EACC NEWS East Aurora Country Club Member Newsletter March, 2017 Board of Directors Rudy Ruschmann President Human Resources Doug Marky Vice President House Chairman Human Resource Chair Vince Rowland Treasurer Grounds Chairman Finance Co-Chair Dick Hillegas Secretary Grounds Co-Chair Membership John Holder Membership Chairman John McKenna Golf Chairman Finance Jay Hoagland Golf Co-Chair Dave Finn Message from the President The countdown continues, only 39 days until our April 8, Opening Day Event, rain date will be April 15. It appears that Mother Nature continues to be kind to the Western New York area, with February once again being unseasonably warm with dry conditions. This has allowed numerous EACC members the opportunity to get a jump-start on our Opening Day Event and breakout the clubs and enjoy a round or two of golf. I just hope that our late winter and early spring weather is not mixed up. This unexpected warm weather has also allowed the Club to begin some of the Master Plan and Capital Projects that have been approved for this year. A reminder that an EACC Golf Course Master Plan Presentation meeting has been scheduled for Saturday, March 11 at 12:00 PM at the Club. Golf Course architect Ian Andrew will be present to review the EACC Master Plan and answer any questions. Included in this presentation will be answers to the current discussions regarding tree removal on the course. We hope to see you at the Club for this important presentation. If you were interested in learning more about Ian Andrew prior to our meeting, I would recommend that you visit his web site at www.andrewgolf.com. A complimentary lunch will also be offered to all that attend. If you have been at the Club recently, you have seen that F&D Construction has begun one of our Capital Projects, the Patio Deck renovation. Once completed it will be covered entirely by a new Kohler Awning. As previously mentioned EACC implemented a new Golf Club Management Software System called Club Prophet on February 1. The installation was successful, however with all new software systems, we still have some issues to address and resolve so that you benefit from all that this system has to offer. I would like to ask for your patience in advance if some of your questions cannot be answered as quickly as you would like. The Club would never have met this challenging start up date if not for the expertise and tireless efforts of Matt Hasselback. Matt orchestrated the upgrade and programming required of the hardware and Internet for this project to be completed on time. A special thank you also goes out to our staff of Sally, George, Dave and Drew for their assistance and cooperation as this system impacts all operations of our Club. As golf season approaches the Club remains very aggressive with our Membership recruitment initiative. In February Matt Hasselback worked with George and Dave to create a new Membership tab on our EACC web site. Please take a minute to check it out or recommend it to a potential new member. Let s hope this mild weather is just a preview of what is in store for our 2017 golf season. Rudy Ruschmann, President Finance Frank Trzepkowski House Co-Chair Upcoming Events (Reservations Required) Saturday, March 11th Golf Course Master Plan Presentation Thursday March 16 th St Patrick s Day Buffet and Bar Specials! Thursday March 23 rd 42 North Beer Dinner Saturday April 8 th Opening Day Swat Club Hours Wed & Thurs 4 8 Fri & Sat 11 8 300 Girdle Road, East Aurora, NY 14052 716-652-6800 www.eastauroracc.com 1
EAST AURORA COUNTRY CLUB 2017 MEMBERSHIP REFERRAL INITIATIVE Bring a new member to EACC and you can receive up to $1000.00 in dues reductions.. Call David Jones at 652-6800 extension 5 for more information. *Requires a 3-year membership commitment by new member. Resignation before 3-year commitment requires full payment of initiation, and any credits received. Referring member receives dues credit at the end of each year new member is an active member in good standing Referring Member Credits Based on New Member Class: The referring member will receive the applicable incentive based on the sponsored membership class. The incentive is good for two years as long as the sponsored member remains a member in good standing. Offer applies to first time members only. You are considered a first time member if you have been absent from any membership status for 5 consecutive years. Memberships are subject to yearly dues increases and assessments if applicable. All dues are subject to sales tax. All member rules apply. General Member $500.00 credit paid for two years totaling $1000.00 Intermediate Member $400.00 credit paid for two years totaling $800.00 Sophomore Member $300.00 paid for two years totaling $600.00 300 GIRDLE ROAD, EAST AURORA, NY 14052 / 716-652-6800 / www.eastauroracc.com **LIMITED TO THE FIRST 20 NEW MEMBERS 2
Clubhouse News GOLF COURSE MASTER PLAN PRESENTATION MEETING Hello All! With Spring right around the corner we are all gearing up for a Great 2017 season! The clubhouse patio expansion is in full swing that will be a great addition for all to enjoy. We ve had great feedback on our Thursday specials and Saturday piano nights, both of which will run through Thursday April 6th. I would like to remind everyone that reservations are necessary any time you plan to dine at the club, whether lunch, wine down or dinner. This helps us staff accordingly and prep the correct amounts of food while minimizing waste. Also, please keep in mind reservations will be sat at the time the reservation is made, as times fill the next time slot will be offered. Everyone s cooperation is appreciated in adhering to this club policy. On Saturday, March 11, 2017 at 12:00 pm there will be a meeting to review the Golf Course Mater Plan with the EACC Membership. All members are invited to attend. Golf Course Architect, Ian Andrew will be present to review the plan and answer questions. We hope to see you at the club for this important presentation. Drew Thompson, CGCS Thank you Hello George Mintzer, House Manager IJM Update March Preparations for this year s IJM are now in full swing and the committee is excited about our progress thus far. On the sponsorship front we have confirmed the renewal of the vast majority of our primary sponsors from last year. This allows the tournament to continue on a solid financial footing for the near future. Perhaps more exciting is that there is a strong interest from junior players throughout the world as applications received are running approximately 50% ahead of where we were last year. We believe the Porter Cup exemption is a factor but we also believe that the IJM is generating some increased buzz in the junior golf community. This is due to the work put in by our committees over the past several years and well as the strong support the tournament receives from the membership. Further, our Player Selection group, led by Paul O Brien, has expanded and has been more aggressive networking with junior golf federations and academies both internationally and in the U.S. This committee met last month and extended the first group of invitations to non-exempt applicants. The committee believes that we will have an extremely strong and geographically diverse field when the tournament starts on June 27. As always we are looking to expand our committees so if there is an interest in getting involved, please see me, Frank Ziolkowski, Ron Olson or Paul O Brien. As the tournament draws nearer and planning gives way to execution we will be looking to add volunteers for tournament week. Please see Rudy Ruschmann or Doug Marky if you want to help during tournament week. Jeff Kamien, Tournament Director 3
News from the Golf Shop: Dear Member, Here we are, the final countdown. Last year we opened the shop and golf course on March 12 th and never looked back. Here s to wishful thinking! We ve recently returned from Florida and a successful few days at the PGA show. The energy surrounding the merchandise show was high and there was a definite buzz about the business and game of golf. I m happy to report that the orders have been placed and we are excited to offer some great and unique merchandise selections. Some of our products this year include: Titleist Ping Taylor Made Callaway Cleveland US Kids Bushnell Donald Ross Cutter & Buck Adidas EP Pro Matte Gray New Era Under Armour These will just be a few of our many offerings this year in the shop. Please always remember, if there is something you want that you don t see, we can special order. I ve also scheduled a series of demo days, which gives you an opportunity to try the latest and greatest. Most, maybe all will be held throughout the month of May. In addition to last year s presenter s, Titleist and Taylor Made, we will be featuring Ping and Callaway. New this year we are going to use a variety of social media to stay in touch with you throughout the season. Along with the club s Facebook page, we ask that you follow David Jones Golf Shop on Facebook and Dave Jones Golf Shop on Twitter. We will be sending sales, reminders and creative pictures and posts throughout the season. The more followers, the more fun!! I will be keeping hours in the shop beginning March 15 th with Kevin and Brandon joining me shortly thereafter. Make sure to check the calendar as the season draws near. You don t want to be late signing up for our events as last year we sold out of virtually every one! See you soon, David 4
EAST AURORA COUNTRY CLUB 2017 MEMBERSHIP INVITATION Join Now and Receive: *No Dues until June 1 st 2017! *Up to $4000 in Customized Membership Incentives! Choice of Incentive Credits Applicable to: Initiation Credit Dues Credit House Credits Guest Passes Child Membership Spouse Membership Golf Lessons General Golf Membership (Ages 40+) $4000 Incentive Credit: All Inclusive Dues only $432/mo.+tax Initiation: $3500 payable over 3 years ($1000 refundable) Food & Beverage minimum: $125/mo. Intermediate Golf Membership (Ages 30-39) $3000 Incentive Credit: All Inclusive Dues only $312/mo.+tax Initiation: $2500, payable over 3 years ($1000 refundable) Food & Beverage minimum: $125/mo. Sophomore Golf Membership (Ages 23-29) $2000 Incentive Credit: All Inclusive Dues only $193/mo.+tax Initiation: $1500, payable over 3 years ($500 refundable) Food & Beverage minimum: $60/mo. Call David Jones at 652-6800 extension 5 for more information. *Requires a 3-year membership commitment by new member. Resignation before 3-year commitment requires full payment of initiation and any other credits. Offer applies to first time members only. Memberships are subject to yearly dues increases and assessments if applicable. All dues are subject to sales tax. All member rules apply. 300 GIRDLE ROAD, EAST AURORA, NY 14052 / 716-652-6800 / www.eastauroracc.com 5
Women s 9-Hole League: March 2017 As of March 1 st.44 days until our start date of April 13 th at 9:30am! We would like to invite potential new members to join us at one of the April dates to meet us and have a trial run. Any interested women golfers can contact one of us for more information. Caryn Bartnik cabartnik@verizon.net Donna McKenna donnamckenna2@gmail.com Carol Smith cassmith_2@yahoo.com We have some exciting events planned for the upcoming 9-Hole season. Here is a preview of what is to come See you next month on the course! ASSOCIATES 9-HOLE CLUB EVENTS June 13 Transit Valley CC Interclub July 13 9 & 18 Hole Mixer July 25 Tan Tara CC Interclub July 27 & August 3 Classic Tournament August 17 Personal Guest Day August 24 9 Hole Tournament MULLIGANS NEWS: The chairman of the post card committee, Paul Babbitt, who has recently vacationed with his wife Judy in the Caribbean and then Colorado skiing, has taken the time from that torrid schedule to call in and with a reminder to those Mulligans who are traveling to be sure and send in their post cards. (We trust this also applies to the Chairman!) It is good to note that Paul is thinking about us and planning for all of the many services the post card committee provides to The Mulligans Dr. Allan Depew has been hosting a group every second Thursday at his golf club, Bent Tree, in Sarasota County. Last Thursday the group consisted of three foursomes comprised of former Buffalo area residents, past East Aurora Country Club Members, and current Mulligans. The tournament was Best two net balls of four. Prize money went to Allan s Team. Meanwhile back at our Club, a staunch, steadfast, and eternally faithful Mulligan s contingent continues to hold forth every Friday at noon as we plan for opening day. In contrast to our lackluster progress in accumulating lottery winnings this year, betting has been fast and furious on the date of the first qualifying Mulligans outing for 2017 (two foursomes). Finally, several Mulligans have been spotted on the links throughout the month -- thereby confirming that EACC is truly a year around course as we prepare for what will surely be an early start to the season! Faithfully Submitted, Robert Tait, President 6
EACC Social Bowling Come join us for some fun and socializing. Get to know other club members. Bowling is at the 11th Frame (formerly known as Victoria Lanes), 206 Main St. East Aurora at 4:00 PM. On March 11, 2017. Dinner, if you are interested, will be at the club following bowling. Bowling is open to all, guests included. This will be the last bowling this season To sign up for March please email jack0602@aol.com or dassmith@roadrunner.com If you need further information contact: Jack & Mary Hinners (662-4706) or Dave & Judy Smith (655-5945) 7
Associate Board March Newsletter The Woman s Board is counting down the days till we can hit the links. Hopefully this happens earlier than later! Once again we would like to thank everyone who contributed to the Giving Tree. The Family Justice Center has extended an invitation to give a, Behind Closed Doors tour of their donation center. We have made arrangements to tour their facility on Tuesday, March 14 th at 6:00 PM. There is still time to sign up and join us. If interested please email Emily Obrist by March 1 st to reserve your spot. Her email is ekobrist@gmail.com We have begun planning our major fundraising event of the year - Ladies Night Out. We hope that you will be able to join us on Thursday, May 4 th to enjoy a fun night of auctions, dinner & friendship. The Women s Board continues to work on planning social events this spring. Our first 2017 event will be BUNKO! We will be playing this dice game on Thursday, March 30 th at 7:00 PM. BUNKO is based on lady luck. No need to be worried about current events or scientific equations. Just bring a few single dollar bills to gamble away! Join us for fun friendship and of course a bit of laughter. A variety of desserts and coffee will be available. Call George in for reservations. A small charge of $10.00 pp We look forward to seeing old and familiar faces very soon. Jennifer Dean, Associate Board President Emily Obrist, Associate Board Vice President Support the Club and the Newsletter by submitting articles and pictures. Contact Judy Smith at : dajusmithjusmith@roadrunner.com 8
EAST AURORA COUNTRY CLUB MEMBER EVENT REFERRAL Refer an external event of 72 players or more and receive: $1000 CASH BACK! Call George Mintzer at 652-6800 extension 1 for more information. *Requires a new outside event of 72 participants or greater. Referring member shall receive 2 payments of $500.00 over two years. *Other cash incentives available for events with less than 72 players. Call George for more details and available dates. *Event must stay at EACC in the same or similar capacity for a minimum of 2 years for the incentives to be paid to the referring member. Dates are limited, so act fast! 9
Shortly after the reciprocal with Manly Golf Club was announced last summer, a handful of us decided to take of advantage of it. On February 11th we left for New Zealand where we spent a little time on both the North and South Islands. We took a wine tour in Martinborough and then flew to Queenstown for ziplining and a day trip through the Fjordlands National Park to see Milford Sound. We then traveled to Sydney for some sightseeing. We played at Manly Golf Club on Sunday and Long Reef Golf Club on Monday. Billy Watson, a participant in last year's IJM coordinated our golf at Long Reef and met us at the pro shop. He hopes to return again this year for the tournament. We then traveled down to Adelaide and stayed in the small beach town of Glenelg. We did another wine tour in the Barossa Valley and then headed to Kangaroo Island for some up close wildlife encounters. The majority of our group travelled back last weekend but 2 stayed behind to spend a week in the outback! Time flew by but we had a blast! Golf at Long Reef with Billy Watson We wanted to thank David for his help coordinating our tee times and helping to make this trip possible. Bonnie Girsch, Jeanne Kay, Emily Obrist, Ann Woloszynski, Sue Brzostowski, Brian Obrist 10