MEMBER NEWSLETTER
August 2022
TO THE CLUB The club operation continues to maintain in terms of member numbers, growth, and retention. As most are aware, the dynamics of both the club and the resort have gone through some transition. Troon is managing the club operation and Aimbridge is managing the resort and food and beverage operation. Though this might seem like a strange structure, it is not uncommon when one property has both a club and resort component. Many of you have inquired about certain projects and amenities, be it Sea Palms West pool resurfacing, 19th hole remodel, etc., please know these items are still being given consideration, but will be prioritized by ownership. We will communicate more as detailed planning develops. The golf course continues to be steady with business and rounds. We are seeing a slight decline in rounds vs. the past two years, which were banner years for many operations in the area. The rounds decline is mainly in the public guest categories. Member rounds continue to be 70% of our business daily. Tennis and fitness activities have remained busy, and the courts are seeing high levels of activity. Pools are in check with the retaining of a third-party pool service now taking on the daily tasks of cleaning, chemical checks, and maintenance of the pool itself. We hope you will take advantage of the pools as summer break comes to an end soon!
On a final note, Club IQ has been rolled out as of 7/11/22. This is a survey poll that will go out daily with various questions about the operation. Your feedback in this is very important so that we can hear, see, and compile both areas of positivity and negativity. This will allow us to proactively understand how all areas of the club are performing. A few details of the Club IQ program below: ClubIQ® is based on results from "Survey Polls" that are sent out to a small subset of the membership every day. While only a handful of members will receive a Survey Poll each day, everyone will have received one by the end of 90 days, upon which the Survey Poll cycle will begin again. In other words, each individual member will only receive one Survey Poll over any 90 day period. So, please look for an email asking for the input from surveypoll@clubiq.com. Please answer the first question in the email, and then proceed on to the remaining Survey Poll online. Your answers are completely confidential, anonymous, an greatly appreciated!!! Once again, we greatly value your participation in this important new program to ever improve your Member Experience at the club. Your input will serve to guide our management priorities, so make sure your voice is heard! Lastly, I would like to again thank each of you for your support! The outpour of emails, text messages, and phone calls has been overwhelming and much appreciated. It’s nice to see those of you that reached out understood the effort put forth to make the members feel special. If there is ever anything I can do for any of you, feel free to contact me at brandonpga@gmail.com. I wish each of you the very best!
Warm Regards,
Brandon Youmans, PGA VP of Club Operations & Director of Golf
MEMBERSHIP Welcome to Sea Palms. We are thrilled to have you and your family as new members. Be sure to check out our upcoming events that the whole family can enjoy. Come and join us for Wine & Design on August 9 with Jennifer Broadus. We will be introducing fun new family events such as Children's Night, with story time and pottery project hosted by Erica Gillman, on Friday, August 26 as well as Family Bingo Night hosted by Bonita Tanner on Saturday, September 17. The next Chefs Table will be on Tuesday, September 20 with Jeff Hines C.S.W. of Frederick Wildman & Sons Importers & Wine Merchants NYC. We would like to welcome Taylor Hunt, our new marketing coordinator to the membership team! Should you have any questions about your membership or benefits, please feel free to contact me.
Cissy Thompson Director of Membership 912.434.5335 cissy.thompson@seapalms.com
I look forward to seeing you around the Club!
Welcome New Members Abhishek Bhurwal &
Brad & Shawna Fidler
David & Kaye Barry
Valentina Grabulis
Brad Hummel
David & Joni Roberts
Allen & Holly Brown
Brenda Dozier
David & Alicia Winey
Anne Whittle
Brett & Ashley Lauter
Diane Davis
Arnold & JoAnn Thomas
Brett & Brittany Lawson
Dutch & Allyson McNeal
Barbara Longfellow
Carleigh Coffey
Ed & Bonnie Carpenter
Ben & Kristin Harris
Christopher & Rachel Morgan
Etienne & Tracy Puckett
Betsy Duggan
Connor Strong
Evan & Victoria Fountain
Blake & Keeli Merrill
Crystal Crosby
Frank & Kimberly Dekle
Bo & Tonya Doss
Dale Steffens &
Frank & Elyse Stackhouse
Bob & Roxanne Sutter
Pamela Garritano
Fredrik & Kristen Gustafsson
Bonnie Blanchard
Dan & Jan Robertson
Gary & Caroline Broxson Gary & Debra Miller
George & Susan Dieckman
Keith & Brandy Pollette
Rylie Duncan
Gini Waid
Lindsey & Bradley Maroney
Randy & Karen Schneider
Greg & Kaitlin Fox
Louis & Tina Dyer
Robert & Wendi Echols
Holmes & Mary Marchman
Mark Miller
Robert & Linda Older
Hunt & Anne Brown
Mark & Courtney Popwell
Rolf & Lisa Lundberg
Jackson & Lindsey Middleton
Matthew & Angela Emrich
Ruth Love
Jeff & Shirlee Coolidge
Matthew & Meredith Kelly
Samantha Kepler
Jeff & Alisha Seymour
Michael & Sarah Callaway
Shelton & Anita Green
Jenifer Foxworthy &
Michael & Mary Catherine Glover
Steven & Stephanie
Michael Grover
Michael & Paige Larson
Anderson
Jeremy & Christine Hammond
Michael & Nancy Sullivan
Steven & Christin Hartman
Jeremy & Cheryl Jones
Michael & Sara Tanaka
Steven & Katy Ginn
Jim Cave
Murray & Joan Pearson
Steven & Debby Temmer
Joseph & Jada McBride
Nick & Cindy Wallace
Taylor & Kathryn Sharpe
Joe & Margaret Riccio
Nelson Ryan
Thomas Melvin
John & Pauline Rentz
Oliver & Ashley Seabolt
Tom & Shannon Buchanan
John & Missy Weaver
Patrick & Elizabeth Holladay
Tony Aloi
Joseph & Laura Anderson
Parker & Laura Kitchens
Tony & Karin Ryan
Judson & Natalie Phillips
Peter & Jane Hughes
Ty & Mary-Claire Rinosk
Karl & Susan Knade
Phillip & Kristin Setzer
Uli & Becky Keller
Kevin & Sarah Baker
Phillip & Suzanne Walker
Vic & Cindy Maxey
Kevin & Kristin Brooks
Quin & Molly Wright
Vicki & Jonathan Gregg
Kevin & Megan Hanrahan
Robert & Kathy Muller
Zach & CJ Greene
GOLF Pace of Play and Cart Rules at Sea Palms Our aim at Sea Palms is four-hour pace of play for 18 holes under normal conditions. Normal conditions are carts on the fairways and foursomes or threesomes. Recently, we have heard that the pace is too slow during certain days. Our Golf Professional staff is and will continue to make a dedicated effort to move play along daily. However, singles and twosomes should not expect to play at a pace faster than the groups in front of them if those groups are moving at the desired pace of play. We do not have many cart rules at Sea Palms but there are now too many incidences of unacceptable cart traffic. When the carts are on the fairways, we ask the following: All par 3’s cart path only. No exceptions. Please keep carts on the cart path at all tees and greens. No cart should ever be parked or driven less than 30 feet from any tee or green. Please be mindful of ropes and stakes protecting sensitive and high traffic areas so these areas can recover. These rules are to help keep our golf course in its best condition and for the safety of our members and guests. Practice Range and Miracle Over the course of the last several weeks, we have fielded many calls from residents of Deer Run Villas and homes along Fendig Road with concerns of practice range balls hitting homes, cars, into pools, etc. Although we will be repairing the netting as soon as possible to keep some balls in the range, the practice range will be limited to “Irons Only” moving forward. Understanding that some may not be able to clear the netting we ask that all balls remain inside the range. Also, when practicing at the Miracle be careful to keep your practice balls in play and not over the fence! Thank you for your consideration.
Clark Spratlin, PGA Head Golf Professional 912.434.5336 clark.spratlin@seapalms.com
UPCOMING GOLF EVENTS With the dog days of summer upon us we are still enjoying many great mornings and late afternoons of golf. Our monthly events, Tee Up & Wine Down, Twilight Blitz, and our final Family Funday are coming up.
Twilight Blitz Thursday, August 11 • 5:30 Thursday, September 15 • 5:00 Thursday, October 6 • 5:00 An MGA and Club event for a fun late afternoon 9. Formats change each month for fun and a challenge.
Tee Up & Wine Down Thursday, August 25 • 5:30 Sunday, September 25 • 3:00 Sunday, October 16 • 3:00 Members invite your friends, neighbors, or colleagues to come play a little golf, we play a 6-person scramble, and enjoy the food and a drink or two while showing off all that Sea Palms has to offer. June Tee Up & Wine Down Winners Barb & Bob Gilfmore, Jane & Tom Luckstone, Melissa Jenson, & Charles Frizzell
Family Funday Sunday, August 7 A fun event of nine par 3’s for the whole family to enjoy! This is for the kids and kids at heart to come experience the game in a fun setting.
Frank & Tate Dekle, Brad Hummel & Ty Taylor
Elam & Jackson Families
Baxter & Bileztskov Families
Kerrigan Biletzkov, Weston Parker, & Bo Parker
*Available for Signature Members Only*
Being a member of a Troon club has its benefits. Full Members of participating Troon Privé and Daily Fee/Resort clubs are invited to take advantage of preferred rates at resort and daily fee facilities worldwide. Each Full Member and up to three guests can enjoy great courses and destinations at incredible rates around the world. To receive Troon Advantage rates, tee time requests must be made through this online portal only. All tee time requests can be made up to sixty (60) days in advance and are subject to availability. Sea Palms tee times are available until September 1, 2022.
*Please note that only qualified private and semi-private club members may request tee times at participating resort and daily fee clubs through Troon Advantage. If you have any questions about the program or are experiencing issues accessing these benefits, please contact your home club staff. For more information check out: https://www.troon.com/member-programs/troon-advantage/
AGRONOMY
The dog days of summer have officially begun, and the Sea Palms Golf Course maintenance team is out in full force preparing for a busy fall schedule. The team plans to narrow its efforts on continuing to improve playability as well as the overall aesthetics on the course. As the course continues to rebound from the transition to bermudagrass from overseeded turf, the maintenance team will continue to fertilize and use cultural practices to expedite the recovery and increase the quality of the course. During this time, verticutting paired with light and frequent topdressing will be implemented to reduce grain while also promoting smoothness of the greens. While these efforts can at times be disruptive, they are also imperative in our efforts to maintain and continually improve course. The main priority heading into the fall and winter seasons is to increase density of turf on all levels. Once the desired density has been obtained, focus will be shifted to improving green speeds for the upcoming season. We will also be removing collar dams around greens that are preventing proper drainage and run off around edges of greens. As always, help protect playing conditions by: Repairing ball marks Filling divots Raking bunkers Scattering cart traffic Keeping carts on paths at tees and greens Obeying daily cart traffic
Justin Collett Agronomy justin.collett@seaplams.com
TO OUR MEMBERS As Sea Palms Resort continues through a new season, I would like to personally thank each one of you for your continued support, constructive feedback, and associate appreciation, which you give to my team, day-in and day-out. With endless opportunities for Sea Palms Resort to continue growing and reaching its potential, I am extremely thankful and happy to be part of the new future here at Sea Palms Resort. Going into the next few months, each of you will begin to experience and see our property transform into something truly amazing! From the remodeling of our hotel buildings, 1-3, to the complete rehaul of our parking lots, enhancements of our clubhouse and Sago, the adding of signage throughout the property, a new website launch, improved associate engagement with you, our members, touchpoints to service standards, ways of communicating to you and much, much more! To provide you with exceptional experiences throughout Sea Palms Resort is what we are yearning for as a team. I will ask all of you to continue having grace towards our teams and associates, as we continue to fine-tune, elevate, and enhance your time spent here at Sea Palms Resort. Please, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have, as we go forward as a team and work-family here at Sea Palms Resort.
Warm Regards,
Daniel J. Hull Sea Palms Resort General Manager 715.497.3735 Daniel.Hull@aimhosp.com
Sunday- Thursday • 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. Friday- Saturday • 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. Happy Hour • Daily 4-7 p.m. $5 House Tap Wines • $3 Domestic Beers • $5 Well Cocktails
New and exciting things are happening at Sago and we are eager to share it with you, our members. As of June 29, we have a brand new menu to share with you. Enjoy all the classics you love from Sago along with new additions such as our popular Tuna Martini appetizer and our Seafood Cavatappi entrée. Check out our new menu here. We always enjoy helping to make any event special for our guests with our many indoor conference rooms and outdoor options. Whether it's a monthly board meeting or a wedding reception we aim to bring you a variety of menu options to accommodate everyone in your party. With that being said, starting August 1st we will be launching our brand-new banquet menu. Chef Chris has created an incredible new menu that will make your next events one that won't be forgotten. Want to have your next event with us? Email us for more information. At Sea Palms, we want to offer you and your family events that the everyone can enjoy. Join us every Friday night for a themed poolside buffet as you enjoy live music from some of the best musicians in the Golden Isles. We will also be hosting fun family events such as Dive-In Movies and a Back to School Hawaiian Luau at the Clubhouse pool. You can also celebrate Labor Day weekend with us starting with breakfast and ending with an AllAmerican cookout with games and live music daily.
While there have been many changes happening at Sea Palms and Sago one thing has not changed. Everyday we strive to make our guests and members experience with us the best it can be by concentrating on consistency of food & service provided to you. Your patronage over the years means the world to us and we thank you for your patience as we are constantly changing and growing to serve you better. We look forward to serving you soon!
Benjamin J. Clark Director of Food & Beverage
WEEKLY EVENTS TRIVIA NIGHT MONDAYS Join us every Monday evening for Trivia Night, hosted by Pate Hall. Time• 6:30 p.m.
MEMBERS NIGHT WEDNESDAYS
LIVE MUSIC FRIDAYS 6 P.M. - 9 P.M. 8/5• Tony Adams ITALIONA TUESDAYS 'Build Your Own Pasta’ comes with fresh garden salad, warm garlic focaccia bread, and has a variety of combinations. Time• 4-9 p.m.
FRIDAY NIGHT BUFFETT
8/19• Chris Rider 8/26• Annie Aikens 9/9• Roger Weber
Members, come join us at Sago every Wednesday night for a weekly special & 25% off your total. *Discount does not apply to Happy Hour. Time• 5-9 p.m.
8/12• Jim Morgan
9/16• Pine Box Dwellers WOMEN & WINE THURSDAYS Ladies enjoy $5 specialty cocktails & $4 house wines paired with a weekly $10 appetizer feature. Time• 4-7 p.m.
Enjoy a themed buffet every Friday evening while listening to live music on the patio. Time• 6-9 p.m. poolside
9/23• Owen Plant 9/30• Annie Aikens
Labor Day Weekend Entertainment 9/2• Tony Adams 9/3• Jim Morgan
SUNDAY BRUNCH BUFFET Join us every Sunday for classic Southern breakfast & lunch stables. Time• 10:30 a.m.- 2 p.m.
9/4• Annie Akins 9/5• Pine Box Dwellers
Aug. 6th
Q U A R T E R L Y
HAWAIIAN LUAU BACK TO SCHOOL PARTY 12-9 p.m.
Celebrate back to school with a poolside party! Order Hawaiian pizza from the Tiki Bar and enjoy games on the pool deck. At 7:30 p.m. a complimentary viewing of Disney's Lilo & Stitch will be playing at the pool.
Aug.
Aug.
9th
26th
WINE & DESIGN Reception• 5:30 p.m. Class• 6-8 p.m. Show your creative side at our monthly Wine & Design event. This month Jennifer Broadus will be showing us how to paint beautiful landscapes in acrylic.
Sep. 2nd-5th
LABOR DAY WEEKEND
Celebrate Labor Day with us all weekend. Breakfast will be served every morning followed by a poolside cookout and live music every evening. Children can enjoy games and the waterslide every day. Come cheer on the Georgia Bulldogs, Saturday at 3:30 p.m., and enjoy wing and beer specials.
CHILDREN'S NIGHT
6-7:30 p.m. Bring the children to the Clubhouse to enjoy an evening of fun and creativity. Tinted Tide's Erica Gillman will be leading the children in story time followed by a pottery project. Pepperoni and cheese pizza will be available as well.
Sep. 17th
FAMILY BINGO NIGHT
5-7 p.m. Join us for an evening of family fun as Bonita Tanner hosts a new take on bingo. Enjoy a round of the classic bingo you know and love before diving into a round inspired by the music of Disney. Small plate options will be available. Children are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite Disney Charactor.
E V E N T S
Sep. 20th
CHEF'S TABLE
Reception• 5:30 p.m. Dinner• 6 p.m. You will be guided through this interactive experience with an opportunity to engage and ask questions while learning more from our guest sommelier, Jeff Hines, and tasting Chef Chris' expertly paired creations.
ASSOCIATES OF THE QUARTER The purpose of the Associate of the Quarter Program is to recognize associates who have served Sea Palms Resort & Golf in an exceptional manner by exemplifying outstanding service through his or her work and exhibiting a positive and supportive attitude.
Resort Associate: Sarah Trotta
Golf Associate: Michael Cooney
Thank you both for your excellent work and your commitment to making Sea Palms the best it can be for our members, guests, and fellow associates.
TENNIS AT SEA PALMS
Wednesday Clinic 10:00-11:30a.m. •Focus on stroke technique, rally development and court positioning Thursday Cardio Tennis 9:00-10:00 a.m. (All Levels Welcome) •Hit a lot of balls while getting a great workout! Friday Drills and Doubles Match Play 10:00-11:30 a.m. •A mix of drills and match play to take your game to the next level.
Tennis at Sea Palms has seen a big increase in play! The courts are regularly booked in the mornings and the weekly adult tennis clinics have had great participation, even in the summer heat. Our ladies USTA team competed in the winter and spring seasons and finished with a winning record. We also had several junior members play in their first season of USTA Junior Team Tennis. Stay tuned for some fun doubles mixers and round robins in the fall! Hope to see you all on the courts soon!
Junior Clinics Wednesdays (starting August 10) 3:30-4:30 p.m. Ages 4-6 •Focus on hand/eye coordination and introduction to tennis strokes. 4:30-5:30 p.m. Ages 7-12 •Focus on stroke technique, rally development and introduction to match play
Sarah Black Tennis Instructor
YOGA AT SEA PALMS Yoga at Sea Palms is a great way to connect to other members while building one’s yoga practice. We meet in the East Fitness Center twice a week for an all levels vinyasa flow. Our practice is for every body and everybody.
Blair McHale Yoga Instructor
All members need to bring with them is a yoga mat and something to drink. Blocks and straps are provided. Meet us on the mat Tuesdays from 9:30-10:30am or on Thursdays from 10:30-11:15am. Cost is $10 for members and $15 for all other friends. Hope to meet you all soon.
Susan Watts
Taylor Hunt, Karen Tostenson, & Cissy Thompson
Robyn Barnhardt & Angie Sink
Alicia Winey & Debbie Britt
Rebecca Etter & Beverly Godly
Diane Davis, Cissy Thompson & Taylor Hunt
AT A GLANCE Locations & Contacts SEA PALMS GOLF SHOP 515 N Windward Drive, St. Simons Island, GA 31522 Open Daily: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. 912.434.5336
KEEP IN TOUCH facebok.com/seapalmsresort facebook.com/The-Club-at-Sea-Palms facebook.com/sea.palms.resort.weddings @sea_palms_resort @theclubatseapalms @sea.palms.resort.weddings www.seapalms.com
MEMBERSHIP OFFICE 5445 Frederica Road, St. Simons Island, GA 31522 Office Hours: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. & 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Cissy Thompson• Director of Membership: 912.434.5335 Taylor Hunt• Marketing Coordinator: 912.434.5363 SAGO & CONFERENCE CENTER 515 N Windward Drive, St. Simons Island, GA 31522 Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. SAGO: 912.434.5340 SEA PALMS SALES TEAM 5445 Frederica Road, St. Simons Island, GA 31522 Caroline Norman• Director of Sales 912.638.3351 ext. 5318 Bailey Johnson• Wedding Sales Manager 912.638.3351 ext. 5384 Amanda Smith• Catering Sales Manager 912.638.3351 ext. 5319