FCC Coronavirus Response

Thursday, March 12, 2020

From the General Manager

Ryan Shaw, CCM, CCE

Dear Members,

Our entire world has been impacted by the recent pandemic of Covid-19. Here

at Fiddlesticks, we have been monitoring the situation closely and have

reviewed all recommendations of the World Health Organization and Centers

for Disease Control. There is no clear answer on how to handle large scale

events, however the health and safety of our members and guests is the most

important consideration in our decision making.

What is the club doing?

Starting immediately, and out of an abundance of caution, we have added extra

precautions to our Food and Beverage operations:

• Buffets will be kept to a minimum. However, when offered they will only be

served by the culinary staff and sneeze guards will be in place.

• Pasta night will continue. Sneeze guards will be in place and the antipasti

station will be replaced by your choice of soup or salad.

In addition to these updates to our F&B policies, we have made the difficult

decision to cancel the 2020 Men’s Invitational Golf Tournament. The scale of

this tournament, the financial ramifications along with the fact that so many

guests will be travelling here from outside of Florida led us to this decision. By

canceling two weeks prior to the event, much of the costs will be kept to a

minimum. The Board of Directors, Tournament Committee and the

Management Team understands there were concerns from all sides prior to this

announcement. This tournament is the pinnacle of our season and a source of

pride for all involved. We share in everyone’s disappointment, but we also

share in the concern for your fellow members and guests.

We have adjusted our cancellation policy through April in order to give our

members more flexibility to make decisions about which events they feel

comfortable attending. If there is an event on the schedule that you have signed

up for but would rather not attend due to health concerns, please try to cancel

more than 24 hours in advance. However, if you are exhibiting signs of illness

you are welcome to cancel within that 24 hour period in order to ensure the

health and welfare of all those in attendance. We thank you for your

understanding as we move through these uncharted waters. If you have any

questions or concerns, please contact me at any time.

Saturday, March 14, 2020

At this time, the Board of Directors and Management would like to provide an

update to the membership on our Coronavirus (COVID-19) response. We

expected this would be a fluid situation wherein our decisions would be based

on new information that comes to light throughout this unprecedented situation.

We have watched the news conferences, conferred with experts and carefully

studied the recommendations of federal and local authorities. At the forefront

of our hearts and minds is the health and safety of our membership and the

dedicated team who serve you with Fiddlesticks Pride.

On Thursday, we shared with you some additional procedural changes in

regards to buffets. While we have implemented those changes, we have found

that they are not enough to create a sense of safety around group gatherings.

The members in attendance and the staff handling those events continue to

raise concerns given the new recommendations regarding social distancing

from Governor Ron DeSantis. While he doesn’t have the authority to cancel all

mass gatherings, he has strongly urged those in charge to consider postponing

their events and practicing social distancing whenever possible.

It is our duty as a staff and Board to consider the health and wellness of our

community over the inconvenience or disappointment associated with the

changes below. Based on the recommendations of the aforementioned federal

and local agencies and our goal to protect the health and safety of the

community, the Board and management agreed to adopt the following updates

to the hours and operations. These changes will go into effect at the close

of business on Saturday, March 14, 2020 for an indefinite period . We will

monitor these changes to our operations on a daily basis and provide updates

as soon as new recommendations are made by our state and local authorities.

Food and Beverage:

• All food and beverage outlets, except for the Snack Bar will be closed.

• The main clubhouse will be completely closed to everyone other than staff.

• All food and beverage events, meetings, card groups, clubs and

socials will be cancelled until further notice.

• Curbside and To-Go service will begin on Monday, March 16, 2020 at

11am. We will send an email at 10am daily with the available menu and all

orders will be taken over the phone.

Tennis and Fitness:

Tennis courts will remain open.

The Tennis Shop will be closed.

• The Fitness Center will be closed and all group fitness classes are

cancelled.

• Massage therapy and PT will not be available.

The Pool will be closed.

The Playground will be closed.

Golf Operations:

• Both golf courses and the practice facilities will remain open.

• All golf reservations will be setup as tee times and must be made by calling

239-768-1111 or on the app/website.

The Golf Shop will be closed.

• Golf Shop staff will be available near the cart staging area where you can

get balls, gloves and other merchandise for those in need.

Administration Offices:

• Accounting will be open Monday through Friday and all questions can be

answered by calling 239-768-1024.

• Starting Monday, payments can be dropped off at the mailbox where a

temporary receptacle will be utilized.

• The front office staff will be here to answer any questions. Simply call or

email at any time, but keep in mind the Clubhouse doors will be locked.

Security:

• There are no changes to Security operations and Gatehouse procedures .

As our Board of Directors and management team convened to make these

decisions, the concern many had is our staff. News reports of dire situations

due to lack of income are rampant. We are committed to our hourly staff and

the team that has been built on Fiddlesticks Pride. Rest assured, we are doing

everything we can to mitigate the impact of this crisis on their families.

Our membership is the lifeblood of this club. We know that many of those that

live inside the gates are somewhat vulnerable due to their age and health

conditions. In addition, we have many young families with children that call

Fiddlesticks home. There are just too many families at risk to take any chance

with your health and safety. We appreciate your understanding during this time

and ask that you simply call us with anything you may need or any concerns.

We are dedicated to our membership and the health and safety of our

Members, their guests and our staff.

Ryan Shaw, CCM, CCE Richard Krauss

General Manager Board President

Monday, March 16, 2020

COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS AT FIDDLESTICKS

After careful consideration the Board of Directors and Management made the

proactive decision on Saturday to limit our operations for the health and safety

of our community. As CDC recommendations have become more and more

limiting, we know that it was the right decision to protect our members and

staff. Many of you watched today as President Trump asked for all Americans

to limit groups of 10 or more people at the same time. We know that our

community is filled with very social people and those that thrive when together

in groups. Please keep the CDC recommendations in mind as you plan get

togethers at home, whether it be for St. Patrick’s Day or other at home

gatherings. You can spread the virus just as easily at home as you can at the

Club. For the safety of everyone, please be cognizant of those

recommendations and practice social distancing when at home.

We began our contactless delivery and curbside to-go service today. As you

may recall, we are offering these services so that you can still have food and

beverage every day from 11AM-9PM with two easy and safe options for

receiving these products. Check your email tomorrow for the daily menu

offerings. We also plan to roll out pre-made, non-cooked options such as

stuffed shells and freshly cut steaks. There is also a limited supply of toilet

paper for those who have an immediate need. We were able to foresee the

shortage late last week and received a delivery this morning.

Please expect some small adjustments to the operation over the next few days

in order for our teams to comply with the order to limit groups to under 10. The

main area of concern is with golf course maintenance where we have a staff of

50. Our management team is actively reviewing all operations to see where we

may need to adjust staff so that there are only small groups at one time. This

may require a slight adjustment to tee times or start times, depending on the

course. We anticipate to roll out a plan early tomorrow and will communicate it

right away with the community. Please let me reiterate that we don’t expect a

significant impact on your experience.

Golf Operations has lifted the regulations on the number of carts per group.

People are now allowed to ride solo, however, we ask that you observe a 90

degree rule to help reduce the amount of wear and tear on the courses.

There’s no doubt the extra golf course usage will have a negative impact on

turf conditions so observing the 90 degree rule will certainly help reduce the

effect.

We have already witnessed such generosity and kindness from the

membership. As always, I am proud to be a part of this family and I look

forward to the day when we are all together again celebrating this great

community called Fiddlesticks.

With Fiddlesticks Pride,

Ryan Shaw, CCM, CCE

General Manager

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

COVID-19 UPDATE

At this time, I wanted to touch base with the membership to update you on the

measures we have in place to react to the global health crisis of Covid-19. Our

golf and tennis operations are being greatly utilized, and we are proud to have

had no lapse in services in those two areas. While the fitness center and pool

are closed, we know that many members rely on those amenities to combat

serious health conditions. This is a definite concern we are monitoring on a

daily basis and will continue to examine as the crisis continues.

Many of you have expressed concern about the health and welfare of our staff

and have asked how you can help. We are doing everything we can to ensure

our staff has the hours they need to make ends meet. This is a unique and

fluid situation and we appreciate all of the calls and emails with well wishes for

our team. One way you can help is to order curbside to-go or contactless

delivery. By ordering food to feed your family, you are helping our staff to feed

theirs. Your orders directly affect our ability to continue operations and ensure

the stability of our staff wages. We appreciate everyone that is ordering and

encourage you to consider placing an order to help our team.

We know you have questions about what is happening throughout the

community now that folks are staying home. We can’t require you to pause

your social calendars, but we are asking you to do so for the best interest of

everyone. If you have house parties scheduled, please postpone until which

time that the CDC recommendations on gatherings are lifted. Please do not

move what would have been an event at the Clubhouse to your home. This

defeats the purpose of social distancing and doesn’t help in protecting

EVERYONE inside our gates. Please do not congregate in groups as this

could potentially spread the virus and is counterproductive to the efforts we are

making as a community. We can do our part at Fiddlesticks, but we really need

the support of the membership to limit gatherings of more than 10 people. It is

very tempting to want to use this time to create social opportunities at home,

but we ask for you to hold off on that for now and explore one of the options

below for engaging socially, intellectually, and spiritually. All of these

suggestions are complimentary and will aid in passing the time at home once

organizing and cleaning out your closets is complete.

We know that some of our members have needs that go beyond just Food and

Beverage. Many are unable to get out of the house and get what they need at

the store. If you have an immediate need for medication, supplies or other

crucial items, please let me know. I will do everything we can to assist you

during this unprecedented situation. I am honored to be a part of this

community and look forward to sharing a laugh and a handshake very soon.

Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Energize My Mind:

Trivia: https://www.triviaplaza.com/

Houston Zoo Live Feed of Animals:

https://www.houstonzoo.org/explore/webcams/

Virtual Field Trip of the Van Gough Museum:

https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/van-gogh-museum?hl=en

Energize My Body:

Home Work-Outs: https://www.youtube.com/user/popsugartvfit/videos

Energize My Spirit:

Meditation: https://www.youtube.com/user/YellowBrickCinema/videos

Yoga: https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene/featured

Kids Activities:

Crayola Crafts: https://www.crayola.com/athome

Nat Geo Kids: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

Math and Reading Skills: https://www.abcya.com/

With Fiddlesticks Pride,

Ryan Shaw, CCM, CCE

General Manager

Sunday, March 22, 2020

COVID-19 UPDATE

As your families adjust to our world’s new normal, our team is adjusting to

updated procedures, reduced contact with the membership and a season we

never saw coming. This is typically our busiest time of year with the Cabana

packed with families for spring break, the golf courses filled with tournaments,

and your social calendars buzzing with house parties, concerts, theatre and

more. We are all adjusting and it requires a lot of commitment and patience to

keep our community healthy. I know first-hand how challenging this is for

families. I have three young children at home and my wife and I are committed

to doing our part to flatten the curve by keeping them home for the time being.

Without school, sports and other activities my children are anxious to get out

and see friends. We all crave social interactions and the camaraderie we have

grown accustomed to in life. It is difficult for us all to remind ourselves that if we

do our part to stay home whenever possible we can help everyone stay safe.

This morning I reviewed the Florida Health update on Covid-19. This is an ever

changing health crisis and it’s important to read up daily on all of the cases,

stats and outlook. I was surprised to read the age range of infected people in

Lee County was 23-89 years old. It has been suggested to think of anyone you

encounter as infected, since most transmissions to others are happening when

someone is showing no symptoms at all. PLEASE consider this in your day to

day life at Fiddlesticks. I have heard disheartening reports of house parties and

other gatherings that put our community in jeopardy. We want to be able to

continue servicing our members as long as we possibly can, barring an order

from state or federal officials. The employee morale is dependent on providing

these services too since we are able to provide limited hours to them when

operations continue. If transmissions take place because of careless behavior

it will have a domino effect including risking the health of others, possible loss

of amenity usage and a further financial strain on our staff. Please do your part

so that your neighbors stay healthy and so that we can look back at this time

with a deep sense of pride for how we worked together as a family to protect

each other. It is a sacrifice, but one worth making.

One area of great concern is the health of those with significant medical issues

that relied on personal training. We have been able to continue individual

sessions in tennis and golf, but took extra time to ensure we could safely do

the same in fitness. On Monday, our trainers will resume one on one sessions

with members outdoors and while keeping a safe distance from the member.

Per the executive order of Governor Ron DeSantis on Friday, all fitness

centers remain closed. Please call the tennis shop to schedule a private

session by calling 239-768-6439 Monday through Friday or reach out to the

trainers directly if you are already a client.

Starting today, we will have small children’s activity packs available for

curbside pick-up. We know it isn’t easy with children and grandchildren going

stir crazy so perhaps this small distraction will help ease the stress of this time.

Packs are geared towards elementary age children and include coloring

sheets, crayons and a few surprises. Our team used extra precautions in

individually sealing these so we could keep your little ones safe, but we

encourage additional sanitation procedures at home as you see fit. Please call

239-768-1111 and let us know how many complimentary packs you will need

and we will leave them outside the Clubhouse for you to pick up.

Thanks for your patience as we implemented new golf course procedures this

weekend, as outlined in the email yesterday from Gabe and Travis. We added

these measures to ensure we can keep our golf courses open while limiting

touch points. Additional touch points that have caused concern are the cups,

lids and straws on the golf courses. Beginning tomorrow, we will remove all of

those items from our bathhouses, cart barn area and cabana refill stations.

Please bring cups from home and instruct your guests to do the same. If you

forget a cup at home, please stop by the snack bar and we will be happy to

provide you with the necessary items. We will continue to review these

procedures as well as best practices across the United States as courses do

everything they can to remain open for their members while creating a safe

environment.

We would like to keep connected as we enter our second week of adjusted

operations. We will be rolling out a virtual happy hour and a video series so

you don’t forget all of the smiling faces waiting for you when social distancing

is over. More information will be forthcoming. You are in my thoughts and

prayers each day. There is only one Fiddlesticks and nothing can shake what

makes this community so special. Fiddlesticks strong, today and always.

With Fiddlesticks Pride,

Ryan Shaw, CCM, CCE

General Manager

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

CLUB OPERATIONS UPDATE

Fiddlesticks is a place that could only happen once.

That phrase has been used throughout FCC history as a reminder of the

uniqueness of this fine Club. We know that there is so much that set’s us apart

from other SWFL Club’s. Our fine golf facilities, bustling social calendars, top

notch tennis and the list goes on and on. We have always felt such a sense of

pride knowing that life within the gates is so special. Sadly, Coronavirus has

become the great equalizer. There isn’t a club, small or large, that isn’t

affected. It doesn’t matter if your golf course is 5-star rated or if you’re a 9-hole

facility. Families are homeschooling here in Florida, just as they are across the

world. Businesses are closed and people are working from home coast to

coast.

In this pandemic, we are all equal. We share in the loss of being active and

social. The loss of shared experiences and normalcy. We also share in the

responsibility as a community to keep one another safe. Please remember to

abide by all state and local guidelines about staying at home and social

distancing. Also, while guests are certainly permitted to enter the gates, we ask

that you are extra vigilant about inquiring about any recent travel and/or the

health of those guests. In order to further assist with sanitation, we will be

removing hand towels from all areas of operation starting tomorrow. This

includes golf carts, tennis and fitness areas. By taking extra time now to follow

these safety precautions, we hope that our time away from one another will be

lessened.

In the meantime, we want to stay connected. We would like to encourage you

to download Zoom on your phone or iPad. If you have a home computer with a

webcam, you could also download Zoom. Its free and easy to use! We will

begin utilizing Zoom to have complimentary yoga and stretching, virtual happy

hours and other activities. If you have any issues using it, please call the front

desk at 239-768-1111 and we can assist with walking you through how to get

set up. We encourage the membership to be creative on how to use this

platform. Continue bible study from home, community book clubs, trivia night,

GirlFriends, even Garden Club can use it to stay connected! It will do us all

good to see one another, share a laugh or two, and even learn something…all

while staying socially distant. We will send out “meeting” invites in the future

and if you set it up now you will be ready for all the action!

Many of you have expressed a desire to find ways to help. Our community is

typically busy this time of year providing helping hands to many different

charities. Fiddlesticks Cares still has a way to help while staying home. If you

have sewing skills, the Fiddlesticks Cares sewing team is making surgical

masks for Gulf Coast Hospital using the same material they use to make the

huggie heart pillows. If you are interested in helping, please contact Gwen

Asher at 917-494-2155.

The Snack Bar is open every day 7AM-6PM. Please note we have

permanently moved the Snack Bar to the Coffee Café. You can access the

new Snack Bar at the previous Coffee Café window. Once indoor Club facilities

reopen you will be able to access the Snack Bar indoors as well. The decision

to combine the two outlets into one location was done for multiple

reasons. First and foremost, more kitchen space is desperately needed to

accommodate the increased demand the Cabana continues to receive. The

kitchen area is undersized based on the demand and only allows for a 6 foot

prep table for the culinary team to work with. By relocating the Snack Bar we

are able to open up the entire kitchen area and create the much needed

working space required to service our members. Secondly, the Coffee Café

has been underutilized as it closed daily at 10AM. Quite frankly, we feel the

new area is better as it gives the Snack Bar its own location including the

ability for people to access it indoors. The kitchen expansion is currently

underway, even though it was scheduled to take place this

summer. Completing the work now prevents any future closure and ensures a

fully functional operation once we reopen. As always, to ensure the health of

everyone we ask that you do not congregate outside of the window when

placing or picking up your order.

Due to the closure of the Pro Shop, the credit book for this season will be

extended until December 31, 2020. You will be able to use any current funds in

your credit book until that time.

Here at Fiddlesticks, we have faith that we will all be together soon to enjoy

this place that could only happen once. Until then, please take care of your

families and stay healthy.

With Fiddlesticks Pride,

Ryan Shaw, CCM, CCE

General Manager

Friday, March 27, 2020

CLUB OPERATIONS UPDATE

Thank you to the entire Fiddlesticks family for reading these lengthy updates to

keep abreast of all of the changes inside and outside of the gates. Each and

every day our management team meets to discuss operations. Our goal is to

continue with the services we are providing while finding ways to creatively

enhance your days at home. At Fiddlesticks, you are a member whether you

are sitting in the Pub or sitting at home on your lanai. We are a community

whether we are together at the Cabana dancing on New Years Eve or you are

at home dancing in your living room to make the time go by. We may not be

together in the ways we are accustomed to, but we are certainly unified in our

commitment to one another and the health and safety of everyone.

Covid-19 is spreading quickly, and as the numbers increase in Florida we

know that fear increases as well. There are many things we can’t control in this

situation, but we MUST do what we can to flatten the curve. Please continue to

stay at home whenever possible. If you do venture out for any reason, please

use increased sanitation procedures and social distancing. The recommended

spacing between people is six feet. We see carts gathering and people

together but we ask that you stay six feet apart. Also, please do not

congregate when waiting for food at the snack bar. It is another area that we

see members closer than six feet from one another. Remember that less than

30% of all Florida cases are travel related, therefore transmission is taking

place between people that are asymptomatic. Think of everyone, including

yourself, as infected and adjust your interactions accordingly to lower the

chances of spreading the virus. Another area of concern is guest access to

Fiddlesticks. Please do not invite family and friends from states that should be

sheltering in place to self-quarantine in the gates. We certainly welcome

guests but keep in mind the health and safety of your neighbors by refraining

from offering your home as a respite. We are all working so hard to keep this

community Covid-free. Every sacrifice we are making collectively could be

wiped away with a decision such as this by one single person. We are a team,

let’s see this to finish line.

Yesterday we began our Zoom series with our first virtual happy hour. Thanks

to all that logged in and joined the fun and congrats to Rich Kalina for getting to

the Clubhouse first to win the free drink. We will send an email this weekend

with all of our Zoom activities for next week. There is something almost every

day! We are pleased to offer complimentary yoga/stretching with Sheri Craze.

Those classes will be on Monday and Wednesday next week at 8AM. We will

send the meeting code over the weekend but if you haven’t already

downloaded the Zoom Cloud Meeting app do so now. Also, if you are looking

to get moving don’t forget that Doug and Jamie are offering private outdoor

training sessions using extra precautions to ensure the safety of everyone.

Even if you are a new client, space is available so call the Tennis Shop to

make an appointment.

Tomorrow we will begin offering our Butcher's Block. This is the newest of our

F&B offerings and will allow our members to access various uncooked proteins

for those who want to cook without having to leave the gates for products. Our

to-go program has your immediate needs covered. The Fiddlesticks frozen TV

dinners has filled your freezers and now our Butcher's Block can help complete

your F&B needs and limit the need to go to the store. To start out, we will offer

both prime and upper choice steak, prime hamburger patties, Scottish salmon

and organic chicken with no GMO’s and no antibiotics. Chicken stock will also

be available for home use. We are excited about this additional offering and

hope it lessens your outings outside the gates. The offerings will be located in

our daily menu emails. We will limit individual items to four per day per

membership in an attempt to accommodate as many members as possible.

We are family even when we are apart and we know that our members are

shaken up by everything that is happening in our world. It isn’t easy to

comprehend what is going on and it is easy to get wrapped up in what if’s. Try

to take time every day to step away from this health crisis and do something

positive for your own mental health. It isn’t good to watch the news coverage

all day or have it be the only topic of conversation between friends. In fact,

maybe we need to spread some good news. Feel free to share any good news

with me that we can share with the rest of the community. Send pictures. Send

news articles. Share the good news of your family and loved ones so that we

can shed some light on this dark time and spark hope for the days to come

when we will cross that finish line together, arms raised, smiles wide, and

hearts full.

With Fiddlesticks Pride,

Ryan Shaw, CCM, CCE

General Manager

Sunday, March 29, 2020

As I have stated from the start of this health crisis, we are taking this day by

day. New information and statistics become available and the Board of

Directors and Management review our current operations and ascertain

whether changes are warranted. It has become increasingly clear that our

guest policy is becoming of greater and greater concern to everyone. On

Friday, our Governor ordered vacation rentals to cease. This does affect our

current renters, many of which are staying longer so they are not travelling

during these difficult times. His order affects any new guests coming in from

out of town and short term rentals under 30 days. The reason for his order was

to discourage travel from Covid-19 hot spots to the sunshine state. DeSantis

stated it's not fair to Floridians "to just be airdropping in people from the hot

zones, bringing infections with them." Fiddlesticks has and will always be a

place where guests are welcome. Many of you open your homes to guests and

they feel so happy here they become Fiddlesticks members. However, this is

not a time where risking the health of our current members for the experience

of guests and future members is something we can entertain.

Starting tonight at midnight, no new guests will be permitted to use any club

facilities. This includes golf and tennis. If you have a house guest staying with

you that has already been using club facilities, they may continue to do so.

However, please let me know right away so we may account for them. There

will be no new guests allowed to use club facilities after today and until further

notice. This includes whether they are a new house guest or a guest coming to

spend the day with you. We do not have any control of whether members have

guests staying with them at their homes or choose to allow scheduled guests

to arrive. What we can control is that they can't be with the general population

of our membership and be gathering in groups on club grounds. Please

remember that less than 30% of infected people have travelled abroad. Most

people show no symptoms and are spreading the virus innocently without

knowing they have it. We can't risk our community by continuing to allow

guests.

The Florida Surgeon General issued an Emergency Alert yesterday stating:

STAY AT HOME IF 65+ OR HAVE MEDICAL CONDITIONS. ALL FOLLOW

SOCIAL DISTANCING. We know that a great deal of our membership fall

within those parameters. Please stay home unless you must go out and

practice social distancing at all times, even with those who appear well. Sadly,

in the last 24 hours we have seen several other SWFL clubs temporarily close

all operations due to outbreaks within their communities. Please DO NOT

invite friends from those clubs to your homes, and we certainly can't allow

them onto our courses or courts.

There have been rumors of a Lee County meeting tomorrow to discuss a

possible shelter in place order. While we are not privy to the exact nature of

those discussions, I felt it important to reach out to our local commissioners

directly and share what Fiddlesticks has done to ensure the safest possible

environment for our members. I stressed how our members are sheltering

within the gates whenever possible and all of the touch points that have been

removed so we can continue on this path. While this communication with local

officials does not protect us from any future orders, it does position the club as

proactive with the commissioners who see the forward thinking approach the

club has taken during this health crisis. All of that will be for naught if our

members are making risky decisions before, during and after play. Please do

not jeopardize this concerted effort with seemingly inconsequential moments

that in fact affect everyone.

We are fighting with everything we have to stay healthy and to keep you safe.

We can't do this without your cooperation and respect for these new policies.

By all accounts, we have been ahead of the curve to flatten the curve. This is

no time to be foolish, lower our guard and think we are invincible. By working

together and holding this at bay, we can get through this. I believe in this

community more than ever. Join me in this fight and adhere strictly to all Club

policies.

With Fiddlesticks Pride,

Ryan Shaw, CCM, CCE

General Manager

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

This is a time in our history when the day to day news is changing faster than

our minds can comprehend. Sometimes it can be overwhelming to feel the

enormity of the situation and all of the changes that have happened in such a

short period time. We have kept in contact with the membership not only to

keep you up to date on the operations of this fine club but also to help us see

that we are not alone. We are one community with the shared vision to stay

safe and healthy as long as we can, but we are also concerned for those

outside the gates. There has been a lot of time to think and with that comes the

realization that there are those less fortunate experiencing dire times and

many of you have asked for ways to help. Below are a few ways to reach out

and offer a helping hand.

HEALTH CARE WORKERS:

As we all know hospitals and other medical facilities are lacking personal

protective equipment for their staff. Our own Gabe Gallo was trying to find a

way to help when he realized right here at Fiddlesticks we had a chance to do

something great for the community. Click here to watch his story on WINK

News. This story was also on Twitter and shared thousands of times. Thanks

to Gabe for thinking outside the box!

Of course if you don't happen to have a supply of protective masks at your

home, there are other ways to help. The Fiddlesticks Cares team jumped right

into action and went straight to their sewing machines. They were able to make

100 masks and Gwen Asher delivered them the hospital on Monday to the

applause of the staff who welcomed her with open arms. If you are interested

in helping, please contact Gwen Asher at 917-494-2155.

BLOOD DONATION:

Blood donation is a hot topic. Many are afraid to donate and those blood drives

at businesses and on college campuses have been cancelled. Due to this, the

blood supply has been severely affected. Lee Health is reporting critically low

levels and patients going in for non Covid-19 emergencies won't have the

blood they need to survive. If you are in good health and can donate blood,

please contact Lee Health at 239-343-2333 to find out where you can donate.

Their team can also outline all of the sanitary measures in place to keep

donors safe.

Club operations remain unchanged since our last communication and I

appreciate all of the help you have already provided by being compliant. I have

seen images of golfers gathering on the courses and I encourage you to stop

those types of practices for now while we get a handle on this situation. We

can all help in different ways, whether that's sewing masks or just by cancelling

a gathering scheduled to take place. If we all make decisions for the greater

good we will get through this together.

With Fiddlesticks Pride,

Ryan Shaw, CCM, CCE

General Manager

Wednesday, April 01, 2020

Earlier today, Governor DeSantis issued an executive order asking all residents

to stay at home, effective April 3, at 12:01AM. A majority of the directive

includes the same practices that we have been following for quite some time

including all of the nationally recognized standards for slowing the spread of

Covid-19, and also includes the continuation of recreational activities consistent

with social distancing guidelines. The Board is reviewing the order in detail and

will communicate with the membership via email tomorrow. In addition, please

review the following directives that will ensure we can continue operations as

long as possible.

• DONATIONS: We appreciate that many of you are cleaning out your

closets and want to donate items to our staff. Please DO NOT drop off

items at golf course maintenance or any other staff location. This puts

our entire team at risk and the fall out of one of our maintenance crew

testing positive would be catastrophic. Our whole crew would be

quarantined and their ability to protect our greatest assets would be

eliminated.

• MAINTENANCE FACILITIES ARE NOT OPEN TO MEMBERS: Our

grounds facilities house expensive equipment and the team that keeps

our golf courses operational. There are a lot of dangerous items

therefore it is NO place for members, in addition to the risk of infecting

our team with Covid-19. During this crisis especially, but anytime in the

future, members do not have any reason to be in our barn or facilities. If

you have a question, please direct it through the proper channels via e-

mail or phone and do not stop by to discuss your concerns with Gabe

and his team.

• FOOD SERVICE: We have heard many members have become fearful

about food supply after hearing about this stay at home order. Within the

order, businesses are encouraged to continue to provide to-go and

delivery food. Rest assured, we are here for you and will continue to

provide food service as long as possible. We are working on putting

together a pantry program that will allow us to provide more of the day to

day kitchen supplies you need. As a reminder, frozen meals are

available if stocking your freezer would give you some comfort.

The recent press conference with Dr. Deborah Birx really hit home for me. She

stated that this was a virus that would be stopped community by community.

This isn't a US fight, or a Florida fight, or a Lee County fight. This is a

Fiddlesticks fight. We must work together as a community to stop this virus from

spreading and to protect one another. You may feel great and have no health

conditions but your neighbors may be in a different situation. This isn't easy and

we are all sacrificing something to get through this time. Let it be a golf game or

a party we sacrifice and not the health or life of our friend or neighbor.

Community by community. Let's do this!

With Fiddlesticks Pride,

Ryan Shaw, CCM, CCE

General Manager

Friday, April 03, 2020

CLUB OPERATIONS UPDATE

It's Friday at Fiddlesticks. The day when most all groups play, the Cabana bar

is packed, Prime Rib is served up in the Dining Room and families are

gathering in the gates to celebrate the start of the weekend. Those moments

might be paused for now, but what gets us through is the promise that those

moments WILL happen again soon. It's that resolve and hope that gets us

through each and every day.

With the health and safety of everyone as our greatest priority, we review our

operations daily. The management team has worked diligently to eliminate

touch points and has continued to do the same for the staff as well. We

understand that not all are in favor of these eliminations, but we are going to

continue to do everything possible to protect the members and staff. Gabe has

staggered his crews, teams have been separated for family meal and Zoom is

used for meetings. We are trying so hard to keep this virus at bay for as long

as possible, both in the front and back of house. You may have witnessed we

are utilizing handheld sprayers with non-toxic disinfectant solution for use on

many areas including maintenance equipment, golf carts, tennis facilities and

more. By putting extra precautions in place, we can continue operations and

get through this together.

Starting tomorrow, the on-course restrooms will be closed for use. We

encourage you to use the restrooms at your own home whenever possible. As

you recall, we eliminated guest play for both golf and tennis earlier this

week. However, these restrooms are often used by contractors and others

which goes against our goal of limiting the exposure our members have with

guests or those outside the gates. In case of emergency, please note the

Cabana restrooms, tennis, and cart barn restrooms will remain open. We'll

keep you posted on when the restrooms will reopen. In the meantime, we will

be looking into a mechanism such as a key pad or fob that can be utilized by

members to access the restrooms. When the time is right and this health crisis

has passed and the necessary locking mechanism is in place, we look forward

to re-opening these restrooms.

As mentioned in the email from the Board of Directors, in order to strictly

adhere to social distancing guidelines, we will begin to stagger the course start

times starting on Monday, April 6th. This will allow us to limit crew contact and

create a safer environment for our maintenance team. This change will be

inclusive of having start times no earlier than 8:30AM on the Long

Mean. Essentially, if the Long Mean has straight tee times for the day, your

tee time will be 1 hour later than the normal starting time of 7:30AM. If the

Long Mean was scheduled to be a cross over, your tee time will be 30 minutes

later than the normal starting time of 8:00AM. This will only effect tee times on

the Long Mean, the Loch Ness tee times remain unchanged. The Golf Shop

staff is working on making these changes and all updates will be available for

view in Chelsea by close of business on Sunday. For group leaders that would

like an updated copy of their tee times, please stop by the Pro Shop on

Monday.

The Board email yesterday outlined very stringent guidelines about course

usage during this health crisis. Clubs are closing down across the United

States due to a lack of shared responsibility on their courses. Lexington closed

down and then reopened with very strict "safe" playing restrictions. Just 24

hours later the course was closed again due to a lack of member adherence to

the restrictions. We thank the many of you that have conformed to the Board's

email request yesterday. However, today we continue to see some of our

members gathering in carts over the four cart recommendation. Please do not

be the reason for a closure to the golf courses when these simple measures

can make it safer for all.

Just a reminder, the Governor's stay at home order went into effect at 12:01AM

this morning. This order recommends senior citizens and those with medical

conditions stay at home unless leaving the house for essential services or

recreational activities. Please be mindful of your health and stay at home

whenever possible. Being apart for this short time is ensuring we can be

together in the future for years to come.

Community by community. Let's stay strong.

With Fiddlesticks Pride,

Ryan Shaw, CCM, CCE

General Manager

Tuesday, April 07, 2020

CLUB OPERATIONS UPDATE

In thinking back on this time in our Club's history, how will our story be told?

Will the leaders, members, and guests ten years from now recall with pride

how we banded together and sacrificed what was important to us for the good

of our community? We might not know how the story ends, but we know we

will write this story together. We are co-authors of the greatest challenge our

community will likely ever face. How we react and how we move forward might

not be a fairy tale ending, but rather a story of endurance and hope for a better

tomorrow.

Since our last email, we have continued to make difficult decisions as it relates

to the health and safety of our members and staff. Please note that the optics

related to every decision are not included in our brief emails, but if you have

specific questions I am happy to answer them. It may not always be clear to

you how or why we come to make the choices we have, but my door is always

open. I know you can't physically walk into the lobby and see me, but call

anytime and I will certainly get back to you or schedule a call to answer your

questions.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has outlined steps to help slow the spread of

COVID-19 and help keep Floridians safe. The Governor’s Executive Orders

have clarified that many cases of COVID-19 in Florida have resulted from

individuals coming into the State of Florida from international travel and other

states, posing great risk to Florida residents. The Governor issued Executive

Orders 20-80 and 20-86 requiring the screening, isolation and quarantine of

individuals whose point of departure originated outside the State of Florida in

an area with substantial community spread. The New York Tri-State Area

(Connecticut, New Jersey and New York), Louisiana, and states where

"shelter-in-place" orders are being implemented were specifically described in

these Orders.

Furthermore, the Governor has included persons traveling from all areas with

“substantial community spread” of the virus must adhere to his executive order

“to isolate or quarantine for a period of 14 days from the time of entry into the

State of Florida or the duration of the person's presence in the State of Florida,

whichever is shorter. This Order shall not apply to persons employed by the

airlines and those performing military, emergency or health response. This

Order shall take effect immediately and apply retroactively to all persons who

have entered Florida after being in any area with substantial community spread

within the previous 14 days.”

The Governor has also required all persons ordered to isolate or quarantine to

inform any individual in Florida with whom they have had direct physical

contact in the past 21 days that they traveled from an area with substantial

community spread.

The Governor has established check points at airports, welcome centers, rest

stops, and roadways near the State boarders “to require those persons to

provide information, including in a written form, regarding the origin of their

travel and on the address of their location of isolation or quarantine for a period

of 14 days.”

These Executive Orders apply to members and/or guests traveling to and from

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