May Newsletter 2019

MAY 2019 • WWW.TCC-CLUB.COM • ST.PAUL, MN

TOWN & COUNTRY
CLUB

MAY 2019 NEWSLETTER

TCC_CLUB st.paul_townandcountryclub facebook.com/TownCountryClub

CLUB INFORMATION

Club Hours of Operation Executive Management

Clubhouse Closed on Mondays Direct Dial Numbers Robert K. White
General Manager
Breakfast Accounting 651-659-2544 [email protected]
Tuesday-Sunday 7:00am-11:00am Catering 651-659-2556
Taybin Tushaus
Lunch The Pro Shop 651-659-2549 Food & Beverage Director
Tuesday-Sunday 11:00am -2:00pm Kitchen-To-Go 651-646-7121
Main Clubhouse 651-646-7121 [email protected]
Bar Menu Men’s Locker Room 651-659-2546
Tuesday-Saturday 2:00pm-9:00pm Tom Skoglund
Pool Desk 651-659-2554 Director of Golf
Dinner Tennis Pro Shop 651-659-2551 [email protected]
Tuesday-Saturday 5:00pm-9:00pm Turfgrass Director 651-646-6743
William Larson, CGCS
Please note that last call for alcohol Board of Directors Turfgrass Director
in the Clubhouse is 12:30am as the [email protected]
Club’s liquor license ends at 1:00am Officers tcturf @ twitter.com

The Pro Shop Brad Kahley President Francisco Gonzales
9:00am - 6:00pm Philip C. Haan Vice President Executive Chef
Upon Course Closure:
Available Upon Request Linda M. Heuer Treasurer [email protected]
Nicole Lettner Secretary
Locker Room/Fitness Center Christine Meuers Ex-Officio Tim Traynor
Controller
Tuesday-Sunday 5:00am-9:00pm Directors [email protected]
Charles Callahan 2019
Sunday/Monday 5:00am-2:00pm Tregg Hagen
Patrick Hickey 2019 Membership & Communications
Locker Room Attendant
Tuesday-Saturday 10:00am-4:00pm Tiffany Anderson 2020 Director
Piper Kenney-Wold 2020 [email protected]
Halfway House [email protected]
Tuesday- Friday 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm Matt Winkel 2020
Don Woessner 2020 Megan Nash
Saturday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm Events & Catering Manager
Tennis Courts Connie Shea 2020
Closed [email protected]

Swimming Pool John Koury
Closed Chief Engineer
[email protected]

Front Desk: 651-646-7121

www.tcc-club.com

President

Brad Kahley

To my fellow Town & Country members:

I am writing with some exciting and important news. In an effort to optimize every aspect of your experience
at Town & Country, we have worked with our board, our subcommittees and T&C management to create a
strategic plan that provides a valued service to our members. But like any plan, the only way to create
meaningful output is with meaningful input and that is where you come in.

First and foremost, we want to hear from you. That means we are seeking 100% participation from our
membership to understand your wants, needs and priorities by way of a survey. It is a simple survey to
complete yet it is comprehensive. We want to hear your thoughts on every aspect of your experience at
T&C. We also provide space for your comments, so we hope you use it. Again, our goal with the survey is
100% participation!

The second part of our strategic plan involves gaining a clear understanding of the condition of all our
facilities. To do this we have brought in an independent 3rd party to assess everything from our roof and
boiler to kitchen equipment, windows—you name it. We have an older building and we need to know what
facility issues we might need to address in coming years so we can plan accordingly.

Finally, we have gone through painstaking detail to accurately understand and assess our current financial
position. We want to make wise and informed decisions on how best to use our membership’s investment.
At the same time, we need to maintain a cash reserve should we face an economic downturn. It’s just good
business!

Once we have collected all of this information, there will be no more guessing or hearsay. We will have an
accurate picture of our financial position and the condition of our facilities. With your input, we will also have
a clear idea on membership priorities. This club belongs to all of us.

Before I sign off, I want to be very clear. The intent of this is to understand our total financial picture and
what you want from your club. Then we can decide on priorities and decide what may or may not make the
most sense for our membership moving forward.

The survey will be coming out in the next week. We need everybody do their part to make the legacy of
Town & Country strong for another hundred years.

Sincerely,
Brad Kahley
President

General Manager

Robert White

The season has finally arrived and we have some terrific news. Our golf course came out of the winter in
terrific shape, unlike a lot of our surrounding courses. This was no easy task but having one of the top Golf
Course Superintendent’s in the Midwest has proven to be very beneficial to our club. Since I joined the T&C
Family, I have seen Bill take a lot of criticism about removing trees, but the proof is in the pudding and our
golf course looks great. I do want to point out that this is Bill Larson’s 30th Anniversary so when you see him
please thank him for his many years of service.

As we get ready to open the pool for the summer, we have separated the duties of the Pool Manager/Swim
Coach. Andrew Mickelson will continue to be our Swim Coach and Meaghan Sexton will be our Pool
Manager. Meaghan will hire our lifeguard staff and will start their training soon. There is still time to sign up
the kids for up the swim team, diving team, junior tennis and junior golf, please see the front desk for the
registration forms.

When you are making your summer plans, please remember our amazing 3rd of July Fireworks Celebration.
We have the following events upcoming up in May, please refer to the flyers for details.

Upcoming Events:

Friday, May 3rd – Cinco De Mayo Happy Hour
Sunday, May 12th – Mother’s Day Brunch

Monday, May 27th – Memorial Day Pool Party

Remember that men’s night is starting Wednesday, May 8, 2019 and the card room will be reserved for the
league from 3:00pm to close.

I would like to thank all the members that attended the Spring Social. We had several handouts for the
membership include the Club Rules, By-Laws and the Club Roster. If you would like any of this information
you can pick it up at the front desk or you can review on our website.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the club, and if you ever have any questions please contact me anytime.

Robert K. White, General Manager

Highlights From The Newly
Updated Rules & Policies

The majority of the Rules and Policies have remained the same as they were in the past. The Committee, the Board of Directors
and management reviewed and updated the rules in the best interest for the Club and its membership. Although some of the
changes might meet some resistance, we feel they were necessary to enhance the enjoyment of our club. The staff is instructed to
enforce the club’s rules and policies, if you have any issues please direct them to the General Manager, Department Heads or the
appropriate committees.

These are some of the Rules and Policies that were updated:
1. The club’s membership roster shall not be used for solicitation of business or any other non-club business. The roster is the
Club’s sole property and is not to be shared with anyone who is not a club member or employee.

2. There is no smoking including e-cigarettes in any area of the Clubhouse, Porch Bar or the Pool Deck. Smoking is only allowed
on the Golf Course, Clubhouse Patio, Grass Area adjacent to the Pool Deck and local law regarding proximity to the Clubhouse
entrances.

3. Cell phones must be silenced in the Clubhouse, Pool Facility and Tennis Facility areas. Incoming or outgoing calls are
permitted only in the lobby or locker rooms in the clubhouse, the parking lot, the cart return area and on the pool deck. Cell Phones
on the Golf Facilities must be on silenced.

4. Clubhouse Dress Code:
a. All men, including children, are expected to remove their headwear when entering the Clubhouse. Headwear (including hats
and visors) are permitted in the locker rooms, Golf Shop, and Clubhouse Patio.
b. Shoes, sandals, or other appropriate footwear must always be worn.

5. Golf Facilities Dress Code:
a. Persons using the Golf Facilities must wear proper golf attire and appropriate footwear.
b. All headwear must be worn appropriately and forward facing.
c. Men: Golf shirts must be worn and tucked in. Golf shirts must have a collar and sleeves (mock necks or blade collars are
considered collars if they are at least 1” tall).

6. No pets or emotional support animals are permitted in the Clubhouse, except for certified service animals.

7. In the Fitness Center, Guest Fees will be charged and guests are required to be reported to the front desk by the host Member.
This also includes personal trainers.

8. Only Coast Guard approved products may be used as personal floatation devices. A supervising adult must be in the area of
any child wearing a Coast Guard approved floatation device.

9. Diving or jumping from the diving board shall be done only toward the center of the pool and not to either side.

10. The Pool lifeguards are instructed and required to maintain a safe environment at the Pool Facilities. Members and children
are required to obey the directions of the lifeguards.

Financial & Membership Update

Dear Town & Country Club Members:

The Club’s financial performance is showing a positive November 2018 - March 2019
trend year to date (YTD) for revenue and expenses Income Statement ($000’s)
compared to last year. The Net Income of $313,000 is
ahead of budget YTD by $52,000. Compared to the same Revenues 2019 2018
period last year, our Net Income is ahead by $296,000. Expenses 2,777 2,606
For the year ending 10/31/2019 we budgeted for a Net Net Income 2,464 2,589
Income of $411,000. Our current projection based on
actual activity YTD shows that we are on track to exceed 313 17
budget for the year.

Our increase in membership as well as effective budgeting and management has contributed to our
strong financial performance. The Club has continued to maintain the detailed policies and
procedures established in 2017 to safeguard the Club’s assets, assure data accuracy and reliability,
and promote operational efficiency and encourage adherence.

Here’s to a continued successful year!

Linda Heuer
Treasurer

The Club experienced a growth in membership in 2018. We were very pleased with the success of
the 2018 “Spring Into Action” membership drive. The promotion brought in 75 new members – 35
more than originally projected; this included 24 new Corporate members, 23 new Social members,
and 24 new Associate members. We were especially pleased with the number of younger
members/families that joined the Club. The growth has continued into this year. The 2019 “Winter
Warm Up” membership drive brought in an additional 44 new members; this included 25 Corporate
members, 8 Social members, and 11 Associate members. We hope that all these new members
enjoy what Town & Country Club has to offer and remain members to keep the Club thriving well
into the future.

Yours truly,

Piper Kenney-Wold
Membership Committee Chair

FROM THE T&C HISTORICAL ARCHIVES

From time to time the T&C History Committee will provide the membership with some information about our past.
Hopefully the readers will find it of interest. This first column will begin at the beginning.

Town & Country Club was formed in January 1888 as a social club in rented facilities near Lake Como. The
members wanted to be away from the business of downtown St. Paul. The founders were among the aristocrats
of St. Paul at the time. They included businessmen, politicians, judges and others. Many were instrumental in
the formation of the Winter Carnival which started in 1886. The club moved its physical location to its present site
at Marshall and Otis Avenues in 1890, less than two years after the first Lake Street bridge was opened.

The business records for the club’s first ten years have long been lost, as noted in founding member, William
Peet’s 1930 letter to then club president, Dr. Edward Kannary in which he memorialized some of the club’s early
history on the occasion of the Club’s 40th anniversary. (Mr. Peet’s full letter can be found on the T&C website
under “About”.) In future Newsletters we will try to present some of the more interesting tidbits from the By-laws,
Board of Directors’ Minutes and other records.

In the early years the Board was known as the “Executive Committee” (EC). It consisted of nine members,
including officers. Three members constituted a quorum. Over the years there were changes in its size and in
1967 the size of the Board was enlarged to 15 members. The membership approved a By-law change in
December 2018 reducing the size from 17 to 12 members, including officers. During the early years the EC met
alternatively at the Minnesota Club in St. Paul and the Minneapolis Club in Minneapolis. Why Minneapolis? In
the early years the Club’s membership included many prominent persons from the milling city’s business
community, many of whom were very good golfers. In those days travel between St. Paul and Minneapolis,
especially in the winter, must have been a challenge as well a long trip. T&C’s Minneapolis membership declined
after the Minikahda Club opened in 1899.

From the earliest days T&C had both corporate male members and corporate female members. As of April 1890
the By-laws authorized 150 male and 150 female members; as of October 1901 there were 315 in each category;
and in October 1907 the By-laws authorized 360 male members and 375 female members. Many female
members were obviously spouses of male members; however, the 1908 membership roster identified many
“Miss” members by name. Female members paid about one-third the initiation fee paid by male members. In the
early years ladies dues were one-third the dues of the gentlemen. Later, there ladies dues were raised to one-
half that of men. In 1901 annual dues of male corporate members were $30 and dues of female corporate
members were $10. Although the By-laws do not so state, it appears that from the beginning, on matters subject
to a membership vote male members had one vote and female members had a one-half vote. This practice was
formalized in the By-laws about 1915. Of course today there are no such separate classes of membership.

In the coming months we will try to provide the membership with additional pearls from our history. Let us know
what topics may interest you.

T&C History Committee, Rick Wilhoit, Chairperson

Pro Shop

As you play golf throughout the summer, please be aware of your pace of play. A good rule of thumb would be
to not worry about the group behind you but to keep up to the group ahead of you!

GUEST PASSES:

The 10 pack of guest passes are still available at the pro shop. You can purchase 10 guests spots for $775 and
save $40 per guest fee as our guest fee is $115.
Family Guest………………….$40 per player
Family guest include:

Father, Mother, Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, Children no longer covered under your membership, Son-in-law,
daughter-in-law, Brother, Brother-in-law, Sister, Sister-in-law and Grandparents.

BAGSTORAGE

If you have not stored your clubs in the past and would like to, please leave your golf bag with anybody from our
staff and we will be happy to store them.

U.S.G.A. MAJOR ADOPTED RULE CHANGES:

1. Players may leave the Flagstick in while putting.

Penalty Areas:
The club has adopted 3 penalty areas. Left of #9, right of #10 and right of #17. The penalty area on #10 will run
from the right greenside south toward the 10th tee and back north along #17 all the way to #11 tee. Your option

will remain the same as in the past if you were in a red painted area. The ball may be dropped within 2 club
lengths from where you believe the ball crossed the painted area. Reminder, when taking relief, you MUST

drop the ball from just below knee height.

When in the penalty area, you may ground your club and remove loose impediments.

When searching for a ball, the search time has been reduced from 5 minutes to 3 minutes.

When on the green, spike marks / damaged areas may be repaired.

LESSONS

If you are thinking of taking any lesson’s this season, make sure to ask any off the professional staff in the Pro
Shop. We have a variety of options available. Our Coaching package is a great option for someone looking to
get back into the swing of things throughout the entire season. We also have 3 and 5 pack lessons available for
someone who is looking to get a spring tune up. Junior lessons are also available if you are thinking of having

your children get started in golf.

Pro Shop

SPECIAL ORDERS/CORPORATE NEEDS

See something in the Pro Shop but not in your size? We will be happy to check if we can order it for you! Last
year we did over 450 special orders.

If your company has any need for golf balls or apparel of any kind, check with the pro shop and we will do our
best to find you the best price available.

If you need to contact Tom, Brady, or Sara, please use the [email protected] e-mail. Somebody will
always be at the counter and be able to respond to your questions promptly. You can also use this e-mail to

order any special order needs or any general questions you may have.

T-Times

Please remember to make t-times at T&C. By making a t-time we know who is coming and we can have your
clubs ready for you before you arrive. At times, the t-sheet may appear wide open especially later in the day.

By making a reservation, it guarantees your spot on the tee, when others may just show up.

Hazardous Weather

Just as in the past 2 years, our policy will remain the same. We thought we would remind you of our hazardous
weather policy at T&C.

We currently have a siren system mounted on top of the Maintenance facility as well as the bathrooms on the
golf course which can be sounded with the use of an app from a staff member’s phone. The sound produced
from the siren sounds similar to a car alarm. With all of the hills/valleys, the horn may not be heard from all
locations on the course. When thinking about in climate weather a good rule for everyone is: "If you can see it
(lightning), flee it; if you can hear it (thunder), clear it." As many of you know, most of the time a staff member
will come on the course and warn that bad weather is in the area and to be on the watch. If you find yourself

stuck on the golf course in a storm, the staff WILL NOT come out to get you.

Upcoming May Events

Weds May 8th - Men’s League Kickoff ALL DAY T-Times
Sat May 11th - Men’s bring a Friend Day 9am shotgun

Friday May 17th - 18 Hole Traveling League 9am Shotgun
Fri-Mon May 24-27th - Vice President’s Cup
(2-18 Hole rounds over the holiday weekend)
Tuesday May 28th - Golf Course Closed

Friday May 31st - Women Twin City League 8:30am shotgun

Around The Clubhouse

Happy Spring Everyone! 
It has been wonderful to see everyone around the clubhouse in April finally enjoying at least a few days of warm
weather.   We have many fun events planned for May that we hope you can attend as summer is just around the
corner!
 
This weekend’s forecast promises some warm weather, so be sure to stop by The Club for some Cinco De Mayo
food and drink specials!  Chef will be featuring his popular Mexican food all weekend. 
Mother’s Day Brunch is Sunday, May 12.  Bring your Moms, Grandmothers and other special ladies in your life to
The Club to celebrate in style.  There are three seatings available, including 11:00, 12:30 and 2:00.  Make your
reservations early as space is limited.

The pool officially opens Saturday, May 25!  Be sure to join us on Memorial Day for the first official pool party of
the season!   The party gets underway at 1:00. Chef will be grilling some summer favorites that are made to order. 
In addition, there will be a DJ, jumpy house, snow cones, cotton candy and more! 
Also, be sure to be on the lookout for our upcoming Summer Events Programming newsletter which will help you
plan for all the fun upcoming events happening at the Club this June, July and August!  There are several new
things planned, as well as the traditional returning favorite events that you won’t want to miss.
 
We look forward to seeing you around the clubhouse!

Turfgrass Update - A look back at April
Bill Larson, CGCS - Twitter - @tcturf

April 23, 2019

Our fall bunker work and green surface expansion @TCC_CLUB’s 9th
hole wintered well; can’t wait to see sand in this bunker @tcturf

April 20, 2019

Nice shot of #13 green this morning. All of the
trees behind this green were removed. This
north facing green survived a harsh winter!

Nice work by @Jeff_mingay Looking forward
to his visit next week!

April 25, 2019

Tree and Shrubs removed and shaped by @jeff_mingay with finish work
by @tcturf

April 22, 2019 April 20, 2019
A perfect morning for our 2019 opener!
Removing the mounding behind 11 green today.
Repurposing the black dirt to use in stump holes.
The plants will be moved to the fence line near

12 tee. @jeff_mingay will be here in a couple
hours to shape this area.

May, 2019

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

01 02 03 04

05 06 9 & 18 Hole League
Opening Golf Lunch

07 08 09 10 11

Cinco De Mayo 18-Hole League Men's League Kickoff 9-Hole League Men's Spring
Happy Hour Bring a Friend
14 15 16 17
12 13 18

Mother's Day 18-Hole League Men's League 9-Hole League 25

19 20 21 22 23 24

18-Hole League Men's League 9-Hole League Vice President's Cup Vice President's Cup
Pool Opens -11am
28 29 30
26 27 31

Vice President's Cup Memorial Day Pool Party Ladies Tennis Opener
Men's League
Vice President's Cup Clubhouse Closed 9 & 18-Hole League