Club News & Reminders
Please Note: The Regular Menu(s) Will Not Be Available on the Following Days: Breakfast with Santa
Christmas Eve
Saturday, December 2nd Reservations from 9:00 am - 11:30 am A la carte lunch service will not be available.
Sunday, December 24th Club Dining, Golf Shop & Fitness Center Closed
Brunch with Santa Sunday, December 3rd Reservations from 9:00 am - 1:30 pm A la carte service will not be available on this day. The Club will also close for the day following this event.
Ladies Holiday Boutique
Christmas Day Monday, December 25th Club Dining, Golf Shop & Fitness Center Closed
Day After Christmas Tuesday, December 26th Club Dining, Golf Shop & Fitness Center Closed
Thursday, December 7th ● 10:30 am - 7:30 pm A featured menu will be available for lunch and dinner service.
New Years Eve Dinner
Family Holiday Dinner
Sunday, December 31st Reservations from 6:00 - 8:30 pm A featured four-course menu will be available on this evening.
Saturday, December 23rd Reservations from 5:00 - 8:00 pm A la carte dinner service will not available.
Club Shutdown Period Scheduled for January 2024 The Club will close for its annual shut down period from Monday, January 1st through Thursday, January 11th, 2024, and will reopen for the Open Kitchen event on Friday, January 12th and Saturday, January 13th. On Sunday, January 14th, the regular Sunday Brunch Buffet and a special Carry Out feature will be available. The Club will reopen for regular lunch and dinner service for the remainder of the month (Wednesday through Sunday) on Wednesday, January 17th. The Fitness Center will have modified hours during this time. Four clubs, including Bellerive, Missouri Athletic Club Downtown, Westborough, and Racquet Club Ladue have accepted reciprocity for dining from Monday, January 1st through Sunday, January 14th. Reservations are required at all four clubs. When making reservations, please state that you are a member of Forest Hills Country Club and provide your full name and member number.
Shutdown Course Protocol As the annual January shutdown approaches, please be reminded of our policy regarding play on the course: Members may walk the Championship or Valley Course while the Golf Shop is closed on Tuesday—Sunday from January 1st—13th, but must first check the ForeTees home page for updated course conditions prior to play. Please note, carts will not be available during this time.
Bag Storage Reminder As the offseason and January shutdown approach, remember to grab your clubs from the bag storage room if you need them for travel or other personal reasons. As always, a member of the Golf Shop is available from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Tuesday - Sunday to grab your clubs as needed throughout the month of December. Staffed hours during January shutdown may be affected, so additional notice may be necessary for bag retrieval.
Manager’s Report by Emma Gore
emmag@foresthillscc.net
Dear Forest Hills Members, Season’s greetings! The team and I are absolutely thrilled that the holiday season is here! A huge round of applause to Karen Viola and our exceptional Grounds Maintenance Team for their phenomenal work decking out both the exterior and interior of our Clubhouse. They’ve truly sparked the holiday spirit in all of us as we gear up for our festive event schedule, starting with Breakfast and Brunch with Santa on the first weekend of December. Our team is hard at work planning for the upcoming year while ensuring our December calendar dazzles. We’ve kickstarted our calendar planning processes – approval of the 2024 golf calendar came through at the November Golf Committee and Board meetings. Meanwhile, our Food and Beverage Team is crafting the Member Events calendar for fiscal year 2025, and our Membership Team is securing reciprocal Club usage for our January annual shutdown. As we’re over half way through the current fiscal year, we’re diligently reviewing our Goals and Objectives to ensure we are on track and fully committed to their completion. Our incredible employees are dedicated to curating a wonderful experience for you and your families. Speaking of our hardworking team, we recently launched our Employee of the Month Program. Using our new employee recognition application, which allows employees to give shoutouts to their fellow team members on our community page, combined with manager and member input, we celebrate outstanding individuals who embody the Forest Hills Mission and Vision. A resounding applause for our October Employee of the Month, Scott McKinney, and our November Employee of the Month, Ava Reynolds! Recognition from our members means the world to us. Let’s keep the momentum going by sharing instances of exceptional employee dedication with me or Abby Le, Director of Human Resources at AbbyL@foresthillscc.net
Scott McKinney
Ava Reynolds
Now for some exciting project news, the Hole #17 pond to creek conversion for phase 2 of “The Creek Project” has officially begun. Our contractor spent the last week of November installing their temporary access road, which will be shared by golf carts and material delivery trucks for access to Hole #18 and the pond. During construction, please be aware of your surroundings and use caution in this area. We will continue to send weekly project emails to update you on progress and important information pertaining to daily usage and access. This Hole will be played as a par 4 to a temporary green short of the construction site for the remainder of the project which is currently scheduled to conclude in spring 2024. Hole #16 Tee Project is complete and we are extremely happy with the result. The new cart path is open for easy access from Hole #15 green to Hole #16 temporary tees. You will no longer need to use the temporary crossing that was in place during the construction phase of this project. Please note, the new turf on the tee surface will be ready for play in late spring 2024 after the dormant warm season grasses have rooted in. We’re taking extra care of this investment by keeping the tee tops covered during the winter months while we continue to use the temporary tee. We look forward to seeing you and your loved ones around the Club this Holiday Season!
Notes from the Board Chair by Charles Nance
chnance@sbcglobal.net
Fellow Club Members, I hope you and your families are having a wonderful holiday season. The success of the Thanksgiving take out meal program was amazing. It was fun to see the hustle and bustle associated with getting all the orders to those families that took advantage of this. By the time most of you read this, our biggest annual event (Breakfast and Brunch with Santa) will have been completed and Christmas will be upon us. As stated last month, I’d like to share with you the final goals that the Board has set for this coming year. These were approved at our November meeting. The Board’s Fiscal Year 2024 Goals are as follows: • • • •
Assure that the COO and Management Team are provided the resources needed for ongoing development and are effective in delivering a high-quality Member Experience. Assure that the Club consistently delivers a high-quality Member Experience. Assure that maintenance and renewal of our physical assets is done in a manner that is both fiscally responsible and focused on maintaining a high-quality Member Experience now and in the future. Assure that the financial performance of the Club is properly: budgeted, analyzed and reported.
We believe that assuring that the entire organization is focused on these four key areas of performance in the coming year will allow us to continue moving forward in improving and maintaining the outstanding Club experience that all of us expect. In the coming months, as our budgeting process progresses, the entire management team will be developing individual and department goals that reflect and support achievement of the Board’s goals. Please feel free to constructively provide feedback regarding how we might best move forward to achieve these goals. It’s our Club, and we can influence the results.
There are some ongoing on course, construction activities that you will be likely to encounter in the coming months. The new Hole #16 tee box project has been completed, but the grass needs time to take root and grow before using the new tees, so they’ve been covered for the winter. Hole #17 is now playing as a par 4 to a temporary green as the pond is removed. The creek is rebuilt, and the fairway and bunkers at the forward area of the hole are renovated to achieve the design objectives. Please pay attention to information provided in our communications regarding use of these areas until they are fully opened and ready for play. We’ve contracted for installation of 32 trees in various areas of the Club grounds in the next few weeks. The planting activities should have minimal impact on Club usage. Renewal of our arboreal resources is an ongoing responsibility in managing the Club grounds. Please take a moment, when you are at the Club, to thank Matt Swanson for the time he has spent with us. He is excited about his new opportunities, but we will miss his calm leadership and tremendous teaching skills. Personally, I appreciated his unique ability to diagnose and give guidance regarding my swing deficiencies by just listening to what poor results I was experiencing. As we enter 2024, let’s celebrate and remember that this will be our 60th anniversary as a Club. The staff and committees are already busy planning for some special activities to celebrate this. I look forward to seeing you at the Club.
Newsletter Prize Hidden within the pages of this issue and future issues, we have included a member’s number chosen at random. If you come across this number and it happens to be yours, contact Ava at avar@foresthillscc.net to redeem a $100 Gift Certificate toward your next food and beverage purchase.
Event Recaps by Kristen Chamberlain
kristenc@foresthillscc.net
First, as we head into our last month of the year, I would like to take this time to thank you all for all the guidance, patience, and friendships I have built this year! As we go into 2024, I am feeling so confident that next year will be the best year yet when it comes to events. This month, we have over 30 holiday parties and dinners booked, not counting our member events. I am looking forward to finishing the year out strong! If you haven’t booked your holiday party yet, it’s not too late! Contact me today and let us do the work for you! It’s even a good time to start a new family tradition! Last month, we had our Father-Daughter Candyland Dance, which was a huge hit! Let’s be real— lots of candy and a photobooth is a girl's dream! I hope everyone had a super SWEET time with us!
Divot Team Appreciation Party A few members of the FHCC Divot Team gathered for an appreciation party on Friday, November 24th. Thank you to our amazing members for taking time each Monday morning to repair divots on the course throughout the year! Your hard work does not go unnoticed. Pictured: Tracy Cahalane, Lynne & Bob O’Connell, Ann & Dale Hoette, Pat & Laurie Hopkins, Bill Bennett, Louise & John Sherman, Fred Salerno, Terry Gooding, Jane & Dave Ganz, Cindy & John Lynch, Brenda & Jeff Pohl
Father-Daughter Candyland Dance Photos
Welcoming New Faces! by Ryan Schaben
ryans@foresthillscc.net
Happy Holidays Members! What a year we’ve had so far. There have been so many great events this year; Father’s Day, 4th of July, Haunted Autumn Extravaganza, to name a few. The Food and Beverage Team has been actively anticipating getting to our Holiday Events. And just in time for the Holiday season, we are incredibly excited to welcome our new Food and Beverage Director, Victoria Zimmerman. Victoria has an impressive history working in the Club industry spending 11 years at Bellerive Country Club. She worked in many different roles during her time including many years in the dining room. Her most recent role was with Norwood Hills Country Club running their outside golf tournaments, weddings, and banquet events. “Members, I am thrilled to be joining the Forest Hills team around such a busy and festive time of year! I have had the great pleasure of meeting several of you already, but if I have not, I hope you are able to join us for one of our many holiday events or stop by for family dinner so I may introduce myself. Just to tell you a little about me, I have a background in Club Management and absolutely love what I do. In my free time I enjoy biking around Forest Park, catching shows at the Fox, and spending time with my one-year-old godson. I’m also a huge fan of live music, especially anything you can swing dance to, so let me know if you have any recommendations! I look forward to working with our staff and continuing to elevate each and every experience for you and your family. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have and I hope to see everyone soon!” – Victoria Zimmerman Also joining our team this past month is our new Banquet/Events Manager, Michelle Hill. Michelle also has a strong background in hospitality including food and beverage positions at St. Clair Country Club. We are just as excited to have Michelle on the Team and she has hit the ground running. “Salutations, Members! I'm Michelle, your freshly minted Events Ace. When not conquering the world of events, you'll find me wrapped up in the loving chaos of my two puggles, Puggslee and Penny. Life's a whole lot more fun with my four-legged troublemakers! I am a proud University of Illinois alum and unwavering ‘Illini Fan’ (regardless of their shortcomings). I'm always game for discussions about the week's NFL clashes, the art of Cardinals baseball or the amazing inaugural STL CITY season. I might not have mastered golf just yet (or possibly ever, let's be real), but who needs a hole-in-one when you can chat your way around the clubhouse? With my background in hospitality and management, I hope to bring a dash of flair and a sprinkle of spunk to every event. With doing events at other great establishments, such as the Saint Louis Symphony and St. Clair Country Club, I know what it takes to pull off stellar events and plan on exceeding those expectations here. Brace yourselves for a wave of puggle tales and snapshots, seasoned with a pinch of sports enthusiasm and a generous serving of Illini spirit. I strive to turn every interaction into a delightful experience and look forward to being a part of this amazing county club.” – Michelle Hill We all have been patiently awaiting seeing all of your families at our upcoming Holliday Parties!
Victoria Zimmerman Food & Beverage Director VictoriaZ@foresthillscc.net
Contact Information
Michelle Hill Banquets/Events Manager MichelleH@foresthillscc.net
0185
Welcome Our Newest Members! Congratulations to the Schaller Family! Congratulations to Steve and Amanda Schaller, who welcomed their son, Anthony, on August 9th. Anthony is the younger brother of their son, Nicolas (4). Both mom and baby are doing great. We can’t wait to see your family around the Club!
Congratulations to the Healey Family! Congratulations to Jimmy and Taylor Healey, who welcomed their son, James Michael, on October 26th. Both mom and baby are doing great. We can’t wait to see your family around the Club!
Have Exciting News To Share? We encourage our members to share with us the interesting and exciting things happening in your lives! Please send your details to Ava Reynolds at avar@foresthillscc.net. We will do our very best to include your information in our upcoming newsletter. The deadline is always the 20th of the month.
Evening Book Club by Tracey Bierman
traceylovestravel@gmail.com
Next Meeting: Wednesday, December 13th ● 6:00 pm The evening book club Holiday Party will be held on Wednesday, December 13th at 6:00 pm. Since we read almost as many wine labels as books, we will celebrate the season with a wine gift exchange. Everyone is asked to bring a bottle of wine (wrapped) with a cost of no more than $30. As it is just as much fun to give as it is to receive, we are also partnering with Ready Readers, a small St. Louis-based charitable organization, and will be hosting a book drive to help replenish their book inventory. Ready Readers collects books for ages 0-12 and sponsors volunteers to go into classrooms and read books with eager young students to help foster a love of reading. Sign up on ForeTees to join us for a fun evening. Dinner details are listed when you sign up.
Morning Book Club by Bettina Esser
bettinaesser@gmail.com
Next Meeting: Wednesday, December 13th ● 10:30 am Season's Greetings! The Morning Book Club will meet on December 13th at 10:30 am. This month, we are discussing The Christmastime Series 1939 -1945 by Linda Mahkovec, with each member taking a different year. The story line follows a family and ever-expanding cast of characters experiencing Christmas in America during WWII. Our first meeting in 2024 will be on Valentine's Day, February 14th, and our book will be Mary Higgins Clark's Mount Vernon Love Story, based on the marriage of George and Martha Washington. The book for March 13th will be Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. We meet on the second Wednesday of each month at 10:30 am, and follow the discussion with lunch. Have a wonderful (literary) holiday!
Hole in One News
Congratulations to our member who achieved a hole-in-one during the month of November!
Mike Dean+ Friday, November 24th on Hole #16 146 yards with a 9 Iron
Interested in Joining the Hole-in-One Club? If you would like to sign up for the Hole-in-One Club, please email Monica at monicak@foresthillscc.net. As a member of the Hole-inOne Club, you are billed $5 anytime a member of the Club makes a hole-in-one on the Championship Course. The total amount collected from those who participate is what the player is rewarded with when they hit a hole-in-one.
A Note From Matt Swanson / We Will Miss You! Dear Forest Hills Members, I wanted to share some bittersweet news. I will be moving to Scottsdale, Arizona, this upcoming January to pursue playing professionally and caddying at Whisper Rock Golf Club. The timing is right for me and 15 years from now, I know I will have regretted it if I did not try. The past four years at Forest Hills Country Club have been the most fulfilling years of my life, and that is due to the wonderful members here. There have been great relationships formed and significant life changes that many of you have been a part of. I can’t thank you enough for being a second family to me. A home away from home. I would also like to personally thank Jimmy Bals, James Tierney, Nick Jones, Matt Hood, Mike Bellville, and Joe Crawford for being the best staff that I have ever worked with and allowing me to be your Director of Player Development. Our team is one of, if not, the best staff Forest Hills Country Club has ever had. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you find yourself in the Scottsdale area, my cell number is 763-370-2323. Thank you again for the support given to me during my career at Forest Hills Country Club! Best Regards, Matt Swanson
We will miss you, Matt! Best of luck with your career change, and thank you for all you have done for Forest Hills!
Upcoming Dining Events
Treasurer’s Letter—Second Quarter Fiscal Year by Laurie L. Hopkins Our fiscal year 2024 second quarter (July 1 through September 30, 2023) results continued to be strong. For the quarter, revenues were in line with budget with costs generally below budget. Operations For the six months ended September 30, 2023, our revenues were over $3.3 million, with every operational area of the Club ahead of budget, in total, by $273,000 and prior year by $442,000. Food and beverage led with revenues for the six months ended September 30, 2023, over $1.9 million, almost $146,000 ahead of budget and $256,000 ahead of prior year. Chef Michael and his team’s menu enhancements, along with numerous member events were well received. The new bocce leagues also contributed to the strong revenue. Golf operations had over $1.1 million in revenue for the six months ended September 30, 2023, $128,000 ahead of budget and $174,000 ahead of prior year. The warm weather stuck with us leading to a continued record number of rounds played driving higher than expected cart and guest fees. While costs continue to rise, management is diligent in controlling margins. Our largest operational cost, payroll, is well under budget year to date due to the ongoing challenge of identifying and hiring in today’s job market. Despite our success in hiring several terrific new team members and leaders, there is a continual need for staff recruitment. Our year to date administrative, clubhouse, and golf course maintenance costs are in line with budget. Capital Enhancements With the Better Billy Bunkers completed, the “Creek Project” will be wrapped up next spring with the work on Hole #17 pond area. The funding for these two phases of work came from savings realized on the initial “Creek Project”. Our annual capital funds, separate from the “Creek Project” funds, continue to be utilized for updated grounds and culinary equipment. Our new fleet of golf carts, our driving range turf and safety netting, together with roof repairs are a few of the more significant projects utilizing this funding. Overall capital spending through September 30, 2023, remains in line with budget for both the “Creek Project” and annual capital costs. Thank you for your continued support of our Club.
Forest Hills Country Club 36 Forest Club Drive Chesterfield, MO 63005 If the electronic copy of On Course fails to meet your family’s needs and you would like to optin to receiving a physical mailing, please notify Ava Reynolds at avar@foresthillscc.net. Copies are also available in the Clubhouse lobby.
Club Contacts BOARD OF DIRECTORS David A. Linenbroker Secretary Zachary G. Smith Director Lawrence A. Thayer Governance Chair Mark F. Forst Membership Chair & Racquets Chair
Emma Gore General Manager/COO 636.207.3515 ● emmag@foresthillscc.net
Michael Dority Executive Chef 636.207.3518 ● michaeld@foresthillscc.net
Victoria Zimmerman
Scott Reynolds, GCS
Director of Food & Beverage 636.207.3532 ● victoriaz@foresthillscc.net
Grounds Superintendent 636.227.5044 ● scotts@foresthillscc.net
Julie Kennedy Laurie Lambert-Hopkins Treasurer / Finance Chair Charles H. Nance Board Chair Long Range Planning Chair Edward A. Dorch Golf Chair Michael A. Flavin Director
Controller 636.207.3513 ● juliek@foresthillscc.net
Abby Le Director of Human Resources 636.230.2507 ● abbyl@foresthillscc.net
Ryan Schaben Assistant General Manager 636.207.3512 ● ryans@foresthillscc.net
Jimmy Bals, PGA Stephen A. Sigman Grounds Chair Michael C. Buescher House Chair John D. Mazzola Entertainment Chair
Robert M. Whiting Swim Chair
Clubhouse (636) 227-5030 Office Fax (636) 227-2540 Golf Shop (636) 227-1528 www.foresthillscc.net
Director of Golf 636.227.1528 ● jimmyb@foresthillscc.net
JT Tierney, PGA Head Golf Professional 636.227.1528 ● jtt@foresthillscc.net
Ali Kaplan Director of Membership and Marketing 636.207.3545 ● alik@foresthillscc.net
Ava Reynolds Marketing & Communications Coordinator 636.207.3569 ● avar@foresthillscc.net
Adam Goad Assistant Food and Beverage Manager 636.207.3519 ● adamg@foresthillscc.net
Monica Knudtson Office Manager 636.207.3514 ● monicak@foresthillscc.net
Kristen Chamberlain Director of Events 636.207.3528 ● kristenc@foresthillscc.net
Michelle Hill Events & Banquets Manager 636.207.3535 ● michelleh@foresthillscc.net
Kyle O’Leary Director of Racquet Sports 314.369.1153 ● kyleo@foresthillscc.net
Emma Knopf Concierge 636.227.5030 ● concierge@foresthillscc.net