Message from the General Manager
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Cart Crossings on Via Toscana
With the holiday weekend approacing, we’d like to remind you to be alert and cautious as you cross Via Toscana at each of the four cart crossing locations (1S to 2S, 8S to 9S, 1N to 2N, 8N to 9N). Please come to a full stop at the stop sign on the cart path before entering Via Toscana and look for approaching vehicles. Make a full stop again at the stop sign in the Via Toscana median and look for approaching vehicles. Remember that vehicles on Via Toscana have the right-of-way; they are not required to stop at the cart crossings. Please do not be negligent—it is your responsibility as a golf cart driver to cross Via Toscana safely and avoid any possibility of an accident.

Member Challenge
Our TCC Board Members have challenged our Members to help us sell an additional 50 home sites in order to start the construction of the last 8 holes. So far to date, we have 18 more home sites to go!

Just a Quick Reminder
If you are having difficulty viewing these newsletters, please click on the online version.  The online version link is located above the Toscana Gazzetta Header.  Also, make sure you click on all the links throughout the Gazzetta as several of them provide you the details on many of the exciting events and happenings that are coming up this month and next.

As always, please let me know if any of the staff or I can be of assistance to you in any way. I can be reached at plevy@sunriseco.com or at 760.404.1566. Enjoy the best time of year to be at Toscana!    

Sincerely,

Paul K. Levy, PGA
General Manager & CEO

Chae Collette
Director of Catering
and Social Events


 

Mark Rigano
Executive Chef and
Food & Beverage
Manager

Kick off Easter Weekend at Toscana with a Movie in the Garden
Friday, April 18 at dusk
This complimentary event will begin as soon as it gets dark. Join us in the Garden Terrace. The movie "Up" from Pixar will be played and you and your little ones can enjoy the fun adventures with Carl and Russell, the main characters of the movie. Please register online or contact the Club Concierge at 760.404.1444 or tccconcierge@toscanacc.com. Seating will be on a first come first serve basis. Hope to see you there!

Fishing and Family Fun Day
Saturday, April 19 from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
This is a complimentary event for the whole family. Join us by the lake on Via Pisa. Fishing poles and bait will be provided. It will be a hot day and the fish may not be biting as much as previous fishing events so we have added a waterslide, bounce house, carnival ride and fun house to keep the little ones busy. Food & beverages may be purchased at the Den. So we may better prepare for this day, please register online and let us know you are planning to attend or contact the Club Concierge at 760.404.1444 or tccconcierge@toscanacc.com. Don’t forget the sunscreen!

BBQ and Concert in the Garden
Saturday, April 19 from 6:00 - 10:00 pm
Bring the family and feast on Chef Rigano's scrumptious barbeque and enjoy the fabulous live music of Night Shift from Citrus College! $40++ Adults and $20++ Kids 5-12 years of age. Kids under 5 are complimentary! Register online or contact the Club Concierge at 760.404.1444 or tccconcierge@toscanacc.com. BBQ to be served from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. Smaller groups will be joined with other Members.

Easter Sunday
9:15 - 11:00 am
Fun for kids of all ages. Join us at the chipping practice area for face painting, caricature, balloons and pony rides. Egg Hunt starts at 9:30 am!

Easter Brunch
Seating begins at 9:30 am.
Chef and his team are cooking up a storm for Easter! This is a popular event! We only have seating available at 1:00 pm so please make your reservation now with the Club Concierge at 760.404.1444 or tccconcierge@toscanacc.com. $45++ Adult and $20++ Kids 5-12 years of age. Kids under 5 years old are complimentary!

Easter Family Photo & Member Directory Photo Day 
Easter Sunday from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm in the breezeway entrance of the Garden Terrace.  All Members, please plan to have your professional family photo and updated Member Directory photo taken on Easter Sunday.  Member photos will be used for next season's Member Directory.  The photos will also be available for viewing online and are made available for purchase should you wish to receive digital files or hard copy prints.  

Toscana Employee Scholarship Fundathon
April 25 at 6:00 pm
Please join us for the 2014 Scholarship Foundation’s Show and Fundathon! Enjoy a delectable dinner buffet and hosted bar at Club Villa. The dinner buffet will be served in the Event Tent from 6:00 - 7:45 pm (arrival time is between 6:00 - 7:00 pm for the buffet). Seating will be in Il Forno, Covered Patio and Event Tent. At 8:00 pm the Jersey Boys Tribute Show, Fundathon and Chef’s Auction will be held in the Garden Terrace. Seating requests will be accepted and tables can accommodate up to 10 to a table. Theatre style seating for the tribute show will be open seating outdoors in the Garden Terrace.

Fundathon After Party
The party doesn’t stop there, folks! Come join us at the After Party in the Men’s Grill for a tantalizing dessert reveal and fun dancing with DJ Michael Capp immediately after the Jersey Boys Tribute Show. This event is filling up so don’t wait until the last minute to sign up! Register online or contact the Club Concierge at 760.404.1444 or tccconcierge@toscanacc.com.
Event fee is $160++ per person.

Dave Craig, PGA
Director of Golf

Brad Graff
Head Golf Professional

Bill Harmon
Director of Instruction

Pam Vincent
Merchandiser
 

Director of Golf, Dave Craig          
Congratulations to our newly crowned 2014 Member/Member Champions! CLICK HERE for the details.
 
Head Golf Pro, Brad Graff - The Basics
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Director of Instruction, Bill Harmon
CLICK HERE for access to Bill's Toscana Country Club webpage and updates on schools, players and events!

Pam Vincent, Merchandiser
Thank You for Your Donation
Thank you to everyone who donated shirts to the Golf Shirt Trade –In Event.  The shirts collected during this promotion were delivered to the Narrow Door. The Narrow Door is a non-profit organization in Palm Desert, which is an almost exclusively volunteer driven movement, partnering with individuals, churches and government agencies to bring nourishment and hope to those hopeless or struggling to make ends meet. They deliver prepared food to homeless, along with clothing, toiletries and clean bedding as they acquire donations. It is beyond a charitable “hand out” that offers encouragement as well as hope for a brighter future. The Narrow Door serves 3,000 to 6,000 people each month. They were very grateful and appreciated our donation very much! Thank you, again.

Ladies Trunk Show

Ladies mark your calendar for another great Trunk Show on Thursday, April 17th from 1:00 – 4:00 pm in the Ladies Locker Room. Our guest this month is Icon Shoes and Handbags. CLICK HERE for a look!

Easter Sale
Easter is fast approaching on Sunday, April 20th. Pick an egg and save on all apparel and accessories in the Golf Shop. Discounts will be hidden in each egg. Our Easter Sale will be all day from 7:00 am - 6:00 pm. For those of you who still have sweeps to spend, this is a good time to stock up for summer and for where your travels may take you!

If there is anything we can do for you, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 760.404.1457 or pvincent@toscanacc.com.

Rick Sall
Vice President of Golf Course Maintenance

The Latest From the Golf Course
We have now changed our focus from maintaining a predominant ryegrass stand to a blend of ryegrass and Bermuda as we enter the transitional period of late spring. This is usually done in May, but the fantastic weather has allowed the Bermuda to awaken and begin to grow. We have lowered the height in the rough (our largest turf areas) to 1” to allow more light into the turf canopy and increase the soil temperature. We have used the Planet-Aire to slice greens one time and another operation is planned for this week. We mow, slice, roll, and find no disruption to the putting quality with this procedure. The greens are now at 40-50% Bermuda and the coverage is very consistent. The warm nights are really helping to spur on the transition this year. We are also eliminating seed from the divot mix and will just use sand to repair divots. The Bermuda will fill in the divots from the stolons under and around the area. We also have been edging and checking all valve boxes to make sure that we don’t have any major bee colonies try to make a new home. The bees are swarming this time of year and you may see them in large numbers in trees on occasion. The best policy is to leave them alone and they will move on to another less exposed location. We check our valve boxes often and have not encountered any bee colonies so far this year. We will once again be having the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District treat for fire ants this year. The treatment last year worked very well and we have only had to spot treat a few times for ants this season.

Crista Collins
Membership Director

Member Directory Photo Request & Photo Day
We will soon be starting on the next version of the Member Directory for next season.  We ask that all Members have a current professionally taken or “professional looking” photo for next Directory update.  If you have a current photo please submit the photograph to the Membership Office either in person or email to ccollins@toscanacc.com. If you do not have an updated photo to submit, we will be having Toscana Photo Day on Easter Sunday from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm in the breezeway entrance of the Garden Terrace. Member photos will be used for next season's Member Directory. You also have the option to have a family photo taken on Easter.  Photos will be available for viewing online and are also made available for purchase should you wish to receive digital files or hard copy prints. 

Connecting with Recent New Members
If you are searching for a new Member who has recently joined Toscana and cannot locate them in your hard copy Members Directory, the most current Member roster can always be found on the Toscana website within "Membership" in the main menu. Select "Member Central" in the drop down menu and then "Roster." On your mobile device, this can be found under "Member’s Only" and then select "Roster". CLICK HERE for a direct link.

Quick Reference Guide
As we approach the holiday weekend and enjoy the last few weeks of the season, please be reminded of our Club rules, especially as you invite friends and relatives to Toscana to enjoy the upcoming activities and events in April and May. CLICK HERE to download our Toscana Reference Guide for at-a-glance information about hours of operation, attire, golf, etc. As always, the complete Rules and Regulations are printed in the current Toscana Member Directory or CLICK HERE to view the Rules & Regulations and other Club documents on the Toscana website.

Questions?
If you have any questions regarding membership, or if we can enhance your membership experience in any way, please contact Crista Collins, Membership Director at 760.404.1592 or ccollins@toscanacc.com. Visit the Membership Office in the Sports Club. Members and guests are always welcome! 

Jennifer DiFrancesco
Spa & Sports Club Director

Spa Champagne Party
On Wednesday, April 9th the Spa Bella Vita devoted the Spa Champagne Party to providing services, products and special offers to male Members who showed interest in learning about the Spa. There were many male oriented services and offerings at this event that made for a great time. Below were some of our "Spa men" who attended. Mr. Block enjoyed a "Man-icure" and Mrs. Palmisano challenged her nephew, Anthony, to a game of quick shot basketball at the Spa party. All things masculine, pastimes were part of this male pampering event.


Our last Spa Champagne Party of the season is Tuesday, May 6th at 4:00 pm. At this party all remaining merchandise in Spa Bella Vita will be at final markdown. There will also be additional festivities with a roulette wheel with added gifts and prizes for purchasing our final items left in stock with the roll of the wheel! 

Fitness Highlights & Achievements
It has been a great season of fitness highlights and achievements, new Member friendships and solid foundations formed along the way. I see so many motivating experiences that Members have during each of our Sports related activities throughout season. From a Wellness Challenge with participants raising their EQ (emotional quotient) and reaching a higher state of positive optimism, to a book read, called "Before Happiness," to hiking Havasupai in the Grand Canyon and feeling the accomplishment of a day long hike. Members reaching a goal of cycling in the Tour De Palm Springs or running through the finish line at the President’s Day Dog Jog. Truly inspiring moments and Members are at Toscana!

Upcoming Events
We still have a handful of future experiences to be savored! CLICK HERE for details.  The legendary Bike to the Beach day where Members can ride 25 or 50 miles on a devoted bike path, have a picnic at the beach and participate in team activities awaits. A picture of this spirited event is below. Last year Members broke out into teams and wrote a song from a legendary TV show tune of the past. Teams re-crafted the song to be inspired by our Cycling Club. Gilligan’s Island won (written by Rod and Sally Munro, Anna Dielwart and Patti Gordon) and will be sung by the Sports Club staff this season for all Members at this event!

We also look forward to the many memories to come during the Zion Hiking trip April 28th to May 2nd. An additional event with space still available is the Solvang Cycling Excursion, which is May 6th to May 9th. This cycling trip allows Members a wonderful time in a Danish themed town with great wineries, restaurants and cycling. On the way back home we will stay one night in historic Pasadena at the Langham Resort and will visit The Huntington Library. This stop unveils beautiful gardens from around the world that are surely not to be missed! If any Member simply wants to partake in the Pasadena portion of the trip and join us for the gardens and culture, arrangements can be made. Below is a picture of the beauty of this portion of the trip at Huntington Library in Pasadena.

Randy Houston
Tennis Instructor

May Day Sale
The Sports Club will have a May Day Sale on Thursday, May 1st where all merchandise will have final markdown discounts to clear tennis and cycling retail for the end of season. We look forward to having you join us for many unbeatable prices on merchandise.

Ladies' Guest Day
We look forward to seeing all Members for the final tennis event of the season on May 1st as well at 8:30 am. This is a Ladies Guest Day Round Robin. These events we have had during the season have been well attended with great prizes and gifts. Please bring a guest and enjoy some tennis and social time.

Thank You to Randy Houston
A warm thanks to Randy Houston who will be providing tennis clinics until the end of April. In May, Monday clinics conclude. Randy has been a wonderful support to our tennis program providing fantastic lessons and weekly clinics! There is still time to join Randy in April for a great Monday clinic at 8:30 or 9:30 am. We thank Randy for all of his support.

Gabe Griswold
Locker Room Manager

Leslie Benjamin
Office Manager

From the Locker Rooms
It’s hard to believe that we are already in the middle of April. With that said, I wanted to remind everyone of our shuttle service we offer in the Locker Rooms. Please make all shuttle requests AT LEAST 48 hours in advance. The earlier you make the reservation, the better chance we can properly schedule the staff needed to accommodate your request.

If you have any last minute dry cleaning that you need done before leaving for the summer, please stop by the Locker Room and we will take of it for you. The usual turnaround time is two days, but can be quicker if needed.

If there is anything I can help you with, please do not hesitate to contact me at 760.404.1579 or at ggriswold@toscanacc.com.

Employee of the Month
We are pleased to announce Tucker Campbell, from our Golf Department as the April 2014 Employee of the Month! Tucker is a Colorado native raised in Steamboat Springs. He attended the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs graduating Cum Laude with a degree in Marketing and emphasis in Professional Golf Management. As a part of the program, he completed internships at Catamount Ranch and Club in Steamboat Springs, Crosswater Club in Sunriver, Oregon and Pebble Beach Golf Resorts. As a PGA member, Tucker is employed seasonally at both the Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen, Colorado as an Assistant Golf Professional as well as the Tournament Director at Toscana Country Club. Outside of working, Tucker enjoys camping, hiking and a variety of sports. Congratulations Tucker!

Notary Service
This is a friendly reminder that we offer complimentary Notary Service Monday through Friday from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm by appointment only. To make an appointment or if you have any questions, please contact Leslie Benjamin at 760.404.1568 or lbenjamin@toscanacc.com.

Scholarship Recipient
Mitch Link
Ever since I was a child, I can remember being fascinated by the night sky. Lying outside, I would gaze upwards, wondering how many stars there were and what they were made of, or searching with my Dad for the faint light of tiny satellites hurtling around the planet. My first telescope, oblivious to its own shortcomings, turned a speck of light into a set of rings wrapped around a massive planet thousands of miles away; it seemed so frail, a tiny smudge of light amongst many others. When I was seven, I stood in the street outside my house just after dusk, watching in awe as the Hale-Bopp comet rocketed by with it's icy tail streaking across the sky after it. And a year later I sat a movie theater watching Deep Impact, petrified with fear, convinced that an asteroid really was going to destroy the Earth; to this day I can’t think of a movie that has frightened me more!

At that age, these things were less real to me than my favorite Pokémon. I was always interested in science, however, and won 1st place in the only science fair my school held. When I was a bit older, I went to see where my uncle works, Fermilab, with their particle accelerator. As interesting as everything was, the true nature and magnitude of the research being done there was beyond my comprehension. My interest in the universe has only peaked recently. I started reading current event articles on astronomy, physics and cosmology and was pleased to discover that the ideas being conveyed seemed to make sense to me. While the math behind it eluded me, I enjoyed the mental challenge of trying to wrap my mind around the abstract concepts and ideas used to describe the processes taking place within, around, and vast distances from me. I had always known these things had a system to them, but it wasn’t until I explored them deeper that the harmony and beauty not visible from the surface began to reveal itself.

I have found that my nascent delving into these fields have helped open my mind towards life (both conscious and otherwise), humanity, the complexity of the natural world, and many other things that never occurred to me before. Outside of these interests, I also did fencing for around seven years, only stopping recently due to a lack of free time. I started with Foil in 2006, and within a year found that I most enjoyed fencing Épée, which my coach told me was the most mentally-demanding of the three; “like chess at 100 mph,” she would describe it. At one time, I was ranked 7th out of approximately 50 other fencers of all ages for my region. I hope to resume this hobby in the near future as I greatly enjoy it!