RCGC Spring Newsletter 2023

Brandon L ejeune General Manager bjl@rivercrestgolfc lub com

CONGRATULATIONS JAMIE!

S pring is here and the course is in fantastic shape as we head into the golf season. T im and his team deser ve a lot of credit; it's been a busy offseason with W inter maintenance and course projects, inc luding building the new tee boxes and rock wall at the pool

Thank you to the entire maintenance team for their hard work this offseason. It shows!

It ’ s important that professional achievements be acknowledged from our management team. L et ’ s all congratulate Jamie Komancheck for his recent induction into The PGA 25 Q uarter Centur y Club. Damn, a quarter centur y! Congratulations Jamie!

MEMBERSHIP WAIT LISTS

The Club continues to have healthy waiting lists for all golf membership categories. Ver y few golf membership resignations were received this past off season, resulting in ver y few new golf memberships being activated this spring. Demand remains strong and I expect waitlists to remain in place for the foreseeable future As always, the primar y goal is to ensure an accessible and enjoyable golf experience for the current membership.

DRESS CODE

It ’ s important that the membership know and abide by the dress code when visiting the Club, especially when it comes to c lubhouse dining. We pride ourselves on offering a more relaxed atmosphere, however, with that comes the responsibilit y of the membership to adhere to the current dress code On the following page is the dress code for the Clubhouse. P lease make sure your guests are aware of proper attire when dining at the c lub.

NEW WINE PROGRAM

AED MACHINES

Last month, the Club held CPR and AED training for the staff. As a reminder, the Club has two AED machines; one at the host desk in the Clubhouse and one in the Bag Room office located next to the 1st tee If there is a medical emergenc y on the course, please call 911, then call the Golf S hop at 610-933-7777, and a staff member will bring the AED machine to your location. If it ’ s af ter hours for the Golf S hop, please call the Clubhouse at 610-933-4700, ext. 100.

In addition to our new spring menu, our ever yday wine list received a much needed makeover Toni Vennettelli, our long term event sales manager, is a wine enthusiast and ver y knowledgeable on European wines. Toni had an integral part in selecting and implementing our new wine program to really provide some great tasting wines. S o, if you enjoy wine, be sure to take a look at our new offerings We think you will like them

GREENSIDE HONOR SYSTEM

The Greenside, located adjacent to the Golf S hop, has a wide variet y of beverages and snacks for honor system purchase. Last season, the honor system wasn’t ver y honorable. A lot of beer and seltz ers were taken and not signed for To continue offering beverages at the Greenside, please respect the Club and legibly sign for your purchases and inc lude your member number.

The Clubhouse dress code is business casual. W ith that said, it ’ s important that all members know and adhere to the following policies. The dress code is the same for young children and please be sure to inform your guests of the dress code prior to visiting the Club.

S hirts must have a collar and be tucked in at all times, with the exception of button-down oxford shirts. S ports jerseys, tee shirts, hooded sweatshirts, and work out attire are not considered appropriate.

Jeans are considered appropriate attire. S weatpants and shorts, ripped jeans, cargo shorts are not considered appropriate.

Golf hats must be for ward facing and can be worn until 5pm. Hats can be worn in the F irePit bar area af ter 5pm and at all times Ladies accessor y dress hats are acceptable at all times.

F lip flops and sport slides are not considered appropriate attire. Dress sandals are considered appropriate.

T im Edwards Course Superintendant

tge@rivercrestgolfc lub.com

G REEN S

C O U R S E U P D A T E

This past W inter felt more like a long Fall and short S pring. L uckily for our terrific membership, the course is primed for great golf right off the bat here Technically, the conditions of the course are a month ahead of schedule! This is great for golfing but also creates a challenge. O ur agronomy team is currently cramming 6 weeks of timed applications and processes into a 3 week period. Thankfully, with most of our agronomy team returning, and the support of our membership, we will be ready for the coming months!

T EES

Adjustments to the winter/spring aeration combined with the warm weather has the greens completely healed and rolling great Daily speeds are currently in our normal May/June range of 11f t+. There will be no disturbance to the putting surface until late June when we vent all the bentgrass surfaces before the nastiest days of Philly summers. Hopefully, these warm and dr y days continue and the greens keep on rolling

RO U G H/F ES C U E

Preventive weed controls have been made to the rough and fescue areas. We are already seeing the emergence of spring seed-heads of cool season grasses in the fescue areas W hile this ear ly emergence will have the fescue looking wispy sooner, the rough will be tough the next few weeks as those same stalky seed heads emerge and are mowed off. We will do our best to keep up with the mowing, but be prepared to be in more of a sur vival mode and less of an attack mode if you land in the rough.

The new par-3 divot boxes seem to be a big hit. Thank you for helping us manage the divots on the course These boxes are being used up ever y few days, and we have already seen an improvement in the man hours dedicated to the divots on the fair ways. The tees are having a great spring, they are in great shape and will be fertiliz ed for the season in coming weeks.

FA I RWAY S

They are great! It's been really fun to see the course play as firm as it has this spring, watching balls bounce like they were hit on concrete and roll for days. We have begun applying all of our preventive weed and disease chemicals and will be fertilizing the fair ways in mid-May.

Thank you all for the support and feedback on the golf course. We are looking for ward to an amazing season at the Crest. Feel free to contact me with any questions or concer ns.

G O L F N E W S & N O T E S

LA D I E S O P EN I N G DAY S P RI N G F LI N G A S U CC E S S!

The Ladies Opening Day tournament was held on Thursday, April 13th. Near ly 30 Ladies participated in the S pring F ling S cramble. The event kicked off with a c losest to the Pin “flinging ” contest. V icky Thomas holed out her throw from over 70 feet! On the course, the Ladies were each treated to one free throw help the team. S everal teams used their throws to hole out putts, and some to throw the ball on the green from off the green A good time was had by all!

The S cramble results were:

1st P lace – Patti Angelos, Kelly Goins, Allie Robertson, Brenna S elby

2nd P lace – Barb Cox, Brenda Johnson, Christine Palde, Kim Ray

3rd P lace

Christine Mulligan, Christina Yaskowski, Christina Yeager

F I R S T H O LE I N H O LE O F ‘23

Congratulations to Tom Puyans on recording the first ace of the year! Tom hit a perfect shot on Hole #5 on Thursday, April 6th. He used an 8 iron from 121 yards. It is Tom’s second career Hole-in-One, with his first one also coming on Hole #5 in 2008. Congrats again Tom! W ho’s next?

jaMie koMancheck HEAD PROFESSIONAL

kelly koMancheck GOLFSHOP MANAGER

Mike Matson

1ST ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL

Tuesday, May 2nd – Ladies WGAP Matches – 9:00am shotgun

Wednesday, May 3rd - S enior Golf – 9:00am to 10:00am star ting times

Wednesday, May 3rd – Men’s L eague - 5:30pm shotgun

Thursday, May 4th – Ladies Golf – 9:00am to 10:00am star ting times

Friday, May 5th – Ladies WGAP Matches – 9:00am shotgun

S unday, May 7th – Men’s GAP Matches –9:30am star ting times

Tuesday, May 9th – Ladies WGAP Matches – 8:30am shotgun

Wednesday, May 10th - S enior Golf – 9:00am to 10:00am star ting times

Wednesday, May 10th – Men’s L eague - 5:30pm shotgun

Thursday, May 11th – Ladies Golf – 9:00am to 10:00am star ting times

Wednesday, May 17th– S enior Golf – 9:00am to 10:00am star ting times

Wednesday, May 17th – Men’s L eague - 5:30pm shotgun

Thursday, May 18th – RiverCrest Day Member Guest – 1:00pm shotgun

Wednesday, May 24th – S enior Golf – 9:00am to 10:00am star ting times

MWednesday, May 24th – Men’s L eague - 5:30pm shotgun star t

Thursday, May 25th – Ladies Golf – 9:00am to 10:00am star ting times

S unday, May 28th – Memorial Day Mixed – 10:30am to 12:00pm star ting times

Wednesday, May 31st – S enior Golf – 9:00am to 10:00am star ting times

S EN I O R O P EN I N G DAY LO N E RA N G ER F O R M AT

The S enior Opening Day Tournament was held on Wednesday, April 26th. The event had the largest Opening Day field ever with 40 participants! The format was L one Ranger, with one person playing their own ball, while the other three played a scramble. L ots of strateg y played out, some went well, some not so well, but a good time was had by all.

The winners were:

1st P lace – Mike McMullen, Mike McCamley, Bob Wagner and Johan S choldstrom

2nd P lace – Ron Manion, Chris Ray, Dave S atterfield and Tom Clement

3rd P lace – J im Pickens, Bill Green, Rob Gill and Kevin Reilly

N EW FAC E S O N T H E G O LF S TA F F

There are a couple new faces on the Golf S taff to introduce to ever yone We have a new Assistant Professional, Dan Krauss, and a new morning Caddie Master, Jay Catania.

Dan, originally from Mar yland, comes to us af ter having worked the past 10 years at various courses in the Or lando area. He recently moved back to the P hilly area to be c loser to family and root on his favorite teams, the P hillies and the Eagles. Welcome Dan!

Jay is a local product, having grown up in Rosemont. Jay worked for the Radnor Township Police Department for 24 years (so better watch yourselves!), while also being a Real Estate agent since 1993. Jay is married to his wife Meg, has three children, and five grandchildren. Jay is an avid golfer, so if you are in need of an extra player he might fill in your group! Welcome Jay!

CO N G RAT U LAT I O N S TO M I K E M AT S O N!

Next time you come by the Golf S hop, please give a big congratulations to Assistant Golf Professional Mike Matson. Mike Matson just completed his years long apprenticeship and is now officially a PGA Member! Congratulations Mike! We are happy for your success, and are proud to have you on our RiverCrest staff !

M EM O RI A L DAY W EEK EN D

M I X ED G O LF EV EN T - N EW F O R M AT

The Memorial Day Mixed Tournament will be held on S unday, May 28th, with starting times between 10:30am and 12:00pm. The four-person team must consist of two men and two ladies. The NEW format will count 1 Best Ball on the Par 5’s, 2 Best Balls on the Par 4’s, and 3 Best Balls on the Par 3’s (note: Hole #14 will play as a Par 5 for all players for the event.) S ignup online or by calling the Golf S hop.

RY D ER C U P S I G N U P S S TA RT M AY 31S T

19T H H O LE T H EM E!

THE most popular event of the year will return on S aturday, August 5th! And to top it off, we are theming the event as The 19th Hole (since it ’ s our 19th year.) The Ryder Cup features teams of 8 players playing several different formats all in the same day. The field is limited to 16 teams (128 players). Formats will inc lude: S cramble, Better Ball of Partners, Chapman and Alternate S hot. The event starts with a 9:00am shotgun. Get your team together and be sure to sign up on May 31st!

G O LF S H O P F U LLY LOA D ED!

RiverCrest is proud to have an award-winning Golf S hop. The Golf S hop is one of the largest private c lub Golf S hops in the area. O ur commitment is to provide an excellent selection of golf equipment, apparel, accessories and ser vices with fair prices and a knowledgeable Professional S taff. Your support and patronage are ver y much appreciated and vital to the continued success of the Golf S hop.

S pecial Ordering - If we do not have particular item or siz e in an item you like, please let us know. We will S pecial Order that item for you.

Club F itting - W ith all of the amazing technolog y going into c lub manufacturing, it is even more important to custom fit your new c lubs. The pur pose of c lub fitting is to optimiz e your golf c lubs to your swing to achieve the best results Make an appointment today!

Gif t Certificates - Not sure what to get a loved one? How about an RC gif t card!

Cor porate Ordering - Members and their businesses have the abilit y to advertise through golf merchandise purchased through the Golf S hop. The majorit y of merchandise in the Golf S hop can special ordered with a custom logo, inc luding golf balls. For all cor porate sales, a volume discount will be applied. If your business is interested in this opportunit y, please contact S hop Manager Kelly Komancheck at 610-933-7777 at kmk@rivercrestgolfc lub.com. A big thank you to all the members that already utiliz e this ser vice!

TAY LO R M A D E F I T T I N G DAY A S U CC E S S

RiverCrest hosted a TaylorMade F itting Day on April 29th. TaylorMade showed up with a fitting trailer and thousands of components to build c lubs on the spot for Members 14 Members participated in the event and all had a wonderful experience. The Professional staff has several more fitting days scheduled this year, so if you are in the market for new c lubs, please call the Golf S hop.

R I T A ’ S R U L E

Rule 9.6 Ball at Rest Moved by O utside Influence

By Jamie Komancheck, PGA Head Golf Professional

In the Northeast, golf season doesn’t begin in earnest until mid-April and The Masters has been played. S o, what to do in the winter months? Thankfully this past March, our family spent a few weeks watching the Netflix documentar y Full S wing (ok, we really binge watched it over a few days.) There were so many good episodes, filled with great personalities, and drama between the PGA Tour and LIV. Rita really enjoyed getting to know the players better, with her favorite being Tony F inau Probably because she saw all of his kids having fun.

Af ter watching all the episodes, Rita asked if we could go to Augusta and watch The Masters this year (cue the CBS theme music, for it was a question like no other…) W hat ’ s a father supposed to say when he gets that question from a four-year-old with blond hair and blue eyes? How fast can we pack!

We arrived ear ly Wednesday morning and headed right to the first tee for the ceremonial first tee shots. We then walked all 18 holes with the first few groups to see all the holes I was exhausted from c limbing the hills, but Rita could have gone around again, she just wanted to watch more golf. We compromised and decided to watch the Par 3 contest instead

We parked our chairs in the front row by the 9th tee and watched the best players in the wor ld, legends of the game, and family members ser ving as caddies, all hit shots to the 9th green. As we sat there, Rita got several high fives from the players, and several of the children who were dressed up as caddies stopped and played with her while they waited. It was an amazing experience.

Eventually Tony F inau and his entourage of kids came to the 9th tee. There was a group on the green, and another group waiting on the tee, so his group had a little wait. Rita said hello, and told him about watching Full S wing. They hit it off instantly. I enjoyed talking with

Tony and the players in his group while Rita played with Tony ’ s kids.

F inally, it was time for them to play the hole. All three players hit the green. Then they each has their caddie play a shot. I was engrossed in the action. S o much so, that I didn’t realiz e Rita wasn’t sitting next to me W hen Tony motioned for his caddie to hit, his caddie deferred and one of Tony ’ s kids dressed in a full caddie bib approached the tee That ’ s funny, I didn’t remember any of Tony ’ s kids having blond locks that were sticking out from underneath the hat. It looked just like Rita! I immediately looked over at Rita’s chair S miling back at me and giggling was one of Tony ’ s kids! He let Rita borrow his caddie bib and hat! Oh.…my…. goodness!

I’ve never been more terrified of a golf shot in my entire life. Rita had all the confidence in the wor ld though. Tony had a junior c lub in his bag that Rita took a few practice swings with. S he lined up her shot and made a beautiful swing at the ball. It landed in the midd le of the green, started trickling back down a slope towards the hole About three feet from the hole, Rita’s ball bumped in to Tony ’ s ball and came to a stop. Tony ’ s ball started rolling towards the hole…..and eventually went in! Ever yone went absolutely nuts! The patrons were high fiving thinking Tony had a Hole-in-One.

Tony calmly let ever yone know that under Rule 9 6 Ball at Rest Moved by O utside Influence, if a ball at rest is moved by another player ’ s ball, there is no penalt y, and the ball must be replaced on its original spot S o, Tony had to replace the ball 3 feet from the hole. Tony had Rita walk with him up to the green (he doesn’t run during the Par 3 contest anymore), and had her putt in her birdie, which she did….and then the crowd went absolutely nuts! Tony flashed his amazing smile and gave Rita a high five At least that was what I was told I couldn’t see anything through my blurr y wet eyes!

Happy new golf season ever yone!

G O L F A C A D E M Y N E W S

Brian Moose Director of Instruction moose brian@gmail com

H IGH SCHO OL P REP GOLF CLI NIC SERI ES

Ages: Entering 9th grade to entering 12th grade. Cost: $80 per c linic. 4:15-7:15 pm

This is an intensive c linic series for ever y aspiring high school golfer. We will build on your strengths as a golfer and coach you how to compete and win We will focus on specific practice goals for each c linic that the student can build upon on their own to get the maximum out of their game. Topics covered inc lude: full swing, short game, putting, approach shots, course management, tournament play, proven practice habits to see your game improve and fitness. The goal of this c linic series is for you to learn what it takes to become a more competitive golfer and learn how to make practice time more effective W ith the addition of a fitness component to the curriculum, it will be more intensive than before and will cover all physical, mental, and equipment aspects of the game, as well as setting future goals.

April 17th

June 5th

July 10th

DATES:

12 S T U D EN

May 8th

May 22nd

June 12th

June 26th

10 S T U D EN T S

July 17th

August 7th

$235 per child, 9:30am – 12:30pm

Minors Camp, Ages 7-10: 7/26 to 7/28

Majors Camp, Ages 10-12: 8/2 to 8/4

Combo Camp, Ages 7-12: 8/9 to 8/11

Topics: Pre-S wing, full-swing principles, putting, chipping, pitching, moderate video swing analysis, detailed introduction to course management, an individualiz ed plan for each student, and fitness training A variet y of games developed by U.S. Kids Golf will also be a part of the curriculum to aid the learning process. S tudents will be required to bring their own packed lunch each day, snacks and water will be provided for ever yone

$415 per child, 9:00 am 12:30 pm

Junior (Minors/Majors) Camp, Ages 7-12: 7/10 to 7/14

High School Camp, Ages 13 to 17: 7/17 to 7/21

Full-swing (pre-shot routine, set-up inc luding aim, grip, set-up)

-Short game (all aspects, in-depth drills, understanding the why & how) -Course Management (difference between "tentative" and " conser vative", full understanding of rules/etiquette)Individualized plan of action for each student -An incorporation of exercise and fitness into a daily practice regimen -In-depth video analysis and use of F lightScope. A variety of games developed by U.S. Kids Golf will also be a part of the curriculum to aid the learning process Students will be required to bring their own packed lunch each day, snacks and water will be provided for ever yone.

**Participants must be taking private lessons or involved in PGA Junior L eague team in order to be eligible for Elite Camps** Students will spend at least 2 days on the golf course Topics inc lude in-depth instruction on:

-Full-swing (pre-shot routine, set-up inc luding aim, grip, set-up) -Short game (all aspects, in-depth drills, understanding the why & how)

-Course Management (difference between "tentative" and " conser vative", full understanding of rules/etiquette)

-Individualized plan of action for each student -An incorporation of exercise and fitness into a daily practice regimen -In-depth video analysis and use of F lightScope. A variety of games developed by U.S. Kids Golf will also be a part of the curriculum to aid the learning process Students will be required to bring their own packed lunch each day, snacks and water will be provided for ever yone

RiverCrest Membership Pledge to create awareness and encourage proper course etiquette while maintaining a 4 hour pace of play.

I pledge to abide by the following policies to ensure an enjoyable experience for all Members of the Club:

R e s p e c t t h e c o u R s e

In every aspect, leave the course in better shape than you found it

R e s p e c t p a c e o f p l a y play in 4 hours and allow faster groups to play through

R e p l a c e D I v o t s please always replace your divots

R e p a I R B a l l M a R k s

Repair your ball mark and others you see on the greens

R a k e B u n k e R s

Bunkers are to be raked after each use leave rakes in the bunker

R e s p e c t c a R t R u l e s

carts are never to be in the native grasses or within 30 yards of a green

C L U B H O U R S O F O P E R A T I O N

Each of our amenities has var ying hours which are subject to change seasonally The hours below offer a general guide P lease visit our website, or check the inside cover of our monthly newsletter, The Preser ve, for the current hours of operation

G O L F C O U R S E

Open daily March through November until dusk.

Refer to the Club's website for first starting times, frost delays or superintendent notifications.

Course c losed on Tuesdays, inc luding practice facilities.

Temporar y greens December through mid-March.

D R I V I N G R A N G E

Open a half hour before first starting time.

Mondays - c loses 90 minutes ear ly for maintenance.

March – weather permitting (check website)

April, May & S eptember – c loses at 7:00pm

June, July & August - c loses at 8:00pm

October - c loses at 6:00pm

November - c loses at 4:30pm

Januar y, Februar y & December - c losed

G O L F S H O P

Open daily 15 minutes before first starting time

Tuesdays - c losed

Januar y - c losed

Februar y, March, November & December – c loses at 5:00pm

April, May, S eptember & October – c loses at 6:00pm

June, July & August - c loses at 6:30pm

C L U B H O U S E R E S TA U R A N T

Wednesday through S unday - open for lunch at 11:00am & dinner starting at 5:00pm.

No food ser vice af ter 9pm on Wednesday thru S unday. Kitchen c losed daily between 4:30pm - 5:00pm.

F I R E S I D E L O U N G E

April through December

Opens Wednesday, Thursday & Friday at 4:00pm / S aturdays & S undays at noon.

Januar y through March

Closed on S undays

F I T N E S S C E N T E R

April thru October - 6:30am to 6:00pm on Monday / 6:30am to 9:00pm Wednesday through S unday.

Tuesdays - c losed

November thru March - 8:00am - 5:00pm on Monday / 8:00am - 9:00pm Wednesday through S unday