Notes from the General Manager:
What can I say about this weather!!! We have been afforded a beautiful spring so far, one that many golfers can enjoy. While the weather was warm and sunny, we also had quite a bit of wind and very little rain. Similar to your lawns at home, you can only water the golf course so much to keep it in tip top shape while still being able to use it (or play on it). All in all, I have heard nothing but compliments about the conditions of our golf course, and my hat is off to Dave Clem and Dennis Supe for leading such a strong team.
In April we introduced our new “membership drive” referral program for annual golfing members and a new points system for our loyalty club members – the Premier Club. If you are interested in understanding the benefits of either program please contact the golf shop at 302-337-7514. Resident Annual Members are allowed to make tee times up to 60 days in advance and Premier Club members can make reservations 10 days in advance. If you do not intend to utilize the tee time booked please let the pro shop staff know so we can open that time to other members or guests.
A Few exciting events happened in April in the Food and Beverage Department including Burger night on Tuesdays, Southern Night on Thursdays, Chef’s Cooking Class, Easter Brunch, Passover Seder, and Wine and Tapas. For the restaurant please assist us in serving you by making reservations atleast 24 hours in advance – this allows us to ensure we bring in enough food and staff as appropriately as possible. For the banquet events, please follow the guidelines posted for each event, if you call and leave a message with Jillian please allow 24 hours for a call back.
Some upcoming activities to ask more about – Cinco de Mayo, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Clam Bake, Car Show, Concert Series – I could go on and on! I’m excited as always about seeing everyone at the club.
Wine & Tapas
Wine & Tapas event was back in action again for 2012 taking place this past Thursday, April 26th, 2012.
Our first Wine & Tapas event took place in April of 2011 and was such a success that Heritage Shores Club decided to make it an annual event.
This year the event doubled in size with guests. This was such great news as the purpose of a tapas party is to encourage conversations amongst guests.
The serving of tapas was created not to focus upon eating an entire meal but to engage in conversation amongst new people. We were able to create four stations for guests to have the opportunity to mingle and to enjoy the small plates and wines for this special event.
The menu included the following:
Station 1: Grilled Chicken and Wild Mushroom Risotto
Paired with: Acrobat Pinot Gris
Station 2:HickoryShrimp in Apple Wood Smoked Bacon with BBQ Sauce
Paired with: Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc
Station 3: Prosciutto and Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus
Paired with: Cupcake Shiraz
Station 4: Silver Dollar Potato Pancakes with Boursin Cheese and Chives
Paired with: Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc
All wines tasted at the Wine & Tapas are available for purchase in the Passwater’s Restaurant and 1730 Tavern.
We hope to continue this special event and perhaps have two Wine & Tapas events a year!
Restaurants and Service
Part1
The evolution of restaurants has a very interesting beginning. Food stalls and public stands were in existence in earlyRomeand Sung DynastyChina. There was no expectation of service other than the vendor setting down some bread and olives and a glass of local wine. EarlyConstantinoplehad some of the first coffee houses and cafes. Pilgrims and travelers found sustenance in taverns and inns.
The meaning of the word “restaurant” is derived from the French word “restaurer” which means “to restore”. Actually, the first French eateries sold “restaurants”-meat based consommés intended to “restore” one’s strength.
The French Revolution brought about the beginnings of real restaurants. People could sit down together and enjoy the same meal if they could pay the price. Royalty could no longer control the sale of food. Menus were introduced to the public for the first time and people had a choice of what they could eat.
Real restaurants did not appear in Americauntil the very end of the 18th century. Even the great hotels had communal dining rooms where the service standards were the “come and get it” mentality. In 1828 the Tremont House inBoston introduced “French Service” in its dining room where customers could sit at individual tables and use the newly invented four tine fork.
By the 1830’s, customers who stayed in hotels were forced to pay for room and board whether they ate or not. Service was crude if it existed at all.
Next time, we’ll look at restaurant service and how it has evolved.
Come on……..
Its wine it’s supposed to be FUN!!!
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Pouring Wine: Be sure to only pour about ¼ of a glassful. Give it a good swirl.
Color and Appearance: Note the overall color, the depth or opacity of the color and the clarity.
Wine Aroma or “The Nose”: Take a good “whiff” of the wine (don’t be afraid put your nose right in there). Start by naming the fruit aromas next try describe the other aromas as in earth, wood, smoke, etc. Does it entice you to take sip?
Wine flavor or “The Mouth”: Take a sip….let it linger in your mouth. Is it sweet or dry, is it light bodied or a BIG full bodied wine. Are the noticeable tannins (the drying, astringent feeling you get in your mouth)
Finish: Pay attention once you have swallowed. Does it linger attractively on your palate or does the flavor die away quickly.
The first day of spring has come and gone in Southern Delaware. Now it’s time for you to get the right apparel and golf equipment to make you look good this season on the golf course and shoot your lowest round possible. Our Golf Professionals have identified some great apparel and equipment to help you look good and play great this golf season.
FOOTJOY ProDry Performance Lisle Shirts
This great looking shirt has easy to care for fabric that avoids wrinkling and shrinkage and the ProDry Stretch Fabric offers extreme comfort throughout the golf swing during warmer temperatures. 
ASHWORTH CARDIFF GOLF SHOE
The Ashworth Cardiff golf shoe is a stylish golf shoe with cross-over appeal, playability, and wear ability. It is a sure-footed spikeless sole unite with tumbled leathers and rich suede accents to take you from the course to the clubhouse and beyond in comfort. This shoe has a 2 year water proof warranty and is great for the avid walker. 
TAYLORMADE ROCKETBALLZ FAIRWAY WOOD
Who doesn’t want an extra 17 yards? That is Taylormade’s new promotion for their rocketballz line of fairway woods. The advanced Speed Pocket is the ultimate launching pad and it is engineered to dramatically increase ball speed and distance. That means EXTREME DISTANCE!
TITLEIST NEW NXT TOUR S GOLF BALL
Engineered for high performance, the new NXT Tour and NXT Tour S golf balls will help you reach your potential. Both NXT Tour and NXT Tour S deliver low driver and long iron spin for outstanding distance and also offer excellent short game scoring performance and soft feel. Golfers can find an NXT Tour that meets their personal preferences as NXT Tour S provides a softer compression feel and is available in white and high optic yellow. 
Come and visit the Golf Shop at the Heritage Shores Club, where all of these items are available plus many more. Our superior staff will help get the right product for you. We look forward to seeing you on the links this season!
If you’ve been to the golf course recently, you might have noticed that we have started the aerification process on the fairways and completed aerifying the greens. As you play your round you are probably wondering why the golf course maintenance staff has to disrupt the playing surface of the golf course?
Listed below are three of the main benefits of the aerification process.
- It relieves soil compaction. Over time, the traffic from golfer’s feet (as well as mowing equipment) tends to compact the soil under the putting green. When the soil becomes compacted, the air pockets on which the roots depend are crushed, and the roots are essentially left gasping for air. Without oxygen, the grass plants become weaker and will eventually wither and die.
- It provides a method to improve the soil mixture around the highest part of the green’s roots. Aerification is a mechanical process that creates more air space in the soil and promotes deeper rooting, thus helping the grass plants stay healthy. Here at Heritage Shores we will be using a ¼” hollow tine to remove the core from the soil. This will in turn allow for an infusion of air and water that brings a resurgence of growth. The spaces left by the coring process are then filled with sand “topdressing” that helps the soil retain air space and will make it easier for roots to grow downward. Filling the aerification holes with sand will also help improve drainage and helps with compaction.
- Reduces and prevents the accumulation of excess thatch. Growing turf adds a layer of organic matter on the surface. This layer, called thatch, is an accumulation of dead stems, leaves and roots. A little organic matter makes for a resilient green, but too much invites diseases and insects. Topdressing and aerification are two of the best ways to reduce an existing layer and prevent an excess of thatch from becoming established.
I hope this quick little article helps you understand why this process is so important to maintaining a quality putting surface here at Heritage Shores. Also, the aerification process will help your home lawn survive the stress that Mother Nature puts on it during the growing season. One thing you want to make sure of is to have your sprinkler heads marked with a flag before the contractor starts the aerification process on your yard. The sprinkler head is no match for an aerification tine.
This year’s weather has provided great opportunities to play golf. January and February have both been warmer that average. With this we have been able to accomplish a few extra tasks on the golf course. Dave Clem and the Golf Maintenance Staff have had their hands full with replacing bunker sand on the green side bunkers. We have chosen to start with the green side bunkers due to the playability and need to get the club deeper into the sand from the green side versus wanting a slightly harder surface in the fairway bunkers to allow for longer distance shots. Additionally, we will be aiming to aerate our greens earlier than usual, by mid-March. While this will take a little longer for the greens to heal, it will provide a better playing surface through our peak season.
More exciting news to announce in the Golf Shop, our Golf Professionals are creating some new and exciting golf social events that will include skill challenges and address pace of play. A few items that I recommend you ask the Golf Shop Staff about: Membership events, Children’s summer “camps” and our “Caddie for a day” promotion.
In the Food and Beverage and Banquet and Catering departments we continue to push new ideas and events while supporting the originals. Beat the Winter Blues was back this year as was the Super Bowl Party, we tried a new Oscar night party, added a band to our St. Patty’s day party, a beer tasting from 16 mile, an upgraded concert series and are reintroducing cooking classes. Promotions in the Restaurant have increased as well and have continued to entertain our Thursday promotions which will stay our Pasta Buffet through March, selections change on a weekly basis. We have a busy 2012 in the Banquet and Catering department, but always appreciate referrals. If you know of anyone looking to host a party or a business event please have them call the club and ask for Stefanie.
I look forward to seeing everyone at the Club soon!
For most Southern Delaware golfers it is getting close to the start of the golf season which brings with it another season of rusty swings, chunky chip shots, skulled bunker shots and terrible putting. Chances are that it will take several rounds before the swing and short game comes back, but there are certain things you can do to help your game early in the season.
At the driving range most golfers tend to focus on hitting the driver. This is the exact opposite of what you should be doing to improve your game. During a round of golf the driver is used a maximum of 14 times, given that the majority of shots are played within 100 yards. Given this bit of information it does not make much sense to sit on the range and hit drivers all day.
Start your season at the short game practice area and putting green. The first trip to the golf course for practice should consist completely of putts, chips, and pitch shots. Going to the range and “banging” a bucket of drivers is not going to start the season off in the correct fashion. Practicing the short game for the majority of the practice session will improve your game.
In the early season with the full swing, concentrate more on the rhythm of the swing and making solid contact. Find a specific “swing thought” or drill to focus on while playing. If you are struggling to find your game, contact a member of the professional staff for a lesson to get some insight on what to work on.
Make the most of this upcoming Delaware golf season and start it out the right way by visiting the driving range at Heritage Shores Club. Get the short game in order first and show your golfing partners you mean business this season.
Next time you find yourself playing golf in Delaware, we invite you to stop by the Golf Shop at Heritage Shores Club to congratulate Head Golf Professional, Brooks Massey, on recently acquiring his PGA status!
Brooks Massey has been a familiar face at the Heritage Shores Club since 2006, when he began his journey as the 1st Assistant Golf Professional and in 2011, was promoted to Head Golf Professional. Delaware Golf Professionals undergo a tedious process to earn their PGA Certification which requires not only golf skill but patience as well. There are four steps and three levels that must be completed within six years in order to qualify for certification.
First Step: The Playing Ability Test
Brooks shot 151 over the two rounds to qualify for PGA registration in August 2006
Second Step: Become a PGA Apprentice
In order to register with the PGA to become a PGA Apprentice, you need a minimum of 6 months of work experience with a PGA Professional. In March 2007, Brooks was able to register for the program as Heritage Shores became a PGA recognized golf facility. Once registered, Brooks became a Level 1 Apprentice, which would require him to complete 2 years of on the job training. When Brooks completed his 2 years of training, he then traveled to the PGA Headquarters in Florida for testing. This testing includes 6 knowledge tests and 4 simulations tests. In February 2009, Brooks passed all tests with flying colors to become a Level 2 Apprentice!
Third Step: Level 2 Apprenticeship
While Brooks was halfway through his application process, he still had 2 more years of work experience to complete. Brooks was fortunate during this 2 year stretch that he was able to work with two golf professionals gaining valuable work experiences from both Dan Elliott and Mike Tritapoe. Once his 2 years was complete, he then traveled to Florida for more testing which included 4 knowledge tests and 2 simulation tests. In February 2011, Brooks passed his tests moving him up to Level 3 Apprenticeship!
Fourth Step: In the Home Stretch!
Within one year, Brooks was able to complete his final work experience kit and in January 2012, he traveled to Florida for his final round of tests. This trip included 4 knowledge tests and 1 simulation test. In addition to his testing, Brooks was tasked with preparing a 30-minute presentation relating to the golf industry. His topic of choice was “maximizing revenue while keeping value in a golf membership.” Brooks was also required to submit his resume to a PGA Certified Professional, which then led him to a mock interview. Needless to say, Brooks did a fantastic job and on January 13th, he was elected to PGA status!
The four steps mentioned above may not be a fantastic representation of the PGA Certification process, but please know that Brooks completed his certification in 5 years when he was allotted 6 years to finish. In total, Brooks underwent 31 tests, both knowledge and simulation to earn his stripes. We are very proud to work side-by-side with Brooks everyday and we are pleased to call him our PGA Head Golf Professional!