RCGC Spring 2022 Preserve

THE

P RES ERV E SPRING 2022

LET TER FROM THE GM DEAR MEMBERS,

Brandon Lejeune

Spring has finally arrived! The course is emerging from hibernation and I get the sneaking suspicion everyone is itching to get back on the golf course! We have you covered in this regard as Tim and his crew are ready for another great year of golf. I am looking forward to the membership getting out here in the coming weeks as the weather improves. See you around the club!

General Manager bjl@rivercrestgolfclub.com

GOLF COURSE PLANS Over the course of the next few years our focus will be developing a capital improvement plan for the golf course. Bunker renovation and irrigation improvements will be our first significant projects. Over the winter, Tim and I discussed our bunkers and the several construction methods available to us, specifically liner products underneath the sand. You might have noticed some work being done on the right side of #18 fairway by the green. I encourage you to read Tim’s section. He provides great insight on our plans and the products we are testing for future re-construction.

SOCIAL EVENTS With life finally getting back to normal, expect to see a fun social calendar this summer for adults and the kids.

One of our primary goals this season is to offer opportunities for members to meet other members. We held our first Social Cocktail Party last weekend and had a great turnout. Be sure to keep an eye on the Club’s calendar and weekly emails for upcoming events. It’s always a good time to make some new friends.

CLUBHOUSE - FOOD & BEVERAGE If the past month is any indicator, the Clubhouse is going to be busy this season! With that in mind, I’d like to remind the membership to please make reservations, especially on the weekends.

FIREPIT BAR AREA FOOD SERVICE Similar to last season, no food service will be offered after 4pm at the firepit bar or on the uncovered patio around the firepit. If you are enjoying yourself in the

firepit area after 4pm and decide to have a bite to eat, please see Brooke at the host to get seated and not sit yourself at a table. It allows us to control the table flow throughout the evening. This policy has been instituted to ensure the best possible service to everyone dining at the Club. I’ve received a lot of questions on this policy. If you have any questions feel free to call me.

BREAkFAST SANDWICHES AT HALFWAY Made to order breakfast sandwiches will now be available on Friday & Saturday mornings at the halfway house. Steve, your favorite afternoon grill master, will open early on these days ready to satisfy the hunger of our early morning golfers.

NEW MENU On Wednesday the 13th, Chef Anthony rolls out his new spring menu which will feature many new vegetarian and gluten-free options. The new menu has a lot of diversity and I am looking forward to trying many of the Chef ’s new creations! In addition, as we navigate the challenges in rising food costs, we will continue to prioritize making sure our menu offers great value to the membership.

UPCOMING SOCIAL EVENTS SAVE THE DATES! APRIL Sunday, April 3rd Friday, April 8th Thursday, April 14th Sunday, April 17th

Sunday at the Crest Wine Dinner - SOLD OUT Quizzo Easter Brunch (Buffet) Restuarant Easter Dinner (Limited Menu) Restuarant

MAY Sunday, May 8th Friday, May 20th Sunday, May 22nd Thursday, May 26th Monday, May 30th

Mother's Day Brunch in the Ballroom Cocktail Party on Terrace Sunday at the Crest Quizzo Memorial Day Pool Party

JUNE Sunday, June 19th Thursday, June 23rd Friday, June 24th Sunday, June 26th

Father's Day Dinner Quizzo Summer Party on the Terrace Sunday at the Crest

Sunday, April 17th

EASTER BRUNCH 11:00 to 1:00 in the restaurant am

PM

Brunch Buffet with the Easter Bunny $25++ per child $45++ per adult Kids 3 and under eat FREE!

MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS ONLINE!

EASTER DINNER 4:00PM to 7:00PM in the restaurant LIMITED DINNER MENU MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS ONLINE GOES TOWARDS MINIMUM - FIRESIDE CLOSED

C O U R S E U P D AT E

Tim Edwards Course Superintendant tge@rivercrestgolfclub.com

Spring is finally here, and the team has begun the shift to spring & summer maintenance. Over the past few weeks we have wrapped up our winter projects, applied weed controls in the rough and flower beds and started on spring maintenance. This welcome change of season is always an exciting time around the maintenance shop as we get a chance to focus on intergral parts of the golf course and get back to our daily tasks of getting the course ready for play. In addition, our veteran team is welcoming our seasonal staff ’s return which includes many new faces. So as the early golf season gets underway here, we ask that you are patient with the crew on the course as we get used to having golfers back out on the course.

WINTER PROJECTS This winter was simply ideal for projects. The ground was frozen for long stretches and we did not get bogged down with too much snow. Our early focus was on tree maintenance, removing dying trees, pruning trees for their health and adding trees where needed. Nearly all of the trees we removed were dead ash trees or trees several damaged by the wind storm we had in June of 2020. In addition to the tree removal, the crew planted over a dozen trees on the course this spring.

The ground has now softened and as spring approaches, we shifted our attention to bunkers and drainage. Fairway sand channel drainage was added to wet areas on 2, 4, 6, and 15. This is a continuation of the work we did last winter on 1, 13 and 16. Those areas saw such dramatic improvements in turf health and playability that we plan on continuing this program for the next several years. Addressing the wettest areas on the fairways and tying them into our network of drainage tiles.

BUNkER WORk The green-side bunkers on 5 and 15 were redone this winter in our traditional methodology. Old sand and liner were removed and replaced with new fabric liner and sand. On hole 5 we changed the sand lines of the bunker so that it is now visible from the tee shot.

Meanwhile, the pot bunkers on 18 have become a very big project for our team. We are setting up 5 different test bunkers in preparation for future bunker renovations. The team is installing 3 different liner products with three different sands. Two bunkers were lines in capillary concrete, two in bunker blinder and one in our traditional fabric. Then those liners are being matched up with three different sands one from New Jersey, one from Delaware, and one form Ohio.

The capillary concrete is currently the most popular choice in our areas and has been in Pennsylvania since 2011 with good results. Bunker Blinder is a rubber based liner similar to what Scott Bordner is using in New Jersey, however, it has not been used in this region for very long. Valley Forge buff bunker sand was the gold standard for bunkers in our region over the past 20 years, it is now unavailable. This has caused a shift and search for the next best thing. These five different finishes to the bunkers on 18 represent our future of bunker maintenance and playability. We want to know what works best here at the Crest so please hit as many shots as you can out of them and give us your feedback!

BUNKER BLINDER

CAPILLARY CONCRETE

SPRING MAINTENANCE This past week's warmth has gotten us preparing the golf course for play. The greens are open and many of the course accessories are back out. The team buttoned up projects, making sure areas have been cleanup and disturbed areas seed or sodded. The bunkers are getting their edges freshen up and sand distributed or added as needed. We have begun with mulch and flowers around the clubhouse. Weed controls are going out in the rough and fescue. The range tee is being aerated, seeded and fertilized. And with a few more weeks of great weather the course should begin to round into shape.

We cannot wait to see all of you back on the course in the coming weeks. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

TRADITIONAL FABRIC LINER

GOLF NEWS & NOTES NEW OUTSIDE OPERATIONS DIRECTORS At the end of 2021 longtime Caddie Masters Jake Covell and Devon Landis moved on from their roles as Outside Operations Directors. These important roles have been filled this spring and we are excited to welcome our new Outside Operations Directors.

JOSH MCQUIRNS Josh is a long-time RiverCrest employee, entering his 8th season in the golf operations (having started when he was in high school.) Josh’s hobbies include hiking and outdoor activities, all sports and learning as much as he can about business. He is a sneaker head who owns his own shoe company as well. Josh is looking forward to the upcoming season and the great weather that comes with it!

CHRISTIAN "CJ" SEEMULLER CJ comes to us from the soccer industry where he has been coaching for nearly 20 years and specializes in club operations management. He is a proud supporter and former employee of the English football club Liverpool FC. On top of that CJ was a Division I wrestler at the University of Syracuse. Originally from Southern New Jersey, CJ has been living in Collegeville for just over a year where he runs, bikes, and hikes with his wife, Amy, and his 3 kids. Most importantly, he looks forward to seeing you on the links!

In addition to Josh and CJ, we have several new employees working both outside and inside. When you have the chance, please say hello and introduce yourselves.

JOSH

CJ

APRIL HOURS FOR THE GOLF OPERATION The start of the golf season is here! With the arrival of April comes new extended hours for starting times. The first starting times will begin at 8:00am on weekends and weekdays. In addition the times will be extended until 6:00pm every night. The Practice range will open at 7:30am daily, and will close at 7:00pm (5:30pm on Mondays to allow for a clean pick.)

COLBY ’S RULE OF THE MONTH DEFINITION – HOLED

BY JAMIE kOMANCHECk, PGA HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL

Thankfully the off-season is almost over.

It wasn’t the worst winter, but it always seems to drag on. To break it up, Colby and I took a week long road trip to Charlestonwhere we played the Ocean Course at kiawah, the Country Club of Charleston, and a fun course called Bulls Bay. But our favorite round was at Yeamans Hall Club.

The course was built in 1925, and is a fantastic Seth Raynor template course.

We truly felt like we were stepping back in time. It has a ton of old world charm, which is always nice to expose a 12 year old to. We had a beautiful afternoon to play and elected to walk and carry our clubs. Might as well enjoy the game as it was meant to be played, albeit with titanium drivers!

Colby got off to a great start with a par on the 1st hole, followed up with a great birdie on the Par 3 third hole named Short. We enjoyed a great walk, discussing template holes and golf history, and spending some wonderful time as a father and son. We encountered great holes named Alps, Redan, Road, Eden and more. It was a three and a half hour nostalgic experience, where somehow time stood still, and yet seemed to pass in an instant, kind of like the past twelve years as a parent.

The highlight of the round came on the 14th hole, a long uphill Par 4 known as the knoll. Colby hit a nice drive down the middle, while my tee shot drifted into the right rough. As we started walking we were joined by a member of the Club who was out for an afternoon stroll. We chatted about the course and where we had already played on our trip. We traded stories about the Ocean Course and 100 hole marathons.

The gentleman walked with me over to the rough to help me find my tee shot. Colby had a 215 yard approach shot straight uphill and directly into the sun. He struck the ball solidly. Since we were looking for my ball neither I nor the member saw Colby’s shot. I asked Colby where the ball went. He said he wasn’t sure since as soon as he looked up he was blinded by the sun. I recommended he

hit a provisional in case the ball was lost.

He hit another one, and this time we watched his shot. It was a good one that made it onto the green.

I played my shot into the right greenside bunker and we all waked up the steep hill to the green. We saw Colby’s 2nd shot and my ball, but not his original shot. We looked all around the green for the full three minutes, found nothing and declared his original ball lost. I blasted my bunker shot onto the green, and Colby rolled his putt up to a foot away. I lagged my putt next to the hole and Colby knocked it back to me. I told him his putt was good, but he wanted to putt it in since he just saw John Rahm, the #1 player in the world miss one that short. Colby rolled it in. When he went to pick the ball out of the hole he found two balls, his provisional ball, and beneath it his original ball.

He was stunned!

“Dad, what’s the rule? Did I make a 6 since we declared my original ball lost?” The member was excited to share his knowledge of the rules. He informed Colby, “This one is actually covered under the definition of holed. A ball is considered holed when it is at rest in the hole, and the entire ball is below the surface of the putting green. So Colby, I am happy to tell you the hole was over and you made a 2!” Colby’s eyes widened, he let out a quick shout of excitement and gave a massive fist pump! The member and I laughed.

The member said farewell to us as we headed to the next tee. We thanked him for joining us, and then we played the final four holes including an awesome Biarritz and a fun Punch Bowl. Colby was on Cloud 9 for the rest of the round. When we finished the final hole, we shook hands and had a quick hug. On the way back to the Golf Shop several members and staff asked Colby if he was the one who made a two on the knoll? He said yes, and his chest stuck out a little further. As a parent, mine did too. While Yeamans Hall Club transported us back in time for only one day, the memories of the round will remain with us forever. And for that, we are extremely grateful.

POLICY REMINDERS FOR 2022 We hope all Members and Guests enjoy the golf course and have a wonderful round of golf. We kindly ask all fellow Members and Guests to do their part in helping maintain the excellent conditions by following the guidelines listed below:

GOLF COURSE ETIQUETTE We ask your assistance following proper golf course etiquette. Please make an extra effort this year to go above and beyond your normal routine by fixing multiple ball marks per green, replacing divots and raking bunkers. Be sure to leave the course in better shape than you find it.

PACE OF PLAY Our goal is to maintain a four hour pace of play (2 hours for 9 holes). Please play ready golf and keep up with the group in front of yours. We ask that Members take the responsibility of their play and that of their guests and inform your fellow players that your group is falling behind and everyone needs to pick it up.

PRACTICE RANGE Starting April 22nd the range tee will be set on grass on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday and mats the other days of the week. Please aim balls towards the target greens and for long hitters please be aware of shots reaching the Learning Center and avoid hitting balls that can reach the tee box on that end. The Practice range closes 1.5 hours earlier on Mondays than the rest of the week. This allows the maintenance crew to mow the entire range Tuesday mornings.

STARTING TIMES The Club uses a starting time reservation system for all play. This reservation system coordinates play and allows the Club to pair Members more efficiently. Starting times are issued in ten minute intervals and are required until 6:00pm on a daily basis. After 6:00pm Members will be started on a first come-first out basis. A Member’s ability to reserve starting times is as follows: Full and Associate Members - 10 days in advance Young Executive & House Members - 7 days in advance

NO SHOW POLICY With the uptick in play over the past couple years; the tee sheet has been active on a daily basis. On occasion we have had Members reserve starting times holding spots with other Members or Guests that have then not showed up to play. In an effort to keep the tee sheet as open as possible to all Members, the Club will be implementing a No Show Policy. If Members or their guests do not show up, and do not cancel their starting time in advance, the Member will be given a written notice. If there are additional occurrences, the Member will be subject to disciplinary action from the Club.

GOLF CARTS Please notice and follow the daily cart regulations listed on the front window of you cart. Golf Carts are never permitted in the native fescue grasses.

CLUB IS CLOSED ON TUESDAYS The Clubhouse, Golf House, Golf Course, Putting Greens and all Practice Facilities are closed to Members on Tuesdays. Please do not use the main Putting Green or any of the Practice Facilities on Tuesdays.

CLUB STORAGE The Club provides Members storage of their golf bag in the Bag Room. Members and Guests are not permitted in the Cart Barn or Bag Room Storage area. Clubs will be retrieved by a member of the golf staff.

MAY RIVERCREST DAY MEMBER GUEST SIGNUPS UNDERWAY! RiverCrest Days are one day Member-Guests.

There are four RiverCrest Days during the season. The first RiverCrest Day is scheduled for Thursday, May 19th. A Member may bring either one or three Guests to participate. The format is 2 Best Balls of 4, both gross and net divisions as well as fun skills contests and a Beat the Pro. The event has a 1:00pm shotgun start and lunch starting at 11:30am. Following golf is a dinner and an awards presentation. The field is limited to 112 players so don’t wait too long.

The entry fee is $160 per person.

NEW for 2022 – These events sell out, and have had extensive Wait Lists. For this coming season, signups will open two months in advance of the event. MARk YOUR CALENDARS! Here is the schedule for the remaining RiverCrest Days: JUNE 16th – Signups open April 16th AUGUST 16th – Signups open June 11th OCTOBER 13th – Signups open August 13th

GOOD LUCK GAP AND WGAP TEAMS We are very close to the start of Men’s and Women’s 2022 GAP matches. There are 4 teams in both Men’s and Women’s GAP. The Men’s matches are held on Sundays April 10th, April 24th, and May 1stand the Women’s matches are held on April 26th, April 29th, May 3rd, May 6th and May 10th. Good luck to all of the RiverCrest teams this year!

UPCOMING GOLF EVENTS April 1 - Sign Ups begin for Member Members at 8:00am April 9 - Masters Saturday Event April 10 - Men's GAP Matches April 14 - Ladies Golf (9:00-10:00 times) April 21 - Ladies Golf (9:00-10:00 times) April 24 - Men's GAP Matches April 25 - Deadline to sign up for Men's Match Play April 26 - Ladies WGAP Matches April 27 - Senior Golf (9:00-10:00 times) April 27 - Men's League (5:30pm shotgun) April 28 - Ladies Golf (9:00-10:00 times) April 29 - Ladies WGAP Matches April 30 - TaylorMade Fitting Day (11:00-3:00) May 1 - Men's GAP Matches May 3 - Ladies WGAP Matches May 4 - Senior Golf (9:00-10:00 times) May 4 - Mizuno Fitting Day (2:00-6:00) May 5 - Ladies Golf (9:00-10:00 times) May 6 - Ladies WGAP Matches May 8 - Deadline to sign up for Ladies Match Play May 10 - Ladies WGAP Matches May 11 - Senior Golf (9:00-10:00 times) May 11 - Men's League (5:30pm shotgun) May 12 - Ladies Golf (9:00-10:00 times) May 14 - Callaway Fitting Day (12:00-3:00) May 18 - Senior Golf (9:00-10:00 times) May 19 - RiverCrest Day Member Guest (1:00pm shotgun) May 25 - Senior Golf (9:00-10:00 times) May 25 - Men's League (5:30pm shotgun) May 26 - Ladies Golf (9:00-10:00 times) May 28 - Memorial Day Saturday Event May 29 – Memorial Day Mixed

UPCOMING GOLF EQUIPMENT FITTING DAYS The Club will be hosting a few Fitting Days for some of the major club manufacturers. Members may schedule 45-60 minute sessions with Professional Clubfitters from each of the companies. The Clubfitters will have a multitude of fitting components and launch monitors to fit all golfers. If you are seriously interested in being fit by the specialist and would like to schedule a fitting session, please contact the Professional Staff. Here are the current dates, times and manufacturers.

TaylorMade - Saturday, April 30th 11:00am-3:00pm Mizuno - Wednesday, May 4th 2:00pm-6:00pm Callaway - Saturday, May 14th 12:00pm-3:00pm

MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP PROCEDURES All Men’s, Senior, Super Senior and Ladies Match Play Championships now have signups only (no more qualifying rounds!) Players that wish to participate in the Match Play Championships just need to sign up online. Men’s, Senior and Super Senior Championships will have signups open until April 24th, and then the Matches will begin on May 1st.

Ladies Match Play Championships will have signups open until May 8th, with matches beginning on May 15th. To sign up go to the Club’s calendar (May 1st for Men’s events, May 15th for Ladies events) and signup for the events you’d like to participate in. Tournament brackets will be set after signups have closed.

RIVERCREST WINS PLATINUM AWARD FOR PREMIERE GOLF SHOPS Congratulations to RiverCrest on being recognized by the Association of Golf Shop Merchandisers as having one of the top 100 Golf Shops in the country! kelly and the Professional Staff were recognized with a Platinum Award for 2021, which is the second time RiverCrest has been honored in the past 4 years.

FREE GUEST GREENS FEE! 20122 PRE-PAID GUEST FEE PACKAGE For those that like to entertain guests on the course, then this package is for you! The Pre-Paid Guest Fee Package provides Members the opportunity to purchase five Guest rounds at $95 per round ($475) and receive a 6th Guest round Free. Rounds must be used by December 31st of 2022. To purchase the package or for additional details please contact the Golf Shop.

G O LF AC A D EM Y N EW S 2022 FLORIDA GOLF SCHOOLS A HUGE SUCCESS Brian Moose Director of Instruction moose.brian@gmail.com

Hard to believe this was my 8th year of conducting Florida Golf Schools. It all started 8 years ago with only one school and has now grown to four! I am looking at the possibility of adding more next year so keep your calendars open at the end of February and beginning of March!

JUNIOR SUMMER CAMPS Minors/Majors Junior Golf Camps (12 students) $225 per child, 9:30am – 12:30pm Minors Camp, Ages 7-10: July 27th to July 29th Majors Camp, Ages 10-12: August 3rd to August 5th Combo Camp, Ages 7-12: August 10th to August 12th Elite Junior Golf Camps (10 students) $395 per child, 9:00 am—12:30 pm Minors Camp. Ages 7-10: June 27th to July 1st Majors Camp, Ages 10-12: July 18th to July 22nd High School Camp, Ages 13 to 17: July 11th to July 15th

C L U B H O U R S O F O P E R AT I O N GOLF COURSE Open daily March through November until dusk.

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

Course closed on Tuesdays, including practice facilities.

Temporary greens December through mid-March.

DRIVING RANGE Open a half hour before first starting time.

Mondays - closes 90 minutes early for maintenance.

March – weather permitting (check website) April, May & September – closes at 7:00pm June, July & August - closes at 8:00pm October - closes at 6:00pm November - closes at 4:30pm January, February & December - closed GOLF SHOP Open daily 15 minutes before first starting time.

Tuesdays - closed January - closed February, March, November & December – closes at 5:00pm April, May, September & October – closes at 6:00pm June, July & August - closes at 6:30pm CLUBHOUSE RESTAURANT Wednesday through Sunday - open for lunch & dinner starting at 11:00am.

No food service after 9pm on Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday / 10pm on Friday & Saturdays.

FIRESIDE LOUNGE April through December Opens Wednesday, Thursday & Friday at 4:00pm / Saturdays & Sundays at noon.

January through March Closed on Sundays FITNESS CENTER GOLF SEASON 6:30am to 6:00pm on Monday / 6:30am to 9:00pm Wednesday through Sunday.

Tuesdays - closed OFF-SEASON 8:00am - 5:00pm on Monday / 8:00am - 9:00pm Wednesday through Sunday.

GREENSIDE GRILLE Open April 1st through November 15th (honor system only) Closed on Tuesdays