ROYAL DIVOTEER Winter 2020 - Club Managers of Oregon
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ROYAL DIVOTEER
Winter 2020
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT by Jim Senescu
Well folks, here we are again. As I sat down to write a Winter Divoteer article
last week, something told me to wait a bit closer to the actual deadline. As we
all have learned in 2020, things change faster than our greens run during a hot
August afternoon. As many of you are aware, just days ago our WA State Gover-
nor renewed some of the restrictions due to the increased numbers of positive
COVID-19 tests. The major restriction impacting us as a Club is the closure of
all indoor dining within the clubhouse until at least December 14, 2020. Fortu-
nately, “take out” and “to go” orders will continue, and we are taking all steps
to provide for covered and heated outside dining at 5 per table. We are also
working on providing TV’s for viewing in those locations. Ironically, on this past Sunday (the day the
Governor announced the new restrictions) our power went out at the Club, unrelated to the COVID
situation. Our power was restored, however, there was an equipment failure that is affecting all the
TV’s throughout the Club. We are working feverishly to fix and/or upgrade our TV network system.
(Continued on next page)
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
2020-2021 BOARD OF DIRECTORS LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT (cont.) by Jim Senescu
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
President Jim Senescu Not to fear with our latest news. We have been here
Vice President Stephen Cobb before, and we will get through this again. We know
Secretary/Treasurer Ken Mogseth what we need to do, and we know how to do it. We
Ex-Officio Gary Schuler
are all advised to stay home from the Club if you are
BOARD MEMBERS
Jason Powell Albert Schlotfelt Petr Burunov sick or have recently been travelling. If you can come
Bryan Asbury Ken Santschi William Schwartz out to the Club, please socially distance and wear a
COMMITTEE CHAIRS face covering to prevent the spread of potentially
Finance Erick Steinman harmful droplets.
Golf Derek Baade
Green Bob Britt Jr.
House John Greenauer
I hope that every one of us can continue to safely enjoy
Membership Monte Phillips our golf course and get some sort of respite from the
LRPC Rodney Cook negative news that we seem to hear about daily.
MANAGEMENT TEAM We will continue to budget on a monthly basis, as cir-
Club Manager
cumstances change. We continue to also have a full
Marcia LaFond
marcia@royaloaks.net membership and we are maintaining a healthy and ro-
bust waiting list. Gordon and his team are continuing
Interim Head Golf Professional
John Buck to maintain our golf course to excellent standards and
john@royaloaks.net fortunately, that is one aspect that hasn’t changed in
Golf Course Superintendent 2020. Further, as the Head Golf Professional Search
Gordon Kiyokawa Committee continues its search process with the assis-
gordon@royaloaks.net tance of the PGA, please give a hearty thanks to our
Assistant Club Managers most tenured employee at Royal Oaks, Interim Head
Steve Mohning Golf Professional, John Buck. John will be leading us
smohning@royaloaks.net into 2021 until a new hire is in place and he is fully ca-
Brian Johnson pable of managing the Golf Shop and staff in the inter-
brian@royaloaks.net
im. We are lucky to have John for this role.
Controller
Beth Carlson In closing, I would like to make a hearty tip of the cap
beth@royaloaks.net to our former Head Golf Professional, Scott Leritz. As
Executive Chef most of you are aware, Scott is leaving us to seek a
Robert Johnson new challenge at Oswego Lake Country Club. It goes
chefrj@royaloaks.net without saying that he will be sorely missed. He has
Director of Catering brought this club to new heights in his 12+ years as
Tenly Hall our Head Pro. We wish Scott nothing but the best in
tenly@royaloaks.net the future, and hopefully all of us were able to come
Membership Director see Scott off at the walk through “open house” on the
Brandon Roberts North Patio on his last day on November 21st. If any-
brandon@royaloaks.net
one missed saying goodbye to Scott, our staff would be
Accounts Specialist happy to send along any messages, cards or gifts to
Alaina Henderson
him on your behalf.
alaina@royaloaks.net
Administrative Assistant Stay safe, and most importantly, stay sane!
Debi Smith
office@royaloaks.net
FROM YOUR CLUBHOUSE
FROM THE CLUB MANAGER by Marcia LaFond
Despite the fact that I, personally, cannot wait for 2020 to come to a close,
there is indeed much to be thankful for this year. For the most part, our com-
munity here at the Club has been spared the ravages of the COVID-19 pan-
demic. This has only been made possible due to everyone adhering to social
distancing and mask wearing guidelines. Please continue to monitor your-
selves for symptoms and to take extra precautions now that we have entered
Flu season. Additionally, you, the members, have been exceptionally support-
ive of the Club and its activities and we thank you very much for that. In any
event, let’s put 2020 behind us as quickly as possible and celebrate our holi-
day season!
I would like to thank all the members who have helped grow the membership at Royal Oaks in 2020.
We have a full membership with 11 on the waitlist and we anticipate several more before the initia-
tion fee increases January 1st. I would also like to thank our management team and staff for all their
hard work especially during a very challenging year. It is my honor and a privilege to work alongside
these dedicated professionals, and we are looking forward with much anticipation to what promises
to be another great year in 2021 here at Royal Oaks.
The Search for a new Head Golf Professional is progressing. The Committee has already received the
top 16 candidates that have made the initial cut. We will continue to keep you updated as we move
through the process of hiring a New Golf Professional.
Join us and help support the Clark County Food Bank with our annual Food Drive. Donations are now
being accepted, so please drop off your non-perishable donations today! Bring Joy to children and
families this season by donating an unwrapped gift to the YWCA. The giving tree is located on the
North Patio by the tent, so please choose a tag and return the unwrapped gift before December 14th.
Donating to the Employee Holiday Fund is a long standing tradition at Royal Oaks, which demon-
strates the close bond between the members and the employees. Your donation to this Holiday Fund
is distributed to the hourly employees only. In order to avoid any sort of allocation favoritism, the
amount is calculated for each employee using a formula that factors in length of service and the
amount of responsibility. On behalf of the entire staff, we appreciate your kindness in giving to the
Employee Holiday Fund. It really does make the staff feel special to know that our members appreci-
ate all of their hard work throughout the year. You have made their holiday a little brighter with
your generosity!
On behalf of the entire team, we wish all of you a safe and happy holiday season. Please remember, if
you find yourself over the limit on holiday cheer, let us call an Uber or Lift for you. The safety of our
Club and our members is extremely important to all of us.
Have a safe and wonderful holiday season.
Marcia
RUB OF THE GREEN
RUB OF THE GREEN by Gordon Kiyokawa
With all of the chaos and turmoil of this past year, the course came through with
flying colors.
Record rounds have marked the 2020 season to date. In fact, even with a month
closure due to Covid and 6 days of smoke limitations and lockdown, we will have
more annual rounds than ever. Through all of this, the course has tolerated the
play and traffic remarkably well. Accolades to some of our diligent members for
their ball mark and divot replacement, and also to our dedicated staff who,
through thick and thin, virus and unsafe smoke filled air, they’ve endured the or-
deal and have come through producing a great product for you this season. Happy
Holidays from your dedicated Golf Course Maintenance Staff.
Did any of you golf fans watch the Master’s? Do you recall who won? It wasn’t Dustin – it was Mother
Nature! She always wins.
Augusta National, arguably “the” premier golf course on tour as well as “the” club with the most re-
sources of any event on tour. With an annual budget that
exceeds multimillion dollars; nearly 100 volunteers who
are current Golf Course Superintendents, Assistant GC Su-
perintendents, Industry Specialists; a closed course for
over a month prior to the tournament for preparation (2
months for the typical spring event); a multimillion dollar,
sophisticated mechanical drainage system – even with all
these resources, Augusta National still has some course
condition concerns. This is golf! And because it’s played
in the great outdoors, conditions are often times at the
whim of Mother Nature and surface inconsistencies are all a part of the game.
In the coming months we will be addressing some of our own maintenance concerns. These include: Re-
pairing some drainage concerns on our bunkers; re-grading some of the slope / water drainage issues on
greens much like we did on #13 approach earlier this year; and irrigation sprinkler replacements. As al-
ways, we’ll also continue the incessant process of picking up leaves.
On behalf of your GC Maintenance Staff and myself, Happy Holidays.
Gordon Kiyokawa – CGCS
Certified GC Superintendent
CONGRATULATIONS
Derek White Galen Weaver Bill Pahl
8/3/2020 9/7/2020 10/29/2020
Hole #5 Hole #5 Hole #8
126 Yards 138 Yards 142 Yards - Acorn Tees
9 Iron 9 Iron 5 Iron
First Hole In One First Hole In One First Hole In One
Bart Rylander Milton Copeland
10/3/2020 11/25/2020
Hole #12 Hole #5
157 Yards 124 Yards - White Tees
6 Iron 54 Degree Wedge
Second Hole In One First Hole In One
Be sure to have Hole In One Insurance when you ACE it!!!
Cost: $5 every time someone in the group makes a hole in one.
Payout: 50% in cash and 50% in Golf Shop credit to the person who
makes the hole in one.
Sign up now for your chance to cash in on the pot! Please call
360.256.1250 or email alaina@royaloaks.net
MEMBERSHIP
WELCOMES OUR NEW MEMBERS:
If you see new faces around the Club,
please introduce yourself and welcome them to Royal Oaks!
Stan and Krista Firestone Dru and Darci Gilbert
Butch and Heidi Parker Sung and Helena Lee
David and Connie Warner Shane and Julie Rushing
Hani Eid and Hazer Jaber Randy Printz and Laurie Voorhees
Conner Bielat Tim and Marife Parkin
Craig Wong and Kathleen Kee Devra & Michael Doiron
Goodbye & Good Luck
Noelle and Eric Martz Cody Erwin and Shelly Timothy and Jennifer Schiller
Gordon and Nicole Klepec Jerry Erwin and Kathy Jean and Brian Watkins
Rich and Bobbi Geenty Gary and Kelli Wart Margo Rose
James and Leslie Repman Shirley and Gary Gross Nick and Vivian Casanova
Ernie and Wendy Sturm Robert and Debra Peak Darren and Gail Smith
Barbara Fife Vernon Peterson Mark and Patti Philip
William and Katherine Bishop
Dean and Cathy Lemman
Quarterly Membership Update
Category 2019 2020 % Change
Proprietary 442 439 -1%
The staff at Royal Oaks
Corporate 33 33 0% would like to send our
Intermediate 29 30 3.5%
deepest sympathies to the
Club Owned 0 0 0%
Social Medical 1 4
friends and family of
505 505 Manfred Rose and
Resignation List 0 0
Cathy Gavlick.
Wait list to GET IN 0 13
MEMBERSHIP
MEMBERSHIP by Brandon Roberts
It’s been quite an interesting year as we’ve been faced with numerous challenges that we’re all aware
of. While on one hand we’ve had closures and cancellations do to COVID, poor air quality from local
area fires and the subsequent smoke that filled our valley, and now another bout with strict COVID
regulations. On the other hand, we have seen record setting amounts of golf played by our Members,
big surges in membership interest, and great participation in dining considering the circumstances. It
truly has been a roller coaster of a year that we are all looking forward to putting behind us!
As of Mid-November, we have had 46 Proprietary applicants, 8 Intermediate applicants and an addi-
tional 8 Social and Social with Golf applicants. Interest continues to be strong as we close out 2020,
and an increase in initiation is scheduled for January 1st, 2021. If you know of anyone that may be in-
terested in membership at Royal Oaks, there is still time to get in at the current rate!
As we move into 2021, I’m looking forward to continuing to meet and learn about the Membership
here at Royal Oaks, while also assisting new Members get acquainted with their Club!
Happy Holidays!
Brandon Roberts
Membership and Marketing Director
Your support of the club with potential new member referrals continues to be appreciated.
REMINDER:
You can earn up to 5% credit of the initiation fee when new member applicants
identify you as sponsor on their application.
Have a fantastic rest of the golf season!
Edit your roster information
online at www.royaloaks.net
or call the office
Pay your monthly statement
automatically and eco-friendly!
SIGN UP IN THE OFFICE
FITNESS CORNER
THE FITNESS CORNER by Rich Freedman
Passion, Motivaton & Discovery:
The Intangible Elements
About 15 years ago I was struggling with my golf game. I had developed
a nasty slice and after finishing a round I’d had enough. On the way
home from the golf course I stopped at a driving range in Oregon City
and asked for professional help. The instructor they assigned to me was
Scott Leritz. He watched my swing, gave me a quick drill and in a few
minutes my slice was gone. Years later when I became associated with Royal Oaks I was pleasantly
surprised to find that Scott had been named head professional.
You may have noticed when Scott talks about golf he always has a sparkle in his eye- that’s passion -
something that can’t be taught and a key ingredient in most every endeavor. So, as Scott heads to
Oswego Lake I am most certain his passion for golf will serve him exceptionally well. Good luck,
Scott!
Passion’s cousin is motivation- another ingredient for success that’s not easy to teach. There are
hundreds of articles and books about motivation, but so far I haven’t found any way to teach people
to be motivated about health and fitness. I have come to the conclusion that these two intangible el-
ements are critically linked. If you have passion you’ll be motivated and if you’re motivated you’ve
got passion. It doesn’t matter if it’s cooking, art, science, golf, fitness or fishing, if you are passion-
ate about it likely you will be motivated and successful. Then, if you’ve ever worked with my col-
league, Dempsie Powers, you know what passion for fitness is.
Passion and motivation most often lead to discovery and discovery leads to change and improve-
ment. The words come off the tongue easily, but when the subject turns to golf it becomes a lot more
complex. The game has so many facets no matter the passion or motivation, it’s just not that simple
to lower your handicap. Even with great passion, desire and motivation, improving one’s score still
takes skill, fitness, practice and play, course management, mental preparation, concentration and
persistence. It has to fit together like a jig-saw puzzle and when the pieces fit we can play at our po-
tential.
When you see touring pros shoot several strokes under par, remember, they practice hours every day
and during the season, play practice rounds on Monday and Tuesday, pro-am’s on Wednesday and
then four tournament rounds. They not only have to have each facet of their game finely tuned, but
they have to be in physical shape to play almost every day of the week. Many of the injuries I see on
tour (particularly back and elbow injuries) are overuse injuries, so being fit is a critical factor that
serves more than one master.
Most of us don’t play every day but that still doesn’t mean we don’t need to be in shape. There’s a list
a mile long of health reasons to improve our fitness. Building muscle to gain strength and improve
our metabolism and training aerobically for cardiovascular health certainly makes sense, but the
challenge is trying to find the time to do it.
FITNESS CORNER If we place value on our long term health and wellness, finding the time becomes more of a priority. Find an hour a day 4 -5 days a week to devote to training with a sound nutritional plan and you’ll go a long way to improving your wellness and physical performance. In these days of COVID-19 precautions, many are skeptical about entering a gym environment. At the ROCC Fitness center we have followed the state guidelines to make sure everyone who works out is as safe as possible. We regularly disinfect equipment, check people’s temperature upon entry, ensure social distancing and limit the number of members to four at any one time to significantly reduce vi- ral and bacterial risks. However, as of this writing, the Governor of Washington has closed fitness centers for at least the next 30 days. Once again, members will have to keep fit on their own. Please look for further communicatons from the club as things develop. Have any questions or need help in managing your time and wellness? That’s what we do. Contact either of us – we can help you find a pathway to better health and performance, both on and off the course. For now, our hours are suspended, but we’re both available by phone, text or email for any questions. Stay well, stay safe and have a wonderful holiday season!!! Rich Freedman is consulting Master Fitness Trainer, certified TPI Golf Fitness Instructor and Managing Partner of Gol-fit.com/Bess Box Technologies. He is available for training at the Fitness Center and writes for the Divoteer providing research on both golf and fitness matters to the ROCC staff. For personal training At Royal Oaks please contact: Dempsie Powers Rich Freedman Email: Dempsie_Powers@yahoo.com Email: RAFreedman@comcast.net 360-609-2595 503-975-1907 O.S.W.G.A by Janet Schwartz and Joanne Estok Oregon’s Senior Women’s Golf Association is a great opportunity to visit and play 9 holes at 13 private golf clubs in Oregon & Washington. If you are over 50 and would like to join please contact: Joanne Estok 760-610-4682 or 360-719-2260 or Janet Schwartz 360-903-0157
AUDUBON SANCTUARY
AUDUBON SANCTUARY by Donna Schwanke
Royal Oaks has been a certified member of Audubon International's Cooperative Sanctuary Program
for golf courses for more than 25 years. The program at Royal Oaks consists of members and non-
members. We have sponsored educational and entertaining activities each year. Our Fathers’ Day
Fishing Derby has been the most popular. Seeing your child or grandchild catch their first fish has
been memorable for all. Our Birdcam project received national attention through Audubon Interna-
tional. It can be accessed at birdcam.royaloaks.net. Doug Palin has worked on our birdcam for sev-
eral years to improve the quality of the picture. The photos are archived for months so you may have
to search a bit for the best pictures. Our 30 nesting boxes
have assisted hundreds of swallows, nuthatches and chicka-
dees to safely raise their families at Royal Oaks. Our mem-
bers have monitored these nesting activities and forwarded
the data to Audubon International after each nesting sea-
son. We have a unique urban habitat at Royal Oaks. Golfers
and walkers may see deer, coyote, squirrels, rabbits, wea-
sels as well as Bald Eagles, Osprey, Canada geese, and many
species of ducks. Bob Ball took this great photo recently at
#12 pond of several Hooded Mergansers which were just
passing through.
There are many new members to our group with a wide knowledge of nature and our golf course habi-
tat. We will have a mail slot in the office to receive photos, sightings and suggestions so we can offer
the membership interesting information and activities. What would you like to see from our Audubon
program? Are the trails on the course of interest to you? Would you like more educational programs
possibly connected with Jr Golf as we have sponsored before? Are you interested in birds, native
plants, or Burnt Bridge creek? Please feel free to contribute your questions and requests via the mail-
box or send an email Jani or me.
Jani Aden has agreed to partner with me this year to lead our Audubon program for which I am very
grateful. Jani and I will be looking for your ideas and suggestions to make this program more valuable
to you. If you would like to be on our mailing list for information and activities please let Jani or me
know. Deschwanke@gmail.com and janipamail@gmail.com. Our group is growing. Please join us.
Gordon Kiyokawa
Donna Schwanke
Jani Aden
Alice Newman
Doug Palin
Andrea Moore
Merle Koplan
Alison Livett
Joan Leslie
Dempsie Powers
Woody Newell
Mary Yates
Bob Ball
Alan NielsenTHE ROYAL DIVOTEER
The American Turkey Shoot-Out (TSO) was started in 2004 by
Royal Oaks Country Club Members, Ken and Karen Vartanian. Its Mission was to
raise funds for local Military families that had financial difficulty due to a
National Guard or Reservist Spouse that was unexpectedly deployed to the
Persian Gulf, thus depleting their household income.
The event began as a Golf Tournament with a Turkey Dinner and Auction. For the
last 7 years, The Turkey Shoot’s funding streams have shifted to help with
returning Veterans and their Families. We’ve donated to Charitable Organizations
that assist with financial, medical, emotional and related problems as a result
from serving our Country.
Over the last 15 years we have raised and donated approximately $500,000 to
Local Military Families
This year we were able to raise $29,000 even without the auction! A special thank
you to all who sponsored, participated, and donated to a great cause!LADIES GOLF O.W.G.A by Judy Bergs How would you like to play several premier golf courses in 2021 for just the price of your member- ship fee? If your answer is yes, consider becoming a member of OWGA (Oregon Women’s Golf As- sociation). Membership is open to any woman member of Royal Oaks with a USGA Index of 30.0 or lower. Membership fee is $130. Courses to be played in 2021 in addition to Royal Oaks are: Port- land Golf Club, Riverside Golf & CC, Oswego Lake CC, Tualatin CC, Arrowhead Golf Club, Willamette Valley CC, Oregon Golf Club, Pumpkin Ridge GC, Astoria CC, Corvallis CC, Rogue Valley CC, Pine Ridge GC, Prineville CC, and Broken Top Club. Members can sign up to play some or all the events. OWGA was founded in 1926 by eight private club representatives. Through the years the associa- tion has grown to include several other private clubs throughout the state of Oregon. Royal Oaks was invited to join in 1987. The OWGA mission statement is to “promote the interest of women’s golf and create unlimited friendships while playing premier golf courses throughout the region”. Many women at Royal Oaks have been members of OWGA for several years and I anticipate them joining once again for 2021. They often sign up in pairs to travel and play together at the courses. I am happy to answer any questions about the organization. Joining OWGA for 2021 will start in March. The schedule of events will be available then as well. My contact info is listed below. Judy Bergs, Sr. Director OWGA Email: gregb9@msn.com Cell: 360-903-2534 LADIES 9 HOLE by Tammy White Can’t believe our season is already over, feels like it never even got started. This has definitely been a year full of challenges so why should our closing event be any different – after a lengthy frost delay of almost 2 hours we were finally able to tee off. Quite a few women had to drop out so our closing games and activities were cancelled. Thankfully we planned our closing Brunch for the following week, October 30th. Kudos to RJ and his staff for another outstanding meal and a big thank you to Mani Boatright for the beautiful centerpieces. Congratulations to Sherrie Mobley, who was our Most Improved Player for the 2020 season. Despite all the challenges this year, Gail and I have enjoyed our time as your Captains and will be re- turning for another year. We are looking forward to a “mulligan” in the 2021 season. In the mean- time, we will be busing planning events and activities for the upcoming year, which will include add- ing some additional times for our ever-popular golf clinics Our Welcome Back Coffee Hour is tentatively schedule for Friday, February 26 and Friday, March 5 th is our season opener. Details will be posted on our Facebook page and in the Ladies lounge, as we get closer to those dates. We welcome your suggestions for the new season. We wish you all a safe and happy holiday season. See you around the club.
THE ROYAL DIVOTEER
THE ROYAL DIVOTEER
THE ROYAL DIVOTEER
Hello Royal Oaks Members,
This has certainly been a year to remember, it has affected us all in many different ways.
Our holiday season is approaching with changes both at home and in the community. We
are missing our holiday club events; The Children's Tree Lighting, Holiday Vendor Fair,
Ladies Holiday Luncheon, Christmas Carts and the many gatherings at the club. While
we are missing those things, we believe we can still make a difference in the community
by having our Giving Tree and Food Drive. The Giving Tree will benefit the YWCA
Holiday Shop which fills the wishes of local families. There will be tags on the tree or
use the QR code to have items shipped directly to the YWCA. The Food Drive will ben-
efit The Clark County Food Bank. We ask that unwrapped gifts and food be placed un-
der the tree, given to your server or to the staff member who delivers your take out or-
der. Thank you in advance for your generosity during the Holiday Season.
Have a safe, healthy and Happy HolidayPlease watch your email for
the most accurate hours,
menus, events, and
clubhouse news.
dining room minimum
spending schedule
1000 - 3939
Three Month Minimum - $165
August 1 - October 31
November 1 - January 31
February 1 - April 30
3940 - 6833
Three Month Minimum - $165
September 1 - November 30
December 1 - February 28
March 1 - May 31
6834 - 9999
Three Month Minimum - $165
July 1 - September 30
October 1 - December 31
January 1 - March 31
Some member numbers may not fall in
line with this schedule. Please call the
office if you have questions.
Clubhouse (360) 256-1250 Golf Shop (360) 256-1350 www.royaloaks.netYou can also read
