2017: Year in Review

2017 brought Westborough many memories and laughs along with 61 new members, 5 new Club events, 3 new ways to find us on social media, and even a new sport! 

Events

In 2017, WCC added several new events including Big Band Night, Yappy Hour, and Dueling Piano Night! One of the member and staff favorites had to be the Concert on the Course! In August, members jammed out to the sounds of Funky Butt Brass Band on the 12th tee while enjoying street fare food prepared by Chef Craig and his team. Through the Club’s annual survey, a member shared that they “loved the Concert on the Course… [it was] such [a] great addition this year!” The 12^th tee wasn’t the only place rocking out this year! This past summer, WCC added live music nights on the pool patio and they were a hit! Events Director, Caitlin Johnson, echos this saying “any of the events that involve live music are my favorite. I’m a huge fan of seeing concerts and shows, so to be able to be a part of the planning process is most fun for me… plus, it’s always great to see our members enjoying it as well!”

Overall, 2017 brought WCC an increase in attendance for all of our major club events. This could be attributed to WCC’s “’thinking outside the box’ approach to social events” that a member emphasized that they appreciate about Westborough. Caitlin believes that WCC is “very fortunate to have such an active membership that supports all of our different events!”

Aesthetically, WCC has also made exciting changes this past year, investing in new banquet chairs and new paint in the Glen Oak ballroom. According to Caitlin, both of these changes give a nice, neutral look to the ballroom that makes it easy to match any color scheme for private and Club events.

In 2018, be on the lookout for more music coming your way! Caitlin is looking forward to incorporating more live entertainment to existing events and even creating new events revolving around live entertainment.

            Dining

In 2017, WCC launched the Fresh is Best concept, focusing on healthier and fresher dining options. Director of Food & Beverage, Dan Rolf, attributes WCC’s increase in food and beverage revenues to the launch of the new concept. The members appear to agree, sharing that they have been “very pleased with the variety of menu items over the past year” and that they “feel like the quality and choice of food have improved greatly.” 2017 was also the second year for WCC’s Candle Light Dinner featuring an extravagant dinner buffet and the sounds of the Webster Groves High School Choir. Following the lead of many other WCC events in 2017, this event’s attendance also jumped in its second year!

In 2018, prepare to be WOW-ed by Chef Craig, his team, and food & beverage staff for the Prisoner Wine Dinner on January 25^th. It will be an evening of delectable wine and food and one of the events that Dan is most looking forward to in 2018!

Golf

In 2017, members asked and WCC listened. There was substantial improvement of the conditioning of the golf course including re-leveling 8 tee boxes! Our members could tell—sharing that “the greens and fairways were spectacular this year!”

In 2018, Course & Grounds Superintendent, Tim Allen, and his crew are continuing to improve upon the golf course with many of these projects already underway! They are working on the restoration and beautification of the creek, the replacement of the bridge on the back 9, trimming trees in order to improve the grass and health of trees, and opening new tees. All of these projects will ultimately improve the overall playability of WCC’s beloved course.

             Tennis

2017 brought a new sport to WCC—Pickleball. Pickleball is one of America’s fastest growing sports and dubbed “a game for everyone,” and we can see why! According to Tennis Director, Karim Madatali, Pickleball was “warmly received” at WCC. Karim notes that both tennis players and non-tennis players at Westborough have enjoyed the game and have participated in both the clinics and “friendly” tournaments this past Fall. In addition to this growing new pastime, three new events were added to the tennis program in 2017 including: the All Club Adult Tournament, The Member/Guest Tournament, and the Adult Singles League--all of which “generated a lot of excitement” adds Karim.

According to Karim, the tennis season started off with a bang with the Pro Am Tournament, featuring high-quality points and dazzling shot-making! In addition, Volleys and Cocktails on Friday evenings continued to be well-attended during the summer months. Closing the season out were 3 member-favorite tournaments in August: Parent/Child, Adult Singles Club Championships, and Adult Doubles Club Championships.

In 2018, Karim is looking forward to a summer full of leagues, clinics, and tournaments! “I love to see the members having fun and improving their games!” Karim concludes.

Fitness

In 2017, the Fitness Center “was happy to promote healthy and active lifestyles and encourage members in reaching their goals,” shared Fitness Director, Jennifer Kates. The Fitness Center did just that, as they had a record number of participants for their health & fitness challenge, the Westborough Walkabout. The Fitness Center puts on this 6-week competition every Fall aiming to encourage members to engage in physical activity and attempt to get motivated right before the holiday season hits. In teams of 3, members accumulate minutes of exercise each week, along with performing various challenges along the way. This past year, they had 51 members competing for first place! “We saw some incredible feats last year, including lightning fast mile times, incredible distance broad jumps, impressive accumulations of sit-ups in a minute, and many more!” Jennifer reports. Members shared how much they loved the event as well adding that, “the Walkabout contest [was] a great idea!”

One of Jennifer’s main highlights of 2017 were the seasonal hikes that are hosted by the Fitness Center taking place each Fall and Spring. According to Jennifer, these hikes are a great way for members to meet other members. This past year, they did a 7-mile hike in May at Rockwoods Reservations and a 6.5-mile hike in October at Don Robinson State Park. “I really enjoy the time of year that we plan these, the changing of the leaves makes for a gorgeous view, and the springtime air is always so fresh and nice to be a part of after a cold Winter!”

In 2018, Jennifer is excited for their upcoming Spring hike, although the location has yet to be decided. Jennifer also remarks that she, “look[s] forward to more accomplishments this year!”

Overall, WCC had a very exciting year on all fronts. General Manager, Jim Capek, shares that one of his highlights of 2017 was the Club’s Master Plan presentation, detailing all the changes to be made to the Club in the coming years. As for now, members shared that, “we are clearly going in the right direction!”