January Around the Clubhouse

AROUND THE CLUBHOUSE Newsletter

President's Message

Written by Dave Donnelly

Happy Holidays!

I feel fortunate to live in Port Royal and be a member of Port Royal Golf Club. This is the first club my wife, Sharon and I joined, and we are very thankful for the welcome, the support, and the genuine friendship. Our members come from a variety of backgrounds, and their talent, their dedication, and their zest for life is impressive. I am amazed by fellow board members as well as countless other individuals in both formal and informal roles that help to make this place special. Thank you for your time and energy!

I want to thank Jon Wormley for his mentorship I also want to thank Steve Riley for his four years of service. Steve transitioned the board from physical “boxes” of archives to the digital age, alerts us to schedule conflicts before they become a real conflict, and adds a timely sense of humor to the meetings A final THANK-You to outgoing board members – Judi Chmielowiec, Jan Schuppert, and Nefeli Keebaugh.

2023 Officers: 2023 Committee Chairpersons: Jim Walker – Vice President Anne Gerth – Social Bill Hazel - Communications Kathy McGown – Secretary Guy Suchy – Golf Joan Buratti - Newsletter Dan Renbarger – Treasurer Angelo Verde – Racquet Membership – vacant/stay tuned

I had a golf partner recently tell me that 30% participation at a club is typical of the clubs he belonged to over the years. We currently have a roster of 280 plus members –and our participation at social events is growing. We had 110+ members at the Christmas Gala. What a fun event!

I recognize we have several part-time resident members; and work, families, travel, and other activities also compete for your time – but if there is something that we can do to increase your engagement with the club – please reach out to me or any member of the board. http://portroyal.totalegolf.com/Resources.aspx - then click on Board and Heritage contact information. Lastly, I recognize that some members are dealing with health issues. On behalf of the Board, WE wish ALL of you a safe and healthy new year! May you find true happiness both in life and around the clubhouse.

Fun Ar

Happy New Year!

This year we will b We kick off January with our annual Chili Dinner on Friday night January 13. You can choose from three different varieties of chili, or sample them all! We will have veggie chili, beef chili, and turkey chili accompanied by biscuits, cornbread, cookies, and a salad. You don’t want to miss this event and space is very limited since we will be in the Members Dining Room this year We will be limited to 50 members, so RSVP soon to reserve your spot $26 for members and $21 for preferred diners. This event will feature open seating. We have a lot of new members and I encourage you to sit with someone you don’t usually sit with and help some new members feel welcome at our club.

www.hiltonheadgolf.net/blog/events/chili-night-1-13-23/

Thursday, February 2 will be our first Monthly Member Social of the new year. Be sure to RSVP because chef needs to know how much food to prepare.

https://www.hiltonheadgolf.net/blog/events/monthly-member-social-2-2/

A new event this year will be our Mardi Gras party on February 21 Chef is already working on a great menu for this event. There are more details to follow, however mark your calendars and start planning now to find something festive and colorful to wear to the party. The first 50 people to attend will receive a Hurricane in a fun glass.

Our November Monthly Members Social and the Holiday Gala both had a stellar turnout this year It’s refreshing to know our members are enjoying the club social events and activities. The large numbers, however, make it even more important for you to RSVP for events. Please take advantage of the portal to RSVP. It’s easy and will ensure we get your reservation.

Anne Gerth

Golf Report

Written by Guy Suchy

“Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true.” - Alfred Lord Tennyson

And I thought it was George Harrison who wrote those words…and when was the last time we saw snow on the island?

As we ring in the new year, I want to start by saying, “Hello,” and thanking everyone, from the Nominating Committee to the voting members, to the PRPC Board, who made it possible for me to serve the Club as incoming Golf Chair for 2023. No one knows what the next two years will bring, but I will try my best to serve and support you and maintain the high standards set by my predecessors.

In future articles, I will expand on what the Golf Chair role entails and bring you up to speed on developments around the courses. For now, let me introduce the folks with whom I will be working as they chair their respective committees:

Men’s Golf - John Strasburger

Ladies’ 18 Holers - Gay Halleman

Ladies’ 9 Holers - Karen Simpson

Grounds - Ernie Marsico

Rules and Regulations - Ron Tucker

And, of course, I will be responsible for chairing the Heritage Invitational. In closing, I wish everyone much health and happiness for the new year Please hold tight to the ones you love and let us all hope and pray for a brighter and greener tomorrow.

Men's Golf Continued

Written by John Strasburger

On behalf of the Men’s golf membership & Port Royal Sports Shop we would like to thank our outgoing chairman, Nigel Jones, for his steadfast leadership and contributions over the last two years.

As your new incoming chairman, I also want to thank Nigel, along with a few other former chairmen, for the coaching and guidance which they have provided me as I start my new role.

Looking ahead to 2023 – working together with the other committee members, Jay Rusch, Jay’s staff, and Guy Suchy – we will strive to make the golf experience at Port Royal the best it can be . . . re: tournaments, enjoyable-fair play, course conditions & fellowship. Regarding course conditions, Charlie Duncan’s crew has completed the over-seeding of tee boxes, greens, and collars on both courses The new grass is looking good, and the greens are rolling well. Please remember to repair divots and pitch marks. December 7th was our final Super-Men’s-Day tournament for 2022. We had a strong turnout of 36 players. The format was a Shamble with 2 best (net) balls.

Winning Team, with a score of 121, was John Manfre, Scott Heuple, Ernie Marsico, & John Strasburger.

Men's Golf Continued

Written by John Strasburger

For the year-end tournament overview – here is the 2022 Roll of Honor as summarized by Nigel.

‘Tis the season for cold weather golfing. I have been browsing different sites & links for tips regarding playing in cold weather. You may find a few of these to be helpful:

Stretching/Warm-Up Inside

According to “Golf Body” a recent survey of 1,000 amateur golfers – only 53% did any warmup at all. Noting two major negative effects: increased risk of injury & decreased level of performance

Keep hands, head/ears & feet warm Layer clothing, but don’t over-layer; vests are less-binding – avoid bulky outerwear

“Club-up” (1-2 clubs), balls lose some distance in cold weather and swing speeds are generally slower. Steady tempo throughout the swing is key in cold weather Stay hydrated, your body loses a lot of water on cold days – especially if you are walking

In this colder weather – a special shout-out to Jeremy Kalnbach and his Outside Services team for the fine job they do for all of us year-round

Next Up: January 18th Super Men’s Day

18 Holers

Written by Gay Halleman

The 18-hole ladies luncheon kicked off the new year with a big thank you to Carol Duffin for her outstanding leadership as President last year. The new officers are Sophie BurgerTreasurer/Prize Chair, Liz Bailey- Secretary, Heather Stevens- Vice President/Communications Chair, and Gay Halleman- President.

Our Tournament winners were Liz Bailey and Karen Elrod- Flight 1 and Heather Stevens and Jolanta Taylor- Flight 2 in Member/Member Match Play. The Stroke Play Champion was Hiltrud Gabler with Yvonne White as Flight 1 low net and Barbara Steiger- low net Flight 2. The Mo t I d Pl thi T i Bl k

The new year kick-off breakfast will start at 7:30 on January 10th. Golf (hopefully) will tee off at 9 after a short meeting. We lost a long-time treasured member in Becky Guin this year and we will miss her every day, Here is a toast to a fun-filled year with good weather

Nine Holers

Written by Karen Simpson

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

First, I would like to thank Judi Chmielowiec for being our mighty leader for the last 2 years while also serving on the PRGC board. Enjoy your time off Judi- I hope you can fill your extra time with family, travel, some good books, and GOLF!

Our awards luncheon was fabulous with a shout-out to Annie for making the table very festive and special with the red & green napkins and pre-lit Christmas trees for our tables. The pesto chicken on salad was delicious with an amazing key lime dessert with raspberry drizzle! What a great way to kick off the holiday season.

The awards were given out and Judi Chmielowiec received most improved for

2022 The pro shop determines this award based on GHIN scores (with Judi having more spare time in 2023 we may be in trouble again next year) Jackie Darling won our Championship tournament, and her name is engraved on the plaque and cup for all to see. Our two Low Net winners include Cherie Bailey and Jo Ann Gibbs. Ringer tournament -Sue Walker. Great Job ladies!

Jo Ann Gibbs has the tedious job of counting all our Chip-ins for the year and the Queen of the Green award for most Chip-ins for 2022 is Jo Ann Gibbs! In 2023 we will have shambles, scrambles, throw holes out, tournaments-hopefully- some themed events, and a cart decorating contest! We will also have Girls' Night's Out and evenings when we have spouses join in the festivities. I am looking forward to all the fun we have planned!

Did you know we have 7 part time 9-holers? We love when they are here and miss them when they are away from PRGC! We also purchased name tags so we can make sure our part timers remember us when they are here and when we have 9 Hole exchanges, we can proudly identify ourselves as PRGC members.

Any ladies that would like to play are welcome to join us any Thursday morning to give us a try! Please contact me at KSSIMPSON4@ME.COM

Golfing Gals

Written by Nancy Sheahan

Thank you all for your participation in our second annual Holiday Scramble. What a fantastic tribute to the gal that started it all, Gen Suchy!

Congratulations to the winners: Claudia Aller, Jennifer Ridilla, Anne Garrett, and Barbara Scotti, with a score of 43! We raised over $600.00 for the Boys & Girls Club of the Low Country as well as a few toys and games! Thank you also for the delicious food and drinks you each provided to make our gathering both fun and yummy!

Another BIG thank you to the Early Bird guys/husbands for their part in our scramble and huge $515 00 contribution to the cause!!! Special kudos to Jim Walker, Tim Aller, John Strausburger, Jack Kromer, Dave Renbarger and Tom Sheahan, who kept us “hydrated” along the course with interesting cocktails as well as snacks, games, and prizes!

What a great group of ladies we have! I hope we will continue to grow and encourage one another as we drive, chip, and putt our way forward! Hope to see many of you next week and/or future Wednesdays!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Racquet's Up!

Written by Jan Schupert

Battle of the Paddles

On Monday morning, December 5, the Port Royal Ladies’ Racquet members gathered for our first Battle of the Paddles, an event which benefited two local charities –The Deep Well Project of HHI and The Boys and Girls Club of Hilton Head. Both charities support local children, and ‘Tis the Season’. Thirty-two players competed, sixteen Pickleballers and sixteen Tennis players who along with many supporters, raised $5,560 for charity. Pickleball was the big winner, raising $4515 for The Deep Well Project while Tennis raised $1045 for The Boys and Girls Club. Thank you to all the participants and sponsors for making this a fun and successful event. Also, thank you Dale Brown and the racquet committee for your help in organizing.

Happy New Year

At this time, we would like to wish all our members and staff a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous 2023! See you on the courts.

Man on the Street

Angelo Verde

When did you move to Hilton Head?

December of 2018 from Atlanta

What is your favorite part about the club?

Playing tennis and meeting great people

What is your most unusual talent?

Mixing cocktails

Dogs or cats?

Dogs. We have a mixed beagle named Maddy.

Five minutes of perfect happiness?

Being at a beach resort with my wife, Kathy

Name a movie you have watched multiple times and are still entertained by. The Natural Gadget you cannot live without.

I-Pad and Bluetooth speaker for playing music

Favorite spot in America?

Hilton Head

Favorite drink?

Manhattan

Title of your autobiography?

“No one would believe it”

New Port Royal Members

Member Fun Quiz

The first two people to email me at joan.buratti@icloud.com with the correct answer will win two glasses of wine at Robber’s Row Grille. Good luck!

Answer to Last Month’s Quiz:

A Thanksgiving turkey mix-up inspired what popular meal trend?

Answer - Swanson TV dinners

In 1953, someone at Swanson colossally miscalculated the level of American appetite for turkey, leaving the company with 260 tons of frozen birds sitting in ten refrigerated railroad cars. A Swanson salesman inspired by the trays of pre-prepared food on airlines, ordered 5,000 aluminum trays in which he put turkey, dressing and gravy, peas and sweet potatoes making the first TV dinners. They sold for 98 cents each and in 1954 sold 10,000,000.

The winners are:

Nancy Sheahan Michael Hall

1. 2. Thanks to all those that participated.

What company’s advertisement can we thank for the image of Santa we know today?

Coy and Liz Compton – Resident Single Golf (Mr.) Social (Mrs.)

Christmas Tree Lighting Photos

Holiday Gala Photos

Member Holiday Cocktail Photos

Chili Night

AROUND THE CLUBHOUSE Chili Night

Valentine's Day Dinner

AROUND THE CLUBHOUSE Mardi Gras Dinner