For those of us who have lived through a few storms in our lives, we remember the drills and what to expect. We must also remember we’ve had a tremendous influx of new residents to the area who came from around the country to our little slice of heaven. For those of you who are ‘newbies’ in the hurricane / tropical storm business, don’t take it lightly. Be smart about provisions and access on and off the island, especially during high tides; but again, you can rely on all of your neighbors. That’s what we do in the Lowcountry and we at Cat Island Club fit into that bucket of friends and neighbors.
During my years of storm preparation, communication is always the key element that keeps us safe from harm and undo stress. For the members reading this note, please check Clubster during and after the storm for official updates as they relate to Cat Island Club. Our intention is to ‘hunker down’ during the storm and as of today, we’re hoping that Ian leaves town before Saturday afternoon– as we have a happy hour to attend to on Saturday evening.
The plans for the Saturday happy hour remain the same with live music from the local band, Reboot, starting at 5:00 until 7:00 PM. We’ll have drink specials and of course some great appetizers. For all of you Cat Island Club members reading this note, please be sure to invite your neighbors and friends as everyone is welcome to our next happy hour. Guests can pay their own tabs with a credit card on Saturday. By Saturday, we’ll all need a little rest and less stress—come to the Cabana Bar on Saturday evening for just the right fix. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that we can indeed host a post storm party by Saturday evening.
In the week that was, I’m pleased to report that our contractor from North Carolina has completed their scope of work in the restoration of Cat Island Club. We have enjoyed collaborating with them so much over the past few months that we’ve given them one last encore task to accomplish. That task is drainage work on the practice range. After this week, it will be quite obvious where the drainage is needed, hopefully not the entire island. Believe me, it’s not like we haven’t already identified those spots, so the storm will help us evaluate the rate at which we need to drain water.
On the equipment side, we had a new triplex greens mower arrive last week. The photos below are a few of our quality engineers doing a routine inspection on the equipment. The irrigation pump is also forthcoming soon. We’re in the final permitting process for the brand-new quieter and reliable pump that is a critical element to our system. This major piece of equipment is the most vital factor of equipment that we can receive. It’s been on order for several months and soon, we’ll be able to check a major box once it arrives and is installed.
Ben and his team have grown in numbers over the past few weeks as well. We now have 12 members on our Golf Course Agronomic team including Ben, his assistant, Joey and our new mechanic, Josh. They represent the core of our team that will put the finishing touches on the restoration project. Along with adding drainage in various areas around the golf course, his team is continuing to clean up the lake and pond banks that have overgrown over the years. Once these piles of debris are removed, our course will have a much fresher look as the banks will be cleaner and the water more visible. As I mentioned previously, we are doing selective removal of plant material from the pond banks. We want to ensure our wildlife and our golfers are in perfect balance. Please join me in a round of applause for Ben and his team who are tirelessly working each day to bring Cat Island Club back to life.
Stay tuned to Clubster over the next several days for all official Club communications. Feel free to call the club number at 843-524-2000 with any additional, reliable news that you see, and I can report on Clubster. From everyone at Resort Development Partners, stay safe, keep everyone in your prayers, as we will. This too shall pass