The Clubber - August 2021

DIGITAL EDITION: August 2021

In this Issue:

Where to Eat & Drink in August Plus 10 Questions with our GM, Don Smith!

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Tom Jordak, President Hans Warren, Vice President Chuck Handy, Treasurer John Hollmeyer, Secretary Mal McLean, Assistant Secretary Marty White, Legal Counsel Meredith Shorkey, Ex-Officio Eddie Bean Donnie Bobbitt Brian Boone Mike Broderick Bryan Gerrard Allison Moss Vince Sumner

LEADERSHIP TEAM Don Smith, General Manager Jean Zoutewelle, CFO Eric Reeves, Director of Golf Scott Kennon, Director of Golf Course Operations Scott Craig, Director of Culinary Operations Thomas Eek, Director of Tennis Brian Sette, Director of Dining Operations Jordan Kovalcik, Clubhouse Manager Brittany Watson, Human Resources Manager Silvia Lalinde, Membership Director Erin Schlegel, Youth & Activities Director

clubhouse

Open vs. Closed at MPCC Turn & Tavern

ACCESSIBLE VIA THE TEMPORARY CART PATH

Pine Room & Patio

OPEN CLOSED

Byron Nelson Lounge

OPEN

Family Dining Room

OPEN

EVENING BEVERAGE SERVICE NOW AVAILABLE

CHANGES OCCURING ON 8/3

PATH TO TURN & TAVERN

Hours of Operation TAVERN Tuesday - Sunday 11:30am-9:00pm

*grain bowl station available

BYRON NELSON LOUNGE Tuesday - Sunday 5:00pm-9:00pm FAMILY DINING ROOM Tuesday - Sunday 11:30am-2:00pm 5:00pm-9:00pm *salad bar available

PATH TO FAMILY DINING ROOM

BEGINNING TUESDAY, AUGUST 3RD, FAMILY DINING WILL BE ACCESSIBLE THROUGH THE POOL ENTRANCE.

10 QUESTIONS WITH DON SMITH 1.Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I was born in Stoneham, MA, just 9 miles north of downtown Boston, and grew up in Medford, MA. I attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst where I received a degree in agronomy and biology studies.

Believe it or not, I began working at clubs at age 15 in the golf course maintenance department! I’ve been married to my wonderful and patient wife Susan for 33 years, and we have three kids – my daughter Erin who attended Chapel Hill and now lives in Charlotte as well; my son Ryan who attended Appalachian State and is now in graduate school in Arizona; and my eldest son James, who attended the University of New Hampshire, and still lives in NH.

2. Tell us about your career path – how did you get to MPCC? It all started from the ground up...literally...in the golf course maintenance department. My first superintendent job was as Green Meadow Golf Club in southern New Hampshire. From there, I had the opportunity to enter the development side of golf through some folks buying a partially built residential golf community.

For 10+ years, I migrated to construction management and development in the residential and commercial spheres while staying connected with clubs and resorts. After years in construction, I knew my passion lied in the club world and was fortunate to accepted my first General Manager position at Passaconaway Country Club in Litchfield, NH. While in that role, I happened to meet a gentleman who was building a club and was asked if I wanted to help him build Crooked Creek Golf Club in Fuquay Varina. I managed and facilitated the completion of the golf course and clubhouse construction.

In 2006, I accepted the GM position at MacGregor Downs in Cary, NC. I remained there for 5 years before I accepted a position with Toll Brothers as GM at Brier Creek Country Club. That role led me to several more opportunities within the Toll Bros. company, including GM at Snowmass Club, then Vice and Senior Vice President providing oversight to a number of clubs. In 2018 I accepted a role at The Riviera Country Club and spent 3 years there as General Manager, during which I had the pleasure of hosting 3 PGA tour events as well as preparing for the Club’s centennial and the 2028 Olympics.

Ultimately, North Carolina was calling us back, so when the opportunity at Myers Park CC came available, I knew it was the right move.

clubhouse 3.Why leave such a prestigious club like Riviera?

I know this sounds corny, but North Carolina has always felt like home to me and my family, so I truly feel like I had the opportunity to come back home. And we couldn’t be happier!

4.You are joining the MPCC team during a major construction project. How are you prepared to jump in and manage this project?

I feel I can leverage my years of construction experience in both residential and commercial/industrial construction and utilize the skills I have picked up along the way including asset management, renovation, budget management, etc.

6.What do you do in your spare time (if you have any)?

Anything outdoors. I love to cycle, paddle board, hike, and ski.

5.You’ve been here a few weeks. What are some items you see as priorities?

My #1 priority is getting to know you, the members, as well as the MPCC team.

7.What is your favorite part about working in a country club?

The people – the members and teammates working alongside me.

8.Any funny/interesting stories from past clubs/jobs?

I have two – one interesting and one funny. At Snowmass, we built a 9-hole golf course completely out of snow. The mountain groomers came over to the course and groomed the fairways and created greens, which we called “whites.” We also ordered special orange Nike golf balls for play. It was amazing to see members enjoy a round of golf without a single bit of green grass!

Again at Snowmass, a momma bear and her two cubs went dumpster diving for food, and momma bear made her way into the employee dining room. I spent two hours with the police department shooing the bear out of the clubhouse and away from the property.

9.Describe yourself in three words.

Passionate. Committed. Adventurous.

10.What is your favorite movie? Book? Band?

Food?

Movie: The Patriot; Book: The Alchemist; Band: Bon Jovi; Food: fruit & peanut butter (not necessarily together)

clubhouse

DUPLICATE BRIDGE Thursday, September 16th Thursday, October 21st Thursday, November 18th Thursday, December 16th

JULY LADIES BRIDGE WINNERS JULY 7 1st- Nan McLennan 2nd- Barbara Cloninger 3rd- Susie O’Neal 4th- Betty Oelhafen

JULY 14 1st- Helen Cunningham 2nd- Betty Oelhafen 3rd- Barbara Cloninger 4th- Jill Newton

JULY 21 1st- Betty Oelhafen 2nd- Diane Laird 3rd- Jenny Teague 4th- Bert Barrett

JULY 28 1st- Diane Laird 2nd- Susan Sullivan 3rd- Laura Greer 4th- Bert Barrett

THE LADIES CLUB 2021 EVENTS

Wednesday, August 25th Friday, September 17th Wednesday, October 6th Wednesday, November 3rd Friday, December 10th LIVING WELL AND LOVING LIFE

SPEAKER SERIES: MARVIN BOUKNIGHT SOUNDS OF SUMMER, PART 1 - THE INCREDIBLE DIVERSITY OF NIGHT-TIME SOUNDS AND WHO MAKES THEM

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12TH | 6PM

MARVIN BOUKNIGHT Wildlife Biologist, Educator, & Naturalist

What is all that noise? Have you every gone out at night and just listened? Join naturalist Marvin Bouknight as he describes and identifies the buzzes, trills, chirps, croaks, hums, howls, squeaks, and squawks of night time wildlife. Learn what makes these sounds, how they make them, and why during this unique presentation that will have you buzzing with curiosity!

$10 PER PERSON CLICK TO REGISTER

THE LADIES CLUB

Cheers to the Ladies!

Wednesday, August 25 Upper Level of Pool Deck 5:30 PM - 7 PM

Featuring the MPCC Ladies Libation: Sparkle Bourbon Punch

culinary Our in-house competition is held on a weekly basis, with four cooks and/or chefs submitting dishes for tasting, anonymously. Two competitors submit appetizers, and two submit entrees, and all must utilize local ingredients from twenty-five different farms, sourced by Freshlist Charlotte. The dishes are then photographed, tasted, and critiqued by four judges who anonymously write feedback on each dish. Based on the scoresheets, a winner is declared, and the dishes are then reworked based on the feedback of the judges. The reworked dishes are then photographed for social media and are available to our members that evening as featured items.

Our weekly winners not only hold the belt for a week and display it proudly in one of our five kitchens, but they are also featured on social media and receive a discount for use with Freshlist Charlotte.

A LITTLE FRIENDLY COMPETITION

BY SCOTT CRAIG EXECUTIVE CHEF

Our club’s culinary team has a deep pedigree of competition, both nationally and internationally. The stewards of our club’s culinary program have included four members of the United States Culinary Olympic Team, two members of the Junior US Culinary Olympic Team, and one runner up for “Best Chef in Britain”. We support and encourage participation in competition because we know that it brings out the best in our chefs by encouraging creativity, selfexamination, and we know that competition furthers our craft.

We also have a deep commitment to supporting locally sourced products; local products often taste better, stay fresh longer, and help to support the local economy.

With these tenets in mind, we created a way for our staff to exercise their creativity and craftsmanship, while utilizing fresh local products: The Weekly Features Competition.

The dishes created during the competition are rolled out each week as featured items, and those features which sell the most find a place on our regular, seasonal menus in the dining rooms.

The weekly competition has helped to build and refine the talents of our culinary team, introduced vibrant and seasonal dishes for our members, rewarded our team members for their ability, and helped to support twentyfive different local farms who were hard-hit during the pandemic.

Please make sure to follow @myersparkcc on social media to see all of our winners and latest offerings, and let us know which is your favorite!

golf & greens

GOLF CLOSURE WEEK

We are happy to report that the 8 day golf course closure from July 5th through July 12th was an enormous success! Thank you for allowing us this time to take on so many necessary cultural activities to improve the health and playability of your golf course.

During these 8 days, we deep verticutt the greens in two directions, core aerated the greens, contracted DryJect to perform a sand injection, topdressed fairways with 275 tons of sand, aerated and scarified fairways, extensively pruned our interior trees to improve tree health and visibility, and finally, we stripped and replace 48” of collar turf moving from Tifgrand Bermuda to TifTuf Bermuda.

We are pleased with the way the course has responded to the work that was done. As always, we appreciate your patience and understanding.

JUNIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP AUGUST 14 - 15

2020 Junior Club Champion Landon Hawley

SCHEDULE

AGE DIVISONS

Saturday, August 14 – PM Tee Times

18-Hole Stroke Play 10 & Under - Fairway Tees 11-12 - White Tees

12 & Under | 9 Holes on the Front Nine 13-18 | 18 Holes

Sunday, August 15 - PM Tee Times 12 & Under | 9 Holes on the Back Nine 13-18 | 18 Holes

36-Hole Stroke Play 13-14 - Gold Tees 15-18 - Black Tees

COST

$40.00 per player Price includes merchandise credit plus winner & runner-up awards REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN - PLEASE CALL THE GOLF SHOP

tennis

FALL JUNIOR CLINICS BEGINS AUGUST 23 TUESDAYS & WEDNESDAYS 3:30 - 4:00PM LITTLE HITTERS 4:00 - 5:00PM JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT 5:00 - 6:00PM JUNIOR COMPETITION

THURSDAYS 3:30 - 4:00PM LITTLE HITTERS 4:00 - 5:30PM JUNIOR TEAM PRACTICE

SIGN UP ONLINE

Interested in your junior playing on a team?

USTA SUNDAY JUNIOR TEAMS - BEGINS SEPTEMBER FOR 8 WEEKS EMAIL TEEK@MYERSPARKCC.COM FOR INFORMATION

1ST ANNUAL ALL ENGLAND TENNIS GALA

MPCC LADIES TENNIS

FALL KICK OFF! THURSDAY, AUGUST 26 9:00am: Check In 9:30am - 11:030am: Clinic 11:30am: Raffle and Lunch

$35 per person | Sign up HERE Space is limited to the first 54 players. A waitlist will be kept after event is full.

For any additional questions, please contact teek@myersparkcc.com.

fitness

DITCH THE FEAR

BY LEAH & LAURIE

For anybody taking their first steps in a fitness journey or getting back into an exercise routine after months of being at home - the gym can be a frightening place. But please don’t deprive yourself of all the benefits of the Fitness Center because of gym intimidation – it can be overcome.

Here are several ways to put it behind you: • Come with a friend. Or better yet – come to a group exercise class where you will develop new friendships at the gym. We promise you will find a supportive community in our classes (as well as the gym) – and your fellow members will encourage and motivate you. Check the website or the app for a group exercise schedule and to sign up on line.

• Remember that nobody starts out in perfect shape.

And not everybody has the same fitness goals.

• Don’t be afraid to ask our staff to explain things to you. We are here to get you acclimated and make you feel comfortable.

Or perhaps consider working with a personal trainer who can guide you every step of the way and help you reach your personal fitness goals.

The massive amounts of free fitness advice on the internet - from guides to tips to workouts can be overwhelming. And it’s a big reason why so many members are opting for a personal trainer. A trainer educates you on all aspects of health and exercise. Knowledge is power and when it comes to fitness goals, having a proper understanding of what is required to reach your goals is incredibly empowering. Not only does a trainer create a highly personalized exercise program, they mix it up, challenge you and add accountability to your routine.

At the Fitness Center, all of our trainers are professionally certified. But what’s equally as important is their knowledge, experience, personality and ability to conduct a training session in an engaging and effective way. And, as an added bonus, you will enjoy the heck out of every minute you spend with our trainers.

You may not think you need a personal trainer, but you will definitely benefit from one. Give us a call at 704-790-7891 or send us an email at fitness@myersparkcc.com

KIDS NIGHT OUT

youth & activities FRIDAY, AUGUST 27 5:30 – 8:30 PM Join us for the ultimate sleepover party!

Come in your PJs and enjoy some breakfast for dinner before we head into the bakeshop to make some freshly baked cookies. Kids will then enjoy cookies, milk, and a movie. *Parents must stay on property for duration.

Reservations Required $25++ first child, $20++ each additional child 5 children minimum, 20 children maximum Ages 4 – 9 (Children must be diaper independent)

CLICK TO REGISTER

SAVE THE DATE!

LABOR DAY

Back-to-School Bash

MONDAY, 9/6

SWIM NIGHT TEEN & TWEEN

THURSDAY, AUGUST 19 8:30 PM - 10 PM

MUST BE 10 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER

REGISTER

SUMMER DIVE IN

MOVIE NIGHT

AUGUST 20:

MOANA

*Movie to start at the pool at dusk (approximately 8:45pm).

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CAMP MYERS PARK WEEK 8

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JUNIOR GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

FALL JUNIOR CLINICS BEGIN

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NATURALIST MARVIN BOUKNIGHT

TEEN & TWEEN SWIM NIGHT

TLC - CHEERS TO THE LADIES

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LADIES FALL KICK OFF

SUMMER DIVE IN MOVIE NIGHT MOANA

JUNIOR GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

KIDS NIGHT OUT

AUGUST 2021 calendar TENNIS

SWIM TEAM

DINING

ACTIVITIES

KIDS

GOLF

FITNESS

Club Contacts FRONT DESK:

TENNIS SHOP: FITNESS:

704-376-0741 704-376-0741 704-376-0745 704-364-2395 704-790-7891

GOLF TURN:

704-376-4671

MEN'S LOCKER ROOM:

704-376-9441

DINING RESERVATIONS: GOLF SHOP:

2415 Roswell Avenue Charlotte, NC 28209