FOREST HILLS COUNTRY CLUB
April 2022
On Course www.foresthillscc.net
In Loving Memory It is with deep regret that we inform the membership of the passing of one of our members, Bob Budenholzer. Bob passed away on March 2, 2022, at the age of 62. Bob was a loving husband to Theresa, and a loving father to Matthew, Michael (Monica) and Mary Kate. He was a man of many accomplishments and loved spending time with his family, dogs, golfing, traveling and enjoying his many lifelong friendships. We extend our thoughts and deepest sympathies to the Budenholzer family during this difficult time.
Club News and Reminders Now Open for Tuesday Lunch Service The Club will reopen for a la carte lunch service on Tuesdays beginning Tuesday, April 5th and will remain open on Tuesdays from that date through the month of October. As a reminder, the Club is always closed for dinner service on Mondays and Tuesdays.
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Parking Reminder The Club continues to receive complaints regarding member and guest parking in the main lot. Please remember to pull your vehicle all the way up to the white line, as indicated in the photo. As we get into the busier months this will help us avoid the blocked flow of traffic throughout the parking lot.
Junior Registration for Golf, Tennis and Swim Now Available If you are interested in signing up your child for Junior Golf, Swim Team or Junior Tennis, you will need to register now through the end of April. Junior Golf and Swim Team registration will be on the website, at www.foresthillscc.net; however, all Junior Tennis registration will be on the ForeTees ‘Racquet Sports Event Sign Up’ page. Please be sure to sign up all of your participants within that time frame to avoid any penalties. Reach out to Ali Kaplan at (636) 2073512 or alik@foresthillscc.net if you need any assistance.
Have Exciting News To Share? We encourage our members to share with us the interesting and exciting things happening in your lives! Please send your details to Ali Kaplan at alik@foresthillscc.net. We will do our very best to include your information in our upcoming newsletter. The deadline is always the 20th of the month.
Newsletter Prize Hidden within the pages of this issue and future issues, we have included a member’s number chosen at random. If you come across this number and it happens to be yours, contact Ali at alik@foresthillscc.net to redeem a $100 Gift Certificate good toward your next food and beverage purchase. 1
Manager’s Report by Larry Marx, CCE
larrym@foresthillscc.net
Dear Forest Hills Country Club Members, On Sunday, March 20th, Forest Hills Country Club held its Annual Meeting for the membership. For those of you who were not able to attend the Annual Meeting, I would like to provide an update. The meeting had approximately 50 members in attendance. In addition to the current Board members, also in attendance were our newest Board of Directors: members Alan Dorch, Mike Flavin and Steve Sigman. Members of the executive management team were there to present reports including Club Controller, Jenn Schoen; Membership Director, Ryan Schaben and myself as Interim GM/COO. Pete Arman, President, welcomed new Board members: Alan Dorch, Mike Flavin and Steve Sigman; and wished the outgoing Board members, Bob Kimes, Al Ruggeri and Bob Wachter a sincere thank you for their service. Pete Arman also gave an update on the Club’s recently approved capital projects that the members voted on last month. The creek project is in the permitting phase, and we have received the first two bids on the project. The permitting phase will last a couple more months before we can announce the anticipated start date for the creek project. In talking with our contractors, we do not expect much impact on course playability, but there will be heavy machinery in the creek area and truck crossings in several fairways that may cause momentary delays. The short game final drawings are being completed and have addressed any concerns from our neighbors and safety. The plan will go out for final bids and permits within the next month, and we anticipate work can begin late summer. We are also getting quotes for the bocce ball courts to be installed in the adult pool area and we expect that work to begin in fall after the pool is closed. Ryan Schaben gave the report on the status of the Club’s membership. Membership is at historically high levels with a full golf membership and sixty-eight prospective members on the waitlist. These are the highest membership levels in Club history. There are no plans to increase any membership category limits. The current golf initiation fee is $25,000 and the waitlist time for both golf and social is approximately two years. Controller, Jenn Schoen, provided the financial update for the past year and shared budget information as well as the Club’s financial performance over the past year. Jenn also updated the membership on past, present and some anticipated future annual capital projects. The Club is in a strong position financially because of the fiscal management policies implemented by the Financial Committee and Board of Directors. Charles Nance reviewed the Long Range Planning Committee’s progress during the past year. The committee is focusing on communications and continuity for the Club’s future by creating master plans for the golf course and common grounds, a master plan for the Clubhouse, and a master plan for the pool and racquet sports facilities. The Long Range Planning Committee is working with the Finance Committee on future projects and templates for future committees to work with, again for continuity and consistency in future planning. As Interim General Manager/Chief Operating Officer, I provided the operations report which we will be focusing on in the coming months which highlights team development, developing new programming opportunities and welcoming new ideas. In order to keep abreast of member satisfaction, we will be sending out pulse surveys every 2-3 months to keep our finger on the pulse of the member experience.
We will institute a staff organizational structure which includes a club wide organizational chart. We will develop goals and objectives for the various departments and implement staff performance evaluations. We will promote staff development through education and training. A well-educated and trained staff provides a better member experience. In the Covid era where staffing challenges are plentiful and retention strategies are relevant, we want to position ourselves ahead of the curve by adding a full time Human Resources professional to our management team. It will allow us to better serve our staff and members. An area of focus in the next couple of months will be the food and beverage department. We are restructuring the team for more leadership and training with the goal being to enhance the member experience with a consistent, high quality product and a “Members First” service culture. I also spoke at the meeting about the transition to a General Manager, Chief Operating Officer concept of club governance and the developmental mentoring program for Emma Gore. The GM/COO concept requires team development, education and delegation. I outlined steps we are taking to achieve the goal for Club best practices for governance which includes an annual Board of Directors orientation, Board of Directors Retreat, and an Annual Committee Orientation. On-going Board of Directors education and development are as essential as staff team development and education. A well-educated Board is better equipped to provide healthy club governance in partnership with the Club’s GM/COO and management team. 2
Additional Content Continued On Page 10
Membership News by Ryan Schaben, CMP
ryans@foresthillscc.net
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2022 Racquets Staff by Kyle O’Leary
kyleo@foresthillscc.net
Happy 2022 Season, Forest Hills!! We are so excited to get things going on the courts this year. Please check out the info below, as I think you'll all enjoy reading about our latest additions. The Dream Team has been assembled!
-Coach Kyle A Message from Our New Head Racquets Professional, Kirk Schaaf: I'm excited to be a part of this wonderful club and community. My goal is for players to improve their technique, strategy, and mental game, but I do not want to overcomplicate things for students. Aside from coaching junior and adult tennis players, I am a certified pickleball instructor. I truly believe in the importance of evolving with the racquet sports community's needs! Most of my tennis career was spent in California. Privileged to have worked at the Riviera Country Club for nine years, during which I instructed participants in the junior development program, as well as adult leagues and USTA. We then moved to San Diego, where I was Head Pro at The Crosby Club at Rancho Santa Fe and the Director of Tennis at The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe. At both clubs, I ran ladies' leagues, directed junior programming, and worked with adult USTA teams. My time off the court is spent taking care of my two daughters and trying to be the best father I can be. As a coach I have a renewed purpose: “I am so happy when I get on the court to coach, more so now than ever."
2022 Racquets Assistants: Frank was born in Ghana and moved to Mobile, Alabama at the age of 7. He started playing tennis around 11 when he visited his dad in Nigeria and continued playing at the Mobile Tennis Center with his two brothers and sister. He played D-2 tennis at Spring Hill College and moved to St. Louis because his wife, Rosy, is attending law school at Washington University. Frank coached tennis at the Mobile Tennis Center for 8 years prior to moving to St. Louis. He cannot wait to get started at Forest Hills! Frank Amanor Dragan is from Serbia, where he began playing tennis at the age of 6. He was national champion of Serbia and ranked number 1 junior in the nation. He is currently playing at Lindenwood University, where he is ranked 23rd in the nation in doubles. Dragan has been coaching since the ripe age of 16 with his brother, who also plays competitively. Fun fact: Dragan was lucky enough to hit with the one and only, Novak Djokovic - his fellow countrymen and world renowned star! Surely, this is the reason for Novak's success! Dragan Omcikus
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Message from the Pro by Jimmy Bals, PGA
jimmyb@foresthillscc.net
Welcome to spring! The excitement to play after a chilly winter with minimal golf is extremely high. We are looking forward to a wonderful year ahead and ask for your support in making Forest Hills a great place to play golf. Playing a well-manicured golf course is a major part of any good golfing experience. Scott’s staff does an excellent job; however, having an excellent golf course requires exceptional etiquette from the players as well. Great greens rate as the one of the highest factors golfers recall about any golf course. A crucial component of having first rate greens is players doing their part in repairing ball marks. Recently, on March 23rd, the weekly FHCC News and Upcoming Events email was sent. Within that email a truly relevant video from Scott on the proper way to fix a ball mark was included. Every golfing member should watch this, along with all junior players. With only 193 views at the time of this writing, I am expecting to see that number to climb to over 600 views by mid-April. Three minutes to watch the video will assist all golfers in helping make your golf course better. Another member initiative, led by Charles Nance, takes place on Monday mornings (10:00 am on April 4th and 9:00 am on all Mondays moving forward beginning April 11th). Any person that would like to volunteer can meet at the cart barn to help fill fairway divots. This is a terrific opportunity to meet other members, while at the same time doing something for the greater good of Forest Hills. This program has already started so please join when you can. A couple of golf notes. First, with the supply chain issue impacting range balls, we will have both Titleist and TaylorMade golf balls in play at the Driving Range. Our golf ball order we hoped to get in February is now backed up to at least June. It is important that driving range golf balls do not get used on the golf course. Second, along with a golf course in terrific condition, the other top factor for enjoyment is playing at the proper pace of play. Please do your part in encouraging your group to play ready golf. Golfers may not agree on everything, but I can say with certainty that all golfers at every skill level enjoy partners that play at the appropriate pace. Let’s make 2022 a great year at Forest Hills CC and we look forward to seeing everyone soon.
Tips from the Tee by Ryan Martin, PGA
ryanm@foresthillscc.net
Last month, I gave you some tips for adding speed and distance to your swing by improving your body pivot. This month, I will continue with the idea of adding distance to your tee shots through both technology and ball flight. If your current driver is more than four or five years-old, that technology is quite outdated compared to today’s options. The new TaylorMade Stealth driver has changed the typical titanium wood into the new age “carbonwood”. For the first time in equipment design, the Stealth driver contains 60 layers of carbon sheets to build its club face. With the lighter material, golfers instantly gain more club head speed, and the carbon face provides a much larger sweet spot and faster ball speed. Another factor that allows you to hit longer drives is an improved trajectory, especially during springtime here in the Midwest. With rain leaving the dormant zoysia very wet in the spring, tee shots don’t roll out after landing. Tee shots which aren’t hit at the proper trajectory won’t carry as far, robbing you of up to 30 yards of distance. A proper set up will include a few key components to launch the ball higher and add more carry distance. Start with your ball teed up so that half of it is above the top of your driver, and with a forward ball position located across from your front heel. Be sure your trail shoulder is lower than your front due to the forward ball position with a driver. Many good players will load a little more weight into their back foot when adjusting the shoulders, which ensures a good weight shift in the back swing. All these factors will make it easier to launch the ball up quickly, and will surely lead to added yardage in wet conditions to help allow your swing to attack the ball slightly on an upswing. Anytime you hit down into the ball with driver, it forces the ball out at a lower trajectory, which will rob you of critical carry distance. Start this season by making sure you have a properly fit driver, with adequate loft, set to your swing. After that, ensure you have a proper set up, to allow for an upward strike of the golf ball for more carry distance and longer drives. 6
Senior Men’s Golf Association
by Jim Harf
jharf@maryville.edu
Four senior men’s events will take place in April. The month begins with the opening Three-Man Scramble on April 6 with an 8:00 am shotgun start, followed by an optional $15 lunch. The Golf Shop selects the teams for the scramble. On April 13 th, there will be a regular play day (9 or 18 holes). The Senior Cup qualifier will occur on April 20th, with the top eight scores advancing to Round 1 the following week, April 27th. Those not competing in Round 1 will have a Regular Play day on the 27th. Let’s start the year off with a great showing for the Scramble.
Mixed Twilight Scramble $96 Per Couple Includes entry fees, golf cart and dinner. Sign Up on ForeTees
Saturday, April 30th 5:00 pm Shotgun Dinner to Follow
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Enjoy 9 Holes of Golf on our Championship Course
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Beverage Cart Available
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Couples and Guests are Invited
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Guest Fees are Complimentary
Menu Chipotle Salad Romaine, Corn Salsa, Pico de Gallo, Avocado, Chipotle Ranch Dressing Grilled Flank Steak & Ancho Chile Glazed Shrimp Creamed Sweet Corn, Grilled Vegetables, Cilantro Pesto, Scallion Lime Butter Sauce Cinnamon Vanilla Cheesecake
Men’s Spring Opener Saturday, April 23rd 11:30 am Brunch 1:00 pm Shotgun Start Two Net Best Score Shamble 7 Additional Information Available on ForeTees Appetizers will follow play on the Lower Patio 7
Upcoming Dining Events
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Upcoming Events Reception Wine Rombauer Sauvignon Blanc, 2018
First Course
Wine Dinner
Lemon Butter Poached Lobster & Shrimp Vol-au-Vent Chevre | Fennel | Truffle Scented Crispy Potatoes Spring Peas | Tomato | Honey Vanilla Butter Sauce Rombauer Carneros Chardonnay, 2020 Rombauer Proprietor Selection Chardonnay, 2020
Second Course
ROMBAUER VINEYARDS
Crispy Braised Pork Belly Sweet Roasted Garlic Polenta | Caramelized Onions Blackberry Fig Chutney | Roasted Bell Peppers | Jus Rombauer Merlot, 2018
Thursday, April 14th
Third Course
6:00 pm 6:30 pm
Reception Wine Dinner
Smoked Duck Breast Spiced Poached Pear | Salt Roasted Beets | Crispy Sweet Potatoes | Flash Fried Brussels | Dried Cherry Jam Rombauer Cabernet Sauvignon, 2018
Fourth Course
Wine Society Member: Non WS Member:
$80 / Person $100 / Person
Prime Grilled Strip Loin Reggiano Mashed Potatoes | Heirloom Carrots | Spinach with Crème Fraiche | Cracked Peppercorn Demi Glace Rombauer Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon, 2017
Dessert Chocolate Espresso Pot de Crème Rombauer “El Dorado” Zinfandel, 2019
Kentucky Derby Party 10
Saturday, May 7th • Adults Only 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm at the Pool Cabana
Derby attire encouraged! There will be prizes for “Best Hat” and “Best Dressed Couple.” Derby themed cocktails will also be available by signature.
Sign up on ForeTees
Swimming Pool and Cafe Opening Day Saturday, May 28th
Memorial Day Cookout Monday, May 30th Featuring DJ Utopia, Lunch and Dinner Buffets & More!
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Evening Book Club by Connie Hawley
hawleyc1@hotmail.com
Next Meeting: Wednesday, April 20th ● 6:00 pm The March Evening Book Club meeting was a full house AND there were three first time members. Needless to say, there was much conversation, sharing, pizza and wine. Join us in April when we will be discussing The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. Everyone is welcomed to the Evening Book Club. For those of you planning to attend your first Evening Book Club, here is all you need to know: Sign up on ForeTees or call the Club and RSVP. Join us at 6:00 pm as we start our evening together with “social “time. We enjoy a drink or two paired with dinner of your choice. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at (636) 536-2622.
Morning Book Club by Bettina Esser
bettinaesser@gmail.com
Next Meeting: Wednesday, April 13th ● 10:30 am Join the Morning Book Club on Wednesday, April 13th for a discussion of The Many Faces of Josephine Baker: Dancer, Singer, Activist, Spy by Peggy Caravantes. Born in St. Louis, she was of her time and ahead of her time. Future selections include: ● ● ●
Wednesday, May 11th: The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom Wednesday, June 8th: The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz Wednesday, July 13th: Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson
We meet on the second Wednesday of each month at 10:30 and follow our discussion with lunch. We thoroughly enjoy meeting new members. If you have any questions, please contact Bettina Esser at (314) 517-5003.
Manager’s Report continued
larrym@foresthillscc.net
You will be seeing some Clubhouse interior updates such as new carpet and baseboards, fresh paint and a remodel of the ballroom men’s restroom. I am currently working with Meredith Wannamaker, our Interior Designer, and the House Committee members on those items. We will start work as soon as contractor timelines allow. We expect to have all of the work to be completed in the next several months. We are also updating the Club’s IT and Wi-Fi to better serve members and allow the staff to utilize modern systems for greater efficiency. We will be introducing some new programming opportunities. Our first pulse survey will be addressing some opportunities for new events and activities. Please give us your feedback by participating in these short surveys. In the meantime, please contact me or any member of our management team if we can be of service to you and your families in any way. There were questions posed throughout the presentation that were answered by the Board and management. The tone of the meeting was educational and upbeat. Sincerely,
Larry Marx
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18 Hole Ladies Golf News by Christy Ehrenreich
christyehren@gmail.com
We are so excited to see everyone in April as we begin our season! I hope everyone had a great winter and all are ready to start play. April is offering some special events for the 18 Hole Ladies. First, if you missed the meeting, your copy of the directory is available at the front desk or in your locker.
18 Hole Spring Mixer Date: Tuesday, April 19th Time: Breakfast at 8:00 am; 8:30 am Shotgun Followed by Lunch in the South Ballroom Format ABCD by handicap and golf shop will put together groups of 4 2 Net Best Ball of 4 Speaking of ForeTees, you can register for ladies golf events 30 days in advance. So, be sure to register as soon as you can to participate in special events. Check your directory for the dates of this year’s events. The 18 Hole Ladies would love to have you join us for a fun year of golfing events each week on Tuesdays. Please contact Leatta Phillips onmiwa16@yahoo.com or call 314-973-3067.
Christy 9 Hole Ladies Golf News by Rachel Schaaf
hirachelschaaf@gmail.com
Welcome back ladies! This is going to be another fun season on the greens! A big welcome to our new members. I encourage everyone to play a round with someone you’ve never played with before. Hurry and sign up for our Kentucky Derby themed Spring Scramble on Thursday, April 28th. A big thank you to Maureen Roth and Barb Nance for so kindly chairing this fun event!!
Recap from our Meeting 1. 2. 3. 4.
You must play a min 1/3 of the season to qualify for year end awards Be sure to mark your putts, chip ins, and birdies on your cards Return cards to golf shop after your round Your score will be entered in GHIN by the Golf Shop
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Fix ball marks as you play (fairway and greens) Please be mindful of your pace of play Laughter and socializing is mandatory Lunch with cocktails is highly recommended
In other exciting news, Angie Walsh and Kathy Muschick will be co-writing the newsletter articles for the 9 Hole Ladies moving forward. Cheers!
Rachel
2022 9 Hole Ladies Schedule of Events Mark Your Calendars for Our 2022 Events!
Spring Scramble: Thursday, April 28th Bring a Friend: Thursday, May 12th Girls’ Night Out: Wednesday, May 18th Scramble with the 18 Holers: Thursday, June 2nd Prize Day: Thursday, June 30th Scramble with the 18 Holers: Tuesday, August 9th Bring a Friend: Thursday, August 18th Prize Day: Thursday, August 25th Prize Day: Thursday, September 1st Member - Guest: Thursday, September 22nd Closer & Awards Luncheon: Thursday, October 13th
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Forest Hills Country Club 36 Forest Club Drive Chesterfield, MO 63005 If the electronic copy of On Course fails to meet your family’s needs and you would like to opt-in to receiving a physical mailing, please notify Ali Kaplan at or alik@foresthillscc.net. Copies are also available in the Clubhouse lobby.
We would love to hear your ideas, suggestions, feedback, or positive comments in regards to any and all things related to our Club. To submit, email hospitality@foresthillscc.net
Club Contacts BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Larry Marx, CCM CCE
Clubhouse (636) 227-5030
Peter J. Arman
Interim General Manager 636.207.3515 ● larrym@foresthillscc.net
Office Fax (636) 227-2540
Board Chair
Lawrence R. Giglio Membership Chair
Matthew J. Ott Grounds Chair
David A. Linenbroker Secretary
Zachary G. Smith
Emma Gore Assistant General Manager 636.230.2507 ● emmag@foresthillscc.net
Craig Peterson Executive Chef 636.207.3518 ● craigp@foresthillscc.net
Scott Reynolds, GCS
Treasurer/ Finance Chair
Grounds Superintendent 636.227.5044 ● scottr@foresthillscc.net
Lawrence A. Thayer
Jennifer Schoen
Governance Chair
Mark F. Forst
Controller 636.207.3513 ● jenns@foresthillscc.net
Tennis/ Swim Chair
Ryan Schaben, CMP
Laurie A. Lambert-Hopkins Director
Membership Director 636.207.3545 ● ryans@foresthillscc.net
Charles H. Nance
Jimmy Bals, PGA
Vice Board Chair Long Range Planning Chair
Director of Golf 636.227.1528 ● jimmyb@foresthillscc.net
Edward A. Dorch
JT Tierney, PGA
Golf Chair
Head Golf Professional 636.227.1528 ● jtt@foresthillscc.net
Michael A. Flavin Director
Chris Ballard
Stephen A. Sigman
Food and Beverage Manager 636.207.3532 ● chrisb@foresthillscc.net
House Chair
Golf Shop (636) 227-1528 www.foresthillscc.net Adam Goad Assistant Food and Beverage Manager 636.207.3535 ● adamg@foresthillscc.net
Matt Knopf Locker Room Manager 636.207.3527 ● mattk@foresthillscc.net
Monica Knudtson Office Manager 636.207.3514 ● monicak@foresthillscc.net
Ali Kaplan Member Communications / Marketing 636.207.3512 ● alik@foresthillscc.net
Alexandra Dorton Director of Events 636.207.3528 ● alexd@foresthillscc.net
Jon Cameron Events Manager 636.207.3535 ● jonc@foresthillscc.net
Kyle O’Leary Director of Racquet Sports 314.369.1153 ● kyleo@foresthillscc.net
Dale Davis Facilities Manager 636.207.3533 ● daled@foresthillscc.net