Newsletter- October 2020

Smoke Signals OCT 2020

TIES THAT RUN DEEP "WE CAN'T HELP EVERYONE, BUT EVERYONE CAN HELP SOMEONE" - R. REAGAN SEE PAGE 11

Manager's Message

By Brian Darlak

I want to start by providing an update on the two positive COVID-19 cases at the club in early September.

These cases are believed to be independent of each other.

Both employees have quarantined the necessary 14 days and have been symptom free during that time.

Members and employees who were within close proximity of those individuals were notified of the potential exposure. The employees who were within close proximity of those individuals quarantined for 14 day from their last encounter with the positive employee.

Several employees were tested and, thankfully, all have tested negative and have been symptom free.

I understand several members quarantined and/or elected to get tested. The test were also negative and no symptoms occurred. I take comfort in knowing that the affected employees did not experience any major discomfort or complications during this time. We will continue to adhere to our policies and practices in place to mitigate the risk of exposure - namely wearing masks, social distancing, and cleaning and disinfecting schedules of common touch surfaces.

Now on to the fun!

Thinking back to conversations pre-COVID-19, we were planning many great events centered around celebrating the Club’s 65th birthday. While many of the events and activities were re-worked or pushed to next year, there are still some great events to put on your calendar for the remainder of this year.

October 17th - Kickin’ It on the Creek. Local favorite band Soul Grind (featuring our very own Rob Pittman) will play a concert on the back of the 1st green. Drop anchor in the creek or bring lawn chairs for the fairway to enjoy the concert from 3:00-6:00.

Refreshments will be available on the T-Head and in the fairway.

October 30th will be the sports awards presentation; this will be a virtual presentation honoring the great play in Racquet and Golf over the year.

October 31st - "The Great Pumpkin" Drive through youth trick or treat event. This is similar to the Easter Egg Hunt. This will be a drive through event where the Club is partnering with the Chamber of Commerce and several local businesses to hand out candy along club drive and incorporate a fun scavenger hunt in the process.

November 26th - Thanksgiving To-Go! The Club will do all the cooking for you for Thanksgiving, so you can enjoy more time with family and friends.

December 31st - New Years Eve Dinner. The format of the event is changing for this year to be just a dinner event to take place earlier in the evening, allowing you the ability to ring in the new year as you choose!

More details for all of these events and more can be found on the club calendar, check back over time.

Thank you for supporting the club and helping to find new ways to enjoy the friendship and fellowship club life offers.

GREAT WEATHER, GREAT FOOD

by Curt DeGraw, Food & Beverage Director

As the season turns to fall, we in the food and beverage department get really excited. Fresh off a fun-filled September with wine dinners, lobster nights, great golf tournaments and bubbles by the bay, we look ahead to what’s happening in October. Please plan on joining us whenever you can for the following social and dining offerings.

October 2020: 2nd - Toast and Roast 15th - Land down under wine tasting event 17th - Kick'n it at the creek with Soul Grind 24th - Oktoberfest 31st- The Great Pumpkin Halloween - Drive-thru trick or treat and scavenger hunt (open to all) As always please join us often at the club and meet on of our incredible staff waiting to serve you.

See you all soon!

Commodore's Corner We are coming to the end of this Yacht Club’s cruising and social season and we now embark on the process which brings about the report on the year’s events, the election of a new Bridge and the change of watch.

We don’t want to let the time-honored traditions of the Yacht Club to go by the board*, but clearly this year we will have to do things differently.

Yacht Club members will receive formal notice of the Annual Meeting, which will be held virtually on October 14th. (Details will be made available on the YC website). Normally we would present our Annual Report and the slate of officers for next year’s bridge at that time, but as everyone can not access a virtual meeting our report will be available online at the beginning of October.

I am delighted to inform you that the Nominating Committee, chaired by Past Commodore Steve Bedford, has assembled a very strong slate of nominations to be led by this year’s Vice Commodore Bob Wayland.

The nominations are: Commodore Bob Wayland Vice Commodore George Fentress Rear Commodore Brian Clark Fleet Captain Randy Graham, Port Captain John Upshur Sailing Master Dan Hoyt Treasurer Paul Harris, Secretary Nancy Frank

In normal times, members would have an opportunity to ask questions about the Annual Report and make nominations for the Bridge from the floor during the meeting. We will attempt to do this during our virtual meeting, but we are all prisoners of technology and so if you would like to ensure your question/nomination is actioned please contact me (tony.ennis@gmail.com) by October 7th and then we will not be totally dependent on the vicissitudes of modern technology.

The Commodore’s Ball has, of course, been cancelled.

Our By Laws, however, call for the Change of Watch to held at the Ball. So we will be seeking to amend the By Laws to allow for flexibility this year, or indeed any other in the future. Notification of the By Law change should have been received with your Notification of the Annual Meeting. We will need at least 30 members to log on to obtain a quorum for the Annual Meeting and the nominations for the new Bridge to be approved, so please make every effort to log on at 5.00 pm on October 14th.

*Go by the board - Be discarded, lost, abandoned or ignored. Board was a nautical term for the side of a ship.

Anything that went 'by the board', i.e. overboard, was therefore lost or liable to be.

IN THE HEAT OF SUMMER

by Mike Mayer, PGA

ONLINE TEE TIMES: BEST PRACTICES

RESULTS

Golf tee times have now been accessible to you through both our website and the new Indian Creek app for over a month now. From our perspective the membership is using the new services very well, but one common question raised is:

Sadie Hawkins Scramble This year’s event featured a two-person scramble format. Congratulations to Lynn Georgiadis and Michael Rhodes who won the playoff against Molly Gatchell and Bob Gillispie.

Both teams carded a net 63. Finishing third only one stroke back was the team of Rhonda MacQueen and Chris Maxwell who won a playoff against Kay Stout and Brian Murray who finished in fourth.

Q: “It looks like everything is full today. I can’t make a tee time.”

A: Tee times are available for online or app, but the ability to book for the next day or the current day ends at 5:00 p.m. the day before. If you want to book and play on the same day, you must call the Pro Shop to book your tee time. This way we can adequately prepare for anticipated business levels.

It also allows us the opportunity to encourage you to come play when we may be able to start your group on the back nine or somewhere else on the course, if possible.

For all online tee times: Please indicate 1) how many players will be on the reservation 2) whether you will be playing nine or eighteen holes and 3) fill in all of the players in your group.

Having this information speeds up check-in and your charges for the round are directly linked to you fill in your tee time information.

SIGN IN PRIOR TO PLAY While we had the Pro Shop closed for member entrance in March and April, we now strongly encourage all golfers to register in the Pro Shop before beginning play.

As with all indoor businesses in Virginia, we do require you to wear a mask in the shop. Extra masks are available at the door.

Mixed Scramble Twenty-nine players enjoyed a beautiful day of golf and dinner at Indian Creek Yacht & Country Club playing in a net scramble on September 13. The winning team with a score of 64.2 pictured below from left to right was: Mike Petty, Jim and Margie Rankin and Molly Gatchell.

Second place also with a net score of 64.2 but losing in a playoff was Ted Kattmann, Beth Kendrick and Dianne Saunders. Finishing in third place with a score of 65.9 was the team of Ray and Barbara Maynard with Ken and Kylie Bransford.

Turf Talk

by Pete Stephens, CGCS

Recently, it seemed as though someone pulled the fire alarm and instead of the old "it's just a drill" mentality I recall from my elementary years, the smell of smoke came in strong in the form of a quarantined crew.

Immediately I started to wonder how am I going to do everything that needs done myself? Well, I am proud to say that with the help of a handful of members, staff and family - we were able to get through the situation and in one day of the crew returning we saw tremendous progress.

There are not many types of businesses that band together in times such as those and I could not be more appreciative. Even though we felt the minimal tasks of mowing greens, fairways, tees, collars and approaches were the right places to focus time and energy during that period, many others offered a helping hand and would've done whatever was asked that is just one of the many things that makes ICYCC unique.

On the course, we are focusing a great deal of time working on bunkers, rough cutting, fertilizing the bermudagrass as it gets ready for dormancy in the near future, and weed control.

We are fortunate to report that the crew is healthy and happy to be back.

Congratulations to Employee of the Month, Alvin Smith Alvin has been with ICYCC since...

He has spent much of his career in landscaping, both commercial and residential, and he enjoys the rewarding feeling of a job well done. Alvin and his wife Janice enjoy living in White Stone with many hours spent around the community helping others. He is always willing to stop and help with whatever the task at hand may be and we are grateful to have him.

Ever wonder how many golf balls are sitting at the bottom of Indian Creek? Well , if every year, roughly 125,000 balls are hit into the water surrounding TPC Sawgrass’ world-renowned island green 17th hole, then perhaps it's somewhere close.

RACQUET NEWS

by George Christoforatos

Pickleball Engage Camp with Robert Elliot – US Open Pro Medalist, Tournament of Champions Pro Medalist and IFP Global Director Robert will be the lead instructor for the Indian Creek Pickleball Camp, Oct 2-4th. The cost is $350 for three days of camp, the total number of hours on court will be 9 hours, split into 3 hours per day. The camp is open for all players, all levels of play, we are excited to have one of the worlds top Pickleball Players coming to ICYCC to help us all become better players. Depending on the number of players who enroll, we may add another Engage Pro player to assist with the camp. We have to meet the minimum of 12 players for the camp to be delivered. This is a member only event. Please sign up early.

Ladies Round Robin Play – Monday and Friday 9 - 11 a.m.

This Is played outdoors and the ladies are having a great time, come on out and enjoy the clay courts and some great tennis.

Cardio Tennis – Tuesday and Thursday 8 – 9 a.m.

Cardio Tennis has started back up with two new days and times. Tuesday and Thursday 8– 9am. George will have some great music and drill to keep everyone moving and burning calories. Most of all it’s a fun way to exercise and enjoy playing tennis.

Drills and Drinks – Wednesday 4 - 5:30 p.m.

Drinks and Drills has been a great success! Please sign up online and early, we have had some outstanding numbers and look to continue to grow. The concept is great - we do some drills, focusing on a part of the game (strategy, technique, positioning); depends on the group and what they want to work on. We drill and then we put it into play and lastly, we drink! Lots of fun and learning for all.

ICYCC Tennis Tournament – Oct 10-12 and 17 and18th The tournament season is upon us, and we are looking forward to having a great turnout this year. Last year, we witnessed some wonderful play and we expect the same this year. Contact George and get signed up early for a tournament.

ICYCC Pickleball and Spec Tennis Tournament - Nov 6 - 8th This will be the first annual Pickleball and Spec Tennis tournament. I’m excited to see our wonderful players competing. Please sign up early and contact George if your interested in entering the tournaments. We are going to have a lot of fun and enjoying some competitive play.

Keep your eyes open for Pickleball Clinics and Spec Tennis Clinics - we are in the process of scheduling new Pickleball and Spec Tennis Clinics for the fall/winter.

GARDEN BUZZ: "Here in Our Skies"

by Beth Kendrick Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures are prominent fixtures in our skies or perched on water towers, roofs and trees. These incredibly interesting birds are a vital part of our ecosystem. They are nature’s garbage men, cleaning up roadkill and other dead and decaying fauna. Easily identified in the air, vultures ride the high thermals doing lazy circles with their wings in a Vshape. The “Turkey” species has a red, naked head, resembling that of turkey: hence the name. They run to 3.3 pounds in weight and 3 ½ feet in length. They can smell a potential meal from an amazing 8 miles away and 1000 feet in the air. The heads are naked because the birds thrust them into the carcasses of dead animals where feathers would gather the microbes attendant upon rotting meat. The bare head is surely more hygienic than would be a feathered one.

Their efficient noses are open from one side to the other providing a “thruway” for air and thus better cleaning.

Everything about these creatures borders on the disgusting. To cool themselves off on hot days they spread their wings and pee on their feet. As that moisture evaporates, the feet cool. They can also project vomit up to 10 feet...a skill which prompts any observer to keep his distance. They use the projectile vomiting as a defense or to lighten the gastric load, if they have been too gluttonous to be able to fly.

The Black Vulture is similar and can be identified in flight by the white “stars” on the undertips of the wings: the only white on an otherwise totally black bird.

They soar above the Turkey Vultures and watch where they go to feed, because the black vulture is not equipped with as exceptional a sense of smell. Although they are the smaller of the two species, they are far more aggressive.

They have no voice box and so will hiss menacinglyat you if you get too close for comfort.

They have super acidic stomach juices designed to kill virtually all bacteria they ingest from rotting food.

This bird can eat up to two pounds of spoiled flesh at one sitting...or perching...and so keeps our world a little sweeter.

The next time you see one, look beyond its homely visage and appreciate its contribution to the carrion clean-up, an otherwise unwanted job.

"A face only a mother could love!"

AT A GLAN C E

TOAST & ROAST Oct 2: 5:30 p.m.

MEN'S GOLF CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP

STHGILGIH TNEVE

Oct 3 & 4 (Tee Times)

WORLD OF WINE DOWN UNDER Oct 15: 5:30 p.m.

YACHT CLUB ANNUAL MEETING

October 14: 5:00 p.m.

KICK'N IT ON THE CREEK

October 17: 3-6 p.m.

OKTOBERFEST

October 23: 5-8 p.m.

WGA HOLE-O-WEEN October 29: 9:00 a.m.

SPORTS AWARDS PRESENTATION October 30

THE GREAT PUMPKIN DRIVE THRU TRICK OR TREAT/SCAVENGER HUNT

Oct 31: 3-5 p.m.

NIGHT GOLF

Oct 31: 7 p.m.

Contact Us

Board of Directors BILL VOSE, CLUB PRESIDENT BRIAN CLARKE DAVID DEW BARBARA FENTRESS DEBBIE GILLISPIE DAN HOYT MIKE PETTY

Administrative

Food & Beverage

BRIAN DARLAK

CURT DEGRAW

GENERAL MANAGER, CCM 804.435.1340 EXT 107Â BDARLAK@ICYCC.COM

FOOD & BEVERAGE DIRECTOR 804.435.1340 EXT 109 CDEGRAW@ICYCC.COM

MEGAN STEPHENS

MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR 804.435.1340 EXT 104 MEGAN@ICYCC.COM

KATHY RHODES AL ROSS RICK SAUNDERS GIL ZIMMERMAN

SHAWN VALDRIGHI

DINING ROOM MANAGER 804.435.1340 EXT 110 SVALDRIGHI@ICYCC.COM

THERESA DEGRAW

ACCOUNTING & EVENTS 804.435.1340 EXT 106 TDEGRAW@ICYCC.COM

MICHAEL MARTINS

KITCHEN MANAGER 804.435.1340 EXT 111 CHEF@ICYCC.COM

WINDLEY GAULDING

BUSINESS MANAGER 804.435.1340 EXT 105 WGAULDING@ICYCC.COM

Golf HOURS OF OPERATION GOLF COURSE: 8-6 P.M. CURBSIDE CARRYOUT TUESDAY-SUNDAY 11:00-6:00 P.M. SKIPJACK, WILLOW OAKS TERRACE AND GRILL ROOM TUESDAY-SUNDAY 11:30- 7:00 P.M.

CLUB WEBSITE: ICYCC.COM CLUB PHONE: 804.435.1340 TENNIS CENTER: 804.435.2713 GOLF SHOP: 804.435.3130

MIKE MAYER

PETER STEPHENS

HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL, PGA 804.435.1340 EXT 101 804.435.3130 GOLFSHOP@ICYCC.COM

GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT,CGCS 804.435.2470 (O) 804.436.4059 (C)

Racquet GEORGE CHRISTOFORATOS

RACQUET SPORTS DIRECTOR 804.435.1340 EXT 102 TENNIS@ICYCC.COM