Dear Members,
I hope that everyone has had an enjoyable and safe summer. We look forward to welcoming all the Members back to Wyndemere for our 2023-2024 season. We have had a lot of work and activity going on at Wyndemere over the summer.
Certainly, the most important task that we have completed is to recruit and hire a new CEO. As you all know, Ron Parris will be starting on or about November 1. Please click here for the previous announcement regarding Ron. We all look forward to Ron’s arrival and are confident that he will lead us in our continuing journey of maintaining Wyndemere as a premier club in southwest Florida. Thanks again to the Search Committee for their many of hours of work that resulted in bringing Ron to us.
Speaking of great clubs, we were very pleased to announce the establishment of the Wyndemere Scholarship Fund. This will be a terrific enhancement and benefit to our employees and is funded by voluntary contributions by our Members. Please click here to see the previous announcement regarding the Scholarship Fund. Thanks to the Members of the Scholarship Fund Committee for the research and work to establish this. We will be holding a member meeting to further describe the fund on October 12 at 3:30pm in the Wyndemere Room. We encourage everyone to attend in person or via Zoom and give whatever amount you are comfortable giving for us to launch this great benefit for our employees.
I encourage you to read the other articles in this newsletter to get an idea of all the wonderful activities that are planned for the upcoming season.
Recapping last season’s financial performance, we are pleased to report that Wyndemere will end the year significantly ahead of budget. This is a result of multiple factors on both sides of the ledger. These include better-than-budgeted volume in some areas, having to increase wages in order to be competitive in our market, expenses related to Hurricane Ian, and a federal Employee Retention Tax Credit related to the COVID pandemic. In particular, this credit recognizes our ability to maintain services and staff during the height of the pandemic.
Our Treasurer will present more detail before and during the Annual Membership Meeting on November 8.
Gary Lapidas Club PresidentWednesday, November 8 at 3:30pm in the Wyndemere Room & Broadcast Live
Welcome home Wyndemere Members. I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for all the supportive emails you've shared over the past months.
As we embark on this new season, I can't help but feel a sense of excitement in the air. It's that time of the year when our campus comes alive with activity, and I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new ones. This season promises to be one filled with fun and memorable moments. We have an array of fantastic events and activities planned that will not only enhance your experience on campus, but also provide opportunities to invite your family and friends and share the incomparable Wyndemere experience.
Whether you're returning after a well-deserved break or have been with us all summer long, know that you're an integral part of our vibrant community. Together, we create the heart and soul of this unique community and your presence enriches our shared experience.
We look forward to sharing more details about the upcoming events and activities. Once again, thank you for your continued support and engagement. Let's make this season one to remember!
Leslie Evans Executive DirectorWhether you are a relatively new member or you’ve been a part of the Wyndemere community for several years, you’ve most likely heard about the Leadership Committee and the Wyndemere Academy. By way of review for some and new information for others, Board of Directors Leadership Chair Brad Green has prepared a brief video, clearly outlining the purpose and function of these linked aspects of our Club’s organization.
The Leadership Committee’s charter is to identify, prepare, and guide interested Members in order to match their talents and interests to a committee assignment. The Wyndemere Academy, now entering its sixth season, is a practical means of fulfilling that purpose. Participants are encouraged but not required to get involved on a committee. Via surveys conducted at the close of each season, past participants overwhelmingly endorse the Wyndemere Academy, citing the written course materials, information gained through the three forums, and opportunities to interact with other Members and staff, knowledgeable presenters, and our CEO as highlights.
In the following video link below, Brad Green explains that the first step for interested individuals is to fill out a Profile on the Wyndemere website. The Wyndemere Academy class is limited to 25 participants and begins in January. If you have questions about the Wyndemere Academy, please contact either of the co-deans:
Connee Dawson Jeanie HielscherWyndemere’s 9-Hole golfers welcome newcomers and regulars back for another fun season!
November 7 is Opening Day. We will have a shotgun start and welcome lunch. It’s a great chance to catch up with old friends and enjoy meeting new “Niners.” Nongolfers are welcome to join for lunch.
Any woman golfer is eligible to sign up in the Pro Shop to play in weekly Tuesday events. No worries about finding playing partners, since the Pros set up the groups and assign tee times. Please let the Pro Shop know by Saturday noon if you wish to play.
The new board will meet at noon on October 31. The board includes: Judi Mottaz, President; Pat Drapeau, Vice-President; Catherine Rossman, Secretary; Nancy Battistella, Jean Sharp, Susi Shelton, Sharon Dougherty, Members-at Large. This group of gals works behind the scenes arranging the details to make our events special.
Contact any of us for more information. Looking forward to seeing everyone!
Judi Mottaz WWGA 9 President wyndemere9golf@gmail.comWyndemere’s Duplicate Bridge game resumes on Monday, October 16, in the Wyndemere Room of the main clubhouse. All Wyndemere Members are welcome. You must bring a partner, and the cost for the sanctioned game is $8.00. This year you are asked to be in your seat at 12:15pm so our director can determine which bridge movement is needed and the game can begin promptly at 12:30pm. Complimentary beverages, a veggie tray, and cookies will be available.
If you have any questions, please call Nancy Smith or Beth Eberhard who organize the weekly game. Beth’s phone number is 440-967-5502 and her email is betheberhard@gmail.com. Reservations are not needed; just bring your partner and be in your seat by 12:15pm on Mondays. If you need a partner, please let us know and we will do our best to find you one.
Nancy and Beth look forward to an enjoyable year of bridge for all.
Wyndemere Women’s Golf Association 9-Holers Dee Reidel WWGA 18 President deereidel@icloud.com Wyndemere Women’s Golf Association 18-HolersHello Members of Wyndemere! I hope everyone has had a great summer wherever you might have settled in! Hot and dry were the most frequently used terms down here at Wyndemere this summer, and I will talk more about that later.
Overall, the Golf Course Maintenance team had another productive summer. We are close to wrapping up all of our summer cultural practices that we conduct to the playing surfaces each summer, and are shifting into our pre-season projects.
Pre-season projects focus on sand replenishment applications to both the bunkers and waste areas. That will be our focus during the month of October.
Now back to the hot and dry. The hot isn’t a big deal for the golf course and turfgrasses we have on property, actually the hotter the better! However, the heat did make for tough working conditions for the staff, as our heat indexes were over 110 at times. They battled through the heat, and still had a very productive summer. I am very proud of their commitment and efforts during this time period!
The dry part is normally something that isn’t associated with summer months in Florida. Our rainy season generally begins in mid-May and starts to taper off once we reach October. We count on the rainy season to help replenish aquifers and our community lakes. The community lakes are what we count on for irrigating the golf course and WHOA grounds during our dry season.
In the short-term, the lack of rainfall was great from a productivity standpoint. We didn’t get close to having any cart restrictions, and only sent the staff home a handful of times due to rain events during the afternoon. The rainfall deficit is more of a long-term issue if we don’t finish with a wet October.
I’ve put together a couple charts showing our historical rainfall data from Wyndemere dating back to 2018.
The chart above shows the annual comparison. From 2018 to 2022, we averaged 63 inches of annual rainfall at Wyndemere. Our YTD total for 2023 is 29 inches. 30 inches is a large deficit, one that I can’t recall happening in my 19 years living in this area.
In SW Florida, you never know what could happen with the weather, (I’ve seen 7 inches in an 45-minute period), but there is some cause for concern as we enter the dry season.
The concern is what our lake levels will look like in March/April if we continue with rainfall deficits. Yes, we have an irrigation system that is capable of watering the entire golf course, but if the water levels are too low in the lakes, we could still deal with self-induced water restrictions.
The winter forecast is calling for an El Niño, which could be another newsletter topic in itself. From a rainfall standpoint, historically El Niño’s do bring more rain during the winter months. Fingers crossed we get some rain without losing golf rounds!
In closing, we are looking forward to the winter golf season after a productive summer, and we look forward to seeing
Members, see you soon! Beautiful weather, great camaraderie with your fellow Members, combined with an exciting and new calendar of events are all around the corner now. We are all eager and prepared for your return! A special welcome goes to our newest Members, who are joining us for their first winter at Wyndemere. We are always here to assist you with anything you may need help with around the Club.
Events at a Glance: This club-wide calendar of events is up on our website. You can also review all events individually on our Golf Calendar through the link provided on each of the dates we hold an event. This includes Demo Days. Registrations for non-major events close three days prior to the event.
Save the Date: Sunday, October 8th - We will begin accepting registrations through the Wyndemere website for the Tabebuia Cup. This is our premier Men’s Member/Member event of the season and is a must play on our Men’s Schedule. Be sure to sign up early!
• WWGA 18 will bring back the two-day Member/Member that will take place February 6th & 8th .
• New this year we will hold an Individual Men’s Match Play championship that will start the first week in January and run through the year.
• We will also welcome back the Men’s President’s Cup on January 19th & 20th All information and signups will be on the Wyndemere website 30 days prior to the beginning of these events.
Game Improvement: golf instruction and personalized fittings are taken seriously here at Wyndemere. You’ll be pleased to know that we have the same team of well diversified instructors in our offerings this upcoming season. Here is a link to the Golf Development page so you can read about all our game improvement updates, including each instructor’s philosophies and missions to help you take your golf games to the next level. Demo Days are up on the golf calendar, or you can get a personalized fitting with one of our Professional Staff.
We will have two new team members joining our Professional Staff this upcoming season. Our Professional Golf Intern this season is Luke Gordon from Toledo, OH. He is excited to get started and continue our long-standing relationship with Ferris State University. Your warmest welcome is always appreciated as our interns are a vital part of our operations. Robby Bishop, our current outside services employee of DeKalb, IL will also join us two days per week in the Professional Shop.
We have a great team here at Wyndemere who are readily available to assist our Membership. Season after season, they continue to perform at new higher levels. With our active schedules and increased member participation in rounds of golf and events, our staff is always ready to enhance the Members’ experience.
I am proud of them all!
Kyle Gailloreto, PGA Director of Golf
Tuesdays: We open October 17th
Professional Shop: 7:30am-5:00pm
Practice Facility: 7:30am -Dusk
(Monday and Thursday: Practice Facility closes at 5:00 p.m.)
Intern Luke Gordon Robby BishopAfter an extremely hot and dry summer, we are ready for the upcoming 2023/2024 season to get started. For those of you who are making your way back to Wyndemere in October, welcome back. For our year-rounders, we are glad you stayed and kept us company during these slower summer months.
To help kick things off, we have some new products arriving in the Golf Shop this month!
Women’s Golf Clothing | Jamie Sadock, Tail, EP New York, & Tzu Tzu
Men’s Clothing | FootJoy Palm Spring Collection, G/Fore Polos & ¼ zip outerwear, Fairway & Greene – Baruffa Merino Sweater, and Peter Millar – Polos & ¼ zip outerwear
New youth clothing | A full size selection of Turtles & Tees
Cart & Stand Bags | Titleist Shoes | FootJoy
We are always encouraging special orders should you need a specific style, color or size other than what we carry. Also, should you want to pre-order golf balls and gloves, we will be happy to get those and place them in your locker.
Lisa Polewaski Merchandise ManagerWelcome back to those of you returning from the great north, we have missed you!
As I begin my 35th year here at Wyndemere, I am happy to report that home sales FY2023 totaled 26 which included 19 new Limited Golf Members, 3 new Sports Members and 4 current Members purchasing within the gates. The available inventory has been challenging as it continues to be low, but the good news is the demand continues to be high.
I am pleased to report that we were able to upgrade 13 Members to full Golf and currently have 14 on the waiting list.
Please assist me in welcoming the following New Members:
Paul Jameson & Marie Connors ~ 136 Edgemere Way S. / Oakville, Ontario ~ Limited Golf
Barry & Helen Whipp ~ 200 Wyndemere Way #202 / East Sussex, UK ~ Golf
Mary Kay Wood ~ 112 Edgemere Way S. / Concord, MA ~ Sports
Phillip & Mitzi Barrett ~ 193 Edgemere Way S. / Newport Beach, CA ~ Golf
Edward “Nick” & Ellen Nickles ~ 174 Amblewood Lane / Needham, MA ~ Golf
Ross & Amy Gill ~ 608 Courtside Drive / Oakville, Ontario ~ Limited Golf
Bill & Kathy Krause ~ 300 Wyndemere Way #301 / Huntington Bay, NY ~ Limited Golf
Dr. Gaston Cudemus ~ 278 Edgemere Way E. ~ Limited Golf
Kevin Bartlett ~ 401 Courtside Dr. ~ Limited Golf
Michael & Margaret Werchek ~ 178 Edgemere Way S. / Au Gres, MI ~ Sports
Tom & Meg Mackey ~ 24 Bramblewood Point / Charlottesville, VA ~ Limited Golf
Alexander “Alex” & Sally Smith ~ 171 Via Napoli ~ Limited Golf
Ian & Cathy Preston ~ 147 Amblewood Lane / Toronto, Ontario ~ Limited Golf
Bill & Kathy Parent ~ 200 Wyndemere Way #204 / Boston, MA ~ Limited Golf
Brian Loveman & Susan Hagaman ~ 179 Via Napoli / Quogue, NY ~ Limited Golf
Cheri Schwartz, CMP Membership Director
Former Member Mark Roderick Pratt deceased September 12, 2023
Click here for his obituary: https://www.naplesnews.com/obituaries/ndn031859
We are excited to announce that Mercedes Salinas has joined the Wyndemere Wellness Team as our full-time Wellness Concierge. Recently earning her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management with a Minor in Marketing, she brings a room-brightening smile and many talents. Please join us in extending a warm WYNDEMERE WELCOME to Mercedes!
October 27th 3:00pm – 5:00pm Spa Party featuring a 30-minute Fashion Experience with Cabi at 3:30pm. Cynthia, who will be hosting a series of brain health seminars, will be joining the party as will Solaris, our in-house Physical Therapy provider! Click here for details and registration.
November 6th Trek will be here doing bike tune ups AND have representatives here to assist with helmet fitting, light installations and safety best practices! Click here for details and registration.
• Single exercise class prices remain the same since 2017 at $10 per class for Members, $15 for a guest.
• The 2023-2024 annual unlimited package is being offered at $1,000 ($200 less than last year).
• A NEW Seasonal unlimited package for $500 is available for classes taken January 1st through April 30th .
• Private Training and Pilates Reformer have been adjusted to bring us more in line with the market.
Personal Training or Private Stretching
Single 50m $78 25m $48
Duo 50m $45 25m $30
Pilates Reformer
Single 50m $88 25m $50
Duo 50m $50 25m $35
Reformer Group Classes remain $35 per person
Please note: under age 14 are not permitted in the gym unless WCC Youth Fit Certified. Ages 14-16 must be supervised at all times. Cell phone usage is not permitted inside the Fitness, Wellness, and Spa building.
Spa and Salon prices did not change, but we did add expand the menu to offer some NEW services like Bio-Microcurrent Therapy, Skin Firming Treatments, and Colleen is now offering Lymphatic Drainage Massage!
Spa and Salon Reservations are made by calling 239 -263-0777
Current Spa Hours
Tuesday through Thursday 10:00am to 4:00pm | Friday & Saturday 10:00am to 2:00 pm
As of November 1st Spa Hours will change to:
Monday through Thursday 10:00am to 5:00pm | Friday & Saturday 10:00am to 3:00pm
Keri Manix, CFSD Wellness Director
Summer was muy caliente and October guess what? October is here and the season as well. With an incredible fun schedule full of scrimmages, our year-round Members and the Members that were here on a short trip had a great time traveling to the different clubs, to meet and compete with new players. A big thank you to my team that were hands on each event, by recruiting, making the schedules Round Robins and changes last minute. A big thank you to all the clubs that helped make this happen. Grey Oaks, Quail Creek CC, Quail West CC, Esplanade CC, Collier’s Reserve CC, Bonita Bay CC and their staff that played a big part as well.
What are we looking forward to this upcoming season? A schedule full of fun activities with innovative F&B for the racquet sports events; and don’t forget about the Croquet and Bocce calendar - they will also have a handful of great events to participate in.
Last but not least, the Racquet Department would like to welcome all of our Members back home, and we cannot wait until the ball starts rolling in all of the sports and see the amazing vibe that all the Wyndemere sports brings out.
Jicham Zaatini - Director of Racquet Sports
Laura Parker - Pro Shop Team Member/Pickleball
Garrett Gould - Head Tennis & Pickleball Professional
Heidimarie Michitsch - Bocce & Croquet Coordinator and Pro Shop Team Member
George Obidiegwu - Racquet Sports + Bocce Maintenance
11/09/23 - Tennis Season Opening Exhibition.
11/15/23 - Pickleball Season Opening Exhibition
11/23/23 - Thanksgiving Play and Stay (Tennis and Pickleball)
Chief Executive Officer Ron Parris, CEO (11/1 )
Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Beers, CHAE
Executive Director Leslie Evans, SHRM-CP
Director of Racquets Jicham Zaatini, CEP
Executive Chef Neil DeVries, CEC
Golf Course Super Aaron Ohloff, GCSAA
Director of Golf Kyle Gailloreto, PGA
Membership Director Cheri Schwartz, CMP
Wellness Director Keri Manix, CFSD
Dinner 5:00pm - 8:00pm Thursday - Saturday (Wednesdays starting 10/25)
Happy Hour 4:00pm - 5:00pm Wednesday - Saturday
President Gary Lapidas
Vice President
Jack Condon
Treasurer Peter Sacks
Secretary
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Karen Osar
Naneve Hawke
Bill Henderson
Brad Green
Sandy Muther
Richard Tilghman
Please make reservations at www.wyndemere.com Golf
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Administration receptionist@wyndemere.com
Catering & Events soman@wyndemere.com
Fitness & Wellness fitness2@wyndemere.com
Golf Maintenance super@wyndemere.com
Golf Shop golfshop@wyndemere.com
Member Billing ar@wyndemere.com
Membership membership@wyndemere.com
Racquet Sports racquetsports@wyndemere.com
Reservations hostess@wyndemere.com Spa spa@wyndemere.com