FEBRUARY
MARCH
C l u b N e w s
Brad Shupe, General Manager
For someone spending the first 50+ years of my life in Southern California, it’s nice to have the four seasons of North Carolina. I do hope this season is a little shorter than our beautiful spring and fall. The entire team and I look forward to being able to see all of you back at your club and the opportunity to serve you. Let’s hope mother nature is listening.
When you do return, we have some changes we are very excited to share with you.
The most visible change will be our turn grill. We are very excited about some new menu items... and having an actual menu to assist you. The hot dog has long been a favorite at almost all golf courses, including Pine Island. We have pushed all of our chips in on providing multiple types of dogs, buns, and condiments to allow you to build your own special or enjoy some of our ideas from around the country. I’m looking forward to using member feedback to identify a Pine Island special.
Also new is our TV wall in the men’s lounge. It definitely will be the place to watch sporting events and is the first change to make this area, more attractive and a true 19th hole. One of our challenges has been young families and post round golfers. using our members grill simultaneously with different expectations. Our commitment is to inspire golfers to use the men’s lounge more to create a win-win solution.
Although less fun, but equally important, you’ll
see a tremendous amount of activity in the bag drop area and on the roof of all of our buildings. We are investing in upgrading our fire suppression system of our porte cochere during the first few weeks of February and replacing the roofs of the main clubhouse, pool cabana, and course bathroom.
Lastly, I urge you to please look at the calendar for February and March along with all of the promotional pieces included in this newsletter. There is far more to your membership at Pine Island than golf We have activities planned for everyone in the family and hope you allow us to create special lifelong memories.
Stay warm, and we truly look forward to seeing you at your club.
MEET OUR NEW MEMBERS
Travis & Sara Tessier
Travis Tessier grew up in Apex, NC and has lived in Charlotte for 12+ years with his wife Sara who is originally from Salisbury, NC. Both are graduates of UNC Charlotte. He works as an Electrical Designer for his company, T-Squared Engineering, which he started in May 2024.
Travis loves to play golf, whenever he can, but needs some lessons , while Sara enjoys equestrian sports. When they aren't traveling, they love spending time at the lake and with their two dogs, Ada and Walter.
FEATURING PICC! FEATURING PICC!
Summer 2026
C O U R S E U P D A T E
Jim Schramm, Golf Course Superintendent
I hope everyone is staying warm and getting excited for spring aerification and the start of the season.
We are currently experiencing many freezing temperatures. As freezing penetrates deeper into the subsurface of the putting greens, it can set the stage for potential root damage. This damage does not occur when the surface is fully frozen; rather, it happens when the top inch or so thaws while the soil beneath remains frozen. During these conditions, walking, mowing, and rolling can push the upper portion of the roots against the frozen layer, causing them to shear.
We will do our best to provide as much play as possible during these periods while remaining conscientious of plant health as we approach the growing season. Additional cultural practices, outside of our normal aerification schedule, will be performed to encourage deeper root growth and help mitigate any damage sustained over the winter.
Through the beginning of February, we will continue our tree limbing program. Limbing trees allows for increased sunlight, improved sightlines throughout the property, and provides an opportunity to remove dead wood that could pose a safety hazard. We ask that golfers please be cautious during this time, as it can be difficult for our employees to hear while operating lifts and chippers.
As we head into March, we will closely monitor the forecast. Once we feel we are past the threat of deep freezes, we will perform a 6-inch cross-tine aerification on the greens. This process helps drive roots deeper, break up surface tension, and improve water movement. Our primary aerification is scheduled for March 16th and 17th. We will be pulling cores and are hopeful for a quick recovery as we move closer to April and warmer weather.
We are just as excited as you are for spring to arrive. We look forward to providing our members and guests with the best possible playing conditions and can’t wait to see you out on the golf course.
Thank you for your continued support.
G o l f S h o p N e w s
David Lackey, Director of Golf
Tee Times, tee sheets, guest visits and range balls…
Although the weather at the end of January took our minds off of golf for a couple of weeks, The Masters and spring golf are right around the corner. As we all know, as long as the weather is decent, the tee sheet on the weekends are packed! Here are a few action items that have been that the staff has been working as we approach the season…
- The online members’ calendar has been updated. If you log into the member’s portal at pineislandcc.com, the key golf dates have been added, including event dates, aerification dates, and dates when there are changes to the tee sheet, such as the end and start of weekend shotguns.
- Online tee times bookings have been modified. In the past, once a tee time once, or starting spot in the shotgun, was secured, another member could not access that time. Quite often we would have several twosomes back-to-back, primarily because the online tee sheet forced you to book that way It would not allow a twosome looking to play to add themselves to a twosome on the tee sheet That has been changed! The software option that will allow members to add to a tee time that is less that a foursome has been set to allow the inquiring member to join the time. This will make the tee sheet more efficient and will provide more members access to your course.
- Accuracy in booking. With the above change to the online tee times, it is critical that each tee time be booked as accurately as possible. If you are going to have a foursome, please book as such, and if you know you will have only two, please take only two positions. If you book as a twosome and decide to invite another player or two, please confirm that the other two spots remain unbooked.
Congratulations to Jared Grinde! Hole-in-One
Hole 13/5 iron/198 yds January 17, 2026
- Guest visit restrictions. The Club bylaws include a limit of 6 guest visits per year, and a survey of local clubs shows this to be the norm. All guests are welcome at PICC, and we love sharing everything that makes PICC special. Any guest that has reached their 6 visit limit, but would love to enjoy PICC further are encouraged to see Brad about becoming the next Pine Island member!
- The hot topic of 2025…limited flight range balls. 2026 brings the return of the “premium” range ball. Due to arrive in February, the current range ball will be retired and replaced with a premium, non-limited flight white golf ball. Along with these, a small box of yellow limited flight balls will be placed at the hitting stations. For those of us who cannot reach the creek at the end of the range no matter what ball we us, swing away at the white ball! If you are a big hitter who threatens to hit the creek, please use the yellow ball for the long clubs that need to land a bit shorter.
Congratulations to Chris Benoit! Hole-in-One
Hole 8/8 iron/147 yards January 10, 2026
GOLF SHOP NEWS,
A reminder
…
All tee sheets become available online at 7am 10-days prior to the date of play.
What’s happening with events? Match plays are starting soon!
The final touches and approvals have been put onto the tournament schedule, and the season directory can be found here:
https://tinyurl.com/3dwxnnt4
The season long events, Single Match Play, Four Ball Match Play and Men’s League, are getting cranked up. The match play events are located in the directory link above. Once the entry window has closed, the brackets will be made and distributed. In 2026, we are going to host an Elimination weekend! On Saturday and Sunday, March 28 & 29, you will be able to book times for your first matches. All competitors are strongly encouraged to book a match or two that weekend on order to get a head start on whittling down those still alive. We hope this makes for a more fun and efficient event.
If you would like to enter a team into the Wednesday night league play, please submit your team using this link:
https://tinyurl.com/26ucznw4
The League competes every Wednesday night at 5:30pm beginning April 1. It runs for 19 weeks, using a match play, round-robin format with League Commissioners Bob Paradis and Andrew Flaskerud managing the competition.
If you don’t have a team but would like to participate, there is also a “sub-pool” for singles who fill-in when teams need a player.
www.golfgenius.com/ggid/hlj62z/register
www.golfgenius.com/ggid/susnj3/register
www.golfgenius.com/ggid/rgzumg/register
Dining & Entertainment
Jeff King, Director of Food & Beverage
This month’s calendar is stacked with can’t-miss moments. Whether you’re here for the music, the matchups, or a little fairytale flair.
We’re kicking things off with First Friday Live, bringing the energy with great vibes, live entertainment, and the perfect way to launch the weekend. Sports fans won’t want to miss the legendary Duke vs. North Carolina Tobacco Road Rivalry because some games are more than games.
Planning your game day spread? We’ve got you covered with Super Bowl Pickup, making it easy to enjoy every touchdown without missing a beat Looking for some good wine? Flight Club is a complimentary tasting for all to enjoy.
February wouldn’t be complete without a little romance Valentine’s Day is your chance to celebrate love, friendship, or just a really good night out. And for our youngest guests, the Elsa and Anna Brunch adds a touch of magic with themed fun, smiles, and unforgettable memories.
From live events to legendary rivalries and family-friendly favorites, there’s something for everyone this month.
Mark your calendars and looking forward to seeing you here!
Let Chef Azmin cook for you! Let Chef Azmin cook for you!
Pine Island Country Club welcomes visiting guest Chef Azmin Ghahreman. Enjoy the unique and flavorful menu he has curated especially for you!
Azmin Ghahreman, Chef / CEO, was born in Iran and educated in Geneva, Switzerland, where he received his formal culinary training in French cuisine at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Chef Azmin has lived and worked all over the globe. He has served as the executive chef at international 5-star hotels, including the Four Seasons Maui and Singapore and the Regent Sydney, Australia. Through the years, he has also created several of his own highly successful culinary-inspired businesses
His international-oriented cooking styles and avid interest in utilizing the best ingredients available distinguish him on the culinary map. He is known for saying, “the sky is not the limit.”
Chef Azmin has curated a special Valentine’s Menu especially for our members.
Cooking Class
EVENTS EVENTS
Pine Island Country Club offers an elegant canvas for weddings and special events. With breathtaking golf course views as the backdrop, your personalized vision will become a reality.
The Pine Island Country Club team, headed by Ivy Honeycutt, Private Events Sales Coordinator, offers a number of customizable packages that can be tailored to fit your needs and budget. From the initial planning stages to the final moments of your celebration, we will be by your side, providing expert guidance and personalized service.
For more information, get in touch with our expert staff at Pine Island Country Club.
