THE GREEN

As you’ve seen and heard, the COVID-19 numbers continue to swell in B.C., particularly in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. We recognize that many of our members are considered “high-risk”, and in the interest of maintaining a safe Shaughnessy Experience for as many members as possible, we are officially recommending that all members wear masks while indoors at the Club. The exceptions would be members who are sitting down in our dining facilities, playing indoor tennis or working out in the Fitness Centre. We will not force anyone to use a mask; however, we strongly encourage each member to do so in the interest of protecting the most vulnerable in our Shaughnessy community.

Christmas planning is well underway. Our Food & Beverage team have worked out a creative method of bringing our traditional Christmas events to you in a COVID-safe format. In order to stay within Provincial Health Orders and in consideration of our event spaces, all events have a strict 42-person cap, and all parties must be seated at tables of six with no more than five guests per member. Children must be attended to at all times, and each table must have one adult present. Please see the event list to plan your December calendar, and stay tuned for information on how to book these special events — Tuesday, November 17th will be the first day to book. Click here to download our 2020 Christmas Guide.

Many of you have likely met Kerry Enzie, our new Director of Food & Beverage. Kerry has hit the ground running and is already making connections with our members and staff. Our team is excited to have Kerry as our new leader upstairs, and we look forward to having him help elevate the Shaughnessy Experience.

The Locker Room/HVAC project is now underway. The lower level of the Clubhouse is an active work zone, and therefore not safe for member access. For those using the Fitness Centre, please enter and exit at the back entrance facing the parking lot. The washrooms on the lower floor will not be available for member use, so please plan accordingly and/or use the Jack’s First Tee Lounge instead.

With the end of October comes the end of another Board year. With that, I would like to welcome Mr. Gord Chan to the President’s seat. Many of you know Mr. Gord Chan through his work as Men’s Captain, on the Golf Activities Committee, and Board over the years. He sent a message to the membership this past Saturday; in case you missed the email, it can be viewed here. We also welcome two new Board members effective November 1st — Mr. Brian Fulton and Dr. David Hou, both of whom have served on various committees at the Club. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our outgoing directors—Mr. Dennis Ewasiuk and Mr. Leo Wong—for their years of service on the Board and multiple committees.

Respectfully submitted,

Brian Mossop
General Manager and Chief Operating Officer

Dear members,

Please see a list of the upcoming tennis events below. We look forward to seeing you out on the courts. Thank you for following all of our safety protocols.

Tennis Mixers are open to all members of all levels of play. They are social nights of doubles followed by dinner. The dress code is lifted for a few hours so you can wear your favourite outfits, as we have a different theme for each event.

Friday, February 12th

Valentine’s Day-Themed Mixer
 Tennis: 6:00 p.m. — 7:30 p.m.

Weekly Tennis Events for All Levels

Tuesday Men’s Night: 6:00 p.m. — 7:30 p.m. / 7:30 p.m. — 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday Ladies’ Day: 9:15 a.m. — 10:30 a.m.
Saturday Morning Men’s Tennis: 9:00 a.m. — 10:30 a.m.

Members can book a court or sign up for events by calling either the Tennis Centre at 604-266-9165 or call/text the booking phone at 236-878-4320. Members only, no guests.

A quick reminder that the ball machine will not be available during the indoor season.

Respectfully submitted,

Jerome Fournier
Director of Tennis

Winter Conditions

Shaughnessy has seen a record number of rounds played in each month from May through October. Demand on the tee sheet continues at a record pace. Unfortunately, tis the season of slower turf growth; plants will not recover from the winter damage until spring.

We will move greens to temps and change traffic flow as needed.

You will also notice a few other things on the course during the winter months, so let’s explain.

Worm castings: Saturated soil causes worms to move to the surface to breathe, eat, and reproduce, creating worm castings – small clusters of dirt pushed up through the turf canopy. Worm castings are unsightly, create bad lies and leave mud on your ball.

However, worms are extremely beneficial. It is not in our long-term interest to exterminate them with chemical treatments. Lower soil temperatures will reduce the volume of castings; come March, conditions will improve.

Microdochium Patch (Fusarium): Cool and wet conditions are favourable for the production of this salmon-coloured turf disease. Fusarium is widespread in the Pacific Northwest for 9 months of the year. You will see these patches on tees, fairways and green-approaches. Recovery occurs with higher temperatures and longer daylight hours.

Ball marks are much larger and have a longer-lasting impact on soft, wet greens. Make it a habit to find and repair your ball marks!

Players who do not create visible ball marks in the summer, because their ball speed is too slow to break the surface, will create marks on soft greens. Also worth noting, ball marks can be created with pitch shots onto the greens in soft conditions.

Be diligent about finding and fixing this damage.

Divots: If at all possible, please replace your divots rather than sanding them during the winter months. Seed has been removed from the bottles because it will not germinate in the cold weather.

Cutting is less frequent during the winter due to slower turf growth. There will be occasions, however, when temperatures are warm enough to promote growth. These occasions typically coincide with rain, leading to increased ground saturation, making it difficult to cut without leaving indentations. Rest assured that areas will be cut when conditions allow.

Bunker Maintenance will be very infrequent during the winter as the crew transitions to winter projects.

Winter projects: We are working with the Musqueam First Nation on an invasive-species management plan along the banks of Cut-Throat Creek. Blackberries will be removed; salmonberries will be left in place. This is a multistage plan, with work timed to coincide with different creek-cycles. Work will be completed in the summer.

Work on our irrigation system will be ongoing throughout the course. Please be cognizant of crew on the fairways, allowing them time to move out of harm’s way.

New drain lines will be added in perpetually wet areas with the primary work occurring on holes 2, 6 and 9.

Some relatively minor bunker-adjustments are needed to enable players to enter and exit more easily.

On occasion, tree removals will necessitate re-routing of play. Notices of this work will be posted in the Golf Shop.

Respectfully submitted,

Andrew Hart
Course Superintendent

Dear members,

Looking for the perfect gift for the golfer that has everything? Look no further than Theragun! Theragun is a percussive massage therapy device used to treat muscle soreness, improve range of motion, and reduce recovery time. Winner of the 2020 PGA Tour Championship Collin Morikawa uses Theragun before every round. Pros and regular golfers alike will greatly benefit from integrating Theragun’s percussive massage therapy devices as an essential part of fitness routines, aiding in range of motion, swing speed, faster recovery, and injury prevention, including the healing and prevention of golfers’ elbow. With the use of the newly launched Therabody mobile app, users are able to select golf-specific routines that will help every golfer learn how to integrate Theragun as part of their golf warm-up, muscle activation during the game and after for recovery.

Be sure to come to check out the demo units in the Golf Shop! We look forward to making your shopping experience at Shaughnessy unforgettable!

Respectfully submitted,

Sheldon Slonski
Retail Manager