By Marc DeWall
It is hard to believe we are already beginning a new year as I am not sure where the past year has gone, especially the last six months serving in my new role as General Manager! Time has gone by quickly and I would like to thank so many of you who have warmly congratulated me on my new position or have offered kind and supportive comments. It truly has been touching for me and something that I appreciate very much.
2018 certainly was a year of growth and change at The Club. As many of you have experienced, we have had a number of new events and happenings which you will see highlighted in the Year-in-Pictures-Review. Although we have many event photos featured in our review, there were many golf, tennis, pickleball, fitness and outfitter events, as well as holiday pool parties and wine dinners, that were too numerous to include. Club participation is at a high and has grown not only due to new members joining the Club, but our existing members who have finalized building their homes and are now living here.
Along with growth, the Club has had many changes in some of the key leadership roles. Jeff Eldridge was hired as the new Director of Agronomy in July and has done an outstanding job with golf course conditions. Daren Johnson became the new Director of Golf in September and has worked to get the professional staff out into all aspects of the operation. Joe De Luna was hired as the new Director of Tennis in December. Veronica Harz was promoted to Equestrian Manager in August and the comments from our boarders have been extremely positive. I am really excited about the team we have in place moving forward, all of whom are committed to providing a great and memorable experience when you come to the Club.
We are continuing to create new events and unique programming that we believe our Members will be excited to participate in and enjoy. Check out these new, fun events currently being planned for the upcoming months in 2019:
• Daddy-Daughter Dance
• Interactive Animal Dinner
• Grape Stomp
• Summer Concert on the Range
• Dive-In Movies at the Pool
• Kentucky Derby event
• Grandparents Weekend event
• Fredericksburg Wine Trip
Looking ahead, we have so much to look forward to in 2019. The Lodges at Cordillera Ranch are scheduled for a summer opening and will be great for our members who would like a place to stay while coming back for the weekend or utilize for guests who are coming into town. Graham House will serve as the Clubhouse and Lodging Manager and Brianna Botine will be the Lodging Concierge. We are very excited about this new opportunity for our members and how it will enhance your lifestyle here on the Ranch. The Golf Performance Center is also under construction on the west end of the Practice Park and will be a great addition to the golf experience here at the Club. This state-of-the art facility will have two indoor hitting bays with all of the latest technology in golf instruction. Director of Instruction, Bryan Gathright, is developing an instructional program for golfers of all ages and abilities. You also will see changes taking place in the Fitness Center. Our new PreCor Fitness Equipment is scheduled to arrive soon, as well as new flooring.
As you can see, we have many great things taking place and hope you will continue to utilize all of the facilities and assets the Club has to offer. On behalf of the entire Club team, we wish all of you a very Happy and Blessed New Year!
Marc DeWall, PGA, is the General Manager of The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch. He can be reached at mdewall@cordilleraranch.com or 830.336.9000.
