Skip Fumia
You may think the answer depends on whether or not you are a golfer and, in a way, you are right. In this article let’s address the golfing contingent of our community which is, roughly, 30% of you. Memberships in our four major golf associations (QCMGA, QCLGA, Desert Duffers and Lady Niners) total 875. Then add the members of the QC Golf Club (a non-association organized group) and those who golf without an affiliation and you have well over 1000 golfers. Plus we have the Couples’ Golf Association, the Veterans’ Golf Association and the Lady Putters (numbering over 200)! So how does the Green Committee serve the total golfing community at QC?
The Green Committee, in accordance with its charter, provides recommendations to the POA Board for the purpose of “promoting and enhancing the golfers’ enjoyment and satisfaction from use of the golf facilities.” The committee consists of nine voting members: five at-large members representing overall community golf interests (Chair Ralph Scafuri, Vice Chair and Course Subcommittee Chair Craig Parsons, Sales/Marketing/Pricing Subcommittee Chair Jack Galanti, Communications Chair Skip Fumia and Secretary Hal Haddock) and four association representatives (QCMGA President Tom Bruno, QCLGA President Rose Welliver, Desert Duffers President Frank Hewitt and Lady Niners President Marci Yenerich). The committee is supported by Joel Jaress (Head Golf Professional), J.R. Kies (Course Superintendent), Mark Giannonatti (Robson Golf Operations), Mike Taylor (General Manager) and Dreama Fumia (POA Board Representative). The committee meets the first Monday of each month at 1:30 p.m. in the Gold Room of the Madera Clubhouse; resident guests are always welcome.
As with many committees, much of the work is accomplished at the subcommittee level. The Course Subcommittee, led by Craig Parsons, includes J.R. Kies and Joel Jaress plus a number of residents (including Francie Walker, Dave Schutt (Adopt-a-Hole Program Lead), Bob Kuntz, Althea Critchlow and Russ Sipe) who meet monthly to review course conditions and make recommendations for correction or enhancements. J.R.’s crew is excellent, but they can’t notice everything. Subcommittee members may point out some overgrowth impeding cart path travel or depressed sprinkler heads or may just have a question. J.R. explains or takes notes for action.
The Sales/Marketing/Pricing Subcommittee, led by Jack Galanti, includes a small group of residents with some experience in marketing and pricing. This subcommittee begins their work in June of each year to form a pricing recommendation for Quail Creek golf to the Finance Committee. They do this by conducting market research in the local area to determine fair and reasonable rates for Quail Creek golf—from resident annuals, to playcards, to non-resident fees.
As Communications Subcommittee Chair, it is my job to get Green Committee information out to the community. A significant portion of this communication is achieved by our Secretary Hal Haddock when the approved meeting minutes are distributed to the associations and published on our HOA website (Board Room/Green Committee). Additionally, we distribute white papers regarding current topics to the associations by email and distribute them for community access via the HOA website. We seek input through surveys to the associations and publish articles in both the QC X-tra and the Quail Creek Crossing. Some recent topics of interest include the non overseeding of our greens and the re-configuration of Quail No. 4. Another communication tool we use is the bi-annual Open Forum event—an opportunity for residents to learn the latest golf course news and future plans from the Green Committee leadership and staff management. This year the Open Forums will be held in April and November; watch for What’s Happening announcements for details.
Keeping all this together is our Chair Ralph Scafuri. Ralph succeeded past Green Committee Chair Tim Phillips who ably served the committee and this community for six years. Ralph leads the Green Committee with a goal of providing the best course possible for the entire year. He’s begun publishing reminders of Green Committee meetings in What’s Happening at QC and the result has been more guest attendance and thus, more community input. He spearheaded the white papers and surveys, determined to cast a broad net for data to enable better recommendations to the POA Board regarding golf at Quail Creek.
Remember, all our committee members are volunteers who contribute significant time and energy toward their chartered goals. Please thank them when you have an opportunity.
Next month we’ll explore how the Green Committee services the non-golfing community at Quail Creek.