July Newsletter
Head Golf Professional
Brad Skinner:
With this being our first newsletter I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself and inform you on what you can expect from the golf shop’s article in the future. I was born in Savannah, GA and attended college at Valdosta State University, where I played golf for four years and graduated with a degree in Marketing. I worked as an Assistant Golf Professional at the Valdosta Country Club before I became the Head Golf Professional at Cypress Creek. My favorite part about being in the golf business is helping others enjoy their time at the course, whether it be helping out with swing tips or hearing how someone shot their best score ever, I like to be the one who has apart in that. With that being said we are all here to help you have a great time when you are at Cypress Creek. Enjoy yourselves when you come to play, remember golf is just a game, have fun!
Having fun is what golf is all about. While the game does have its frustrations it has so many more positive motives. Think about how many bad shots you have hit… and yes we have all had them…now think about one good shot. I bet you thought of the one good shot a lot easier than you thought of the bad ones. The good shots are what make golf such a great game. There is no better feeling than splitting a fairway, knocking a wedge to a foot, or sinking thirty footers. So, the next time you tee it up think about all the good shots you hit and how great golf really is.
We hope you find this newsletter fun and informative, this is our way to stay connected with you. I will be talking about anything from current events in the golf world to swing thoughts that might help you, to personal stories about what golf has done for me. We look forward to seeing you all real soon and remember we are here to help. If there is anything you might need our staff will be more than willing to help out.
Food and Beverage
Larry Eppler:
My name is Larry E. Eppler, I’m the new Food and Beverage Manager at Cypress Creek, I have been in the restaurant business for thirty years and love, food, wine, and having fun. When I first started at Cypress Creek I asked a lot of questions and listened to our customers and the one thing that became apparent was that the menu desperately needed to be updated. So I have been focusing on creating a new menu that stays true to what I believe Cypress Creek is but will also “wow” you. The wow factor is very important to me, and to help achieve that we will be using all fresh ingredients from local farmers and fisherman. The plates will look like they came out of a magazine and the taste will be out of this world.
Each month I will keep you updated on things that will be happening such as wine or cheese tastings, and member dinner’s. If we have already met than I would like to thank you for the warm welcome, and if we have not met yet I sincerely look forward to helping you enjoy your time at Cypress Creek.
Superintendent
Chris Threatt
Happy Summer to all! I know everyone has noticed some changes around the course this summer season. I have heard many comments from many different perspectives about course conditions and our agronomic practices. Many of ya’ll understand why we do what we do, but for those that have unanswered questions, I hope that this short explanation may help. I like to refer back to an article from the USGA Green Section, January/February 2010 publication titled: “FLOG- What Turfgrass Would Call it if Given a Choice.” The article is written from the perspective of the grass talking to us. It states:
“Aeration and topdressing- we can’t breathe or survive without it. Put yourself in our position, with massive weight being thrust upon us from multiple sources, which squeezes the air out of our platform of stability (the soil). Without the constant introduction of more oxygen through regular aeration and sand topdressing, we will eventually suffocate. Don’t believe us? Check out all the traffic areas between the bunkers and greens at your golf course, or the exit and entry areas on cart paths near tees and greens. Turfgrass simply can handle only so much, so protect us by completing these necessary agronomic programs as much as your budget allows.”
I understand that historically this course only had the greens aerified twice annually. However, this summer, after meeting with several industry representatives and reviewing case studies from courses with similar greens situations, we felt it best to maximize our aerification efforts. It has created much more work for the maintenance staff, but we feel our summer program is in the best interest for the greens soil profile and turf health. I hope all of ya’ll have noticed the turf recovery and health improving over the recent months. Our efforts are all geared toward creating the best environment for turf health and playability that we can (although we are causing temporary disruptions to accomplish our goal). There are also sample pictures hanging on the clubhouse bulletin board that shows what are efforts have been achieving. Thank you and happy golfing! Sayde and I will be on the lookout for any extra birdies lying around!
General Manager
Kevin Dutkowsky
Overall July has been an interesting month at Cypress Creek. To begin the month we were experiencing one of the driest times on record, the lakes were almost bone dry which forced us to pick and choose the times and areas that we could water. After numerous rain dances by Chris his wishes were finally answered; we have had over 12 inches of rain to end the month. The lakes that were less than 3 feet deep just weeks ago are now overflowing and Chris is trying to figure out how to dry the course out! On top of that we were lucky enough to be able to perform another aerification on our greens that Chris talks a little bit more about in his report. I would just like to remind everyone that this is a huge benefit (and monetary expense) to the overall health of our greens and that while other courses our cutting costs and sacrificing quality, we are selectively spending with the goal of improving your golf experience at Cypress Creek.
Brad and Bren have been working extremely hard to stock the pro shop with merchandise that I am sure everyone will enjoy. They have done a great job finding a mixture of traditional items as well as newer styles. The shop is still a work in progress but we feel it has come a long way in just a few short months. Larry is also working diligently in the restaurant on a new menu as well as preparing the PDR for its transformation into The Creek Sports Lounge. We are still on schedule to be fully operational by October.
July 9th was the two year anniversary of my family owning Cypress Creek , how the time has gone by! As owners we are very pleased with the direction the entire club is heading. We have assembled a management team that shares our dedication and vision as to what Cypress Creek should be. No one could deny the condition of the course has improved beyond belief and we feel the restaurant is positioning itself to be a destination on the South Shore. That being said, membership dues have not increased since we purchased the property and made these improvements. We confidently feel that it is time for dues to be increased back in line with the level of the quality of the property. The new fee structure has not been completed yet but our August newsletter will have more information on this important topic.
I looked forward to seeing everyone at Cypress Creek
Brad Skinner:
With this being our first newsletter I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself and inform you on what you can expect from the golf shop’s article in the future. I was born in Savannah, GA and attended college at Valdosta State University, where I played golf for four years and graduated with a degree in Marketing. I worked as an Assistant Golf Professional at the Valdosta Country Club before I became the Head Golf Professional at Cypress Creek. My favorite part about being in the golf business is helping others enjoy their time at the course, whether it be helping out with swing tips or hearing how someone shot their best score ever, I like to be the one who has apart in that. With that being said we are all here to help you have a great time when you are at Cypress Creek. Enjoy yourselves when you come to play, remember golf is just a game, have fun!
Having fun is what golf is all about. While the game does have its frustrations it has so many more positive motives. Think about how many bad shots you have hit… and yes we have all had them…now think about one good shot. I bet you thought of the one good shot a lot easier than you thought of the bad ones. The good shots are what make golf such a great game. There is no better feeling than splitting a fairway, knocking a wedge to a foot, or sinking thirty footers. So, the next time you tee it up think about all the good shots you hit and how great golf really is.
We hope you find this newsletter fun and informative, this is our way to stay connected with you. I will be talking about anything from current events in the golf world to swing thoughts that might help you, to personal stories about what golf has done for me. We look forward to seeing you all real soon and remember we are here to help. If there is anything you might need our staff will be more than willing to help out.
Food and Beverage
Larry Eppler:
My name is Larry E. Eppler, I’m the new Food and Beverage Manager at Cypress Creek, I have been in the restaurant business for thirty years and love, food, wine, and having fun. When I first started at Cypress Creek I asked a lot of questions and listened to our customers and the one thing that became apparent was that the menu desperately needed to be updated. So I have been focusing on creating a new menu that stays true to what I believe Cypress Creek is but will also “wow” you. The wow factor is very important to me, and to help achieve that we will be using all fresh ingredients from local farmers and fisherman. The plates will look like they came out of a magazine and the taste will be out of this world.
Each month I will keep you updated on things that will be happening such as wine or cheese tastings, and member dinner’s. If we have already met than I would like to thank you for the warm welcome, and if we have not met yet I sincerely look forward to helping you enjoy your time at Cypress Creek.
Superintendent
Chris Threatt
Happy Summer to all! I know everyone has noticed some changes around the course this summer season. I have heard many comments from many different perspectives about course conditions and our agronomic practices. Many of ya’ll understand why we do what we do, but for those that have unanswered questions, I hope that this short explanation may help. I like to refer back to an article from the USGA Green Section, January/February 2010 publication titled: “FLOG- What Turfgrass Would Call it if Given a Choice.” The article is written from the perspective of the grass talking to us. It states:
“Aeration and topdressing- we can’t breathe or survive without it. Put yourself in our position, with massive weight being thrust upon us from multiple sources, which squeezes the air out of our platform of stability (the soil). Without the constant introduction of more oxygen through regular aeration and sand topdressing, we will eventually suffocate. Don’t believe us? Check out all the traffic areas between the bunkers and greens at your golf course, or the exit and entry areas on cart paths near tees and greens. Turfgrass simply can handle only so much, so protect us by completing these necessary agronomic programs as much as your budget allows.”
I understand that historically this course only had the greens aerified twice annually. However, this summer, after meeting with several industry representatives and reviewing case studies from courses with similar greens situations, we felt it best to maximize our aerification efforts. It has created much more work for the maintenance staff, but we feel our summer program is in the best interest for the greens soil profile and turf health. I hope all of ya’ll have noticed the turf recovery and health improving over the recent months. Our efforts are all geared toward creating the best environment for turf health and playability that we can (although we are causing temporary disruptions to accomplish our goal). There are also sample pictures hanging on the clubhouse bulletin board that shows what are efforts have been achieving. Thank you and happy golfing! Sayde and I will be on the lookout for any extra birdies lying around!
General Manager
Kevin Dutkowsky
Overall July has been an interesting month at Cypress Creek. To begin the month we were experiencing one of the driest times on record, the lakes were almost bone dry which forced us to pick and choose the times and areas that we could water. After numerous rain dances by Chris his wishes were finally answered; we have had over 12 inches of rain to end the month. The lakes that were less than 3 feet deep just weeks ago are now overflowing and Chris is trying to figure out how to dry the course out! On top of that we were lucky enough to be able to perform another aerification on our greens that Chris talks a little bit more about in his report. I would just like to remind everyone that this is a huge benefit (and monetary expense) to the overall health of our greens and that while other courses our cutting costs and sacrificing quality, we are selectively spending with the goal of improving your golf experience at Cypress Creek.
Brad and Bren have been working extremely hard to stock the pro shop with merchandise that I am sure everyone will enjoy. They have done a great job finding a mixture of traditional items as well as newer styles. The shop is still a work in progress but we feel it has come a long way in just a few short months. Larry is also working diligently in the restaurant on a new menu as well as preparing the PDR for its transformation into The Creek Sports Lounge. We are still on schedule to be fully operational by October.
July 9th was the two year anniversary of my family owning Cypress Creek , how the time has gone by! As owners we are very pleased with the direction the entire club is heading. We have assembled a management team that shares our dedication and vision as to what Cypress Creek should be. No one could deny the condition of the course has improved beyond belief and we feel the restaurant is positioning itself to be a destination on the South Shore. That being said, membership dues have not increased since we purchased the property and made these improvements. We confidently feel that it is time for dues to be increased back in line with the level of the quality of the property. The new fee structure has not been completed yet but our August newsletter will have more information on this important topic.
I looked forward to seeing everyone at Cypress Creek
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