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SMOKE SIGNALS

January 2025

FROM THE DESK OF THE GENERAL MANAGER

BY BRIAN DARLAK, CCM

As we close the final chapter of 2024, I want to take a moment to thank you, our valued members, for another wonderful year. On behalf of the entire staff at Indian Creek Yacht & Country Club, we extend a heartfelt THANK YOU for your incredible generosity. This year, you contributed over $30,000 to the Employee Holiday Fund, which was distributed among our staff. Your kindness and support mean the world to us, and we deeply appreciate it!

As we step into 2025, there’s so much to look forward to:

70th Anniversary Celebration - 2025 marks the 70th anniversary of Indian Creek! We’re excited to announce plans for a special anniversary bash in late Spring a celebration of the legacy and vibrant future of our club. Stay tuned for details!

Exciting Events and Activities - Our Committee Chairs and Department Heads have outlined a fantastic lineup of events for 2025. Be sure to check the Club Calendar on our website regularly for the latest updates and schedules.

Pool Project Updates - Early in the year, we’ll be hosting an informational meeting about the Pool Project. During this session, we’ll unveil concepts and discuss funding options We can’t wait to share our vision with you!

Budget Planning for 2025 - Our Department Heads are hard at work drafting operational budgets for the coming year. The Finance Committee will review the initial draft, which will then be presented to the Board in February for further review. Final approval is scheduled for the March Board Meeting.

As we reflect on the successes of 2024, I am filled with gratitude and optimism for the year ahead. With your support and participation, 2025 promises to be a remarkable chapter in Indian Creek’s story.

Thank you again, and here’s to a fantastic year ahead!

Today,wehonoranincrediblemilestone—70yearsof ICYCCFromhumblebeginningstoalegacybuilton dedication,passion,andperseverance,thisjourneyhasbeen nothingshortofextraordinary.

Toeveryonewhohasbeenpartofthisstory pastand present thankyouforyoursupport,trust,and contributions.Thismilestoneisatestamenttothe strengthofoursharedvisionandcommitment.

Here’stocelebratingthepast,embracingthepresent, andlookingforwardtoafuturefilledwithevengreater success!

AspecialTHANKYOUtoeach ofourpeer-nominated Employee oftheMonthrecipientsfor2024:

MARY OWENS - FEBRUARY

ANDREW DAVIDSON - MARCH

MEFI MARTINEZ - APRIL

CEPHAS REESE - MAY

PEYTON KURDZIEL- JUNE

KIA SYDNOR - JULY

PATRICK WALKER - AUGUST

NATASHIA ROTHMANNSEPTMEBER

LAURA SUTTON - OCTOBER

BRITNEY RICE- NOVEMBER

SHENIA VENEY - DECEMBER

January2025

SOCIAL

CLUBHOUSE CLOSED JANUARY 1- 14 - WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN THE SKIPJACK ON THE 15TH!

JANUARY 16

JANUARY 21

JANUARY 26

JANUARY 28

Wine Club Event: Blind “Mystery” Tasting

Bunco Sunday Brunch Buffet, 11am-2pm

Italian Night

RACQUET

JANUARY 18

Winter Blues Social

JANUARY 25 Indoor Racquet Center

Openhouse ALL MEMBERS WELCOME!

GOLF

JANUARY 10,17,24 & 31

Full Swing Winter Clinic at the Indoor Racquet Center (All Levels)

FEBRUARY 1 Free Indoor Putting Clinic (All Levels)

YACHT

JANUARY 18

Yacht Club Seminar: Maintenance you can do & maintenance you probably shouldn’t”

buffetsreturn!

BLIND“MYSTERY” TASTING January16

5:30p.m.

Join us for a fun evening tasting six “MYSTERY” wines. Challenge yourself and table mates to name the varietal, region or country of origin and other fun facts.

Think you can tell the most expensive wine from the least expensive wine served that evening? Guess which is new world vs old world wines. Lots of prizes and FUN! Accompanying the wines will be a small appetizer plate. Enjoy this fun evening and chance to show off your wine knowledge. Come join the fun, sign up now.

$30++ Wine Club

$40++ All Others

JOINUSFORAN

ITALIAN NIGHT

Dinner

Gather around the table and experience the warmth, flavors, and traditions of Italy at our Italian Family-Style Dinner Night!

JANUARY 28

5:30-8:30PM

Chef Patrick and the culinary team will prepare authentic dishes with tastes from various regions of the country side.

Bring your family, friends, or just your appetite this is an evening you won’t want to miss!

Limited seating available, book your table today!

$59++ per person

Includes your choice of red or white wine

MEMBERSHIPMATTERS

byMeganStephens,MembershipDirector

We’reAllontheMembershipCommittee!”

AtICYCC,ourmembersareattheheartofeverythingwedo Fromfosteringfriendshipstocreating lifelongmemories,it’sthecollectivespiritofourcommunitythatmakesthisclubtrulyspecial Butdid youknowthateverymemberplaysavitalroleinshapingourfuture?

That’sright eachmemberisapartofourMembershipCommittee!Here’showyoucanhelp:

BeanAmbassador:Invitefriends,family,orcolleaguestoexperiencetheclub.Sharewhatyoulove mostaboutbeingamemberandshowthemwhatmakesthiscommunitysounique.

EngageandConnect:Whenyouseeanewface,introduceyourself Awarmwelcomegoesalongway inhelpingpotentialandnewmembersfeelathome

ShareYourFeedback:Yourinsightsmatter!Letusknowhowwecancontinuetoenhancethe membershipexperienceforyouandothers.

Byworkingtogether,wecanattractindividualswhoalignwith70yearsofclubvaluesandtraditions, ensuringourclubremainsvibrantandthrivingformanyyearstocome.

Let’salltakeprideinthissharedresponsibility becauseatICYCC,buildingastrongercommunitystarts witheachofus

Blast from the past - enjoy an article from the club’s inception and plans for a long-lasting future

REFLECTING ON70YEARS

COMMODORE’S CORNER

ByBobYoung,Commodore

In my last article I told you that our lecture series would soon be available online. Happy to report the first lecture is now available. To view the first installment, go to the club’s website (not the app), click on menu in the upper right of the screen and from the pull down menu click on the arrow to the right (if on a mobile device or tablet, be sure to click the arrow and not the words “yacht club”), lecture series is the second option on the new pull down menu

I would also like to point out that in the last pull down menu there was an option labeled “yacht club roster”.This is a filtered roster that contains just yacht club members and has additional information that will assist cruise leaders as they provide destination marinas and yacht clubs with our vessel info. Getting this roster flushed out and updated will be a point of emphasis this year. Megan has prepared an excellent tutorial on how to update your information that we will be distributing in the near future. When you get this tutorial, please take a few minutes and update your information

I hope Santa brings you the new toy you want for your boat Joy asked him for a high amp alternator and a AIS transmitter - I hope she made his very nice list! If you are stuck for a gift for the man that has everything, the Pro Shop has the new burgee ties in stock, as well as, new burgees. I hope everybody has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year filled with lots of boating.

FREESEMINAR,

JANUARY 18 9:00AM COFFEE & EGG MUFFIN 9:30AM SEMINAR WITH RON PUGH

Benefit from valuable insights on maintenance for sail and powerboats of all sizes! Drawing on 50 years of ownership of runabouts, daysailers, along with large cruising sail and power boats, Ron brings experience on “simply messing about on boats” all of us can envy - and learn from He’ll cover what maintenance tasks we owners can handle and which are best left to professionals. Secure your FREE spot today and set sail with confidence! MAINTENANCE

“I DON’T OWN A BOAT, WHY JOIN THE YACHT CLUB?”

I don’t own a boat or I only own a small boat, why should I join the “Yacht Club” portion of the Indian Creek Yacht and Country Club? Being a member of the Indian Creek Yacht Club offers non-boaters and small boat operators many benefits. We have many shore events that everyone can attend, the Commodore’s Ball, the Spring Fling and the Progressive Dinner to name a few The Progressive Dinner is so popular that we have to hold a lottery just to see who is lucky enough to attend. During the winter months, we offer educational seminars that will make new boaters safer and more confident on the water. During the boating season we offer River Raft cruises which offer small boaters the opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie of a raft party without venturing out into the Bay

Perhaps the best benefit of being a member of the Yacht Club is that Indian Creek Yacht Club is a member of the Yacht Clubs of America organization. This membership let us enjoy reciprocity at hundreds of yacht clubs across the country It is important to realize you don’t have to arrive by boat to enjoy this privilege A few of the Chesapeake Bay area yacht clubs that my wife and I have dined at include, Annapolis YC, Hampton YC, Tred Avon YC and Norfolk YC. Traveling up and down the East Coast we have also enjoyed dinning at Charleston YC, South Carolina YC on Hilton Head, Florida Yacht Club in Jacksonville FL, Halifax River Yacht Club in Daytona Beach, Marathon YC, Naples Sailing and Yacht Club in Naples and the Tampa Yacht Club Access to these and many other great clubs are yours for only $50 a year. Please contact the Club Office if you want to add “Yacht Club” membership to your Club membership.

For those of you who are already Yacht Club members but haven’t yet taken advantage of the benefit of dining at other clubs, here are a couple of tips:

Before you depart on a trip, have the club office provide you a letter that states you are a member in good standing

Call the club you would like to use and tell them you are a member of a reciprocal club and would like to make a reservation. Be prepared to show your letter when you speak to the hostess.

Once you are seated, tell your server that you are a member of a reciprocal and ask how they prefer you pay. Most clubs will accept credit cards, but some still prefer billing your home club

So, with this, I leave you with an invitation to join the yacht club and enjoy the club in a new capacity!

Bob Young Commodore

“THE

GOLF NEWS

By Andrew Geesey, PGA Professional

Winter Golf Tip of the Month

In the winter, you can still practice a putting drill that can be done both inside and outside! Outside, put two tees about 3 feet apart and try to hit your ball as close to the imaginary line between these two as possible. When weather is poor, you can use a piece of tape or a string, then placing this on a putting mat or carpet. If you're struggling to hit it too far, take the putter back shorter. If you're struggling to hit it too short, take your putter backswing farther. This drill can be an effective way to practice speed control so that you don’t start the season rusty on the greens!

Holiday Spirits Winners-

1st Arthur Rausch + Beth Ann Kendrick + Barbara Fentress + Barbara L. Sherupski

2nd Tyler Brent + Thomas J. Brent + Barbara Maynard + Samantha Ravich

3rd Richard Saunders + Dianne Saunders + Blair Nelsen + Steve Bowen

Recently the VSGA re-rated our golf course and there are considerable changes which take effective January 1, 2025. How does this affect you? In the short term, your handicap will be slightly reduced depending on the tee you play from and long term, you will see a higher differential, which potentially raises your handicap over time. VIEW LETTER AND RATINGS

Turf Talk

ByPeteStephens,CGCS

A Time for Renewal and Reflection

As we welcome the new year, it's the perfect opportunity for renewal and improvement. Each golf turf management season presents its own unique set of challenges, consistently testing our agronomic programs as we strive to deliver ideal playing conditions throughout the year. This is why we take time annually to reflect on the past season examining our successes and struggles and use those insights to plan for the year ahead

The start of a new year is also a great time to focus on safety, refine equipment operation techniques, and expand our knowledge of turf maintenance through education and training. Looking back, we have much to be grateful for. This past year, we made significant strides in several key areas:

Enhanced Weed Management: We strengthened our herbicide program, laying a solid foundation for even greater results in the future.

Immigrant Labor Program: The introduction of a new labor program was a resounding success, and we’re thrilled to welcome back the same dedicated international staff this year.

Capital Improvements: Important projects were completed, enhancing our maintenance facility and overall campus These improvements not only support our operations but also reinforce our commitment to environmental stewardship.