The Bulletin: September 2020

The Bulletin: September 2020

THE BULLETIN A newsletter for members of the Wilmington Country Club SEPTEMBER 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ON THE COVER

Apples from the Orchard

Photo to the right of our Juniors during their Summer Golf Clinics Photos courtesy of Becca Mathias, Communications Coordinator

08 CONNECT

10 SOCIAL

12 GROUNDS

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14 GOLF

18 RACQUETS

20 FITNESS

04 President’s Message 06 General Manager’s Message

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PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Covid19, three consecutive heat waves, and then a tornado. 2020 is the year that just keeps on giving. Friday, August 7th, was a day I will never forget and I continue to grieve for all the trees we lost. But, thankfully, no one was injured and for me the devastating storm had a bright side. It was wonderful to get so many calls and emails from members asking what theycoulddotohelpwithstormcleanup. The love of our courses and the strong sense of community at our Club was never more apparent. Another example of the bright side is that we are going to come out of the disaster with fully renovated bunkers and, while there will certainly be fewer trees, the courses will be better than ever. Thanks to all the golfers for your patience and support as our outstanding Grounds Department repairs and restores our courses. I would also like to thank the Grounds Committee and excellent Management Team for their all their hard work over the last few weeks. Changing subjects, last month I announced that we were working to bring the BMW Championship to WCC in 2022. I also invited you to share your thoughts on the idea. A lot of you had thoughts! I am pleased to report that the overwhelming majority of the emails I received enthusiastically supported hosting the Championship and most of the response included an offer to volunteer to help. As of now, we have not received any additional feedback from the PGA so I don’t have any more information to share. But I am optimistic we will have more information to share in the near future.

Gary Ferugson President

Melissa Riegel Vice President John S. Wellons Treasurer Thomas C. Humphrey Secretary DIRECTORS Class of 2020 D. Michael Gioffre, Jr. Adam G. Landis Jonathan N. Saunders Edward A. Tarlov

Pamela Tikellis Martha White Class of 2021 Thomas A. Beck

Zachary L. Chipman Kimberly A. Ciconte Robert W. Friz Megan S. Greenberg

Lisa A. Schmidt David E. Wilks

Edward K. Wissing Honorary Directors Joseph F. Hacker, III Richard H. Keller Advisory Directors Robert G. Hackett, Jr. Calvert A. Morgan, Jr. Pierre duPont Hayward Allen M. Terrell, Jr. John F. Porter, III

Gary Ferguson President

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GENERAL MANAGER

SEPTEMBER GREETINGS As the calendar moves towards autumn, we are busy making plans for the change of seasons. Without question, one of the conditions that has made this whole COVID-19 experience tolerable, has been our ability to conduct so much Club activity outdoors. Now the time has come to start looking forward, to a time when those opportunities will become fewer and fewer. Be assured, we will do our best to milk every last drop out of the outdoor season. Hopefully it will be a dry, warm fall. But when it changes, and it will, we have to be prepared to move activity indoors. As things stand currently, our fall plans need to be developed assuming that Delaware will still be in Phase II. There is no indication that any official or formal relaxation of protocols or mandates will be issued. In fact, the “ask” for masks now extends down to children of kindergarten age. Every aspect of the Club is once again getting reviewed to consider how we can operate within the mandates while giving you the best and safest indoor experience. When it comes to “safe” or “best”, there is so much information being dispersed - some of it contradictory - that it can be difficult and confusing to know what the right thing to do is. We haven’t cornered the market on making the right decisions. What we have done is collaborate our efforts with a lot of other really smart people and organizations to follow a common sense approach. It appears to have served us well thus far, and we are relying on it to guide us forward. It seems to make sense that maintaining physical distancing and wearing masks can’t be hurting the effort. We will continue to adhere to these practices as well as enhanced cleaning and sanitation. It also seems obvious that if outside air is a favorable condition, then how we filter, recirculate and purify our indoor air is important. As such, we have been taking steps to enhance our HVAC systems - particularly in key areas like Fitness and the dining rooms - with the addition of bipolar ionization technology. This treatment to indoor air has been found to effectively neutralize SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). We remain committed to creating and maintaining the safest and healthiest environment possible, but we also need your help. Even though there has been no softening of the State’s position, many of you have become much less vigilant. You all know what the expectations are. Please do your best to follow them. As if COVIDwasn’t enough, Mother Nature really dealt us a blow on August 7th when the tornado devastated your courses. There was other damage, but it paled in

Phil Iannelli General Manager

Christine Jordan Clubhouse Manager Tip Tribbitt, CEC Executive Chef Barbara Henderson Manager of Banquets Mindy Blumetti Controller Susan Mathias Administrative Assistant Meghan Spero, PGA Membership Development and Communications Manager Jonathan Urbanski Director of Golf Courses & Grounds Michael Shank, PGA Director of Golf Bob Lennon, PGA Teaching Professional Ed McQuillin Director of Racquets Ed Chilton Assistant Director of Racquets

Clark Verchick Chief Engineer

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comparison. First, kudos to the many dedicated employees who worked incredibly hard the first few days to get operations up and running. I’m always proud of our team, but they really came through this time. We know how important your Club is during events like these. You can always depend on us for a shower, hot meal and a place to charge your phone - the essentials! But now we are deep into the recovery. Make no mistake, this will be a marathon, not a sprint. The damage to the courses (mostly the South) has been reviewed by an agronomist from the USGA, our golf course architect, as well as representatives of the WGA/PGA Tour, and all have offered the similar opinion that the integrity of the South Course will remain intact. We were fortunate that the damage to the greens, tees and fairways was minimal. The storm did bring down a couple hundred trees, and damaged at least a hundred more. Their health is still being assessed. Although a few of the trees were simply irreplaceable and will be remembered for a long time, the vast majority that have been lost are giving way to amazing vistas. Also hard hit were the bunkers. The storm destroyed nearly every bunker on both courses. Work to rebuild the North bunkers has just begun. Those on the South are still being evaluated. The next questions are usually “what’s this going to cost?” and “is there insurance coverage?” The answers are that it is too early to know the cost of clean-up and restoration, but yes, there is insurance coverage - to a point. We are also working with our agent, the carrier, and independent experts to maximize coverage and minimize financial exposure. This, too, will be a marathon, not a sprint. Still, as bad as it was, things could have been worse. In spite of (or perhaps because of) all the oddities of the year, summer has passed with incredible speed. Although it has been a different kind of season, it hasn’t been all bad. A lot of golf was played, tennis balls were hit, laps got swum and a few adult beverages were enjoyed around the fire pits. Hopefully you have created some good memories to balance out the “others”. One thing is for sure, 2020 will never be forgotten. You can count on us to keep working to get things back to normal - whatever that is! In the meantime, stay healthy and I’ll see you at the Club. Phil Iannelli General Manager

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MEMBERSHIP MILESTONES

Please welcome the following new members when you see them at the Club.

NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS Michael and Ericka Hynansky

NEWLY ELECTED ASSOCIATE MEMBERS Fausto Arellano, Jacqueline Patrick

NEWLY ELECTED JUNIOR MEMBERS Chloe Brown, Jack D’Emilio, Tatiana Hynansky, Elizabeth Keenan, Carolina Sawyer, Charlotte Schmunk, William Van Druff

MEMBER MILESTONES

Mrs. Susan R. Matlusky

15 30 30 30 35 35 35 40 40 50 65

Mrs. Carla Green

Mr. James S. Green, Jr.

Mr. Jared T. Green Mrs. Ann Ashley

Mrs. Dagmar Krewson-Dunn

Mr. Robert F. Tigani, Sr. Mr. Thomas F. McGrail

Dr. John N. Russo

Mr. Donald W. Altmaier

Mrs. Gail Anderson

IN MEMORIAM The Board of Directors, members and staff of Wilmington Country Club extend their sincerest sympathy to the family of:

John T. Hogan - Member 33 years

EMPLOYEE ANNIVERSARIES Barbara Henderson Manager of Banquets, 36 Years Juan Corona Banquet Chef, 21 Years Kim Edwards Accounts Payable/Payroll, 19 Years Hipolito “Poli” Aguilar South Course Bunker Technician, 19 Years Ryan Wrightson Garde Manger Chef, 15 Years Doug Bland Lead Banquet Server, 2 Years Scott McNamara Assistant Tennis Professional, 2 Years Geraldine Murzynski Snack Bar Attendant/Coat Check (PT), 33 Years

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SOCIAL

AROUND THE CLUB Labor Day is right around the corner and as even though we are closing the pool for the season, there is still plenty of good weather to continue to be outside! Our Lobster Nights have been very popular this summer, so much so that we are scheduling two more for September. Our final Lobster Nights of the season will be on Thursday, September 17, and Wednesday, September 30. We anticipate these dinners will sell out quickly, so make your reservations early! EVENING CURBSIDE TAKE-OUT Have you tried our evening take-out service yet? If you haven’t, you are missing out on fantastic entrées and specials. Our daily email is sent out at 4:00 pm each afternoon (Tuesday-Sunday) with the take-out menu and specialty entrée of the evening.

Christine Jordan Clubhouse Manager

FOOD & BEVERAGE HOURS MONDAY Clubhouse F&B: Closed Curbside: Closed TUESDAY Curbside: 4:30 pm - 8:00 pm Café 1901: 11:00 am - 7:30 pm Tavern & Grille: 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Pub37: 2:00 pm - 9:00 pm Dining Room: Closed The Hut: Closed WEDNESDAY Curbside: 4:30 pm - 8:00 pm Café 1901: 11:00 am - 7:30 pm Tavern & Grille: 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Pub37: 2:00 pm - 9:00 pm Dining Room: Closed The Hut: Closed THURSDAY Curbside: 4:30 pm - 8:00 pm Café 1901: 11:00 am - 7:30 pm Tavern & Grille: 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Pub37: 2:00 pm - 9:00 pm Dining Room: Closed The Hut: Closed FRIDAY Curbside: 4:30 pm - 8:00 pm Café 1901: 11:00 am - 7:30 pm Tavern & Grille: 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Pub37: 2:00 pm - 9:00 pm Dining Room: Closed The Hut: Closed SATURDAY Curbside: 4:30 pm - 8:00 pm Café 1901: 11:00 am - 7:30 pm Tavern & Grille: 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Pub37:12:00 pm - 8:00 pm Dining Room: Closed The Hut: Closed SUNDAY Curbside: 4:30 pm - 8:00 pm Café 1901: 11:00 am - 7:30 pm Tavern & Grille: 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Pub37:12:00 pm - 8:00 pm Dining Room: Closed The Hut: Closed

Ordering of take-out is best accomplished by calling (302) 655-6171 ext. 1427.

BE A PART OF THE IN CROWD

Facebook /wilmingtoncountryclub

Instagram @wilmingtoncc1901

Website wilmingtoncc.com

Don’t forget to download our mobile app! Search “ForeTees Club Central” on the App Store or Google Play Store. #yourclubyourway

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BOOK CLUB We need to change our September meeting of the Book Club from Tuesday, September 15th to Thursday, September 17th. It will still be in the Clubroom at 4:00 PM and There Fiechter will still be leading the discussion of The Dutch House by Ann Pachett. This meeting will be the same as our previous meetings where we practice social distancing and wear our face masks. Before we begin our discussion of the book, we will have a short business meeting to choose a new Chairman for the Book Club. Think about who you would like as the new Chairman so you will be ready to propose someone to take over. Better yet, volunteer for the job yourself. I am sure that you will enjoy the position as much as I have. We have chosen The Dutch House by Ann Pachett for this meeting. This is the story of a family who goes from rags to riches when Cyril Conroy, the father, becomes very successful in his business. He buys an elegant, fully furnished house in suburban Philadelphia. The house plays an important role in the story. It gets its name from the country where the original owners came from. The novel is narrated by Danny, the youngest child in the family. His older sister, Maeve, is very close to Danny. The major players all arrive at final positions that are quite different from where they started. This is a classical Pachett creation. It is less a fairytale than real life. Our selection for October 6th is Oil and Marble by Stephanie Storey. This is about the nearly forgotten rivalry between Leonardo and Michelangelo, the two Renaissance masters.

UPCOMING SELECTIONS

October 6th - Oil and Marble by Stephanie Storey (Diana Lopez) November 10th - First: Biography of Sandra Day O’Connor (Jane Wood) December 1st - The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar (Jill McDonald)

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GROUNDS

A NOTE FROM GROUNDS The month of September is a marker of change for many. For some, the start of a school year provides the good fortune to boost the GPA. For sports fans, it is the dawn of a new football season, albeit, many universities are sitting out this season, the professional side will aid our pigskin enjoyment. A bonus this month, we have both US Open’s to enjoy at Flushing Meadows and Winged Foot that will surely get us excited for the fall playing seasons. The storm of August 7th was indeed devastating. We did lose many trees, but now we have the chance to plant with the focus of allowing new trees to flourish as singular specimen trees in various locations as opposed to the crowded versions of themselves fighting for survival. Holes three, six, fifteen and sixteen of the South suffered the most in terms of tree loss. However, now with careful implementation of trees, the turf canopy will flourish beneath the trees. The golf courses will be better from all standpoints. Previously, trees blocked sunlight to various playing surfaces. Wind direction will now be a factor of consideration for a wide array of golf shots.

Jon Urbanski Director of Grounds & Golf Courses

Luck was shining down on all us on August 7th. Most importantly, there was no injuries, and to the best of our knowledge, no loss of life. The luck provided by the storm is now we have the opportunity to rehab the bunkers on both golf courses. The North Course will get a small facelift to all the bunkers to include erosion control, drainage and sand. For this project, we have chosen Valley Forge Buff (VFB) bunker sand. It is widely used throughout the region and will set up similarly to the sand currently in the South Course bunkers. A smattering of the clubs using VFB include Aronimink Golf Club, Baltusrol Golf Club, Liberty National Golf Club, Philadelphia Cricket Club and Saucon Valley Country Club.

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George Ley & Company (GELCO) from Glenmore, Pennsylvania will be the contractor in charge of removing contaminated materials from the North Course bunkers. GELCO’s most recent projects include the renovation at Philadelphia Country Club and construction of the practice facility at DuPont Country Club. We are expecting the North Course bunker project to last five to six weeks, with good working conditions. We and GELCO will do our best to minimize disruptions to your golf round, but this is inevitable. We will likely start play on either the first or tenth hole depending upon working being conducted. We are hoping to allow the contractor some time in the early morning hours to work areas that will hopefully lead to less inconveniences for your golf round. Once a bunker has been repaired and sand installed, we will place bunker rakes back out on that particular hole and the bunker will be open for normal play. We will also inform you of this via an email or ForeTees push notification. We are currently accepting bids from national golf construction companies for the South Course bunker rehab project. The work associated with the South Course bunkers includes employing the current technologies of bunker erosion materials, such as Capillary Concrete or Better Billy Bunker. Once all the bids have been returned and then awarded, we would expect work to commence on the South near the middle of the month. While the South Course is closed, we are taking advantage of the time and conducting our aerification practices. First up will be the sand injection process known as DryJect on the greens and approaches. This will be followed by traditional coring of greens, tees and fairways. Depending upon healing and test >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24

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