April 5, 2023
Dear Geneva National Members,
The warmest of spring greetings to the entire Membership! I’m so looking forward to a very exciting 2023 social and golf event season! As I start my 6th year at GN as Member Head PGA Professional and Membership Director, I find it hard to believe as it has gone by so incredibly fast. The Club has come a long way in enhancing events and adding amenities and services. I am beyond proud to wear the GN logo everywhere I go and honored to be a member of such an awesome team that services the best membership anywhere.
PERSONNEL ADDITIONS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
I would officially like to extend an enthusiastic welcome to Director of Golf Steve Loomis to the team. He comes to us from KemperSports and has been in the golf business for more than 33 years. He brings significant Private Club and resort experience and will look to enhance our programming, instruction, and service standards. We share an office so be sure to stop down, introduce yourself, and welcome Steve to GN.
I would like to announce two new assistant professionals on the Member side, Cody Schrock and Kendra Swanson. Cody is graduating from Colorado Springs in PGA Golf Management and Kendra from my alma mater, UW-Stout, in Golf Enterprise Management. Most of you will remember them interning last year at GN. Based on their tremendous performance, we have hired Cody to be the Member’s 1st Assistant & Kendra to be the Member’s 2nd Assistant. Besides providing the membership with great services and event execution, Cody will be leading the GN Junior Golf Program assisted by Kendra. We look forward to welcoming them in mid-May and encouraging them as they work hard to start their careers and learn all aspects of the golf industry.
Co-Assistant Director of Food & Beverage, Jackson Bell has taken over organization and execution of our GN Member social events. With his fresh, fabulous ideas, the social events will once again prove to be must-attend events. Jackson is often cruising through the Clubhouse and in the Member Tap Room. If you see him, please introduce yourself. Co-Assistant Director of Food & Beverage Nikki Wales continues to take a lead role in training and and day-to-day restaurant operations management.
Drew Ringelstetter has been promoted to Member/Guest Services Manager. In this role, he will work with the outside Golf staff to enhance the services offered to the Membership and our resort guests. Drew will continue to execute member golf events, teach lessons, and play golf with the Members.
Tyler Huston, from nearby Kenosha, has come aboard in a Club Operations Manager role and will be assisting both Golf and F&B operations. You will see him in many positions using his vast experiences to enhance our member and resort guest experiences.
Sam Carlson, from the Janesville area, has joined GN as a Manager in Training. Sam has great experiences in all areas of golf operations and will also be a huge asset to GN on the member and resort sides.
Ryan Southworth will be GN’s new Teaching Professional and Master Club Fitter. He brings his talents in teaching along with a broad knowledge of club fitting and golf club product information. He was fortunate to learn his craft at his family-owned club fitting and club repair shop in Florida. Ryan will start with us late April and will be in attendance at the Opening Scramble event.
GOLF EVENT CHANGES & INFO
Signing up for golf events will now be easier than ever as we have invested in new tournament software, “Golf Genius”.
Click here for the Golf Genius tutorial. Besides ease of registration, the new software also allows for live scoring during some of our events with the use of an app. Scorecards will be easily dotted for handicaps. Moreover, you can follow play in real time and see live results on Clubhouse TVs. We look forward to using this as another enhancement to the golf events.
Handicapping will once again be at the forefront and monitored for score entering. The GolfHits program will be used to compare the tee sheet with golfers and will send a friendly email reminder to any golfers whose scores are not posted within 24 hours. Multiple offenders will be penalized with adjusted handicaps. Handicap limits will be set the same as in 2022 with the maximum men’s handicap at 24 and the maximum ladies' handicap at 36 for all golf events. Let’s all get in the habit of posting scores right after the round including posting any scores played away from GN for handicap accuracy and fairness. So, remember, “POST, POST, POST.”
New in 2023, you will be required to post a minimum number of in-the-year scores prior to participating in GN golf events. This requirement also will be in effect for all guests who participate in any of our Member-Guest events.
- 3 scores by 5/15
- 5 scores by 6/15
- 8 scores by 7/15
Please be sure to get at least the minimum number of scores posted by the above dates so all can participate in events they want to do so.
Entry and match play completion deadlines (most events open 30-45 days in advance) will continue to be strictly enforced, so please be sure to enter early and do not wait until last minute to enter an event or schedule and complete matches.
Weekend League has been renamed Men’s Weekend Golf & Ladies' Weekend Golf. There was a misconception that if you played in “League” there was an upfront fee, a weekly fee, and that you had to play all 10 weeks. The change is no upfront fee, the weekly entry fee will remain at $10/week, and you can play as little or as often as you want. This will enable Members to meet and play with some new friends while enjoying some friendly competitions. There will be 6 Saturdays and 4 Sundays all with different weekly formats. Tee times in 2023 will alternate each week with the Men’s or Ladies' entire field going first and the other group following. There will also be two 8:00am shotgun starts with a GN sponsored lunch to follow.
New scorecards are in the final stages of printing and will arrive soon. A new design and picture will accompany the new forward tee color change from Red to Green. Secondly, the new handicap rated holes will be allotted properly and will once again be audited throughout the yearlong scorecard collection. We will re-examine and make appropriate changes and re-rate the 2024-hole handicap rankings if necessary.
TRAVEL/GOLF OPPORTUNITIES
Throughout the summer, we will once again be taking multiple groups of Members with our PGA staff to play in some of the Wisconsin PGA Pro-Ams at some of the best courses in Wisconsin. The day includes lunch, golf, and dinner and is usually around $225-$250/person for the day which is a fabulous deal. Get a group together or register individually on the Member website event page to enjoy some competition against other Wisconsin clubs.
We will also be taking a few one-day road trips with our professional staff to some private clubs within a one-to-two hours’ drive to play golf. There will be some friendly competitions along with some food and beverage offerings.
NEW FASTER PACE OF PLAY INITIATIVE
I would like to announce and launch our 2023 GN Pace of Play Initiative, “PLAY IN 2/4” meaning play 9 holes in 2 hours and 18 holes in 4 hours. This will be for all Member play and events including guest play. There have been numerous requests from all types of golf Members to improve on faster play for the enjoyment of everyone. Pace of play will be monitored and Player Assistants or the professional staff will kindly remind a group that is falling behind to pick up the pace. If the group fails to catch up, they may be asked to skip ahead and get back in place behind the group in front. Let’s all pitch in and be aware of your group’s position on the golf course, that being 1 shot behind the group in front of you. We all would like to have the well-known reputation of being a membership that plays in a timely manner.
CLUB AMENITIES UPDATE
The Paloma Cantina is near completion next to The Dance Floor and certainly will be a favorite hot spot to hang out and enjoy some specialty foods and drinks. This amenity, overseen by Dance Floor Manager Tanner Hendricks, is set to open late spring and tentatively has a dedication event slated for Thursday, May 11.
The Ladies Locker Room renovation is underway and moving forward nicely. It will prove to certainly be another fabulous amenity upon completion. Along with new restrooms and shower facilities, the locker room will feature an infra-red sauna for some healthy relaxation and rehab. Watch your Member emails for updates as they become available.
WRAP UP
Well… running out of space so going to bring this informative letter to a close. As always, my door is always open and please feel free to call, stop by, or email me with any questions, comments, concerns, or compliments. 2023 will prove to be the best year ever at GN and we look forward to seeing you all soon at our fabulous club soon!
With appreciation,
Charlie Brown, PGA
Member Head Professional & Membership Director
cbrown@gnresort.com | 262.245.7049
