Newport Beach Country Club Magazine: Fall/Holiday 2018
Golf Product Showcase
Shop Till You Drop
Classy and convenient is the name of the game at the golf shop, making it ideal for all your holiday gift needs.
Photo courtesy of johnnie-O
Shopping for the holidays can often add unnecessary stress during what is supposed to be a joyous, celebratory time of the year. That is why the Newport Beach Country Club golf shop is actively working to bring top products to members, who can enjoy the luxury of Orange County shopping malls with the convenience of high-end brand names being available right here at the club.
The golf shop carries unique products that members won’t find anywhere else in town, such as merchandise with the country club seahorse logo emblazoned on it—perfect for sporting on the course or in the clubhouse. Logoed pieces, such as glassware from Sterling Cut Glass and leather goods like a wine carrier by Links & Kings, allow you to keep a piece of the club at home.
A golf-themed wine and cheese set | Photo by Dondee Quincena
When it comes to fashion, the golf shop carries much more than just sportswear, though yogis should be sure to stop in and check out the Beyond Yoga items that are in stock. Other apparel includes high-end cashmere sweaters and jackets, street shoes, jewelry and accessories like designer sunglasses from Tom Ford, Roberto Cavalli and Maui Jim. Men can be fitted for a customized Roger Ximenez leather belt, which come in various color schemes for any taste. Smokers are encouraged to try fine, hand-rolled Payne-Mason Cigars, which are hermetically sealed and allows golfers to forgo a humidor, so they can keep these cigars in a golf cart without worrying about them drying out.
The products aren’t the only thing that make the golf shop special; the service is just as important. “I have a full staff of retail girls who are … personal shoppers, so if you come in early enough and you know what you have in mind, they can help you find something or we can special order that item and get it to you in time for Christmas and just that aspect alone—the service of it—I think is much better than going into a mall situation,” says Retail Manager Tammy.
Check out these products and more at the White Friday sale to be held Nov. 16, the week before Thanksgiving as opposed to a traditional Black Friday sale the day after the holiday. This festive event will include decor and refreshments, all in white, like snowflakes, Champagne, wine and a chocolate fountain. Vendors will include the likes of Tory Sport and Golftini for ladies’ golf apparel; johnnie-O for children’s clothing and men’s golfwear; Marc Joseph New York for men’s and women’s shoes; and many more, all situated in the main lobby for members to peruse.
Get all of your holiday shopping done in one stop and don’t forget to treat yourself a bit along the way.
Eat & Drink
Seasonal Sips
Celebrate the holidays with these classic and creative cocktails at Seahorse Grille.
The holidays are upon us, which brings tastes of turkey, pumpkin pie and many other seasonal treats. But what is a celebratory meal without some exquisite drink pairings? Seahorse Grille at Newport Beach Country Club is stocked with a full bar and plenty of fun holiday cocktails to try. Here, we’ve rounded up some bartender favorites for you to try next time you’re at the bar.
Holiday cocktails at Seahorse Grille | Photo by Dondee Quincena
Seasonal Rum Runner
This spiced rum-based drink is made with sweet vermouth, Angostura and orange bitters, as well as cinnamon-infused orgeat syrup. Though the latter ingredient is typically found in tropical libations, the flavor is perfect for the holidays with its cinnamon and almond notes that truly exemplify winter spices. This smooth and spirit-forward cocktail is ideal for sipping from a snifter next to the fireplace.
Winter Old-Fashioned
This classic cocktail gets a seasonal spin and is the perfect way to warm up from the inside out on a cold winter day. Spirits are also a focal point for this mixture, which includes Old-Fashioned simple syrup, rye whiskey and Angostura bitters. The syrup is made in-house and incorporates cinnamon, clove, orange peels, star anise, white and brown sugar, as well as an entire bottle of rum, which is then all reduced down into a syrup. Though only a small amount is used in the cocktail, this single ingredient truly brightens up the drink and creates a distinct flavor profile.
Holiday Daiquiri Flip
Flip cocktails are special in the sense that they include a whole egg, which is “cooked” when shaken together with a citrus to create a unique, frothy texture. This recipe specifically calls for lime juice, as well as cinnamon-infused orgeat, Angostura bitters and rum. The froth gives this drink a similar consistency to eggnog, which is an idyllic wintertime sip that evokes nostalgia for many. If having an entire egg in your cocktail isn’t quite your cup of tea, you can also opt to have your bartender take that ingredient out for a simply delicious seasonal daiquiri.
Member Profile
Charitable Contributions
Local philanthropists Dick and Mary have been members of the club for 30 years, but their generous nature has been ingrained in them since childhood.
Though a diagnosis has the potential to turn someone’s world upside down, Dick and Mary seized the opportunity to emphasize education as well as give back to their community. This was the path they chose after learning that their 2-year-old granddaughter had Type 1 diabetes. Formerly called juvenile diabetes, this autoimmune disease occurs when the insulin-producing part of a child’s pancreas had been destroyed by his or her own immune system, leading to a lifelong need to monitor blood sugar levels and receive insulin injections.
The couple immediately set out to educate themselves on diabetes in order to learn how to properly care for their granddaughter. “We learned how to count the carbs that she was about to eat, we learned how to test her blood sugar by pricking her finger [and] we learned how to give her the shots of insulin that she needed,” Dick explains, noting that his granddaughter’s interest in obtaining new insulin injection technology led to his involvement in Tandem Diabetes Care, an insulin pump manufacturing company, for which he serves as chairman of the board.
Mary and Dick | Photo by Dondee Quincena
In 2009, eight years after the diagnosis, the couple contributed an endowment to the Hoag Hospital Foundation and opened the Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center, which now has two locations: the first at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach and a recent extension at Hoag Health Center Irvine Woodbridge. Both centers offer education and support services for those living with Type 1, Type 2 (adult-onset) and gestational (occurs solely during pregnancy) diabetes.
“Our diabetes center is there to educate, to provide medical care from either our nurses or our endocrinologist [and] to get … [patients] on the technologies … when the doctor thinks they’re ready,” Dick explains, noting that they are still garnering funds for the endowment. “… The purpose [of the endowment] … is that people who cannot afford diabetes [treatments], and there are many, we want to make sure … it will be available to them irrespective of their financial situation.”
“Our big thing was we didn’t want, when somebody walks in, that the first question they’re asked is [for] their insurance card,” Mary adds. Instead, the couple wants the first question asked to be, “What can we do to help?”
When asked how they initially got involved in the philanthropic world, Mary says she believes it was simply ingrained in them after seeing their parents work as volunteers. “I don’t think it ever dawned on us not to do something,” Mary says. “We’ve never really talked about it—it’s just us.”
“Neither of us came from any money; our parents were relatively poor, but they were generous with their time and with whatever money they had,” Dick explains. “ … You were always taught back then to give, to share, even if your means weren’t terribly huge.”
The couple brought this mindset with them from their hometown of Sioux City, Iowa, when they moved to California 42 years ago and the community has certainly benefited from their generosity. The Newport Beach Country Club, of which they’ve been members for 30 years, has also played a big role, with the annual Toshiba Classic tournament helping to gather funds for the diabetes centers. Since 2011, the charitable proceeds from the tournament—which will be renamed the Hoag Classic following a change in title sponsorship to Hoag Charity Sports—has benefited the Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center, equalling approximately $7 million to date.
Mary and Dick | Photo by Dondee Quincena
Participating in the tournament is also one of Dick’s favorite memories from his time as a member. “One year, the foursome that I sponsored won the Toshiba pro ams,” Dick says, noting that his son was on the team and won alongside him.
He enjoys an occasional round of golf outside the tournament, as well, and the couple can be found playing bridge with friends on Sunday nights when they aren’t traveling to visit family in Marin County and Seattle. They also like to stay active, attend book clubs and are involved in their church, St. Mark Presbyterian Church.
Mary enjoys dining at Seahorse Grille and especially likes the flatbreads as well as the seasonally themed dinners. “The dining room is terrific and we use it as an opportunity to invite friends over for a nice meal [and] dining experience,” Dick says.
When their family visits, they take them to the club for alfresco brunches, and on outings to Balboa Island for Duffy boat rides and Balboa bars—the quintessential Newport activities.
Though they are both technically retired, Dick and Mary have been and are still extremely involved in the community, in addition to their work with Hoag.
“My career was in gerontology, working with seniors, and now I am one,” Mary says, specifying that she mainly worked with the Alzheimer’s Association as well as with other nonprofit programs. Today, she is a member of the executive board of Angelitos de Oro, an organization that raises money for Big Brother Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire.
Dick has worked in health care ever since he graduated from business school. After being transferred to California for work in 1976, he eventually left that company to join forces with two other men and start Caremark, which is now owned by CVS Health. He also served on Hoag Hospital’s board of directors for 21 years, and his most recent venture is with the aforementioned insulin pump manufacturing company.
But regardless of their charitable contributions, the couple agrees that their greatest accomplishment of all is raising two children who are healthy, mature, charitable and in good marriages with families of their own—proving that they truly will always put family first.
Staff Profile
Decades of Dedication
Three of the longest tenured maintenance team members each recently celebrated milestone anniversaries of employment at the club—these are their stories.
Though the clubhouse was only rebuilt recently, some of the country club’s employees have been here for decades. Three of them, to be exact. From tending to the grass throughout the golf course to mitigating any golf cart issues, these maintenance team members are vital in preserving the framework that keeps Newport Beach Country Club together. After years of loyalty and spectacular service, these individuals have seen plenty of change, but one thing that remains constant is their drive to provide members with an extraordinary experience on the greens.
Mario | Photo by Dondee Quincena
Maintenance With Mario
Mario celebrated 30 years at Newport Beach Country Club on June 30, and he is just as happy to be a part of the team now as he was when he first started. Originally from Apatzingán in the Mexican state of Michoacán, Gamino came to the United States to find work in 1985. Three years later, he became involved with the country club. Today, he lives in Moreno Valley, California, with his wife, Lucia.
Considering his typical work day consists of watering and caring for the greens, Mario has certainly seen a lot of changes occur on the golf course. “Before, there were different kinds of grass and patches of dry greens, and now, the greens are beautiful compared to those days when I first started working at Newport Beach Country Club,” Mario explains. A challenge that he overcame, which he is particularly proud of, is the ability to keep the bunkers fresh by using a rake machine to remove golfers’ footprints.
One of his funniest memories is of “a co-worker [who] accidentally drove in the lake near the 17th hole, jumped out of the tractor [and] into the lake as the truck was sinking,” which he adds was very funny to watch.
When Mario isn’t at work, he enjoys walking on the beach and spending time with his family. He also notes that his wife is his biggest inspiration and says that she “is my best friend and I am grateful to have her by my side for 30 years and counting. She does everything for me, which I appreciate very much. I love my family and I owe it all to my wife.”
Froylan | Photo by Dondee Quincena
Fixed on Froylan
Another 30-year anniversary is being celebrated by Froylan, the longest-tenured outside services attendant whose main job is to check golf carts and ensure they are free of mechanical issues. Froylan also resides in Moreno Valley, but is originally from the more northern Mexican state of Durango. “I came [to California] in 1988 to have a new way of life for me and my family,” Froylan explains of his move to the United States.
After the move, Froylan discovered that two of his uncles were working at the country club and they easily convinced him to join them as an employee. Since then, he notes that the clubhouse has changed a lot and now offers more services to the members. Though the most challenging aspect of his job is the commute, his teammates make the drive worthwhile. “I am fortunate to work with good people,” he says.
Over the years, Froylan has been named team member of the month on three separate occasions, which he considers to be his greatest accomplishment. And he says he couldn’t have done it without one particular person: “A co-worker named Bill, who was the maintenance mechanic in charge of the golf course machinery, encouraged me to learn how to become a mechanic. Because of Bill, I am … [a mechanic] and I am very grateful he believed in me.”
When Froylan isn’t tending to the golf carts at the club, he also enjoys spending his leisure time on the course, as he plays golf himself.
Manuel "Tony" Mendoze | Photo by Dondee Quincena
Tony and the Turf
Originally from Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, Manuel “Tony” arrived in the United States in 1985 with the intention of finding work. His brother-in-law referred him to Newport Beach Country Club about 33 years ago, and he’s been with the club ever since—a milestone that he says makes him feel great.
When he first started as a country club employee, Tony says that the golf course had “rustic greens, old machinery and … [fewer] groundskeepers,” but also notes that many improvements have been made that have helped his job tremendously. Considering his main job is to mow the fairways and maintain the areas around the bunkers, it’s no wonder he’s loving the new greens. Another aspect of the job that he loves is his team, as their enthusiasm makes for a positive work environment.
Tony credits his passion for this job to his father. “He taught me to be kind to others and to have a strong work ethic, [to] always work hard [and to] be consistent and professional,” he explains.
As for his greatest accomplishment, Tony cites his communication skills, considering English is his second language. But one thing that transcends speech is his favorite sport: baseball. In his free time, he loves watching games, which evokes a bit of nostalgia, as he used to play in a league back in his home country when he was young.
