Things seem to be returning to some sort of normalcy. The Ladies Holiday Lunch is back; the tree lighting is coming up; and there is a Santa Brunch to look forward to. The holidays are upon us! 

As further evidence of the members’ pride in their Club, the member refinance package was fully subscribed even before the November 4 deadline! Thank you for your support. The lawyers are making sure that everything is in order and that we will meet the December 15 deadline.  

This month we bid farewell to our long-time friend and Director of Golf Brion Lubach. Brion has been a constant around the Clubhouse for more years than many of us have been members. For Gordy and me as prospective members, he was our first point of contact. I suspect that may be true for others, as well. We appreciate Brion’s dedication to Useless Bay and wish him well in his future endeavors. He will be here until December 31, so please stop by to wish him well. 

Some of you may not be familiar with the background of our new Head Golf Professional, Andrew Ellis, who will assume the position on January 1. Andrew has an Associate Degree in Golf Management. He came to Useless Bay in 2014 as the Assistant Golf Professional after having worked as a golf shop assistant at Fircrest Golf Club. In 2019, Andrew attained the certification of PGA Head Golf Professional and continued to work under Brion to manage daily golf operations, club fitting, and teaching, among many other duties. We are pleased that Andrew will be leading our golf operations. Please stop by the Golf Shop to say hello to him.

I would like to acknowledge and thank task force members Jerry Campo, Mary Gurry, Ted King, Eddie Mulcahy, Dean Olmstead, Jan Tepper, and Jason Younsgman for their significant time and effort in the process of this Golf Shop transition.

As another year draws to an end and I reflect on our good fortune, I am moved by the uniqueness of the UBG&CC community. I don’t think that many other clubs enjoy the level of comradery, volunteerism, inclusiveness, and warm atmosphere that we experience here every day. I suspect that is part of the reason that this year we have enjoyed an uptick in membership and member retention. Also responsible is the effort of our staff to make our experience while at the Club a pleasant one. Please remember them at the holidays, wish them well, and if you are so moved, let Jacque Baldwin know you want to contribute to the staff holiday bonus. 

Happy holidays to our Useless Bay extended family. May you and yours enjoy the magic of the season. 

Warm regards, 

Toni Anderson