Our Blog

At Shadow Wood Country Club, we strive to provide our members with top notch dining experiences that are solely unique to our Club. Two of these highly regarded dining experiences are our Fine Food and Wine dinners and our Wine Tasting dinners. These dinners are held multiple times throughout season, each time reflecting a unique menu and eclectic wine pairings cultivated by the expertise of our Executive Chef Richard Crisanti and Director of Food and Beverage John St. John.

Our Fine Food and Wine dinners are comprised of various stations in our Calabria dining room. In this creative open kitchen concept, our Chef de Cuisine and Sous Chef prepare the evening’s menu live in front of your eyes. All stations are carefully crafted by our award winning Executive Chef Richard Crisanti, CEC, WCEC, CCA, ACE and his vastly talented culinary team. These stations are lively and interactive, where you can try multiple appetizers and talk with the Chefs regarding their dishes, their expertise and any questions regarding the cuisine and/ or its preparation. A special wine list is prepared to compliment Chef's menu, which provides excellent pairings to each course. Event attendance is set to allow a smaller crowd which creates an intimate, hands-on experience for our members to engage in and enjoy, accompanied by live, instrumental music.

“For each wine event, I meet with the wine vendors to hand select wines. Through this process, I determine which wines are best suited for that particular evening.” Said John St. John, Director of Food and Beverage.  “I tend to select wines from the Northwest region, generally from California, Oregon and Washington.”

Our Wine Tasting dinners are a remarkable event that feature over 80 wines from various vintners to be tasted, with an array of delicious hors d’oeuvres passed around for your enjoyment. During this event, you will have the opportunity to order any of the featured wines for your at-home consumption. For wine tasting dinners, the vendors that attend are the sommeliers for the evening, available to explain the different wines and answer any questions you may have. Their knowledge is helpful in determining which wines you would like based off your other favorites, as well as to give you the history behind the wines that you are tasting.

“When pairing the foods with wines, I taste the different options that John St. John has selected and pair together the most satisfying combinations.” Said Executive Chef Richard Crisanti. “White wines tend to pair well with fish or shellfish, while red wines go well with meats such as duck, lamb, or filet mignon. For dessert courses, usually a red wine or a dessert wine compliment the flavors best.”

If you enjoy indulging in fine dining and wine, Shadow Wood’s offerings would suit you well. The art of fine dining goes beyond delicious food and beverage; it aims to capture the perfect atmosphere, design, mood, and ambiance of the evening. Our Food and Beverage team goes above and beyond to continuously provide fresh, new, and lively culinary experiences for our members and their guests to enjoy. Bon Appetit!

The Ladies’ Legacy always starts with a chosen theme. There is a member committee of ladies that selects the theme for the year, and the whole event is stylized accordingly. Some of the themes in the past have been “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, “Shades of Gris” and “Fore Hour Tour.” For this year’s theme, well, you’ll just have to wait to be amazed! The attention to detail that goes into the planning and execution of these events is incredible.

The Ladies’ Legacy takes place over the course of two days. On the first day, the registration includes team photos and special gift distribution, and then a golf shotgun to kick off the festivities on the North & South Courses. Following play, the ladies enjoy an elegant cocktail party on the event plaza to tally up the day’s scores and a lavish dinner. The next morning, the ladies will enjoy an extravagant breakfast to start off the morning, followed by an early morning shotgun. To conclude the event, there will be a closing lunch and awards ceremony where all the winners of the competition are recognized. Last year’s Overall Gross Champions were Mrs. Kim Scott and her guest Sara Nelson, while the Overall Net Champions were Mrs. Lorrie Morrison and her guest Lorraine Tiberii. The title is back up for grabs this year and we are eager to see which teams will come out on top! 

The Men’s Legacy occurs over a period of four days. The first day commences with registration and tee favors, along with a Men’s Stag Night cocktail party and an extraordinary dinner. The first day of competition begins with lunch, and then the first and second 9 hole matches begin on all 3 courses and last through the day. The next morning, breakfast precedes the third and fourth matches followed by lunch. The fourth and final day begins with breakfast and the fifth and sixth matches, with lunch afterwards. Alas, the final shootout of the flight winners occurs on the South Course to determine the Men’s Legacy Champion. Later that evening, the competition concludes with a grandiose cocktail party in which spouses are invited, and includes presentation of awards, heavy hors d’oeuvres, live entertainment, and dancing the night away! Dr. Michael Gleysteen and his guest Mr. Steve Mahler won the 2017 Men’s Legacy in the final shootout. They will be back next month to defend their title, will they earn the 2018 trophy and bragging rights?

The Legacy events are unlike any other golf event you’ve ever seen- it’s hard to describe all that goes on until you are part of the fun firsthand! Our Shadow Wood team puts forth a tremendous amount of effort into making sure this event is extremely special for all involved, and they have an absolute blast doing so.

This winter at Shadow Wood, our Tennis and Golf professionals hosted a variety of different Junior Camps for kids such as the Thanksgiving Junior Camp and the Holiday Junior Camp. With many of our members having their children and grandchildren in town, we wanted to provide the young ones with an opportunity to learn about the wonderful sports that are golf and tennis, and make Shadow Wood a kid friendly destination for the holidays! The programs are designed for kids ages 6 and up, and the participants are grouped by age and skill level. Mark Moffatt, PGA, Director of Instruction hosted the Junior Golf Camps and Rob Vinal, Junior Tennis Director, hosted the Junior Tennis Camps. We interviewed Mark and Rob on why they love having kids attend the junior camps, and why it helps grow the games of golf and tennis for the future.

Mark Moffatt PGA Director of Instruction

Why do you love having kids attend the junior camps?
At the Shadow Wood Golf Academy, we love promoting and growing the game of golf. 
What’s your favorite part about teaching kids?
My favorite part about teaching children are the smiles created, not so much from the kids hitting perfect shots but from the effort they put forth and the fun they have. 
Why are the junior camps important for growing the games of golf/tennis for the future?
The game of golf will continue to grow through our youth. It is a game for life to be enjoyed by all generations.

Rob Vinal Associate Pro & Director of Juniors

Why do you love having kids attend the junior camps?
Having the kids attend the Junior Camps pleases the members and brings new life to the sport. It also brings the kid out in me as well.
What’s your favorite part about teaching kids?
My favorite part about teaching kids is the excitement the children express when both learning and having fun.
Why are the junior camps important for growing the games of golf/tennis for the future?
The junior camps show the membership that families are an important part of growing the sport.

We loved having the kids around during the holidays and are proud to host these junior camps to get the future generations of tennis players and golfers involved! For more information on upcoming junior camps at the Club and how to get your kids or grandkids involved, contact our Golf Academy at 239-390-4691 or our Tennis Pro Shop at 239-949-1200.

New year, new golf game! For this week’s blog post, Mark Moffatt PGA, Director of Instruction of the Shadow Wood Golf Academy has provided some excellent golf tips for you to strengthen your golf game as we head into the new year. He has elaborated on three deadly misconceptions that hurt your golf game, and how to better understand them as well as how to avoid them. These tips are sure to improve your game, increase your enjoyment, and allow more opportunity for success.

The First Misconception is: “YOU LIFTED YOUR HEAD”

This is by far the worst advice you can receive. When you top the ball or chunk behind it people will say “you looked up.” Everyone says it, but it’s not true. Then, on the next shot you make an effort to keep your eye on the ball. But often, your weight falls to your back or rear foot at impact, the wrists flip at the ball and you skull it over the green. Keeping your head down didn’t help. Remember David Duval or Annika’s swing?

Here’s the Drill and the Feel:
Take your 9 iron and hit some short shots about 20 to 30 yards. What I’d like you to do is make some practice swings bushing the grass. Try and hit the ground in the same spot every time. At impact and just beyond, make sure your left wrist is flat and the right wrist is arched at and through impact and your right heel is slightly off the ground. Those are your check points. Make some practice swings then hit some balls. Remember, just practice short shots.

The Second Misconception: “SWING STRAIGHT BACK & STRAIGHT THROUGH”

If you swing the golf club straight back and straight through you will hit the ball straight. That is only true for on-line Games. On-line games are games where we are standing on our target line, such as playing shuffle board, playing pool or throwing darts. Golf, however, is not an on-line game; golf is a SIDE-ON GAME. With side-on games, the ball is beside us and we’re standing to the side of it. Besides golf, other side-on games include tennis, baseball and hockey. The image of your golf swing to have in your mind is that of a Ferris wheel tilted on a 45 degree angle.

Here’s the Drill & the Feel: Hold your arms and club out in front of you at chest high and make baseball swings back and forth. Feel how the club-face opens on the back swing squares up and closes and rotates in the forward swing. Then bend over into your golf posture but don’t ground the club and make some more practice swings. With side-on sports such as golf, there should be a certain amount of up, down and around in our golf swing. Remember the “around” element of your golf swing.

The Third Misconception: WHEN YOU MISS A CHIP SHOT, “YOU DECELERATED”

When you chunk behind the ball or skull it, often people blame that on decelerating the club at impact.

Here’s the Drill and the Feel: First, make some practice swings again brushing the grass with the club-head. Then as you hit chip shots, after brushing the grass and as you follow through, let the grip/hands arc up and swing the grip around to the left. You want to swing on a tilted arc, a circle, even with the short shots. So in the backswing the club swings up and then you arc the club up in the forward swing as the club-head swings back to the inside.

Our Shadow Wood Golf Professionals are always here to help you improve your game. Never hesitate to stop by the Golf Pro Shop or the Shadow Wood Golf Academy with any questions or concerns you may have. To contact Mark Moffatt directly, he can be reached by phone at 239-992-6000 (extension 4601) or by email at mmoffatt@shadowwoodcc.com!

The holidays are a time of the year where people entertain family and friends at their homes. Our Shadow Wood lead bartenders Chip and Becca have provided some delicious holiday cocktail recipes that would perfectly complement any upcoming festivities such as dinners, parties or happy hours. The following drinks encompass a variety of flavors and liquors to suit any holiday occasion.

Chip’s Sparkling Cranberry Rosemary Cocktail

Ingredients:
½ cup Prairie Organic Vodka
¾ cup Cranberry Juice
¼ cup Triple Sec
Rosemary Simple Syrup
Champagne, Chilled
Sugared Cranberries and Rosemary Sprigs, for garnish
 
For Rosemary Simple Syrup:
½ cup Granulated Sugar
½ cup Water
2 rosemary sprigs
 
Preparation:
Combine vodka, cranberry juice, and triple sec in a small pitcher. Chill until ready to serve. Add enough vodka mixture to each champagne flute or other similar sized drink glass to fill halfway. Add 1-2 teaspoons simple syrup (sweeten to taste) and stir. Add enough Prosecco to fill glass and garnish with cranberries and rosemary sprig.

Becca’s White Christmas Mojito

Ingredients:
Juice of 1 lime
8 leaves mint
1 tbsp. Sugar
2 tbsp. White Rum
1 tbsp. Coconut Rum
Splash of Half & Half
Sparkling Water for Topping
Pomegranate Arils for Serving

Preparation:
In a glass, muddle the lime juice, sugar and mint leaves until the leaves have broken down. Fill the glass halfway with ice. In a shaker, combine the white rum, coconut rum, and coconut milk and shake until smooth. Pour over the ice and stir to combine. Top with sparkling water, mint and pomegranate.

Shadow Wood Mistletoe Martini

Ingredients:
2 oz. Chopin Vodka
¼ oz. Crème de Menthe
¼ oz. Baileys Irish Cream
1 oz. Milk
Sugared Cranberries for garnish
 
Preparation:
Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into a chilled martini glass.

We hope that you enjoy these cocktail recipes. Feel free to substitute out certain liquors and mixers to suit the tastes of you and your guests. Comment below with your thoughts or share with us your personal favorite go-to holiday drinks. Happy holidays and happy sipping!

As the holiday season is upon us, I wanted to share Executive Chef Richard Crisanti’s recipes and tips for preparing a variety of different delicious holiday dishes that are sure to be a huge hit with your family and friends. The recipes linked below are Chef Rich’s take on four classic holiday dishes: Turkey, Gravy, Stuffing, and Cranberry Sauce. Click the links to open the files, and feel free to print it as well to have handy in your kitchen while cooking. If you have any questions regarding the ingredients or directions, please comment below.

Here at Shadow Wood, we wish that everyone has a happy and healthy holiday season. We hope to see everyone at our upcoming holiday events such as our Thanksgiving Buffet on November 23rd, Holiday Dinner at the Preserve on December 2nd, and Holly Ball on December 8th. Your food and beverage team has been working hard behind the scenes to make these events special for all who attend. For reservations, call 239-992-6000 or use our online reservation system.

Recipes provided by Shadow Wood's Executive Chef Richard Crisanti CEC, WCEC, CCA, ACE