2021 offered our Members abundant social opportunities and competitive events in a safe environment after a slowdown the past few years. There were numerous opportunities for everyone to come together and enjoy the many benefits of being a Member at Shadow Wood!
Here's a look back at a few of the highlights from 2021 at Shadow Wood.
New Members
Shadow Wood welcomed exactly 100 new Members to the Club in 2021! In addition, a waiting list was established for Golf Membership as we reached capacity for the first time in our club’s history.
Members Helping Members
During the initial wave of vaccine rollouts at the beginning of 2021, many Florida residents struggled with the registration system and appointments were filling up within minutes. It was a stressful time for most everyone who was hoping to receive one of the few vaccines allotted to our area. Without the help of some of our incredible Members, this already stressful situation could have been even worse.
When we heard through the grapevine that Members were reaching out to help each other secure appointments, we asked to hear your stories. Our inboxes were flooded with Members filled with gratitude sharing the names and stories of fellow Members who woke up early to selflessly help each other!
Tee Markers
Over the past few years, each of the three Shadow Wood golf courses have undergone extensive renovations. Since the reopening of The Preserve Course in October 2020, the SWCC Golf Committee had been planning a special final touch to celebrate the completion of all three courses and provide one additional new feature for all Members’ enjoyment.
In early March 2021, the Teeing Grounds Markers transitioned from the traditional “color markers” to “roman numeral markers.”
It is truly a fantastic time to enjoy golf at Shadow Wood Country Club! The variety of the three golf courses, enhancements from the renovations, and camaraderie amongst our diverse golfing membership all add to the positive golfing experience.
Tee It Up For The Community
Shadow Wood Members have done so much to give back to the local community. The Coronavirus pandemic created many challenges for underprivileged families, families who are out of work, and a host of other families struggling to put food on the table. Local food banks have been hit hard over the past year and were unable to keep up with the demand to feed so many needy families.
With the move to the new roman numeral tee marker system across all three golf courses, the Golf Committee teamed up with the Shadow Wood Charitable Foundation to present an exciting charitable opportunity for the Members to purchase a logo tee marker to support local food banks. 50% of the donations were split between the Harry Chapin Food Bank & St. Matthews House, the other 50% supported the Shadow Wood Charitable Foundation selected food banks. Thanks to the generosity of Shadow Wood members, over $35,000 was raised as a result of the Tee it up for Community program!
Golf Academy
With the pandemic forcing more people outside over the past year, the game of golf saw a steep increase in people playing across the country over the previous year. 3 million American’s played golf on a course for the first time ever. All of this activity of golf resulted in a very busy season at the Shadow Wood Golf Academy!
Over the last season, the professional golf staff offered 67 clinics, 25 instructional programs, 20 demo days, and too many individual lessons to count!
Personal club fittings in the Academy more than doubled from previous years. 274 individual clubs were fit as well as 40 full sets of irons. This year for the first time, Members were able to use the TaylorMade Fit Cart and demos. They also offered a comprehensive ball fitting experience with Titleist.
Hole-In-One
All those Golf Academy clinics, programs, and lessons must’ve paid off as there were over 36 Holes-in-One between the 3 Shadow Wood courses! Which is exactly double 2020 when we had 18 Holes-In-One. Congratulations to these Members who accomplished one of the most exciting achievements in golf!
Renovations
Shadow Wood Country Club has been evolving through a three-phase transformation process over the years to completely renovate the club facilities. From style to functionality, no stone was left unturned! Recognized by both the Collier Building Industry Association (CBIA) and Golf Inc. Magazine as Best Renovated Clubhouse in 2020, Shadow Wood has set the standard for club renovations locally and nationally.
The final phase of the clubhouse transformation began in Summer 2021. The project included the construction of a brand new 3,500 sq ft golf shop, a redesigned bag drop and arrival area, refurbishments to the ladies locker room, men’s grill expansion, and transformation of the existing golf shop space into a second card and game room.
2021 definitely threw us some curveballs. Yet at every step of the way, the Members’ spirits shown through in the brightest ways. The unwavering support of the Club and leadership from the Members allowed the team to continue providing services that made being a Member here even more valuable. We cannot wait to see what 2022 has in store for Shadow Wood Country Club.
