The Covey | April 2014
Alvamar Country Club's Monthly Newsletter
April Updates & Events
Eudora Youth Football & Cheer Poker Fundraiser Friday, April 4th at 7pm.
Demo Day at Alvamar Driving Range, Sunday, April 6th 11-4
Alvamar BINGO- Sunday April 6th from 3-5pm
Alvamar Ladies Bridge Friday, April 11th
NM³ aka New Member Mini Masters -- Sunday April 13th, Registration 1 PM, shotgun start 2 PM. Each foursome will be randomly paired with the leaderboard going into the Masters on Sunday. We will play a 9 hole scramble and match the score of each foursome to the front nine of one of the players in the Masters to determine the winner. Awards and light hors d’oeuvres in the Old Father Lounge following the event. This event is open to new members. Contact Greg Moore for more information at greg@moorevaluation.com
And of course we can't forget to mention all of our Easter filled fun! Are you ready to enjoy a 2500 Easter egg hunt out on our course, a visit from the Easter bunny and an amazing brunch? We sure hope so! See you at the club!
April 19th- Easter Egg Hunt-Starts at 10 AM
April 20th- Easter Day Brunch- 10AM-2PM
Welcome New Members!
Ted & Kim Hanshaw
Jacques & Sarah Muller
Gerald & Jodi Baker
William Breuer
Gary Forristal&Shawne Beal
Brian & Sheryl Dick
Anthony Dreiling & Brooke Pearce
Brent Fry & Karin Clements
John & Kelley Catlin
Tim & Christy Grant
Vernay De Rossi
Teresa Edmondson
Chris Sorrentino & Elisa Fierro
Mike Frieson & Ashley Mc Kee
Allen & Tara Bell
Parker Corrin
Chris Thompson
Bonnie & James Lowe
Enjoy Alvamar!
Alvamar New Member Mini-Masters Event
Ryan Spencer | Director of Golf Sales & Marketing
Alvamar New Member Mini-Masters “NM3”
Open to any New Golf Member who has joined the club since January 1st, 2013 until now.
Sunday, April 13th 2014
1:00pm Check in
1:50pm Proceed to starting holes
2:00pm Shotgun Start
9-Holes 4 person Scramble
Here is the fun part! Your foursome score will be paired with the top Masters contenders’ score over their final 9 holes. This will be randomly drawn and will be sure to create some viewing enjoyment and rooting interests as we gather to watch an exciting finish at Augusta.
Cost: $20 per player:
Includes Cart, Tee Prizes, Awards, and Light Hors d’oeuvres at Masters Final Round Watch Party in the Oldfather Lounge upon completion of play.
$10 for non-participating spouse or significant other (Includes watch party hors d’oeuvres and fun)
4-Person Scramble – Blind Draw
On Course Events:
Hole #1 Use the Pro’s Putt
Hole #2 Closest to the Hole
Hole #3 Use the Pro’s Approach
Hole #4 Straightest Drive
Hole #5 Use the Pro’s Drive
Hole #7 Longest Drive
Hole #8 Use the Pro’s Tee Shot
Hole #9 Longest Putt
The intended purpose of this event and the chosen format is to immerse new members into the beauty of Alvamar. Not just the scenic beauty of a great golf course, but the beauty of its warm and welcoming members. This is NOT a competitive golf event. The scramble format and bogey as your friend rule are in place to entice golfers of all abilities and experience levels to sign up, have fun and enjoy all that is Alvamar.
Registration Deadline is Wednesday, April 9th. Contact the Member’s Pro Shop to enter (785.842.2929)
April Golf Updates:
-Eric Magnuson-
As the Easter Bunny comes this April, so will great Spring weather for golf. And what has the Easter Bunny brought to Alvamar for all of it Members? Well, I am glad you asked. We have a fully loaded Member’s Golf Shop and Championship Golf Shop with the newest equipment from all of the major companies like TaylorMade, Nike, Callaway, Titleist, and Ping. Remember August 6th is our DEMO Day. What to carry those clubs in you might ponder? Well, bags from all of the same companies along with Ogio and Team Effort. We will have Titleist and Callaway Bags with the Alvamar Logo available. Now what else might you need, golf balls? We have all the popular brands and redesigns from all the major companies. What would be left to get now? Remember the old adage of “If you can play the game you might as well look good”. New shoes are in from Adidas, Nike, and FootJoy. Also available in either shop are men’s and ladies clothing from Greg Norman, Callaway, Adidas, Nike, Tail, and many other. Between the Member’s Shop and the Championship Shop, we have you covered for all of your equipment and attire needs for the season. Remember, we will attempt to match any price that you may find at other facilities and golf outlets.
In April, we will be assigning all golf members to look after a hole on the Member’s Course. Hole assignments will be done the first letter of your last name and will be posted in the golf shop. Simply, we are asking you to keep an eye on the hole that you are assigned. By taking a few moments to make sure everything is in order (ie, all tee markers are in place) and fixing as many pitch markers on the green that you can find would help in the up keep and the condition of the course. Please, do not stop doing these things on other holes, but now you will have a specific hole to keep in mind when you play. Thank you for the support in this endeavor to maintain a high level of golf course conditions for everyone.
The beginning of the golf season has arrived. Men’s League, ACCWGA Ladies Tuesday Morning Play, and the Ladies Hit and Giggle all are starting up this Month. To get prepared for the season, check in with Paul about Lessons, Clinics, and Schools for the 2014 season. Also remember that April 6th between the hours of 10:00am and 4:00pm, we will be hosting a Demo Day with Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade, Cobra, Nike and more.
Upcoming events that you need to be aware of are the listed below:
April 6th – Alvamar Demo Day
April 20th MIAA Practice Rounds both courses Closed in the PM
April 21st, 22nd, 23rd – MIAA Regional Championships, Courses will open at Noon for Play.
April 28th – NJCAA National Championship Qualifier (Championship closed)
May 8th – Henderson Engineers, both course closed all day
May 16th – Baker Athletics, both course closed all day
May 23rd – River City Cosmo, both courses will open at 1:30 for Play
May 26th – Memorial Day Scramble
If I hit it right, it's a slice. If I hit it left, it's a hook. If I hit it straight, it's a miracle. ~Author Unknown
April: Tee To Green
Kent Morgison | Superintendent
As April unfolds, the spring colors at Alvamar will begin to flourish marking the changing of the season and another great year of golf will be upon us. April 2014 will also mark a changing of faces here in the maintenance department. Chris Habeger, our assistant superintendent the last several years, will be leaving us at the end of March to pursue an opportunity with an irrigation company in Olathe. Chris has been at Alvamar since 2002 and his friendly disposition made him a favorite amongst members and coworkers alike. He will be definitely be missed, but we wish him well as he embarks on his newest challenge.
As your maintenance department moves forward, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to tweak our structure slightly as we look to fill Chris’s vacated position. With support from management, the decision was made to pursue 2 assistant superintendents that will help improve the oversight of the entire 36 hole complex at Alvamar along with a sizable staff. It is with great excitement that I am able to announce that we were quite fortunate to land 2 very qualified candidates to fill these positions.
Robert Etken has already begun his employment here at Alvamar. Robert is a Lawrence native that has held assistant superintendent positions for the past 7 years. Most recently Robert was at The Clubs at Cordillera Ranch in Boerne, Tx, which is a highly ranked course in the state of Texas by several publications. His experience will undoubtedly serve us well here at Alvamar.
Tom North will also be joining us in early April. Tom has been in Bartlesville, Oklahoma the last few years serving as the assistant superintendent at Hillcrest CC. Prior to that, Tom was the man in charge at Western Hills GC in Topeka, before the facility was purchased by Great Life Golf & Fitness. Tom will bring a great work ethic that will spread throughout the department.
Those are the changing faces you will see here at Alvamar in the coming season. Join me in welcoming Tom and Robert to the Alvamar family, and of course we all thank Chris as he departs for his dedication and commitment to Alvamar.
Lastly, with recommendations from your golf committee, the decision has been made to return to an in-season cart policy that will restrict carts from driving in the rough. As you may or may not be aware, the majority of our rough here at Alvamar is non-irrigated. Traffic is one of many contributing factors to growing healthy turf in these areas, and if we can take away one negative impact without a huge inconvenience, it makes sense to move forward on this. On April 15th, carts will be allowed to leave the paths for the season, but we will ask that you keep your carts in the fairway until returning to the path. Also, to aid you in where to enter and exit the fairways, we will be installing movable Enter and Exit posts. It is a simple concept, you will enter the fairway after passing the Enter post, and you will return to the cart path before passing the Exit post. This will help alleviate wear patterns that appear when the same areas are used for extended periods. It is with hope that both of these policies will help us in the goal of providing the best possible playing conditions for you, the Alvamar member. Thank you in advance for your adherence to these policies, and we look forward to another great year of golf here at Alvamar.
Home Lawn “Tip of the Month”
April is the primary month for application of preemergent herbicide for crabgrass control. Evenly applying the proper rate of a high quality product can prevent a mid-summer invasion of crabgrass and other annual weeds. Remember that the herbicide works by forming a barrier at the soil surface, killing the weeds as they emerge from the soil. Therefore, cultural practices such as aeration, deep raking, and aggressive verticutting done after application, may significantly reduce the effectiveness of your preemerge.
ACCWGA Updates
Hello Alvamar Ladies and HAPPY SPRING! By the time you read the Covey this month, the ACCWGA will have already had their opening coffee (Sat. March 29). This event has become a wonderful tradition for us. It is a time to greet each other again after a long winter and get excited about the upcoming season. This year our coffee was hosted by Rebecca Basinski and Mary Ann Willette. Although it has not happened yet as I write this, I am sure it will be a lovely event. The ACCWGA Play Book and Directory is distributed at the opening coffee. If you were unable to attend, there will be extra copies at the pro shop.Be sure to stop by and get a copy!
We have enclosed the registration form again this month.Please be sure to get this completed and submitted. We want to see lots of new faces in our league this year. You won’t regret it. We are a great group of ladies and we have lots of fun.
Opening day is just around the corner now: Tuesday, April 1 – tee time is 9:00. See you on the course!
Respectfully Submitted,
Carol Tomlinson
Click here for application
Diamonds in the Rough: Ladies Golf Event
The 3rd Annual "Diamonds in the Rough" Event has finally come!
Saturday, May 17th (Shotgun starts at 10 AM )
All level players- Teams will be a mixture of players based on pro handicap (No handicap? No problem- Contact the pro shop!)
$60/ player
Includes golf,cart,prizes and lunch!
Awards ceremony with hors d'oeurves and a cash bar will follow on the upper deck!
Ladies, you've asked for it...NOW LETS HAVE SOME FUN!
****Sign Up Sheets In the Ladies' Locker Room!*****
----- This year's "Diamonds" tournament is dedicated in memory of Rita Pennybaker (1930-2013) Come out, and "be like Rita"-----
Club Operations
April Club Updates
-- Bryan Minnis --Director of Operations
Happy Spring and golf season to all our Members! There are several points of interest I want to announce. First and most importantly to all our Golf Members; you will notice that we have gone ahead and instituted a minimal dues increase to all types of Golf Memberships. In Area Golf Members will notice that our new dues are set at $240 per month, with commiserate increases in other areas of Golf Memberships as well. Even with the increase we think it is important to note that we still have the most modest dues structure of any club of our kind in the Kansas City, Lawrence, and Topeka areas. This increase will allow us to continue to make improvements to our Clubhouse, Pool, Golf Course facilities, and service efforts over the coming years. Improvements that members will notice over the next few months include audio/visual upgrades throughout the clubhouse, more bunker renovations, tree trimming, and parking lot repairs just to name a few. The most significant upgrade will be the renovation to the ponds on holes 16 and 9. Number 16 pond will undergo significant changes to its configuration and both ponds will be lined in order to remedy water retention issues that have plagued us over the past several years.
In closing, I want to thank the club’s member committees for their support and continual efforts that have made 2013 and the beginning of 2014 so successful at Alvamar. Our goal of making Alvamar the best club in the area couldn’t be realized without their leadership efforts and support. I also want to thank the Alvamar Inc. Board of Directors for all of their support. Just recently they made the decision to retire all of Alvamar Country Clubs debt. Having a debt free club is without question the catalyst for making Alvamar’s future brighter than it has ever been before.
Food & Beverage
Food & Beverage Update
Easter is quickly approaching and Alvamar wants this year to be bigger and better than ever. The Easter Egg Hunt Eggstravaganza will kick off the holiday weekend on Saturday morning. Bring out your kids and friends for a huge egg hunt on the course. Your staff has already begun to fill thousands of eggs for the hunt. The Easter Bunny will be dropping by to celebrate and join in the fun. Stick around for lunch on the patio and partake in the food and beverage specials of the day. Don’t forget to stop by the photo booth for your holiday snap shot!
Easter Brunch has already begun to fill up so make your reservations early! Drop me an email or call the business office and we’ll be happy to save your table.
Monthly Membership Tip: Kansas weather is unpredictable at best this time of year. During the season transition, beverage cart service on the course could be sporadic at times depending on course activity and staff availability. Please check with your pro shop on cart service before teeing off. We are always happy to fill coolers in the Alvabar with your favorite beverages before your round.
See you at the club,
Jen Nuessen
Alvamar Food & Beverage Director
AlvaBar Menu | Dinner Menu
April Closings....
April 2014 Dining Room Closings
Friday, April 4th – Closed Dinner
Tuesday, April 15th- Closed Lunch
Friday, April 25th – Closed Lunch and Dinner
Chef's Monthly Recipe
I’m sure looking forward to spring! Here is a nice Thai Pesto recipe to go with grilled or Baked Chicken or Seafood:
1 CLOVES GARLIC
½ of 1 JALAPENO SEEDED
ZEST OF 1 LEMON
1/4 CUP BASIL
3 TBLPs CILANTRO
1/8 CUP ROASTED, SALTED, PNUTS
2 Tblsp SWEET COCONUT
1/8 TSP SUGAR
2Tblsp MINT
2 tsp MINCED GINGER
2 tsp LEMON JUICE
pinch SALT
2-3 Tblsp CANOLA OIL
Put all Ingredients in Blender or Food processor and mix to a fine paste..Enjoy!
Until next month, Good cooking. Chef Matthew.
Buffet Nights:
Prime Rib-1st
Home Style-8th
Pasta night-15th
Breakfast for Dinner-22nd
Birthday Night-29th
From April on, we are beginning a new trend that every Tuesday, there will be a 'Ladies' Day Special'-Get a half sandwich with your choice of soup or salad for $5!
Ladies' April Bridge
Please make your reservations by noon on Wednesday, April 9th by contacting Lu Vaccaro (785-842-3866) or Carol Smith (785-542-3470)
April Calendar
Last month's winner: Gary Leonardi
Club Staff
bminnis@alvamar.com
Paul Hooser | Director of Instruction
phooser@alvamar.com
Eric Magnuson | Director of Golf
emagnuson@alvamar.com
Tyler Henderson | Assistant Golf Professional
thenderson@alvamar.com
Ryan Davis | Assistant Golf Professional
rdavis@alvamar.com
Jen Neussen | Director of Food & Beverage
jnuessen@alvamar.com
Kursten Minnis | Event Sales and Marketing Director
kminnis@alvamar.com
Chef Matthew Michel-Cox | Executive Chef
mmichel-cox@alvamar.com
Kent Morgison | Superintendent
kmorgison@alvamar.com
Valerie Woodhead |Director Of Accounting
vwoodhead@alvamar.com
Ryan Spencer | Director of Golf Sales
rspencer@alvamar.com
Amanda Hodges | Business Office
ahodges@alvamar.com
LIKE us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!
Website: www.alvamar.com
Location: 1809 Crossgate Drive, Lawrence, KS
Phone: 785-842-0004
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alvamar.countryclub
Twitter: @AlvamarCC