There are new activities for the community starting this month.  A quilting class will begin at 9 am on January 13, and will again meet at that time on January 20 and 27.   Steve Schaffer will speak on the Battle of New Bern at 5 pm on January 13, preceding our Members Dinner.   Our normal knitting group will meet January 11 at 2 pm, and again at that time on January 25.

Special events include a prive Landscaping lunch and event all day on January 12th, a private party the evening of January 19, and a Bridal Show on January 22.  Finally, a thank you breakfast for our golf course Pride Volunteers will be held at 9:30 on January 30.

January is a slow golf month, but our normal Tuesday morning LGA and Wednesday morning MGA games go on.  Please sign up in advance in the pro shop.  And remember, times are reserved for ladies on Thursday mornings and for men on Friday mornings, make your own game or sign up in the pro shop if you don’t have a 4some.

Nearly 100 Carolina Colours residents and their guests turned out for the first annual New Year’s Eve party at the Pavilion.  With dancing preceding and following a sumptous multi-course meal prepared by Chef Katherine, many a resident felt sore muscles Sunday morning as a reminder of the good time had the previous evening.

Thanks to the many volunteers who got all our community wreaths and decorations ready for display, and to those hearty souls who climbed the ladders throughout the community to hang and display them.  As has been the case for years, Carolina Colours looks great at Christmas, thanks to a lot of labor and love.

The community Christmas party at our Pavilion had over 100 members in attendance.  Featuring a great meal by Chef Katherine and a coastal Christmas decoration motif, thanks to the social committee, everyone had a great time.  The Christmas gift exchange and “stealing” , as is the case every year, brought a lot of laughs, and gave everyone a chance to savor their wine.

On to our New Year’s party upcoming, as we will end the year in style!

Chef Katherine turned the normal Friday night members meal at the Carolina Colours Pavilion into an elaborate breakfast recently.  The food, including the home made  pastries, drew raves.  And those electing to attend in pajamas were the evenings entertainment!

The event was so popular, we can start looking at some Sunday brunches in 2012.

The first Carolina Colours Golf Club member/guest golf tournamant was held the weekend of October 15th.   Flight winners were Jeremy Bruno/Dick Larimer; Marc LaFrance/Jim McGraw; Phillip Williams/Steve Armstrong and Terry Blythe/Jason Wilson.  The team of LaFrance and McGraw won the shootout among flight winners, and are the overall champions.

The team of Mary Anne Ohsol and Sandy Loughren were the women’s division winners.   Mary Roberts/Tracy Carrutheres finished second, with Kathy Amato/Jo Nelms coming in third.

Second place finishers in the men’s division flights were John Lucas/Jeff Bennett; Tim Tabek/Randy King; Tom Saunderson/Jeff Duncan and Larry Nelson/Mike Maher.

The weather was great, the course excellent, the hospitality outstanding and the conradarie best of all!

We at Carolina Colours were thrilled with the response of the players.  Since the visit, we have received written feedback, including: “Your golf course is fun to play.” You succeeded in making it a joy for any handicap.”  The tees are my facorite that I have ever played.”  “The condition of the course was excellent and a pure enjoyment to play.”  “You should be proud of your staff.”  “As a member of the panel, I feel fortunate to have played at the Carolina Colours Golf Club.”

Following these comments, we look forward to next year’s rankings, which will appear in the spring in the Business North Carolina magazine, as well as on the website of the Panel.  It is always great to hear how the hard work of our staff is paying off in a great golfing experience for our players!

Also remember that we have an extensive magazine collection, and many puzzles.  Magazines and puzzles are located (along with some audio books) on the table beside the bookshelves.   Enjoy!

As an aside, (although not in our library yet), I strongly recommend the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny, for those that like detective fiction.  The writing is excellent, and the characters memorable.  Perhaps the best series of its genre I have come across in years.

Ken Kirkman