2022 Annual Report

2022 ANNUAL REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3 Founding Members
5 Board of Directors and Club Management
6 Committees
7 Ambassadors
8 Agenda for Annual Meeting
9 President’s Report
11 General Manager’s Report
15 Membership Committee Report
19 Finance Committee Report
21 Clubhouse Committee Report
23 Golf & Greens Committee Report
27 Racquet Sports Committee Report

ANNUAL REPORT 2022

FOUNDING MEMBERS

Steven & Sharye Atchison, MD Brandon & Taylor Fanning
Burt & Beth Allen Alex & Mary Fanning
John & Lindsay Atkins Kevin & Jean Gamble Sr.
Phil & Karen Barbaree John & Jennifer Gilmer
Greg & Molly Bryan Kevin & Valerie Gamble Jr.
Richard & Mary Bremer Sanders & Eloise Graf
Stephen & Tiffany Bell Bharat Guthikonda
Joe & Michelle Bowen James & Lillian Granger
Clay & Delyla Blackburn Casey & Prentis Guerra
Chris & Sarah Baker Cayce & Vicky Hand
Larry & Kristi Brazzel David & Suzanne Hamm
George & Jean Baldwin Brad & Kim Hand
Richard & Lisa Chilvers Kyle & Caroline Hand
Richard & Leslie Crowell III Adam & Lauren Hubble
Clint & Stacey Cormier Elizabeth & Derek Holtsclaw
Jan & Richard Crowell Gary & Patricia Hayes
David & Tina Callecod Christopher & Bridget Hamm
Christie & Rick Robison Cox Phil & Virginia Israel
Adam & Jana Cormier Val & Blair Irion
Michael & Lauri Dugan Tim & Amy Jett
Randy & Kathy Davis T. Haller & Sue Jackson
Jeffrey & Sara Doughty Kim & Mary Kayser III
William & Katherine Dorroh Les & Paula Kirk
Jared & Danielle Dunahoe James & Julie Kowalski
Newton & Melinda Dorsett Fred & Melinda Kent
Mike & Brenda Etheredge Craig & Sandra Lang
Tannie & Jennifer Frierson Jr. Jimmy Langston
Michael & Kyla Fulco Jr. Jake & Bethany Lawler

3 ANNUAL REPORT 2022

Jeff & Christiana Lyons Joe & Kathryn Salpietra
Ken & Amy Lawler Steve & Melanie Skrivanos
John & Sarah Luster Stephen & Cherise Swander
Johnny & Lily Mijalis Larry & Jane Shea
Robert McMillan Jayce & Catherine Simpson
John & Theresa Meldrum Colton & Kaley Sanders
Alexander & Daphne Mijalis Anthony & Soo-hyun Sin
Kade & Claire McDonald Jack & Debbie Taylor
James & Donna Montgomery Harold & Helen Turner
James & Jana McCrery Jay & Ashley Turner
David & Margo Myatt Anil & Jennifer Veluvolu
Kevin & Georgia McCotter Ronald & Kim Wicker
David & Rachel Morgan Steven & Nancy Walker
William & Leigh Ann Madole Jimmy & Kim Wilmore
George & Clare Nelson Jr. Mark & Krista Wilburn
Brad & Michaelann Nichols Fred & Melissa White
Corey & Laurie Oliphint Brady & Laura White
David & Jan Pou Brad & Meaghan Wood
John & Missy Pou Ben & Lisa Warren
Robert & Barbara Pou Richard & Sherry Wright
Rusty & Helen Palmer Michael & Renee Young
Edward & Jina Miller Paul Larry Little
Johnson & JoAnn Ramsey
Raymond & Sharon Regard
Eric & Leah Regard
William & Lindsey Raymond
Bruce & Melissa Simon
Jack & Emily Smithwick

ANNUAL REPORT 2022 4

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

2021-2022 President
Vice President; Chair, Golf and Greens Committee
Steve Skrivanos* Treasurer; Chair, Finance Committee
Alexander Mijalis* Chair, House Committee
Michael Fulco* Chair, Racquet Sports Committee
Steve Walker* Director
John Meldrum Director, in perpetuity; Co-Chair, Membership Committee
Bo Smithwick Director; Co-Chair, Membership Committee
Rusty Palmer Director
Kathy Davis Director
Michael Fulco Director
Cayce Hand
Jim Montgomery

*Executive Committee Member

CLUB MANAGEMENT

Paul Veneziano General Manager
Graham Kornmeyer Golf Course Superintendent
Cameron Alford Head Golf Professional
Yahya Lockett Executive Chef
Hilaire Ball Director, Fitness
Beth Parker Property Controller
Vanessa Porto-Mollinedo Club House Manager
Matthew Coerver Director, Tennis
Mandell Brooks Director, Food and Beverage
Madison Wooley Membership Manager

5 ANNUAL REPORT 2022

COMMITTEES MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

CLUBHOUSE COMMITTEE Kathy Davis, Co-Chair
Rusty Palmer, Co-Chair
Steve Walker, Chair Laura Gooszen
Kathy Davis Elizabeth Holtsclaw
Valerie Gamble Amy Jett
Roy Griggs Brooks May
Cayce Hand Kade McDonald
Chris McJunkins John Meldrum
Terry Moore Robert Pou
Lauren Scheffy Sharon Regard
Bruce Simon Jayce Simpson
Heather Stough Bo Smithwick
Richard Wright
RACQUET SPORTS COMMITTEE
GOLF & GREENS COMMITTEE
Rachel Morgan, Co-Chair
Alexander Mijalis, Chairman Kyle Fulco, Co-Chair
Steve Atchison Christie Cox
Kathy Davis Darlene Dean
Michael Fulco George Plaxco
Sanders Graf Andrew Porter
Derek Holtsclaw Elaine Poynter
Tim Jett
Rusty Palmer
Bo Smithwick

FINANCE COMMITTEE

Michael Fulco, Chair
Jack Taylor
Cayce Hand
Steve Skrivanos
Alexander Mijalis
Steve Walker

ANNUAL REPORT 2022 6

AMBASSADORS

GOLF RACQUET

John Atkins Christie Cox
Randy Brazzell Jerry & Liz Davis
Peter Burgess Michael Fulco
Dean Bailey Kevin Gamble Sr.
Jan Crowell Kevin Gamble Jr.
Michael Fulco John Meldrum
Kevin Gamble Sr. Kevin McCotter
Kevin Gamble Jr. David Morgan
Joe Greenwald Alison Marlar
Casey Guerra Corey Oliphint
Pesky Hill John Pou
Cayce Hand Jay Turner
Kyle Hand Anonymous x 2
Phil Israel
Paul Johnston
Fred Kent
Robert McMillan
Mickey McDonald
David Myatt
George Nelson
John Noles
Bobby Pettitt
John Pou
Jimmy Patton
Rusty Palmer
Johnson Ramsey
Bo Smithwick
Steve Skrivanos
Harold Turner
Jay Turner
Kraig Wood
Brad Wood

7 ANNUAL REPORT 2022

ANNUAL MEETING OF
CLUB MEMBERS

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2022
6:00 PM

AGENDA

Call to Order
President’s Remarks
Finance Committee Remarks
Greens Committee Remarks
Tennis Committee Remarks
Clubhouse Committee Remarks
General Manager Remarks
Recognition of Outgoing Directors, John Meldrum and Bo Smithwick
Announcement of New Directors

Adjournment

ANNUAL REPORT 2022 8

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Stephen F. Skrivanos

9 ANNUAL REPORT 2022

The Board of Directors is delighted to present to you our second Annual Report as a
member-owned club. This year has been truly remarkable as we transform our club into
a level reflecting the quality of our membership.

The promises we made to the membership last year about rebuilding the golf course
have now been met, which was accomplished on time and on budget. Today, you should
be immensely proud that it is now among the finest in the state. Our membership levels
remained constant during the construction period, much better than we had planned.
Now that we are open, our membership levels continue to rise. However, the board is
committed to limiting membership levels to ensure that our course will be as available
to our membership as it has been in the past.

As you can see in the enclosed reports (aside from the golf course construction), we
have completed projects at the pool, expanded into pickleball (which has become a great
amenity to our club), and completed our clubhouse renovation plans. Financially, we are
on solid ground, and we fully expect that our revenues will allow us to move forward with
the clubhouse construction as discussed in earlier communications.

As I step down as the first President of our member-owned club, I would like to thank
our board members who have worked tirelessly for your benefit, and the level of expertise
and professionalism that they have shown during our first two years of ownership. This
challenge was more than any of us expected, as the club we purchased needed attention
in every area. Yet, each member remained committed to the creation of a club that would
not only enhance the membership experience, but our community as well.

Finally, none of the advancements we have enjoyed would have been possible without
the development of the truly exceptional individuals who lead each area of the club’s
management. That all starts with our General Manager, Paul Veneziano. Paul has
instilled a level of trust and professionalism in our staff, which is the foundation of
excellence that we promised to you when we bought the club two years ago.

It has been my privilege to represent Southern Trace as the first President of our
member-owned facility. I thank you all for the support you have shown to me and the
other board members. Together, we have built the foundation for a very bright future.

Respectfully Submitted,
Stephen F. Skrivanos

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 2 2 10

GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT

Paul Veneziano, PGA

Dear Members,

I am not going to reiterate our fantastic accomplishments as a club over this past fiscal
year as all of our Committee Chairs have this covered in their respective areas. What I
would like to report is the challenges we have faced in an ever-changing world, which
most of our members never see, and highlight the incredibly dedicated staff we have here
at Southern Trace. Out of respect for everyone’s time, I will highlight the Department Head
Leaders (in no particular order), their support staff and the level of commitment each
department contributes on a daily basis toward the overall success of Southern Trace and
its members.

Golf Operations - Cameron Alford
From keeping the golf shop stocked with fantastic merchandise to supplying range balls
during a shortage, the renovation downtime was not as easy as it may have appeared.
Staffing the operation with 2 excellent assistants such as Jacob Guest and Ryan Haskell,
to reorganizing the operation for maximum efficiency, Cameron performed admirably in
his role. He seamlessly organized our opening weekend where every member wanted to
play at their preferred time, reinvented the operation to be more efficient with new service
standards and transitioned back to being fully operational with ease. The golf operation
will only continue to raise the bar of excellence under Cameron’s leadership and the
dedicated staff we have in place.

Golf Maintenance - Graham Kornmeyer
“Graham is a stud” is how our Regional Director of Agronomy for Troon® ended his latest
report from his last visit shortly before reopening for play after the course renovation. What
Graham and his staff have done for Southern Trace course conditions since his arrival
is nothing short of amazing. There are unlimited examples I could use to support this
statement, but their work reflects in the course conditions all of our golfing members get
to play and enjoy daily. Our maintenance staff has a core of dedicated professionals that
consistently delivers a fantastic course experience of which our membership can be proud.
Please continue to enjoy the fruits of their stellar efforts as the course continues to mature
and improve with time.

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Clubhouse Manager - Vanessa Porto
Vanessa is always available to help cover shifts in any area such as The Pool, Trace
Kids, Concierge Desk, F&B, and so forth. She also assumed responsibility of outside
events earlier this year, and has done a fantastic job in this area. Vanessa is well-liked
by everyone who has the pleasure to interact with her, and is affectionately known as the
Spanish Army knife of our operation because she can do it all. Most recently (in June), she
obtained her 4-year bachelor’s degree in 2 years, graduating near the top of her class in
record time. Vanessa has applied and been accepted to The Troon Leadership Program,
which selects a small number of candidates among many applicants for an intensive
yearlong course to properly educate new leaders at the club. Vanessa has already started
the program, which will prepare her for a future in club management. We are blessed to
have her with us and appreciate what she brings to the overall operation.

Food and Beverage Manager - Mandell Brooks
Mandell is the heart and soul of the Food and Beverage operation. He handles himself
with class and poise at all times, especially in challenging interactions. His dedication
and commitment to our members’ experience is evident daily. Mandell leads a wonderful
group of people in his department who strive to create a consistent F&B experience
for our members with a smile. This department carried us through our club renovation
closure and kept members coming through the doors to enjoy their dining experience. Our
members know most of this department’s staff members by name and consider many of
them as extended family. This is a special part of what our club has to offer due in large
part to Mandell’s leadership and the dedication of long-tenured staff.

Kitchen - Executive Chef Yahya Lockett
Since Chef Yahya’s arrival over a year ago, our food consistency and offerings have
improved on a weekly basis. In an area where there is a fair amount of turnover, Chef
ensures the consistency of the offerings leaving the kitchen, and will continue to impress
our members with his culinary talents. Along with Sous Chef TJ and a talented support
staff, the kitchen is in great hands. Chef Yahya is the leader Southern Trace needed in the
kitchen at this point in the club’s return to excellence. No task is too small and no event
is too large for our team of culinary professionals under his leadership. This team strives
daily to witness happy members with satisfied palates finishing meals and returning
for more. In an area that can attract the most complaints, this staff has held them to a
negligible amount, and we sincerely appreciate their commitment to excellence daily.

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 2 2 12

GENERAL MAN AGER’S REPOR T,
CONTINUED

Fitness - Hilaire Ball
If you want to get in shape and stay in shape, Hilaire will be dedicated to helping you
achieve your personal goals. She knows exactly what it takes to train our members into
optimal condition if they so choose to do so. She is the face of health and wellness at our
club, and sincerely enjoys keeping our members healthy and happy. Her encouragement
and constant motivation pushes members to new heights that some never thought
they could achieve. Hilaire is a dedicated professional that, figuratively speaking, is the
lifeblood of our club. We are fortunate to have her training and investing in our members’
health daily.

Property Accountant - Beth Parker
Our MBA property accountant handles all of our club finances on a daily basis, which is
no small task. Beth knows the club numbers like the back of her hand and performs in her
role with efficiency and ease. She has to deal with questions and inquiries every billing
cycle on transactions made a month ago and investigate the discrepancies. Beth always
delivers and keeps our club operating with an efficiency that is a pleasure to behold. She is
an unsung part of the operation because, although rarely seen, the operation would grind
to a halt without her efforts. She interacts with every department weekly, providing the
financial expertise for them to operate effectively. Our club is blessed to have Beth paving
our fiscal way to continued success.

Property Maintenance - Jimmie Nash
Jimmie is our “Mr. Fix It.” He has an engineering mind, and knows the property and its
maintenance history like the back of his hand. We have a running joke that says when
the property was built Jimmie came with it, which is a reflection of how long he has been
dedicated to our club. Jimmie always has a smile on his face and always goes the extra
mile to ensure everything is functioning to its optimal capacity. He is always the first call
when there is a maintenance issue and always responds in a timely manner. Mr. Fix It is
an invaluable team member and the proverbial glue that holds the property together.

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Membership Director - Madison Wooley
Our initial interview with Madison was on a Zoom call. After the first 10 minutes, I was
getting a text on my phone from our Regional Director of Sales and Marketing saying
“Hire Her.” That’s exactly what we did, and she has completely changed our way of
digitally communicating as a club in the best possible way. Madison did an excellent
job of continually updating our membership on progress during the course renovation,
promoting our upcoming club events and visually giving non-members a glimpse of what
it’s like to be a member at Southern Trace. Madison has a very personalized approach to
interactions with members and potential members, which allows her to excel in her role.
At Madison’s young age, she is poised beyond her years, and our club reaps the benefits
through her leading our membership department into the next generation. Our club and
staff appreciate what she does overall to solidify Southern Trace for our current and
future members.

Racquet Sports - Matthew (Buddha) Coerver and Adam Brownlow
Matthew and Adam have done a terrific job of recreating our racquet sports operation
and offerings. We diversified the operation by adding pickleball earlier in the year, which
attracted new and current members to try and enjoy the game. We also increased our
tennis-specific events and participation significantly over the past year, which elevated
member involvement. Under their guidance, our junior participation is steadily growing
monthly as they nurture the future generation of players. We have a hardy fall schedule on
the horizon, and will continue to adjust the operation to the member’s wants and needs. A
special “thank you” goes to Matthew and Adam for putting their hearts into everything they
do for our racquet sports operation at Southern Trace.

In closing, we are not perfect, and will not always get everything correct. However, we
strive to achieve perfection as a team daily. We will continue to improve areas of need
as we move forward in our Return to Excellence at Southern Trace. I sincerely hope our
membership is pleased with our overall progress this past year and knows that we will
continue to raise the overall club member experience now and in the future at Southern
Trace. I sincerely hope you enjoy and appreciate the special team we possess and how
they care about our club and membership like it was an extension of their family.

Respectfully Submitted,
Paul Veneziano

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 2 2 14

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE REPORT

Kathy Davis & Rusty Palmer, Co-Chairs

Tasked with overseeing all aspects of club membership, the Membership Committee’s
primary responsibilities include:

• S upervising and supporting the Membership and Marketing Director in marketing the
Club and building a vibrant membership base

• M onitoring growth and attrition of the membership as a whole and by category, paying
attention to usage and membership caps

• R ecommending ways that associates can improve the overall membership experience,
most notably through member social programming

The year began with the resignation of our Membership Director, Harley Fife, as she
learned that she was expecting her first child. However, before Harley departed, she
provided us with an excellent recommendation for her replacement in Madison Wooley.
Madison came to us from Squire Creek with a strong background in marketing,
communication and social media content creation. She began position as Director of
Membership and Marketing on October 12, 2021.

Included among her many accomplishments over the last nine months are:

• Complete overhaul of website, club app and email communications
• D aily update of the website on all Club events
• L aunched STCC YouTube channel in November 2021
• Monitoring/contributing to all STCC social media outlets, including Facebook

and Instagram
• R ecorded 26 commemorative videos of all events at STCC and uploaded them onto all

social media outlets
• Recorded and uploaded “Return to Excellence,” a 24-interview video series during

the renovation

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We had record crowds for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Memorial Day. Our second
annual Spring Crawfish Boil was a huge success for the members and a financial success
for the Club. Bingo and Trivia Night are playing to large crowds every month. Our newest
Club weekly event is “Winesday.” It features half-price wine and several appetizers
each Wednesday.

Madison is using Pipedrive™ QR, a customer relationship management (CRM) system,
to track and organize all prospective members and their sales journey (emails, phone
calls, tours, etc.). To date, she has emailed and personally contacted a large number of
prospective members that previously expressed interest in joining. She also coordinated
the delivery of letters to all non-member residents of Southern Trace detailing the
member-owned improvements. Over 200 letters were sent out targeting potential new
members, and we were able to secure some members from this effort.

In addition to the foregoing, the POA provides welcome baskets to all new homeowners,
and we include information about all amenities of STCC in these baskets.

Madison was tasked with growing the membership while the golf course was closed for
renovation, which was a tall order. Despite that challenge in the approximately seven
months that the golf course was closed, we netted (including attrition) 22 new members
in the golf categories and 13 new members in the non-golf categories. This was a net
increase of about $13,594/month in dues/capital dues, plus the initiation fees. Included in
the growth were three (3) Founding Golf members, three (3) Founding Racquet members
and two (2) Founding Junior members contributing initiation fees of $150,000. Since the
course’s reopening on July 2, we have netted +18 members in the golf categories and -4
members in the non-golf categories.

Our committee has been very pleased with Madison’s efforts during the past 10 months.
She has been easy to work with, has brought with her many great ideas on marketing
Southern Trace, and has worked diligently to grow membership during the golf course
renovation. Based on what other clubs experienced during a golf course shutdown, we
expected our membership numbers to decrease temporarily until we reopened. This did
not happen, as stated previously, and much of that success is attributed to Madison’s
hard work.

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 2 2 16

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE REPOR T,
CONTINUED

We found an opportunity to create a new membership category (National Golf), capitalizing
on a strong demand from Dallas residents and others that frequent the area. To qualify, the
applicant must live greater than 150 miles from the Club and not own property within 150
miles. The initiation fee is $1,000. Annual dues are $2,500, with no capital assessment,
no range fee, and no food and beverage minimum. Currently, we have added two (2)
National Members.

Included are all membership categories and financial details.

Other significant accomplishments of the committee this year include:
• T he creation of a form for downgrades and resignations that very specifically defines the

stipulations for doing so
• More specifically defined Corporate Membership structure

In early July, we delivered press releases to the local media announcing the grand
opening of the golf course and received some good publicity from that with inclusion in the
Shreveport Times, Shreveport-Bossier Journal, KSLA News, 318 Forum, West Central’s
Best, and many more.

As of August 13, our membership numbers breakdown is as follows:

Founder Golf 80 Founder Racquet Sports 7
Equity Golf 162 Equity Racquet Sports 91
Junior Founder Golf Social/Fitness 214
Junior Equity Golf 12 Dining 17
Founder Senior Golf 78
Senior Equity Golf Total Non-Golf Membership 329
Founder Non-Resident 2
Non-Resident Golf 45 Total Membership 744
Player Development Golf
National Golf 1
23
Total Golf Membership 10

2

415

17 A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 2 2

Our protocol for accepting a new member is:

1. Prospective members complete an application that includes two sponsoring
STCC members.

2. If the prospective member does not have member sponsors, two members of the
Membership Committee will arrange to meet them and become their sponsors.

3. Every Saturday, Madison emails the Committee a list of the new applicants, complete
with a short bio and the names of the sponsoring STCC members.

4. T he Committee approves the application via email. If there are no objections, the
application is forwarded to the Board of Directors for final approval.

5. I f there is objection on the Membership Committee to an applicant, that application is
immediately forwarded to the BOD for discussion and a final decision.

6. O nce approved, a new member orientation is scheduled and completed before access
to the club amenities is granted.

The Board of Directors is committed to keeping the membership numbers at a level
that will allow our members to enjoy the club without overcrowding. Waiting lists will be
established when the Board of Directors feels that each membership category has reached
an acceptable level factoring in facility usage, member experience and revenue.

Please be on the lookout for potential new members, and contact Madison with their
names and contact information.

Respectfully Submitted,

• Kathy Davis, Co-Chair • Amy Jett • Robert Pou
• Rusty Palmer, Co-Chair • Brooks May • Sharon Regard
• Laura Gooszen • Kade McDonald • Jayce Simpson
• Elizabeth Holtsclaw • John Meldrum • Bo Smithwick

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 2 2 18

FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT

Michael Fulco, Chairman

The 2021-2022 Fiscal Year was packed with continued great investment into the club
infrastructure. In total, over $4.3 million in new or renovated capital assets were added to
the club balance sheet. The club did very well financially during the 6+ month closure of
the golf course. Even with the economic challenges due to extraordinary inflation levels, all
projections lead us to a 2023 start of Phase 1 of the Clubhouse Renovation detailed in the
master plan.

We ended the year with operating income (before interest and depreciation) of $23,000
before the forgiveness of $860,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds,
Ambassador Contributions of $232,000 and Capital Dues of $332,000. Including all
of these as well as interest and depreciation, our net income for the year was a positive
$1,088,000. All of these funds have or will be reinvested into the club.

Revenues for 2022 ended the year at $5.2 million. All department revenues were at or
above planned levels except golf and membership, due to the course closure (membership
of $2.9 million; food and beverage of $1.5 million; golf of $584,000; and tennis, pool and
fitness of $193,000). July 2023 preliminary results indicate that strong membership
growth and exceptional golf operating levels will lead both departments to meet or exceed
their 2022-2023 budget targets.

Costs were generally in line with expectations for the first fiscal quarter, and then
continued to climb as the year progressed. Golf course maintenance expenses (including
fertilizer, chemicals and fuel) ended the year on budget in units consumed but significantly
higher in actual dollars per unit. Our superintendent was faced with difficult choices to
reallocate labor hours to his chemical budget to remain in budget for the year. Given these
challenges, the product his team has provided has been truly remarkable. Cost increases
were not limited to golf course maintenance. All food prices have increased, along with

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utilities and supplies used by every department. All of our department heads have done
exceptional jobs managing their budgets as best as possible during these circumstances.
Our 2022-2023 budget and dues rates reflect the new cost realities that the club faces
going forward.
Our balance sheet is stable with $6.3 million in bank debt incurred. Our member equity
(including Founder contributions) amounts to approximately $3.4 million, giving us
continued stability to our financing plan that is supported by the Capital Dues amounts.
Thank you to all the Founders and the members who continue to stand with the Club in
making our vision a reality. We are well on our way to creating the best family country club
in the region and the state.
Respectfully Submitted,
• Michael Fulco, Chair
• Jack Taylor
• Cayce Hand
• Steve Skrivanos
• Alexander Mijalis
• Steve Walker

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 2 2 20

CLUBHOUSE COMMITTEE REPORT

Steve Walker

The past year showed a great deal of progress by the Clubhouse Committee with much
more anticipated to come in the next year and beyond.

Improvement in the Food and Beverage operation was perhaps the biggest achievement
in the prior year. The new Chef, restaffing the kitchen and the stability of our service staff
throughout the golf course construction were all notable achievements. Food quality and
variety both improved from the prior year, which was confirmed by improved member
comments and satisfaction in both areas. We also saw more private member events being
planned and expect that to be a major growth area in the coming year. In spite of not
having golfers at the club during the day for after-round F&B expenditures for half of the
year, we still saw a 38% increase in our F&B sales for the year, which was even more
than we originally budgeted by 8%. Expenses were very difficult to manage due to the
fast-rising inflation in food and supplies costs, which resulted in missing our goal of
breaking even in F&B operations. Our loss of approximately $73,800 in F&B operations
for the year was an improvement over the prior year of 49%. In other words, we cut our
loss in half from the prior year. The good news is that we finally caught up with the costs
in the last quarter of the year. We made a small profit in F&B for each of the last 4 months
of the year which positions us to expect a breakeven or small profit for the coming year.
Hopefully, we will see some stabilization of the food and supplies inflation. That would
allow us to stabilize prices and concentrate on delivering the highest value possible for
each dollar spent by members.

The aquatic facilities were dramatically improved in the past year, and that produced
improved member participation and satisfaction. The cost of approximately $150,000
seemed to be well worth it, and we should be in good shape in our aquatic facilities for
many years to come. We also showed very good results from our new swim team coach
who successfully executed the new member-only policy. There were 45 swim team

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members who almost unanimously reported a positive experience. Plus, private swim
lessons showed good improvement. The management oversight of the entire facility was
improved, which produced better overall lifeguard and staff performance. The cleanliness
of the pools and the surrounding areas also showed good improvement.

The committee working with our chosen architects, Somdal Associates of Shreveport,
has now completed a comprehensive clubhouse refurbishment strategic plan that will
guide us for the next several years. Detailed construction drawings for Phase I of that
plan and finish/furnishing choices have all been made (see the display boards in the main
corridor of the clubhouse), which positions us to move quickly during 2023 once the
Board determines that we have the financial capacity to begin construction. The recent
dues increase (along with the new member growth) is expected to create that financial
capacity sometime in early 2023. It will hopefully allow us to begin taking construction
bids for Phase I, which at this time is estimated to be in the $4 million range. Phase I will
accomplish moving all dining to the Azalea Room to give us more space and far superior
views, a new main bar, an enhanced private dining space, covered and screened outdoor
dining, all-new HVAC systems with improved individual room controls, sound reduction
finishes, and much improved furnishings and lighting. In the meantime, Arthur’s was
refurnished and the foyer/receptionist areas were upgraded in a way that is consistent with
the long-term strategic plan so that all those expenses are part of our eventual Phase I
end result.

Fitness facilities were improved two years ago, and are working well. However, they will
continue to need attention, especially in replacement/enhancement of equipment, until
eventually the whole area can be expanded as called for in our long-term strategic plan of
Phases II and III.

Respectfully submitted,

• Steve Walker, Chair • Cayce Hand • Bruce Simon
• Kathy Davis • Chris McJunkins • Heather Stough
• Valerie Gamble • Terry Moore • Richard Wright
• Roy Griggs • Lauren Scheffy

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 2 2 22

GOLF & GREENS
COMMITTEE REPORT

Alexander Mijalis

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Much has happened since our 2021 annual report. In these last 12 months, we have
completed a practice facility construction project and upgrade, approved design
construction plans prepared by Jim Lipe for the golf course project, hired Wadsworth
Golf Construction to perform that project, completed that massive project on time, and
reopened the golf course to member play. All-in, we spent nearly $3,000,000 on the
golf course in 2022, which when combined with the irrigation project completed in
2021, brings the total cost of improvements to the golf course facilities to approximately
$4,200,000. These improvements included the complete irrigation system replacement,
a new best-in-class practice facility, miles of new drainage, 19 new greens complexes,
a nursery green, new bulkhead and bridge work, and several key design alterations to
the golf course – all designed to improve the playability of the golf course and the overall
member experience. We strongly believe that these two goals were met and that the
projects now completed were a huge success.

It is also worth mentioning that significant improvements were performed in-house by
Graham and his maintenance crew. These improvements included tree limbing, rope
drainage installation, grass planting on outer areas, and pine straw bed preparation. This
work saved us much in terms of dollars that we were able to reallocate to a broader course
construction project. This work will resume in the fall and continue through next winter. It
is our hope that (come this time next year) we will have good turf or pine straw wall to wall
across the entire golf course.

Thankfully, because of the commitment made in these first two years, we do not
envision any significant capital expenditures on the golf course being necessary in the
short-term. Rather, further capital investment in the golf course will be of the “want” not
“need” variety. Some items that we are closely studying are the results from the Traq-Mats
sampling that are currently on the golf course on Holes 8, 14 and 18. We hope that these
reduce the visible wear and tear of golf cart traffic in these high-traffic areas. Assuming
they do, then we plan to invest further to reinforce additional areas. Other areas that will
be addressed with capital dollars include more drainage throughout the golf course and a
well-deserved upgrade to the facilities of the Golf Maintenance shop.

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GOLF & GREENS COMMITTEE REPOR T,
CONTINUED

With the reopening of the golf course, our golf operations staff is finally back into a normal
routine. We are extremely happy with the professional manner in which the pro shop is
being run and the service-first culture being instilled with the outside services crew. You
may notice some slight logistical changes with how carts are staged and made available
depending on the day of the week. We ask that you please check in with the pro shop prior
to any round.

One of the major priorities for Cameron and his staff is properly capturing and
documenting all rounds played to determine our “course utilization” rates, which will
show how many rounds per member are played each month. This “utilization rate” will
then be used to assist us with determining when our membership is full. Please know
that the Board is committed to never allowing our golf course to become so busy that you
cannot get a tee time when desired. Please let the pro shop know, whether you are playing
18 holes on Saturday morning or 9 holes on Tuesday afternoon.

Now that we have an essentially new golf course to enjoy, it is incumbent upon each
member to take due care to follow all Rules and Regulations and to generally act
reasonably. These include not driving carts in the rough or within 50 yards of a green.
Instead, please keep carts on the fairway as much as possible. These also include
repairing ball marks, sanding divots and picking up broken tees. Finally, it is not the
responsibility of the golf professional or pro shop staff to enforce these rules. Rather,
the obligation is upon each of us to hold each other accountable. We owe it to each
other to take care of this fabulous golf course so that all members have an enjoyable
experience, too.

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Finally, we must recognize the gracious contributions of Jim Lipe toward the golf course
redesign and construction project. We know this project was a labor of love for Jim.
Nonetheless, his professional experience and expertise were critical in bringing about a
finished product of which we can all be proud. We thank Jim for his work for and on behalf
of the Club.

As a closing comment, we would like to thank each of you for your patience during the
last 7 months. The level of commitment from our golf membership was truly special, and
contrary to every prediction we had from the experiences of other clubs losing members
during periods of extended course closure. While we now have a special golf course to go
along with extremely talented people running golf maintenance and golf operations, it is
you, the members, that make Southern Trace special. We look forward to the many great
days ahead!

Respectfully submitted, • Derek Holtsclaw
• Alexander Mijalis, Chairman • Tim Jett
• Steve Atchison • Rusty Palmer
• Kathy Davis • Bo Smithwick
• Michael Fulco
• Sanders Graf

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RACQUET SPORTS
COMMITTEE REPORT

John Meldrum, Chairman

The Southern Trace Racquet Sports (RS) Committee focuses our efforts to support the
growth of the overall club by increasing Racquet Sports members by offering a unique
and vibrant Tennis and Pickleball experience for all players, and improving and
maintaining our facilities.

Facility Updates
The RS Committee is extremely thankful to the board for the continuing support and
improvements made to the facilities over the last year. These improvements include:
• New LED Lights – $80K
• New Southern Trace Logo Windscreens – $12K
• Parking Lot Turnaround/Sinkhole Repaired – $30K
• Four New Pickleball Courts & Court 7 Resurfacing – $150K
• PLUS continued efforts to complete a new Viewing Deck for Pickleball

In addition to the nearly $300K worth of improvements previously mentioned, we
launched the Pavilion Capital Campaign in February 2022.

Capital Campaign
The Racquet Sports Committee revealed the plans for the new Racquet Sports
Pavilion and launched a Capital Campaign to make that Pavilion a reality. At this
time and thanks to the support of several excited donors, we have raised $118K for our
Pavilion. The committee recently sent a letter to the entire membership. We have seen
increased enthusiasm and donations from our members. We are actively contacting
potential donors, and we intend to meet our goal this year.

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Our goal is to make our Racquet Sports Program and Facility the premier program
that our members want and deserve. The Racquet Sports (RS) Committee enlisted
both Cliff Drysdale and the Somdal Associates architectural firm currently working
on the Southern Trace Clubhouse designs to develop plans for the RS Facility.
The outcome is the proposed pavilion and pro shop that would replace the existing
Tournament desk and Pavilion between Courts 1 and 3.
The proposed structure would be a multilevel facility that provides increased and
enhanced viewing for all courts. It will contain the following:
• Staffed pro shop for players to enhance customer service
• Grab & Go Food and Beverage items
• Apparel and equipment
• The ability to order menu items from the clubhouse to be promptly delivered to the

courts or the driving range
• Hydration Station with Water and Ice
• Tournament Board
• Big-Screen TVs
• Audio Visual and PA System
• Covered Second Floor Viewing Deck with Fans

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 2 2 28

RACQUET SPORTS COMMITTEE REPORT
CONTINUED

To date, the following members have donated or pledged to the Racquet Sports
Pavilion Capital Campaign:

Champion Founding Members: Challenger:
• Christie Cox & Rick Robison • Kyla & Michael Fulco
• Jean & George Baldwin • Sharon & Raymond Regard
• Melinda & Newt Dorsett • Ashley & Jay Turner
• Bridget & Chris Hamm • Elaine & Bruce Poynter
• Jean & Kevin Gamble Sr.
• Valerie & Kevin Gamble Jr. Ace:
• Jimmy Langston • Missy & John Pou
• Georgia & Kevin McCotter • Fairway Partners: Alison Marlar
• Theresa & John Meldrum
• Rachel & David Morgan & Knox Ridley Sr.
• Laurie & Corey Oliphant
Friends of the Court:
• Liz & Jerry Davis
• Virginia & Phil Israel
• Sarah & Andrew Porter

We still need full membership support through donations, inviting
new members and participation in all Racquet Sports events.

To pledge a donation to the capital campaign, scan the QR code.
Pledges will be billed to your member account on the next
billing cycle.

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Southern Trace Racquet Sports Pavilion Capital Campaign Levels

CHAMPION • 3 Guest Players on a team (per USTA season:
$10K spring, summer, fall) for two years starting
from date of donation
TENNIS FOUNDING
MEMBER • VIP Pavilion Launch Party
• Quarterly Founders Event
• Increased Member Voting Rights
• All Founding Tennis Member Privileges

detailed in By-Laws
• 6 Pickleball Guest Passes per year for 2 years
• Free Entry to Member/Guest Pickleball

Tournament
• Unlimited Ball Machine Usage
• 10% Off Head Gear in Pro Shop

CHALLENGER • 2 Guest Players on a team (per USTA season:
$5K spring, summer, fall) for two years starting from
date of donation

• VIP Pavilion Launch Party
• Quarterly Founders Event
• 4 Pickleball Guest Passes per year for 2 years
• 6 Ball Machine Uses

ACE • 1 Guest Player on a team (per USTA season:
$2,500 spring, summer, fall) for two years starting
from date of donation

• VIP Pavilion Launch Party
• 2 Pickleball Guest Passes per year for 2 years
• 3 Ball Machine Uses

FRIENDS OF • VIP Pavilion Launch Party
THE COURT • 1 Ball Machine Use

$1,000

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RACQUET SPORTS COMMITTEE REPORT
CONTINUED

The Southern Trace partnership with Cliff Drysdale has brought in new World-Class
Tennis and Pickleball Professionals, improved coaching, access to world-class training
camps and facilities, and improved Junior Tennis Programming. Other experiences that
Cliff Drysdale has introduced include trip packages to various resorts and discounted
ticket packages to major tennis events around the world.

Recently, we introduced a new scheduling app for both
Pickleball and Tennis. The app (Playbypoint) was created in
collaboration with Cliff Drysdale. It can be edited as needed
to meet any specific needs of our club. We are still working to
ensure that all members can log in and utilize all the features,
including scheduling courts, clinics and events with ease.

Racquet Sports Calendar
Additionally, we finalized the full Fall Racquet Sports (RS) Calendar that includes one
complimentary member mixer and three Member/Guest events. The Complimentary
Member mixer is being held in September on a Friday evening. While the tennis will
be free, all players will be encouraged to move the festivities to the club for follow-up
Drinks and Dinner. The Member/Guest events (both Tennis and Pickleball) are scattered
throughout September, October and November to allow our members more opportunities
to showcase the total offering of Southern Trace Racquet Sports and allow us to recruit
new potential members. These events, along with new and old member favorites like the
Club Championship and the Ladies’ Ornament Exchange, are planned to fill out the year.

Junior programming continues to grow and evolve with great success. Several of our
Junior players are competing and winning in various local tournaments. The fall calendar
includes two Universal Tennis (UTR) Tournaments per month. Players from around the
tristate area attend these UTR tournaments, providing a great opportunity to recruit
possible new members.

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Kids’ Camps are also scheduled this fall during the week of Thanksgiving and the two
weeks of Christmas break. The Summer Camps were a tremendous success and received
rave reviews from both campers and parents. Both Members and Non-Members attend
these camps. The RS Committee intends to work on how to better market these camps to
parents and utilize this experience as a tool to encourage new members to join Southern
Trace. Considering there are no other camps available in the South Shreveport area, we
believe that this is an area upon which we can further capitalize and improve.

Month Event Name Day & Date Comp/Member Guest
September Labor Day Mixer Monday, 9/5 Member/Guest
September Football Kickoff Mixer Thursday, 9/8 Complimentary
September Friday Night Lights: T & PB Friday, 9/23
September September Slam Friday, 9/30 Member/Guest
September UTR Match Madness Friday, 9/16 Member/Guest
September UTR Super Saturday Shootout Saturday, 9/17
UTR Match Madness Friday, 10/7
October UTR Super Saturday Shootout Saturday, 10/8
October Club Championship Fri-Sun, 10/14-10/16
October Friday Night Lights: T & PB Friday, 10/21
October Pickle Jar: PB Member/Guest Sat-Sun, 10/22-10/23
October Friday Night Lights: T & PB Friday, 11/11
November UTR Match Madness Friday, 11/18
November UTR Super Saturday Shootout Saturday, 11/19
November Thanksgiving Camp Mon-Wed, 11/21-11/23
November Thanksgiving 3x3 Challenger Saturday, 11/26
November UTR Match Madness Friday, 12/2
December UTR Super Saturday Shootout Saturday, 12/3
December Ugly Sweater Mixer Saturday, 12/10
December Ladies’ Ornament Exchange Wednesday, 12/14
December Friday Night Lights: T & PB Friday, 12/16
December 12/19-12/23
Holiday Camp (2 Full Weeks) & 12/26-12/30
December

*Lighter Colors denote Junior tennis events

We are very excited about the future of the Southern Trace Racquet Sports program and
hope that you are as well. We look forward to seeing you all on the courts!

Respectfully Submitted, • Darlene Dean • Elaine Poynter
• Rachel Morgan, Co-Chair • George Plaxco
• Kyle Fulco, Co-Chair • Andrew Porter
• Christie Cox

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200 SOUTHERN TRACE PARKWAY
SHREVEPORT, LA 71106

318.798.8300
SOUTHERNTRACECC.COM