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Volume 13
Issue 5
October 2007
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CONTENTS
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| | President's Message
Bob Shea
| As noted in last month's newsletter, 2007 has been very successful on many fronts. Because of vigorous cost controls and our 2007 membership drive, the Club's day-to-day operations budget is basically at break even, eliminating the need for a fall assessment. The Daly's will be returning in 2008 with some very exciting changes to our dining options, and Stan McLennan is planning to return for his 20th year of service as the Club golf professional.
Despite these successes, the Club has no excess money available for badly needed equipment purchases and overdue projects. The proceeds of recent fall assessments were used to fund operating losses, and financing equipment purchases and projects is currently not a practical option. I realize that many members feel that their membership dues should cover all costs associated with the Club, including all capital needs. Despite increases in operating expenses (such as utilities, taxes and insurance), we must carefully manage membership dues to remain competitive in a difficult private club market, and raising membership dues to cover operating expense increases as well as capital needs is a very risky alternative.
The Board of Governors believes we have three viable options to address immediate capital needs: impose a mandatory capital assessment, explore raising third party capital or ask our members to voluntarily address some of these urgent capital needs. Past reaction to mandatory capital assessments has been very negative, and the BOG believes that third party capital should be postponed if possible.
Accordingly, we are asking all members to consider making a voluntary gift to our 2007 CAPITAL FUND DRIVE. All money contributed by a particular membership class will be used toward that membership's capital needs. For example, all money donated by pool members will be used toward pool improvements. (The Pool Committee and Board would prioritize the projects.)
The following is a partial list of immediate capital needs and estimated costs:
GENERAL CLUB:
- Change over to energy efficient light fixtures in clubhouse $9,300
- Remove dead tree at entrance to driveway $1,800
- Remove brush and trees on left of driveway $1,100
POOL:
- Paint Pool $TBD
- New fencing around entire pool $24,000
- New fencing around kiddie pool and front of pool $7,000
- New Pool Furniture $25,000
- Remove 12 trees that line the pool area $9,000
GOLF:
- Cut and remove tree next to 8th green $2,800
- Additional equipment: Sod cutter at $4,500, Turbine blower at $6,800, top dresser at $9,000
- In addition, critical golf course equipment is in need of replacement. Peter Gorman believes that at least $150,000 will be needed over the next 6 to 60 months to just maintain the existing level of course maintenance, including two new greens mowers at $10,000 each (needed immediately), a rough mower at $35,000 (needed within 12 months), a fairway mower at $45,000, triplex mower at $25,000, and a utility vehicle at $27,000
Tennis:
- TBD
We suggest the following gift levels:
- Silver: $1 to $499
- Gold: $500 to $999
- Platinum: $1,000 to $2,999
- Peter Dunn: $3,000 and up
With a gift of $3,000 or more designated as a special Peter Dunn Sponsorship in recognition of our long time Golf Professional - a teak bench will be placed upon one of our tee boxes with a dedication or memorial inscription in honor of the donating member. A plaque in the Clubhouse will also memorialize members who contribute at the Peter Dunn Sponsorship level, and special recognition is planned for Tennis or Swim members who make a donation at the Peter Dunn level. Finally, each member who donates at any level will be recognized in a special newsletter sent to all members.
As most of you know, Suffield Country Club is run by its members on a strictly volunteer basis. Many members have stepped up this year donating money, time or expertise - Peg Griffin, Matt Stack, Hugh Pemberton and Bob Zdun are just a few names that come to mind. In addition to cash gifts, we would love to hear from members who have other fund raising ideas and who would be willing to take responsibility for implementing those ideas. Offering your time and/or special skill set is another way to help donate to the club.
I would personally like to kick off the 2007 CAPITAL FUND DRIVE by pledging a Platinum level gift. Please send your gift directly to the Club and note that it is for the 2007 CAPITAL FUND DRIVE. Please contact me or any member of the Board if you have questions or fund raising ideas.
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Pro's Corner
Stan McLennan
| October has arrived with summer like weather. I have always said October is the best month to play golf. The course has healed beautifully from the aerification process.
We have some great events still remaining.
The following events are scheduled for October:
Pro Member Sunday 10/14/07 12:30 PM Shot Gun
One Day Member Guest Thursday 10/11/07 12:30 PM Shot Gun
One Day Member Guest Friday 10/26/07 12:30 PM Shot Gun
Staff Appreciation Day Saturday 10/27/07 10:00 AM Shot Gun
Pro Member There are 12 remaining spots for the Pro-Member. Dinner will be served following golf. All my PGA Professionals are scheduled.
Staff Appreciation Day- Staff Appreciation Day has been rescheduled for October 27, 2007. The Daly's will be donating lunch after golf. Cameron's homemade stew will be on the menu. We will be treating Staff Appreciation Day like our Nine, Dine, & Wine Series. We will be asking for a donation to go toward the staff. If you can't participate in the golf, you may make a donation. I hope everyone will set aside the morning of the 27th to play golf.
Pro Shop Credits All Pro shop credit must be used by Nov. 10th. The shop is well stocked. Please stop by and do some early Christmas Shopping. Gift Wrapping available. I will be running great specials from now until the end of the season. Please come in and see for yourself.
Bag Room All bag room services will conclude on Sunday, November 4th. We Ask that all golf bags and pushcarts be removed on or before that Sunday the 4th of November. The course will remain open as weather permits.
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Women's Tee
Susan Szwed
| The 2007 season was very productive for the ladies league. First, we doubled our league members this year in comparison to last season. Second, we all worked together with the grounds committee, house committee and board to make everything sound and productive.
Third, we have made some improvements with these committees such as plantings and locker room repairs. Eric Johnston has come forward to donate his time and labor to fixing the upstairs shower in our locker room. Construction will begin in December or January so it will be ready for the coming season. I would like to thank Eric for this generous donation and everybody for the donations at the Nine, Wine and Dine. Also, thanks to Armand Regalbuti and Bob Shea for their support.
We had a great closing banquet on Oct. 3rd. Awards were given out for major tournaments, most improved, best sport and this year we gave out honorary women's association membership. Patti Ahrens, Rose Austion, Astrid Hanzalek, Peg Griffin and Jackie Critton were all given honorary membership to the ladies league. New plaques have been made up and will be hung in the wall on the back hallway. These plaques go back (some of them to 1958)
In other news, Lenora Hilinski got most improved this year and Janis Ziaks got best sport. As far as having new officers, Jane Blake and Sandee Johnson have volunteered to be co- presidents. Thanks to them and Nancy Crosby who volunteered to be secretary.
My term is almost up and I want to thank everyone for their support and enthusiasm. So, get out there and enjoy this nice weather and great course conditions.
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Course Superintendent
Peter Gorman
| We are approaching the end of the golf season and it is time to look back and examine our successes and failures. While it is difficult to be honest and objective, the lessons learned from self examination become the experience that will guide our decisions and help us develop more effective management programs in the future. As we learn from our successes and failures we will be looking to improve the condition of the golf course as well as the efficiency and efficacy of the maintenance department and our management programs.
One of our primary goals is to provide the membership with a satisfactory return on the financial resources invested by maintaining premium playing conditions throughout the golf course. We hope that we are successful most of the time, but there are times when there are factors beyond our control when we feel that we are not as successful. Thankfully this year we feel very good about the condition of the golf course and the return on the resources allocated in the maintenance budget. The most important variable under our control is the effort that the maintenance staff is willing to invest in the daily operation of the golf course. We are very fortunate to have staff members that have a very strong work ethic and hold themselves to a higher standard, and continually perform at a higher level than is expected of them.
We need look no further than the recent aeration of both greens and fairways to find examples of what I have just described. These processes are as labor intensive as they are important to the success of what we are trying to accomplish. Even after long hours of tedious and physical labor we refused to lower our standards and it shows in the finished product. Unfortunately these efforts are easily forgotten as the holes heal and the greens and fairways return to their original condition.
I would like to point out a few opportunities for the membership to show that their efforts are appreciated. The most obvious is to take a moment to share with the guys how much you enjoy your time at SCC. Although we enjoy hearing that the course is in nice shape, it is not just our job but our nature to look for opportunities to improve the condition of the course, and so we tend to focus on how much we have to do rather than how much we have accomplished.
The second way you can show your appreciation is to participate in the adopt a hole program. We already have a number of people step forward to take ownership of their course, but we can always use more hands to lighten the load. It is as simple as filling divots, fixing ball marks, and reminding your fellow members that it is every golfer's responsibility to leave the golf course in better shape than they found it. By showing that you are willing to take time to attend to a few details you will tell the crew that you want them to be able to focus their efforts on more important tasks such as maintenance that they might not have time for otherwise.
Finally, and most importantly, you can show you appreciate the hard work and dedication of the maintenance staff by participating in the capital fund drive this fall. The equipment fleet is aging and inadequate, and therefore we have to work twice as hard to produce the conditions that you enjoy throughout the season. By replacing and adding essential pieces of equipment you will be telling your guys that their effort has not gone unnoticed, and they deserve a better return on the hard work they invest on a daily basis.
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Pool
Joy Tierney, Co-Chairperson Pool Committee
| The Pool Committee, in coordination with the Pool Director, Kelly Patterson and Club President, Bob Shea, are working hard to plan for a terrific 2008 pool season. We would welcome any suggestions, comments, or constructive criticisms from pool members. If you have any ideas on what we can do to make 2008 even better than 2007, please e-mail Joy Tierney at onetierney@cox.net. The pool committee will be meeting over the next several weeks to begin planning for our upcoming pool season.
One of the biggest projects for 2008 is the Capital Improvement Campaign that is currently underway. As Bob Shea indicated in his article for this newsletter, we are hoping to raise some much needed revenue to make improvements to our club. 100% of the revenue raised by pool members will benefit the pool directly. I encourage each and every one of you to donate whatever you can to this campaign. No amount is too little or too much. Some of the projects under consideration by the pool committee include: new fencing around the pool, new concrete around the pool (to improve grading and drainage issues, as well as to prevent stubbed toes), the replacement of pool furniture, and a repainting of the pool. As you are all aware, each of these improvements will directly transform into the beautification of our pool. Decisions about how any revenues raised will be spent will be carefully considered and decided by the Pool Committee, the Pool Director and the Suffield Country Club Board.
Again, I encourage everyone to give what they can. Speaking for myself, the pool has provided endless hours of fun and entertainment to my four children over the past 13 years. I consider it an honor to participate in the capital improvement of my "home away from home." I hope many of you share this sentiment. Let's take pride in our "summer home" and do whatever we can to make it better.
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