2024 Board of Directors
David DeLorenzo President david.delorenzo@gmail.com 703.887.0505
John Astorino Vice President john.astorino@longandfoster.com 703.898.5148
Caitlin Clark Secretary sheaclark@comcast.net 703.967.8997
Bob Sampson Treasurer bsampson71@gmail.com 703.362.0027
Mike Cozad mcozad@advairac.com 703.926.6758
Tom Davis tdavis@gandrellc.com 703.772.5015
Joe English jenglish@bsbllc.com 571.214.4673
Dan McCarthy danm5691@gmail.com 703.999.9329
Charles Rolen rolencw@gmail.com 703.862.9370
2024 Committees
Audit
Dave Nachison dnachison@yahoo.com
Communications
Katie Kissal katiekissal@gmail.com 703.244.4583
Finance
Bob Sampson bsampson71@gmail.com 703.362.0027
Fitness
Gayle Burgoyne gayleburgoyne@aol.com 703.455.3985
Food & Beverage
John Palladino jape199@aol.com 703.901.0744
Golf
David Kelly davidnkelly@verizon.net 703.786.0980
Green
Dan Derisio dderisio@yahoo.com 703.618.1720
House
Julie Graham juliegraham10@me.com 703.650.8788
Membership
Jon Danforth danforth.jon@gmail.com 703.409.7383
Personnel
John Astorino john.astorino@longandfoster.com 703.898.5148
Racquets
Staci Goede staci.goede@gmail.com
Garrett Engeset gengeset@gmail.com
Rules
Bruce Nordstrom bnorthstream@yahoo.com 202.494.6558
Social Natalee Siveroni olahnatalee@gmail.com
Marie Denslow a93aggie@gmail.com
Strategic Planning
Joe English jenglish@bsbllc.com 571.214.4673
Swim/Pool
Mike Goede goedes@me.com 703.927.0941
Board Report
BY DAVID DELORENZO | BOARD PRESIDENT
Please join me in extending heartfelt gratitude to Caitlin Clark, Mike Cozad, and Tom Davis as they conclude their term on the Board of Directors. Ms. Clark began serving on the Board in 2019, and Mr. Cozad and Mr. Davis began their service in 2022. The three of them have been instrumental in the growth and momentum of our Club over the last several years, and I thank them for their dedication, insight, and support. It has been a pleasure to serve with them.
Congratulations to our newly elected Board Members who will begin their term in January: David Kelly, Harrison Smith, and Tom Stribling. Thank you to everyone who ran for the Board; volunteering to serve the Membership is a testament of how much SGCC means to you. I would also like to thank all our current Board Members and Committee Chairs for their time, effort, and commitment over the past year. Thank you as well to everyone who took the time to read about and get to know the candidates, cast their ballot, and attend the Annual Membership Meeting at the end of October. Your engagement in our community is what allows us to move forward and makes Springfield a truly special place to belong.
November and December are busy months at the Club full of celebration and memory-making moments. I hope you and your family have a happy and healthy holiday season. Make sure to save the date and join us at the annual Holiday Open House celebration on Sunday, December 1 which is the Club’s way of thanking you for being part of our community.
With the holiday season approaching, the Board would like to take this opportunity to ask for your participation in SGCC’s Annual Employee Holiday Fund. You will see a contribution of $95 on your statement. We ask that you help us continue this worthwhile program by accepting the Holiday Fund charge shown on your statement or by identifying a larger amount. Springfield Golf & Country Club can only provide
the Membership with excellent service and programming through the cooperation and commitment of our staff. The Holiday Fund is a means of saying “thank you” to those who work behind the scenes and those who serve you personally each day to enhance your Member experience. All contributions are disbursed in the fairest possible manner and take into account each employee’s average hours and years of service. The Director of Golf, Director of Racquet Sports, Golf Course Superintendent, and General Manager do not participate in this program. If you do not wish to participate, please deduct the $95 from your bill and notify Melissa Harkins at melissa@sgccva.org.
Coach’s Corner
BY BRANDEN BEETS | DIRECTOR OF RACQUET SPORTS
As we think about what we’re thankful for, I want to take the time to celebrate the amazing coaches who inspire and guide us. A great coach is not just exceptional at their sport; they are also incredible motivators and mentors.
Reflecting on my journey, I’ve played sports for as long as I can remember and have experienced both positive and challenging moments with coaches. One coach who stands out is my high school tennis coach, Coach Sue.
In my freshman year, I played soccer, but after a lackluster season, I decided to try out for the tennis team in my sophomore year. My mom and I had played tennis for fun during the summer, but I had never taken formal lessons. Somehow, I made the team, thanks to my athleticism and determination. Right away, I connected with Coach Sue. On the court, she was fiercely competitive, yet she had an extraordinary ability to bring out the best in her players. Sometimes, I needed a comforting hug, other times a firm push to give my all, or a good laugh. Coach Sue even shared fun science facts, like
why weeping willow trees thrive near water—she was a science teacher at the middle school down the road! Although I can’t recall learning the perfect drop shot, I always felt motivated and supported by her. She taught me good things don’t come easy and that you must fight for what you want in life.
Sadly, I never had the chance to tell Coach Sue how much she meant to my growth as a coach. She passed away after a long battle with cancer when we had lost touch, and I carry that regret with me. However, this experience taught me the importance of expressing gratitude and being open with my feelings. When a player walks into my office after a match to discuss their performance, I’m always eager to listen. While we may not be thrilled about a negative result, knowing we’re invested in this journey together makes those conversations truly rewarding. I cherish hearing about your “Eureka” moments and supporting you through tough losses. You are never alone; we are all in this together, sharing both the victories and setbacks.
I can genuinely say that the team of professional coaches we have at SGCC is second to none. I deeply appreciate all they do, and I encourage you to share your gratitude as well. The next time you see Kristine, Slade, Andrew, or Jonathan, please take a moment to thank them for their invaluable contributions to SGCC. There’s something truly special happening at Springfield, and our wonderful staff is a major part of that. Whether you or your family members participate in racquet sports or other activities at SGCC, please remember to express your appreciation to your coaches for all their hard work and dedication.
See you on the courts!
2024 Holiday Hours
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28
CLUBHOUSE CLOSES AT 4 PM
NO REGULAR DINING SERVICE
FAMILY STYLE THANKSGIVING, SEATINGS BETWEEN 12 & 3 PM
CARTS IN BY 3 PM
RACQUETS & FITNESS, 8 AM - 4 PM
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1
RE GULAR DINING SERVICE ENDS AT 2 PM
CLUBHOUSE CLOSED 3-5 PM
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE, 5-8 PM
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24
ENT IRE CLUB CLOSES AT 3 PM
CARTS IN BY 2 PM
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25
EN TIRE CLUB CLOSED
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26
CLUBHOUSE CLOSED
RACQUETS & FITNESS, 8 AM - 4 PM
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31
RACQU ETS & FITNESS, 8 AM - 4 PM
REGULAR DINING SERVICE ENDS AT 4 PM
EARLY BIRD NYE DINNER, 4-8 PM
KIDS NYE PARTY, 6-9 PM
NYE MASQUERADE, 9 PM - 1 AM
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1
CLUB HOUSE CLOSED
RACQUETS & FITNESS, 8 AM - 4 PM
Springfield Retirees Secure a Spot in the Finals
BY RUSTY ROESCH
After completing our regular season with 15 wins out of 20 matches played, we ended up winning our division and capturing a second-place finish league-wide. After winning both our quarterfinal and semifinal matches, we are headed to the finals against Army Navy Country Club Fairfax. SGCC has won the league championship 13 times over 51 years, significantly more than any other club.
Our next to last regular season match was held on October 3 after a week’s delay due to rain. We continued our winning ways by convincingly beating Westwood Country Club 17½ to 12½ on our home turf. Our course was soaked and the rough was long, but two teams managed to bring home three points each: Brad Westermann/Hank Webb and Mark Spooner/ Rusty Roesch. Delivering two and a half points each were Harry Kline/Derrick Smith and Mike Saylor/Jim Wilson. Steve Barker/Mark Morganfield finished up with two points. Springfield also took all three of the sweeps: first place went to Mike Saylor/Jim Wilson with a net 64, second place went to Mark Morganfield/Steve Barker (65), and third place went to Harry Kline/Derrick Smith (67). Derrick Smith and Mike Saylor both turned in low gross scores for the day with 73’s with Harry Kline (77) and Brad Westermann (78) close behind. Low net scores were turned in by Bob Brien and Rusty Roesch (both scored net 66’s), along with Mike Saylor (67), Derrick Smith (68), and Tony Caggiano (68).
On October 10, SGCC met a very strong team at Heritage Hunt Golf and Country Club only to lose 21½ to 14½. The match was a difficult one; their course was especially tough after all the rain with deep roughs and grass clippings everywhere. Highlights included Walter Burkhardt/Hank Webb delivering two and a half points with the teams of Derrick Smith/Steve Bartlett and Tom Natoli/Dan Rose delivering two points each. Walter Burkhardt and Derrick Smith both delivered the low gross scores for the day by scoring 80’s. Bob Brien scored a remarkable net 61 while Mark Spooner delivered a memorable net 67. Bob Brien/Bill Schneider also won first place in the
sweeps and came away with three points in the match.
On October 17, we met Chantilly National Golf and Country Club in the quarterfinals. Half the matches were held on our course, the other half on their course. SGCC’s Gladiators scored a convincing win on a chilly and breezy day 23 to 13 to secure our spot in the semifinals. On our home course, we carried the day with a decisive score of 15 to 3. The half of our team playing away at Chantilly lost by only two points (10 to 8). Low gross scores included Mike Saylor (75), Harry Kline (78), and Jim Wilson (81). Low net scores were turned in by Jim Wilson (68), Mike Saylor (69), Jordan Weinstein (69), and Albie Lau (69).
On a very windy but sunny day, SGCC met Heritage Hunt Golf and Country Club in the semifinals and defeated them 20½ to 15 ½. Our home players dominated the opponent 12-6 while our away team was barely beaten 9½ to 8½. The teams of Harry Kline/Brad Westermann and Derrick Smith/Jim Wilson won three points each at home. Charles Rolen/Don Bisenius and Walter Burkhardt/Mark Waters each won two and a half points at Heritage Hunt. Albie Lau/Mark Spooner brought in two points at Heritage Hunt, while Rob Jacobs/Tom Natoli and Steve Barker/Greg Gerlach won two points at home. The low gross scorers were Derrick Smith with a 76 and Harry Kline with a 77. Charles Rolen and Mike Saylor each had an 82 for low gross honors at Heritage Hunt. At home, Tom Natoli was low net with a 70, Derrick Smith had a 71, and Harry Kline had a net 73. At Heritage Hunt, Charles Rolen was the low net player with a 76 and Pat Cavanagh shot a net 77.
It is never too late to join the Retirees (just be 50+ and dreaming about retirement). To support both home and away highly competitive matches, our Retiree Team needs new players every year. For more information on joining, please contact Bruce Nordstrom at bnorthstream@yahoo.com or call 202.494.6558.
Thanksgiving Notes from the Cutting Board
BY TRAVIS SIMMONS | EXECUTIVE CHEF
With the holidays just around the corner, I would like to highlight the first of many wonderful holiday events we host here at the Club.
Last year, we offered a family-style dinner service in the grill room for Thanksgiving. This year, we are proud to bring it back! Members and their guests will be greeted with a roasted beet and citrus salad at each place setting. This will be a delightful array of flavors and textures with toasted pistachios, pomegranate seeds, balsamic reduction, champagne spritz, herb cream cheese, and a crostini garnish. After salad, we’ll move on to shareable appetizers. Each table will receive all three of our options: almond-crusted port wine cheese with crostini, tempura Chesapeake oysters with sesame-ginger dipping sauce, and deviled eggs with crispy ham. Next up are the entrées and sides. We’ve got plenty of options for you to choose from: roasted turkey, prime rib, rosemary cranberry sauce, sweet potato gratin topped with toasted marshmallow, garlic whipped potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, traditional herb stuffing, and grilled asparagus with lemon
hollandaise. To finish up, we have a full dessert buffet for you and your family to enjoy.
Last year was an overwhelming success, and we look forward to building on that success. We reservations available between 12:00 and 3:00 PM on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 28. To reserve a table for your family, email Director of Food & Beverage Jen Keeler at jennifer@sgccva.org. Please note, there is a one-and-a-half hour time limit for each table. I encourage you to get your reservations in early as we expect Thanksgiving to fill up quickly.
Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without the “what are you thankful for conversation” at the dinner table. I’ll go first. I’m thankful for our culinary staff and all they do day in and day out to make this such a special place for everyone to enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving!
How to Do It All This Holiday Season
BY MOLLY FIELD | COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
How’d you like that headline? Did it get your attention? Good. Here’s the thing: you can do it all, at about 25% completion or success each during any holiday or non-holiday season.
The better news is that you’re in charge! Just like you always have been.
Do you want to eat all the things you love? You can!
Do you want to keep your exercise routine going? You can!
Do you want to turn yourself inside out trying to keep it all organized? You can!
Here’s the deal; optimally, we get eight hours a night of sleep. That leaves 16 hours in the day. The next eight hours are supposedly what we spend at work (I’m not including commuting, so if that’s you, you just lost about 90 minutes, just to be fair). That leaves another six and a half hours (blended in with some of your work hours if we’re being fair, right?) to
eat right, remember to hydrate, exercise, play golf (minus four hours) or tennis (minus two hours), be nice to our neighbors, and be fully emotionally and tactically present to our loved ones — this includes kids, spouse, the dog, and besties across the country or around the world.
If you have little kids, it’s hard dealing with those guys. They are tiny tyrants. Parenting takes not only two people to get it all done, but it is also going to require some deficits which usually manifest in errant eating, a missed workout or two, missed sleep, and skipped dog walks.
Welcome to humanity. Amazingly, dogs don’t keep score and our kids are generally just happy to be able to sit with us comfortably with a cuddle every few moments between sentences at story time or bites at mealtimes. If the kids or the dog gets sick, which happens more than we’d like to think, there goes more time, and diets and health habits are the first thing to go. That’s life.
Do you beat yourself up if you miss a workout or eat what you think is the ‘wrong thing’? Do you “should” yourself? I should eat better. I should be calmer around the kids. I should walk the dog. I should call my buddy in California. Stop. Stop ‘shoulding all over yourself’; it’s messy. No one wants that and you’re bringing your personal energy down with all the shoulds.
The answer: pivot. Pivot your perspective and your self-talk. What do you say to yourself? Can you talk to yourself like you would to your best friend who came to you with similar situations? I like to implement what I call the “People Magazine Test.” In the back of People, they bury the regular-people stories, but for me they’re the most appealing because they are actual perspectives of folks who don’t have a whole team of people helping them with life’s ordinary tasks.
Applying the test requires you to back away from your narrative of shoulds and present it all as if you’re reading about it in a magazine. What would you suggest that person do? Would you be super critical to a complete stranger without knowing their circumstances? Generally not (I’ll agree that there are some people out there who are plain unpleasant, but that’s not YOU!). Give yourself the benefit of perspective.
All this said, if you’re in a situation where you’re chronically
skipping workouts, missing deadlines, and mis-eating, then this requires behavior modification, and a reapplication of your reality in the context of your goals.
Pivots are our best friends when we’re feeling stressed or pressured to Be More than we are. Pivots don’t pretend we’re on a mountaintop; they meet us where we are right now and allow us to see what’s going on. What they do require is some self-compassion (kindness) and some self-respect (tough love). Pivots allow us to fall down and get back up. Pivots allow us to press pause and reroute. A pivot is a space in your day, routine, or situation where you pause and notice how you feel about what’s going on, decide whether it’s sustainable or in alignment with your longer-term goals, and adjust to make those two “schemes” more in alignment with reality and what you want.
So, you can do it all: you can eat what you want, but —pivot— don’t eat all of it: enjoy a couple bites and move back to the behaviors that are more in alignment. You can have a drink or two, but not five. Five is a lot. Your liver and your joints will thank you.
Don’t have time for a 45-minute workout? Don’t give up on it, pivot! You can get on the treadmill, bike, rower, or elliptical or lift weights for just ten or 20 minutes if that’s all you’ve got.
You can crush the routine if you’re short on time and tall on physical energy, or you can take it easy if you’re wiped out and need the burst of energy that being alone for a few moments provides. If you’re on a walking or running machine, bilateral movement helps your central nervous system process stress. Just warming up your body helps your joints and gets your heart pumping to help your body process a little more than it was moments before.
Better yet, go outside, catch some sun and fresh air—maybe grab a friend for a brief outing. No friends around for the walk? Call a friend and talk to them while you’re on your walk. Have you ever gone for a walk and said to yourself afterward, “well, that was a stupid idea.” Me neither.
If you’re not sure you can control your appetite with all the goodies staring at you, especially at our fantastic Holiday Open House, then pivot: get one, just one, of all the things you like and cut them in half. Then pivot again: cut it in half again and put that 25% on your plate. We all know that small plates are a fun strategy, but don’t do that if you don’t want to — get a big plate and decorate it with all the quarter-portions and enjoy them! Then, take a healthy swig of water and come back to your goodie plate in five minutes. Cravings last 14 minutes. Can you do 14 minutes without eating more of it? Surely there’s someone who just walked into the space you can catch up with for ten minutes instead of focusing on your need to nibble.
Life, including its ups and downs and broadsides, is to be experienced. It’s from these experiences that we learn and choose mindfully, then savor and celebrate. We have tastebuds for a reason. Deprivation doesn’t work.
If pivots aren’t enough, try an entirely different tactic. While I personally have intermittent fasted on and off for about five years, I’m also a very active and high-energy person, running around a lot in my personal life. I don’t do diets, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t tried them. My favorite and sustainable “diet” is The Zone Diet by Barry Sears, Ph.D. It’s an oldie but a goodie. If your body type and dietary needs require more protein, this is a great start that still lets you eat apples and carrots; beware of boomerang eating or weight gain, though, if you find yourself straying.
Diets are generally about restriction, and it’s totally normal to see ourselves as being “good” if we adhere to a diet while also being “bad” if we don’t. Bad and good do not belong in our eating vocabulary. To combat deeply polarizing and ancient ways of treating our bodies (deprivation) and psyches (shame), consider something called “intuitive eating” which is based in mindfulness and awareness: eating (not gorging) when we’re
hungry and stopping when we’re not.
It’s not that simple though. Intuitive eating asks us to slow down a little and eat what our bodies desire: salad? steak? Twinkie bars and a Slurpee? Okay, go for it. Taking a few breaths as you sit down to eat and definitely between bites can show you where you are: Are you in your head? Are you in your body? Come back to the body, notice how you feel when you eat. Does this food satisfy? Give yourself some grace and take a minute. Eat that Twinkie! Down that milkshake (have you had one of our milkshake specials on burger nights?!)! But not all the time, right? That’s where we can quickly swerve from “feeling good” to feeling like we’ve run off the road.
What about when we love something, but it’s been “unfriendly” to our digestive systems? Well, how much do you like to feel “normal” and not hostage to your food choices? While eating what we want is important, so is paying attention to how food has historically treated you later on. You know that chili, hot dog, or Caesar salad tastes so good, but does it still feel good two hours later? Look, it happens. It’s coming for all of us: our bodies and food sensitivities change as we age. Weekends in our late 20s to mid-30s are long-gone memories and fantasies if we think we can regularly do that to ourselves in our 40s and beyond. For me, at least, that ship has sailed.
The bookstores are probably where you’ll get dizzier than ever about all this, so allow me to make some recommendations: Delay Don’t Deny by Gin Stephens; The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung; and Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole.
Remember, what matters most is that you enjoy your life; that you take care of yourself so your kids and their kids and their kids (yikes!) can play peek-a-boo and tell knock-knock jokes with you by the poolside or the fireside or over video call. The heady days of holidays are soon upon us: enjoy them! Be honest with yourself and do what feels right. There’s no rush to always eat more — so notice that. We live in a place in the world where we have no shortage of what we want to eat. Notice, when you have time, what really feeds you. Sometimes it’s not food. Sometimes it’s an hour of quiet or viewing a nice sunset or moonrise with a best friend.
So, pay attention to those cravings — what are they all about? Are they about food or are they about being loving to yourself and those who love you? Food is love, some say; make it a fun love and a healthy one too. Nothing about eating is a 24/7 proposition, so give yourself some grace. Pivots are your friend in the near term.
2024 Club Championship: A Battle of Skill & Strategy
BY ALESSANDRA MAURTUA, PGA | DIRECTOR OF GOLF
The 2024 SGCC Club Championship was a spectacular display of competitive golf, with each round bringing excitement, surprises, and standout performances. This year’s championship bracket saw multiple upsets, proving the strength and depth of the field. Lower-seeded players challenged expectations, with the 4-seed, Eric Walker, and 10seed, Michael Brideau, fighting their way to the finals.
The finals were played under challenging conditions with high winds and extreme course difficulties testing every aspect of the players’ games. What truly set the champions apart was their mastery of the short game, which became crucial in navigating these tough conditions.
In the Men’s Club Championship, Eric Walker claimed his third title, adding to his legacy. Walker’s win followed a banner year, having also taken home the Senior Club Championship and the Nova Senior AM title. His experience playing in high-level events has clearly sharpened his game.
In the Women’s Club Championship, Simone Beltz secured a commanding 5 up victory over Christina Bartlett. Beltz’s remarkable win was particularly impressive given her comeback from a significant setback earlier this year. In the First Flight, Katie Frawley triumphed with a 4 and 3 victory over Marie Hackney in her finals match.
Many of this year’s champions have been involved in private instruction at the Club, sharpening their skills throughout the year. In the Men’s Championship, 10 of the top 16 participants benefited from coaching programs. Similarly, in the Women’s
Club Championship, three of the four competitors in the Championship Flight and two of the three in the First Flight have taken lessons.
These champions are also active participants in Club leagues and events year-round, which helps refine their skills and build resilience to compete under tough conditions.
Winners:
Men’s Club Champion: Eric Walker
Women’s Club Champion: Simone Beltz
Women’s First Flight: Katie Frawley
Men’s Gold/Blue Flight: Steven Siveroni
Men’s First Flight: Jake O’Connell
Men’s Second Flight: Bradley Rawls
Men’s Third Flight: Gary Fedorochko
Men’s Fourth Flight: Trevor Blankley
Men’s Fifth Flight: Keith Taylor
Congratulations to all our competitors for an incredible championship, and a special nod to Eric Walker and Simone Beltz for their stellar victories.
Rally for Literacy at SGCC’s Pickleball Party
BY LISA KEATHLEY & CHRISTIE PALMER
Join us on Friday, November 22 for an exciting on-court pickleball experience at our Olympic-themed Pickleball Party, where registered players will be grouped into skill-based pools for a dynamic competition! The fun starts at 6:00 PM with a chili bar dinner, beverages, and desserts. Pickleball will start at 7:00 PM and will include team competitions for every pickleball playing level.
Each player will participate in multiple rounds, partnering with different teammates as they aim to score points in a fun, social format. Matches will be played to 11 points or a maximum of 15 minutes, ensuring plenty of action throughout the evening. At the end of the competition, individual points will be tallied, with the top three players in each pool receiving gold, silver, and bronze medals to celebrate their achievements.
New to the game? There will be a dedicated pool for beginner players with Pro-led introduction of the basics, setting you up for some friendly play. This is not just a chance to showcase your skills, but also to support a worthy cause—helping provide books to children in need in our community.
Do you remember your favorite books as a child...perhaps snuggling up with your mom, dad, or another loved one as you read and listened to your special stories? Do you read to your own kids or grandkids from a home library of favorites?
Sadly, many children right here in Northern Virginia have no books of their own -- not even one. Crestwood Elementary School, for example, is 2.9 miles and seven minutes away from SGCC. Lynbrook Elementary is 4.2 miles and 10 minutes away. And yet these Title 1 schools are a whole world away.
Reading is Fundamental of Northern Virginia (RIF of NOVA) is an all-volunteer nonprofit that helps 20,000 underserved children at Crestwood, Lynbrook, and 30 other Northern Virginia area Title 1 schools by providing new books through its Books for Keeps program. Does it matter? Yes! The only
behavior measure that correlates significantly with reading scores is the number of books in the home (U. S. Department of Education).
“When children pick a book of their own to keep, the magic happens!” says SGCC member Lisa Keathley. A board member of RIF of NOVA for over ten years, Lisa has seen the response when children are able to choose a new book of their own. “For many of these children, this is the first book they have ever owned. They are so proud to inscribe their name in the book and can’t wait to take it home to read with their families. Faces just light up with excitement that someone cared enough to actually provide them with a book!” Over the course of an elementary school career, she notes, children are able to pick a
book and sometimes two each year, contributing, over time, to a home library — the key to reading success.
How will this SGCC’s Olympic-themed Pickleball Party and Chili Dinner help RIF of NOVA and the children it serves? Three ways:
• A portion of your cost per person will be donated;
• Cash/check/SGCC chit donations are welcome; and
• You can adopt a book to be donated to a local child for $5, also payable on your SGCC chit.
Throughout the evening, a RIF of NOVA station will be open for donations and book adoptions. You can also bring a favorite book to donate if you wish, but this is not necessary as there will be many new books on site to be adopted and donated. Your participation and donations can help improve literacy for children in our community, boost interest in learning, and help address the alarming local (and nationwide) literacy crisis at the same time.
Let’s rally together for literacy while enjoying the spirit of pickleball! Registration is now open on the Racquet Sports Calendar. Want to help but can’t make it? Visit www.rifnova. org for more information on how to contribute.
How to Register for an Event at SGCC
Our committees and staff work hard to plan a variety of fun events for you here at SGCC. We know you’re ready to get involved and enjoy all the opportunities the Club has to offer. Almost all of our events require advanced registration (there are a few notable exceptions, please refer to event flyers), so here are some helpful tips to make sure you aren’t missing out:
Q: HOW DO I FIND OUT ABOUT EVENTS?
A: There are lots of ways! Events can be found on the Club calendar with links to register. They are also advertised in the weekly emails, on the digital display boards in the Clubhouse and Racquets facility, and in the monthly Springfield Story. Featured social events can be found on the private homepage of the website, and word of mouth is another way news about events spreads.
Q: I HEARD ABOUT IT, NOW HOW DO I SIGN UP?
A: You’ll want to go directly to the event page on the Club website. You can get there through links embedded in the weekly emails, through the private homepage, or by clicking “Club Calendar” underneath the Club Life drop-down menu. Once you’re on the event page, you’ll see a “Click Here to Register” button which will open a new window.
Q: WHO DO I INCLUDE IN MY RESERVATION?
A: The first thing you’ll want to do when registering for an event is select your party size. This is a drop-down box in the upper left corner of the window that opens from the registration page. Your headcount should include the people you are paying for, NOT who you want to sit with. Even if you’re planning to sit with another couple at an event, if you aren’t planning to treat them to the event, do not include them in your headcount.
When it comes to children, a good rule of thumb is that if they take up a chair (or highchair), you want to include them in your headcount! A lot of people are unsure if they should include babies and toddlers in the party size, and the answer is YES. Family events will have price options, and you can select the correct one for your baby so we know they are coming, but you won’t be charged. This helps us better plan for food, activities, gifts, etc.
Q: DO I HAVE TO LIST EVERYONE’S NAME IN MY RESERVATION?
A: Not usually. There are a few events where everyone’s name is required, but most events just need the party size and whether or not the person attending is an adult or child. One exception is summer camp it is helpful for our records to have each child’s name listed in the registration.
A quick way to find your family members is to click the “My Family” option on the right-side of the screen underneath the Search bar. This will pull up the people on your account only. We recently added grandchildren, so if your juvenile grandchild has been registered with the front office, their name should appear in this section as well.
Q: CAN I REGISTER FOR SOMEONE ELSE?
A: In most cases, yes, you can register for another person in your family. This commonly happens when one spouse remembers their login and the other doesn’t, or when a parent is registering
a child for a clinic.
To register as someone else in your family, you’ll want to click “proxy” in the far right corner of the “Name” section of the registration window. Your name will be grayed out, and a section for selecting the attendee will appear. This will ensure you receive updates about the event, but the person who is actually attending will show up on the roster.
Q: I WANT TO SIT WITH FRIENDS, HOW DO I LET YOU KNOW?
A: Please let us know who you would like to sit with in the “Comments” section of the registration window. We assign tables using these requests, otherwise you will be seated with other members as space allows.
Q: HOW DOES BILLING WORK?
A: Most events are billed directly through the website using the information you put in during registration. This means that if you listed another member couple on your reservation, you will be charged for them. The best way to avoid this is by only including the people you are paying for in your reservation. However, if you are incorrectly charged, let us know, and we will take care of it for you!
Some events have different price points for adults and children. If there are multiple prices, you will need to select the correct option from the drop-down menu below each person’s name. In general, children four-years-old and younger are complimentary, so make sure you select that option during sign-up to avoid being charged.
Q: WHAT IF I NEED TO CANCEL?
A: Registrants who cancel within 72 hours of Club Social Events will be charged 50% of the registration fee. For highly popular events, such as Brunch with Santa, please let us know as soon as possible if you need to cancel so that we can move another member family off of the waitlist.
CLUBHOUSE CLOSED MONDAYS
HALF PRICE BURGER WEDNESDAYS
HAPPY HOUR THURSDAYS, 5:30-7:30 PM
FRIDAY BUFFET, 5:00-9:00 PM
BREAKFAST, SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS 8:00-10:00 AM
SUNDAY BRUNCH, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Shawn’s Cross Country Event
Stocktoberfest Bourbon Bash 7:00 PM
SGCC Wellness Series: Stem Cell Regeneration Talk 12:00 PM
Golf Course Open Golf Season Recap 6:30 PM
SGCC Wellness Series: Injury Recovery & Fitness Consultations by Appointment
Wine Tasting Class 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Dueling Pianos 6:30 PM
Kids’ Night Out 6:30 - 9:30 PM
Order Deadline for Thanksgiving To Go Pickleball & Chili Dinner Benefiting Reading is Fundamental 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Holiday Hours
Turkey Trot 7:30 AM
Family-Style Thanksgiving Dinner in the Grill 12:00 - 3:00 PM
Run Your Turkey Off Live Ball 12:00 - 3:00 PM
Rombauer Wine Dinner 6:30 PM
Learn More About Our November Events...
21 THANKSGIVING TO GO DEADLINE
Full Cooked Thanksgiving Meal Ready to Heat and Eat. Includes Sides and Desserts. Feeds 6-8 People. Pick Up is Wednesday, November 27 Between 5:00 and 8:00 PM. Order Online on the Calendar.
22 PICKLEBALL & CHILI DINNER FUNDRAISER BENEFITING READING IS FUNDAMENTAL 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Join Us for an Impactful Evening of Pickleball and a Chili Dinner. Registration Required. More Information, Including How to Donate, Available Online.
23 ROMBAUER WINE DINNER 6:30 PM Jackets and Registration Required. $110++
28 TURKEY TROT 7:30 AM
WINE TASTING CLASS 6:00 - 7:00 PM
“Verona, Amarone della Valpolicella in the Making” Learn About & Taste 4 Different Wines. Led by IMPERO Wine Rep Alex Kazak. Includes Light Fare. Registration Required, $30++. Members Only, Space is Limited.
Join Director of Golf Alessandra Maurtua, PGA and Golf Course Superintendent Shawn Gill to Recap the 2024 Golf Season and Look Ahead at What’s to Come. Registration Required.
DUELING PIANOS: DINNER & A SHOW
6:30 PM
6:30-8:00 PM Dinner Buffet. 8:00 PM Dueling Pianos Show Begins. $45++ Registration Fee Includes Dinner Buffet and Live Piano Show. Bar Available by Chit. Registration Required.
- 9:30 PM
For Ages 6-13. Play Fun Tennis Games Led by SGCC Pros and Wind Down with a Movie in the Members Room. Popcorn and Juice Boxes Included. Registration Required. $35
30-Minute Consultation and Assessment with Physical Therapist Annie Martucci, DPT. By Appointment.
Start Your Holiday Off Right with the Annual Turkey Trot Around the Golf Course! Two Distances to Choose From. Includes Coffee and Doughnuts. Registration Required $25++
28 FAMILY-STYLE THANKSGIVING DINNER IN THE GRILL
Reservations by Table Between 12:00 and 3:00 PM. Email jennifer@sgccva.org to Make Your Reservation. Menu Available Online. Clubhouse Closes at 4:00 PM. No Regular Menu Service.
28 THANKSGIVING HOURS
Racquets & Fitness, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM No Regular Dining Service
Golf Carts in by 3:00 PM
Clubhouse Closes at 4:00 PM
29
RUN YOUR TURKEY OFF LIVE BALL 10:00 AM
A Holiday Spin on Our Popular Live Ball Clinic! Get Back on Your Feet and Run Off Your Thanksgiving Feast with this High-Energy Clinic Featuring Non-Stop Gameplay and Drills Designed to Boost Your Heart Rate and Improve Endurance. 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Registration Required. $40
December 2024
Learn More About Our December Events...
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE 5:00 - 8:00 PM
Celebrate the Holiday Season with Your SGCC Community at this Complimentary Member Event. Spend the Evening with Family and Friends, Enjoy Delicious Food, and Have Your Photo Taken. Jackets Required. For Members, Spouses, and Dependents Only; No Guests.
Please Note: Regular Dining Service Ends at 2:00 PM and the Clubhouse will be Closed from 3:00-5:00 PM for Preparations.
8 BRUNCH WITH SANTA 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Enjoy a Tasty Brunch, a Festive Atmosphere, and a Visit with Santa! We’ll have a Professional Photographer on Site, so Just Bring Your Smiles and Holiday Cheer! There are Time Slots for Visits and Photos with Santa; You May Eat Before or After Your Turn. Jackets and Registration Required. $30++ for Ages 5 and Up. Children 4 and Under are Complimentary.
Time Slots/Seatings Are: 9:00 AM, 10:15 AM, 11:30 AM, and 12:45 PM
Please Note, Brunch with Santa Takes Place in the Ballroom, Parlor, and Main Dining Room. The Regular Menu is Available in the Bar/Lounge for Those Not Attending the Event.
A Mixed Doubles Pickleball Event with
Clubhouse Closed Racquets & Fitness, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Racquets & Fitness, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Regular Dining Service Ends at 4:00 PM
4:00 - 7:00 PM
A Special Menu for the Early Birds! Choose One Starter, One Entree, and Dessert from a Select and Curated Menu. $70++ Per Person, Reservations Required. Regular Menu Not Available.
YEAR’S EVE FAMILY “MASK-UERADE” DANCE PARTY 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Wear Your Favorite Character Mask and Ring in the New Year with an Apple Juice Toast! Includes Adult and Junior Buffets, a DJ, Games, and Tons of Fun! Registration Required, $30++, Children 4 and Under Complimentary. 31 NEW YEAR’S EVE MASQUERADE
9:00 PM - 1:00 AM
DJ, Infinity Dance Floor & Dancing, Food Stations, Open Bar, & Late Night Snack. Masquerade Attire Highly Encouraged, Registration Required. $90++
Membership Corner
BY SHELLY GOOREVICH MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR
Marcel, Kristina, and Oliver Apple live in Alexandria with their two dogs, Bosworth and Marlo. Marcel and Kristina both moved from Miami, Florida to attend law school in D.C. in 2016, and moved to Virginia during the height of the pandemic. They enjoy the beautiful scenery and change of seasons in Virginia, getting outdoors for walks and exploring new towns while chasing after Oliver and trying new restaurants whenever they can. Marcel works for Van Metre Companies as Real Estate Counsel, and Kristina is an Assistant Director of the Office of Career Strategy at Georgetown University Law Center. Marcel is an avid golfer, and both he and Kristina are looking forward to learning how to play pickleball. Oliver is an active and very social toddler—he loves music, soccer, and chicken fingers! They are so excited to join the welcoming community at SGCC!
Mehrdad and Maggie Barikbin are both practicing attorneys and former active-duty Marines who have settled in Springfield since 2022. Originally from Pennsylvania, they have had the opportunity to live in San Diego and northern Virginia during their military careers. Mehrdad and Maggie are both very active in community sports with their four kids: Aydin, Isabel, Leila, and Roya. They both continue to serve in the Marine Corps Reserves and enjoy running, cycling, and a good glass of wine.
Katia Chen and Jonathan Williams live in Alexandria with their two children, Katherine (5) and Lucas (4). Katia is originally from São Paulo, Brazil and moved to Washington DC to attend Georgetown University for her undergraduate studies. Jonathan is originally from Saginaw, Michigan and moved to the DC area for a job after graduating college. Katia is an IT specialist at an international organization and Jonathan is an economist and author of more than 15 books on economic policy. The family is active and enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, exploring nearby parks, and playing sports. They are welcoming a baby boy in December, just in time for Christmas! The whole family is looking forward to spending time at the Club and meeting new families and friends.
Mehrdad, Maggie, Aydin, Isabel, Leila, & Roya Barikbin
Marcel, Kristina, & Oliver Apple
Katia Chen, Jonathan Williams, & children Katherine & Lucas
Lee Fuller is a retired Engineer and Government Relations Trade Association executive. Pat Fuller is a retired Chemical Engineer and Patent Agent. They are longtime Springfield residents, who raised their family here and were active in Scouting, youth sports, and the Annandale High School Chorus (including the German Choir Exchange). The Fullers currently enjoy Virginia wineries and historical activities, including memberships at Mount Vernon, Monticello, and the National World War II Museum.
Joe and Rachel Nemeth met in 2010 and married in 2015. Joe is originally from Long Island, New York, and Rachel is from Toledo, Ohio. They have lived in the DC area for 17 years and in Springfield for six. Joe is a Financial Analyst with the Department of Justice and a graduate of College of the Holy Cross and George Washington University. Rachel is a Senior Director at the Consumer Technology Association and a graduate of Seton Hall University and The Columbus School of Law at Catholic University. The Nemeths have two daughters Rebecca (5) and Claire (2). Rebecca is in Kindergarten at St. Bernadette Catholic School and Claire attends KinderCare. The girls also participate in dance lessons at Perfect Pointe. Joe is an avid runner and Rachel enjoys yoga and Pure Barre. The Nemeths like traveling, visiting wineries, going on family walks, and watching movies.
Joe, Rachel, Rebecca, & Claire Nemeth
Lee & Pat Fuller
From Course to Court: A Complimentary Crossover
BY KATIE KISSAL | COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE CHAIR
Proficiency in sports is time-consuming, and being able to develop proficiency in more than one activity takes dedication. The good news is that when it comes to golf and tennis, there are plenty of transferable skills that bridge the two activities:
Rotation
Golf and tennis swings rely on similar rotational movement patterns before contacting the ball. Successful execution of both swings requires specific strength, flexibility, and timing throughout the whole kinetic chain.
Hand-Eye Coordination
Using your hands and eyes together with speed and accuracy is imperative in golf and tennis. In golf, the club is a long, moving extension of your hands that needs to make contact with a still ball. Furthermore, the club path in the swing and the position of the club face must all come together for the best results.
In tennis, the racquet is a shorter (and wider) extension of the body that needs to make contact with a moving ball. The player needs to see and react quickly to how the ball is being hit toward them, and respond with appropriate footwork, racquet grip, swing, and shot location.
Mental Fortitude and Strategy
While the pace of golf and tennis are completely different, both require endurance of focus, power, and accuracy. Each sport necessitates specific shots in given situations throughout a length of time (18 holes) along with physical exertion (3-5 sets). Both golfers and tennis players must continually adapt to new scenarios and create new strategies.
Swing Away
You’ll find plenty of members around SGCC who enjoy both the course and the courts. While many are likely more seasoned in one sport over the other, golfers and tennis players seem to understand the intricacies of skills that are necessary in both; which ultimately makes for friendly rapport and a natural segue from one to the other.
Take Ale Maurtua, Director of Golf, for example… She started playing tennis at the age of four, ultimately rising to play nationally in her home country of Peru and internationally on the COSAT (Confederacion Sudamericana de Tenis) tour. She switched to golf at the age of 15 due to a knee injury and went on to earn a golf scholarship and play at High Point University in North Carolina.
“Playing multiple sports helped me progress faster in golf. The hand-eye coordination, the rotational movements, etc… In general, I think the more sports you are exposed to, the more adept you can become at trying new ones,” she said.
Director of Racquet Sports Branden Beets agrees about the golf and tennis crossover. “There is no doubt that tennis players quickly understand the importance of the golf swing mechanics. And the mentality needed to constantly strategize your game is key in both,” he said.
Both Maurtua and Beets practice what they preach. Not only are both golfers and tennis players, but their young children are as well, demonstrating that exposure to both sports can make for better overall athletes.
Multi-Sport Athletes! Emily Holbrook, Naomi Holbrook, and Tripp Frazier are just a few of SGCC’s student athletes who participate in more than one sport at the Club.
Pictured Clockwise from Top Left: Tripp Frazier and Mom, Lindsay, at the 2022 Junior Club Championship; Emily Holbrook, Naomi Holbrook, and Tripp Frazier following an October 2024 Interclub Junior Tennis win; Golf Pros and Racquet Pros get together to plan combined junior camps; the Holbrook family gathers for a round of golf.
Amarone, the Raisin Wine of Italy
BY JENNIFER KEELER | DIRECTOR OF FOOD & BEVERAGE
Amarone is a rich, expressive wine from the Valpolicella viticultural zone of Veneto, a province in northeastern Italy near Lake Garda and the city of Verona. It is a blend of several grape varietals such as Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella. Amarone was formally known as Amarone della Valpolicella.
The word Amarone means “great bitter” and was called that to distinguish the style of wine from others that were sweeter. Valpolicella is also referred to the “valley of many cellars.” The grapes themselves are mostly planted on the hillside or foothills in the valley which produces more elegant wines. The wine is
described as rich and lush with a hint of sweetness and very full-bodied with a soft palate.
The process of making Amarone wines is labor-intensive and can take up to eight years. The grapes are hand-harvested during the first two weeks of October, then placed on drying racks in temperature-controlled rooms. The thickness of the skins allows for a long drying process. These rooms have large drying racks made of either traditional bamboo, plastic, or wooden crates. This drying process will take up to 120 days and the grapes are checked regularly.
The drying process contributes to the overall balance of the wine. As the water evaporates, the sugars start to concentrate in the thick skins of the fruit. This will produce dense juice with high sugar and alcohol levels. The grape becomes almost raisin-like. The grapes are then crushed, and go to the fermentation process between 30-50 days.
The final stage of making Amarone happens in barrels. The wine is either put in French oak barrels which are smaller in size, and the wine will age for up to two years, or they are placed in Slovakian oak barrels which are bigger, and the wine can age between five and eight years. The smaller barrels will produce a more aggressive wine and the larger barrels will produce a softer palate.
color. It takes five to ten times more grapes to make one bottle of Amarone .
Amarone is well known in Italy as a distinguished wine and is a DOCA region which means wine from these regions receive the highest standards of quality over a sustained period of time. Amarone wines are more expensive due to the lengthy process they go through and the high quality of the final product. The alcohol levels in a bottle of Amarone are between 15% and 16%. The dark, rich, velvety color gives way to tasting notes of candied strawberries, cinnamon, cherry, cocoa, black fig, tobacco, brown sugar, and dark chocolate. Amarone pairs well with rich meats in hearty sauces, lamb, beef, and venison. Aged cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano also go with this wine. You want to steer clear of any foods that are spicy as these will not pair well.
Amarone wines can age up to twenty years due to their high quality. You want to check with the producers to see when is best to drink them. Most are recommended between five and ten years, but some can go as long as twenty. It is best to keep these wines in a controlled temperature room not above 68 degrees and to decant the wine when opening, up to two hours.
If you’re interested in learning more about Amarone wines or trying them for yourself, I invite you to join us at the Wine Education Class on Tuesday, November 12!
Corvina is the main grape that is used in the Valpolicella region, but many Amarone wines will use a blend of Corvina, Molinara, Oseleta, Rondinella, and Corvinone grapes as well. Some might say that the Corvina grape is similar in style to a Pinot Noir. The color of the wine is an intense ruby red and slightly brown in
Turf Talk
BY SHAWN GILL | GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT
Well, we made it through stifling heat and drought, weeks of clouds and rain, and now we are being rewarded with the nicest, longest stretch of beautiful fall weather that I can remember. Of course, we may run out of water in November, but that is not necessarily a bad thing since we will have to drain the irrigation pond for the final spillway reconstruction which is scheduled to start at the beginning of the new year. With no rain since the very start of the month, October was nothing but sunny skies for the most part. No worries though: the days are shorter, the nights are cooler, and the sun stays much lower in the sky this time of the year. Playing conditions should be optimal for a while, so get out and enjoy it before we start fighting leaves in earnest.
The cool, dry weather really allowed us to make the course play fast and firm for the Club Championship. Each day we were able to make the greens just a little bit quicker so that the final
day, especially with the wind howling, was a true test of golfing skills. One area in particular that I saw come into play more than a few times over the Club Championship weekend was the new shortcut runoff area behind #2 green. This was the brainchild of a couple of the members of the Greens Committee leadership who explained their reasoning to me: “Players trying to reach the green in two shots often have the ball flighted lower and running up which makes the ball run off the back of the green. With rough back there, they are left with a fairly easy chip from just off the green. The runoff area has their ball running 15-20 yards off the back and down the hill, where they have a long chip from a tight lie to a hole that they cannot see. A very challenging shot!”
Boy were they correct! The shot caused fits for some of the players during the Club Championship. It’s nice to perform a project like this using only in-house resources and see
Hole #6 area to be sodded
Fairway fertilization
how successfully it can make a difference in the way players approach the hole. As has been the case each year since I arrived in 2021, the ancient saying “old age and treachery will always overcome youth and exuberance” was proven true once again with Eric Walker (sorry for the old age reference) taking home the trophy. It is incredibly fun to watch someone with such knowledge of this course work their way around under very trying conditions after the Greens crew has put in tremendous effort to get everything right. Congratulations to all the flight winners!
With all the great golfing weather, we continue to spend much of our time keeping the course groomed for members to enjoy. Times like these are when the Monday closure is particularly helpful. There are so many things to get done before winter sets in that will help improve the course for next year and beyond. Many of these operations cannot be effectively and safely performed while play is on the course, so we continue to work extra hours on the Mondays that the Club is closed to ensure the best use of the time that you have given us. Seeding, fertilizing, aerating, and topdressing, just to name a few, continue in areas throughout the course. We will also be looking to sod some very much “in play” areas that have declined, such as in front of the right-hand bunker on hole #6 and the rough just off the back of #5 green, while we’ve still got irrigation water available to help with establishment. It may seem like we are entering the “slow season” for golf course maintenance because things have cooled off, but I’d tell you we are actually busier this time of year with numerous course improvement projects, but I think the crew enjoys doing different things that make Springfield better.
Speaking of making Springfield better, Patrick Cornelissen has been helping to do that for 12 ½ years now. He started here at SGCC in April of 2012 when he was a junior in high school. He had become familiar with the Club because his father had been a member. In the beginning, he worked weekends cleaning up the greens after they had been rolled and taking the dogs out for runs during the winter. After graduation, he started working more regular hours and learned more about course maintenance operations. He learned to mow greens and tees and rake bunkers, contributing to the improvement in course conditions. Patrick continued to work seasonally, taking off during the cold winter months, being the smart guy that he is. He was offered a full-time position more than once, but he was taking classes at NVCC with the plan to pursue a career in IT. He has earned his degree in IT Support and still has plans to go in that direction in the future, but after some encouragement from myself and other members of the crew, Patrick decided to accept a year-round position here this past spring. He performs many different tasks and, most importantly, has learned the art
and science of proper hand-watering of greens. He often helps out by coming back to the Club on weekend afternoons during the summer to check greens and ensure that they will be healthy and ready for the following day’s play. He also helps to train new employees. Patrick is very thorough and methodical about covering all aspects of the correct way to perform maintenance operations. He is also extremely diligent about informing me of any potential problem he notices while out performing his tasks. His calls have mitigated damage many times as he may have the opportunity to see areas of the course before I am able to in the morning.
Patrick golfs regularly with his father, who first taught him to play at eight years old, mostly practicing at Fort Belvoir and playing at Quantico’s Medal of Honor course. While he considers himself a golfer, the sport he really enjoys playing is pool. I don’t want to say he’s a hustler, but I’ve seen him at the table and I would be very wary of accepting a game with a wager on the line. He enjoys watching college football, especially the Badgers of Wisconsin (his father grew up there) and I look forward to giving him (hopefully) some good natured ribbing the Monday after my Nittany Lions play them.
Patrick is a pretty quiet guy, but he is very friendly and engaging once he gets to know you, so please stop and say hi next time you see him out there.
Patrick Cornelissen has been part of the Grounds Crew since 2012
Bridge Banter
BY DON FREDERICK
I’m sure you’ll agree that we have so much to be thankful for, including the wonderful facilities at our Club. Looking for a new way to enjoy its warm and welcoming atmosphere? Do you play bridge? If yes, join the SGCC Friday Evening Bridge Group at one of our upcoming events.
Here are the results of our recent sessions:
OCTOBER 4
First: Robin Alapas and Kit Weyers
Second: Lydia Peck and John Korfonta
Third: Cindy and Don Frederick
OCTOBER 18
First: Ellen and Charles Rolen
Second: Lydia Peck and John Korfonta
Third: Mary and Ed Kringer
We play relaxed, party bridge on the first and third Friday evenings of each month. Many of us gather for
Chef Lindsay’s Pumpkin Muffins
Not a fan of pumpkin pie? You aren’t alone. If you feel like you’re missing out on a quintessential fall flavor because you don’t like this Thanksgiving staple, give Chef Lindsay’s Pumpkin Muffin recipe a try this holiday season!
Ingredients
1 ½ C All Purpose Flour
1 ¼ tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 ½ C Sugar
8 oz. Solid Packed Pumpkin
4 Eggs
¼ C Oil
½ C Water
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300°F
2. Mix all wet ingredients together
3. Mix all dry ingredients together, except nuts, and sift
4. Add sifted dry ingredients on top of wet ingredients and mix until incorporated
5. Gently fold in nuts, being careful not to overmix
6. Scoop into lined muffin pans and bake for 25 minutes or until browned
½ C Nuts such as Walnuts, Pecans, or Hazelnuts
Yields 12 muffins
