Country Club

Should the Community Services District help the Country Club address its financial problems? That question surfaced at Wednesday’s CSD board meeting, when Director John Merchant disclosed a letter from the CSD to the club and the CSD’s answer: No, it can’t help. Read more » Read more » about CSD rebuffs Country Club plea for help

→ Photo gallery (46 shots from the party)

Jane Miller, center left, and Sheryl Bray sample some of the fine wine that’s available at significant discounts only a golf cart ride away. A wine club is the latest perk the Country Club is offering members. To attract participants, the club held a wine tasting on the club’s patio Saturday afternoon. It was open to all club members, and more than 100 showed up. The club was the brainchild of Mike Martel, the club’s board president. Stacy Garza, who organized the event, said there will be quarterly wine tastings open exclusively to wine club members. Members will receive a monthly email with a list of offerings. Membership is $25 a year, and the discounts on wine prices are said to be significant. Garza said the wine club had 150 members before Saturday's gathering and 200 after. Click photos for larger images. Read more » about New wine club pulls out all the stops

The Country Club on Monday announced the hiring of its new general manager – Ron Svien (photo). He was hired six years ago by Berkeley Country Club, in the Bay Area, where he has been general manager. He starts work Oct. 15, the club said. It reviewed 85 resumes, the club said, involving rank-and-file members in the process. The brief announcement thanked member Bill Armstrong for serving as interim general manager. Read more » about Club hires new GM from Bay Area

→ Photo gallery (10 photos from the event)

Auctioneer David Sobon got the audience reaching for their checkbooks at Thursday night's seventh annual Country Club fundraiser to benefit the Red Cross. There were silent-auction offerings and a number of live-auction items that sounded pretty enticing – getaways to the wine country, rounds of golf on quality courses and seven nights in Hawaii to name a few. After the bidding, Sobon had the crowd writing checks once again – to the tune of more than $20,000 – as he encouraged donations to buy the Red Cross a new Emergency Response Vehicle, to be based in this area to serve disaster victims. The dinner had its solemn moments too, as Murietan Luke Iverson, on video, told them about his brother, Corey, a firefighter who died fighting one of Southern California's fires last year. (You can see Luke Iverson's speech here.) A tournament and lunch Friday wrap up the event. Click photo for larger image. Read more » about Raising money and helping disaster victims

Don Thames, the Country Club’s director of golf, has qualified to compete in the PGA Senior Professional National Championship to be played next month in Port St. Lucie, Florida. He was one of eight qualifiers in an event held Aug. 13-14 at San Jose Country Club, finishing sixth with a 4-over-par 144. Read more » Read more » about Club pro Thames qualifies for national event

The American Red Cross is partnered with the Country Club to hold the Drive Fore Disaster Relief dinner and golf tournament Sept. 13-14. The event will raise funds for the good work of the Red Cross, in particular to help buy a new Emergency Response Vehicle for the Red Cross in this area. Read more » Read more » about Tournament and dinner will help Red Cross

By Don Thames, RMCC Club Professional
Stefan von Seeger made it two in a row by virtue of a convincing 8-7 victory over RMCC Medal Play champion Dean Clapp in the finals of the 2018 RMCC Club Championship, held over the last two weekends.  Von Seeger’s crushing style featured a three-birdie, no-bogey morning round of the final match that proved to be too much for Clapp to overcome. Clapp started the afternoon round of the 36 hole final 7 down and remained that way until von Seeger made a 60-foot putt on the 11th green to close out the match. Read more » Read more » about Von Seeger wins second Club championship

The Country Club’s Junior Golf summer program wrapped up with a party Saturday morning at the driving range. Before moving on to face painting, games, contests, snow cones and nachos, the junior golfers got to watch their coaches – this is club pro Don Thames – do their best to drive the ball into the next county ... while keeping it in the fairway. (Click photo for larger image.) Read more » about Junior Golfers learning from the best

→ See the brochure for the club’s special membership offer

You’re down to the last few days if you want to sign up for the special membership deals being offered by the Country Club. Has the effort, more than four months old, been successful? With a Tuesday deadline for the special offer – and an open door for any last-minute applicants – the sign-up numbers are modestly positive. The club’s financial picture shows signs of small improvement too, and the board is pushing ahead with low-cost improvements to club facilities. Read more » Read more » about Club's marketing effort is about to end

The Country Club has launched a six-month trial reduction in golf guest fees, the club announced Tuesday, limiting non-member play to three tee times an hour for starting times beginning at 11:30 a.m. on both courses. Read more » Read more » about Club begins test of reduced guest fees