December 2014 c o u n t r y c l u b 3001 Panther Creek Drive Springfield, IL 62711 www.panthercreekcc.com
217.546.4431 Club Controller Kate Williams ext. 3005 kwilliams@panthercreekcc.com Golf Course Superintendent Greg Willman 217.546.1469 gwillman@panthercreekcc.com First Assistant Golf Professional Michael Girkin 546-4432 mgirkin@panthercreekcc.com Special Events Coordinator Katie Centeno ext. 3028 kcenteno@panthercreekcc.com Executive Chef TJ Martin ext. 3023 tjmartin@panthercreekcc.com fromthedeskofthe...superintendent/interim GM, Greg Willman The weather has really turned cold over the last couple of weeks and the golf course has all but shut down for the year. As we slow down on the agronomy side and move inside doing equipment and accessory refurbishment it seems my new interim position as General Manager has swung into full gear. Over the past couple of weeks the new pool area has really begun to take shape. The crew that is doing the work has been out here some nights until 1:00 am trying to beat the weather at times to get things done. Recently on our last gasp of warm air for the season on Monday the 10th we had a diving well poured just in the nick of time with weather looming. Talking with Steve Milling and his staff the weather was absolutely perfect for the pour and they couldn t have been more pleased to get it done. Over the last couple of days they have begun laying out the footings for the new pump station building that will operate the three new pools that are going to be installed over the next few months. I am hoping the weather cooperates and these gentlemen are able to complete the project for the grand opening. Food & Beverage Director Lucas Cotter ext. 3004 lcotter@panthercreekcc.com Membership Coordinator Sarah Garrison ext. 3001 sgarrison@panthercreekcc.com panthercreekcc.com Now for anyone who has been wondering where the 80+ dump truck loads of dirt has gone? It has found a new home and will continued on page 6...
...AssistantGolfProfessional, Michael Girkin I have had several questions about how instruction through the winter months would be beneficial. So I thought I might share some thoughts of why I think it is the best time to work on your game and how it can benefit you. When I was the head instructor for the indoor facility that I worked for in Cincinnati, our busiest time started in Late November, early December and would go through March. This is when we rolled up our sleeves and made the bigger changes in a golfer s technique. That way they avoid the big handicap increase now that the time to post scores is over. And if they are not playing, it is easier to focus on drills and practice techniques that help engrain the changes faster. This is because when you play, you want to play well and may go back to old habits if the new techniques aren t producing the results that we want. By taking lessons on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule and really working on the proper technique, you would be surprised how easily and quickly that change is made. When I teach, especially indoors, it isn t all about ball flight. Although ball flight is the ultimate gauge of success in golf, it might not be important for every lesson. An example of this would be someone who takes the club back too far to the inside in the backswing. If the goal of the lesson is to correct that, hitting a ball isn t necessary. There are many good drills and practice routines to correct this that don t require hitting a ball. At some point the ball will need to be brought back in, but probably not until the golfer can consistently bring the club back correctly. That said, a lesson can be indoors where it s warm until it is time to hit a few balls. I use a lot of tools that allow for the swing to improve indoors. I use video which can help us look at a swing as it is made at full speed. I use training aids that will give you immediate feedback if you are using the correct technique or not. And I have a wide variety of drills, many of which can be done indoors. Some can even be done without a club. These are just a few of the things that make working over the winter on your game beneficial. If you have any specific questions feel free to email me or call me in the golf shop. We can game plan an instruction and practice program that is based on your goals and your schedule. Let s work together this winter to make 2015 a lot of fun on the golf course! Assistant Golf Professional: Michael Girkin fromthegolfshop CLUBHOUSE CLOSURES: Break: December 24 th - December 25 th Annual Shutdown: January 1 st thru January 15 th (Opening Day: January 16 th ) Reciprocal Dining with Island Bay & Sangamo Club
upcomingevents In stock clubs, apparel, shoes, bags accessories & more will be on sale. Thursday, December 4th 5pm-7pm Complimentary wine and cheese as you shop for your discounted holiday gifts. UGLY Sweaters Part y Friday, December 19 th STOP IN ANYTIME in the Panther Den Contest @ 8pm Brunch with SANTA Dec. 14th Family Night Dec. 10th 6pm-8PM 2 nd Wednesday each month Bring your Family & Friends Games & activities provided.
...ExecutiveChef, TJ Martin WOW!! The weather has most certainly changed, and it is not a warm and exciting change. But to forget about those cold winters days, we have a wonderful bowl of Panther Creek Clam Chowder with your name on it. If clam chowder is not your thing we have plenty of other warm and hearty dishes. We are also going to have an incredible holiday brunch on December 14th that will feature some of the season s favorite recipes. Also this month we will have an amazing dinner with the Annual Ball that is going to be exactly that, a BALL!! Incredible food, beautiful décor, and everyone dressed magnificently to share great evening. Continue to look forward to the Panther Bite menus to change and excite, along with many featured items each week from Bunn Farm to the best seafood we can find. Thanks to everyone for a great year and I hope that everyone has enjoyed it as much as I have! Cheers and happy holidays! Chef: TJ Martin...SpecialEventsCoordinator, Katie Centeno & Staff On behalf of the banquet department at Panther Creek, we would like to thank our members for hosting your events with the Club during 2014. We have enjoyed working with everyone to make their special occasions become a reality. Remember that Panther Creek is the ideal place to host your business meetings, birthday parties, fundraisers, and other memorable events. Our staff looks forward to hosting any events you may have during the next year! WINE OF THE MONTH Hahn Slh - pino Noir Santa lucia Highlands 2012 $30.00 Bottle $8.50 GLASS $7 Grasshopper Martini Absolute Vanilla, Crème de Menthe, Cream, Cupcake Cake flavored drizzle. $30.00 Bottle $8.50 GLASS Hahn SLH - Chardonnay Santa lucia Highlands 2012 Sunday in the Den ½ Price Appetizers Bloody Mary Bar Guests Welcome NFL SUNDAY TICKET food&drink
upcomingevents visible along the east side of #1 green. We were looking for a place to take a high volume of dirt without having to absorb the cost of taking the material off site and what was decided was to add additional mounding along the maintenance facility parking lot to help screen the vehicles, and also to cover the view of the storage bins and other equipment around the facility. It will obviously help to make the green and tee complex feel more secluded. After all the dirt has been hauled in and rough shaped my continued from page 1... staff will finish shaping the areas affected in house and possibly add some smaller trees and also seed the area to turf grass. This new berm will probably (weather pending) be completed in the spring once all of the dirt has been removed and hauled as needed from the pool. I m looking forward to Thanksgiving and spending time with family and friends. I hope you all have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving and also safe travels. Superintendent/Interim GM: Greg Willman Panther Creek Country Club Annual Ball New Year s Eve 2015! DEC. 2014 6 th Wednesday, December 31st $50 per person 6pm & 8pm SEATINGS Panther Creek Board of Governors Richard Brown John Charland Karen Finney Glen Hodgson Don Krager Richard Langer Bill Logsdon Marc Maslauski Tom Riffey Andrew Varney Leo Zappa
SUNday NOTE: Annual Shutdown Jan 1st - Jan 15th (reopen Jan 16th) 7 Brunch 10am-2pm 14 21 28 MoNday TUESday 1 2 8 9 15 16 22 23 29 30 WEDnesday 3 Italian themed dinner specials Family Night 6pm-8pm 10 Italian themed dinner specials 17 Italian themed dinner specials 24 Clubhouse Closure New Years Eve Dinner 6pm & 8pm RSVP required 31 THURSday $6 Burger & Fries Night 5pm Golf Shop Sale 5pm-7pm 4 FRIday Date Night 5pm (babysitting available) 5 Saturday Annual Ball 6pm 11 12 $6 Burger & Fries Night 5pm 18 19 $6 Burger & Fries Night 5pm Ugly Sweater Party Panther Den 25 26 Clubhouse Closure December 6 13 20 27 Business Office Mon. - Fri. 9am to 4:30pm Fitness Center 7 Days a Week 5am to 11pm *Waiver and access code required. Golf Shop Mon. Closed Tues - Fri. 8am to Dusk Sat. & Sun. 7:30am to Dusk Panther Den Tues. 4pm to 9pm* *Drink service only. Wed - Fri. 3pm to 11pm Sat. 11am to 11pm Sun. 11am to 6pm Grill Room Wed. & Thurs. 11am to 9pm Fri. & Sat. 11am to 10pm