JULY 2023 alley Voice
2 VALLEY VOICE JULY 2023 Dates and times subject to change or cancellation Mark Your Calendars STAY CONNECTED At Valley, we love treating our Members. Whether it's exceptional service, exciting events, or activities for the kids, we've got you covered. Check out how you can stay informed about what's happening at Valley! ONLINE valleycountryclub.org EMAIL Be sure to check your email for our weekly e-blast. It's loaded with upcoming events happening at Valley. TEXT MESSAGES Text VCC to 71441 to receive important Club information directly on your phone. SOCIAL MEDIA ValleyCCColorado valleycc1956 valleycountryclubco DIGITAL DISPLAYS Check out upcoming events on our digital displays located upstairs between reception and Greenside, at the Golf Shop indoor entrance, and at the Tennis Shop. PHONE If you have questions about the Club, please call us at 303-690-6373 during regular business hours and our friendly staff will be happy to help! TENTATIVE AUGUST EVENTS ON THE COVER Shelbee Riehl tees off at last year's Firecracker Couples Tournament NEW MEMBERS Dr. Elizabeth Crespi Jason Blanch and Marcia McKay Aiden (12) Scott and Michelle Brinner Parker (17), Pierce (13), Alita (9) Chauncey and Ashley Busacker Emery (16), Josh (14) Nickolas and Angela Lopez Nico (7), Isaiah (6), Faith (4), Eve (3) Bill and Marie Love Mason (4), Oliver (2) Tara May and Steve Parrott Amelia (15) Dr. Edward and Robin Tashijan Michael and Natalie Tognetti Sophia (18), Sasha (17), Stella (15), Sylvia (11) 2 WED Birdie Bash 3 THU Birdie Bash 4 FRI Birdie Bash 5 SAT Birdie Bash 9 WED Lotto Night 11 FRI Prime Rib Night Luau Night 25 FRI Sip N Serve - Tennis Mixer ANNIVERSARIES 5 YEARS Bill and Leanne Airy Christopher and Lauren Noonan Jeanine and Mike Gilmore 10 YEARS David and Stephanie Longcope Dustin and Valerie Thome 25 YEARS Timothy and Ann Broderick 35 YEARS Jed and Mary Dealy The Youth Activities Center is now open! The YAC will be open: Friday evenings 5pm-9pm Saturdays & Sundays 11am-9pm Parents will need to be on premises while their children are in the YAC. Pricing is $5 for children 4-10, no charge for children 11 and above. per hour per child, available on a drop in basis.
CLUBHOUSE 303-690-6373 | GOLF SHOP 303-690-6377 | TENNIS SHOP 303-693-1546 | valleycountryclub.org 3 A letter from Al Jader, General Manager Dear Members, I hope that this note finds you well. What a strange summer this has been so far. The amount of moisture that has fallen has been unprecedented. In my article to you a month ago I was saying how I wanted it to stop; unfortunately it didn’t. Since mid-April we have had 14 inches of rain so far. This June is already the rainiest June on record, and as I write this there are still a few days left before the month ends. The Grounds crew has done an amazing job always getting the course playable as fast as possible. Hopefully the weather in July will be better and we will get some sunshine. The construction project is getting extremely close to completion with only a couple of items left on the Swim Fitness building and pool area. The Pavilion is not far behind. For the 4th of July the pool wiII unfortunately not be open. I know that is very disappointing. I understand that this is frustrating. I want it open just as much as anyone. We will still have some fun activities at the Club. I have decided to keep the Club open on Monday, July 3rd so that the Members can enjoy a four-day holiday. Saturday and Sunday will be busy with golf, dining, and the usual summer activities. On Monday we will remain open and have normal lunch service and a buffet in the evening. On Tuesday, July 4th we will have a buffet throughout the day and activities for the kids such as a bouncy house, a waterslide, an obstacle course, face painter, a Kona ice truck and yard games. There will also be a DJ. The fireworks display will occur just after dusk. The Youth Activity Center will be open on Monday from 11am to 7pm and on Tuesday from 11am to 3pm. In June the Men’s Member-Member was held. The first day went well but the second day was rained out. The Guardians Cup Tournament suffered the same fate and was rained out a second time. It will be rescheduled again at a date yet to be decided. The WGA Champagne and Roses Member-Member at the end of the month fared much better, and both days had decent weather and the event was a fun two days. Please make note that on Friday, July 21st we are going to have a Lobster Night at the Club. This will feature live action stations with Chef Ryan and his crew cracking the lobster for you outside. This will be accompanied by a great seafood buffet (other items will be featured as well). We still have a lot of summer left to enjoy. The weather will change soon and sunnier good days are ahead of us. I wish you all the best. Al Jader General Manager
4 VALLEY VOICE JULY 2023 SWIM & FITNESS with Lizzy Murray, Swim & Fitness Director Hello Valley Members ! I can't believe how crazy this summer has been! With all the rain and the interesting start of the season, I must send out such positive news letter, informing you about the Sharks swim team! So far, we have had a wonderful season. We are practicing every morning at Regis High School and we have already had to swim meets. The first one against Hiwan we won, and the second one against Lakewood we lost just by a hair! The kids are swimming amazing. And the team has been having a wonderful time.! Each week we have been doing fun events. Along with swimming we have had the team breakfast, we have had movie night, and this week we have a mid season dinner to celebrate how well the kids are doing! On Friday of this week, we swim against Red Rocks. Wish us luck! I just wanted to share such positive energy and good times we are having as the Shark swim team!! I want to thank all the parents for their support. You've been amazing getting kids to and from our temporary home at Regis! I want to thank my coaches for doing such an amazing job working around all of the challenges this season and in getting to and from Regis HS for practice and to all these swim meets that are all over town! Valley Members, please know that Swim Team is still open to anybody who wants to swim. If you need any further information, you're more than welcome to reach out. Lizzy Murray Aquatic and Fitness Director
CLUBHOUSE 303-690-6373 | GOLF SHOP 303-690-6377 | TENNIS SHOP 303-693-1546 | valleycountryclub.org 5 SWIM & FITNESS I wanted to share with everyone at Valley Country Club an amazing first swim meet! We swam at Hiwan CC and it was a beautiful day! We are off to a great start. We had a great team breakfast and a great swim meet! It is not too late to join! Come be a Shark! In Focus: Sharks in the water!
6 VALLEY VOICE JULY 2023 GOLF SHOP A letter from Barry Hi Everyone, We have had a soggy cool start to the season but the weather has changed and summer is here. With that being said, we have many major events coming up and we want to pass on some important information we all need to be aware. The WGA Valley Tradition is July 11 and 12. This is the WGA main member guest of the season. Play will be Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning. There is a cocktail party after play on Tuesday with a trunk show. Exciting format to decide the overall winners. The Men’s Bogey Bash is July 15 and 16. This two day event has 4 nine hole formats. Pick your own partner and we will flight teams based on total handicaps. Breakfast and lunch are included both days and the horserace shootout will determine the overall champions. Couples Summer Classic and Club Championship is July 29 and 30. There are two ways to play in this event. You can opt for the two day event where teams will compete for the flight winners and the Club Champions. There is also a one day event which is a bit more casual. Both are a great way to meet other couples and to participate at the level you are most comfortable. Dinner for all participants will be after the Saturday round. Junior Club Championship is Thursday, July 27. Divisions include 18 hole boys and girls, 9 hole boys and girls, 6 hole boys and girls and 3 hole boys and girls. Come join the party atmosphere and celebrate our awesome juniors here at Valley. Here are a few reminders we ask you to please remember and follow: We have had to remind many Members and guests about our dress code for the course and practice facilities. Please remember shirts must be tucked in and hats need to be facing forward. Please let your guests know prior to their arrival by forwarding the email information or by telling them. Please tell your juniors as they also need to follow these rules as well. For all the dress code rules for men and women, please check the Rules and Regulations on the website. With the tee sheet being so busy these days, tee times are at a premium. If you are on a tee time and you are not going to be able to use it, please take your name off the tee sheet online or by calling the Golf Shop. This will open the time up for someone who wishes to play. For the practice facilities, range balls are only to be used to hit shots onto the range. Please do not use practice balls on the putting green. On the putting green, you must use your own balls. The short game area is in great shape and a terrific area to work on your game. Sleeves of balls are down there for your use. We do ask, you please pick up the balls you use so they are ready for the next Member. Also, please repair your balls marks and repair your divots. Our maintenance crew is working hard to give you great conditions both on the course and practice facilities, but we need your help in keeping those conditions great.
CLUBHOUSE 303-690-6373 | GOLF SHOP 303-690-6377 | TENNIS SHOP 303-693-1546 | valleycountryclub.org 7 GOLF SHOP(continued) Parents, please remember children are not allowed to drive the golf carts. With more Members and a full parking lot, we have had some very close calls. Children should never drive carts whether on the course or in the parking lot. We don’t wish to see any injuries or property damage. We are looking forward to a great summer and into what we hope is a great Championship Season! Come join all the fun here at Valley. Barry Milstead, PGA Director of Golf
8 VALLEY VOICE JULY 2023 with Brooks Dodson, Director of Agronomy GROUNDS Over the course of the past month, we have been making improvements on and around our golf course. Many of you have seen the upgrades at #7 tee box and the area on other side of the bridge at #1/#9 tee boxes. The landscape concepts we are employing are designed to improve functionality while enhancing areas where growing grass has been a continual problem over the years. Our plan is to create a consistent landscape style that ties into the existing features of our golf course and clubhouse areas. This process will be ongoing as we continue to identify problem areas and further understand how our golf course is traveled. #3 and #6 fairways were re-sodded and are now open for play. These areas have been a constant eye sore on our golf course and playability severely impacted. After many attempts at re-seeding these damaged areas, we felt it was best to make an immediate improvement by re-sodding and returning the fairways to their expected condition. These are a couple of examples of the improvements we have made to date. We are continuing to work on additional areas around the course to improve playability, increase functionality, and reduce unsightly areas, all with the intent to enhance the overall experience of our Members and our guests. Oh, and for the record, we have recorded 12.5 inches of rain in our gauges here at VCC since April 17th…but who’s counting! Enjoy your rounds… Brooks
CLUBHOUSE 303-690-6373 | GOLF SHOP 303-690-6377 | TENNIS SHOP 303-693-1546 | valleycountryclub.org 9 A message from Andy Carroll, Clubhouse Manager with Ryan Somodji, Executive Chef FOOD & BEV It’s hard to believe that we are into July already. It appears Summer has only started a few weeks back with the quick warm up. We have been seeing a steady flow of summer produce with heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, watermelon, and strawberries to name a few. We have transitioned to our summer menu in Greenside. Our weekly chilled gazpacho will back. Last season we had a good response to the unique gazpachos we offered from tomato to cucumber to watermelon and even cantaloupe. We will bring all these back throughout the summer. Other new highlights will be our house pate, burrata and heirloom tomato appetizer. Some new entrees include Blackened Salmon with a Sweet Corn Ragout, Scillian Style Swordfish and Chicken Scallopini. A couple of new sandwiches offered are a Mediterranean Lamb Burger and Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich. Even with the seemingly never-ending rain, we were able to host the Early Bird and WGA Champagne and Roses golf tournaments last month. The team received some positive feedback on both events for food and beverage. Looking ahead into July, the 4th is generally one of our biggest events. We will be open for a la carte lunch in Greenside and then a dinner buffet before the fireworks. In addition to the 4th, we will also be open for a la carte lunch on Monday the 3rd with a dinner buffet in the evening. A new event we will be offering in late July is our Lobster Night and Seafood Buffet. There will be a chef attended lobster station where Members can watch as we “crack” open your lobster right in front of you. The buffet will feature shrimp cocktail, steamed mussels and more! This will be a great, fun event. We look forward to a fun month in July and look forward to seeing you at the club! Given the great reception last July, we will be celebrating the 4th on the range again this year. Look forward to us cooking up holiday classics, a bevy of games, DJ, bounce house, water balloon fights and more! Also with the holiday landing on a Tuesday we will be open all week including Monday, where we will have a la carte dining available 11am-5pm and a dinner buffet from 5pm-8pm. In addition to all of this we are launching our summer menu Friday the 30th. We hope to see you all soon!
10 VALLEY VOICE JULY 2023 JULY 1 FIRECRACKER COUPLES TOURNAMENT SATURDAY 1:30 pm shotgun $120 per couple Show off your red, white, and blue pride on the golf course in this 18-hole event. Each team will consist of four golfers. Immediately following the tournament, join us for dinner where the winners will be announced. Please sign up for this event on ForeTees. 4 FLAG TOURNAMENT TUESDAY Tee times $10 per person Don’t miss this all-day event for men and women. Be sure to reserve your tee time for this festive holiday tournament. Contact the Golf Shop to sign up for this event. FOURTH OF JULY PARTY TUESDAY 5 pm $25 per adult $15 per child 4-11 Join us for a fun packed day of excitement this 4th of July! There will be activities and fun in the sun with family and friends, allAmerican food and drink, Kona ice truck, cotton candy, bouncy house, waterslide, zorb balls obstacle course, water balloons, yard games, face painter, DJ, and fireworks after dark. 5 LOTTO NIGHT WEDNESDAY 6 pm Valley Burger: $10 Soup/Salad: $15 Full Buffet: $20 We invite you to join us for this month's Valley Lotto Night! Door prize drawings begin at 6:30 pm and the grand prize drawing is at 7:00 pm! There is only one rule to follow, you must be present to win! You never know if your name will be called so make your reservation today! This month's jackpot is $600 in Club Credit. 5-7 CAMP VOYAGER WEEK 6: FREEDOM & FIREWORKS WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY 8 am – 4 pm $95 daily/first child $55 daily/add’l child WEEK SIX The sixth week of Camp Voyager is Freedom and Fireworks, kids will participate in a variety of celebrations, activities, firework crafts, games, and more! 7 PRIME RIB NIGHT FRIDAY 5 pm - 8 pm $37 per person Enjoy a prime rib feature with chef’s choice of starch and vegetables. Please indicate how many prime rib when making your reservation. 11-12 WGA VALLEY TRADITION TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY 1 pm shotgun on Tuesday 8 am shotgun on Wednesday We are so excited to welcome you to the fourth annual Valley Tradition! Get ready for two days of fun, competitive golf, trunk show, delicious food and delightful cocktails. Each day of the tournament, you and your guest will play two 9-hole matches against other teams in your flight with prizes awarded to flight winners. Additional prizes awarded to winners of Closest to the Pin, Straightest Drive, Putting Contest and Chipping Contest. 10-14 CAMP VOYAGER WEEK 7: DANCE, DANCE VALLEY! MONDAY-FRIDAY 8 am – 4 pm $95 daily/first child $55 daily/add’l child WEEK SEVEN: The seventh week of Camp Voyager is all about DANCE, kids will participate in a variety of dance activities, crafts, dance games, and learn to express themselves through dance! 13 SHARKS CHAMPIONSHIP DINNER THURSDAY 5:30 pm Hey Sharks! Stop by the Club for a team dinner to get ready for B and A meets! 14-16 BOGEY BASH FRIDAY, SATURDAY & SUNDAY Skins game Friday night 8:30 am shotgun $245 per person Friday night 9 hole team skins kickoff event. Flgihted event with the gross and net winners advancing to the overall shootout. Event will also inclide online Calcutta and Parimutuel wagering. 17-21 CAMP VOYAGER WEEK 8: KNIGHTS, DRAGONS, AND PRINCESSES, OH MY! MONDAY-FRIDAY 8 am – 4 pm $95 daily/first child $55 daily/add’l child WEEK EIGHT: The eighth week of Camp Voyager is Knights, Dragons, and Princesses, OH MY! Kids will participate in a variety of fairytale activities, themed crafts, games, and more!
CLUBHOUSE 303-690-6373 | GOLF SHOP 303-690-6377 | TENNIS SHOP 303-693-1546 | valleycountryclub.org 11 21 LOBSTER NIGHT & SEAFOOD BUFFET FRIDAY 5 pm - 8 pm $75 per adult $55 per child Join us for a special menu Lobster Night and Seafood Buffet! Lobster is cracked and prepared in front of you along with all your seafood favorites on live action stations. 24-28 CAMP VOYAGER WEEK 9: MAD SCIENCE! MONDAY-FRIDAY 8 am – 4 pm $95 daily/first child $55 daily/add’l child WEEK NINE: The ninth week of Camp Voyager is all about Mad Science, kids will participate in a variety of science projects, activities, cool crafts, games, and a science fair! 25 WGA SISTERS TOURNAMENT TUESDAY 8:30 am shotgun $30 per person Come One Come All….. to the Sisterhood of the WGA! Our annual Sisters Tournament is Tuesday, July 25. It is an 18-hole event, open to all Primary WGA members. As usual, there will be a blind draw for your four-person team. See Foretees and upcoming WGA blasts for more details. The $30 Entry Fee includes a light breakfast, buffet luncheon, special events and prize money. So don your black and white and don’t miss out on a day of fun with your Sisters! Sign up now on Foretees. SHARKS END OF SEASON DINNER TUESDAY 6 pm Come and wrap up another fun Sharks season with the team! We'll have trophies, food, and videos from the season. 27 JUNIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP THURSDAY Tee times Junior Club Championship open to all members. Juniors will be flighted by Age as well as number of holes played. Junior awards will be handed out after the event. Cotton candy and snow cones to celebrate the winners. 28 SIP 'N SERVE TENNIS MIXER FRIDAY 6 pm – 8 pm $15 per person Looking to meet new and fun players of all levels? Don't get a chance to play much during the week? Then this is the event for you! Sip 'N Serve is from 6-8pm and for all ability levels. Light appetizers will be served. 29 TAYLORMADE DEMO DAY SATURDAY 10 am – 2 pm Stop by the Golf Shop to check out all the latest gear from TaylorMade! 29-30 COUPLES SUMMER CLASSIC AND CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY-SUNDAY 1:30 pm shotgun $140 (one day) $180 (both days) This two-day extravaganza gives couples two options. Sign up for one day play and compete with other couples in an 18-hole round of golf. Or play both days of the event. Twoday play registration qualifies you for the chance to win the Couples’ Club Championship! Sign up for this event on ForeTees. LIVE MUSIC NIGHT SATURDAY 5 pm – 8 pm Join us for a night of live music while you dine at the Club! 31 CAMP VOYAGER WEEK 10: VALLEYWOOD! MONDAY 8 am – 4 pm $95 daily/first child $55 daily/add’l child WEEK TEN: The tenth week of Camp Voyager is all about sophistication and grace in Valleywood. Kids will participate in a variety of star studded activities, red carpet worthy crafts, trivia games, and a popping party!
12 VALLEY VOICE JULY 2023 A message from Saige DiBella, Youth Activities Director YOUTH Hello Valley Families, To start out, thank you all who have enrolled and participated in our kids programming the last few months. It has been such a joy meeting so many of our Valley kiddos through the YAC Hang Outs, Kids' Night events and Summer Camp! We are deep into the thick of summer now and looking forward to all the fun crafts, games and projects we have lined up in these programs. Already through week 4 of Camp Voyager, our campers and counselors are having such a wonderful time! The buzz around the Club from the kids' energy has been infectious. Our favorite camp week so far has been Week 3, "The Force is Strong with Valley". The kids rocked their Star Wars themed crafts and dominated in multiple lightsaber battles. It was quite the sight to see, maybe you caught a glimpse while out on the green! This last week's theme was "Down to the Farm", and the kids were over the barn with the traveling petting zoo that came for a visit on Fun Friday. The themes I am most excited about in July are Week 7: "Dance, Dance, Valley" and Week 8: "Knights, Dragons, Princesses - OH MY!". Camp Voyager has so many other fun themed weeks planned; we hope your kids will enjoy them! Register through the Club calendar and claim those spots. We love our counselors and the impact they have on every single one of Valley's campers. Check out what their favorite part about being a Camp Counselor is!
CLUBHOUSE 303-690-6373 | GOLF SHOP 303-690-6377 | TENNIS SHOP 303-693-1546 | valleycountryclub.org 13 Meet your Camp Voyager Counselors! Jacey: My favorite part of being a camp counselor started off as a love for being with the kids and making those great connections! Although now that is still a big part of being a camp counselor, I have grown to love Valley in the past four years. Every morning I look forward to seeing the kids, Members, and staff! Abby: My favorite part of being a camp counselor is building friendships with the kids. I love seeing their smiles when we accomplish a game, craft, or activity. I look forward to the hugs I get at the end of the day. The crafts, activities, and games we do are so much fun and make me feel connected to my inner child. Izzy: My favorite thing about being a camp counselor is seeing the kids have an amazing time with friends every day, and I also get to spend time with my fellow counselor! I love all the amazing connections I have made through working at Valley and working with the kiddos. Every day is so fun! Alex: My favorite thing about being a camp counselor at Valley is being able to enjoy what I do. Letting out my inner child by making up fun games and connecting with the campers everyday makes coming to work fun. Ella: My favorite part about being a camp counselor at Valley is that it's a fun and rewarding experience to work with the kids and make a positive impact on their lives! Mary-Grace: My favorite part about being a camp counselor is getting to work with kids and see them grow and learn new things. I love participating in the fun activities at camp and playing outdoors with the kids. Brinklee: My favorite part about being a camp counselor is getting to build relationships with all the campers by hanging out with them, playing games, and hearing about what’s going on in their lives! Kailyn: My favorite part about being a counselor is the interactions I have with the kids! They always make me laugh and bring a smile to my face! I also love being a role model in their lives and being able to make a difference! Question: What is your favorite part about being a camp counselor?
14 VALLEY VOICE JULY 2023 In Focus: Views from Camp Voyager
CLUBHOUSE 303-690-6373 | GOLF SHOP 303-690-6377 | TENNIS SHOP 303-693-1546 | valleycountryclub.org 15 TENNIS Youth Tennis Progressions With all the changes that have happened in youth tennis, the sport has become so much easier for young players to become successful. Tennis was the last of all sports to go to a graduated version for the younger players. In 2012, USTA national mandated that junior players use balls, racquets and courts that are designed for them to be successful sooner and enjoy the game more. As we all know, if you are successful, it is more fun! Children 8 and under play on a court that is 36 feet long and 18 feet wide. The net is 18 feet long and 2’ x 9” high. A regulation net (3 feet at the center) is used on the 60 x 27 court for kids ages 9-10. Age 11 and up use a full-size court 78 x 36 foot court. ROGY is an acronym for the progression of tennis balls that junior players use as they grow older, beginning with low-compression balls and later to the traditional balls that virtually everyone is familiar with. The red balls are for kids 8 and under, and the orange balls for kids 10 and under, the green balls for players 12 and under from novice through intermediate levels. When 12 year-olds have progressed through the low-compression ball lineup and are ready for advanced competition, they play with the yellow ball. At age 13, all players graduate to the traditional yellow ball. No matter what your experience level is, from beginner to pro-level, having the right equipment is the key to quickly and effectively improving your game. This is especially true with growing kids and less experienced young players. The simplest method for choosing the correct racquet size for kids that are not yet ready to use a full-sized racquet is to pick a racquet based on age. As you are aware, kids grow like weeds at this age, so there will be several equipment changes needed for a few years. Please contact the Valley Tennis Shop and we will get you in the correct racquet, ball and court size for your young and aspiring players. A message from Mike Humphrey, Head Tennis Professional Age: Height: Racket Size 4 & Under Under 39″ 19 inches 4-5 years 40-44 inches 21 inches 6-8 years 45-49 inches 23 inches 9-10 years 50-55 inches 25 inches 10 or older 55 inches or taller 26 inches