Laurel Valley Golf Club Newsletter 2026

LAUREL VALLEY GOLF CLUB

CONTENTS

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

Cliff Forrest Jr. Rosebud Mining

Steve Drahnak ST Bank

Rodolfo Ramirez PPG

Quinn Wymer Wholesale Tire

Graham Rihn Roadrunner Recycling

Andrew Mcllvaine Coen Oil

James Newell Buchana Ingersoll & Rooney

Hiroshi Ono Nippon Steel

Nathaniel Goshen Covestro

Catharine Cathey Richard King Mellon Foundation

Douglas Knauf The Timken Company

Scott Lawhead The Hite Company

2025 EMPLOYEE SERVICE AWARDS

55 Years Sandy Neiderhiser

15 Years Ian Dolinich

IN MEMORIAM

Charles Queenan

Michael Pitterich

John Golembiewski 2025 EMPLOYEE

Mike Widner

GENERAL MANAGER PAUL BUCK

Welcome Back To Laurel Valley Golf Club.

As we begin the 2026 season, I would like to extend a warm welcome to each of you. I am honored and excited to serve the membership of Laurel Valley as General Manager, and I look forward to another exceptional year at the Club.

This offseason, our primary focus was continuing to invest in our facilities while addressing key deferred maintenance projects. Our in-house maintenance team dedicated significant time and effort to improving staff housing, enhancing the living experience for our team members, interns, each day.

We also made meaningful strides in elevating the clubhouse experience. Most notably, we completed a full renovation and expansion of the main clubhouse kitchen. This investment will significantly enhance our culinary capabilities and overall dining experience for members and guests.

Improvements to member lodging were another key priority. The Love Cottage has undergone a comprehensive update, including renovated bathrooms and kitchen spaces. Additionally, both the Love and Roderick Cottages now feature king-size beds in all six bedrooms, along with fresh paint, updated window coverings, and the removal of all wallpaper to create a more modern and comfortable environment.

Further enhancing the lodging experience, we have converted the former General Manager’s house into member accommodations. This space offers one of the most scenic views in Ligonier and provides a unique and elevated stay for our members and their guests.

Finally, as part of our ongoing commitment to safety, we have completed the installation of a fire suppression system in the Palmer Pavilion, ensuring an added level of protection for our members, guests, and staff.

We are proud of the progress made this offseason and remain committed to continually enhancing the Laurel Valley experience. I look forward to seeing you at the Club soon and sharing a fantastic season together.

Thank You.

BOARD PRESIDENT LOU CESTELLO

Greetings,

I hope everyone endured the long, cold winter and found time to get somewhere warm—and perhaps even enjoy a little golf— over the past few months. Our team has been working hard in preparation for opening day and completing several key projects that will continue to enhance the Laurel Valley experience.

First, I would like to congratulate Paul Buck, who, as previously announced, has assumed the role of General Manager. Paul is well known to all of us and brings a strong vision for making Laurel Valley Golf Club the premier golf experience. Along with his leadership team—Chris McKnight, Brett Bently, Bill Paronish, Dylan Marshall, Nicole Wozniak, and Jessica Birdsong—Paul is looking forward to getting fully underway in May.

Throughout the off-season, we remained focused on improving the golf course and overall member experience. Brett and his team have continued work on drainage improvements and enhancing rough consistency. Despite a harsh winter, we expect excellent playing conditions once again this year.

Several major projects were completed in the clubhouse and cottages over the past year. Most notably, we expanded the kitchen, providing Chef Bill and his team with an upgraded facility that will allow them to continue elevating the dining experience for members and guests. This project will be completed the first week of May and on budget, no small accomplishment given the challenging weather and rising costs.

We also completed the fire suppression system in the Palmer Pavilion, following the installation previously completed in the main clubhouse. The safety of our members, guests, and employees remains a top priority, and these projects have been a major focus over the past two years.

In addition, the bathrooms in the Love Cottage were retrofitted, and king beds were installed in both the Love and Roderick Cottages. These upgrades will provide a more comfortable and enjoyable overnight experience for couples and weekend guests. Finally, the former general manager’s residence has been fully rebuilt and converted into an additional cottage, expanding our room inventory with a truly upgraded experience. I encourage everyone to take a look when visiting the club.

We are very pleased with the strong pre-booking activity for tournaments and member play. Please contact Jessica for reservations, as the popularity of Laurel Valley continues to grow.

I look forward to seeing many of you on opening day, and I hope you will join us for the Member Tournament and Annual Meeting on May 29–30.

CONTROLLER DYLAN MARSHALL

I would like to extend a warm welcome to all members and guests for the 2026 season at Laurel Valley Golf Club. It has been a brutally cold winter here in Western Pennsylvania, so I share my excitement with you all to see the flowers start to bloom and the fairways and greens start to take shape around our beautiful club. We would like to thank you for the generous support that has allowed Laurel Valley to continue to grow outside of just the income statement. The club has seen constant revenue growth and continues to generate healthy net profits. It is this structure that has allowed the club to continually invest in the betterment of our facilities as Paul has noted in his article.

In addition to our continued capital investment in both the golf course and our physical assets within the club, we have also made strides on our IT infrastructure dating back to April 1st of 2024 when we implemented point of sale technology through Clubessential, for the first time in the history of the club. From that point we have decided to a move to a more robust technology, through Northstar Club Applications that will help better serve the

club for all aspects of the business model at Laurel Valley. For those of you who are members of other clubs in the Greater Pittsburgh area, this is software that is used at many of these facilities.

While it is not yet completed, the club is currently working on the development of an application that can be downloaded on your mobile device that will allow you to see your reservations & statements along with being able to manage any payment methods, if you wish to keep these on file with the club.

Lastly, the change of club’s software has also impacted the club’s website, www.lvgc1959.com. If you are having issues with logging in this is due to the passwords and usernames defaulting back to a first-time user. Your username will be your 4-digit member ID, and your password will be your last name (all lowercase). If for some reason you are still having trouble, please don’t hesitate to reach out and I will be happy to assist.

We have taken great pride in some of these administrative changes and hope to see this have a positive experience on each of your visits to Laurel Valley Golf Club.

DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES

NICHOLE WOZNIAK

Dear Members,

As we prepare to welcome you back for the 2026 season at Laurel Valley Golf Club, there is a genuine sense of excitement and momentum across the Club.

This season represents more than just the return of golf—it reflects our continued commitment to delivering an exceptional experience for our members and their guests, rooted in the traditions that make Laurel Valley so special and in the vision established by the Club’s founders. Over the past several months, our team has been focused on strengthening the foundation that supports every member and guest interaction— from enhanced onboarding and training to a more intentional approach to hiring and team preparation.

Many of our seasonal team members will be returning, bringing with them familiarity and pride in the Club, alongside new team members who are eager to contribute to the Laurel Valley experience. Together, this balance of experience and new energy positions us well for a strong and seamless start to the season.

In addition, our leadership team is aligned in a shared commitment to a people-first approach—supporting and developing our team so they are best positioned to deliver an exceptional experience for our members and guests each day. We have spent time reflecting on what makes Laurel Valley truly exceptional—not to reinvent it, but to clearly articulate and reinforce the values and behaviors that have long been part of its legacy. This work strengthens the consistency of the experience across every touchpoint—from arrival to dining to the course.

Much of this work happens behind the scenes, but its impact is felt in the professionalism, preparation, and attention to detail that define Laurel Valley.

We are proud of the progress made and even more excited about what lies ahead. On behalf of our entire team, thank you for your continued support.

We look forward to welcoming you and your guests back for another exceptional season.

Valley Golf Club 4

DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & MEMBERSHIP

JESSICA BIRDSONG

I hope you all had a great offseason! I’m excited to begin working with the membership to create memorable events and experiences here at Laurel Valley Golf Club.

This will be my first full season, and I’m really looking forward to getting to know all of you. I had the pleasure of meeting a few members toward the end of last season, and I’m eager to connect with many more in the months ahead.

We’ve been busy this off-season making several updates, including enhancements to our website and transitioning “the book” — or as I like to call it, the LVGC bible — into a new online system. I will

continue using the book while we ensure the new system is running smoothly. For now, all reservations for golf, food & beverage, and rooms will still come directly through me, but the new system will help streamline communication across our departments.

We’ve also completed several exciting projects this winter, including new king beds and updated bathrooms in the Love and Roderick cottages, the addition of the Usher House—set to open following the Spring Members Tournament—and, of course, our annual maintenance to keep LVGC looking its best.

I’m looking forward to a fantastic season ahead and connecting with each of you.

DIRECTOR OF AGRONOMY & GROUNDS BRETT BENTLEY

Our team is looking forward to the 2026 golf season!

Despite snow cover and cold winter temperatures, we accomplished a great deal this off-season. Our greens were protected with tarps and wind fences starting the week before Christmas. These were removed at the end of February and then reinstalled following mid-March coring to accelerate recovery after aerification.

The crew successfully completed our aggressive fall aerification program and is currently finishing spring aerification. These essential practices promote firm playing conditions and support strong turfgrass structure throughout the season. As the golf season begins, we ask for your patience while the greens recover, as coolseason grasses require time to reach full growth potential. Optimal growth typically occurs when average daytime temperatures reach 67–68°F.

This off-season, we also completed several key projects, including:

• Repairing the irrigation pumphouse tie-in

• Replacing a 24-inch drainage pipe behind the 10th green

• Removed pine trees to the right of #11 tee (Provide more morning sunlight for the Tenth Green)

• Performing equipment maintenance and sharpening reels

• Sodding the back of #14 Green (Hydraulic Leak)

• In the process of burying the electric line to the right of the 15th Tee

• Removing the security fence and select trees to the right of the #14 cart path and 15th tee (Opened up the view of the creek)

The tree and fence removal on holes #14 and #15 is part of preparation for planned hole rebuilds in July 2027. The area will be temporarily seeded for the 2026 season, with all affected sections remaining out of play. We have been preparing for the 2027 project on a biweekly basis to ensure a smooth construction process.

In February, Laurel Valley Golf Club Golf Course Superintendent Connor Moser accepted the Director of Agronomy position at Forest Creek Golf Club in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Connor has been an integral part of Laurel Valley since October 2018. His discipline, leadership, work ethic, and agronomic expertise have had a lasting impact on our operation. Forest Creek is gaining an outstanding leader, and we wish him continued success.

We are proud to promote Assistant Superintendents Alec Ratchford to Golf Course Superintendent and Jacob Irvin to Renovation/Irrigation Superintendent. Both began their careers in our internship program in 2021 and have developed into strong leaders who will continue to elevate Laurel Valley Golf Club.

Our team looks forward to welcoming everyone back to the course this season. We remain committed to improving Laurel Valley Golf Club every day.

EXECUTIVE CHEF BILL PARONISH

New Team Members

We are excited to welcome everyone back to the Club next week. The offseason has been both productive and purposeful as we continue to elevate the Food & Beverage experience at Laurel Valley Golf Club. Our commitment remains the same each year- to improve quality, heighten the level of service, and ensure every visit exceeds expectations. The following highlights offer a snapshot of what’s ahead for the 2026 season.

DAVID FROST Director of Food & Beverage

We are pleased to welcome David Frost as our new Director of Food & Beverage. David joins us from South Hills Country Club, bringing a wealth of experience and passion for hospitality. He has a particular appreciation for wine and takes great pride in helping members and guests fully enjoy their dining experience. David’s leadership and enthusiasm will play an integral role in shaping and enhancing the Club experience.

JOEY OROSZ Senior Sous Chef

Joey Orosz joins our culinary team as Senior Sous Chef, most recently from Allegheny Country Club. His background includes time at The Greenbrier Resort, Sunnehanna Country Club, Rolling Rock Club, and Fox Chapel Golf Club. Joey brings exceptional culinary talent along with a strong emphasis on team culture and mentorship. His approach aligns closely with our ongoing focus on cultivating a positive and high-performing kitchen environment.

Kitchen Renovation

This offseason marked the completion of the first major kitchen renovation since the Club’s opening in 1959. While the overall footprint has been modestly expanded, the primary focus was on improving efficiency, workflow, and long-term functionality. The original kitchen design was not intended to accommodate the volume and scope of operations we manage today. This renovation positions us for the next 25–30 years, allowing our team to better serve the membership with consistency and excellence. It will be our pleasure to offer members a behind-the-scenes look at the new space. Please feel free to reach out to me or a member of the management team to arrange a tour.

Culinary Enhancements

Our offseason efforts have also been focused on sourcing exceptional ingredients and refining our culinary program for the upcoming season. We are proud to partner with Caputo Brothers Creamery in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to feature a selection of outstanding-quality, authentic Italian cheeses. In addition, we have taken significant steps to elevate the standard of ingredients across our menus, ensuring noticeable improvements in flavor and consistency.

A significant addition this year is our in-house pasta program. Utilizing fresh-milled whole wheat and semolina flours, our culinary team will produce handcrafted pastas to be featured on lunch buffets and dinner menus. This initiative represents an exciting step forward in our continued pursuit of culinary excellence.

Wine Dinners & Events

We are pleased to host two wine-focused events this season:

JUNE

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Formal Wine Dinner

A refined, five-course tasting menu paired with thoughtfully selected wines, continuing the elegant format members have enjoyed in past seasons.

AUGUST

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Golf & Wine Experience

A more casual and interactive event beginning with golf and curated small bites on the course, followed by a station-style dining experience at the Club. Each offering will be paired with a selection of wines and spirits designed to complement the evening. For questions or reservations, please contact Jessica Birdsong at jbirdsong@lvgc1959.com

If there is anything we can do to enhance your experience at Laurel Valley Golf Club, please do not hesitate to reach out. I am always available at bparonish@lvgc1959.com. We look forward to welcoming you back for another exceptional season.

HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL CHRIS MCKNIGHT

The professional staff is preparing for a robust member, corporate, and charity outing golf schedule. Some highlights include opening day on May 2, Spring Members’ Day on May 29-30, Member Guest SWAT on July 1 and August 5, Member Guest Invitational on July 10-11, Lynch Mixed Tournament on August 22, Member-Caddie Tournament on August 23, and the Fall Member Guest on September 18-19. Closing Day will be October 11. The corporate and charity outing schedule is very active; however, please get in touch with Jessica Birdsong if you have last-minute golf scheduling needs. Please feel free to reach out to the professional staff if you have any questions about the daily golf activity.

New Initiatives

• On Saturday and Sunday, a member of the professional staff will be present at the practice facility to answer any questions, give quick tips, attend to any needs, and escort your foursome to the first tee. This is to increase engagement between members and professional staff and enhance the overall golf experience.

• The professional staff is developing a spousal clinic offering on the weekends. This is to create opportunities for the spouses of members to experience Laurel Valley and, possibly, bring new players to the game.

• The staff is developing an ad hoc member committee to garner interest in member-only golf opportunities when the schedule allows. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please reach out to Chris McKnight.

Pace of play will remain a focus of the professional staff. We will closely monitor the pace of play daily. Should a member of staff approach your group, please do all you can to close the gap. The appropriate pace is less than 4 hours and 15 minutes.

From last year’s staff, Tim Pisula and Shad Kenily have moved on to different positions. We thank them for their time and dedication to the club and wish them all the best in their respective careers. We have hired Peter McGinnis from Southpointe Golf Club. Peter is a young and dedicated professional who will be a great addition to our staff. We have also hired 3 interns for this season.

Logan Monzak from Penn State, a 6-month intern, Colin Kinevy, and Jack Hartman, both from Penn West California, are serving 3-month internships. We are pleased to have these young men this season and are confident they will make a significant contribution to our program.

The professional staff is looking forward to a wonderful golf season, and please know that we are always available to help in any way we can. It is our goal to provide world-class service that our members deserve and expect.

2026 MEMBER TOURNAMENT DATES

May 2........................................Opening Day

May 29 & 30...........................Spring Members’ Tournament

June 26......................................Thomas J. Usher Member-Child Tournament

July 1........................................Member-Guest Swat Tournament

July 10 & 11................................Member-Guest Invitational

August 23...............................Member-Caddie Tournament

August 5.................................Member-Guest Swat Tournament

August 22...............................Lynch Mixed Tournament

September 18 & 19..............Member-Guest Tournament

October 11...........................Closing Day

2025 MEMBER TOURNAMENT WINNERS

Opening Day..........................................................................Ed Grefenstette, John Burke, Doug Sisson, Andrew Aloe

Spring Members..................................................................Incomplete

Pro-Am.....................................................................................Michael Bushkoff, Alexander Melrose, Clint Lingenfelder, Phillip Mollica

Member-Child

Better Ball Net.................................................David & Rachel Brodland

Better Ball Gross.............................................Dan & Daniel Donahue

Member-Guest SWAT (July)

AM Gross..........................................................Darryl Owen, Jim Ahn, Joel Kramer, Darren Johnston

Net......................................................................Jeffrey Rockacy, Steve Shingledecker, Stephen Goth, Michael Jordan

PM Gross...........................................................Jud Kroh, Kirk Burkley, Michael Quatrini, Keith Hasseloff

Net......................................................................John Paul, Jay Juliussen, David Mayernik, Raymond Parker

Member-Guest Invitational.......................................Rob Daley & Steve Goth

Member-Guest SWAT August

AM Gross..........................................................Nick Varischetti, Andrew Beam, Regan Logan, Thomas Shaw

Net......................................................................Matt Smith, Ben Smith, Joe Kendal, Brody Kendal

PM Gross...........................................................Tom Lankford, John Cefalone, Chris Kates, Graham Johnson

Net......................................................................Dana Yealy, Neil Pascarella, Brian Willebrand, Anil Margsahayam

Lynch Mixed Event...........................................................Edwin Lucas & Diana Duvall

Member-Caddie...................................................................Chris McKnight, Daniel Buell, Will Thorp, Sam Sweeney

63rd Member-Guest (Fall)..............................................Michael Goich & Michael Whitin