January 1, 2013
   
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FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER

Paul K. Levy, PGA
CEO & General Manager

Message from the General Manager
Well our first month of the season is behind us and I am pleased to report that use of the Club in most areas is up significantly, and we appreciate the support the Members are giving to the services offered.  Our annual Holiday La Festa and Toys for Tots event is coming up this Friday, December 7 and as always we ask that each Member bring a toy for the Marines who collect them for their annual toy drive.  We are grateful to our Members for supporting this worthy cause and are honored to be a part of their contributions to the needy children in our area. It is always one of our most popular Festas.  For information, CLICK HERE or scroll down to the Food and Beverage section below.

We are getting early season reports that the greens are faster than they have ever been for this early in the season thanks to Superintendent Rick Sall and his crew’s efforts.  CLICK HERE and see Rick's informative video of the speed of the greens.  Overall, we are very pleased with the course conditions and that means it should be an excellent year again for our Members to enjoy optimum playing conditions all season long!

I would like to thank the Members who hosted the Marines of 29 Palms on Thanksgiving Day.  We did get some news coverage, CLICK HERE to view the videos on our Member's website.  A special heartfelt thank you goes to Walt and Judy Van Benthuysen for spearheading and organizing this great annual event.  Walt and Judy are great people and they have been recognized by the Desert Sun.  CLICK HERE to view an article on Walt and Judy Van Benthuysen.

Happy Holidays to you and your family.  I know many of you are traveling back home; please have a safe and festive holiday season with family and friends.  We do have amended hours during Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year's Eve.  CLICK HERE for our Holiday Hours of Operation.

As always, please do not hesitate to call upon me if I may be of any service or with any input you have for our Club.  I may be reached at 760.404.1566 or via email at plevy@sunriseco.com.  Have a great season and remember, there is no place better to be than at Toscana!

Sincerely,

Paul K. Levy, PGA
General Manager & CEO

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DINING & EVENTS


Chae Collette
Director of Catering
and Social Events


Mark Rigano
Executive Chef and
Food & Beverage
Manager

Event Photos
Our event photos are on line...CLICK HERE to view the photos. If this is the first time on our events photosite called Pictage, you will need to register.  You cannot view photos without registering for first time users.  Register as a guest and then create your user name and password.  If  you are asked for an event key word, it is: golf.  Enjoy!




 

New Year's Celebration

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GOLF


Dave Craig, PGA
Director of Golf


Brad Graff
Head Golf Professional


Rick Sall
Vice President of
Golf Course Maintenance

 


Director of Golf, Dave Craig

Wow, what an amazing start of the season!  CLICK HERE for our tournament results and more.

Head Golf Pro, Brad Graff
Let’s unleash the power! We started the forward swing with the left knee. After the knee, allow the natural sequence to take over which is the left knee brings the hip which influences the shoulders and in turn, the shoulders bring the arms and club to the ball and into the balanced finish. Simply stated this is the sequence of the swing. It is this sequence which produces effortless power. As the lower body initiates the forward swing, we want the upper body to stay back and quiet until it is forced into action. Again this is necessary to produce effortless power. Why I tend to emphasize this sequence is to ensure proper impact. Proper impact is the result of having the body rotate and your arms swing in the order described above.

In conclusion, sequencing your movements helps you create what we all want out of our swing and that is distance and accuracy. Until next time!

Fairways & Greens


Updates from Rick Sall

This year the overseeding process went very smoothly and the combination of warm days and cool nights produced a really nice stand of ryegrass on the courses.  On the greens, we used our standard combination of ryegrass and Poa trivialis.  We opened the courses mowing greens at .100 and the grass was only 26 days old!!  Last year, we tried to keep the distance of the greens at 10.5-11.0 feet as measured on the stimpmeter.  We have both very small, and very undulating greens here at Toscana, and will try to keep our ball roll distances consistent across all the greens.  We acquired new rollers last year and have found no deleterious effects when rolling up to 4 times per week.  The weather has been so good this year that we are already lowering the mowers to .090 and the rolling program is really paying off with increased early season ball roll distances.  Lower mowing, increased rolling, and “faster” greens will mean more ball marks and we need your help in that regard.  Please fix any marks you make (or see) and this will help us greatly in keeping the greens in good condition.  We actually place seed in old ball marks on a regular basis, but this takes about 2 weeks for a mark to heal.  We are going to make our ball roll distance goal 11.0 – 11.5 this season using all the tools at our disposal.  CLICK HERE to view Rick Sall’s and Dave Craig’s documentary on the stimpmeter.  Grab a cool one and a snack, it’s a long one folks!  Thank you for your help in keeping the greens at Toscana consistent and smooth!

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GOLF SHOP


Olivia Travis
Director of Merchandising



CLICK HERE  and see what we have for you!

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MEMBERSHIP


Crista Collins
Membership Director


Wonderful Warm Welcome
Wow, what an absolutely stunning response from everyone! I am so pleased to be at Toscana Country Club and thrilled to be your NEW Membership Director.   I am encouraged by the warm welcome and thoughtful conversations I have had with many of you. I am enjoying every minute, from the Opening Party to New Member Orientations to Cycle Fun Friday and to our first Cocktail Connection this past week!

I am thrilled about the opportunity to serve you and be a resource for you.  You are welcome to stop by my office in the Sports Club at any time.  My door is always open!  Thank you again for making me feel so welcome.

Here’s to making the most of your Toscana Membership this season and always! 

Please welcome our new Members:


Don & Sue Powell - Resident Golf
Carbondale, Colorado

Alfred & Christine Johnson – Resident Sports
Staten Island, New York

Daniel & Brooke Koehler – Resident Sports
San Diego, California

Carl & Kathy Parmer – Preview Sports
Indian Wells, California

Michael & Peggy Berk – Preview Sports
La Quinta, California 

Harvey & Eve Katofsky – Preview Sports
Rancho Mirage, California

For more information regarding Memberships, or to refer a friend, please contact Crista Collins, Membership Director at 760.404.1592. or ccollins@toscanacc.com.

Notary Service
This is a friendly reminder that we offer complimentary Notary service Monday through Friday from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.  To make an appointment or if you have any questions, please contact Olivia Valdez at 760.404.1580  or ovaldez@toscanacc.com

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SPA BELLA VITA


Jennifer DiFrancesco
Spa & Sports Club Director


Toscana Spa and Sports Club is featuring an art based class each month starting in December.  December’s class is called “Collage Your Life”.  Collage is a fine art of paper, color, texture and imagination.  It is the blending of the past with the present in a futuristic way.  We encourage Members to bring an item of memorabilia that can be combined with a work of art that each Member will create.  This can be one of the following; art reproductions, photos, sentimental greeting cards, ticket stubs, stamps or anything else that can be thought of. This class will be held Tuesday, December 18 from 2:00pm – 5:00pm.  We hope to see you at this event.  Tapping into the artistic, creative side of life is an area that serves as therapy just as significant as the therapy that we receive from a great massage.  Take time to explore your artistic side.

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SPORTS CLUB


Jennifer DiFrancesco
Spa & Sports Club Director


Sport Club News
The first hike of season on November 26 welcomed 24 Toscana Members who hiked 3 miles to Coral Mountain.  Over half of the Members who attended were having a first time hiking experience with the Club.  It was a great turnout!  We hope to see you for the next hike on Monday, December 10 which is from Palm Springs Tram to Round Valley.   As John Muir said, “In every walk with nature if one chooses, he receives more than he seeks.”

The volleyball debut event featuring local players including our designated Toscana volleyball coach, Caerwyn Evans was a great success.  We have witnessed families reserving the volleyball venue for their own playtime and it has been a nice family activity to witness.  Our first official volleyball clinic where Members can participate and learn the skills of the game while performing drills is on Friday, December 7 at 9:00am.  In addition to this scheduled clinic, any Member is welcome to convene at the volleyball venue on Fridays after “Cycle Fun Friday”.  Don’t forget, cycling is at 3:00pm and volleyball is at 4:00pm.  In the month of January, there will be more volleyball clinics to learn the basics. 

On December 5 at 4:00pm don’t miss a captivating wellness speaker in the Sports Club; Michele Hebert.  Michele regularly teaches yoga and other workshops at a destination spa called Rancho La Puerta and we are so pleased to have her at the Club as a wellness speaker and then the next day on December 6 as yoga instructor for our full day fall retreat.  Michelle will be featuring her book “The Tenth Door” which is a journey from Cleveland to San Francisco, to four years in the jungles of El Salvador.  Michelle will offer a book signing at the wellness event on December 5.

CLICK HERE for the Group Exercise and Outdoor Adventure Class Schedule for December. 

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TENNIS


Dennis Killelea
Director of Tennis


Play the Clay
Want to play tennis and feel like you've just taken a walk in the park?  Well, take a stroll down to the Clay court and hit a few balls.  Unlike hitting on a Hard court, the Clay is much more forgiving and very low impact on the body (knees and hips).  The synthetic surface also offers a much slower playing surface, which gives you more time to get to the ball.  Much more forgiving, the Clay court is a great way to get back into tennis after a long layoff, and is suitable for all levels of players.  Whether you are an advanced player or a beginner, the Clay offers you a challenge that is easy to meet, and a lot of fun while you're getting a gentle workout on your body.  Give it a try, I think you'll enjoy it!

That's 10s! 

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OTHER NEWS


Gabe Griswold
Locker Room Manager


From the Locker Rooms
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend with their loved ones. As a reminder, if you get thirsty or hungry on the golf course, please call the Men’s Locker Room and let us know what hole you are on, and we will bring it right out to you.

Gentlemen, if you enjoy playing gin, try to earn the title of “Carta di Campione” this season. Stating on Wednesday January 9th, we will be hosting a gin tournament in the Men’s Card Room. For more details, please contact Gabe Griswold at 760.404.1579 or at ggriswold@toscanacc.com.


Scholarship Recipient - Yanett Cortez
I was born in Indio, California. I am 18 years old. I have lived my whole life in the Coachella Valley.  I attended Palm Desert High School, and graduated in 2012, with a 3.63 GPA.

I volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club of La Quinta during my summers before my freshman, and sophomore year. There I helped children in the reading programs and helped with everything I could. With lunch services, being supervisor during computer lab hours, and putting together different activities for the kids to do. The summer of 2010,I participated in the rebuilding of a park in indio, and painting a new mural in that park with the boys and girls club. During both summers I was secretary of the Key Club at the boys and girls club.  I volunteered at my church, Saint Francis of Assisi my junior year. At my church we also did fundraisers and put on carnivals for the kids and families. I played Water Polo for Palm Desert High School my sophomore and senior year. I played club polo with the Scorpions team the summer before my junior and senior year. 

I received the Youth of the Year Award at the Boys and Girls Club of La Quinta 2010-2011. I received Student of the Month at Palm Desert High School my junior year in December 2010.

Hobbies/Special interests: I enjoy reading, painting, singing and exercising. I love playing water polo. My favorite subjects in school are English, government and art.            

As a person, my best attribute is my ability to put myself out there and communicate and connect with other people. I believe it helps me when working with people i don't know, which is what I do every day. 

I am now attending College of the Desert. There I will complete my general education classes, and transfer to a four year university. My dream school is UC Santa Barbara.

I am pursuing a major in Communications. I would like to double major with marketing, and perhaps pursue a minor in art. I would like to specialize in public relations, and mass media. My dream is to open my own Public relations firm, and represent professional athletes. 

 

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