El Niguel Country Club

AUGUST 2019 ❘ THE DIVOT ❘ 3 ● FROM THE BOARD LOVE STORY ■ SPECIAL BONDS AND MEMBER EXPERIENCES RANK AS CLUB'S BIGGEST BENEFITS The first response was from our president, Sam Pavoni, "Knowing that whenever I go to the Club, whether it is to play, practice, or just have a drink, there will be a friend there to enjoy it with." Fred Aldrian said "…the outstanding members define our club." Debbie DeWitt echoed a popular response, "Love the staff! They are always accommo- dating, friendly and go out of their way to make me feel special." Similarly, Johnson King replied, "There is no better feeling than to be welcomed by our in- credible friends behind the bar after a long day of golf or work." Ann Morris loves the "warm and car- ing WGA Ladies, a fabulous staff that pampers and, like 'Cheers,' Everyone Knows Your Name." This sentiment was repeated regularly regarding Carol at the front desk and the young men in our cart barn. Many responses highlighted the unique cama- raderie of our fun-filled tournaments. The Member- Member tournament has produced legendary stories that are beyond this article. The Niguel Member- Guest ranks among the most popular in Southern California and is perhaps the best source of new members. Others mentioned the WGA seasonal events, Wines and Nines where laughter is heard from every hole on the course, Twilight Golf and it's creative themes, "The Games," and pro Craig Plumley's popular "Skins" game. Some got more specific about the golfing experi- ences. Vic Memenas said, "…going for the green in two on 16, the shape and form of our new bunkers, hole No. 2 from the new tee box across the creek, and the best is being able to play golf with a wide variety of fun and interesting people." My husband Tom replied, "…the excitement, humor and celebrations with best friends that build through holes 15-18 and continue into the men's grill." It was interesting to note that many of our new members commented on how much they have en- joyed the variety of activities, including the Summer Patio concerts, Thursday Street Tacos, Summer Kid's Campout, Cornhole, and holiday festivities. Social members Lisa and Patrick Bradley said "the Wine Festivals are the best events of the year!" Not surprisingly, there were many responses about Chef Bruno and his upgraded menu. The de- bate about what are his best dishes included his char- cuterie boards, the fois gras, scallops, seared ahi, bone-in ribeye, wine pairings and desserts. This year's Mother's Day feast was very favorably men- tioned. Wow, it's all delicious! There were a few rouge comments including, "I love the new 10th hole!" and "nothing beats an El Niguel bar pour!" But an endearing discovery was that no one responded with a single-word answer. I was recited a laundry list of El Niguel favorites every time I asked the question. So what does everyone love about El Niguel? Al- though clearly we all love our beautiful renovated course, it appears to me that it is the membership ex- perience, the friendship, support and camaraderie that we love the most. It is truly the time we spend together. There has never been a better time to be a member at El Niguel. – RUTHIE SHEFFIELD, Membership Chairman W hat do you love most about El Niguel Country Club? I did some market research and asked that question to a diverse cross section of our mem- bership. The responses were heartwarming and somewhat surprising. You might have expected answers to be about the renovation, including the new Bermuda green surrounds, upgraded bunkering, improved fairway conditions, etc. But comments repeatedly highlighted the bonds between our members and staff.

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