PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE | DAVID WILKS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Let’s take a break from the Q and A format of the last few months and address the rumors about an assessment that is waiting to pounce when people least expect it. Regular readers of this space, I am sure, have not been taken in. That’s because they already know from the two most recent Bulletins that nothing has been decided about the scope of the project and its cost. Here are some reminders that contradict pretty much all the rumors that have reached my ears: 1 . We do not yet know how much the irrigation replacement and North Course project will cost. And by that I mean: we do not yet know how much it will cost. We don’t. We expect to receive some figures later this month that will help us determine the scope of the project. When that happens, we can start making decisions and plans. But we don’t have them yet. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either guessing or pulling your leg.
David E. Wilks - President Adam G. Landis - Vice President David D. Wilkinson - Treasurer Thomas A. Beck - Secretary
CLASS OF 2025 Thomas A. Beck Robert W. Friz Lisa A. Schmidt Meghan A. Adams Stephen J. Crifasi, Jr. Andrew J. Podolsky Becky Allen George “Tripp” Way, III CLASS OF 2026 Rachel W. Heinle Douglas D. Herrmann Jennifer J. Hopkins Pamela S. Tikellis James R. Selsor Jr. David D. Wilkinson Jeffrey Ciconte Deborah J. Pittenger Honorary Directors Gary W. Ferguson Melissa Riegel Advisory Directors Joseph F. Hacker, III Allen M. Terrell, Jr. John F. Porter, III
2. There seems to be a misunderstanding about whether this work is necessary. Make no mistake: this is not a want. It is a must.Why? Lots of reasons:
We must replace our irrigation system. (See, the March Bulletin.) If we continue to neglect our irrigation system much longer, our grass will die, our tennis courts will be unplayable and our property will be an eyesore. That would be bad. We must replace the cart paths on the North Course and we have deferred that work for years. We must replace the North Course bunkers. (See, the March, 2024 Bulletin). We have deferred this and used temporary fixes for too long. We must re-grass the North Course greens. It has not been done since the course was built 64 years ago and it shows. We have kicked that can down the road for a very long time. When we re-grass the greens, we must reconstruct the greens. We have known this for a long time, too. In fact, our USGA agronomist at the time informed the Board in 2008 (!) that the currently-available grass varieties are too fast for the severity of our greens. We don’t have a choice.
These things are not optional and there is more on the list. We have to do all of them.
3. While we address this list of must-dos, it is only sensible to simultaneously address other deficiencies in the North Course so that it is even more versatile and enjoyable for golfers at every level. We can take care of other shortcomings around the property and enhance the Club for generations to come. It would be foolish and wasteful not to do this all at once.
4. The Club does not play Powerball. The only way to pay for taking care of our Club is for the membership to pay for it. That is what responsible owners do, especially when they have a gem of a Club like ours.
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