We all took a collective sigh of relief last week when Ian took a northern track away from Beaufort and our damage was a heavy layer of Spanish Moss. We’re thankful that we were spared, and we continue to keep the people in Florida in our thoughts and prayers. We had a great happy hour party last Saturday with nearly 100 of our members and friends joining us to toast our good fortune. Reboot played into the night and, based on the comments I’ve received, everyone had a wonderful time.
I’m so glad to hear these comments because we’re doing it again next week! Not the hurricane part, the Happy Hour part! Thursday the 13th will be our Bourbon and Bacon night at the Cabana Bar. We’ve got some fantastic Bourbon to taste from Woodford Reserve along with BBQ Pulled Pork and Bourbon Marinated Grilled Chicken. The bacons will come in a variety of flavors, including Candied, Peppered, Dill and Siracha. Add to that some Mac and Cheese, Corn Bread, Baked Beans and Cole Slaw and you’ve got a good ol’ fashion Southern BBQ party. The fun will begin at 6:00 PM until 8:00 with live music and smiles all around. The cost of the event is $22 for members, which includes the food and Bourbon samples. Guests are welcome at $25 per person. Please note, the menu for the night will be limited to the BBQ foods listed, no other menu items will be offered. You can RSVP on Clubster or by sending me an email at tmervosh@resortdevpartners.com.
Another new development that I am so excited to report on is the launching of the clubhouse renovation project. Earlier today, we began demo work on the golf shop. I can honestly say that I’ve never been happier to give up my corner office with a view of the 18th green. Our construction team will be in the golf shop for the next few weeks and then on to the cart storage building before moving to the dining room and bar area. Our goal is to get the clubhouse up and running as soon as possible, so this work will be done in phases. You all know that in each week’s communication, I always ask that you stop by the clubhouse to visit. Now that we’re in renovation construction, we’ll have to plan our visits at the Cabana Bar instead. I’ll be sure to update the progress in Clubster and alert everyone when it’s time to return to the golf shop.
Hopefully, by the time we move back into the clubhouse our fall / holiday Cat Island Club merchandise will be on site for sale. Our initial orders are starting to trickle in, but we’re not quite ready to display any merchandise at this point. When we do, please note, members of Cat Island Club will receive a 20% discount on our logoed soft goods. Several of the lines that we’re expecting are from Foot Joy, Johnnie O, Straight Down, Scales, Donald Ross and IBKUL. We’ll have great gift items for your homes and offices just in time for the holidays; including, of course, Titleist balls and Foot Joy shoes and gloves. If you are looking for a special gift for a special golfer in your family, we’ll also have selected Scotty Cameron putters in stock. Once we’re ready to open the golf shop for the season, we’ll plan, what else… another party! What goes better with shopping than a little wine and cheese?
We do have a limited supply of long sleeve tees available in the golf shop. Please let me know if you are interested in picking these up before the holidays. I’m always interested in how far our “Resurrection Fern” has traveled since its inception. I heard from a reliable source that the fern was spotted in Ponte Vedra, Florida only a few days after the first shirt was sold. And recently, one was spotted in Italy! My how the fern has grown as the resurrection continues. If you witness the fern in some far away places, please snap a picture and send it to me. I’m always delighted to see the reach of the Cat Island Club fern!
The drainage work is continuing on the practice range floor. Our plan is to overseed half of the tee to allow us to open the range soon. A few more elements will need to come together to allow us to open the range, but once we’re ready for that, I’ll send a separate communication to all with that news.
Ben and his team are also transplanting native grasses found around the club to other areas on the golf course. These native grasses give our golf course an interesting look and texture. Our golf course will always have some of the fine wispy grasses around for this reason. Not to mention, these areas become great hiding spots for wayward golf shots from time to time.
As we close another week, we see hurdles in our rear-view mirror that we’ve cleared and a continued uphill road to success in our future. I am so blessed to be surrounded by such a wonderful group of resolute souls that wear the Cat Island Club logo on their hearts. I’m so thankful to each of them for the work that they do and the results that they accomplish. We’re building something incredibly special at Cat Island Club and I’m so pleased that each of you is along for the ride. Have a great week friends, and please make plans to attend the Bourbon and Bacon Happy Hour next week.
Demo work starting on the golf shop and native grasses that were transplanted.