Lookout Point Country Club, Ltd.

Lookout Point Country Club, Ltd.
P.O. Box 709 209 Tice Road, Fonthill ON, L0S 1E0 www.lopcc.com Ph: 905-892-2639
In this Issue…
 President’s Message
 General Manager
Report
 Upcoming Golf Events &
Winners for May
 Father’s Day BBQ & Golf
Promotion
 Ladies’ Member Guest
 Junior Scholarship
Program
Board of Directors
for 2016 / 2017
President: Doug Fast
Vice President: Rich Morgan
Board Representative
Green: Frank Mortensen
House: Chris Malkiewich
Finance: Drew Chamberlain
Membership : Randy Wardrope
Games: Scott Murray
Board Members
Peter Di Lalla
Wayne Farrow
Bill Karner
Ian Penney
Laurie Robert
Secretary:
Chris Malkiewich
8:00am Member Shotgun
Parent / Child Tournament
1:30pm Shotgun – Alternate Shot format
$20 per Member Team Entry OR $40 Non-Member Team Entry
BBQ Celebration, Live Band & Kids Activities
BBQ - 5:00pm to 8:30pm – $17 plus gratuity & tax
Hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage, chicken, salads
& Canada Day themed dessert
President’s Message…
The cool spring certainly jumped a few degrees the past couple days. Temperatures have climbed into the mid to high 20’s,
and the course is in fantastic shape. Great to see everyone out, both long term, and the new Trial Members. The response
I’ve received about the use of a regular starter has been tremendous. Member feedback during my first month on the job
for the most part has been great, with a couple of bumps that has been dealt with by Dan and his team. Thanks again to
everyone for your support and kind words.
At the Annual General Meeting in April a question was brought up about our long term debt. For the benefit of those not
present, I’d like to recap and add to the response. Many of us have heard some nasty rumours over the past few years
about the financial position of our Club, so I think we should set the record straight.
 When we came out of Construction /renovation of the clubhouse in 2005, we had a mortgage of $2.9 million. Since
then, through a couple of annual lump payments against the mortgage, along with the regular payments, we have
reduced the mortgage to $1.7 million.
 The Bond Debt to the membership at the time of construction was initially $590,000. The bond redemption offer
the last couple years, combined with the Trial Membership/Cash Injection initiative has essentially eliminated the
Bond Debt.
 We challenged our Property Taxes starting in 2003 up to 2010 and finally in 2011, we received a $211,000 rebate,
and reduced our tax burden by approx. $35,000 annually.
At the same time we’ve invested into the Club by:
 Constructing a 3.25 million gallon reservoir with new wells, pumphouse and main line tying into the existing
irrigation system to tune of $575,000.
 We’ve refurbished 95% of the bunkers, repairing the base as required and installed new “Pro Angle” sand for
$55,000.
 Repaved the cart path on the hill on hole 10, and extended several others including holes 11 and at 13 green this
past fall for $20,000.
 We’ve invested $500,000 in course and turf equipment, including various new greens mowers, tractors and
aerification equipment.
 We converted to electric golf carts (electrical upgrades in the cart storage area was required), and purchased
refurbished golf carts when they came off their lease this past year, projecting another 3 more years usage at a
cost of $124,000.
 Added 17 new tee decks, several roll off collection areas, added improved drainage, implemented an intermediate
cut, and the list goes on.
The Finance Committee has laid out both 7 and 20 year Capital Budget projections taking as much future expenditures into
consideration as we can anticipate. While we’ve done well on debt reduction, and have been as diligent with our Capital
spending as we can, we are still shy of our future requirements of $250,000 per year. The belt has been rather tight on our
expenses, so alternatively we need to find additional funding, hence the Trial Membership program. To date we have 373
participating of which 110 are for 2 years. It is our belief that when our Trial Members compare what we have to offer, to
what they’ve experienced elsewhere, many will realize Lookout Point’s attraction, and will make it their future golf home
and subsequently shoring up our future financial requirements.
There’s no doubt we still have some debt issues to continue to deal with and future capital expenditures coming up. That
said, the message to be made is the past and present Boards and Management team have accomplished a lot during a
recessed economy with an abundance of golf course options to compete with, considering the changing demographics in
the golf industry. So if we should hear any rumours in the future, discard them and remember we’re actually moving in a
good direction. Your Board of Directors is committed to continually improving our financial position while ensuring
appropriate reinvestment into our course and clubhouse, maintaining Lookout’s status as a premier golf course in Ontario.
Doug Fast
From the General Manager…
Hello LOPCC…
June is here! It is starting to feel like summer, and the course is great! The annual Brooke Invitational is here, and I
am sure that LOPCC will test the patience of the competitors.
Thanks once again to our starter, Dave Swibb for his efforts getting you all on the course in a timely fashion. So far
this year our pace of play has been very good. The time par charts that are noted on the pin placement sheet seem
to have been well received. Don’t forget about the Adopt-A-Hole Program! Make sure to ask Dave about the holes
that you are responsible for.
I would also like to remind you all to inform your guests about the dress code policy, this can help alleviate any of
those uncomfortable conversations.
The Men’s and Ladies Days/Nights are well under way. The participation has been great so far. Our goal is to keep
up the enthusiasm. If you haven’t signed up yet, please contact the Golf Shop for more details.
Most of you are aware of the policy this year regarding credit card payments. Last year the sur-charge only applied
to the annual dues payments, this was step one of the implementation. This year the sur-charge applies to all credit
card transactions. It was decided last August, that there was an opportunity to minimize the clubs expenses by
reducing the amount of credit card transactions that we were processing. In total this decision will save the Club
upwards of $30,000. Thank you all for your support!
Thank you JJ and his staff in the Golf Shop. There have been some great promotions and demo days so far, with
many more to come. Remember, to take advantage of your preferred member pricing on all stock items and special
orders. There are currently some deals to be had on certain brands, stop by and have a look. This a great way to
spend some of those shop credits that are adding up.
The short game is a very integral part of a good score. The golf course is getting faster, especially the greens.
Remember to spend twice as much time on and around the putting green as you do hitting balls. The rough is up,
and around the greens you can find some pretty hairy lies. Our Professional staff are once again offering many
different instructional programs. Please let them know if you are struggling with any aspect of your game…we are
here to help.
We look forward to seeing you at the Club.
Good golfing,
Dan Greenwood, PGA
General Manager
Email: [email protected]
905-892-2639 Ext. 241
Board Correspondence may be directed through
Chris Malkiewich, Club Secretary, via email at
[email protected] or dropped off at the
Administration Office.
Food & Beverage Minimum Reminder:
For 2016, we have switched from “Monthly” Food & Beverage minimums to “3 installments”. The installment periods are
March to May, June to August and September to November. With the new structure, members are encouraged to spend
their minimum in the allotted time. We will not be accommodating moving your minimum to a different period any longer
given the amount of time given to spend the required amounts. To review the amount required to spend, please see the
2016 Free Structure on the Club’s Website in the Membership section.
Finally Friday
June 10th to June 12th, 2016
Tee Times all 3 days
& Friday, June 17th, 2016
5:00pm Shotgun Start
$26 inclusive / member
$45 inclusive / guest
Gross & Net Competition
Register in the Golf Shop
(Includes: chance at a prize & 3 course dinner)
Register in the Golf Shop
Ambassador Tournament
Monday, June 27th, 2016
1:00pm Shotgun
Opening Field Day – May 14
4 person team – 3 trial members & 1 Full
Play member per team
1 gross score to count
Men’s: Scott Murray, Shane Smith, Dave
Broderick, and Lino Franciosa , with a score
of 134.
Ladies: Laurie Robert and Dianne Girard
with a score of 58.
BBQ & Prizes to follow golf
A special thank you to all the participants for braving
the weather conditions!
Open to the first 75 Trial Members.
$45 + HST per Trial Member
$25 + HST per Full Play Member
Blossom Tournament
Note:
This event does not count against your trial rounds.
Sign up online or contact Al Kmety in the Golf Shop
Ext. 228 or [email protected]
Low Gross - Adam Creighton, 74
Low Net - Tim Coughlin & Joe Spiler, tied
with a score of 68.
From the Ladies Section…
Ladies Day is On! Our first official Ladies Day and Triple L launched May 31 with more than 26 ladies on the
course! Stay tuned for our event poster along with the sign-up sheet for the first ever Shotgun Social to be
held June 14 at 5:00pm open to all our members and trial members. We expect it to be a great “nine and
dine” event with socializing, prizes, dinner and drink specials.
Member Guest is Coming – Saturday, July 16, 2016! Our 2016 Member Guest is shaping up to be a great
“Olympic” event. All members are invited and can bring multiple guests. Please see our flyer below and on
the bulletin board. Pick your country, dress up your cart and team and come out for a day of great Rio Olympic
fun. Some of our special prizes that day include a “Trial Membership” and a Complimentary round of golf for
a member and her three guests with carts!
Lookout Point is Leading! Lookout Point ladies competed in the first of four Solheim Cup competitive rounds
at Port Colborne on Sunday, May 29 and here are the point results: Port Colborne – 4 points. St. Catharines
and Rolling Meadows each with 6 points and Lookout Point is in the lead with 8 Points! Congrats to our team
of Trish Farrow, Kathy Levinski, Kim Hansell and Laurie Robert!
See you on the course!!
Laurie Robert
Ladies Captain
From the Golf Shop…
Games Reminders:



SR. Men and Ladies Club Championship - June 10, 11 & 12th. New this year - there will also be a Net winner.
Finally Friday - June 17th.
The Ambassador & Trial Member Tournament - June 27th - 3 trial members & 1 member. Member price is
$25.00 + HST and Trial is $45.00 + HST. BBQ & prizes to follow golf. The format is 1 gross Best Ball for the team.
Junior League:
We are very excited that we are closer to the start of our Junior League. The League is open all Lookout Point junior
boys and girls. Play will be every Wednesday starting at 12:30pm. Team competition will be played over 8 weeks. Course
management and swing fundamentals will be given by our Professional staff. We will be holding a draft night on
Wednesday, June 15th at 5pm in the McInnis Hall. We encourage all interested to attend. Those unable to attend draft
night will be required to sign up in the Golf Shop prior to June 15th. Entry fee of $80.00 + HST will give all juniors in the
league team shirt that must be worn on Wednesday’s and a closing banquet BBQ as well as a chance to win a few prizes
along the way. If you have any questions please feel free to contact your Head Professional at [email protected].
Twilight Rates:
Members looking to bring guest can now bring up to three guests after 4:30pm for $65 per player which includes cart
and HST for 18 holes. Members looking to entertain guest for only 9 holes, $35 will be charged per person which also
includes use of cart. Twilight will be offered every day except Thursday.
Demo Days in June:
We have a few more Demo Days in the month of June. If you have any questions or like to book a fitting appointment
please contact Dan Roud at [email protected]
Cobra - Sunday, June 12th from 10am-3pm
Ping Demo Day - Thursday, June 23rd from 11am-5pm
Head Professional
J.J. Alexander
[email protected]
905-892-2639 Ext. 226
Sunday, June 19th – 11am – 7pm
BBQ $8.99 plus gratuity & HST
Guests – Golf & BBQ
9-holes of golf with BBQ for $27.99 plus gratuity & HST
18-holes of golf with BBQ for $47.99 plus gratuity & HST
(Carts not included)
*No Sign up Necessary*
From Food and Beverage…
Hopefully you have tweaked that swing to form by now and have had your career low…
Here are somethings to look forward to in the coming up in the next couple of months:

June 19th - Father’s Day Patio BBQ and corn roast: Come out after your Father’s Day round of golf and
grab a burger, sausage, hotdog or chicken on a bun with a fresh grilled buttery corn on the cob for the steal at
$8.95 plus tax and gratuity.

June 23rd - Men’s Day Rib Fest Patio BBQ Showdown: There will be a showdown of best BBQ sauces on
the Lookout Point Patio between the Back Of House team…. And you get to vote what was your favorite! Get a
full rack of ribs split in to three with three different sauces. Comes with Mac and Cheese, Slaw and corn on the
cob for $22 plus tax and gratuity.

July 1st - Canada Day BBQ and Fireworks: Come out with the family for a fun evening packed with good
food, bouncy castles and finish off with spectacular fireworks for the cost of $17.00 Plus tax and gratuity. The
fun starts at 5pm. Please make reservations through Patti… Don’t wait too long, seating is limited. We will be
running a shortened menu this day from 8am until 2pm. There will be no regular restaurant service in the
evening.
Swing easy,
Executive Chef
Abbey Solomon
[email protected]
905-892-2639 Ext. 231
From the Green Room…
Well, it looks like we went from winter to summer with all this heat and dry weather now upon us, spring was nowhere
to be found. The golf course is shaping up nicely. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the numerous members
who have passed on their positive comments regarding the conditions we are experiencing on the course. Thank you!
All bunkers have been edged and sand has been added where needed and adjusted for depth. I would add at this time,
when entering and exiting bunkers, do so at the low side rather than on the slopes or banks as to not push the sand
down.
The Poa Annua on the greens are now very close to finish their seeding. This is an annual event and the nature of the
beast, very common on older greens such as ours. Where it becomes difficult for golfers is playing out of the rough,
thus the reason we have yet to apply any fertilizer.
I would like to remind everyone to please spend the extra time it takes to properly fix your ball marks, as it can be
somewhat difficult to find them when the greens are in this seeding state.
With all this prolonged dry weather, we are now at the stage, irrigating all fairways, tees and greens. Let’s hope Mother
Nature decides to bring us some much needed rain, we can certainly use it. Until next time…Enjoy the golf course.
Course Superintendent
Aldo Bortolon
[email protected]
Important Dates to Remember….
June 6
Big Brothers Big Sisters Tournament - 12:00pm Shotgun – Limited Morning Member Tee Times available
June 10-12
Member Senior Club Championship – 12pm start –tee times
June 13
Ladies Golf Clinic – 6pm at the Range
June 13
ProCon Tournament – 12pm Shotgun - Limited Morning Member Tee Times available
June 15
Junior Member Orientation – 5pm
June 17
Finally Friday - 5pm Shotgun - 9 Holes of Golf with Dinner to follow golf
June 19
Father’s Day BBQ & Golf promotion
June 20
St. Catharines Rotary Tournament – 1pm Shotgun - Limited Morning Member Tee Times available
June 23
Ping Demo Day 11am – 5pm
June 23
LOPCC Ribfest Showdown
June 27
LOPCC Ambassador Tournament – 1pm Shotgun- Limited Morning Member Tee Times available
June 29
Junior League Begins @ 12:30pm
July 1
Parent / Child Tournament – 1:30pm Shotgun – Member Shotgun 8am
July 1
LOPCC Canada Day Celebration BBQ & Fireworks – starts at 5pm
July 8
Men’s Member Guest Day 1 – 9am Shotgun – COURSE CLOSED
July 9
Men’s Member Guest Day 2 – 12pm Shotgun – Member Shotgun 7am
July 11
GTA AM Tournament – Tee Times starting at 8am
July 11
Ladies Golf Clinic – 6pm
July 14
Men’s Mega Party on the Patio – 3pm Shotgun
July 15
Ladies Interclub – 9am Shotgun
July 16
Ladies Member Guest – 12:30 Shotgun
July 20
Wise Guys Tournament – COURSE CLOSED
July 22
Finally Friday - 5pm Shotgun - 9 Holes of Golf with 3 Course Dinner
July 23
LOPCC 4 Man Quota Points – 8am Shotgun
Jack Spittle Memorial Scholarship Fund
2016 Annual Scholarship Fund Application – (Pick Up in the Golf Shop)
Each year Lookout Point Country Club, in partnership with the Spittle family, awards no more than two academic
scholarships worth $5,000 in total. You qualify as an applicant if you are a full-time student accepted to
college/university, a member in good standing at Lookout Point Country Club, and an active member of your local
community.
You must include a letter of recommendation from a teacher/principal/guidance counselor at the institution in which
you are enrolled, a copy of your transcript, and a letter of intent outlining your community and athletic goals for the
season starting May 1st – August 1st.
We encourage applicants who meet the above criteria to complete and submit an application for scholarship
consideration. Applications must be returned to the Club, postmarked no later than August 15th to the attention of JJ
Alexander – Head Golf Professional. Finalists for the scholarship will be announced Monday, August 29th, 2016.