The Covey | January 2014
Alvamar Country Club's Monthly Newsletter
Christmas on Crossgate
What an incredible event it was following Santa Cheer Brunch at Alvamar. Over 20 very special families were invited to the inaugural Christmas on Crossgate to enjoy brunch and a special time with Santa. The attendees were local families who for whatever reason are having a difficult time financially during this holiday season, and it just seemed like an excellent opportunity to spread some Christmas Joy. We want to thank our sponsors and the charitable and faith based organizations who helped us find these deserving families. Many smiles and tears were shared by all and it was a great reminder of what Christmas and the Holiday Season are all about.
Sponsors:
Chris & Meg Davis
Dick & Kathy Stuntz
Richard & Debbie Konzem
Bob & Pauline Johnson
Scott & MaryAnn Willette
Charles & Sondra Mosley
Brian & Mark Prillman
Zac & Cortney Zager
Bill Westerbeke
Brad & Carla Phipps
Jerry and Janet Magnuson
Mike & Susan Morin
Mel & Theresa Anderson
Steve & Heather Hughes
Rick Kuhle
Tom and Ann Raney
Joe & Nancy Reitz
Steve & Lori Tesdahl
Dave & June Adams
Bill & Deb Renick
Dave & Katherine Berkowitz
Don & & Carol Hatton
Fred Weilding & Karen Dummermuth
Marion Boyle
Conrad & Bethany Roberts
Jim & Sue Bradfield
Rhetta Jo Noever
Dick & Jani Flynn
Gary & Lexi Grob
Your 2014 ACC Executive Board
Greg Moore - President
Chris Davis - Vice President
Chris Chapin - Documentarian
Scott Willette - President Emeritus
Lisa Henry
Chris Anderson
Gary Grob
Mike Higgins
Scott Cailteux
Jeff Wyatt
Welcome New Members!
John & Kristy Hanshaw
Ted & Kim Hanshaw
Mike & Ashley Frieson
Mr. & Mrs. Jacques Muller
Tristan Fair & Melissa Jo Evans
Malcolm Snead & Candan Tamerler
James McGovern Jr. & Jody Anderson
Enjoy Alvamar!
Fairways & Greens
-- Eric Manguson --
Happy New Year to everyone! I hope that you had a safe and joyous holiday season. As we are moving into the 2014 we are hard at work creating the golf calendar and pre-booking merchandise for the Golf Shop. New clothing lines for both men and women will be arriving in mid-march. Lines to look for are Greg Norman, Callaway, Oakley, along with all the latest in equipment. However, if you are looking for some great deals come by the Championship Golf Shop and see what we still have from 2013.
Save the Date! February 27, 2014. We will be having an open house for the golf membership to provide the golf event schedule, lesson programs and information, along with answering any questions about the upcoming season.
With the cold weather you may be asking yourself, “what can I do to keep my game in shape”? The hitting bays are a great way to keep your swing in tune. One other suggestion would be to set up an appointment with Paul Hooser, PGA our Director of Instruction, and have him take you through a TPI session.
January Instruction
-- Paul Hooser --
Progress with your golf swing motion is available through the winter in several options. Paul is around and available to work with your golf fitness or swing indoors or out. Some thought the Golf School in Florida meant that Paul was down there through February. But the Road Trip Golf School is a road trip for the instructor as well.
There are some great values in improving your golf game this winter and the least expensive is reading a golf instruction book. Don’t know what to read? Email Paul at phooser@alvamar.com and he can help. He has read quite a few and should be able to match up your goals with a book. The next best value is golf fitness for improving your game. Fitness is a hard sale because it requires changing your exercise habit or lack of, but for the money and time the value is exceptional.
Just now hearing about the Road Trip Golf School? Email Paul or call 785-842-1907 for details. A trip to Tampa, Florida this winter to work on your game and get away might just be the ticket. Otherwise if you want to impact that signature move that your golf swing has that gives you trouble contact Paul and work indoors without ball flight influence to start making a positive change.
Tee To Green
Kent Morgison | Superintendent
‘Tis the season to be…… a golf course maintenance employee! But what exactly does that mean? Often times, I am asked what golf course maintenance employees do during the winter when the weather isn’t conducive to golf or “normal” golf course duties. Obviously, the conditions generally do not warrant mowing greens, although when we get a nice stretch of weather, we may go out to smooth the surfaces. Cutting cups is difficult as the frostline deepens with each cold night, and even though it may warm above freezing during the day, it takes several days to thaw out the subsurface to get a cup cutter in the ground. Therefore, we are performing other daily tasks that take us out of our normal seasonal routine.
‘Tis the season to be…………………………. a lumberjack! Even though the staff is not professional tree cutters, they definitely get a lot of practice mastering the art. Removal of dead trees is priority number one in the offseason. Trimming and thinning out heavily treed areas will also be a task that is undertaken if time permits.
‘Tis the season to be………………………. a painter! All golf course accessories, tee markers, rope stakes, etc., are cleaned and given a fresh coat of paint to prepare for the upcoming golf season. This is not the most exciting job the staff performs, but on the extremely cold days that we experience, it can be a nice break from the frigid outdoor temperatures.
‘Tis the season to be…………………….. a mechanic! Although we have a very capable mechanic staff that keep things running throughout the season, the winter is when the preventative maintenance is performed. With a fleet of over 50 pieces of equipment, it would be impossible for us to get everything ready for the upcoming season without extra shop help.
‘Tis the season to be……………………. a student! Now is the time when several educational courses are offered and attended. Industry standards and techniques are ever-changing, and it is always necessary to grow our knowledge in the business.
‘Tis the season to be……………………a planner! Now is the time when we are setting up budgets and goals for the upcoming season. Although there are few major changes needed as it pertains to our department operations, there is always some tweaking from past experiences that may help us do our job better.
‘Tis the season to be…………………..THANKFUL! I for one, am very thankful to have a great staff that does their very best to make Alvamar the place to play. We, as a staff, look back on a very successful season, and look ahead to make 2014 even better.
*Reminder, if you are in need of firewood, please don’t hesitate to contact us at the shop.
Click here to view our Maintenance Blog and learn more about our recent and ongoing Bunker renovations, repairing ball marks, and more.
Club Operations
Club Report
-- Bryan Minnis --
While it would be fun to reminisce about the success of 2013, there are just to many things to look forward to in 2014 to waste any time in looking back. Alvamar is truly poised to have one of its finest years this year. Membership is up, improvements are continually being made, and golf season will soon be here. Things you should look forward to this year include numerous capital improvements to the property, upgraded services and new service personnel, along with considerable expected growth in membership. As we continually look for ways to improve the Alvamar experience, it becomes increasingly clear that one thing our members enjoy the most, is group gatherings at Alvamar. Our events are always well planned (thank you social, family, and golf committees) and well attended, and it seems to be something that we can't do enough of. With that being said we plan on hosting several new events for the upcoming year, so check your newsletter, website, and email regularly.
I also want to inform all members of a change being made in our Food & Beverage operation that is very important. We have noticed over the past years that fine dining on Wednesdays and Thursdays in the main dining room and lounge (Bob Billings Banquet Room - Fireside Lounge) is very sparse. This is not a criticism of our members or of our operation, but rather a reality of the times we are in. To operate more efficiently and effectively we will only be offering upstairs dining on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays in 2014. On Friday's beginning in February we will be offering a special menu (Fireside Friday's) with special upscale dining options for your discerning palate. Any member joining us for dinner in the Fireside Lounge on Fridays will also be included in the Bounty Drawing. Hopefully you and your friends will choose to make Friday nights at Alvamar a very special occasion each and every week. The Alvabar restaurant will maintain its normal hours and will service all dining on the days that the upstairs is not available. Several improvements are being made to the Alvabar currently that will allow us to seat more guests and create the experience that can only be found at Alvamar. Thank you all and Happy New Year!
From the President
-- Greg Moore --
What an incredible year 2013 was! Looking back I think about the positive things that have been accomplished from the Oldfather Fireside Lounge to the conversion of the crushed quartz sand traps. The list is numerous and a lot of hard work and resources was spent by all those involved. We had incredible leadership this past year. I would personally like to thank Scott Willette, the past Executive Board President, Jerry Magnuson, the Alvamar Inc. liaison and Bryan Minnis the Alvamar Country Club Director. Without their leadership much of this would not have happened. I would also like to thank the current Executive Board and all the committees for their hard work this past year.
While 2013 also had a change in management and much of our staffing as well, this has all been extremely positive. I would like to thank Eric Magnuson, Kursten Minnis, Jen Nuessen, Kent Morgison and Orion Golf. Much of their hard work occurs behind the scenes and often goes unnoticed. Next time you see one of our staff members be sure to thank them for their continued commitment to make Alvamar what it is today.
As we move forward and look to 2014 there is much work to be done, and a lot of exciting things on the horizon. The more time and energy that I put in volunteering at Alvamar the more rewarded I feel. I would encourage all of you to attend a special event, stop by an Alvamar 101 or sign up to be on a committee. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
As a member for the past several years I have realized what separates Alvamar from the rest and it is you, the membership. We have such an outstanding membership group and it is my pleasure to represent you all as the Executive Board President for 2014.
Food & Beverage
F&B Update
Jen Nuessen | Director of Food & Beverage
I hope all our members had a wonderful holiday season. The food and beverage staff would like to extend a big “Thank You” to everyone who helped to make the Santa Brunch and New Year’s celebrations a huge success. It’s wonderful to see so many members staying active at the club during the winter months. Now that the hustle and bustle of holiday parties has passed we are looking forward to our first wine dinner of the new year. Mark your calendars and save the date on Saturday, January 25th. Come enjoy the culinary delights of Chef Matthew while you sample a variety of worldly wines.
Monthly Membership Tip: Sledding at Alvamar is a wonderful activity for families to partake in as the snow continues to blanket your course. The food and beverage staff is happy to provide hot chocolate in the Alvabar to keep your families warm. The staff understands that it is tempting as parents to drop your kids off to enjoy the winter weather while you tend to errands or other activities. Sledding is a fun activity however there are certain safety risks involved so the staff does ask that parents remain with their children to provide that much needed adult supervision on the hill. Please help us keep everyone safe at your club.
See you at the club,
Jen Nuessen
AlvaBar Menu | Dinner Menu
*Note our Kitchen's winter hours (November 1st - March 9th)
Tuesday - Friday ~ 11am - 9pm
Saturday ~ 8am - 9pm
Sunday ~ 8am - 7pm
January Events | Sorted Chronologically
~ Your guests are always welcome ~
Fireside closed for dinner on Friday the 17th
No other Tuesday or Friday closings in January
2014 Gourmet Dinner & Wine Tour begins on Saturday the 25th
Friday Night Bounties
Every Friday | 6:30 - 7:30 pm
Tuesday Night Buffets
Every Tuesday | 5:30 - 8:30pm | BBB
*Prime Rib Buffet | January 7th 5pm
*Homestyle Buffet | January 14th 5pm
*Pasta Buffet | January 21st 5pm
*Birthday Buffet | January 28th 5pm
QUICK LUNCH CLUB
Baked Potato, Soup, & Salad Bar
Every Tuesday & Friday from 11:30 - 2:00 | Oldfather Lounge
This quick lunch option is just $10. It includes a fountain drink and taxes.
Call 785-842-0004 or email with your questions or to RSVP for any Alvamar Club function.
Bounty Night Update
The First Bounty of January will be for $400.00 on January 10th.
Be sure and join us for all Bounty Nights in January
Bounty Night is held every Friday Night in the AlvaBar from 6:30 to 7:30pm. We raffle off some great prizes, make announcements about upcoming events at the Club and pull a name (or 5) from our ENTIRE membership directory. Every membership is included in the drawing but you must be here to claim the prize.* Get here early, these can be fun but it can be tough to find a table.
*You will be included in the drawing if you're dining at the Club or participating in a club sanctioned event.
Chef's Monthly Recipe
Happy New Year. Leftover Turkey can be fun.
Turkey Mornay
Per roll:
1 slice turkey breast( cooked)
1 Blanched broccoli spear
3 oz Mornay sauce
Make mornay by Making a cream sauce then melting Swiss cheese in it. Wrap turkey around broccoli, cover and heat in oven or microwave.
Plate, then drape with sauce
I hope you enjoy this simple quick meal, until next month, good cooking. Chef Matthew
Chef Matthew
Buffet Nights:
Prime Rib Buffet | January 7th 5pm
Homestyle Buffet | January 14th 5pm
Pasta Buffet | January 21st 5pm
Birthday Buffet | January 28th 5pm
Ladies' January Bridge
Please make your reservations by noon on Wednesday, January 8th by contacting Jane Johnson at 842-0043 or Marilyn Lahm at 843-3972
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 | Accounting
vwoodhead@alvamar.com
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Website: www.alvamar.com
Location: 1809 Crossgate Drive, Lawrence, KS
Phone: 785-842-0004
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alvamar.countryclub
Twitter: @AlvamarCC