Canebrake Club News - March, 2010

THE EASTER BUNNY COMETH

Chef Ron's LobsterFest A Real Treat!

If you missed Chef Ron's Lobsterfest on January 29th, you missed one of the best times yet. Everyone who attended (except the lobsters!) had the time of their lives, enjoying great food and great company, as these photos will attest.

If you haven't yet become a regular at Ron's Special Dining Events, keep your eyes out for news on this page and on the Events page… and be sure to read the emails you receive regularly from the club. There's a lot going on here at Canebrake Club and if fine dining is one of your interests, Chef Ron and Canebrake Club offer the best North Alabama has to offer!

Spring Preview Featured World's Foremost Authority on Bobby Jones

The Spring Preview was an excellent event, boasting a crowd of over 90 attendees!  I was so thrilled to see everyone, especially considering the foul weather has significantly reduced the frequency I get to see all of you.  For those who weren't able to make it, the evening had quite the myriad of activities, and I would like to provide you with a brief summary:

The first speaker of the evening was myself.  I spent some time going over the most recent rule change by the USGA regarding grooves.  What you need to know: unless you are qualifying to play in the U.S. Open, the wedges you own right now will be fine until the year 2024.  The tournament schedule was also mentioned and shall soon be available for viewing on the club website.  Finally, if you do not have Facebook, Twitter, or have not taken the time to view other social media sites like YouTube, I highly encourage you to do so.  The Club will be using these extensively to enhance our communication capabilities with each of you, and I think you'll be very pleased!

We had a surprise cameo by the wonderful Alice Dunnavant, who gave a membership report from 2009.  Although there were a few membership drops, the amount of members gained helped us maintain membership levels comparable to those at the end of 2008.  All things considered, that is certainly good news!

Shawn was next with an overview of the recent weather activity.  The weather in our part of the country has shown a gradual, but definite increase in sub-freezing temperatures over the last four years--so much so that in the first two weeks of January, the amount of hours below freezing has gone from less than 20 hours in 2007, to nearly 250 hours in 2010!  It has truly been a rough winter.

Members Kay Tyler and David McKenzie, Women's Golf Association and Men's Golf Association Presidents, respectively, took the floor next to discuss some of the plans for the organizations this year.  The WGA is still in its infancy but already boasts a membership of nearly 30 members and they are looking for more!  If you are interested in joining the WGA, don't hesitate!  You don't necessarily even have to play golf!  All ladies are welcome so join for the camaraderie and social interaction.  The MGA has a grand schedule planned but the most exciting item may be the season-long points system it will be using... similar to the FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour.  Each event of the year will count toward the end-of-year points and will culminate with the Canebrake Cup in October.  It should be very exciting!

Food and Beverage Director, Hunter Haney, touched briefly on upcoming events and the increase in social functions at the Club in the coming year.  He concluded his speech by turning the microphone over to the featured speaker, Sid Matthew.  I think everyone who heard Sid speak would agree: he is quite the character.  His speech on the life, times, and accomplishments of Bobby Jones as both a golfer and a man, was extremely interesting and entertaining.  We were truly fortunate to have such an authority join us and we sincerely appreciate his willingness to share his time.

Throughout the evening, we had several raffle drawings which awarded various prizes to the members in attendance.  The following is a list of the winners and their prizes:
1. Dale Whitcomb - 3 Footjoy StaSof Gloves
2. Paul Vandiver - 1 dozen Pro V1 and 1 dozen Pro V1x Golf Balls.
3. Maryann Shepard - Pool Gift Bag featuring tote bag, 2 Canebrake logo beach towels, and 4 woozies.
4. John Jordan - Free Wedge Fitting & Titleist Wedge
5. Jonathan Powless - Free Wedge Fitting & Titleist Wedge
6. Frank Cauthen - Free Wedge Fitting & Titleist Wedge 7. Pat Dove - 1 Pair of Ecco Shoes
Congratulations to each of you!

Once again, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to all those who attended.  We are very optimistic about the 2010 season and look forward to a great year!

Valentine's Day at Canebrake

On Saturday, February 13th, Canebrake's kids (and adults) gathered at The Lodge for Valentine making, family fun and Chef Ron's Valentine Snacks. Needless to say, a good time was had by all!

Chef Ron's Cooking Demos A Crowd Pleaser

Recently, Chef Ron has been sharing some of his cooking expertise with our members up close and personally. He has conducted two cooking demonstrations to date. These pictures are from his first demonstration in January, during which he offered tips and suggestions for quick and easy tailgating delights. I think he had in mind helping the members make their Super Bowl parties successful. Several members attended his demo, despite the inclement weather.

His most recent class featured tips on making some chocolate deserts for your sweethearts. Naturally he was hoping you could use these ideas for your valentine. Ron plans to continue these cooking classes. In the coming months he plans to do an evening cooking demonstration, followed by dinner. Watch for future e-mails offering the details of those upcoming opportunities.

If you don't know Chef Ron, you may not be aware of what a pleasant person he is. He does an excellent job with these classes and is very warm and fun to be around. If you haven't attended a demo already, make plans to come in the future.

World Class Bourbon Tasting at Canebrake Club

On Thursday, February 11th, Canebrake Club offered a rare opportunity for our members to meet Master Distiller, James "Jimmy" Russell, of the legendary Wild Turkey Bourbon Distillery of Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. This was not only an opportunity to meet Mr. Russell… it was also a classic Bourbon Tasting. That's like a wine tasting with a very large kick!

As these pictures clearly show, the crowd took its tasting responsibilities seriously and a great time was enjoyed by all those present.

Jimmy Russell became one of the last true master distillers in the bourbon industry by learning the business the old-fashioned way – through intense training under whiskey masters and first-hand experience in every aspect of bourbon making – Jimmy is revered by other bourbon makers as the ‘master distillers’ master distiller.

Whiskey expert Jim Murray has also referred to him as "the very greatest and wisest practicing distiller in Kentucky." A fixture in the Bourbon industry for over four decades, Jimmy is a past director of the Kentucky Distillers Association. In addition to being a local ambassador for the Bourbon industry (Jimmy often sneaks off to lead tour groups at the distillery), Jimmy still travels the world from Louisville to Tokyo promoting his pride and passion, Wild Turkey Bourbon.

See you around the club,
Jack