay active in the Sports Club too!
WHAT’S UP IN TENNIS?
SAVE THE DATES: No Classes
Junior Match Play September 25
November 22 - November 27
Thanksgiving Camp
Fall Junior Davis Cup
November 22 - November 24
Holiday Camp
December 11
December 20 - December 23 | December 23 - December 30
RECENT GOLF HAPPENINGS This summer has certainly been one for the books. Early Please mark your calendars for the upcoming events in June the golf course began its bunker renovation project the Fall… and to date the project has been going very well. We all are looking forward to the completion of the project for WGA our Club, Royal Oaks Members, and your Guests. The activities during the 4th of July event was a sight for sore eyes after all the challenges endured during 2020. Beginning mid-July the Club began the course maintenance practices with multiple aerifications, verticutting, tree removal, cart path repair, golf cart maintenance, fleet detailing, practice facilities improvements, and with so much more. A sincere Thank You to all members for their patience and understanding during the course and range closers.
• • • • • • • • •
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 Golf department continues to express our gratitude MGA to the Members and Guests for their patience with the ever changing normal during the pandemic we continue • Match Play Championship, October 16th & 17th • Championship Flight Qualifier, October 15th to experience. • Stroke Play Championship, October 30th & 31st As we make our way into the start of Fall and the second • Senior Stroke Play Championship, November 13th & 14th half or our Tournament Season, please see the below • Fleur de Lis Cup, December 11th & 12th schedule for the upcoming events. • Fleur de Lis Cup Champions Dinner, December 10th • Team Drawings, Thursday, November 11th in MLR • Superintendent’s Revenge, December 18th • Junior Club Championship, October 17th Please remember to visit the website for upcoming events around the Club and upcoming MGA and WGA tournaments. (Schedules are subject to change…) We hope that everyone has had a wonderful Summer and please continue to be safe.
Head Golf Professional - James D. Brown jbrown@royaloakscc.com
TRANSFER YOUR RANGE GAME TO THE COURSE Each week I will have players tell me they don’t understand why they hit the ball so well on the range yet play so poorly on the course. They just can’t understand why their range game does not travel with them to the first tee. In any other sport you practice on the field or court on which you will play. But in golf, the driving range looks nothing like the field of play. The golf driving range was originally designed to accomplish two things – it was a place to warm up prior to your round and a way for facilities to make additional revenue through payment for rage balls. It was never designed to be a place where golfers work to improve their golf skills.
4. Range conditions are not representative of course challenges – The golf driving range tee is perfectly flat, we roll each ball up onto a fluffed up lie, play the shot to an undefined target without any consequences for the outcome. This is all the exact opposite of what we are faced with on the course. Falling into the above traps is easily done. The driving range encourages this type of practice. But if you want to play better on the course you need to break out of these patterns and practice in ways that are more representative of the skills you are being asked to perform on the course.
Better Practice Guidelines: As a result of the range set up, all too often we fall into 1. Change clubs and targets at least every 3 shots the following traps: 2. Be sure that targets are clearly defined with a left and right border 1. Practice swing mechanics only – Golfers invest the 3. Complete your full pre-shot routine on every shot – majority of their practice time on the range working to check yardage and wind, take your normal number of make changes to their swing mechanics. They believe practice swings, have a clear mental picture of the shot that if they can reproduce the same ball flight over and you are wanting to play over again, or have consistency, that they will play 4. After the shot evaluate the outcome better on the golf course. But when was the last time 5. Play games where each shot is scored and you work you had to hit the same club multiple times in a row on to achieve predetermined target scores the course? 6. Utilize these guidelines for putting, chipping and pitching as well as long game 2. Shot preparation – On the range, shot preparation typically consists of rolling a ball off the pyramid and If you are interested in learning more about how you up onto a nice lie. Maybe you have a practice swing, can transfer your range skills to the course, reach out to maybe you don’t. But on the course, there are many one of the Teaching Professionals on staff and we will decisions that need to be made prior to playing shot. be happy to help you design better practice sessions. Where is my target? Where is the trouble? What is the wind doing? How far do I have to my target? How far is it to carry the trouble? How will my stance and lie effect my shot? How will I prepare mentally so I can be fully committed to my shot? And many others. How can I expect to be an expert at these things if I never practice them? 3. Practice time is allotted in an unbalanced way - A round of golf is split roughly into 40% full swing shots, 20% short game shots and 40% putting. Yet most players practice allocation does not match these percentages. Most players practice time is heavily weighted to full swing, with very little time on putting and the short game is an afterthought.
Director of Instruction - Derek Hooper dhooper@royaloakscc.com
d n u o r A e Scen
the Club @RoyalOaksHTX
‘WINE’ NOT JOIN US? I am very excited for the next wine dinner here at the Club, featuring Silver Oak Cellars, set for September 10th! Silver Oak has been family-owned for nearly 50 years. Silver Oak produces Cabernets aged exclusively in American Oak. Its exceptional, food-friendly wines are both drinkable upon release and worthy of cellaring for decades to come. Ray Duncan founded Silver Oak with Justin Meyer in 1972, and it’s now owned and operated by Ray’s sons, David and Tim, with a commitment to innovative and sustainable viticulture practices across its vineyard properties, winemaking facilities, tasting rooms and cooperage. In addition to acquiring OVID Napa Valley in 2017, the Duncan family also founded Twomey Cellars in 1999. Chef Eva will be featuring a fantastic meal to enjoy along side the Silver Oak family of wines at the upcoming wine dinner. So be sure to mark your calendar’s, this is one wine dinner you won’t want to miss out on!
Wine & Beverage Manager - Eric Blokkum eblokkum@royaloakscc.com
NEW SEASONS OF LIFE... Hello Members, September and October is here which means Fall is near! While the weather may not always feel that way, Fall is definitely in the air and I’ve never been more excited for a season. I’m excited for this new season, as I enter in a new season my self of life. September is the month I finally get to welcome my baby girl into the world and I’m thrilled to take on the new challenge of becoming a Mom. While I am out on Maternity Leave, I’m sad I won’t get to see all the Fall events come to life but I look forward to catching up and seeing what’s going on here at the Club through our Social Media. This is the perfect place to share photos of you and your family here at the Club and show your friends and family why you love being an ROCC Member! And it will help me feel still connected to our ROCC family haha!
Communications Manager - Hannah Vines hvines@royaloakscc.com
I look forward to seeing you all again soon!
SHARE YOUR MOMENTS WITH US! Share life milestone’s with us! Birth announcements, engagements, or even retirements. We want to celebrate with you! @RoyalOaksHTX
PREPPING FOR FALL... I don’t recall a year flying by as quickly as this one has. Every time I turn around I feel like it’s a new month and fall is right around the corner. It has definitely been a whirlwind of activity lately out on the golf course and this has kept us very busy. As you know, the bunker renovation began in early June and is off to a phenomenal start. Aside from a few days of rain mixed into the work schedule, there have been very little interruptions in progress. At the time of writing this, every hole north of Westpark Drive has been graded and is awaiting liner, sod or both. I can’t wait to see the finished product based off of the initial grading that has taken place. On top of the already busy summer with the ongoing bunker renovation we opted to try something different with our summer aerification closures this year. The annual June aerification was delayed and added onto the July aerification. This extended closure allowed us ample time to address the aerification and clean-up of all short grass areas of the course in addition to many other projects around the course. The fairways were aerified twice, the greens were aerified three times plus a DryJect soil amendment injection and the tees and approaches both received a single aerification. On top of the aerifications we applied approximately 600 tons of sand to the fairway surfaces to work toward the overall improvement of the playing surface. All other short grass areas were also top-dressed multiple times in addition to aggressive verti-cutting.
The cultural practices we perform during our summer closure are a key component to the quality of the playing surfaces leading into fall and are completely necessary for the long term health of the course. I expect the course to be in fantastic shape this fall and the thought of a July closure will be a distant memory. The golf course maintenance team has put a lot of hard work into the course over the last few months and will be preparing the course for fall tournament season over the next few months. We look forward to seeing you out here during your next round.
Golf Course Superintendent - Cody Alexander calexander@royaloakscc.com
www.royaloakscc.com
BUNKER RENOVATION PROGRESS
CALENDAR AT A GLANCE Be sure to check the calendar for the most up to date calendar!
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 Upcoming Reduced Pool Hours: Starting September 6 (Labor Day): Pools open Labor Day - 10:00am - 8:00pm September 7 - CLUB CLOSED September 8 - 10 4:00pm - 8:00pm September 11 - September 26 Pools open weekends ONLY Saturday & Sunday 10:00am - 8:00pm September 26 Last day family pools are open
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