THE MALLARD TIMES CHESTER VALLEY GOLF CLUB DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019
PAGE 2 THE MALLARD TIMES A MESSAGE FROM DAVE CRAIG, GM/COO As we approach the end of the year, I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support and for welcoming me to the Chester Valley Golf Club family. It is always a little difficult to make a move to a new position, and especially so when moving across the country. The Board, the committees, the membership, and management and staff have all been gracious and friendly. Thank you! Goodbye 2018 and hopefully to the cold, rain, and snow. We look forward to a better weather year ahead in 2019. Although we experienced one of the worst weather years in recent history, it looks as though we will come out of the year with a good financial result in operations. This is due to your support throughout the property during the good weather spells, as well as management s fiscal responsibility, which was unwittingly assisted by a difficult employment market. In 2019 we will be placing more emphasis on best hiring practices supported by more departmental and cross-departmental training. There will be an emphasis on promoting from within and helping our key, and best, employees to further their careers here at CV. We value our employees and want to make sure that we keep our best employees to continue increasing our levels of services and products. In this regard, we thank you for your generosity in supporting the Employee Holiday Fund. The monies collected and distributed to our employees is a nice way of thanking them for their efforts throughout the year, and they and their families appreciate it, I can assure you. 2019 will also bring some other improvements and changes. We will soon be starting the process of developing a new website, which will help us to better serve our members with an improved tee time system, dining reservation system upgrades, mobile app, push notifications, and other more advanced and efficient communications systems and processes. The website is also a great tool for marketing the club. The new website design will be the result of a collaboration of members on the Communications and Membership Committees and the management team. Our brand and image will be communicated and magnified through our private and public sites. There will be improved online statement capabilities, an improved C.R.M. (Customer Relationship Manager) for tracking sales leads, and improved membership pipeline tracking and transparency. Our goal is to have the new website up during the second quarter of 2019, but rest assured we will only launch when we are satisfied with the product. Finally, a holiday wish for all. Wishing a very Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and a happy and healthy new year to you and your family. Please be careful while enjoying the holidays and join us in being thankful for all the blessings we are so fortunate to have received. Dave Craig, GM/COO
DEC 2018/JAN 2019 PAGE 3 Club News As I write this, it sure feels like paddle season out there in the cold breeze! Although the season is well underway, there is still of plenty of time left to learn and enjoy the sport. If you have not had a chance to try it, please come see me, as I would love to introduce the basics to you! Email Justin at jpoletti@cvgc.org to schedule a free introduction to the sport. We had a great turn out for our first Bring a Friend to Paddle event for our women. 10 new players and 10 regular team players enjoyed some instruction and play before enjoying some of their favorite beer and wine nearby in the warming hut (some paddles even come with a bottle opener built in). Everyone had a great time, and we hope to have a similar event for the men in the coming new year. While the clubhouse is shut down in January, RACQUETS NEWS paddle is still in full-swing. If you are curious to see what the game looks like, feel free to stop by the courts, have a beer or glass of wine, and take in some of the action. There are league matches for the men on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, while the women compete on Monday and Wednesday mornings. Here are a few of our upcoming events that would give you a chance to see some live action! * Women s Plaid Pajama Party December 7 th * Men s Ugly Sweater Social December 18th * Women s Member/Member January 3 rd * Men s Member/Member January 7 th Justin Poletti, Director of Racquet Sports
DEC 2018/JAN 2019 PAGE 4 COOKING WITH CHEF BEN Italian Sausage and Kale Soup Ingredients 2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extravirgin olive oil 3 medium white waxy potatoes, like Yukon golds, peeled and diced 2 medium onions, chopped 4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped 1 pound kale, coarsely chopped Coarse salt and pepper 1 (15-ounce) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed 1 pt grape tomatoes 1 pound Italian Sausage, out of casing and pull into small pieces 1 quart chicken broth Warm, crusty bread In sauté pan heat half the oil and brown sausage and drain Heat the rest of oil in a deep pot over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic stirring occasionally for cook 5 minutes, and add kale to the pot. Cover pot and wilt greens 2 minutes Add Chicken stock, beans, sausage, potatoes and bring soup to a full boil. Reduce heat back to medium until potatoes are tender Add Tomato and season with salt and pepper Serve soup with hunks of crusty bread and butter. Ben Hollinger, Executive Chef IT SECURITY TIP Do you have guest access on your company WiFi network? Or do you simply give out the same password that your employees use? If you give out your password, you re practically opening the door for anyone to come in and steal private information, infect your private computers and even steal customer credit card data if you are processing them over the same Internet connection. The key to providing free guest WiFi access is in segregation and security. Your WiFi guests need to be completely isolated and segregated from your private network. Your guests should not be able to reach your internal computer network, credit card terminals, or other network-connected devices. Chester Valley Golf Club has proudly partnered with Jobecca Technology Group over the past decade for all the Club s IT needs. Jim Angelucci, Controller
PAGE 5 THE MALLARD TIMES CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR CHAMPIONS! As the season comes to a close, it is appropriate to recognize our Chester Valley Champions. While golf means something different to everyone, it is enjoyed by all equally regardless of ability, age, or gender. Some players strive for more. They take lessons, make time to practice, analyze their rounds, and set goals for the season. To those members we tip our hat! Men s Club Champion Gavin Grimes Women s Club Champion Tracy Rolfe Women s 9 Hole Club Champion Rho McQuiston Men s Senior Champion Rick Coppola Men s Super Senior Champion Dr. Tom Schaible Women s Senior Champion Joni Gowdy Women s Super Senior Champion Barbara Coffey Junior Club Champion Andrew Ranaudo Jr. President s Cup Champion Gavin Grimes Men s Handicap Champion David Jacobson Women s Handicap Champion Barbara Coffey Men s Member-Member Champions Dr. Fred Kotalik & Peter Witonsky Women s Member-Member Champions Denise Howell & Joan Cloetingh Men s Cohoon Champions Rob Prucnal & Keith Rolfe Men s Chapman Champions Dr. Tom Schaible & Tom Coffey Men s Member Guest Champions Michael Espenshade & Josh Majzlik Mixed Champions The Anniversary Bowl Amy & Michael Smith The Chester Valley Bowl Sally & Gene Carroll and Leslie & Charlie Fish The Riddell Cup Linda & Lou McCraw The Full House Linda McCraw, Beth McGarrigle, Gary Fisher, John Pollard, Mike Jennings The Mixed Hustler Alice Keenan & Michael Jennings
PAGE 6 THE MALLARD TIMES Stop! Shop!! Save!!! The Golf Shop is fully stocked and decorated for holiday shopping! Whether you are looking for that perfect Chester Valley gift for the golfer on your list, or have credit that needs to be spent by 12/31/18, we have what you are looking for. The 12 Days of Christmas sale will begin December 1 st. From December 1 st through December 14 th, we will announce a specific vendor each day that will go on sale and remain on sale until December 31st. The sale percentage will only cover in-stock merchandise. In addition to the Christmas sale, there will be deep discount deals throughout the month on men s and ladies apparel. New Rules for 2019 http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/ GOLF NEWS rules-hub/rules-modernization/major-changes/majorchanges.html Every four years, the USGA and the R&A update the Rules of Golf. This latest revision of the rules has been done with the intention of reducing the number of rules governing play, as well as reducing the amount of time it takes to play. The professional staff is already studying these new rules in an effort to teach them to the membership and govern the clubs events effectively. The link above will give you an overview of those rules most likely to impact how you play your rounds. If you have further questions please do not hesitate to contact a member of the professional staff. Jonathan Doctor, Head Golf Professional GOLF STAFF UPDATE After 18 seasons as the Golf Shop Manager at Chester Valley Golf Club, Ann Manzi has decided to retire at the end of the season. Ann has had an incredible tenure, providing exceptional service to the membership and their guests while adding a warm and personal touch to the daily experience at Chester Valley. Her eye for decoration and display, whether for an event or a holiday, always brought out the most of the merchandise or prizes she presented. Her talents truly set our Golf Shop apart from the other shops around us, and her calm and poise will no doubt be missed. Upon reflection, Ann has been my right hand for 13 years. She has always understood that we are in the people business first. The example that she set for our assistant professionals made them better, and created a fun family environment members and staff alike. Ann and her husband have two beautiful grandchildren, Molly 6 and Patrick 3. In retirement, Ann plans to devote more time to the advocacy of Brain Tumor Awareness, sharing her story in the hopes of helping others cope with their diagnosis and treatment. Her success, and the grace with which she handled her treatments will no doubt be an inspiration to patients from all walks of life! Please be sure to stop by the Golf Shop to wish her well on the next chapter of her life! We wish Ann the best in her retirement, and thank her for her years of service and dedication to the members and the club.
PAGE 7 THE MALLARD TIMES JW PLATT CONTRIBUTIONS To my fellow members of Chester Valley Golf Club: This is the season when we give thanks for all that we have and enjoy the company of family and friends through the holidays. Many of us also complete our charitable contributions during this season of giving. I am writing to ask that you contribute to the J Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust, the charity arm of the Golf Association of Philadelphia, before year-end. Five caddies from Chester Valley Golf Club are receiving maximum grant ($10,000) scholarships during this school year: Sam Dalton, Mike Ellis, Andrew Hogan, Anthony Mustilli, and Tyler Skomsky. Each of these young men has caddied for me over the past few years and I can tell you each is a wonderful representative for CVGC and the Trust. Mike Ellis is this year s recipient of the John Poole Caddie Scholarship funded by an endowment two of our generous members established last year. Unfortunately, our JW Platt contributions as a club fall far below what is needed to fund these five grants. So far in 2018 our club contributions stand at $19,950. Please help us do better by going to the JW Platt website and giving generously. You can contribute by sending a check or using your credit card. All the instructions are there. Remember: all scholarships are awarded on the basis of need alone and no child of the member of a GAP club is eligible. Your contributions make a difference. The parents of our current John Poole scholar expressed it like this: It has really made a difference for our family. Being a caddy has been such a positive experience for Mike. Please contribute to that difference by contributing to the Trust. All contributors will get their JW Platt bag tags around the time the season starts next spring. If you have any questions about the fund or how scholarships are awarded please contact me. I am in my third year as a trustee and, as many of you know, I was myself a recipient of a JW Platt caddie scholarship during my college years. I am a Sustaining Lifetime contributor to the fund and I urge you to join me. Ed Ellis eellis@littler.com 215-917-4737 http://www.gapgolf.org/detail2.asp? id=23&pid=37
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DEC 2018/JAN 2019 PAGE 10 CVGC Membership Directory We are still missing 395 directory photos! Send Greg Scherbak at greg@cvgc.org or Ashley Breznicky at abreznicky@cvgc.org your photo today. Congratulations to Sean McConnell for winning a $25 House Credit from our last newsletter! All who have submitted photos by January 31st will be entered into a drawing for a $25 House Credit on their account. Winner will be notified by email and announced in the next edition of The Mallard Times. MEMBERSHIP NEWS Member Dining in January As the year winds down, our clubhouse remains busy with member dining and holiday functions, but I want to remind all our members that our clubhouse will be closed for the month of January. During January Paddle Tennis will still be taking place, and there may even be some opportunities to get out on the golf course, if the weather cooperates, but there will be no member dining available at Chester Valley. In order to ensure that our member s dining needs are met during the January shutdown we have a dining reciprocal agreement with both Waynesborough Country Club and Aronimink Golf Club. Chester Valley Members may dine at either of these clubs during the month of January and bill their charges back to Chester Valley. Chester Valley Members must call ahead to make a reservation and ensure that there is space available on the evening that they are looking to dine. Food charges spent at Waynesborough or Aronimink will not count toward a member s Chester Valley food minimum. Please be on the lookout for an email detailing the specific availability at both clubs. Greg Scherbak, Membership Director CVGC SOCIAL MEDIA INFO https://www.facebook.com/groups/chestervalleygolfclub/ @ChesterValleyGC https://www.pinterest.com/chester_valley/ @chestervalleygolf
DEC 2018/JAN 2019 PAGE 11 GREENS NEWS As we continue to digest all the delicious food we gorged ourselves with over the last week or so, we want to let everyone know that the wheel of the operation is still turning. As has been the case all year, Mother Nature still has not been our friend. Year to date we are at 61.5 of precipitation. When was the last time you saw a heavy setting snow before Thanksgiving? This year is definitely one for the record books. Before the most recent snowfall, we were able to complete laying sod to the g r e e n s intermediates on #2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18 holes. Completion of these holes, along with those we tackled last fall, we now have a uniform stand of low cut Bluegrass in all greens intermediates. Moving forward requires a little TLC to keep them viable and healthy. As we mentioned in previous updates, the next areas of attack will be bunker faces that have undesirable grasses. These bunkers include those on holes 3,7,10, and 11. Stripping and prep work has begun, and we will continue and finish as weather permits. Although October was one of our drier months of the year, leaf cleanup has been a continuous process and is still ongoing. Most of the trees on the course have shed their leaves, but some still stand strong. As we continue throughout the remainder of the year we will prepare the golf course for winter conditions. We have plans to topdress all playing surfaces to protect the crowns of the turf plants from winter damage. We also have intentions of deeptining, which is an aerification process that penetrates the greens profile approximately 10 to 12 inches deep. This will help with drainage a n d g a s e x c h a n g e, r e l e a s i n g carbon dioxide and allowing oxygen to penetrate the soil during periods of freeze and thaw. We have gone ahead and removed all the tee markers off the golf course with some exceptions. We kindly ask that as you play, wherever you see tee markers, please tee off from those designated areas. mainly consist of the par threes. These areas During the month of January, please view the website for golf course openings, closures and starting times. This will be displayed on the main page of the website. The golf course will be monitored on a daily basis, and decisions are made solely for the welfare of the golf course. Please remember that turf recovery this time of year is minimal, at best. Fixing ball marks, and repairing and filling divots is crucial. We want to take the opportunity to thank everyone for your patience and understanding with our maintenance practices throughout the year, and we wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season! Joel Bubbenmoyer, Greens Superintendent
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DEC 2018/JAN 2019 PAGE 13 CVGC INSTA SNAPS THESE ARE A FEW OF OUR MOST LIKED INSTAGRAM PICTURES SINCE OUR PREVIOUS NEWSLETTER