In Loving Memory
It is with deep regret that we inform the membership of the passing of one of our members, Heidi George who passed away mid February. The George’s have been members for 14 years. She will be greatly missed.
In Loving Memory
It is with deep regret that we inform the membership of the passing of one of our members, Benjamin Benner who passed away on January 25, 2023. Ben was an inspiration, mentor, and friend to so many. He will be missed
Club News & Reminders
Tuesday Lunch Service Reminder
The Club will reopen for a la carte lunch service on Tuesdays beginning Tuesday, April 4th and will remain open for lunch on Tuesdays from that date through the month of October.
As a reminder, the Club is always closed for dinner service on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Dutch’s Hut Hours of Operation Update
Dutch’s Hut will reopen for the season on Friday, March 17th and will be open from Tuesday Sunday until November 5th, 2023. Opening times will always be one hour after the first tee time and closing times will be dependent on the time of year.
We will continue to operate this schedule consistently between the time that Daylight Savings begins and ends moving forward.
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 Margaret Sliney at margarets@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 Margaret at margarets@foresthillscc.net to redeem a $100 Gift Certificate good toward your next food and beverage purchase.
Dear Forest Hills Country Club members,
I am pleased to share with you that our management team has been hard at work this off season planning for this spring and summer. We have also been attending some great education and professional development programs. Our Golf Professional staff has had the opportunity to attend the PGA Show, our Grounds Maintenance leadership team was able to attend the Golf Course Superintendent Association of America (GCSAA) conference and I was able to attend the Club Management Association of America (CMAA) conference. These events are an incredible opportunity to connect with other club managers and leaders in the industry, and we are all excited to bring back new ideas and insights to our Club in various departments.
At the CMAA conference, I attended a variety of educational sessions on topics such as member engagement, team culture, strategic planning, and financial planning. I also had the opportunity to network with other managers and share best practices.
Additionally, I learned about new technology and software that can streamline our operations and improve member experiences. I will be exploring these options further in the coming weeks and months.
Overall, I feel energized and inspired by my experience at the CMAA conference. I am committed to continuing my professional development and bringing back new ideas to make Forest Hills the best it can be.
We continue our search for our next Executive Chef. Currently, our Executive Sous Chef, James Woods, has been the Interim Executive Chef. Chef James has been a strong leader in the kitchen and is doing a phenomenal job.
All candidates we have interviewed to date are aware of our operations and the potential for improvement. During the process, we have asked a variety of leadership and team building questions as that is a major competency that we are looking for in our next Executive Chef. We are currently beginning the third round of interviews which will include feedback on the candidates from the Food and Beverage task force at the Club. Each candidate either has a successful career in Country Clubs or some exceptional a la carte dining/food experience. We are very excited and confident that our next Executive Chef will bring some refreshing new ideas and menu items to Forest Hills.
Thank you for your continued support of our Club. I look forward to sharing more updates with you in the near future.
Dear Forest Hills Country Club Members,
I wanted to inform you that my last day at Forest Hills will be, Friday, March 10th. After much contemplation, I have decided it is time for me to pursue other carer opportunities. I wanted to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the members and staff of the Club for making my time here so memorable! It has been an honor to work alongside such a dedicated and passionate group of people. I wish you all the best moving forward!
Sincerely,
Margaret Sliney
This spring, the Club is excited to announce our Inaugural Spring Bocce Ball Program! This past fall, the Members invested in two new Bocce Ball Courts and we have been anticipating showing them off. Bocce Ball league play will begin in April and run for six weeks, with a seventh week for playoffs and Championships. The Bocce Courts are located inside the Aquatic Center gates and the leagues will play on Thursday from 5:00 - 7:30 pm and Sunday from 3:00 – 6:30 pm beginning Thursday, April 6, 2023. You may sign up a whole team or as a couple/single and be matched to a team. Each team will have a “Captain” in charge of their team and all league communication. The Club will communicate with the Team Captain throughout the League. Bocce is fun for everyone, and we urge all Members, 21+, to sign up early so we can have a well-organized league format. Complete league information, sign-up forms, rules, and FAQ’s will be sent next week! Please consider joining to make the inaugural league a huge success!
The entry fee is $75 per player for the entire season. The fee includes drink specials, trophies, staffing, and passed hors d’oeuvres, which will be served at the bocce location for every match for the entire 7 weeks. During the last week of March and first week of April, we will have a “pre-season” schedule of events including availability for team practice days and instructional Bocce sessions (with potential Wine Tastings!) to teach the rules and format of the game. This league structure is currently being used at more than 55 top clubs nationwide, including Bellerive, and has helped create camaraderie between Members of all ages. It is a perfect activity for Members who may not play golf or tennis as much as they once did but would like to stay active and engaged with their fellow Members.
Please plan on joining us for our first ever Bocce Ball season. We plan on conducting spring and fall leagues for years to come! If you have any questions, please contact me directly at ryans@foreshillscc.net and I will be happy to answer them.
You can also call the Club: (636) 227-5030
There will be a country style buffet available this night!
Welcome to the 2023 golf season! With a mild February, many of you have taken the opportunity to start the season early. In reviewing the last five years, our rounds exceeded any other year for the month of February. There are several positive things we are sure you are looking forward to seeing. The creek project is nearly complete, the grow-in for the Short Game Area and Lower Putting Green is on track, the new clock tower looks terrific, and new merchandise in the Golf Shop is better than ever. To enhance the member experience, retain employees, and give us the ability to address all areas of the golf operation, we have restructured staffing and agreements in a manner that is financially equal to a situation as if we had made no changes at all. The primary change is Matt Swanson moving to Director of Player Development and Matt Hood joining our team as an Assistant Golf Professional. Matt Swanson’s role will focus on group instruction, custom club fitting, and private lessons. He will be the lead for our all-encompassing junior golf program and provide additional opportunities for our junior players. Please take a look at the Events tab on Foretees for programs, as well as reviewing communications Matt sends out for all his programs. Matt Hood joins us with prior experience at Bellerive and Erin Hills in Wisconsin. Please stop in the Golf Shop and welcome Matt to Forest Hills. March is highlighted with three equipment fitting days you won’t want to miss. Callaway is March 10th, TaylorMade is March 17th , and Ping is March 31st. These companies are having huge success on the professional tours early on, so come experience what they have to offer. Product delivery is better than it has been the past few years, so we are very optimistic in getting new equipment to you quickly.
We will have new bag tags for all members by March 20th. If you have club storage, the bag tag will automatically be put on your bag. If you do not store your clubs, please let any of our staff members know you need a bag tag. It is important that you have a new FHCC bag tag if you use any of the practice facilities. This includes children as well (although their tag will be different.) Our staff monitors the driving range and will be doing the same in the Short Game Area when it opens. If a player does not have a bag tag, they will be approached by our staff and asked if they are a member.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: It is club policy that only guests scheduled to play may use the Practice Facility. Guests coming here only to practice with a member is not permitted and will be asked to leave. Please inform all family members of this policy so any uncomfortable situations for them will be prevented.
We are looking forward to a great season ahead and look forward to seeing everyone soon.
Senior Men’s Golf Association by
Jim Harf jharf@maryville.eduWe welcome back all returning seniors and invite those male golfers who turned 55 this past year to join us on Wednesday mornings for our lively but friendly competitions. Those 75 years of age and older may opt to be considered Super Seniors. John de Greck moves up to President this year while Pat Hopkins will serve as Vice-President/Treasurer. Matt Swanson continues as the Golf Shop’s liaison with our Association.
The opening luncheon is set for Wednesday, March 22nd, at 11:30 am (please sign up on ForeTees). The cost is $25. In addition to the usual beginning-of-the-year comradery following the winter hiatus, the luncheon will feature the unveiling of the 2023 schedule as well as the guidelines for the “2023 Senior Golfer of the Year” competition. Several speakers with important information about FHCC golf will be included on the schedule.
We will begin this year’s golf with a “pre-season warmup” (spring training) event on March 15th. Regular play officially begins on Tuesday, March 28th, as aerification is scheduled for Wednesday of that week. The popular Opening Three-Man Scramble will take place on April 5th. Teams will be selected by the Golf Shop staff with an 8:00 am shotgun start. An optional $15 lunch follows.
We conclude our season with a three-man Shamble on October 11th.
With springtime finally here, now is a good time to start focusing on a critical part of your golf swing. The club face plays an important role in each shot, and it is a major factor for the trajectory of the golf ball. Many golfers have it wrong, and think their swing path is to blame for shots offline. While that does play a part in each swing, many times managing the club face proves to be more important.
If you continuously lose shots out to the right, your club face probably aims too much in that direction at impact. For a right handed golfer, this would be an open club face. The majority of high handicap golfers allow their face to get open, either before or during their golf swing.
A proper grip is a very important starting point and you should be sure to have a square club face when addressing the golf ball. In order for me to keep this article short enough, I will only focus on one position I see many players get wrong. That would be the wrist positions at the top of the backswing. Many golfers finish their backswing with the lead wrist bent or positioned incorrectly. That will also put the trail wrist into a poor position, and causes the club face to open.
To check this, make a slow backswing and hold that position. Turn and look back at your wrist positions. Ideally the lead wrist should be flat and the trail wrist bent down slightly. For a clearer picture, imagine you’re wearing a Fitbit or watch on your lead wrist or forearm. At the top of your backswing, I should be able to slide a popsicle stick along your forearm and under the watch almost to your knuckles. A poor wrist position would stop the stick from moving past the watch or getting close to the knuckles of your hand.
If you do this with a mirror behind you (where a teacher would place a camera or TrackMan), you can learn how this affects the club face. Make a backswing, stop at the top again, then watch the club head movements if you bend your wrists slightly up or down. The toe of the club will change in the same directions as your wrists movement. Hopefully this article helps a few of you understand how wrist positions affect the club face and ball flight. If you have any trouble, feel free to contact me for questions or to schedule a lesson.
Golf Events
Mixed Twilight Scramble
Saturday, April 29th
• Enjoy 9 Holes of Golf on our Championship Course.
• Couples and guests are welcome.
• Guest fees are complimentary.
• $96 per couple / includes entry fees, cart & dinner.
Friday Night Couples Golf
Begins Friday, April 7th and Continues Through September
• 2 person Net Best Ball format.
• Tee times beginning in the afternoon.
• Couples should check in with the Golf Shop and get a scorecard prior to play.
