SMOKE SIGNALS
December 2024
WISHING YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES A JOYFUL HOLIDAY SEASON FILLED WITH WARMTH, HAPPINESS, AND CHERISHED MOMENTS!
FROM THE PRESIDENT
BY KEN KOPOCIS
Hello Indian Creek Yacht & Country Club. I am humbled to be chosen as the Club President for the next 12 months For the many of you who do not know me, I am a regular golfer and a member of the Yacht Club. My wife Chris (also a regular golfer) and I rarely miss wine club events. Other social events at the Club and with Club Members are a substantial part of our activities in the Northern Neck. We chose to make this area our permanent retirement home because of the beauty of the area and the opportunities that ICYCC provides.
I have served on the Board for 4 years, 2 chairing the Green & Grounds Committee and 2 chairing the Finance Committee. I reiterate my thanks to my immediate predecessors – Barbara Fentress and Al Ross.They led the Club through the COVID pandemic and its aftermath, which was only possible because of their leadership and that of the Board.
I am committed to being President for the entire Club. We at the Club are blessed to have a variety of social and recreational opportunities for our Members Whether your primary activities at the Club are dining, social, yachting, racquet, or golf (and any combination thereof), ICYCC is one Club working in unison for the betterment of all Members. This is how we thrive and succeed, being united as one Club for all our Members regardless of our individual interests.
ThestaffatICYCCdeeplyappreciatesyour kindandgenerousholidaygiftcontribution. Itmeanssomuchtofeelvaluedand supported,especiallyduringthisseasonof gratitudeandgiving.Thankyouformaking theholidaysevenbrighter!
The Club is entering an exciting time. Next year marks our 70th anniversary, and your Board is committed to ensuring success for the next 70 years. This will involve investments in ourselves that create the most attractive social and recreational opportunities on the Northern Neck Replacing an aged and inadequate pool, improvements to the golf course, and addressing improved racquet opportunities lead the list.Simultaneously, we will ensure that existing facilities offer the experience and satisfaction our Members expect and make other investments to meet Member expectations.
December2024
SOCIAL
DECEMBER 3
DECEMBER 6
Prime Rib Night
Bow Making Class
Winter Wonderland
DECEMBER 8 Brunch with Santa
DECEMBER 11 Mah Jongg
Gourmet Wine Dinner (First Night)
DECEMBER 12
Gourmet Wine Dinner (Second Night)
DECEMBER 15 Christmas Sing-Along & Dinner
DECEMBER 31 New Year’s Eve Celebration
GOLF
DECEMBER 7
Holiday Spirits Scramble
RACQUET
ON-GOING
Beginner Spec and Pickleball clinics
december 3rd
IT’S A PRIME DAY TO make RESERVATIONS FOR TWISTED TUESDAY!
JOIN US ON DECEMBER 3RD FOR PRIME RIB NIGHT. MENU:
SLOW-ROASTED PRIME RIB WITH AU JUS 10 OZ - 32 / 14 OZ - 38 OR ALASKAN COD - 30
ALL ENTREES SERVED WITH APPETIZER (SHRIMP COCKTAIL OR CHICKEN SATAY), CHOICE OF SOUP OR SALAD, SAFFRON RICE AND GREEN BEANS ALMANDINE
served from 5:00-8:30 pm, book a table today!
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6th
Winter Wonderland
Additional bar items available for purchase enjoy festive foods and specialty cocktails. Enjoy your very own cart shuttle “sleigh ride” 5:30 til
MEET AT TRAIN STATION
(FRONT LAWN)
to three themed stations where you will
Come Join Us
MENU
· Honey-Orange BBQ Duck Breast on a Wonton Crisp
· Build-Your-Own Barbecue and Mac & Cheese
Includes: Smoked Cheddar Mac & Cheese, Slider Rolls,
Bourbon BBQ, Pulled Chicken with Alabama White
Sauce, Shredded Cheddar-Jack, Chopped Bacon,
Bacon BBQ Pulled Pork, Shredded Short Ribs with · Pineapple Fried Rice with Jerk Mahi-Mahi Bites
· Cherry-Streusel Cobbler Caramelized Onions & Coleslaw
· Coconut Fried Shrimp with Sweet & Sour Sauce
· Cinnamon Pullman Bread Pudding with
All Aboard! The Marina Hollands Hole Bourbon Hard Sauce Dessert on the Terrace with Pickled Vegetables
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
by Megan Stephens, Membership Director
Making the Most of the
Club at the Holidays
The holiday season is the perfect time to take full advantage of all your club has to offer. From festive events to cozy gatherings, here are a few tips to ensure your holiday experience is memorable:
1. Attend Holiday Events
ICYCCs is hosting a variety of seasonal events, from Winter Wonderland to A Midnight & Moonlight New Year’s Eve parties featuring your best black and white party attire and decorations These are wonderful opportunities to connect with fellow members, enjoy festive décor, and celebrate in style Be sure to RSVP early as these events tend to fill up quickly!
2. Plan Private Gatherings
Your club’s facilities are ideal for hosting family get-togethers, office parties, or friends’ celebrations. Reserve a private room or space for a holiday meal, and let the club’s culinary team take care of the details, so you can focus on enjoying the moment. If you are interested in booking a space, please contact Event Coordinator Angie Geesey at 804.435.1340 ext 115 or catering@icycc.com.
3. Shop the Club
Take advantage of holiday shopping opportunities through your club’s pro shops (both golf and racquet), gift services, or wine cellar. Many clubs offer unique gift ideas, exclusive items, or festive discounts to make your shopping stress-free. Did you know we will ship your gift to a loved one for you?
4. Use Amenities for Winter Fun
Whether it’s cozying up by the fire in the Skipjack lounge, enjoying seasonal drinks at the bar, or engaging in winter activities like pickleball, trivia, corn hole or golf simulators, the club offers plenty of ways to embrace the season
5. Share the Spirit
Invite friends or prospective members to join you for a club event or meal
Sharing the club’s holiday cheer is a great way to show them what makes it so special.
6. Relax and Recharge
Amid the hustle and bustle of the season, use the club as a place to unwind. Book a table for brunch, grab a table and play games, or just take time to reflect on the year in a familiar, welcoming space.
This holiday season, let your club be your home away from home. Whether celebrating, shopping, or simply relaxing, the club is here to make your holidays truly unforgettable. To ICYCC!
Please join me in extending a warm welcome to the newest members of our ICYCC community:
PETE&GINNYFIELD
DAVID&CINDYRAYNER
JEFF&ANNESCHROEDER
MARK&HEATHERSHORT
We’re thrilled to have them join our club! Be sure to visit the website’s New Member page to learn more about these families or to find their contact information. Reach out, introduce yourselves, and start connecting whether it’s on the course, on the courts, at events, or enjoying all the amenities our club has to offer!
PLEASEJOINUSFOR Brunch with Santa
Sunday,December8:12-2pm
·Sliced Fruit & Berries with Honey-Vanilla Yogurt Dip
·Assorted Muffins & Pastries
Omelet & Egg Station
Cinnamon Swirl French Toast Souffle
Bacon & Maple Link Sausage
Honey-Brown Sugar Glazed Ham with Pineapple Sauce
Seafood Newburg with Rice Pilaf
·Assorted Cakes & Pies Kids’ Table:
Chicken Tenders and Mac & Cheese
+ Decorate Your Own Cookie
NEW! BRING YOUR NEW, UNWRAPPED GIFT FOR TOYS FOR TOTS AND GET A SPECIAL TREAT!
$32 Adults / $16 children (Ages 6-11), Under 6 Are Free!
Dîner Gastronomique
Frenchwineisbelovedworldwideforitsrichhistory, variety,andinfluenceonwinemakingtraditions.With centuriesofcultivationandcraftsmanship,French wineregionsofferdistinctstyles-Joinus!
MENU
Crab & Asparagus Tart with Brie
Bistro Salad
Butter Lettuce, Tarragon, Chives, Parsley, Chopped Walnuts, Pickled Shallots & Red Wine Vinaigrette
Intermezzo
Raspberry Sorbet
Filet of Beef Chasseur
Seared Filet Mignon with a Red Wine-Mushroom Pan Sauce with a Touch of Brandy & Currant Preserves. Served with Au Gratin Potatoes and Broccolini.
Banana Tarte Tatin
Caramel, Bananas & Buttery Pastry with a Dollop of Rum Spiced Whipped Cream
WINES CAREFULLY SELECTED AND PRESENTED BY AMY BRITT OF SPECIALS WINE CELLAR.
Pleaseselectyourpreferrednighttojoinus: December11orDecember12(SoldOut,JointheWaitlist!)
startingat5:30p.m.
SUNDAY,DECEMBER15
5:00 p.m. Cocktails
6:00 p.m. Dinner
Show Begins Once Desset is Served!
Christmas Christmas Sing-Along
Sing-Along
ICYCC’s Annual Holiday Tradition with Live Music & Entertainment
By
Ken Sparks, Carolyn Graham & Joyce Bailey
Entree Choice: Maple Glazed Grilled Chicken Breasts
Topped with Cranberry-Walnut Relish and Served with Sweet Potato Puree & Steamed Asparagus OR Herb-Seared Salmon
Served on Tomato-Florentine Sauce with Parmesan Risotto & Steamed Asparagus
All meals will be served with a seasonal salad and dessert
$40++ Per Person
Midnight & Moonlight
December 31st, 2024
8:00pm Cocktails & Champagne
8:30pm Seated Surf & Turf Dinner
9:30pm Dancing toTidewater Drive Band
Midnight Toast To Ring In The New Year!
MENU
Winter Salad with Blue Cheese Crumbles, Onion, Tomato and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Filet Mignon with Crab-Stuffed Shrimp
Served with Herb Boursin Mashed Potatoes and Carrots
Black & White Dessert Pudding
Complimentary Champagne Toast at Midnight!
Reserve Your Table Now!
Black Tie Encouraged, $115 ++ pp
COMMODORE’S CORNER
ByBobYoung,Commodore
My first order of business as your new Commodore is to thank the committee who put the Commodore’s Ball together The Admiral (ie my lovely wife) put together a committee that hit the ball out of the park My heart felt thanks to all that helped her and participated in the planning and decorating of the club. We really gave Randy and Carolyn a proper send off.
My bridge has already put together a fun fill calendar for next year.We will finalize these dates later this week at a meeting with the other Club activity centers Your Vice Commodore, Lou Frank has put together an excellent slate of educational lectures to get us started and get us through what I call the dark ages (the end of football season to the start of boating season). Rear Commodore Steve Young is working on the Flag Raising and Spring Fling and Fleet Captain Rob Brown is busy planning our cruises for next season. We have decided that the June cruise will stay in the Southern Bay and the September Cruise will stay on the lower Potomac Our thinking is if for some reason you can’t depart on the scheduled departure date you will still be able to easily catch up to the fleet and join in on the fun.
In case you missed it our last educational lecture on winterization was recorded and will soon be available for viewing on the club’s web site We plan on recording all future lectures and maintaining a library of these lectures If there is a subject that you would like to be presented please mention it to one of my bridge members.
MEET YOUR 2025 BRIDGE
Commodore BobYoung
ViceCommodore LouFrank
RearCommodore SteveYoung
FleetCaptain RobBrown
PortCaptain DavidForsyth
SailingMaster DebbyHoyt
Secretary KathrynWainscott
Treasurer RussellMait
GOLF NEWS
By Andrew Geesey, PGA Professional
Winter Golf Tip of the Month
At this time of the the year it is important to maintain your golf game to so that in the Spring your game is not rusty! One thing players often overlook is swing speed. After a long break from playing you can lose a large amount of club head speed.
A great winter program to maintain and improve clubhead speed is SuperSpeed Golf. I have personally seen up to 10mph average gain in the offseason
Heres how it works:
You train with three swing speed clubs with the goal of teaching your muscles to go faster with the same effort Overspeed Training works by making your body go faster than normal during the training gradually. You also make swings in a protocol training your non dominant side.
For more information on this program please contact me at ageesey@icycc com
WGA HOLE-O-WEEN SCRAMBLE WINNERS KENDALL MINTON ,JOAN GRAVATT & CINDY DULLEA
TOUGH DAY TOURNAMENT WINNERS HANK GEORGE, TYLER BRENT, SAMANTHA RAVICH & JUSTIN NELSON
Holiday SPIRITS SCRAMBLE
DECEMBER 7: 11:00 A.M.
A MIXED SCRAMBLE DESIGNED FOR GOLFERS OF ALL SKILL LEVELS.
PLAYERS WILL SIGN UP IN PAIRS. PLEASE NOTE THERE MUST BE A MINIMUM OF 7 STROKE DIFFERENCE IN THE TWO PLAYERS HANDICAP.
THE PRO SHOP ASSEMBLES 4-PERSON TEAMS WITH THE TWO PERSON SIGNUPS. IF YOU NEED A PARTNER PLEASE CONTACT THE PRO SHOP.
OPEN TO ALL ICYCC MEMBERS BUT LIMITED TO THE FIRST 72 REGISTRANTS. TEAMS WITH THE TOP 3 NET SCORES EACH WIN A COLLECTION OF EXCELLENT “HOLIDAY SPIRITS” AND PLAYERS GATHER IN THE CLUB AFTER THE GOLF FOR A PLAYERS’ HAPPY HOUR
$10 PP ENTRY - REGISTER BY DEC 5 AT 5 P.M.
Turf Talk
ByPeteStephens,CGCS
As we move further into fall, we’re thrilled to share that the course is in exceptional shape, with the greens showing steady, strong progress Thanks to last month’s aeration and top-dressing practices, combined with nutrient applications, the greens have rebounded quickly, offering a smooth and resilient playing surface.
Looking ahead, we’ve planned two additional deep-tine aerifications per the USGA agronomist recommendation with top-dressing in January and March. These proactive treatments are designed to enhance turf health, preserve the integrity of the greens, and ensure they remain well-prepared for seasonal changes while optimizing playability.
This month, our team will be working on several key projects to enhance the course and clubhouse areas. Here’s what’s on the schedule:
Clubhouse Lighting: We’re installing new outdoor lighting in front of the Clubhouse, creating a more inviting entrance while enhancing safety and visibility for members and guests during evening events.
Course Cleanup: Fall brings an abundance of leaves, and our crew will be busy with leaf mulching and removal across the course, ensuring clean, well-maintained fairways and greens.
Tree Maintenance: We’ll perform targeted tree trimming on holes #10, #14, and #16, along with scheduled tree removal on Hole #13 to improve sunlight and airflow to the green These efforts will enhance course conditions and improve air flow and turf health in these critical areas.
Fun Fact – Strategic Tree Placement Can Shape the Game!
On a golf course, trees aren’t just beautiful backdrops they play a strategic role in course design and challenge The placement, type, and even the height of trees can influence the difficulty of a hole by framing sight lines, shaping doglegs, and adding obstacles for golfers to navigate. Regular tree maintenance, like trimming and selective removal, ensures that trees don’t overly disrupt play while promoting healthy air circulation and sunlight for turf. So, every trimmed branch and wellplaced tree adds to the course's playability and the natural beauty of the game!
Thank you for your continued support as we strive to provide a premium course experience We look forward to sharing more exciting updates with you soon!
Warm Regards,
Peter Stephens, CGCS
HOT WINTER SALE
Indian Creek Yacht and Country Club Racquet Clothing Sale
Explore our collection of premium tennis clothing and find the perfect combination to enhance your game. If you look good you play good. Going On Now!
30%TO50%OFF
Food & Beverage
