Club News & Reminders Congratulations to Max Charpentier and Carson Painter! We implemented an Employee of the Month Program to celebrate outstanding individuals who embody the Forest Hills mission and vision. Congratulations to our December Employee of the Month, Max Charpentier, and our January Employee of the Month, Carson Painter! We Want to Hear From You! Recognition from our members means the world to us. If you would like to share instances of exceptional employee dedication, please email Emma Gore at emmag@foresthillscc.net, or Abby Le, Director of Human Resources, at abbyl@foresthillscc.net.
Max Charpentier Carson Painter
A la Carte Server Grounds Crew 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. 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 good toward your next food and beverage purchase.
Board of Directors The following members have been nominated to serve on the Forest Hills Country Club Board of Directors for the 2024—2028 term. David Linenbroker Craig Parres Adam Wilburn Members will be notified of voting information in Accordance with Article III, Section 1B of the Club By Laws. The election will be sent out via our online voting system, Simply Voting, by the end of February.
In Loving Memory It is with deep regret that we inform the membership of the passing of one of our members, Cathryn “Cathy” Barron, who passed away on January 16th, 2024. The Barrons have been members of the Club for over 38 years. She graduated from Webster Groves High School in 1970 and the University of Missouri in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in Special Education. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority. She was always there for her high school and college friends and family. She was a loyal friend. She gave much of her time to volunteer ministry opportunities and family events. Cathy was deeply involved with Ministry Boards, family, charitable fund raising, and Young Life and Bible studies. She will be greatly missed. 2
Manager’s Report
by Emma Gore, CCM
emmag@foresthillscc.net
Dear Forest Hills Country Club Members, Welcome back! We hope you had a chance to enjoy the reciprocity opportunities with neighboring clubs during our winter shutdown. While you were away, our dedicated team was hard at work preparing the Club for an exciting year ahead. First, a big thank you to our incredible facilities management team who braved the recent sub-zero temperatures. Their proactive maintenance and strategic repairs addressed long -standing issues before the cold snap, ensuring our pipes remained safe and sound. We are thrilled to report that the pond to creek conversion project on Hole #17 is progressing smoothly, both on schedule and on budget. The creek contractor is nearing completion, and our golf course contractor will soon mobilize to begin their portion of the project. We still anticipate full completion by late March or early April. To stay updated on the most current details of the project, please see our weekly project update emails. Following your inquiries about the featured individuals in last month’s newsletter, we’re delighted to reveal more about our Club’s history as we celebrate our 60th Anniversary this year. Last month’s cover photo showcased Forest Hills’ founding members, Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Barnes Jr., whose land became the home of Forest Hills Country Club.
Stilling Basin Gabion Basket Reinforcement
Our research journey also uncovered the second members to join Forest Hills: Mr. and Mrs. Earl J. Anderson. Back when they joined, the Club was simply a small trailer in a field. As a tribute to their long-standing membership, we’ve included a copy of their original membership acceptance letter and membership card from 1963. See you around the Club soon! New Creek Channel
Membership Card from 1963 (above) & Member Acceptance Letter (left)
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Notes from the Board Chair by Charles Nance
chnance@sbcglobal.net
Fellow Club Members, I’m very excited to share good news with you this month. Our COO, Emma Gore, CCM, has successfully fulfilled all the requirements to be designated as a Certified Club Manager (CCM). This accomplishment is truly noteworthy, considering the rigorous and extensive certification process. She has been working towards this for the last seven years. Certification of Club Professionals has been an ongoing goal of the Club Management Association of America since 1965. Per their website, “The Certified Club Manager (CCM) designation has been the hallmark of professionalism in club management since 1965 and is the cornerstone of CMAA's certification program. It is a valuable and widely-respected mark of a manager's commitment to professional development and the club industry.” To earn this distinction, Emma had to pass the CCM exam, a 400-question test that requires proficiency in ten competencies including: governance, accounting, leadership, food and beverage, membership and marketing, to name a few. To be eligible to sit for the exam, Emma was required to complete all of the following: ●
Accumulate 300 Total Credits (credits are received through participation in local chapter and national events, attending conference, BMI educations, trainings, etc. )
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Professional membership status in CMAA for a minimum of six years
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Attendance at CMAA World Conference (with attendance at a minimum of four education sessions)
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Successful completion of two CMAA/CMI pre-approved workshops
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Successful completion of the Business Management Institute (BMI) Programs through the following course work: BMI Club Management, BMI Leadership Principles, BMI General Manager/Chief Operating Officer and BMI Golf Management, BMI Food & Beverage Management, or BMI Sports & Recreation Management.
As you can see, the process includes education, experience and verification by testing in all aspects of the COO position that Emma holds. Our Club has been supportive of Emma’s efforts as part of the Board’s ongoing focus on, and support of, continuing education for our valued employees. Emma shared with me that the certification exam itself took 7 hours to complete. Emma’s membership in the CMAA and certification give her access to valuable networking opportunities and benchmarking information that we use to evaluate our Club. Please congratulate Emma on this achievement when you next see her. I look forward to seeing you at the Club.
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Around the Club We hope you all had a chance to enjoy reciprocal dining service at participating Clubs during our annual shutdown. A few of our members enjoyed a lunch at Bellerive Country Club during the month of January. Pictured Left: Jeff Pohl, Bill Bennett, John Sherman, Pat Hopkins, John DeGreck, Fred Salerno, Dave Ganz, and Bob O’Connell.
This group also enjoyed a Friday lunch in the 19th Hole! Pictured Right: Fred Salerno, Bob O’Connell, Phil Roth, John Sherman, Jim McLaren, Dan Miller, Myles Kelly, Dave Ganz, Al Kent, Jim Schneider, and Pete Geer. Send Us Your Pictures! Send in pictures of you and your family and friends enjoying the Club, and we will do our very best to include them in the newsletter. Email Ava at avar@foresthillscc.net to submit your photos. 4174
Golf News This month, Jimmy Bals, Director of Golf, attended the National PGA Show and Demo Day in Orlando, Florida! He was busy reviewing and testing out new products, learning new teaching concepts, and attending educational seminars. We love investing in our employees at FHCC!
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Thank You! Thank you to everyone who contributed to our annual Canned Food Drive during the month of December. We were able to deliver a “carload” of food to Circle of Concern Food Pantry. We are so grateful to have such a wonderful Club community! If you would like more information about Circle of Concern, please visit their website at www.circleofconcern.org.
Assistant General Manager’s Update by Ryan Schaben The first month of 2024 is over already! Really!? Well, a new year means a few new Members so please join me in welcoming our newest Members of the Club!
ryans@foresthillscc.net
New Member Spotlight
Our Membership community is thriving with 53 families on the golf waitlist and only 2 spots left in our Social Membership! As a reminder, a few changes were made to our waitlist system. Our Golf Membership cap still remains at 460 Members. We allow the first 15 families on the waitlist to enjoy our Provisional Golf Membership, granting them full Club access except for weekend tee times on the Championship Course during peak season (April – October). This allows you to experience the Club while your position on the waitlist moves up! Anyone joining the golf waitlist will now seamlessly upgrade to a Social Member should there be available spots. This guarantees immediate Club access to all social amenities while you await your preferred Golf Membership, as well as the opportunity to connect with fellow members and build lasting friendships. We currently have 148 of our 150 cap on Social Membership. With just 2 spots remaining, it’s the perfect opportunity for your family or friends who have been eager to join!! Our current Regular Golf Initiation Fee is $35,000 and our Social Membership Initiation Fee is $5,000.
Wyatt and Andrea Swartz and their three children, Eloise, Lainey, and Jack Junior Golf Members
January brought some great traffic into our Fitness Center. Thank you to everyone who has let me know of any issue that has come up with machines or equipment. I scheduled multiple PM services throughout the month in the hopes of delivering some quick repairs. During these cold months, please help us keep the Fitness Center clean by bringing a change of shoes to work out in. A few other reminders for the Fitness Center: ● ● ●
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Always sign-in on the Sign-In sheets. You must be 16 or older to use the Fitness Center. 14 and 15 year olds may use the Fitness Center but are required to be under direct parental supervision at all times. Members are expected to wipe off the equipment with provided disinfectant wipes after each use.
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Thomas and Eleanor Berra Social Members
Events Recap by Kristen Chamberlain
kristenc@foresthillscc.net
Happy February! First things first, we have exciting news for our Events Team. Please help me in welcoming our new Special Events Coordinator, Kelsey! Kelsey will have a strong focus on our many member events throughout the year. She is starting the month strong with our Valentine’s Day Dinner and Family Valentine’s Brunch. Kelsey and I are so excited to create the best experiences and help make awesome memories at this year’s member events. Kelsey has done a great job this month getting onboarded and we can’t wait for you all to meet her! We had a busy last few weeks with Events from Baby Showers, Birthday Parties, Company Meetings, and a Taylor Swift-Themed Birthday Party. We can’t thank our members enough for always thinking of us for their special events.
Kelsey Dotson Special Events Coordinator kelseyd@foresthillscc.net
Our 2024 calendar is quickly filling up, so if you or someone you know are trying to secure a date for a special occasion, it is never too early to reach out!
Elise’s First Birthday Party
Baby Shower
Kaitlyn’s Sweet 16
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St. Louis District Golf Association Schedule
Blast From the Past: Sweetheart Ball, 1981
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Morning Book Club by Bettina Esser
bettinaesser@gmail.com
Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 14th ● 10:30 am Winter is here and offers a great opportunity to either snuggle by the fire or sit on a beach and experience the joy of reading. After a break in January, the Morning Book Group will discuss Mount Vernon Love Story by Mary Higgins Clark on Wednesday, February 14th. The story of George and Martha Washington's courtship and marriage, it is perfect for both Valentine's Day and President's Day. Our selection for Wednesday, March 13th is Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt and on April 10 we will review Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano. We meet on the second Wednesday of each month at 10:30, followed by lunch, and welcome all who enjoy a good read.
Evening Book Club by Carolyn Cash
carolyn.cash1127@gmail.com
Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 21st ● 6:00 pm Please join us for the Evening Book Club on Wednesday, February 21st at 6:00 pm. We’ll be discussing the book Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. On Wednesday, March 20th, we will be discussing Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. Please make reservations on ForeTees or by calling the Club at (636) 227-5030.
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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
Emma Gore, CCM General Manager/COO 636.207.3515 ● emmag@foresthillscc.net
Michael Dority Executive Chef 636.207.3518 ● michaeld@foresthillscc.net
Scott Reynolds, GCS
Lawrence A. Thayer Governance Chair
Grounds Superintendent 636.227.5044 ● scotts@foresthillscc.net
Mark F. Forst Membership Chair & Racquets Chair
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 Stephen A. Sigman Grounds Chair Michael C. Buescher House Chair
John D. Mazzola Entertainment Chair Robert M. Whiting Swim Chair
Controller 636.207.3513 ● juliek@foresthillscc.net
Abby Le Director of Human Resources 636.230.2507 ● abbyl@foresthillscc.net
Ryan Schaben
Clubhouse (636) 227-5030 Office Fax (636) 227-2540 Golf Shop (636) 227-1528 www.foresthillscc.net Ava Reynolds Marketing & Communications Coordinator 636.207.3569 ● avar@foresthillscc.net
Kelsey Dotson Special Events Coordinator 636.207.3535 ● kelseyd@foresthillscc.net
Adam Goad Assistant Food and Beverage Manager 636.207.3519 ● adamg@foresthillscc.net
Monica Knudtson
Assistant General Manager 636.207.3512 ● ryans@foresthillscc.net
Office Manager 636.207.3514 ● monicak@foresthillscc.net
Jimmy Bals, PGA
Kristen Chamberlain
Director of Golf 636.227.1528 ● jimmyb@foresthillscc.net
Director of Events 636.207.3528 ● kristenc@foresthillscc.net
JT Tierney, PGA
Michelle Hill
Head Golf Professional 636.227.1528 ● jtt@foresthillscc.net
Events & Banquets Manager michelleh@foresthillscc.net
Ali Kaplan
Kyle O’Leary
Director of Membership and Marketing 636.207.3545 ● alik@foresthillscc.net
Director of Racquet Sports 314.369.1153 ● kyleo@foresthillscc.net
Victoria Zimmerman
Emma Knopf
Director of Food & Beverage 636.207.3532 ● victoriaz@foresthillscc.net
Concierge 636.227.5030 ● concierge@foresthillscc.net