News

The Stevens family—husband Jeff, wife Amy, and children Jessica and Nathan—joined Egypt Valley back in 2006. The family, who were all born and raised in the Grand Rapids area, all have different connections and involvement with the Club.

Graduates of Forest Hills Northern High School, Jess and Nathan enjoyed the tennis program at Egypt Valley while growing up. All of their practice and involvement led to them both playing the sport in middle school and Jess all throughout high school.

“The kids also participated in the Junior Golf program,” Amy said. “However, Nate spent most of his time catching new pets he wanted to bring home. Little did he know that frogs, snakes and voles are not approved pets!”

Now that the family is older, they enjoy golfing together and appreciate how beautiful the courses at Egypt Valley are.

“We are big fans of the wine dinners and have missed only a few since joining!” said Amy, who has recently taken on the role of Treasurer for the Ladies’ Golf Association at the Club. “I’m really looking forward to helping to plan the next season of ladies golf at the Club!”

When the family isn’t on the golf course, they can often be found enjoying the atmosphere of the beautiful outdoor patio.

“We can’t think of a better place to visit with friends and share golf stories than here,” Amy said. “We really love the club, staff and the membership at EVCC!”

If you see the Stevens family around the Club, be sure to say, “Hello!”
 

On September 25, we’ll be hosting our annual meeting in the small ballroom at 6 p.m. This will be a great opportunity to get up to speed on all of the Club’s dealings, as we’ll have brief updates from our Membership, Junior Activities, House, Golf, Heritage, Greens and Finance Committees. In addition, Kyle Lundy will provide a GM report and there will be an open forum for comments and questions from members. Please consider attending the annual meeting, or if you are unable, submitting your proxy to the Club ahead of time.

As many of you probably read in Jeff’s most recent report to the membership, we had quite a bit of storm damage on the property a few weeks ago. With over 70 trees damaged, significant work remains in cleaning up the downed trees and brush from the storm. Many of our seasonal employees had already left for the season when the storm hit, so our full-time staff is left to maintain the courses, while also cleaning up the debris; our hope is to have all of the cleanup work completed in the next few weeks. The good news is our recent investment in a new generator that powers the entire facility was able to pay dividends, as many in the area were without power for several days, but the Club was able to be open and fully operational following the storm.

The end of the season is always a time when capital projects are being undertaken in order to be ready for the next year. This fall is no different, with some paving work expected, as well as our pump house renovation scheduled for late October and our driving range renovation project hopefully wrapping up by September 22 to allow for grass to begin growing in for next season. The irrigation on the landing area and the seeding of the range teeing area were both completed mid-September, with finish grading and seeding being done on the landing areas by late September—assuming the weather cooperates. Overall, this will put us about two weeks behind our original timeline, due to several rain delays. Jeff and his team will be monitoring this closely throughout the fall and early spring to ensure everything is coming in as expected. We will update the membership on the timeline for opening the range as more information becomes available.

I’m sure you all saw the letter from our Past President Rick VandenBerg on September 13 regarding the Egypt Valley Scholarship Foundation. As Mr. VandenBerg eloquently outlined in the letter, our Foundation benefits our staff who are pursuing higher education, and the need to properly fund that Foundation is greater than ever. Should you find it a worthy cause, please consider a tax-deductible gift to the Foundation so we can give back to those who have done so much for us these past few years.

This will be my final letter, as my two-year term as President has come to an end. I would like to take this opportunity to formally provide a few “thank-yous.” First, I would like to thank our Egypt Valley staff for all they do. In this position, I’ve been able to see behind the curtain a bit as to what it really takes to run this organization, and in doing so, I’ve an even further appreciation for the dedication of our staff; there’s no doubt our team is devoted to creating the best member experience possible. Thank you to Kyle and all of his senior leaders for setting that culture within the teams.

I would like to also thank all of our committee members who donate their time to help make the Club the best it can be. The feedback from the committees helps the Board drive decisions; having engaged committees makes it much easier to deliver the highest impact decisions for our members.

Of course, I have to explicitly thank the other eight members of the Board for their dedication to Egypt Valley. Our Board Members all lead committees at the Club, in addition to their Board participation; their time commitment to EVCC is significant. This group truly leads the Club from a selfless perspective, with their only desire to make Egypt Valley the best it can be. Thank you to Jessica Berhnardt, Mike Brown, Dan Carter, Steve Drew, future president Chris Hufnagel, Katy Lewis, Troy Schrock, and a special “thank you” to Mark Mossing, who is stepping off the Board after two successful terms. During my time being involved at the Club, I haven’t seen anyone as committed to Egypt Valley or having had a bigger impact than Mark. He has overseen a financial renaissance at the Club and his engagement and steady demeanor will certainly be missed on the Board.

Finally, I want to thank all of the members I’ve had the privilege to get to know better over the last few years. It has been wonderful to get feedback from members on all the things that make Egypt Valley special to them. I am proud to have been able to represent the membership, and hopefully I was able to help make the EVCC experience a little bit better.

Thank you all and see you at the Club!
 

Many around the Club will recognize Elijah Wallace and his positive energy and efforts, which members often note reach far above and beyond their expectations. As a dining room server, bartender and beverage driver for the ladies’ league and other events, Elijah enjoys being able to build relationships with members at the Club. Keep reading to get to know Elijah better!

Please share a bit about yourself!
I was adopted from Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 2003 at one-and-a-half-years-old and grew up in a small farm town in Central Indiana. I am the second oldest of my family and have three other brothers—all four of us being adopted. My brother Noah (25) and I are both Haitian, however we are not biologically related. Gabe (20) and Josiah (14) are my two younger brothers. Growing up, I played multiple sports, including basketball, track and cross country. I moved to Michigan in 2017, halfway through my freshman year and went to Northpointe Christian High School. In 2019, I transferred to my third high school, The Potter's House High school, which is where I ended up graduating from.

I have worked in the restaurant/service industry for six years. My first restaurant job was as a cook and server at Gus’s Original Pizza, where I worked until the restaurant shut their doors in 2019. After Gus’s, I worked as a server at Chick-fil-A. Towards the end of 2019, I transitioned to Kitchen 67 where I was a server, chef and bartender for about a year and a half. In June 2021, I took the remainder of the summer off from work and started working at Egypt Valley in April 2022.

As I mentioned before, I attended three different high schools and am now a full-time student-athlete at Cornerstone University. I am a double major in Marketing and Strategic Communication, with a plan to further my education by getting my MBA in Marketing Management. I am the president of our Student Athlete Leadership Team at Cornerstone.

Please share a bit about your Egypt Valley journey and how you ended up as an employee at the Club!
Since I had previous experience as a server, I knew that I wanted to be a server in a restaurant. The idea of working at a private country club intrigued me because it would allow me to grow a relationship with customers in a way that I can't in a public restaurant environment. Knowing that I would have the same few hundred customers rather than going to work each day and, in a way, starting over and meeting new people every day was something I knew I would excel at and would suit me better. Even though I love meeting new people, working in a public serving environment wasn’t helping me grow meaningful relationships with guests I was serving because I was meeting each table/family/customer for the first time, and more often than not, it was usually the last time. Working at Egypt Valley allows me to do what I love, which is regularly meeting new people, while also growing deeper meaningful relationships with the guests/members I am serving.

I reached out to my neighbor, who is on the Food & Beverage Committee at Egypt Valley and asked if he’d be able to help me get a job as a dining room server. I applied, had an interview with Mike Pangle, and had my first day a few weeks later.

What’s your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of my job is when members see me, smile and tell me “hello,” and ask about my personal life. It may not seem like much, but it makes me feel wanted and welcomed to the table. I love it when I hear that people request to have me serve them. Most importantly, I love getting to know the kids/teenagers at the Club. There have been many times where kids will come up and hug me from behind and tell me “hello.” One young lady drew a picture while I was serving her and her family. Two young boys at the Club asked their mom and dad if “Elijah from Egypt Valley could be their full-time nanny in the summer.” Egypt Valley is a very family-oriented/friendly club so, not only do I love knowing and growing a relationship with the adults at the club, but getting to know the entire family and extended family is the best part of my job.

When you’re not at the Club working, what could you most likely be found doing?
As I mentioned earlier, I am a full-time athlete along with being a student, so I spend a lot of time running and weight training. I am very close to my family, especially my mom and dad, and I have a pretty tight-knit group of friends, so usually I can be found doing something with them. My friends, girlfriend, and I come to Egypt Valley for pickleball. My dad and I like to golf, and we all love to play euchre and cornhole, so if you’re ever looking for a partner for either cornhole or euchre, you know where to find me.

I also am a very avid country music listener. I love going to concerts with my friends and I usually listen to country anytime I'm not working. Lastly, my girlfriend and I are always looking for new restaurants and bars to eat at, so if you ever have a recommendation, please share!

Anything additional you’d like to add?
I have been told multiple times by members and my employers at the Club that I am great at my job and how I consistently go above and beyond. It’s important for me to emphasize that the ONLY way I am able to do my job well is because I have great teammates, managers and bosses. I don't consider my job to be work. I really look forward to coming to work because I know that I work with a team of people that have each other's backs, encourage each other and get along. There is a deep level of trust and comfortability that us servers and managers have with each other. Not only do we do our best to go above and beyond for each member we serve, but we go above and beyond to serve each other. Egypt Valley has done a fantastic job of putting together a team that are not only hard workers and great servers, but a team that does their best to put others first.

Simply put, not only are we serving you as members, but we are also serving each other—whether it's something small like cleaning up after a table that we didn’t serve at, or larger things like staying later, coming in early or even covering shifts. I have worked in restaurants where servers are selfish and have no desire of being a team that builds each other up and covers each other's losses.

From day one at Egypt Valley, I have been very fortunate to work with a team that wants to serve each other and our guests. I believe this starts at the top with Chris Kleinman and Mike Pangle. Chris and Mike are always ready to go with a plan each day for us servers that helps us serve better and more efficiently. The managers—Ryanna, Andrea and Jordan—are fantastic. I can name multiple examples of how each of them has sacrificed their time to help us servers. They are great encouragers, and they are exceptional leaders in their own unique way. We have seen all three of them step up and help in areas of the club that aren’t necessarily their responsibility. Ryanna has hopped back and helped me at the bar on a busy Friday night. Andrea often helps in the kitchen with expediting food from the back of the house to the servers in the front of the house. Jordan has come in early before outings, sometimes at 6 a.m. in 40-degree weather, to help me and others set up for a golf outing. These three managers control the flow of the dining room in a way no one else can and they are often not seen, mentioned or noticed. I could go on and on about different servers who have stepped up to help me specifically when I am slipping.

I love being recognized and complimented for my hard work, but what people often don’t see is the supporting cast I have the opportunity to work with. The other servers, managers and directors are the sole reason I have the opportunity to serve as well as I do.
 

From hitting the green and spending time at the pool to having a ball at family social events, the Feil family have enjoyed every bit of their time at Egypt Valley since joining the Club about eight years ago.

Both small town Michigan natives, Justin and Maggie Feil have called Ada home for the last eight years, where they’re raising their two children, William and Chloe, who are going into fourth and second grade, respectively. Professionally, Justin works for Zimmer Biomet selling orthopedic implants, and Maggie owns Renee Austin Wedding, West Michigan’s premiere bridal salon featuring the latest designs in bridal couture for the fashion-forward bride.

When it comes to golf, Justin began his journey with the sport while in college and appreciates the challenge just as much as the comradery of spending time with friends and family. Being far from a scratch golfer, Justin says he has limited “awards and recognition,” but has had some success with “extra holes” after men’s league, which brings lots of laughs, memories and small bragging rights for the night.

While Maggie was introduced to the sport through her parents who were in a golf league while she was growing up, she’s still trying to catch the golf bug herself.

The Feils love Egypt Valley because of the many great friends they’ve made at the Club and say it’s nice being around so many people who share the same values and goals in life as they do.

“It's a fun place for us to all go as a family and spend quality time,” the Feils said, explaining what drew them to Egypt Valley. “There are a few options for private clubs in the area. While everyone loves their home course, I think Egypt Valley’s ability to always get on the tee sheet—whether it’s with the kids, other couples or a ‘serious’ scotch match with the boys—and the certain challenge of both courses always stands out.”

With a love for all of Michigan’s beautiful seasons, the Feils enjoy traveling, watching sports (including watching their kids play tennis), learning pickleball and much more.

“Outside of golf, we love spending time with our family and friends,” the Feils said. “Our family loves bike rides, s'mores, movie nights, paddling and making sure there's always something to celebrate—big or small. We love to celebrate and create new memories in everything we do.”

Something that might surprise other members is that Maggie recently paddled a 120-mile canoe marathon with her dad, while the rest of the family and a handful of friends were proud to follow and cheer for them through the night.

If you see the Feils around the club, be sure to say, “Hello!”
 

As a third-year member of the Rack Room staff at Egypt Valley, you’ll often find Arie Jackman setting up tee times, pulling up carts, picking the range, helping set up for events, and doing anything and everything to ensure members enjoy their Club experience. But in addition to his job responsibilities, Arie shines out on the golf course, having achieved a number of accomplishments and accolades. Keep reading to learn what they are and what Arie has to say about his time at the Club!

Most recently, Arie earned the first alternate spot for the U.S. Amateur after shooting 4 under 71-67 at the qualifier at The Meadows. He placed as the fifth alternate overall for the U.S. Amateur. A few days later, he received the news that he moved up the alternate list and will be playing in the U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado beginning August 14, 2023.

In May, Arie was the winner of the Michigan Medal Play (formally the Horton Smith Invitational) shooting 11 under par with rounds of 70-65-63-63. He also competed in the U.S. Open Local Qualifying in Chicago, shooting 2 under 70 and advanced to the Final Qualifying in Springfield, Ohio in June.

Additional accomplishments for Arie this season include finishing fourth in the West Michigan Amateur; finishing tied for 19th in the stroke play of the Michigan Amateur, making it to the round of 32 in match play; finishing tied for 10th at the Kent County Amateur shooting 1 over par for three rounds; and making it to the semi-finals of the City Match Play at Stonewater Country Club.

Tell us about your own background with golf!
I started playing golf in the beginning of high school and have played at almost every level now. When I started playing back in high school, I just played for fun and didn’t ever think I’d be where I am today.

After my junior year of high school, I really started to fall in love with the game and wanted to see how good I could really get. That summer I entered into a couple of junior tournaments and fell in love with competing. After high school, I went to Grand Rapids Community College to play golf and finish my first two years of college credits. With Egypt Valley being our home course at GRCC, I was set up with a job starting in the spring of 2021 and have worked at Egypt Valley ever since.

Throughout my two years at GRCC, I earned enough recognition to be offered a scholarship to play Division 1 golf at Central Michigan University. This upcoming year will be my senior year at CMU and I’ll be graduating with a Business Administration degree in May 2024.

What’s your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of the job is being able to connect with the members and build new relationships that I hope will last a long time! Another part of the job I really enjoy is being able to work and have fun with some of my friends, including a few of my old teammates from GRCC!

When you’re not at the Club working, what could you most likely be found doing?
When I’m not at the Club working, you could most likely find me practicing or playing at the Club, home enjoying time with my fiancé, or hanging out with family and friends. Being at the Club is such an enjoyable time, no matter if I’m working or golfing because of the great environment that has been created there for employees. Soon, you’ll be able to find me in Colorado competing at the United States Amateur Championship starting on August 14!

Anything additional you’d like to add?
I just want to thank Egypt Valley and the incredible opportunity to work here over the past three years. Having a great work environment, as well as these facilities to practice and play at, has been crucial to my golf career so far, and I don’t think I would be where I am today without Egypt Valley. I will be moving back to school and will be done working here at Egypt Valley for the year on August 20.
 

The driving range renovation is practically underway! The landing area is currently very brown because we killed the grass and turned off the irrigation. Once we start to work the soil, the sod will fall apart much easier with the grass being dead and the soil relatively dry. We’ve also gone in and removed the sprinkler heads, which, along with swing joints, can now be used for irrigation repairs to the golf courses, as the same models are in use on the fairways and tee boxes.

The actual date for the action to happen would be the day you’re reading this: Monday, August 7. This is when the big excavating equipment will be working, so for any of you who have young kids that like to watch equipment work, this will be the time to take a look! The equipment will be working for several days through the month of August.

The first steps will be to remove the grass off of the teeing area in a process called “fraise mowing,” which removes the grass plant and thatch but leaves the good soil intact. Once the turf is off the teeing area, the soil mix will be removed and set aside to be replaced after the tee sub-grade has been leveled to one continuous teeing surface. The teeing area will no longer be two tiers, as the area between the two tiers is a valuable spot to be used for tee surface. Along the back edge of the teeing area, we’ll have a synthetic 150 x 8-foot surface from the brand “Turf Hound” installed. The matting system will allow for use of the tee when the turf is not growing in the spring and fall time of the year. Monday outings and other high-use times can also be directed toward using the matting system.

While the tee is being worked on, the fairway and rough landing areas will be getting reshaped. The final range will have a fairway look with target greens to shoot at or just play the golf shot up the fairway. Over to the left side of the driving range where the little putting green currently sits, the green will be removed. There will be a new major grade change over here, and the green is going to be converted into a short 50'x6' game teeing area with various targets positioned out in the range for short game practice. As many of you know, it’s hard to hit short shots to a target from our current tee when the tees are back. This new area will be for working the short game and the synthetic tee will allow it to always be in pristine condition. We won't have to wait for the turf to heal up!

Along with all the shaping and changes, we also need to install some underground drainage and a new irrigation system. We’re going to be looking for nice weather through this process so production can keep moving forward. Ideally, we don’t want seeding dates to be pushed any later than the planned finish date of September 15. This would give us some good growing weather in the remaining season. We’d like a somewhat warm fall and a nice spring to follow so we can get all of the grass in a mature state as quickly as possible.

I really hope Mother Nature will be our friend for the next couple of months! Enjoy watching the progression of the driving range.
 

Pam and Jeff Rush are plenty familiar with Egypt Valley and all it has to offer, having been members now for 30 years. While Pam is originally from Memphis, Tennessee and Jeff from St. Louis, Missouri, the couple and their extended family members call the Grand Rapids area home.

These days, the couple are enjoying retirement, with Jeff having recently retired from the financial services industry after almost 40 years, and Pam having retired several years ago as school director of Temple Emanuel religious school.

Pam and Jeff joined Egypt Valley back in 1993 and have served on various committees over the years ever since. For Jeff, that was serving as Chair of the Men’s League for two years. For Pam, that meant being Chair of the Ladies’ League for two years.

The Rush family love having their family members nearby, which includes Samantha and Walter Keith, their daughter Harper (age 10) and puppy Zoey; and Dan and Alex Hoovler, daughter Charlotte (age 3) and Jake (age 1). Jeff and Pam say Egypt Valley has been a great place for the whole family to grow up and come together to learn to golf over the years, and the Hoovlers are now legacy members at the Club, as well.

Pam and Jeff say that Egypt Valley having 36 holes has made their experience as members immensely enjoyable, as they can hop on and play almost whenever they’d like.

Other members might not know that Pam and Jeff met while performing in amateur theatre! In addition, Pam previously sang and played synthesizer in a classic rock band for 12 years. The pair still enjoy singing and performing today. In addition, Pam has been a member of the same book club since 2000!

When they’re not at the Club, Pam and Jeff often spend their time listening to music, spending time with family, and traveling. During the winter time, you can find the Rush family in Fort Myers, Florida, though they always look forward to returning for Michigan’s wonderful summers.


If you see the Rush family around the Club, be sure to say, “Hello!”

Joe Murdock, who works in outside services and the Rack Room at Egypt Valley, is no stranger to golf. When he’s not working alongside other EVCC staff downstairs to ensure that members’ golf bags and push carts are stored properly and prepared for them upon arrival, he’s often found practicing to enhance his own skills. Take a moment to get to know Joe a bit better!

Please share a bit about your Egypt Valley Journey and how you came to work at the Club!
I was referred to Egypt Valley by a family friend who is a member when I was 15 years old. They suggested that I apply for a job in the Rack Room. Since then, I have spent the majority of my summers at Egypt Valley.

Through my journey, I have befriended many people who are immersed in the club—including members and employees. I have built so many relationships through my job in the Rack Room over the years that I couldn’t be more thankful for. My experiences have helped me grow as a person and as a leader!

What’s your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of the job is being able to interact with different members day in and day out. It is always interesting to hear how each individual’s day is going, and if there is anything I can do to make their day just a little bit better.

On top of that, being able to work outside in the summertime is one of the greatest things about the job. I cannot forget to mention that the employee benefits allow us to play and practice at the club. I am an avid golfer, and being able to use the facilities that Egypt Valley presents is a huge advantage that I could not be more thankful for.

Share a bit about your history with golf and your involvement with it today.
I am a huge golfer. I currently play golf for a Division 3 school in Greencastle, Indiana called DePauw University. My love of the game has been enhanced by the many friends I have made at Egypt Valley. Working at Egypt Valley has prepared me in so many different ways for the real world. This stems from benefiting my golf career, to furthering my development as a person.

When you’re not at the Club, what could you be found doing?
When I am not in Egypt Valley, I am usually hanging out with friends or family. Like I said earlier, I literally spend most of my summer in Egypt Valley. When I am not working in the Rack Room, you can often find me at the driving range or putting green practicing. My relationships have given me endless opportunities to play and practice with virtually anyone at Egypt Valley and I’m always looking for new people to play with.

Any other interesting facts you’d like to share?
Another thing that is really cool about working at Egypt Valley is that I get to work with my younger brother, Philip. I would also like to give a “thank you” to the people that run the golf operations at Egypt Valley. The people in the Pro Shop do a great job each and every day. I am lucky to learn from people like Mike, Landon, and Devon.

I will forever be thankful for Egypt Valley and everything that it has done for me.

EVCC is proud of the many student golfers we have representing local schools. The schools our members and employees have played on include Forest Hills Eastern, Forest Hills Northern, NorthPointe Christian, Grand Rapids Christian and Grand Rapids Catholic Central. Take a moment to read a bit more about Egypt Valley’s Boys Team golfers and their respective successes at each of their schools this past season.

Erik Fahlen, Boys Golf Team Coach for NorthPointe Christian High School, shared the team’s highlights from the most recent season, including the team winning the OK Silver Conference and being All-State Academic. Egypt Valley members on the team included: Griffen VanErmen, Davis Formsma, Declan Fink and Sasha Perry.

“NorthPointe would like to thank the membership for allowing our team to practice here,” Fahlen said.

Davis Formsma, who medaled first (individually and with his team) at the OK Silver Conference Championship and had the lowest overall average for the OK Silver, got interested in playing golf when he was younger because of family.

“When I was young, I started playing golf with my dad, and as I got older, I really started to love the game,” said Formsma, who hopes to play the sport in college.

Varsity teammate Griffen VanErmen was also introduced to the sport thanks to his father.

“I grew up playing golf from a very early age with him and my two older brothers,” VanErmen said.

His personal achievements this season included receiving the First Team All-Conference OK Silver Award, All-State Academic Team, and Individual Honorable Mention All-State Academic.

“I have played three years of varsity golf with my freshman year of varsity golf sidelined due to the pandemic,” VanErmen explained. “I am looking forward to further competition this summer with a variety of golf tournaments. I will be attending and playing golf at Taylor University in the fall. I hope to add to my successes with the TU team.”

For Forest Hills Eastern student Jack Cavanaugh, watching his father golf made him want to try his hand at the sport.

“My accomplishments this season are All-Conference (4th) and our team took 4th in D2 States,” Cavanaugh said. “My aspirations in golf are to play college golf and to be better than my dad.”

Varsity teammate Hunter Morris, a freshman, became most interested in the game because of his brother, Marc Gerst, who is 10 years older than Morris.

“He had played golf his whole life, which ultimately got me interested at a younger age,” Morris said, noting some of his accomplishments this season, including Forest Hills Eastern winning regionals for the first time since 2016 along with finishing 4th as a team in the state finals. “I posted my lowest 36-hole total ever (79-74) to finish t-14 in states.”

In the future, Morris would love to play Division 1 golf and see what comes from there.

“For next high school season, I, as well as my teammates, would love nothing more than to bring home a state championship trophy for Forest Hills Eastern,” Morris said.

Mathieu Duflo, a freshman student and varsity golf team member at Forest Hills Northern, started playing golf when he was younger and really picked up the practice upon his family joining EVCC.

“When I first started playing, I would play nine holes maybe two times a week with my dad or mom. I fell in love with the game once I started to get a little better and I met friends at Egypt Valley. Without those friends, I probably would not be playing golf at the level I am right now,” said Duflo, noting that he’s proud of the friendships he made this season. “I don’t have a specific level I would like to reach, but I would love to play D1 college golf. I just want to practice and work hard to reach my potential.”

Like some others at EVCC, Tommy Jandernoa developed his love for golf while playing with his father growing up.

“I was lucky enough to play for our varsity golf team as a Freshmen at Grand Rapids Catholic Central,” said Jandernoa, who hopes to eventually play college golf. “Our team won our conference, regionals and state finals. I also placed in the top ten at the Katke Classic.”

Catholic Central teammate Charlie Maczka was introduced to golf by his parents at age five when they started playing together as a family. His love for the sport grew upon joining Egypt Valley.

“I learned the basics through the Junior Golf Program and even had some early success as a Junior PGA State Champion in 2019 as part of the All-Star team,” Maczka said. “Watching one of my favorite players, Jordan Speith become the world no.1 player and win majors during that time also inspired me to focus on becoming a good golfer.”

In addition to the Catholic Central High School Varsity Golf team as a whole winning the 2023 D3 High School State Championship, the 2023 D3 Regional State Championship, and the 2023 OK Gold Conference Championship, Maczka was also a Qualifier for the Michigan Junior Amateur (15 and under).

“I would like to keep improving as a player and win four high school state championships with my team at Catholic Central,” Maczka said. “My ultimate goal is to play golf at the college level.”

Congratulations to all our golfers on a great season!
 

As Assistant Manager at the EVCC pool, Nate Cheney serves as lifeguard and assists in maintaining a fun and safe environment at the pool. In addition to coaching the 9 & 10 age group for the swim team, Nate also helps keep the pool facilities at the level members expect. Take a moment to get to know Nate a bit better!

Share a bit about your EVCC journey and how you made your way to becoming part of the team.

I started working at Egypt Valley in 2020. The job that I had lined up for that summer was canceled due to COVID and I had friends who loved working at Egypt Valley. I have been a lifeguard at EVCC every summer since then.

Talk a bit about working on the aquatics team at EVCC and what excites you most about this summer season.

My favorite part of the summer and being part of the aquatics team at Egypt Valley is watching the kids that I coach grow throughout the season. I am looking forward to working with the kids and trying to win another interclub team and age group championship this year.

When you’re not at the Club, what are you most likely to be found doing?

When I am not at Egypt Valley, I can usually be found spending time with my friends and family, doing something water polo related, or spending plenty of time outdoors in nature.
 

The Goossens family have called West Michigan and all of its beauty home their entire lives, with wife Raquel and husband Jon having known each other in high school, though they didn’t begin dating until well after college. This past September, the couple celebrated 10 years of marriage.

Raquel has a career in Sales & Marketing at Foremost Insurance Company and just celebrated her 16th year with the company, while Jon and his brother own and operate Total Fire Protection, a business which their father started back in 1991.

The couple reside in the Darby Farms neighborhood in Ada with their three children: 7-year-old Nova, 5-year-old Jude, and soon-to-be four-year-old Evie. The family as a whole are active in extracurriculars, with Nova competing the last two years in gymnastic meets as a member of the Grand Rapids Gymnastics team.

“Our family loves to travel, and we spend a lot of time in Marco Island where we love to boat, fish, and hang on the beach,” Raquel said, noting that during the summer, the family spends a lot of weekends at their cottage on White Lake. “We love to take the boat to the big lake and kids love to climb the sand dunes. Jude spends hours sitting on the dock fishing.”

When it comes to golf, neither Raquel or Jon consider themselves avid golfers, however, they very much enjoy the sport and hope to play more as their children get older and can play together as a family. Jon has played on the Men’s League since joining the Club, and Raquel began playing weekly on the Women’s 3-Hole League a couple years ago.

“It has been a great opportunity for me to get out a little more consistently, get some helpful tips and meet more people,” Raquel explained, adding that it has been a less-intimidating environment to learn and gain experience.

The Goossens enjoy plenty of what Egypt Valley has to offer, including the scenic and well-maintained courses.

“We love all the holiday events, and our kids especially look forward to the Santa’s Brunch and Easter Egg Hunt every year,” Raquel said of the Club’s social events. “We spend a ton of time at the pool during the summer. This year, Nova & Jude are excited for tennis and golf.”

Nova has also joined the swim team for the first time.

“We love the community at Egypt Valley and the relationships we’ve gained over the years with so many great families,” Raquel said. “It’s a safe and fun environment for our kids. We really appreciate all the kid-friendly activities and events!”

Something other members might not know about the Goossens is that the family has a special connection with adoption.

“We adopted our oldest, Nova, although most people think she looks so much like me,” Raquel said. “We were very blessed to get connected to a wonderful birth mother and family and have maintained an open adoption and relationship with Nova’s biological mom. I had the opportunity to be present in the hospital room for Nova’s birth and have a special bond with her biological mom.”

If you see the Goossens family around the Club, be sure to say, “Hello!”
 

As the Head Golf Professional at Egypt Valley, Mike McGonigal uses his in-depth golf knowledge to help members better their skills and further develop their game while enjoying all the amenities the Club has to offer. Take a moment to get to know Mike a bit better, including his interesting golf background!

Please share with us a bit about your journey with golf!
I started golfing at age six when I went to the driving range with my dad. He told me I had to hit the ball 100 yards to be able to go golfing with him. So, I practiced and was able to play with him at age eight. I started working at a driving range at age 14, picking balls for $2.80 an hour. By senior year of high school, I knew that I wanted to be a golf professional. I had my first golf lesson and I saw what he did and knew that’s what I wanted to do.

I later graduated with my Professional Golf Management degree from Professional Golfer’s Career College in Temecula, California. I ended up playing for two years at Henry Ford Community College, where I qualified individually for National Finals both years. I became and Elected Class A PGA Member in 2004 and was named Michigan PGA Private Merchandiser of the year in 2018.

From 1998-2008, I worked as an Assistant Golf Professional at private clubs in Michigan and Arizona. I’ve also served as a Head Golf Professional for 14 years at three different clubs: Hassayampa Country Club in Prescott, Arizona; Birmingham Country Club in Birmingham, Michigan; and now Egypt Valley Country Club beginning in 2014.

Please share a bit about your Egypt Valley journey and how you ended up at the Club.
We were looking to grow our family on the west side of the state—great people, a nice place to raise our family and enjoy life at a slower pace. Egypt Valley has a great reputation pertaining to their history (of tournaments hosted), so I wanted to be a part of that and this was the dream position!

What’s your favorite part of your role as Head Golf Professional at the Club?
I enjoy traveling with members to different places around the world (Ireland, Scotland, Bandon Dunes, Whistling Straits, Arizona, Pinehurst, Arcadia Bluffs, PGA National and my favorite, Reynolds Lake Oconee). Upcoming trips include Big Cedar Lodge and Bandon Dunes.

I also enjoy creating and orchestrating tournaments, coming up with original ideas for the members and making all events our premiere events. Interest in the Men’s Invitational has grown from 56 teams to 108, with a waitlist of 80!

What are your top tips for any members looking to improve their game this season?
This is what I say to all my students: “A golf professional is the doctor; we give you the pill. If you don’t take the pill, then you won’t feel better. Take the pill.”

When you’re not at the Club, what could you most likely be found doing?
Either at my daughter’s soccer or basketball games/practice, at my son’s hockey and baseball games/practice (I’m helping coach baseball!), eating at Butcher’s Union with my wife, hanging with staff for some team building, and cheering on the Lions (good and bad).
 

Happy spring everyone! It’s getting close to “go time” for playing some golf in Michigan.

We do need the main player, mother nature, to help give us some warmth for two reasons: One, that you want to play golf. The other reason is because we need the soil to warm up so the turf can start growing. The golf courses came through the winter in excellent shape. No winter trouble at all. In one of the articles this past winter, I mentioned some of the things we watch for in the winter months. Thankfully, we didn’t have any trouble with snow mold (winter fungus), ice damage or wind desiccation. There are other factors that we watch for, as well, but these three are the main ones.

We will need your help this spring when taking out a golf cart. Please do not drive down the old cart path areas where we are trying to grow grass. These areas will need some time to mature, so feel free to drive down the fairway or other rough areas. The main areas are Ridge nos. 9, 12, 13, and eventually 16. Avoiding the old path area on Valley no. 17 would also be helpful. For the start of the golf season, there may not be a bridge back in place yet on Valley no. 8. It needed some major repairs and we are still trying to put the entire project back together. The bridge on the right side of the fairway that’s shared with no. 2 Ridge is where you will have to cross. It’s a top priority to put back together, but we are waiting for supplies.

On another good note, we’ve been receiving some new equipment over the past few years. Believe it or not, we had mowing equipment and carts that were from 1995. Our motorized sod cutter we just replaced is a 1988. Thank goodness for the influx of new equipment. Better technology and efficiency are key factors with labor being hard to find. The more automated we can get, the better off we’ll be towards caring for this beautiful piece of property. The supply chain is still behind in our industry, as well as others. We have items that were ordered over a year ago that have still not yet been received. New equipment is being ordered for 2024 and 2025, due to the back log. You get in line with your order and hope for the best with delivery!

Starting August 7, the driving range is going to be renovated. The teeing area will be made into one level and there will be a row of synthetic turf across the back of the teeing area, with the addition of a synthetic area for teaching and short game hitting in a different location. There will also be a new fairway area with target greens throughout, along with different types of movable targets to shoot towards for better club accuracy. The entire driving range will look like a field of soil. Grading changes will happen, storm water drains will be added and subsurface drainage will be put in the range tee. The entire range will receive new irrigation. We’re hopeful that the grass seed will be going in the ground by early September so it can have a good start before winter. The following spring (2024) will be used to finish growing the turf in.

The fall will continue to be busy with the addition of our new pump station—the first phase of upgrading the 35-year-old irrigation system. Getting contractor for this project takes about two years advance notice. We’ve been working on the pump station project for about a year and a half so far. By the time it’s in and finished, it will have been over two years waiting in line.

Life is good in our department! It’s exciting to see new equipment and upgrades being made to the property. Many positive changes are continuing. Make sure you check out the new patio and the view from up above no. 18 Valley.
 

Mark and Carolyn Mossing—who raised their family in Grand Rapids after relocating to the city in 1994 for Mark’s job with Steelcase—have a great deal of history with Egypt Valley. The couple’s two daughters (Lindsey, 40, and Laura, 35) grew up enjoying all the Club has to offer and continue to do so today with the Mossing’s three grandchildren.

Shortly after coming to Grand Rapids, Carolyn went back to school at Grand Valley State University to become a Physician’s Assistant, a career which she enjoyed for over 20 years, including over 10 years running the health center at Hope College.

Both Mark and Carolyn grew up in Ohio and met at Miami University, marrying shortly thereafter. While the couple—who are celebrating their 42nd wedding anniversary this coming fall—didn’t grow up golfing or spending time at country clubs, they both knew Egypt Valley would be a great place to enjoy spending time with family and friends after an initial visit in 1995.

Carolyn began her golf career as a 32 handicapper, but her competitive nature pushed her to get down as low as a 13. She continues to love to compete in all the ladies/couple events—with frequent success!

Mark has always been a terminal 10-13 handicapper, but loves the competition of the various Club events, especially the Invitational, League (and Challenge Cup) and Match Play. Surprisingly, he rarely plays in the Member/Member, as it falls on the weekend when he annually gets together with his high school buddies who he’s played with on that weekend since the early ‘80s. The group of six spend three days at the Mossing’s cottage and play in their own “Moss Invitational Golf Tourney” at Egypt Valley.

“They play with us three straight days and our guests have always said it is the highlight of their summer. We’ve been hosting for 20 years!” the Mossings said, adding an interesting fact. “We personally know Arthur Hills and his family, as all his boys also went to high school at Toledo St Johns at the time Mark was there.”

The couple’s interests outside of golf have ebbed and flowed with the seasons.

“Like all of our new member families, we always tried to do everything while enjoying Egypt Valley as much as possible, including the girl’s numerous school activities at Forest Hills Northern, church activities at Ada Bible Church and our varied interests in tennis (more recently pickleball), cycling and water sports at our cottage on Murray Lake,” the Mossings said.

In their earlier years at Egypt Valley, Mark and Carolyn were balancing work and finding time to enjoy all the Club activities they could—especially junior sports and couples’ events, and really “early” weekend tee times.

“At one point, our girls would tell friends that they were ‘golf orphans,’ as on many Friday evenings, we would drop them at the pool and enjoy a beautiful round on Ridge back 9 as the sun set over the horizon on the 16th hole,” the Mossings said. “There are no courses more beautiful in West Michigan! We love the courses because with 36 holes, there is so much variety, and it is challenging and always in immaculate condition.”

As the Mossings reflect on their Grand Rapids story, they say that Egypt Valley has played a central part of in their lives and social network.

Carolyn has been very active in the Ladies Association (where she’s currently President), along with related golf events. She especially enjoys meeting and greeting so many of the energetic ladies at the Club on Tuesday nights. Mark has been part of the Egypt Valley Finance Committee since 2009 and will finish six years on the Board this year.

“Being involved in the organizations that we love is easy, and we feel we always get more than we give because we get to more intimately know the wonderful members and staff that make it so much fun,” the Mossings said.

The couple retired a couple years ago and now spend winters in Florida at the Bonita Bay Club in Southwest Florida.

“The thing we are so proud of is to see how many of our new Florida friends know and are impressed with Egypt Valley—the premier club in West Michigan!” the couple said. “Our Egypt Valley story has been amazing; friends, golf, competition, junior sports and amazing parties. The Egypt Valley future is so bright with the huge surge of new members. We hope they all enjoy it as much as we have.”

If you see the Mossings around the Club, be sure to say, “Hello!”
 

As PGA Director of Instruction at Egypt Valley, John Seltzer enjoys helping members excel in their own game and improve while enjoying everything the Club has to offer. Take a moment to get to know John a bit better!

Please share a bit about your journey with golf!
I was introduced to the game at a very early age, as my dad is also a PGA member and golf professional. I played competitive golf my entire life and played collegiately at Newberry College and Eastern Michigan University. Those experiences helped me realize I wanted to help others get better and enjoy the game more. What I love most about golf is that it's a game you can never be "perfect" at and it's a game you can enjoy your whole life.

Share a bit about your Egypt Valley journey and how you ended up at the Club.
I came to Grand Rapids initially as the Director of Golf at Blythefield Country Club in late 2014. I spent five seasons there until making the decision to teach/coach full-time. During that time, I was a member of Egypt Valley and after some conversations with Mike McGonigal, I decided to join his operation in my current role.

What’s your favorite part of your role at the Club?
My favorite part about my role at the club is helping our members improve and enjoy playing the game we all like and are passionate about.

Talk a bit about your goals for the junior golf program and how you hope to expand it for the coming season.
Junior golf is going to be a large focus of mine in 2023 and beyond. We'll be offering a few more programs for juniors of all abilities and for some age groups that haven't had any programming yet. My goal for our Junior program is to create a culture of learning that's engaging, fun and makes our younger members want to play more often.

When you’re not at the Club, what could you most likely be found doing?
When I'm not at the Club, I'm spending time with my wife Amanda and chasing our two-year-old daughter Nora around.

If you see John around the Club, be sure to say, “Hello!”
 

There never seems to be two days that are the same and there sure aren't two winters that are equal. With that being said, this winter has been nothing short of confusing. It has stayed warm and rainy when it should be cold and snowy. But the good news for golfers and the golf courses is that when the weather has warmed up, it has melted all of the snow.

Melting all of the snow prevents any chance of ice buildup on the fine turf areas. This is a big plus so we don't receive any type of ice damage to the turf. However, there are other turf concerns when the snow blanket is not covering the golf courses. Certainly, wind desiccation is a concern and so is cold temperature crow hydration. Ideally, somewhat frozen ground and snow cover across the property is the best way for the golf courses to survive the winter months.

Snow mold is a fungus that can also grow on the turf in the winter months, but is usually preventable with managed practices. We can protect the turf areas from some of the winter challenges but there are other factors that put us at the mercy of mother nature. The good news, so far this year, is that with all of the crazy weather swings, the golf courses are over-wintering extremely well. On January 28 and 29, the property received about 10 inches of snow. Now two weeks later, come February 11, we will more than likely be looking at grass again. There’s still not any measurable frost in the ground. With that scenario and not much snow pack to speak of, once the weather turns the corner, conditions can change quickly for the golf courses towards waking up from its winter slumber.

Our golf course maintenance team was moving sod to cart path edges in January and we were adding soil to the cart path edges to get ready for spring seeding. That’s a first for me in January! The bridge on No. 8 Valley has needed some major structural work this winter. The wooden barn beams have served their life and it’s time to upgrade the support structure of the bridge, which our team is working on. We will be putting in galvanized-coated steel beams. This change will last for many years and the barn beams made it over 30 years, so no one can complain about that.

Equipment purchases are still tough. It has been taking over a year to get product that has been ordered. Normally, in the past, that type of purchase would have been completed within about four months, if not immediately. As all of you know, purchases of larger items has become a project that will probably take a year or more. We are planning for a new irrigation pump station this coming November, so that process has already started. A pump station from design to completion used to take about six weeks; since COVID, it’s more like six months or longer.

Leah Connolly, the Club Horticulturalist, is moving on to a new role at Calvin University grounds. We say “goodbye” to Leah and wish her the best. She was with us just a little over a year and has done a great job for us. We are going to miss having her on our team!

The ground hog says six more weeks of winter, but what does he really know? If it warms up, we may be playing golf come mid-March. I will make a full prediction in mid-May.

Enjoy what is left of winter and we will see you on the courses soon!
 

Members of the Smiggen family, who joined the Club in 2012, have no shortage of hobbies, including golfing and spending time at Egypt Valley.

Born and raised in Owosso, Patrick graduated from Michigan State University and has an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. He is a partner and vice-president of sales and marketing at Hart Enterprises, a contract medical device manufacturer located in Sparta. Rebecca, who was born and raised in Grand Rapids and has taught biology at Lowell High School for 27 years, graduated from Hillsdale College and earned her master’s degree in education from Grand Valley State University.

The couple, who met through E-Harmony, have had golf in their lives for many years, with both having been introduced to the game by their fathers while growing up.

“My father introduced me to the game at age six, as our family were members at Owosso Country Club,” Patrick said. “My older brother, Michael, already had an interest in golf and going to junior golf with him and trying to earn stickers on the Winner's Mark plaque was a big motivation at a young age.”

Patrick and his brother eventually started biking three miles to the Club every day, with Patrick securing his first job there by picking up range balls by hand that went into the ditch along the road or into the trees.

“The Club was my de facto summer home, as was either working or playing all the way through high school,” said Patrick, who played on the varsity golf team at Owosso for four years. “As everyone in my family played, there were few get togethers that did not include some or all of us playing a round of golf wherever we gathered.”

While growing up, Rebecca and her family belonged to Blythefield Country Club, a place where she fondly remembers spending weekend afternoons learning the game.

“We would spend hours on the range and then go play nine holes,” Rebecca recalled, noting her father was a very patient teacher and provided her with a solid golf foundation “I played high school golf at Catholic Central High School. Upon being hired at Lowell High School to teach biology, I was also asked by current Egypt Valley member (and science department colleague) Rick White to be his Junior Varsity Girls Golf coach at Lowell High School. Eight years later—and upon Rick's retirement—I coached the Varsity Girls Golf team for three years.”

The main passions of the pair’s daughter, Charlotte, are skiing and playing the clarinet in her high school band, though she did participate in junior golf, as well as the swim team when she was younger. She can be found occasionally hitting golf balls on the range, playing a few holes or relaxing by the pool with friends.

At the Club and out on the courses, the Smiggen family has certainly found success, with Rebecca having won the first flight of the Women's Club Championship four times and being paired with Gayle Belsito to win the Ladies Member-Member in 2018. Pat has recorded two double eagles at the Club (No. 1 and No. 8 Valley) during Thursday Men's League play. Together, Patrick and Rebecca are also a force, having won the Couples Championship for five consecutive years. The couple says that having 36 holes to golf with at the Club is a tremendous asset and the biggest reason they joined the Club.

“The four courses (when you add the Classic and Challenge courses) are different enough where you neither get comfortable nor bored playing them every day,” Patrick said. “The undulating lines across the golf course make every shot interesting and the sloping greens put a premium on hitting the green in the right spot.”

With her interest in nature and science, Rebecca also enjoys all of the wildlife found on the property. When they’re not golfing, the family enjoys the addition of the pickleball courts, noting that the pool is also always a favorite place to relax on a sunny day.

During the winter, the Smiggen family spends most of their time downhill skiing. Charlotte races for Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School, so the family skis wherever Charlotte races, but Crystal Mountain is a favorite, as that’s where both Rebecca and Charlotte learned to ski.

“With Michigan's unpredictable winter snowfall, a trip to Colorado or Utah helps get us through the winter,” Patrick said, adding the family’s frequent use of the Club’s golf simulator during the winter. “Hiking and taking in nature during the warmer months is a nice break. Whether it’s in Michigan or a national park, there is just so much beauty to see.”

For the Smiggen family, the people and relationships formed at Egypt Valley—ranging from other members to staff—are what make the Club so special.

“The staff works very hard to make it a welcoming place for the members, and through all of the varied activities and events Egypt Valley offers, we have been able to enjoy a lot of family fun,” Patrick said. “We have also developed so many friendships with a lot of different people. Rebecca really enjoys the opportunity to meet and play with different women every week in Women's League.”

The couple enjoys that the Club is a place that can be enjoyed year-round and not just in the summer months.

“The golfing events are fantastic, but the ability to have family and extended family come for Club events such as Mother's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving or the Santa Brunches are great memories we have as a family,” Patrick said.

Something other members may not know about the Smiggens is that the entire family all have peanut allergies, and that during her single days in the early ‘00s, Rebecca worked as a starter at Egypt Valley for several years.

If you see the Smiggen family around the Club, be sure to say, “Hello!”
 

Welcome to another session of Connect with Kyle! Unfortunately, my voice is not reacting well to a small cold at this time, therefore I am sending this update to you in written form.

Let me first say Happy New Year! We hope each of you had a wonderful and safe holiday season and we are looking forward to seeing each of you in the coming weeks. Our employees have been diligently preparing for the upcoming season over the last few weeks and also taking this time to perform annual maintenance to several areas at the Club. For those of you who are new to the Club, this annual maintenance includes items such as carpet and tile cleaning, small repairs to furniture and fixtures, kitchen cleaning, food storage organization and cleaning, trim and door painting, ventilation cleaning, suggested health department upgrades, and several other small projects that would normally disrupt your member experience. We always appreciate having this time to reset in the clubhouse for the coming season and appreciate your patience.

Please note that we will be reopening the dining room on Wednesday, February 1. We will be open for lunch and dinner service during the month of February on Tuesday – Saturday from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. We hope that you are looking forward to being back in the clubhouse as much as we are and look forward to having a full dining room again in the near future.

On Monday, January 23, our employees will be coming together as a group to celebrate the holiday season with our Annual Employee Holiday Party. We look forward to recognizing our employees who are celebrating service awards, enjoying a great meal with each other, and sending our employees home with some small tokens of appreciation.

Each year at this event, we ensure that each employee who attends is given a raffle gift to take home. Traditionally, these gifts have been gift cards to local retail stores that our team goes out to purchase. We wanted to try something new this year to better connect our members with this event and open an invitation to the membership at large to donate raffle gifts for our Employee Holiday Party. Realizing that many of you might own a business, have event tickets, or have gift cards to local restaurants, I would like to ask if you would like to donate an item to our Employee Holiday Party raffle prizes. If interested in donating to this event, please drop them off at the administrative office, email them to [email protected], or give us a call to let us know what item(s) you would like to donate by Sunday, January 22. Again, our goal is to provide something for each employee who attends but we only ask you to donate if interested.

Lastly, I wanted to provide you with a brief update on our membership levels. Following the end of the calendar year, we no longer have a waitlist to join the Club as a playing member and now have a few spaces available. If you have a friend, neighbor, colleague, or family member who has been considering joining EVCC as a playing member, this is a great time to apply. We love growing our membership family through the relationships of our current members. Please give us a call, send us an email, or stop by to introduce us to them.

Other than that, I hope you are all doing well and we look forward to seeing you at the Club soon.
 

It has been another amazing golf season at EVCC! The weather throughout the golfing season was very accommodating, for the most part, which allowed for many good days of golf. The membership was full and the courses were in great shape. Hopefully you found time to be with your family and friends playing some incredible golf.

With snow on the ground, our staff is now finishing up some outdoor work around the shop maintenance area. This time spent organizing equipment and supplies makes for better working conditions when we need to use a piece of equipment or find products needed for a job. Our team just finished some irrigation repairs, storm water basins repairs and some debris cleanup around the golf courses before the snow hit us. Oh, we were also repairing some bridges that need new boards.

After the holidays, if the courses are snow covered, we will start our tree work for the winter. We have some dead trees throughout the property to be removed and several have fallen on our perimeter fencing that surrounds the property. We also have a few trees that need to be removed per our master plan. So, the team will be busy outside and we will also have a group working indoors getting our equipment ready to go for spring.

Please remember: If you are going to use the property in the winter for walking, skiing, sledding or snowshoeing, do not go on the greens. Always use the area to the side of the greens, tees and fairways. There is plenty of area to use without being on the critical golf playing areas. Have fun but be mindful of the turf being healthy for the golf season. When the oxygen gets compressed out of the snow and is packed to the ground, it can actually smother the turf underneath the snow pack. When snow conditions are in a packable state and it is walked on, there can be serious damage to the turf come spring time. Please do your sledding from the driving range hill; we will help make some sledding runs in that area. Have fun and be safe.

Per the Member Code of Conduct, under the House Committee area, it states that there’s to be “no pets on club property.” I'm sharing this because it applies to the off season, as well as during the season. Please be a good supporter of the Club.

Happy Holidays to everyone and bless your hearts for contributing to the employee holiday fund. This bonus to the employees goes a long way in showing how much the members do care about the staff. Thank you for helping to make our employees holiday special.

It has been an awesome 2022 and we’re looking forward to a blessed 2023. I don't really like how fast they are flying by, but the ride is fun. Thank you for Egypt Valley Country Club. The membership, staff and guest are wonderful to be around. Thank You!

Happy Holidays!
 

Landon McIntosh, Assistant Golf Professional at Egypt Valley, has spent almost a decade with the Club, having joined the team in 2013.

When he’s away from the links, he enjoys spending time with his wife Jessica, hunting, fishing and indulging in basketball, baseball and football. Landon looks forward to making sure that every member has more fun, with more friends, playing better golf, more often.

Take a moment to get to know a bit more about Landon!

Talk about your journey with golf. What got you started in the sport and why do you still love it today?

When I was around 7 years old, my dad took me golfing. Ever since then, I have been hooked. I love the game of golf because each round brings new challenges. Doesn’t matter how many times you have played the course, you will have a new experience.

How about your journey to Egypt Valley? How did you end up at the Club?

I was an Assistant Golf Professional in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at the time a position opened at Egypt Valley. Since my wife and I both grew up in Ludington, we were looking to move back to West Michigan. It just so happened that we were planning our wedding in Ludington from Myrtle Beach that same year. So, the choice was very easy for me to accept the job when it was offered and move back to Michigan.

What’s your favorite part of your job at Egypt Valley?

The best part about my job is getting to know the members. There are so many great people here at Egypt Valley. They really do make you feel appreciated for your hard work. Another perk is getting to play the tremendous golf courses.

Any advice for members who are looking to improve their golf game for 2023?

One piece of advice I would give to someone looking to improve, is master the art of aiming. One thing that I see a lot in lessons, is people have trouble aiming correctly. I see a lot of people aim their body at the target and not the ball. You want to think of train tracks when aiming. The ball will be on one track that is leading to your target and your body will be on the other track that is left of your target. For a right-handed golfer, this is what we call parallel left.

What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you?

Something that someone might be surprised to learn about me is that I love to hunt deer. So, once October comes, you can find me in the woods any chance I get.