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A Look Back at 2021

Published Date Jan 01, 2022

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.

By Savannah Kelly

	“My favorite hole is #18 South. This is a great finishing hole. There is a real risk reward factor to going for the green in two. It is always nice to have a gallery watching from the Sunset Terrace as you finish your round.”
“Hole # 12 on the North Course is a par-five and plays 603 yards from the Black Teeing Grounds. This is a terrific par-five in that each shot requires careful thought and offers some risk-reward consideration. With the natural preserve area fronting the entire left side of the hole and backdrop behind the green, this hole nicely marries SW Florida nature with the golfing experience. For the longer hitting players, starting your tee shot over the lake and towards the left half of the fairway provides the best opportunity to play aggressive into the green. After finding the left half of the fairway, focus your alignment on the front-right greenside bunker, and be aggressive with your swing to promote right-to-left spin on the shot. Successfully pulling off this second shot may result in your ball reaching the green and utilizing the contours to get close! If your second shot finishes safely in the fairway short of the green, remain focused on your next shot, as the slopes around this green make it uniquely difficult to recover from a wayward approach!”
	“Standing on the tee on the North Course Hole #2 is nature at its best in Southwest Florida. The dogleg to the right shape of the hole, bordered by the full trees on the left, a lake on the right, with a nature preserve area behind the green, makes this one of the most visual appealing holes on the course. Once the beauty sets in, do not let the short Par 4 deceive you. For being a short Par 4, this hole has some teeth and can be very difficult if not played according to the design of the hole. To play this hole the best, it is recommended to play out to the left of the bunker and lake, trying to position your ball on the left side of the fairway, if possible. From the left side of the fairway you will have the best approach angle into the green. With bunkers guarding the front right and left side of the green, and a preserve area over the green, it is best to try to play to the middle of the green, regardless of the pin placement. If you were fortunate to hit a couple of well struck shots, this hole can setup a great birdie opportunity. However, the unfortunate missed shots can make this short hole very difficult. Between the beautiful aesthetics and fairness of the hole, this is one of the best holes on the North Course.”
"Hole #6 on the Preserve Course is one of the best Par 3’s in all of Southwest Florida. The natural surroundings, preserve area in front and all around the hole, along with significant difficulty really captures the essence of The Preserve. All players are first faced with a significant amount of carry over the preserve area in front of green. This hole is typically into the wind and provides a significant challenge in hitting the green let alone stopping your ball near the pin. The green has a good amount of slope and depending on the pin position and your ball placement, you will likely be faced with a challenging two putt opportunity. This hole is typically a turning point opportunity in your round, where a good score will keep your positive momentum going however a bad score could but a strain on your round. Playing smart on this hole is important and knowing when to be aggressive and safe is the key to playing this great Par 3.”
	"My favorite hole is North #7. This beautiful dog leg left favors a slight draw and offers a good risk-reward strategy from the tee. Given the right conditions, players can cut the corner and carry over the water for a shorter approach in. The safest play from the tee is to hit a fairway wood or hybrid and aim straight down the middle at the fairway bunker. The more dangerous option is to play a slight draw and aim at the small bunker on the left side of the fairway, which will give you a much shorter approach in. Once safely on the fairway, players still have a tough approach shot ahead of them. The miss on the approach shot is short and right, as anything long of this green makes for a difficult up and down. Any shot safely to the middle of this green is a good approach and a good chance at birdie!"
"Hole #5 on the North Course is a long par-four playing 451 yards and is always into the wind. Consisting of a very daunting Tee Sheet over water to an elevated fairway that works towards the water. Standing on the Black Teeing Grounds provides one of the most scenic views when it comes to Southwest Florida Golf. For the long hitters it provides a risk and reward tee-shot with the bunker left and water right through the coquina. A miss left results in a very difficult blind shot from 180+ yards away with water right of the green. A solid swing to the bunker left is the ideal target to have the best opportunity on your approach shot into the green. After finding the left half of the fairway just short of the bunker your line will be at the left side of the green to allow the contour to move the ball towards the pin. If you are feeling aggressive and want to take the pin on, the tree short right and the water right comes into play and requires the perfect shot. Making par on this hole is crucial to gain some advantage on the rest of the field.”
	"The North Course's Hole #15 is a 431 yard Par 4 with water down the right side and bunkers on the left which requires a long and accurate tee shot. Missing left, right or short will make the approach much more difficult. The green is narrow front to back but wide left to right. Missing this green will almost certainly result in a bogey or worse, but hitting the green in regulation will leave a great look at birdie."
“This hole speaks the name Preserve in every aspect. From the early construction phase of having to re-locate gopher tortoises into the natural area to the right, to the wood line running completely around the perimeter, #10 is one of only a few holes that has no homes along the border. And for my golf game, that is safer for everyone. The original oaks that flank the landing area may not look that big from the tee, but when you challenge them if “threading the needle” you need to be very accurate as they soon tower over you. Setting up before the oaks is safe and will have you 160/140 into the green, but the more you gamble, the shorter wedges come into play. As you look upon the green complex, the backdrop is a very picturesque natural area that frames the area perfectly. As the sun sets in the West, the shadows cast along this fairway are spectacular.”

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