A View From The Top Volume 97 Issue 118 December 2013

Transcription

1 A View From The Top Volume 97 Issue 118 December 2013 Selected as one of America s Best 100 Residential Golf Courses ~ Golfweek 2013 Proudly recognized as a 5-Star Platinum Club of America since 1997 Our Vision: Our passion is to sustain and build upon Desert Highlands Five-Star, Platinum Club status where exceptional service is experienced daily by our Members. Our Mission: Our commitment is to preserve and enhance a community where our Members build meaningful friendships, see their property values preserved over the long term, and have the opportunity to set and achieve their desired level of health and fitness. These desired outcomes will be achieved through exceptional staff service, high quality athletic venues, and Member-focused dining and recreational events.

2 Me s s a g e f r o m t h e COO What a fantastically busy past few months here at Desert Highlands! We have experienced a dramatic increase in use of the Clubhouse with Members enjoying the new Bar, gorgeous patios, convenient Sunset Patio Bar and the delicious new menus. It is wonderful to see all of the familiar and new faces utilizing the Club and socializing with friends, old and new. We have also been fortunate to enjoy booming real estate sales, providing a fantastic rebate to Members of record is certainly ending on an impressive note. With all of these changes, the Board, Committees and staff have worked diligently to balance the needs of our Members with quality services while maintaining our strong financial status during the extensive budget process these past few months. A letter from Board President Darrell Elfeldt was recently mailed outlining the 2014 budget and monthly dues. As we approach the Board election season, we are looking for Board candidates who will be actively engaged, unifying in spirit, and wholly committed to its membership. A letter was mailed last month with an overview of the election process and schedule so we hope you will take a few moments to read and consider the importance of these roles. More information will be sent in the upcoming weeks. If you are interested in making a positive impact on your community, I d love to meet with you to discuss these opportunities. When attending DH events or using the facilities, please join us in welcoming our many new Members and introduce yourselves. As new Members join, our annual printed Member Directory will not have their contact information. Never fear our online Member Directory is always updated and will provide you with contact information for those new Members. More Member photos have been added to our online directory. If you d like to include yours, please submit them to Kelly in the Administration office or to her at kkubsch@deserthighlandsscottsdale.com. This will help our Staff better serve you and also help you get to know other Members. The Hospitality Subcommittee has been contacting new Members and are planning a New Member Reception on January 23 to welcome them to our beautiful community and encourage them to join various activities/events. We are fortunate to have dedicated staff and we are proud to note that so many of them have served Desert Highlands and its Members for many years. We routinely acknowledge staff anniversary milestones with a gift, cake and certificate in front of their colleagues. We want to also periodically share these significant milestones with you, our DH family. Stanley Regalado on our Culinary Team recently celebrated 25 years here at DH. Thank you Stanley! Please give a huge thank you to DH Members Guy Jackson, Mark Kirk, Carol Olson and her 12 year old son, Robert, for their efforts on the November 16th Adopt-a-Road Clean Up. They cleaned Happy Valley Road from Alma School Road west to the Living Waters Lutheran Church. Thank you to all of them for helping beautify the area surrounding DH. Our holiday festivities are underway with several exciting events. In addition to some enjoyable tennis, golf and fitness events, we have our traditional Hanukkah Dinner, Holiday Chefs Gone Wild Dinner, Breakfast with Santa, New Year s Eve Celebration, and much, much more. You will notice our holiday decorations throughout the facilities soon - a sure sign the holiday merriment is here! 2 By Terra S. H. Waldron, CCM, CCE Here are some reminders of policies and helpful amenities during the holiday season: If you have not started your holiday shopping yet, our Golf Shop and Racquet Club have some gorgeous gift ideas for almost everyone on your list. DH massage, Golf Shop or Racquet Club gift certificates also make great gifts. As we approach the busy holiday season, we encourage everyone to make their dining reservations early and remember our convenient take out, in-home catering and banquet services. As you plan your holiday schedules and parties, please keep in mind that our F&B Team can assist you with holiday company parties, family dinners, birthday/anniversary parties, bridal showers, weddings and more. For those who have not used our catering services, we have multiple venues, themes and menus for any of your festivities. These events are personalized to your needs and showcase your beautiful community. Another bonus: the food charges apply toward your food minimum. Let us make your celebrations shine and allow you to enjoy the fun! No time to bake any holiday goodies or do you need a sweet hostess gift? Our Pastry Chef John can create delicious platters of cookies, pies or other sweet treats for your holiday celebrations. Please see the enclosed Holiday Sweets flyer for all of the details. As you and your guests use the DH pool and Fitness Center throughout the busy holiday season, please remember to deposit the DH towels in the baskets before you leave so they can be washed and available for other Member s use. During this holiday party and travel season, for your convenience and safety Desert Highlands Members may arrange a car service through Execucar and charges will be billed to your Member statement. Simply call our receptionist at to make a reservation and celebrate safely. Feeling stressed during this holiday season? Take advantage of our wonderful massage therapists and their relaxing massage services. They are also a perfect gift for your holiday guests! Visit or call the Fitness Center or view the new Fitness & Wellness brochure on the Member website. The popular Racquet Club Saturday BBQs continue on December 7, 14 & 21. Enjoy lunch courtside from 11:00 am 1:30 pm with burgers, hot dogs, chicken, salads & all the fixings. Even if you don t play tennis, come on down and enjoy the beautiful fall weather, chat with your neighbors, play a little basketball or even do a little catch & release fishing. With such mild winters and beautiful scenery, we see numerous walkers and bikers on our roads. Walkers, we encourage you to use the walking paths we have on property which offers a safer environment away from the road traffic. If you do need to walk on the roads, please be aware of road traffic and when cars approach, walk single file so vehicles can pass safely. For everyone s safety, walking is not allowed on the golf course and cart path during golfing hours; the entire golf course and cart paths must be clear of walkers during play. To ensure everyone s safety, speeds are monitored by our Security personnel and violations will be issued per the Community Information & Guidelines book. Please use caution and heed the posted traffic signs. Please note that the Clubhouse, Golf Shop and Halfway House will be open until 3:00 p.m. on December 24. The Clubhouse, Golf Shop, Fitness Center and Racquet Club will be closed on December 25 but the Golf Course will be open for walkers only. If your golf clubs are stored, please arrange club pick up before 3:00 p.m. on 12/24. Please review the enclosed calendars for more information on holiday closures and hours. What better way to end 2013 and welcome 2013 than at our New Year s Eve Celebration on Tuesday, December 31. We have an Early Edition, the Main Event or the Night Cap options so you can choose one, two or all three of the celebrations. Please RSVP by calling We thank you for your continued support and wish you and your families a holiday season full of love, laughter, health and happiness.

3 Certainly Worth the Wait The cooling winter air continues to move in at Desert Highlands, but it certainly has not dampened the continued energy and excitement felt around the Clubhouse. The dining rooms continue to fill up and the staff is continuing to focus on ensuring unparalleled dining experiences. Thank you to the entire Membership for the continued support of the food and beverage operation. Thanksgiving is behind us and the Hanukkah and Christmas holidays are just around the corner. We look forward to seeing many of you at the numerous upcoming holiday events at the club. One special event is our inaugural Black Tie Holiday Dinner on Saturday, December 7. The event will feature fabulous food, live music and an optional wine pairing addition. We are hoping to make the first Black Tie Holiday Dinner a great success and turn it into a Desert Highlands tradition. As the holiday season is upon us, I am taking a page from Chef Dan s book by providing a recipe. This recipe, however, will not fill you up, but may certainly keep you warm and your spirits high on these cool North Scottsdale December evenings. Enjoy! Kimberly s Holiday Hopper Easy to make at home or stop by the Bar this holiday season and let Kimberly prepare one for you. Ingredients: 1 oz Midori melon liqueur 1/2 oz green creme de menthe 1/2 oz white creme de cacao 2 oz half and half Mint leaves for garnish Raspberry for garnish Preparation: 1. Pour the ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice. 2. Shake well. 3. Strain into a martini glass. 4. Garnish with a mint leaves and a raspberry. By Ryan Davis I look forward to seeing you all at the Club and as always, please feel free to share your thoughts, comments, questions and concerns. Cheers! A Sw e e t Ho l i d ay Sta p l e Sw e e t Po tat o e s On many of our holiday tables, you will find variations of the root vegetable Sweet Potatoes. There are several varieties of sweet potato but the two that are widely grown commercially are the pale sweet potato and the darker-skinned variety Americans erroneously call yam (the true YAM is not related to the sweet potato). The pale sweet potato has a thin, light yellow skin and a pale yellow flesh. Its flavor is not sweet and after being cooked, the pale sweet potato is dry and crumbly, much like a white baking potato. The darker variety has a thicker, dark orange skin and a vivid orange, sweet flesh that cooks to a much moister texture. By Chef Dan Chagolla Fresh sweet potatoes are available sporadically throughout the year, though not as readily during the summer months. Canned and frozen sweet potatoes are available year-round and are sometimes labeled as yams. When buying fresh sweet potatoes, chose those that are small to medium sized with smooth, un-bruised skins. Sweet potatoes don t store well unless the environment is just right: dry, dark and around 55 degrees. Under perfect conditions, they can be stored for 3 to 4 weeks. Otherwise, store them in a cool, dark place and use within a week of purchase. Do not refrigerate. Sweet potatoes, particularly the pale variety, can be substituted for regular potatoes in most recipes. They can be prepared in a variety of ways including baking, broiling, sautéing, and mashing. Sweet potatoes can also be french fried but for best results, the oil should be set at 300 degrees rather than 350 degrees like regular potatoes. Sweet potatoes tend to get very dark in the fryer and do not get very crispy due to the moisture content. Sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamins A and C. (Source: Food Lover s Companion) Here is a great tasting roasted sweet potato recipe, perfect for the holidays. Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes 2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and diced medium sized ¼ Cup Maple Syrup 2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar 4 Shallots, sliced thin 1 Tbsp. Thyme, chopped 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil 2 Tbsp. Whole Butter Salt and Pepper to taste 3 In a large bowl, add the diced sweet potatoes and 1 tablespoon olive oil; lightly season with salt and pepper. Mix well and arrange potatoes on a sheet tray. Place into a 400 oven; check in 15 minutes and stir if needed, roasting until caramelized or golden brown. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add the remaining olive oil and sliced shallots. Sauté until they start to caramelize. Add the maple syrup and balsamic. Bring to a light simmer, reduce until the liquid becomes a light syrup. Lightly fold in the roasted potatoes, chopped thyme and butter; mix well. Enjoy!

4 Inaugural Front Nine vs. Back Nine a Success! Congratulations to this year s Champions Team Back Nine! By Doug Westcott With great excitement, the Opening Event kicked off the event s calendar with a new clubhouse and a new golf event. The inaugural Front Nine vs. Back Nine competition was a great success with a total of 96 members playing. Teams had four members competing in a scramble format battling to determine which side of Desert Highlands had the better players. After all the putts were made and scores were tallied, the teams had a pizza party in the Library. Our first event of the year might also go down as our closest event of the year. As the dust settled, the final score was Front Nine 840 to Back Nine 839! We are already looking forward to an even better competition between the two sides next year! Understanding the New Pin Sheets Beginning in late October, new hole location sheets were placed in our golf cars. We have heard some confusion on what the diagrams and numbers indicate. Below is an example and explanation of a sample hole pin sheet. If you have any further questions or comments, please stop by the Golf Shop. 1 Identifies the Hole #. D:35 Indicates the depth of this green is 35 paces. 7,6L Indicates the hole is 7 paces on from the front and 6 paces from the left of the fringe. -10 Indicates how many yards +/- the hole is from the center of the green. Ladies Day 18 Shades of Green The Ladies Day kicked off with a beautiful day of golf, fabulous lunch and an exciting trunk show. There were 78 ladies who played in the opening day scramble and many more that attended the activities that followed. Special thanks to Janet Elfeldt and Debbie Medalie for organizing a wonderful Opening Day. We look for Ladies Day to be busy this year, so be sure to call or stop by the Golf Shop to sign up for the upcoming Thursday Golf Events. Below are the dates and formats for upcoming events, all of which start at 9:30 a.m.: December 5 FORE Clubs ONLY (18/9 Holers) December 12 Guys and Dolls (18 Holers), Scramble (9 Holers) December 19 Match vs. Par (18 Holers), 2 Net Best Ball of Team (9 Holers) December 26 Optional Play Tee Times (18/9 Holers) 2013 Men s Fall Member-Guest - November 15, 2013 Back by popular demand again this year for the Fall Men s Guest Day was the The Wheel format. This format allowed each male Member the opportunity to bring up to three guests. All participants played their own ball in stroke play and the format allowed the Member to compete as a team with each of his guests for gross and net prizes. The weather was perfect and the competition was strong. Thanks to all the DH men that competed in the Fall Guest Day. Be sure to call the Golf Shop or use ForeTees online to sign up for the spring Men s Member/Guest on March 14. Congratulations to our Fall Men s Member/Guest winners: 1st Place Gross - Dan Nelson & Jock Holliman 1st Place Net - Dan Nelson & Bart Sweeney 1st Place Net - John Kraft & Terry Swicegood Holiday Shop Hours The Golf Shop will be open on December 24 from 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., closed on December 25, and on January 1 we will have a 10:00 a.m. shotgun with the Golf Shop closing at 3:00 p.m. The Golf Course is open on December 25 after 10:00 a.m. for walkers only, so be sure to make arrangements to pick up your clubs from storage a day or two before if you are going to walk the course on Christmas Day. Couples Events Tee It Forward: Back for a second year was our Tee It Forward couples event. Coinciding with the PGA s Tee It Forward program, the event was comprised of a foursome best ball with each player playing from a tee that is forward of the normal tee they play from. The Tee It Forward Program is to encourage players to play from the correct tees and course yardage depending on how far they hit their drives. Congratulations to this year s Tee It Forward Winners: 1st Gross - Dick & Nicole Tombs and Joe & Gayle Colello 1st Net - Bucky & Pat Zimmerman and Alfy & Terri D Ancona Happy Holiday Event: Didn t think sixsomes were allowed?! Guess again our Happy Holidays event on December 8 will feature a Gender Step Out Scramble where couples have the option to sign up with two other DH couples of their choice! Please use ForeTees or call the Golf Shop to sign up today! Monday Shotguns Monday, January 6, 2014 will be the start of our weekly Monday shotguns. Each Monday will be a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start through the month of April (except when special events are scheduled). The Driving Range will be available before the shotgun for players to warm up for their round. Holiday Gifts at the Golf Shop! As the holiday season approaches, the DH Golf Shop is the place to shop for everyone on your list. Take an additional 20% off Peter Millar for men and women from December Free shipping will be applied on any purchase made through the Golf Shop from November 30 - December 20. Don t forget to add a Desert Highlands gift certificate as the final touch. The Golf Shop also offers complimentary gift wrapping available upon request. Don t forget: The Golf Shop Credit Book expires December 31, Any credit earned prior to October 1, 2013 will expire on December 31, Handicap Renewal for 2014 Just a reminder: if you currently have an AGA Handicap Membership through Desert Highlands, it will renew on January 1 for the 2014 fiscal year. The deadline to cancel your membership will be December 30. We ask that if you are no longer playing competitive golf and don t need a handicap anymore, please cancel by this date. If you need to set up a Handicap, please stop in the Golf Shop for further assistance. Save the Date Don t miss out on the Valley s premiere Men s and Ladies Member-Guest events - the 2014 DH Ladies Hoe Down and Men s Highland Fling. Last year s events were a great success and we are looking forward to even greater participation. This year s Hoe Down event will kick off on Tuesday, March 18 with a Western Themed party and will conclude on Thursday, March 20. This year s Highland Fling will swing into action on April 10 with the Round-Up practice round followed by the Stag night dinner and conclude on April 12 with the Gala Dinner. For more information or to sign up to play, please contact Golf Shop Staff at

5 Im p o r ta n c e o f Fi x i n g Ba l l Ma r k s, Ra k i n g Bu n k e r s, and Filling Divots Golf course etiquette is a topic that can bring about a lot of conversation on the 19th hole. Usually, the three topics golfers talk about the most are fixing ball marks, raking bunkers, and filling divots. Why are these three easy steps so important to the success of your golf course? Let s explain the importance of doing each of these things on a consistent basis: Fixing ball marks: Talk of the greens and how they play is the majority of conversation after a golfer is done with his/her round: how smooth they are, how fast they are, and the firmness of the green is what most often is discussed. So, when a green is covered in ball marks that are not fixed or fixed improperly, it can bring a sour taste to the golfer s experience. A ball mark that is fixed properly and right after the mark is made can help with recovery time and smoothness and health of the green. Of all the actions and reactions on a golf course that impact the agronomic and playing aspects of the game, the simple act of fixing your ball mark is the greatest. Unfixed ball marks take several weeks to recover from the damage and those that are fixed incorrectly do more harm than good. This is even truer when the temperatures begin to decline and the grass is not growing as actively as we see in the winter months here in the southwest. Ballmarks that are repaired properly take only a few days to recover. A simple reminder to think about when fixing a ball mark: push your ball marks back toward the center. Do not lift or twist harshly. Raking bunkers: Leave the bunker as good (or better) as it was when you entered it. These are words that every golfer should know and live by when it comes to sand By Dave Cox traps. If you have ever played golf and happened to find yourself hitting out of a bunker, you know how difficult that can be. That difficulty is usually magnified if you find yourself hitting out of someone s footprint from the previous group because they didn t rake the bunker. When you are in a sand trap, take a rake with you and rake behind yourself as you exit the bunker. Here are a couple of things to remember when in a bunker: Push sand up the bunker face and enter and exit from the low side of the bunker. Don t climb out of the high side of the bunker, which causes damage to liners and grass faces. Filling Divots: The void left in the turf after a perfectly struck golf ball is another area that seems to draw people s attention. A divot that is not replaced or filled with the sand/seed mix can take weeks to fill in and recover. It also has to be played from if another player hits his/her ball in the divot. An area that is scarred with unfilled and unrepaired divots is ugly and can also make the golfer s experience less desirable. So please fill your divot and one other while you re there. The following quote from James Moore of the USGA is something to live by when preparing yourself for a round of golf: Leave the course better than what you found it. And contrary to what you might think, none of these etiquette steps result in slow play. Imagine your course receiving 30,000 rounds per year from golfers who follow these three easy fixes! Ju m p Sta r t y o u r Fi t n e s s Ne w Ye a r The Fitness Center is in full swing! Our November Fall Fitness Festival was a huge success with over 200 Members who participated. Our existing services such as personal training, group fitness, golf specific programs, massage continue and we look forward to many new programs beginning in January, including demo classes on our new Isawall, health lectures, hiking clubs and running clubs. By Via Gibson Do you have a fitness plan for the New Year? Our Jump-Start the New Year seminar will help you to understand the essential fundamentals that create a successful fitness program. Learning the basics of nutrition, cardiovascular, and strength training will make your 2014 a successful year! Please join our new Assistant Fitness Manager Steve Jarzabek as he helps you create the perfect program for your body. Steve has been in the fitness industry for 12 years. He spent three years in the US Army and after graduating with a Finance degree, spent multiple years in the financial services field. However, he realized his true calling was to follow his passion for fitness. Steve also holds a Masters of Exercise Science and is certified by ACE as a Personal Trainer, Group Fitness and Health Coach. Additionally, he is certified by NASM as a Performance Enhancement and Corrective Exercise Specialist. Steve s primary focus is corrective exercise, utilizing the Functional Movement Screening System (FMS). He has also participated in Titleist Performance Institute Seminar, holds a TRX certification and is a Black Belt in karate. The rest of his time is devoted to volunteering for various charities throughout the year, such as the Phoenix Children s Hospital, as well as Leukemia and Diabetes Associations. The Jump Start the New Year seminar will be offered on Monday, December 9 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. and is complimentary to Members and their guests. Please call to reserve your spot. 5

6 Gr e at t o Se e Yo u Ba c k As I have mentioned several times already this fall, I am happy to have the hot summer of 2013 in my rear view mirror. It is wonderful to see all of you back and participating in our busy tennis program. We also have many new Members who have been participating as well. If there is anything that we as a tennis staff can do to enhance your experience at the Racquet Club, please feel free to ask one of us. We are definitely here for you! Season Kick Off Party! We had a wonderfully attended all level mixer, as well as the ASU ladies exhibition on Saturday, November 2. The 24 person mixer was played in a progressive format, which promotes lots of interaction between participants. All players saw familiar faces and met some new ones too. A special congratulations to Desert Highlands Tennis MVP award winner Debra Paget. The ASU ladies grass court exhibition was very entertaining as well as educational! It was amazing how hard those girls can hit the ball and it was especially interesting to see how low they were when hitting their shots. We also sold over 60 BBQ lunches that day. Thank you all for your support Rally for the Cure Participants Rally for the Cure Winners: (L-R) Hilary Stevens & Anne Marie Smith December Upcoming Events By Eric Anderson Friday, December 6 Ladies A/B Event with Lunch Courtside Saturday, December 7 Men s A/B Event with BBQ Courtside Saturday, December 21 Tennis Pro/Member Exhibitions & Holiday Sale with BBQ Courtside Please see the monthly flyers for more detailed information. ASU Ladies Tennis Exhibition: (L-R) Gussie O Sullivan, Stephanie Vlad, Umpire Raul Jose, Kassidy Jump, Desirae Krawczyk. Interclub Teams Performing Well Desert Highlands three ladies interclub teams have been playing since September and their great results thus far have put them in contention for fall titles. Cindy Kramer s 3.5 s and Margaret Haase s 4.5 s are near the top of their respective ATA league divisions at this printing. There is a good buzz going on with the teams this season; lots of activity with the team clinics and our players are showing lots of improvement. December Quick Tip: When running wide, hit to the same side! During a point, when pulled outside the edges of the court (i.e. wide to the forehand or backhand side) try not to be a hero and hit the ball cross court. Hitting cross court when running wide is considered hitting against the grain and for a club player will normally result in an error. If you get lucky enough to get the cross court shot in play, you will be out of position for the next shot and all the opponent needs to do is hit to the open court for the winner. Hitting down the line when on the run and defensive are the smart plays; you will have an easier time getting the ball in play and you will force the opponent to make a cross court shot for a winner. By the Numbers As we ramped up staffing in September and October, we were looking for the best of the best. In our search, here are the numbers of resumes/applications reviewed for our open positions: Departments Resumes/Applications Reviewed Accounting 681 Fitness 224 F&B Front of the House 279 F&B Kitchen 293 Golf 107 6

7 Ho l i d ay Sa f e t y Ti p s & Re m i n d e r s As we are now in the holiday season, I hope everyone is enjoying themselves. Below are some holiday safety tips from the Scottsdale Fire Department: Live Holiday Trees Choose a fresh tree, put it in a sturdy stand, and keep it watered. Place the tree away from all heat sources and out of the way of traffic. Dispose of the tree properly. Do not burn it in the fireplace! The city wide tree pick up is generally the second week in January. Stay tuned for the date in next month s newsletter and January DH News s. Lighting Check each set of lights for broken sockets, frayed or bare wires or loose connections. Discard all damaged sets. Don t overload electrical outlets. Use no more than three sets of lights per single extension cord. Only use indoor lights - indoors, and outdoor lights - outdoors! Always unplug all lights before leaving home or going to sleep. Candles Keep candles away from decorations, and place them in sturdy, non-combustible holders. Never leave lit candles unattended. Don t leave children unattended in a room with lit candles. The Important Reminders As the fall season begins to embark on winter bringing with it a full community, cooler mornings, evenings and the inevitable cold temperatures soon to follow, here are a few friendly reminders for neighborhood considerations. Many will be bringing family and close friends home to Desert Highlands over the holidays and the Association receives several calls each year regarding animals, trash containers and questions concerning the regulations/guidelines that help keep our exterior surroundings beautiful throughout the winter months. Animals: Please be reminded of the importance of ensuring that your animals are safe and that you comply with the regulations outlined in the Associations CC&Rs. The majority of complaints result from individuals not picking up after their dogs to which there are serious infractions of the Association s regulation noted in the CC&Rs Section Please also note that dogs must be on a leash when they are outside the Owner s lot, except in designated areas of the Racquet Club during specific hours. This ensures the safety of the animal outside the confines of the enclosed yard. Dogs on leashes may now use the transition and cart path areas of the Golf Course during non-golfing hours. Trash Containers: As a reminder, the Refuse/Black Can collection is Wednesdays and the Recycle/Mauve Can collection is Fridays. These containers must be removed from sight of neighboring properties and the street when not at the curbside and should only be out at the curb for collection for the shortest time reasonably necessary for such collection. Holiday Decorations and Lighting Guidelines: Holiday decorations are generally permitted two weeks before the holiday and ending one week after the holiday. Christmas decorations are permitted not earlier than Thanksgiving and ending not later than January 7. All exterior holiday decoration lighting must NOT be twinkling or blinking. A maximum of five plants (trees, cacti) may be decorated or lighted outside of the site walls on 7 By Nick Ciliento, CPP Cooking Never leave cooking unattended. If you leave the kitchen while cooking, turn off the stove. Turn pot and pan handles toward the center of the stove, and out of the reach of children. If a pan or skillet catches fire, slide the lid or larger pan over the skillet and turn the stove off. Keep a fire extinguisher within reach and know how to use it. Holiday Extras Have plenty of non-alcoholic drinks available at gatherings. Use seat belts and child safety seats in your car. Keep portable heaters at least three feet away from holiday trees, decorations, furniture, other flammable materials. Have your home furnace inspected prior to cold weather use. For those Members going out or leaving town during the holidays, please remember to make sure your home is locked/secured and your alarm system is turned on. You may also consider leaving a light or two on in the house or purchase a light timer for when you are gone in the evenings. For those of you celebrating the holidays here at Desert Highlands, please remember to call Security at to authorize gate entry for your friends and family or use the online access management program. Also, I ll be stopping by later this month with the annual Security gift. Until next time, stay safe. By Dawn Tenney a lot. Lighting on the top of parapets, roof ridges and gables is not permitted. Luminaries that use an electrical powered light source may be placed along driveways and walkways. Frost Protection: There is an average of 15 frost days and/ or nights when temperatures drop below 40 degrees, which can cause frost, freeze and damage to vegetation each year. The Design Review Committee developed Frost Protection Guidelines to assist homeowners find a balance in the protection of their landscapes yet be aesthetically pleasing throughout the neighborhood when visible from neighboring properties, streets, common areas and the golf course during the colder temperatures. Frost protection sheets may be used on these nights, provided that they are removed the next morning. Styrofoam cups may also be used; cups that are painted green may be left on the cacti until the end of February, otherwise the cups and other protection must be removed each morning. Thank you for this opportunity to remind our Members of the standards that keeps Desert Highlands the most beautiful neighborhood in Scottsdale and the best place to live in Arizona! If you have any questions regarding these issues, please do not hesitate to call Dawn Tenney and Stephanie Hoenigman at The Design Review team is in the process of eliminating hard copy house plan storage and digitizing the house plans in their possession. Over the years, house plans have been pulled from storage by the request of homeowners and not returned to the Association, so not all completed homes will be accounted for in this project. If you are interested in the hard copy of your plans upon completion of this project, please contact Dawn Tenney or Stephanie Hoenigman at or shoenigman@deserthighlandsscottsdale.com prior to December 15, All hard copies not requested by this date will be recycled on or after January 1, After January 1, 2014, house plans will be available electronically for homeowners, architects and builders just as the hard copies have been available in the past.

8 Real Estate News By Carey Fassler As we get ready to say farewell to 2013, it seems a good time to reflect on some year-to-date numbers: 52 closed real estate sales 1 lender owned property fee (7) member refunds/waivers/swaps =46 Net Membership Fees or $3,450,000 Welcome to each and every one of this year s new Members and we hope you are enjoying the wonderful life and lifestyle Desert Highlands has to offer! Currently, some 43 homes and 9 home sites are offered for sale in Desert Highlands. Homes range in price from $799,300 to $5,995,000, and home sites range in price from $130,000 to $599,500. Pinnacle Peak RMS Desert Highlands Golf & Tennis Event Desert Highlands was pleased to host a Golf and Tennis Event last month for the Pinnacle Peak - REALTOR Marketing Session (PP-RMS) affiliated with the Scottsdale Area Association of Realtors. Well over 100 area agents enjoyed a beautiful day of great golf or tennis followed by a delicious lunch in the newly renovated Clubhouse! The group had rave reviews for the Golf Course, Racquet Club, and Clubhouse. It was great to have this event return to Desert Highlands after a six year hiatus and be part a fun day that raised a lot of money for the PP-RMS three worthwhile charities! Photos taken during the PP-RMS Golf Tournament at Desert Highlands: Like I always say, it s location, location, location! For Your Convenience Terra S.H. Waldron, CCM, CCE Vice President/Chief Operating Officer twaldron@deserthighlandsscottsdale.com Eric Anderson Director of Tennis eanderson@deserthighlandsscottsdale.com Taffee Becker Executive Assistant tbecker@deserthighlandsscottsdale.com Terry Burns Facilities Manager tburns@deserthighlandsscottsdale.com Chef Dan Chagolla Executive Chef dchagolla@deserthighlandsscottsdale.com Nick Ciliento, CPP Director of Security nciliento@deserthighlandsscottsdale.com Lorraine DaMotta Chief Financial Officer ldamotta@deserthighlandsscottsdale.com Ryan Davis Clubhouse Manager rdavis@deserthighlandsscottsdale.com Carey Fassler Director of Marketing cfassler@deserthighlandsscottsdale.com Via Gibson Fitness Director vgibson@deserthighlandsscottsdale.com Diana Glover Director of Catering dglover@deserthighlandsscottsdale.com Kelly Kubsch Membership Communications Manager kkubsch@deserthighlandsscottsdale.com Phil Shoemaker Golf Course Superintendent pshoemaker@deserthighlandsscottsdale.com Dawn Tenney Director of Member Services dtenney@deserthighlandsscottsdale.com Doug Westcott Director of Golf dwestcott@deserthighlandsscottsdale.com Residential Services/Design Review Home Inspection Services Landscape Care Pool & Spa Care Pest Prevention Services Contact: Dawn Tenney or Stephanie Hoenigman, Printed On Recycled Paper 2013 Club Marketing, Inc