Pennsylvania Dutch Soft Sugar Cookies

Growing up in a small Pennsylvania town, the Amish community, along with their culture and cuisine, was a major part of my childhood. My father, who owned a hardware store, always joked that the Amish put me through college, due to their loyalty to my father’s business and their affinity to only pay with cash. This cookie was available at every bakery I went to as a child.

Ingredients:

4 Cups AP Flour
2 TSP Baking Powder
1 TSP Baking Soda
⅛ TSP Salt
1 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
2 Cups White Granulated Sugar
1 Vanilla Bean, split lengthwise
1½ TSP Pure Vanilla Extract
3 Large Eggs
1 Cup Buttermilk
2 or 3 tablespoons of regular Granulated White Sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Take whisk and stir until thoroughly combined.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about three minutes. Take the vanilla bean and using a sharp knife, scrape the seeds out of the pod into the batter. Add the vanilla extract and then beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and add one egg. Beat until incorporated and scrape down the sides again. Repeat with the other two eggs, pausing to scrape down the sides between additions.
Add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the batter and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides and add ⅓ of the buttermilk. Repeat, alternating with the flour and buttermilk, ⅓ each, remembering to scrape down the sides between each addition. Drop tablespoons of the dough about three inches apart from each other (the cookies will spread). Sprinkle the top of each mound of dough with granulated sugar. Bake until the cookies have spread, risen and turned lightly golden, about 13 to 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes and then remove them with a spatula to a wire cooling rack to cool further.

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Raleigh Pro League is coming to The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation! Founded in 2010, Raleigh Pro League was created to showcase the best adult tennis players in the greater Raleigh area. Wakefield has been granted the opportunity to host one of their events on Friday, August 12 at their sports club, located at 3350 Canes Way in Raleigh. Wakefield's assistant tennis professional, Caitlin Whoriskey, will be joining Wake Ortho's team and competing that day. Whoriskey, who was a touring pro until 2020, has a long list of tennis achievements which includes being named a three-time NCAA Division I All-American while at The University of Tennessee in addition to playing Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

Join us at the sports club at Wakefield as Team White Dahlia takes on Team Wake Ortho, beginning at 6:30 PM. The matches begin at 7 PM and admission is free for everyone. We will have a full bar and grill open in addition to live music, starting at 9 PM, from Dizzy Melon. Outside coolers are not permitted. For more information about this event at Wakefield, please contact the tennis shop at (919) 488-1930.

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After 18 years at The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation in North Raleigh, the REX Hospital Open will return in 2023 to the site that put Raleigh on the golfing map: Raleigh Country Club. RCC, which opened in 1948 just east of downtown Raleigh, is the final design of legendary architect Donald Ross and annually ranks among the state’s best layouts.

The REX Hospital Open is the largest and most successful annual charity fundraiser for the health system and an important stop on the Korn Ferry Tour schedule. During the past three decades, the event has raised more than $10 million for patients, programs and services at UNC REX Healthcare.

In 2023, the tournament’s name will change to the UNC Health Championship presented by STITCH and the total purse will increase to $1 million for the first time. The changes are expected to help increase the tournament’s impact, raise more money for charitable initiatives and attract a broader base of fans from across the state.

Both Raleigh Country Club and The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation are owned by McConnell Golf.

“Our main reason for moving the tournament is to get closer to downtown and attract new fans,” said McConnell Golf CEO John McConnell.

McConnell Golf is the largest owner of premier private clubs in the region with a portfolio comprised of 13 18-hole, private golf courses, one semi-private and one nine-hole course in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

In 2003, McConnell purchased RCC to help preserve golf’s historic place. The McConnell Golf portfolio includes three other classic Ross designs in addition to RCC — Greensboro’s Sedgefield Country Club, which annually plays host to the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship, Country Club of Asheville and Holston Hills Country Club in Knoxville, Tenn., which has played host to the Korn Ferry Tour’s Visit Knoxville Open the past two years.

McConnell Golf is the only individual golf course proprietor in the world that owns four Ross-designed courses. In 2020, McConnell Golf completed a major renovation of its historic RCC golf course, overseen by architect Kyle Franz. The focus of the project was retaining the integrity of Ross’s original design while allowing more challenges for today’s long-hitting players. The RCC renovation cost approximately $5.5 million, funded entirely by McConnell Golf, making it one of largest recent privately funded investments in East Raleigh. There were no member assessments.

Raleigh Country Club boasts a rich history of hosting professional and amateur championships:

• The club hosted an LPGA event from 1966-1974. From 1966-1970, the tournament was called the Raleigh Ladies Invitational. From 1971-1972, it was called the Raleigh Golf Classic and from 1973-1974, it was called the American Defender Raleigh Classic. Judy Rankin, Carol Mann and Kathy Whitworth were some of its notable champions. 
• From 1998 to 2000, RCC hosted the Nike Tour/Buy.com Tour Carolina Classic prior to the move to Wakefield Plantation in 2001. Now the event returns back to RCC in 2023. Winners were Brian Bateman (1998), Vance Veazey (1999) and Mark Hensby (2000). Jimmy Green shot a first round 60 (29-31) to set the old course record in 1998 before finishing second. Green’s scorecard is on a plaque in the RCC Trophy Room.
• The 2008 North Carolina Amateur Championship at RCC was won by Jack Fields on Father’s Day with his father on his bag, caddying. Fields set the then-course record with a final round 63 that included an eagle on No. 8 and double eagle on No. 12. His 3-wood/metal is on display at the home office of the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA).
• The 2013 North Carolina Mid-Amateur Championship at RCC was captured by North Carolina amateur sensation Scott Harvey.
• In addition, numerous McConnell Golf scholarship recipients have come through RCC including Grayson Murray, Carter Jenkins, Ryan Nagy and Blake McShea. RCC’s junior members of note include Cyrus Stewart and Stephen Franken.

Now, Raleigh Country Club prepares for the next chapter of its professional championship golf history.

“We look forward to an outstanding event this year, as we begin preparations for some exciting changes to the tournament in 2023,” said Dr. Wesley Burks, CEO of UNC Health. “We believe these updates will mark a new start for one of North Carolina’s top professional tournaments, benefitting both golfers and fans alike, while supporting health and wellness in the Triangle region. As someone who loves watching and playing golf, this is a week I look forward to each year.”

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Snowball Cookies

I look forward to the holidays every year when my neighbor brings over a tin of treats for my family. These snowball cookies are the first ones to disappear!

Yield: 4 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients:

1 Cup Unsalted Butter

2 TSP Vanilla Extract

1/3 Cup Sugar

2 TSP Water

2 Cups sifted All-Purpose Flour

1 ¼ TSP Salt

1 Cup Chopped Pecans

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, vanilla, and sugar. Creaming the mixture until light and fluffy. Blend in water.

Gradually add in and combine flour and salt, and beat until well blended. Add the pecans.

Shape into one inch balls. Place balls at least one inch apart onto a non-stick cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until firm to touch.

While cookies are warm, roll in powdered sugar. Cool on racks for a few minutes.

Roll cookies again in powdered sugar.

Store in a sealed container up to one week.

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Seed for Debbie Fitzgerald’s career was planted early. “Oh, I’ve been growing things since I was knee-high to a bullfrog,” says Fitzgerald, who was raised on a tobacco farm in the tiny town of Bailey, North Carolina. “Tobacco was our cash crop, but we also grew corn, cotton, soybeans, plus a huge family garden.”

The chores were hard, but the childhood was happy, she says, “and here I am now, still growing things.”

“Here” is Raleigh Country Club, where Fitzgerald has worked as a horticulturist for the past 25 years. The line from cash crops on the farm to colorful creations on the golf course wasn’t straight, but it ultimately planted her in a place she adores.

“I took a lot of different paths,” the 69-year-old says. “My greatest interest is art. I love color — I love working with
color and texture and shapes — and that is what drew me into the plant world, which is different than farm life,
but the same principles apply.”

One twist in the road included a couple of gigs as a backup singer in a rock ’n’ roll band. “We weren’t famous,” says Fitzgerald with a laugh. “But oh my, we had a lot of fun!”

Today, she still sings while working a job she describes as a true passion. Fitzgerald designs, installs and maintains the decorative beds on the golf courses and around the clubhouses at several McConnell Golf properties. Her home base is Raleigh Country Club, and she spends a couple of days per week at The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation. She does seasonal design work at Brook Valley Country Club and Treyburn Country Club as well as the family residence of John McConnell, President/CEO of McConnell Golf.

“We have our hands full all the time. We are a busy crowd,” she says, crediting the beautiful results to a crew she calls “family” and expressing delight at the opportunity to be endlessly creative. “With plants, there are so many possibilities and I’m always excited about trying new things, mixing it up, keeping it fresh.”

Fitzgerald pours her artist’s heart into horticultural design. “I find it so gratifying to work with really pretty plant material. My job is providing visual diversity and designing a beautiful environment for members to enjoy.” Off the job, Fitzgerald spends a lot of her free time … growing things. “My garden is beautiful — I cannot have enough plants at my house,” she says. “I make sure to surround myself with beauty.”

When she isn’t playing in the dirt, her other hobbies include painting and drawing. Despite a quarter-century working on golf courses, she doesn’t play. “I can hit the ball hard — but I can’t aim it,” the left-handed horticulturist confesses.

Fitzgerald and her husband Patrick have one son and a soon-to-be daughter-in-law, Jack and Maegan, as well as an 8-year-old collie-lab mix named Murphy. Reflecting on her silver anniversary with McConnell Golf, Fitzgerald says she does plan to retire — eventually — but for now, “I still wake up excited to go to work … and working outside, in the fresh air and sunshine, keeps me young.”

When the day does come, though, her vision of the ideal retirement includes volunteering with Habitat for Humanity to build decks and porches and, of course, install beautiful landscaping. “It’s so important that people have a lovely, peaceful place to live,” she says.

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During the month of October, McConnell Golf invites you to get involved and participate in fundraisers held throughout our properties. Members at each of our clubs can also give back with $1 from every Meyer Filet and McConnell Golf Salmon BLT sandwich order going toward our Susan G. Komen fundraiser. On Sunday, October 17, every McConnell Golf cart fee booked will also go towards our fundraising efforts. Click here to donate and to follow our progress throughout the month of October! Read on below to see how several of our properties are also contributing to Susan G. Komen.

The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation – Yoga for a Cause & Rosé Drink Specials

On October 5, the staff at The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation hosted an outdoor yoga class. Participants paid $15 to attend the class as proceeds benefited Susan G. Komen. They also wore pink and enjoyed a complimentary glass of rosé. Additionally, during the month of October, the main clubhouse and Breaker Bar & Grille will donate a portion of funds from their rosé sales to Susan G. Komen.

Country Club of Asheville – Family Fun Run, Yoga on the Lawn, Pink Cocktails, Pickleball Social & Tennis Clinic

On October 11, Country Club of Asheville is hosting their first Family Fun Run. Participants will meet at the driving range for drinks and snacks before taking off for the walk/run. They will have the option to walk or run along the back nine of the course, which is 2.3 miles, and the run will end at the range where a wall of foam awaits participants. There is a $10 minimum donation to participate.

Members also have the option to participate in a special evening yoga class on the lawn or a pickleball social on October 13. All proceeds will go toward our Susan G. Komen fundraiser. Afterwards, members will meet by the firepit for "pink" cocktails and watch the sunset over the mountains. There is a $20 minimum donation to participate in the yoga class and a $25 minimum to participate in the pickleball social. Finally, on October 14, the tennis staff will host a morning clinic followed by tennis play and a luncheon at the clubhouse. The cost to participate is a $20 minimum donation per person. 

Brook Valley Country Club – Drink & Entrée Specials, Tough Day Scramble, Closest to the Pin Contest & 50/50 Raffle

Every day during the month of October, Brook Valley Country Club has drink specials and two dinner entrée offerings will $1 going toward our Susan G. Komen fundraiser. On October 3, Brook Valley also hosted a Two Person Tough Day Scramble and Closest to the Pin Contest. The entry fee for the Tough Day Scramble was $50 with $25 going toward the event. Entry for the Closest to the Pin Contest was a wager of the participant's choice as they competed against the club staff on the 18th tee. 

Raleigh Country Club – Sunset Yoga & Cocktails

On October 20, Raleigh Country Club will host a sunset yoga session on the pool deck. The cost is $20 per person and all proceeds will benefit Susan G. Komen.

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IN VINO VERITAS…

A Latin phrase that means “in wine, there is truth.” Well, I can’t agree more, and similar phrases exist across cultures and languages. Growing up in Europe, I had an early start in the “World of Wine.” Throughout my hospitality career, I have been fortunate to taste some of the finest wines from the world’s major viticultural regions. These include the Chateau Margaux 1990, Latour 1990, Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion 1982, Petrus vintages 1982, 1989 and 1990, the Joseph Phelps Insignia 1990, Dominus 1991 and 1994, Dunn Cabernets from Howell Mountain, the Mondavis, BVs and Berringer Private Reserves, the Penfolds Grange and many, many, many more.  

The few growers/producers who have continuously received 5-star ratings are indeed those who make the world’s finest wines and they have been selected because:
· They make the greatest wine of their particular viticultural
· They are remarkably consistent and reliable, even in mediocre and poor vintages  

Then, there is the Robert Parker Rating System, a scale from 50 to 100. Any wine that Parker rates above 85 is very good to excellent and any wine that Parker rates 90+ will be outstanding for its particular type. Parker uses specific standards for wines sold to consumers—standards that full-time wine professionals recognize, and these are benchmark wines to which others are judged.  

However, today’s wine rating systems found on labels are not any different from those found screening ratings from Amazon, Netflix, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Vudu. It is simply “Corky” and very dangerous. The rating systems are not only for marketing purposes, but also shape the consumers’ tastes as to what is to be considered good, excellent and outstanding.              

Wine has made major contributions to the quality of life in many societies of the world for millennia, and it continues to do so. It has always had its critics, some misinformed, others genuinely concerned. Cut through the noise; experience, keep an open mind and, most of all, enjoy! There is much to be enjoyed and appreciated. If wine and food combinations still perplex you, your best strategy may be to learn some of the greatest pairings, as well as some of the worst. Remember that in the final analysis, a good wine served with a good dish to good company is always a good taste—“à votre santé!”  

McConnell Fine Wine LLC was founded upon the simple principle of introducing single, small vineyards and innovative winemakers to our membership under one private label, presented as the M Signature Series. This private label is only offered through our clubs and the winemakers are selected for the following reasons:                 
· They produce some of the greatest wines from a particular region
· Their wines are remarkably consistent and reliable
· They are innovative—and aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo  

This year, McConnell Fine Wine introduces exclusively from the following winemakers and vineyards:     
· Chris Corley, Knollwood Vineyards: Right Bank Red Blend
· Juslyn Vineyards: Pinot Grigio
· Kerr Vineyards: Cabernet Sauvignon

Our Right Bank Red Blend is nothing short of a perfected blend of Merlot/CabFranc/Cab that can only be experienced at Pomerol, Bordeaux. Although, nowadays Pomerols’ are 100 percent Merlot, Chris Corley remained a traditionalist and it paid off. My notes: Experience this wine with dinner (anything grilled with sautéed vegetables or rosemary roasted baby potatoes). You will be pleasantly surprised just how powerful this creation is with dinner, trust me.

In closing, there are many exceptional wines to experience; I mean truly exceptional ones. These resemble experiences such as playing at Pine Valley, Cypress Point, St. Andrews or Shinnecock Hills, but there are also many more varietals, blends and crafts that are part of our civilization. I encourage you to be bold and explore the beauty of Vino—it is truly rewarding!  

Christian Anastasiadis

Chief Operating Officer at McConnell Golf

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