As we gear up for the approaching summer season, I wanted to take a moment to remind you of some important events and opportunities happening at our club.
With summer just around the corner, I encourage you to consider proposing a friend, family member, or colleague for our Summer Privilege Program. It's a fantastic chance for them to experience all that Vicmead has to offer and for the current membership to get to know them while they enjoy our exceptional golf facilities, social events and dining with spectacular views. If you have any questions about the program, please don't hesitate to reach out to Paige Hitchens at phitchens@vicmead.com
Mark your calendars for our Annual Meeting on April 2nd. Your presence and participation are invaluable, but if you're unable to attend, please ensure you submit your proxy beforehand. Details and proxies were mailed out this week.
As we prepare for the spring & summer season, our professional staff will be conducting the Annual Spring Cleaning starting March 11th. But before we dive into that, join us for Putt Putt Palooza on March 10th at the Vicmead Clubhouse for a fun-filled afternoon of
golfing antics and delicious food. Don't forget to book your "tee time" for this unique event!
Please be aware that due to how the 2024 calendar falls, Easter festivities will span two weekends this year. Enjoy our traditional Easter Champagne Brunch on March 31st followed by Chicken Run & Egg Hunt on April 7th for ages 10 and under.
Finally, I'd like to express my gratitude to those members who provided feedback regarding the return of the Summer Meet & Greet. This cherished tradition of inviting our new members from the last year and our summer members to meet the full membership will be back on June 4th. It's an opportunity for both new and returning members to mingle, enjoy some hors d'oeuvres and cocktails, and make connections at the first of many memorable 2024 BBQ dinners.
I look forward to seeing you all at these upcoming events and making this season at Vicmead one to remember.
All the best,
David K. Solacoff, M.D. President
FEBRUARY'S BOARD MEETING: TOP TAKEAWAYS
1. Adopted a Key Performance Indicator presentation schedule. Each Standing Committee will present their yearly KPIs at a designated meeting to ensure the Board remains strategically focused.
2. Kitchen Tours continue to be led by the Development Ad Hoc Committee & Chef Dave and are helpful for the membership to see the challenges of the current facilities. 61 members have participated to date.
Club Information
Putt Putt Palooza
Candidates Posted for Membership: through Sunday, April 21, 2024
Mr. & Mrs. Anthony and Jessica Hidell
Chadds Ford, PA
Proposer: Mr. Brad du Pont
Seconder: Mr. Tyler Rae
Paige Draper fdraper1@mac.com
Meghan Mackenzie meghangmackenzie@gmail.com
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph & Kaitlyn Thomas Chadds Ford, PA
Proposer: Mrs. Christine Hidell
Seconder: Mr. Robert Powelson
Alex Giacco, Jr. Committee Chair agiacco3@comcast.net
Alex Garnick agarnick@gmail.com
John Matson johnmatson44@gmail.com
Dr. Anne Warner Wilmington, DE
Proposer: Dr. Lydia Clements
Seconder: Mr. Richard Laird
Anthony Lunger alunger@wilmingtontrust.com
Tara Wood tarakwood1@gmail.com
The Clubhouse will be closed for annual Repairs & Spring Cleaning beginning Monday, March 11tH and reopen on Tuesday, March 26tH. While the Club is closed, there will be no food or beverage service. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to the Clubhouse on Tuesday, March 26tH for lunch and dinner service.
Mark Your Calendars: Clubhouse Closed for Spring Cleaning
March 11th - 25th Reopens March 26TH
*Please note the Indoor Tennis, Squash, Paddle Tennis, and Fitness Facility are all available during this time unless otherwise noted. CLEANING • REPAIRS • MAINTENANCE • POWER WASHING SANDING
2024 Summer Privilege Program
May 24th - September 8th
1. Identify a friend, relative, or colleague who would be a great candidate for the Summer Privilege Program (SPP).
Candidates:
• Must have a genuine interest in a permanent membership
• Must be 30 years of age or more
• May only take advantage of this opportunity one time per family
2. By April 12th:
• Submit a completed application and
• (2) comprehensive Letters of Support from two Proposers.
3. Attend a Meet & Greet with Membership Committee- Date to be announced via email.
4. Attend (1) of the following mandatory Orientations:
• Saturday, April 27th | 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Saturday, May 18th | 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
5. Enjoy the summer at Vicmead Hunt Club!
Contact Paige Hitchens, Membership & Catering Coordinator, with questions and/or to start the process. (302) 655-3333 ext. 117 or phitchens@vicmead.com
NewMember
Meet & Greet
Tuesday, April 2nd at Vicmead
Annual Meeting of theMembership 5:30 p.m.
All members are encouraged to attend as we review the prior year and look forward to 2024.
Please register online to join us for the Annual Meeting Buffet Dinner immediately following the meeting: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Seasonal Salad Bar
Vicmead Chicken Curry
Citrus Grilled Mahi Mahi with Jasmine Rice & Roasted Vegetables
See old friends & greet new members at Vicmead's first BBQ of the season!
Register online to stay for BBQ Dinner following reception.
Beginner Shooting Lessons
Private Lessons Available
Saturdays though June beginning at 10:00 a.m. Wilmington Trap Association, Newark DE
All Levels Welcome!
Must be at least 15 years of age. Taking the first-time Safety Instruction Class before starting lessons is recommended.
Contact Allen Brown after 6:00 p.m. at 302-368-5334 to set up your private lesson.
UNIONVILLE TRAP + SKEET SHOOT
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8TH
"The weather was perfect, the site beautiful, hospitality was delicious and beautifully presented. Good sport, good camaraderie fireside. There were flowers, oysters and pheasant stew! Some lingered longer to savor the setting, friendships and success."
Upcoming
Events
REGISTRATIONS REQUIRED
Visit www.vicmead.com for information & to register
MARCH
Friday, March 1st
• Season-long Tournament Registrations Go Live All Season-long Tournament registrations go live on the Club website. Men's Season-long events registration closes Monday, April 1st. Ladies' and Mixed Season-long events registration close Tuesday, April 30th.
· Men’s President’s Cup
· Men’s Better Ball of Partners
· Ladies' Match Play
· Ladies' Stabler Cup (Better Ball of Partners)
· Mixed Match Play
Sunday, March 10th
• Last Day of TrackMan Indoor Golf Simulator
Wednesday, March 13th, 9:00 a.m.
• Ladies’ Member-Guest Registration Opens Deadline to cancel is Sunday, April 14th. Tournament: Tuesday, June 13th - 14th. Field Size: 72 players.
APRIL
Thursday, April 11th
• Golf Facilities & Bidermann Farmhouse Open
Sunday, April 14th
• Men’s GAP Match #1 Open to all male golf members who have an established handicap index at the Club.
• July Men’s Member-Guest Registration Opens Deadline to cancel is Friday, May 26th. Tournament: Thursday, July 27th. Field Size: 72 players.
Saturday, April 27th
•Half Day Golf Schools (Morning & Afternoon) 12 max per school.
Anthony Malizia III Head Golf Professional
In less than 36 days we’ll welcome you to the 59th season of golf at Bidermann. Preparations for your arrival are well underway and our team is excited for our official opening dayThursday, April 11th.
Registration for all 2024 Season-long Tournaments went live March 1st on the Club’s website. Gone are the days of having to post a score to qualify. Simply register by the April 1st deadline to be guaranteed a match in the:
Men’s Events: President’s Cup (Singles Matches) or BB of Partners (Four-Ball Matches)
And register by the April 30th deadline to be guaranteed a match in the:
Mixed Events: Mixed Match Play (Four-Ball Matches)
Ladies' Events: Ladies Match Play (Singles Matches) or Stabler Cup (Four-Ball Matches)
Please visit the Club website for more detailed information related to all Season-long Matches.
Lastly, I encourage you to join us for our Spring Member-Member Tournament scheduled for Saturday, April 20th. Register online to be randomly paired with a fellow golf Member for the alternate shot format.
Sincerely,
Pictured: Jim Sinclair
Remarks & Photography by Barbara Cairns
Mr. F. Fiechter, Mary Harding Cist Brent du Pont, Paula Janssen
John Lynch & Dawn Schieffer, Champions at Bonita Bay G.C. Member-Professional Tournament
Happy March! Another important and vital improvement to the infrastructure of the golf course, the irrigation replacement project, is nearing completion.
The weather wasn’t as cooperative as it was last winter during the golf course renovations, but we’ve made significant progress. We saw almost 15” of rain in December and January and received about 15” of snow in January and February. It will be a race to the finish line to complete the system installation, but we have great construction and design partners to help us get there.
Head installation is now complete on twelve golf holes, the range tee and landing area, and all practice greens. Our contractor, Irrigation Services Inc., continues to perform reliably and produce high quality work.
$28
Peter Cottontail (ages 4-7): $28
Baby Bunnies (under 4yrs): $15
We’ve decided the answer to the age-old question, at least for now: the egg came first! After spring break & the Easter holiday, come to Vicmead for Family Fun on the Farm as we celebrate our egg hunt with a Crazy Chicken Yes! Chester the Chicken will be bringing a little of the farm to the club-- along with a Fox and a Bunny, too!
Hunt begins promptly at 11:30 a.m.
Hole layout, through our design group C-Tech Inc., has moved on to our final holes. In addition to laying out the design of the holes, C-Tech has begun to create our new central database that will serve as the foundation for our new programming. This is where the investments in technology for our pump station, weather station, water monitors and individual head controls begin to pay off.
As irrigation installation is completed on a hole, our Bidermann Agronomy Team begins to rigorously check for any quality control issues to ensure every golf hole is ready for play when the project is complete. This includes select sod repair, topdressing of sod seams, select tamping and turf rolling. Repair work, related to all levels of irrigation installation, will likely occur into April and early May. Overall, reducing the visibility of the scars from irrigation installation may take a year or more.
If weather conditions are cooperative for the remainder of the winter, most of the irrigation installation will be complete by Opening Day.
Upon completion of the installation, our contractor will then begin the start-up of the new system. This will include communication checks, flushing of new pipes, and ensuring that all equipment and wires are functioning properly. We estimate this process will last 1-2 months. Currently, it is hard to predict the level of disruption to play during this work, but we do expect some impact.
It is important to understand that the irrigation system installation is a complex project with many moving pieces. As with any complex project we may encounter some start up issues. C-Tech and ISI are both great partners and both contractors are contractually committed to ensuring our state-of-the-art system is performing as designed.
We cannot understate the fact that the last two years have been a transformational time for the golf course. Extensive planning and coordination have gone in to ensuring the overall success of both wide-scale projects and ensuring the Club’s successful position for the future.
Sincerely,
Ned Graham Patrick Michener Chair, Green Committee Golf Course Superintendent
with Brunch to follow.
PADDLE
CLUB CHAMPS
Brooke Moorhead and Sherry Willard Def.
Annie Brooking and Danica Everett
RESULTS
BORDER WAR
The "South" retained the title! Twenty Vicmead men went to battle alongside fifty other players from Wilmington C.C., Greenville C.C., Du Pont C.C., and Deerfield C.C. Our guys went 6-4 on the night!
WALKER/SCOTT CUP
In celebraiton of two great friends, Ray Walker (Vicmead) and Larry Scott (Greenville C.C.), the two clubs duke it out head-to-head for the coveted Cup. This year Vicmead came out on top creating a two-year winning streak. It came down to a third set tiebreaker in the competition's final match. Ian and Rod pulled it out fot the team! Congratulations to Hugh Plumb, Scott DuPont, Steve Marvin, Whit Maroney, Rick Cairns, George Gowan, Rob Heflin, Steve Arnold, Brett Jones, Chris Donoho, Wills Elliman, Joe Everett, Peter Ahl, Peter Willard, and Rod Maroney.
LADIES' PADDLE CUP 9
Our Ladies' Paddle CUP 9 were victorious in winning their respective Cup this season. Out of twelve teams, Vicmead led the charge and pulled off the ultimate prize. Congratulations!
Thank you to: Danica Everett, Annie Brooking, Monica Peddrick, Paige Draper, Brooke Moorhead, Missy Veghte, Margaret Smith, and subs Barbara Brown, Lauren McLoughlin, Dana Monzo, Kim Larkin, Boo Stroud, Karen Gowen, and Marianne Archbell!
SENIOR NATIONALS
Vicmead Racquets Professionals Greg Egor and Simon Peppiatt were Silver Medal winners and finished 2nd in the country in the Men's 55 and Over Nationals. We'd like to give a shout-out to Geoff Veale who partnered with Simon in the Men's 45 and Over Nationals, finishing 5th in the country!
MEN'S DIVISION 15: VICTORIOUS!
Next year our D15 Men's move up a division after finishing in 2nd place overall. Thank you to all of our players this season and a shout out to the main D15 crew who all played over eight matches or more! John Matson (7-2) and Gordon Stone (9-1), Steve Arnold (9-2), Ryan Carroll (7-3), Rob Heflin (7-2), Kevin McLoughlin, Colin Baker, Bob Waston, Wills Elliman, and Joe Everett. And thanks to many other who contributed to the team including Ashley Altshuler, Brad Deleew, Dan Aungst, Rob Habgood, Brett Jones, Harry Tower, Paul Peddrick, Will Spruance, and Burl Vannote!
Spring CUP Tennis Season Begins Monday, April 15th
MAY
Men's Opening Night- Tacos & Tequila
Thursday, May 23rd
Swizzle Cup
Sunday, May 26th
Who will capture the coveted cup? Play for Swizzle Prizes
JUNE
Mystery Mixed Tuesdays beginning June 4th
Ladies’ CUP Luncheon & Round Robin Tuesday, June 4th
Mystery Mixed ..with a Twist! Tuesday, June 11th
Ladies’ Member-Guest Tennis Tournament
Wednesday, June 19th
Adult-Junior Tournament
Saturday, June 15th
LADIES' TENNIS: TRAINING BLOCK
Level Up this CUP Season with our new dynamic and comprehensive training that will iluminate & empower you in your game!
These limited edition two-hour Tennis Mastery Sessions are designed to get the most out of two hours and make a big impact on your current playing ability. With just two* sessions left, you'll want to register today to secure your spot.
THREE LEFT! 10:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. March 18th March 25th April 1st $40 per session
Register on the Club App or website! *Sessions need to meet the threshold minimum of 8 registrants to take place.
THURSDAY NIGHT
MEN'S CLINIC
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
$30 per player 6 players max
Register at www.vicmead.com
Simon Peppiatt Director of Racquets speppiatt@vicmead.com (302) 655-3333 ext. 122
Saturday, April 13th
9:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m. Racquets Professional Staff serves up a fierce Drill Session followed by Doubles Strategy Play
$55 per player includes lite bites 24 players max. You in?
Spring Session: March 4th- May 10th 8 weeks, $280 Full details at www.vicmead.com
Racquets Professional Staff
Joe Dianna Head Tennis Professional jdianna@vicmead.com (302) 655-3333 ext. 122
Ray Chan-A-Sue Squash Professional rchanasue@vicmead.com (302) 655-3333 ext. 133
Greg Eger Paddle Professional geger@vicmead.com (302) 655-3333 ext. 122
LADIES' PADDLE CUP 9
MEN'S CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS
SQUASH
Wednesday Squash Clinic
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
MEN’S
Tuesday Squash Clinic
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Thursday Doubles Squash Clinic
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
The Vicmead/THS Middle School teamfeaturing one of the youngest rosters- finished second at 2024 US Middle School Nationals, hosted at US Squash Specter Center. The team upset the number one team from Connecticut and lost a heartbreaker in the Finals. (3 matches to 2)
The first-year team also had an undefeated regular season. Congrats to all the players on the team for an outstanding season.
LADIES' & MEN'S SQUASH CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS
March 1st- April 22ND
Time-Period Draws Singles A, B, C & D, Doubles A & B
(L-R) Matthew Majewski, Thompson Dugdale, Ryder Rutledge, Tim Mathews, Ben Yi, Amy Mathews,
DINING
VICMEAD
Sunday Brunch
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
March 3rd
Sunday Supper
4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
March 3rd
3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Putt Putt Palooza March 10th
Lunch*
11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday - Saturday
Dinner*
5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday
*Clubhouse Closed for spring cleaning March 11th - March 25th.
Alex Treptow, Clubhouse & Activities Director ext. 113 atreptow@vicmead.com
Bidermann Golf Course, Professional Staff (302) 655-3336
Anthony Malizia, III, Head Golf Professional ext.302 amalizia@vicmead.com
Bidermann Maintenance, Grounds (302) 655-3337
Patrick Michener, Golf Course Superintendent ext. 401 pmichener@vicmead.com
Sunday, March 10th
3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Tee Times Every 10 Minutes from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m.
$18 per golfer
Register your twosome, foursome or eightsome today! All Ages Encouraged, Junior to Seasoned Pro
Embark on a seasonal journey teeing off from inventive locations throughout the Clubhouse! From vibrant spring blooms to enchanting winter wonderlands, indulge in the themed handheld bites as you compete for the win.
Each Round ends with the Sunday Supper Buffet: green salad, chili, & all your favorite fixin’s.
