Summer ChipShots 2026 by stdavidsgolfclub

CHIPSHOTS CHIPSHOTS

Upcoming Events

Happy Hour & Tasting

Friday, July 10

BYOB Night

Saturday, July 11

Lobster Night

Thursday, July 23

Happy Hour & Tasting

Friday, August 7

BYOB Night

Saturday, August 8

Wine Tasting

Thursday, August 13

Lobster Night

Thursday, August 20

Labor Day BBQ

Monday, September 7

Trivia Night

Thursday, September 10

Cigar & Whiskey Tasting

Saturday, September 12

Hours

Back Together, Better Than Ever PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Well, folks, we did it! After a long year away, we are finally back together enjoying our new golf course and clubhouse. My gratitude to our membership, club leaders and incredible staff for all the work and effort that went into the course renovation and clubhouse refresh. These importantprojectsarenotonlygreatimprovementsforour community to enjoy, but symbolic of our commitment and stewardshipoftheClubforfuturegenerations.

Ithasbeenincredibletoseesomanyhappygatheringsand smiling faces in the past couple of weeks, and to be back together again. The course is magnificent, and I’m especially proud of Colin and his team as well as Tyler and his team for getting us over the finish line and helping us navigate the past year. Incredible job (on time, on budget). Please also join me in thanking Dean Kandle for his amazing leadership getting us safely back to harbor, his incredible team, and to everyone who worked so hard tomaketheprojectsasuccess.

Itfeelsgoodtobeback!

Advanceitforward,staythecourse.

John Beisty President

June 11, Golf Course Grand Opening Celebration

Honoring Our Legacy, Embracing Our Future GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT

Wow…what an amazing difference! By now everyone has seen or experienced our upgraded golf course and clubhouse, which have both opened to rave reviews. The momentum that the clubhouse redesign brought to our diningservicehascontinuedfromspringintosummer,and the buzz and energy in the grill room have been exciting. Now that the golf course is open, we anticipate a more active summer than normal as members make up for lost timeattheClub.

Withthatsaid,Iknowmostofyouaregratefulforareturn to "normal" around St. Davids, and for good reason. As a staff, it's comforting to return to our routines and the regular flow of members throughout the Club. Over the last 18 months, much of our energy focused on planning for the closures and then managing budgets, staffing, events, and communication in that unprecedented environment. Now we can focus on adjusting to new workflows, promoting club activity, and continuing to add touches that elevate the Club for members and guests. Our goal is to balance "new" with "familiar" so you can experience the St. Davids you know and love in an upgradedenvironment.

Along those lines, you have probably noticed the phrase "A Legacy Renewed" in club communications this season. We truly believe that the changes at St Davids celebrate the most important elements of the Club: the golf course and the clubhouse. As the centerpieces and gathering places for family and friends, these two places are where the legacy of St. Davids was built. With the recent upgrades, they are now "renewed" and will be the places where new memories are made, continuing the legacy of St. Davids. We have much to celebrate in our past and a lottolookforwardtoinourfuture.Theserenovationsare

key to both. Our sincere

example of the vast calendar is non-golf/social focus on the the most. an active and golf play some

Dean Kandle General Manager

April 11, Clubhouse Grand Opening:

John Beisty, Barbara Balongue, Dean Kandle, Mark Pulos

The Financial Success of Our Club Improvements FINANCE REPORT

There is nothing more gratifying than seeing our beautifully refreshed clubhouse filled with friends and families enjoying Victoria’s wonderful cuisine, and our members enjoying the magnificent golf course we all love. There is so much to be proudofandgratefulforatSt.DavidsGolfClub!

For those who may still be wondering if the financial aspects of these critical projects worked out as planned, the short answerisaresounding “yes!”

It’s a privilege to take over as Treasurer and Finance CommitteeChairpersonafterservingonthecommitteeforthe past three years under Bill Henderson’s leadership. I can confidently say that, under the exceptional leadership of Dean Kandle, our General Manager, along with Bethany Jones (Controller), Jill Pacholek (Office Manager), Kelli Iorio (Accounts Payable), and especially under Bill’s watchful eye, we successfully navigated one of the most exciting and financiallycomplexperiodsinourclub’shistory.

Asasummaryofwherewenowstandonavarietyofnewand pendingmatters:

The Clubhouse Refresh project is complete, and the associated loan has been established and is progressing as planned The Golf Course Restoration project is also complete, and, as designed, the loan associated with this projectwillbefinalizedshortly

We finished the fiscal year on budget and with a strong year-end capital position, despite the challenging task of forecasting our revenue streams and expenses during the courseandclubhouseclosures

Year to date, again, despite difficult budgeting circumstances, we are approximately $157,000 favorable toourforecast

Earlier this year, a subcommittee was formed to review thepricingstructureforIntermediateandLegacyInterm-

ediate Members. With the Finance Committee’s endorsement, the Board approved the recommendation to 0,000 and 000. We tstanding year by to show ppropriate he audit and Midategories. to Dean, highly in on study, set of the ycle, and ve a true ed capital ther than “ad hoc” resdonot or on an id major “back to d sharing we “owe” “keep the

Michael Marciano Treasurer

ON THE TEE WITH TYLER

Golf Is Back! What You Need to Know

It is great to be back on the course at St. Davids! Thank you to opening events. club

Exciting Ross and with Christ One-Day we prep traditions thegolfoperationwe’dliketosharewithyou:

St.DavidsGolfCartPolicies With quickly proper help enjoythisyear! Follow positioned traf avoid navigateallthegolfcarttraf A are golf betweenthepostandyourtires. All cartisparkedattheteeorgreen. Keep carts out of the fescue areas. Carts can be driventhroughroughorthefairway(unlessotherwise instructedbeforeyourround).

When parking your cart, keep all four tires on the path.The new paths are wider and allow for two-way traffic in most areas. In the case of a cart needing to get around your parked cart, let the cart traveling enterthegrasstogetaroundyourparkedcart. Do not drive carts closer to the tee boxes. If cart traffic was meant to be closer to the tee box, a cart path would’ve been built there. You should not take your cart off the path to get closer to the any teeing area.

MemberandThreeGuestForecaddiePolicy

After an impressive start to the season from the membership with more than 1,000 rounds played the first week after the course reopened, we look forward to welcoming back guest play starting July 1. To provide an elevated experience for your guests returning to St. Davids, the Board recently passed a new requirement for all foursomes featuring one member and three guests (including family guests) to take a forecaddie in-season. Seebelowfordetailssurroundingthisnewpolicy.

ON THE TEE WITH TYLER

Whenaforecaddieisrequired:

Any foursome of one member + three guests (includingfamilyguests)takingcarts

Both9-and18-holerounds

Unaccompanied currentpolicy)

In-season(April1-October31)

WhenaforecaddieisNOT

Onemember+threeguestswhowalkwithcaddies Juniormembersbringingjuniorguests Of What divot generalassistancetoyourgueststhroughouttheround.

Cost&booking:

$25 directly round. No usual selectscarts,aforecaddieisreservedautomatically St.DavidsCaddiePr Thanks Burbridge, the St. help you here at you. Caddies yourround.

Level1Caddies

$60basefee+recommended$10-20gratuity

Level2Caddies

$80basefee+recommended$10-20gratuity

All new caddies will start at Level 1. After 30+ loops of experience and positive member feedback, they will be promoted to Level 2 where they will be able to double bag. All caddies will be equipped with a name tag that features their first name and their level. Should you have anyquestions,pleasereachouttoournewCaddieMaster, BillyBurbridge,billy@stdavidsgc.com

Thank you all for your time and support while celebrating the return of our restored golf course – we look forward toteeingitupwithyousoon!

Tyler Santacroce

Head Golf Professional

COLLIN’S CORNER

Course Conditions, Care, and Member Experience

What a journey it has been! Thank you to the membership for your support, commitment and trust in our team throughout this monumental year. Now you can all enjoy thefruitsofyourinvestment!

It has been very rewarding to hear the overwhelmingly positive feedback regarding the golf course. The initial reaction has been terrific and I expect that to increase as the membership becomes more familiar with the new golf course. As feedback continues to come in, there are a couple talking points I would like to reiterate as we move through the next couple of months with an active tee sheet.

GreenSpeeds

As previously mentioned, the expectation of “fast” greens is not obtainable right now. Our goal was to open the golf course to the membership and let them enjoy it without any more disruption to play. In order to do that, our team needs to play defense and protect the young turf stands through the heat of the summer. While we monitor the health and performance of the playing surfaces throughout the summer, we will consider making adjustments to our practices to promote faster green speeds when weather permits.

TrafficControl

We are quickly learning the new traffic patterns with minor signs of wear already starting to show on some of the playing surfaces. Our team will continuously monitor these patterns and try to redirect it with various obstacles. Pleasekeepinmindthatthesecontrolmeasuresareout

there for a reason and should be obeyed for the entirety of yourround.

EZLocatorHoleLocations

We hope the membership is enjoying the new intricacies of the putting surfaces. We spent a lot of time working on the green surfaces to capture as many hole locations as possible and I feel that has become evident. Some greens have drastically changed, while others have subtle tweaks. Our hole location software, EZ Locator, presents this visualclearly.

COLLIN’S CORNER CONT.

ZoysiaBunkerFaces

Being little longer northern sunlight mature more consistent how much bunker needofsodorplugwork.

BunkerSandSplash

I have bunker the sand as well angularity succulent rate at a lethal our team in the and will disruption.

DivotRecovery

2hoursto keep the seed wet. That is simply not possible to achieve during play. We are utilizing overnight irrigation programs to help with divot recovery as weather permits, but we can not expect divots to recover in 2-3 days. We do expect to see establishment start in 7-10 days under the rightconditions.

In-GroundTrashCans

In effort to limit clutter on the golf course we have introduced in-ground trash cans in select areas. Please look for these next to all of the on-course water filling stations. Depending on feedback and usage, we may introduce more oftheseoverthecomingmonths.

GolfCourseEtiquette

As advertised, these new bentgrass varieties germinate veryquicklyundertherightconditions.Duringthegrowin ofthegolfcourse,wewereirrigatingseededareasevery1-

The golf course may be new but the same common etiquette practices remain the same. Please remember to leave each hole better for the next player by raking your bunkers,fixingballmarksandfillingyourdivots.Nowm-

COLLIN’S CORNER CONT.

ore than ever, these simple practices will enhance the golf experience and help the season-long performance of the playingsurfaces.

It has been a pleasure interacting with the membership throughout the project and as excitement built leading up to opening day. I cannot end this communication without mentioning the team that truly made all of this come to fruition and deserves all the recognition (photo below). Theircommitmenttothesuccessofthisprojectandthe

pride displayed in their workmanship has been incredible to witness. We can not wait to carry this momentum into the2026golfseason.

Welookforwardtoseeingyououtonthegolfcourse!

Collin Harley

Golf Course Superintendent

STAF C

Please join us in welcoming Chris Walsh, who team at the beginning of June as our Men's RoomManager.

Chris has spent his entire professional career privateclubindustry.AftergraduatingfromWest University in 2016, he began his career professional at Radnor Valley Country Club. workedasacaddieatStonewallGolfClub,where assisted in the locker room during major tournaments.

Chris grew up in Phoenixville and now lives Forge. When he's not at the Club, you'll likely on the ice. From spring through fall, Chris plays in a men's hockey league two to three times KimbertonandCollegeville.

Chris is also an avid traveler and outdoor enthusiast enjoys hiking and exploring America's National Some of his favorite destinations include NationalParkinMontanaandGrandTetonNational in Wyoming. Next on his adventure list? California to experience Yosemite National Redwoods.

Since arriving at St. Davids, Chris has quickly home.

"It's fantastic. The clubhouse is awesome... loves it. There's lots of good energy because remodel. The membership is awesome, with super nice people. I'm totally impressed by the way the staff and membershipinteractwithoneanother."

You can find Chris around the Club Wednesday through Sunday.Besuretointroduceyourselfandsayhello!

DINING/CLUB HISTORY

Welcome Back to the Club!

Thank you to our membership for supporting the dining room and our team as we reopened the clubhouse! The amount of activity from the moment we opened our doors has been tremendous and we are so happy to see everyone utilizingourservices.

We recently launched our summer menu. You’ll find lots of fan favorites and some new additions! Come enjoy the summer harvest salad (spring mix with grilled peaches, heirloom cherry tomatoes, green beans, cucumber, dried cherries, sunflower seeds, goat cheese, & citrus vinaigrette) or Chef Victoria’s family recipe in our VictoriaalaVodkadish!

Our first Lobster Night was a success, please don’t forget to register for the upcoming Lobster Night on Thursday, July 23. Our final Lobster night is on Thursday, August 20,registrationopensonThursday,July9.

We’ve added some additional BYOB nights to the calendar this summer. Join us on Saturday, July 11 and August 8. If you can’t make it, you are always welcome to bring your own bottle of wine, but please note there is a $25corkagefee.

Summerhoursofoperation

Monday:Closed

Tuesday:11AM-3PM

Wednesday-Sunday:11AM–9PM

The bar opens at 11 AM Tuesday - Sunday

Trees on the Golf Course

Angela Hummel Clubhouse Manager

When St. Davids Golf Club’s new golf course opened for play in the fall of 1927 there weren’t many trees among the golf holes. For 70 years, trees were planted for a variety of reasons. Some were planted to protect golfers from errant golf shots, some to protect neighbors, some to make a golf hole more difficult, some in memory of a lovedone,andsomeforbeautification.

Early on trees were planted on the left side of the 1 fairway to protect the golfers on the 3 tee. In 1972 five fast growing trees were planted on the left side of the 12 fairwaytoprotectthenextdoorneighborfromerrantgolf st rd th

shots.At the same time the 12 fairway was moved to the right, making the hole more of a dogleg. Past SDGC President John Yerkes donated the trees in memory of his wife,Mary,whohaddiedthatyear. th

To make the 17 hole play more difficult, SDGC green superintendent George McKenzie (Mr Mac) planted several trees on the right-hand side in the 1950s (before the full shot practice field was created the 17 hole had been a 423-yard par four). Mr. Mac played golf with the menonSaturdaymornings. th

In the late 1960s willow trees were planted between the 5 and 8 holes in hope that the trees would soak up water that persisted in that area. But, that only made the problem worse, as the willow tree roots coughed up the drainage pipesthathadbeeninstalledfromtimetotime. th th

In 1969 Heidelberg Country Club was under construction near Reading on a former Christmas tree farm. The owner of Heidelberg sent out word to other golf facilities offering evergreen trees for sale at a low price. SDGC purchased nearly two hundred of those trees. The trees were planted on nearly every hole, and now, except for a few, they are gone.

Over the years, trees were planted, all with good intentions, but trees can become larger than expected and becomeaproblem.Treesnearthe8 greenandtheteesfor the 5 and 8 holes became large with roots that extended under the green and tees along with blocking the badly needed sunshine. Several large trees near the 6 green blockedthesunandaircirculation. th th th th

The USGAGreen Section, a consulting service subscribed to, made yearly visits to the Club. always be the mention of one thing. For certaingreens,likethe6 and7 ,sometreesneededtobe th th

removed. But, longtime SDGC President Victor Mauck, who oversaw SDGC for nearly thirty years, would not concedetofewertrees.

Over the years lightening and the Dutch Elm disease eliminated some trees. Then three professional golf course architects; Brian Silva, Ron Prichard, and Tyler Rae, who made restorations to the golf course, removed many trees for various reasons. When it comes to trees at SDGC it is