McCall Matters. McCall Golf & Country Club. General Manager s Letter. Bob Casler. August Page 1

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1 McCall Golf & Country Club McCall Matters Page 1 General Manager s Letter Bob Casler We are having a very nice summer so far this season has been a tremendous year for golf here at McCall. With many golf clubs in our area on the decline in membership, we were very fortunate to fill all our associate membership spots for Congratulations to our membership for making this happen! Luckily, we have things here at McCall that are in high demand, affordable golf, a well-manicured golf course, and a great bunch of members. With speaking to other General Managers, the average guy doesn t have five or six hours to be at the club playing golf. With families being so committed, usually the golfer can only squeeze in nine holes and most of the courses are longer and demand a great amount of time and funding in order for the member to feel he is getting the value for his dues. Here is why McCall has been so successful with the associate memberships because the average guy can come by after work and play 18 holes in 3.5 hours and be home at a decent time on the weekend to still spend adequate time with his family. August can be one of the toughest months for golf courses as we all know. Joe and his crew in the last few weeks have had some challenging weather to deal with. Depending on the time of the year, sometimes the humidity is good because it helps retain the moisture in the ground and other times Joe is in full water mode to just keep things alive. Our Volunteer Committee has been a great help once again this year with all their input and help. It definitely has made a huge difference especially for Joe and his crew. The crew has worked extremely hard to keep our greens and fairways in very good condition. There has been a lot of hand watering and a watchful eye on the greens to keep them extremely playable, so as a membership let us think twice about breaking the rules. For example, and one of my biggest annoyances is, when a guy just drops three or four balls from the middle of the fairway hitting them onto the green. Seriously, that is uncalled for and if I see it, I am personally going to ask you to leave the course. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my entire staff for all of the hard work and dedication through the busy months. Believe me it was especially crazy through June. Bill Shields, Gracie Sloane, Chef Bill and his staff have done a tremendous job with the member s business as well as outside banquets. Congratulations are in order for our Golf Pro Eric, who won the Doylestown Country Club Open. He shot 6 under par (66) and won by one stroke over B. Melton from Radley Run CC and K. Kraft from Bumble Bee Hollow CC. It is his first tournament win and we are all so proud to have him as part of our staff.

2 McCall Golf & Country Club McCall Matters Page 2 General Manager s Letter Bob Casler As members of McCall, I might sound like a broken record but please just be a bit more mindful out on the golf course. If you can, please help by replacing divots or fix ball marks, which will be very much appreciated by all. On the other hand, if you have some free time and are willing to give a few hours of your time to the Club, join our volunteer program. Please contact Joe Candelore at or him at joe.candelore@mccallgolf.com. Usually every August I remind the membership that we are taking orders for our commemorative bricks that will have a lasting memory on our pathway to the gazebo. This is a great way to remember a special person who had some present or past connection to McCall Field. The engraved bricks cost $100 and this includes installation. We need to get twelve orders to have them done so please reach out to me at bob.casler@mccallgolf.com for an order form or for payment as well. This is just a great way to show your appreciation to McCall and have a lasting impression here at the Club forever. In our catering department, we seem to be moving right along with May and June always being our busiest times of the year. July was a bit off from some past years and August is traditionally slow with people on vacation. We are very fortunate to have Bill Shields and Gracie Sloane making sales calls and getting a jump on the fall business. Don t forget, if your friends or family are looking for a great place to hold an event, contact Bill or Gracie because they do a fantastic job with working and planning events. Gracie has also put together a nice one page ad that will appear in the Clipper Ad book that will be distributed in Havertown, Drexel Hill and part of the Main Line. We hope this will prompt clients to check us out. Come over to the Club and get in a round of golf because the conditions are great. Replace one extra divot this month and you will have made a difference! Everyone enjoy the rest of your fun-filled summer and Stay Safe!! Bob

3 Page 3 McCall Matters The Golf Course Joe Candelore, Director of Golf & Facilities I feel like I just wished you Happy 4 th of July and now it is August, unbelievable! As I write this, we are coming out of our sixth heat wave and it was an extended one but I am sure we will have more. The course is holding together with a lot of blood, sweat and tears by the staff and a couple of timely breaks by Mother Nature. Until recently, the storms have been gentle but the last several have beat us up a little bit. Rebuilding bunkers three times in a row is a real pain. It is a weird thing when it is hot we spend a tremendous amount of time on water management and then one nice rain and it makes all our effort look useless as the course responds to a rain like no other thing. But that is life on the golf course! We are always fighting with Mother Nature most of the time. Volunteer activity is still strong on the course by a few. Every week we have members weeding, watering flowers, picking up and emptying trash, picking up broken tees, filling divots, fixing ball marks, filling divot boxes, trimming yardage markers and irrigation heads. What a difference these local heroes make, and I thank them for their time and dedication. Part of taking care of a golf course in our neck of the country, the transition zone, is having to spray chemicals on a regular rotation to help highly managed turf survive. We do most of our spraying on Mondays when no one is here and next year I may have to go back to keeping the course closed until 2 PM so we can get it all done. However, every now and then we get caught and have to do an early morning spray during the week. I will post a sign at the front door so you will know and if you have any concerns you can ask me. Most of the time during the week we are spraying liquid fertilizer, wetting agents or bio stimulants to help the turf and these sprays are not harmful. If you want to know, just ask any one of the staff to get in touch with me and I will let you know what we are doing. I hate spraying chemicals and only do it out of necessity for the survival of the course. We are constantly trying different products to help us reduce the chemicals we spray. Well, once we make it through August, it is our turn to mess up the course on purpose with aeration and fall renovations. I will keep you posted as we get closer to those activities. As always thanks for being a member at McCall. Joe

4 Page 4 McCall Matters The Pro Shop August Hours of Operation Mondays: 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM Tuesdays thru Fridays: 6:30 AM to 8:00 PM Saturdays, Sundays & Holidays: 6:30 AM to 7:00 PM Eric Figueroa, PGA Golf Professional It is hard to believe that August has already arrived. This season seems to be flying by so quickly. This summer has brought us heavy afternoon storms, deluges of rain and some nasty heat and humidity. Even though we wish summer could hang on all year long, it will be nice to get some relief from Mother Nature. That is the beauty of the region we live in. We get to see all four seasons. With that said, the best golfing weather is ahead of us. September, October and November bring on the best of temps for some great golf. I hope to see you all out on the course before the winter months come around, so be sure to set some time this fall to get out and enjoy the weather and golf course. Happy golfing! PGA Junior League Our junior team has been on fire again this year. The McCall team has a record of 4 wins and 1 loss. They have continued their winning ways from last year. Congrats to all of our team members for a great showing. A big thank you to Ari Flaisher for running and coaching the team for another great year! Keep up the good work! Flag Tournament Results The Flag Tournament takes place every 4 th of July. The format is individual stroke play at 100% handicap. Each player is handed an American flag with their name and quota. The quota is set by adding the player s handicap to 55. Each player is to place their flag at the exact spot that their quota shot comes to a rest. It is a fun and informal event to play. Thanks to all who participated, and hope to see some new faces next year! 1 st - Jim Durham 2 nd - Bill McCabe 3 rd - Marcy Roche 4 th - Dave Matthews 5 th - Art Finley T6th - Bob Black Tom Donovan Anne Cole Kevin Vanic 10 th - Loretta Dorsaneo 11 th - Dick Jones

5 Page 5 McCall Matters The Pro Shop Eric Figueroa, PGA Golf Professional Hole in Ones Congrats to Georgetta McCabe and Martin Westermann, Jr. on their hole in ones on #15 in July. DRIVING RANGE (PLEASE READ) With all the activity the driving range has seen, there are a few things that should be stated. We have had some questions come up and the following items should answer those questions. 1. Drivers and fairway woods are NOT permitted to be used on the range. 2. The dress code applies to the driving range. 3. Please be considerate of others who are looking to use the range. We are tight on space and long practice sessions during busy hours should be shortened in order for all our members to enjoy the range. UPCOMING EVENTS Women s Member/Guest (August 30 th ) The golf course will be closed until 1:00 PM for the event. Please plan your day accordingly. Member/Guest (September 10 th ) Format: 2 Best Ball of 4 at 80% handicap. Members may bring 1 or 3 guests. We will pair up any twosomes to make a four-man team. More information will be out shortly. Two Person Better Ball (September 24 th ) Format: 1 Best Ball of 2 at 90% handicap. Teams may consist of two members or a member and a guest. We will have more information out shortly. Fall Scramble (October 8 th ) The Fall Scramble is a 5-person scramble. This event is a staple on the schedule and sells out quickly. Please call the Pro Shop to reserve a spot in the event! Signups will start on September 1 st. More details will be available soon.

6 Page 6 McCall Matters The Pro Shop Eric Figueroa, PGA Golf Professional Thursday Night All Stars League The Thursday Night All Stars League is a great chance to meet some new people and enjoy some informal competition. It is also an excuse to cut out of work just a bit early and get 11 holes in. All players are welcome to participate. A few ladies have finished in the money. Just bring along your handicap and sign in at the first tee. Hope you can make it out!!!!! Quick Notes Please be advised of the following rules of McCall G&CC. 1. Proper attire must be worn at all times on the golf course and practice areas. 2. Junior members may only bring one guest at a time. 3. All members must sign in at the Pro Shop before playing. 4. All players must start on the first tee unless they have received permission from the Pro Shop to start elsewhere. I hope everyone enjoys their August. For those of you going on vacation, please travel safely and enjoy every second! We will see you when you return. PLEASE REMEMBER TO REPAIR YOUR DIVOTS, BALL MARKS AND RAKE THE BUNKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Eric

7 Page 7 McCall Matters Golf Committee Report Bob Murray, 2017 Chairman The course has been looking really good for the hot days of July. Hopefully we will continue to get just enough rain to keep the course looking that way, nice and green. This is a good opportunity for you to get out and play a lot of golf. The cooler evenings are a great time to play whatever number of holes you can get in. It is definitely not a crowded time out there. Upcoming Events: Ongoing Rubenstein Match Play Club Championship Tournament Ongoing Thursday Night All Stars (The Grille is open later.) Ongoing Wednesday Morning Women s Play Every week the Thursday Night All Stars provides a whole lot of fun and camaraderie, along with some golf, a little prize money and good eats in The Grille. Come on out and give it a try I don t think that you ll be disappointed. This is the kind of stuff that makes a club (YOUR club) a special place. It is an 11-hole Stableford handicap event >>> Stableford = your worst holes sort of go away. Then afterwards everyone meets up in The Grille for some food and beverages or just beverages, while waiting for the awarding of the prize money. (If you are like me, it is always someone else who gets the money.) You come out those weeks that you can - no problem those weeks when you can t. Congratulations to the winners of the Flag Tournament! Sorry that I had to miss this fun tournament this year. You do know that if I was able to play that I would win it. Right? Volunteers: Our volunteers continue to make McCall a nicer place to be. Thanks to you all!!! If anyone is interested in doing almost anything around our beautiful golf course, please contact Joe Candelore or Rich Flebbe. One last time - Thanks to all our volunteers! Golf Committee: The meeting schedule for the remainder of 2017 has two more live meetings September 27 and November 29. If you re interested in attending a meeting, please give me a call or call me if you would like to submit an item for discussion at a meeting. We are always open to considering new ideas.

8 Page 8 McCall Matters GAP Golf Committee Report Bob Murray, 2017 Chairman Congratulations to Ari Flaisher for qualifying on May 1 at Whitford CC, for the GAP Middle-Amateur Championship and for making the first round cut at that championship on May 24 at Overbrook GC. Way to go Ari! There are a number of GAP events coming up over the next several months giving you an opportunity to get out and play some really good courses. See the list of August events below in the GAP Newsletter section and look on the GAP website (gapgolf.org) for the rest of the year s schedule and a whole lot of information. Do yourself a favor and look into these events. It s a great opportunity. Also, over these coming months are a number of GAP junior and junior-junior events. Again, take a look at the full schedule on their website at gapgolf.org. And now for my monthly plagiarism from the GAP Newsletter: GAP CORNER

9 Page 9 McCall Matters Golf Committee Report Bob Murray, 2017 Chairman The Golf Association of Philadelphia's 1 MORE campaign encourages golfers throughout the Delaware Valley to further engage with their club or facility. It promotes the act of going the extra mile to support the game. That's one more round played, one more meal at your club, one more lesson with your teaching professional, one more venture with a caddie in tow or introducing one more golfer into the sport. Individual members to opt-in to the program to be eligible for the 1 MORE campaign, which runs through November 14. Furthermore, the Association offers monthly drawings for those who play at least one more round. Register for the 1 MORE Campaign via My GAP Locker. The Golf Association of Philadelphia partnered with Inside Golf, the longtime running television show that airs on Comcast SportsNet and The Comcast Network. The Association committed to 24 segments in 2017, with each highlighting its services. Martin D. Emeno, Jr., the organization s Director of Operations, serves as host. "Inside Golf" airs on Comcast SportsNet on Sundays at 5:30 AM and 10 AM, Mondays at 4:30 PM and Wednesdays at 4 PM. It airs on the Comcast Network on Sundays at 7 PM. The Golf Association of Philadelphia s tournament season continues. Registration is open for the following August events: The Deeg Sezna at Blue Bell Country Club (Aug. 7); Tee It Forward Fall Net Championship at Schuylkill Country Club (Aug. 16); Marston Cup at Fieldstone Golf Club (Aug. 21); Senior 27-Hole Challenge at Brookside Country Club (Aug. 24) and Four-Ball Stroke Play Championship at Chester Valley Golf Club (Aug. 30). Course Care: Even though we have had a good bit of moisture, the heat (and maybe some dryer times ahead) of August causes unrepaired and unfilled divots and ball marks to die in just hours, leaving an ugly mark that takes weeks to re-grow (if even then). Please take a moment to do the 3-for-McCall Repair/fill 3 divots on each tee, fix 3 ball marks on each green, rake up 3 sets of footprints and divots whenever you go into a bunker. Hopefully we will all get to take advantage of getting out on YOUR course a lot during August and maybe even taking a valuable lesson from Eric. Don t forget to drink a lot of water and drink it before you notice that you are thirsty. See you out there. Bob

10 Page 10 McCall Matters The Member s Voice Richard Flebbe, 2017 Greens Chairman From The Putting Green The golf course is looking and playing great with the fairways and greens showing little effects from the heat and humidity experienced during July. Joe and the team deserve thumbs up for keeping the course in such great condition. Also as in previous issues we thank the McCall volunteers who have unselfishly spent time at McCall helping out with maintenance and beautification. The flower beds provide a pleasant visual and the volunteers contribution does not end with planting but also involve weeding in order to maintain the pleasing appearance of the beds. Trash removal and repairing divots on the greens also add to the pleasing look of the facility. The Golf Committee extends a thank you to the members who take the time to repair their divots on the teeing areas and replacing their divots in the fairways or better yet filling with the sand and seed mix from one of the containers on the drive carts. Your efforts help out and are much appreciated. The warm temperatures and humidity of July normally stay with us through August so it is important to always take a moment during your activities for a drink of cool water from one of the many water fountains. While the warm temperatures and humidity can be uncomfortable remember that you do not shovel heat. Enjoy the remainder of the summer. Rich

11 Page 11 McCall Matters Athletic Association James E. Cooper, 2017 Running Team The PECO Running Club has been battling heat this summer. The early morning group continues to hit the Schuylkill Trail in the early morning hours. Some runners are doing races at the shore. A small group intends on running the difficult Sea Isle ten miler on the beach and boardwalk on August 12. About runners will take to the Ben Franklin Bridge for the Bridge Run in November, always a club favorite. Anyone interested in getting more information about our events can contact me at jim.cooper@peco-energy.com. Jim Tennis Bambi Dudley Fall is perfect for learning tennis! Try the sport of a lifetime on our Club courts. Learn the basics and you'll be playing in six weeks! For details, click on our lesson page: uploads/2012/08/tennis-lessons-2017-pdf.pdf. Bambi Dudley Corporate Tennis Programs "taking tennis to the workplace" ; FAX corporatetennis@comcast.net Bambi

12 Page 12 McCall Matters Women s Golf League Georgetta McCabe, President August is a most exciting time for our league. First, our 18-holers begin with our league championship involving three weeks of match play followed up with our third annual Ladies Member/Guest on August 30. This year's theme is 'Swing with Bling'! Details will be posted at the Club and Bob has already ed a copy to the members. Bob Casler and his staff always go over and above to make this a top notch event. Without a doubt, I always receive several compliments about our Club and golf course from guests who are members at other country clubs in the area. History was made on Wednesday, July 19, when one of our 18-holers achieved a 'hole in one' on #15. So many swing thoughts, club choice, wind direction, etc. Not really - it's all luck. The ball managed to land on the green and found its way to the hole - it's that easy... By now you're saying to yourselves who is this golf wizard - well, it was me! And, yes, most of us enjoyed a celebratory cocktail! Love this game and my golf buds! They are the best and nicest around! Georgetta

13 Page 13 McCall Matters Conference Center Bill Shields, Food & Beverage Director Well we are coming off a six-day heat wave and it was brutally hot. I must give a huge shout out to Joe Candelore and his staff not only were they out there every day battling the hot conditions but they were also able to keep the golf course in great shape which is not an easy task especially when the only rain we received were downpours and that is never any good for golf courses. Great job, Joe & Crew!!!!! The clubhouse has been very active this summer with outside events as well as the Tuesday Night Dinner Buffets and the Grille Room being open this year with extended hours has been paying off. Upcoming Event to Mark off on your Calendars Tuesday, August 8 - Chef Bill s 9th year Anniversary Buffet Come on out and enjoy a very nice dinner buffet in honor or our very fine Chef. Call me at or me at bill.shields@mccallgolf.com to reserve your table. **Sponsored Golf Outings** Saturday, August 12, PECO/Exelon (40) Players 9 Holes - 2:00 PM Start Wednesday, August 23, McDermott (16) Players - 12:00 PM Start Wednesday, August 30, McCall Ladies Member/Guest (36) Players - 8:30 AM Shotgun Start I know sometimes these golf outings can be an inconvenience but please always check the golf calendars. s are sent out as well plus call over to the Pro Shop to check if anything is going on prior to you coming over to the Club. Always remember it s never too early to book your Holiday Event at the Club. I am looking forward to a very good season at the Club. Bill

14 Page 14 McCall Matters Events & Marketing Gracie Sloane, Marketing & Catering Coordinator August is here! I hope many of you have been enjoying some special family vacations and cookouts. I know I have been enjoying the beautiful weather whenever I can! We ended July with a really fun island-themed wedding. Here are some pictures of the colorful fun room set up! I I I am looking forward to August, with showers, family reunions, Tuesday night buffets and two weddings. I am especially excited to be wrapping up the month with our ladies Member/ Guest Tournament, Swing with Bling on August 30! I can t wait to see their decorations and how their vision will be brought to life. One thing I love is talking to a client and hearing everything they want and then seeing it all come together! Please remember my door is always open if you want to stop by and discuss details about an upcoming event! You can always call me at or me at gracie.sloane@mccallgolf.com. Grace

15 Page 15 McCall Matters Culinary Corner William Bodek, Chef Wow, August and summer is here. After a very busy three months here at McCall, I will be on vacation the third week this month. With a Corona beer, I'll be in search of my own beach. With cooking techniques, refrigeration is my choice. It's a very popular thing at home, with chilled soups, puddings, jello molds, and salads. Cooler temperatures allow for the foods and dishes to incorporate flavors and add a unique way to serve refreshing meals and desserts during extremely warm temperatures these next couple of months. Here is a great recipe for using this technique. The family and kids will enjoy this. This particular recipe, you can substitute the fruit of your choice, works great with bananas and mangos. Before I forget, a special Dinner Buffet will be held on August 8 for my 9 th anniversary with the Club. It's been a privilege and my honor serving you but without the team and management, this would not happen. Thank you for your support. Cold Strawberry Fruit Soup Yield 6-8 servings Ingredients 2 pints strawberries, washed and hulled 1 cup half and half 1 cup sour cream 1/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice Directions In a blender or food processer puree strawberries. Pour into a large bowl and add half and half, sour cream, sugar and lemon juice. Stir until well combined. Chill. Serve with garnish of mint leaves. Chef Bill