For all of you who have submitted your applications and either paid a deposit or your Initiation Fee in full, you will soon get a note from me regarding our communication tool called Clubster. This is a member only tool that allows you to decide “how” and “how often” you would like to receive messages from us. Also, I expect to be able to send monthly statements during the first week of July. As we have stated before, we will be charging all categories, Social Dues for the month of July as well as June dues on this first statement. Full Golf Members will continue to pay Social dues until the golf course opens. After this initial statement, the monthly dues statement will include the dues for the current month and the charges incurred during any previous month. Again, we will send out official communications to members only within the next two weeks regarding this process and all other member only communications.
Also, we expect to have the pool staffed before the first week of July. We have identified the staff members that will serve as bartenders and kitchen staff and once we receive our permits and some equipment needs, we’ll begin our F&B service at that time. Also at that time, you will begin to recognize the beginnings of the much anticipated and steady transformation from a daily fee club to a private club-which each of you voted for. We will restrict the pool to members and their accompanied guests only. Our staff will have the current membership roster and we will require you and your guests to check-in with our staff under the cabana when entering the pool. Once our Food and Beverage offerings begin, we will no longer permit members to bring personal coolers to the pool. Let’s keep our collective fingers crossed that we are able to obtain our required permits and equipment to allow us to host our first Member Mixer during the Independence Day holiday weekend. Details for that event will be sent out once we have confirmation that we are able to host such an event.
On the golf course, we are expecting the first equipment deliveries as early as Monday next week. We are expecting our sprayer to be the first equipment delivered and utilized on this restoration project. We will be spraying out the fairways and rough areas as we prepare the greens for a more intense process to remove weeds and contaminants. Our irrigation team is also expected to be on site next week to inspect, repair and replace as necessary the irrigation elements to ensure that our grow-in is successful. The next wave of equipment needed will be rough mowers and people movers. After spraying out the weeds around fairways and roughs, we’ll start mowing those area down in stages, then aerifying and verti-cutting to smooth the areas and boost the growth of the Bermuda grass that is already there. Areas that are especially weak will be either re-sprigged with Bermuda grass or sodded, depending on the specific areas. Bunkers will also be addressed as we will remove the sand and debris from the bunkers and inspect drainage. Then as we get closer to completion of the work on the golf course, we’ll add new sand to each bunker.
As I stated last week, our plan is to “restore” Cat Island to the original design. We will not be moving greens or tees, but we will re-configure greens and surrounding areas with mounding and bunkers to the original drawings. As we start to have equipment and people on the golf course, it will be imperative to restrict access to the golf course to the workers and professionals who are re-creating our masterpiece.
Lastly, I would like to wish all the fathers out there a very happy Father’s Day this weekend. Speaking on behalf of dad’s everywhere–it’s our proudest accomplishment and blessing to earn that title. Enjoy the US Open and a raise a glass when that equipment arrives as we’re one step closer to hitting our first tee shots. Stay safe and as always, please stop by the clubhouse to chat and say hello. While there is much work to do, building relationships is just as critical as building the golf course!