In 2016, the Bay Club became home to two hives of honey bees thanks to the efforts of beekeeper and Bay Club member, Jeannie Smith.   Throughout the year, Jeannie routinely checks on the hives, which are located on the 11th hole.

During the spring and summer months, the bees are busy foraging for food, building and protecting the hive and producing honey.  However, the winter months present many challenges from now until the queens start laying in late March. The major challenges are to protect the hives from bitter winds, keep out rodents searching for a warm nest, and prevent starvation, as both hives are rapidly eating through their honey stores.  Jeannie has stapled black tarpaper wraps directly on to the hives, which will not only shield them, but also absorb warmth on sunny days. To protect the hives from unwanted, four-legged visitors, each hive has a metal mouse guard, with openings too small for a chilly mouse to sneak through.  And finally, to supplement their dwindling food supplies, the bees are provided blocks of sugar fondant, a sugar/essential oil patty slipped into place just below the inner cover.

Honey bees are necessary to our ecosystem because they are important pollinators for flowers, fruits and vegetables.   As the only Audubon International Silver Certified Sanctuary in Massachusetts, the bees have been a welcomed addition to our property as they help to reinforce our commitment to protect and promote ecological diversity.  And we also benefit by being able to use the harvested honey in recipes at the Golf House restaurant.

We’re hoping for another season of plentiful honey for members to enjoy in 2018!

There isn’t much that can be said about fall in New England that hasn’t already been said.  It’s a beautiful time of year, both with the weather and picturesque landscapes.  The humidity that is known to rear its head in the summer is almost non-existent.  The cool nights lend themselves to brisk mornings that lead into warmth during the day.  It’s generally not as dry, so the grass that has been burnt to a crisp in the heat and drought becomes green again.  And of course, the popular fall foliage that people love to flock to emerges.

While much of the hustle and bustle of the summer months winds down after Labor Day, the Club certainly does not shut down.  There are still many activities on our calendar for members to enjoy through the end of the year.

Racquets

With the cooler temperatures, fall may just be the best season for tennis.  Clinics and Drop-ins still are popular this time of year, and even though the days get shorter, the lights on the courts make it possible to play in the evenings.  And of course, Paddle begins again and goes through the winter.

Golf

Fall is a great time for golf despite the shortening of days.  Scenic foliage along the perimeter of the course, comfortable weather, less crowds…the list goes on.  Just be sure to layer up on those cool mornings!

Cultural Activities and Special Events

Cultural Activities and Special Events at the Club tend to be more abundant after the busy summer season.  The Canasta group continues throughout the year, meeting at the Golf House each week.  Lectures given by members and visitors are more frequent and Book Club returns from October through May.

Fitness

The Fitness team at the Bay Club is here year round to help keep members in shape throughout the fall and winter months.  New group classes are available as well as personal training sessions. Our fitness staff is always eager and willing to help any gym newcomers get started.

There is something for all members to enjoy this beautiful time of year at the Bay Club!

 Last month, Bay Club members gathered and welcomed fellow member Jeannie Smith as she spoke about her five-year experience as a bee keeper. The lecture, “The Miracle of Bees: Honey Bees 101,” highlighted Jeannie’s own honey bees and four hives.  She shared her extensive knowledge of the bees by helping listeners understand the role they play in their hive community along with information about bees in general.

The evening also featured a honey-themed cocktail and snack concocted by the Golf House team.  The cocktail, “Jeannie’s Honeybee Sweet Tea” and Finikia, George’s Greek Christmas cookie, were both made using honey from Jeannie’s hives and were very highly praised throughout the evening.

We also want to welcome the newest family to move into the Bay Club – a hive of 15,000 honey bees. Situated on a knoll well to the left of the 11^th hole, the hive is the latest addition to the Bay Club’s commitment to protect and promote ecological diversity. Although the resident honey bees are very gentle, the hive should not be disturbed as it goes about its task of pollinating the flowers and making honey to be shared with the chefs in our kitchen.

The Bay Club welcomed acclaimed Boston chef, restaurateur and seafood authority Jeremy Sewall to the club recently for a cooking demonstration and book signing. Jeremy is the Chef and owner of Lineage restaurant, Island Creek Oyster Bar and the newly opened Row 34 in Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood.

In addition to the cooking demonstration, all participants received a signed copy of his first cookbook, The New England Kitchen: Fresh Takes on Seasonal Recipes.  The recipes throughout the book highlight the best of each season, and include profiles on Chef Sewall’s friends in the farming, fishing and brewing communities.  Highlighting contemporary New England fare and adapting the region’s fresh, simple flavors into refined dishes for the home cook, the book features more than 100 delectable recipes from the area’s most celebrated farms and fisheries, for easy at-home cooking and entertaining. Divided by season, the book incorporates distinct flavors throughout the year through Chef Sewall’s soups, salads, hearty dishes, grilling favorites, seafood specialties and simple desserts.

Members enjoyed sampling Chef Sewall’s Toasted Barley with Chantenay Carrots and Pomegranate along with Crab Cakes with Grilled Scallions and Pickled Fresno Peppers over Hubbard Squash while learning more about Chef Sewall and his techniques.

International musical comedy entertainer Jimmy Keys recently returned to the club for a one-night performance.  Jimmy held the audience spellbound from the beginning  to end with his high energy variety show.  

Jimmy has been a pro since 1970 and has worked in well over a dozen countries worldwide entertaining thousands of people of many nationalities.  He has opened for such stars as Willie Nelson, Tom Jones, Huey Lewis and Wynona Judd. Prior to the show members enjoyed a special Italian Summer Buffet prepared by Executive Chef Jim Mercer and his culinary team. 

Bay Club members recently welcomed Daniel Bruce, Executive Chef at the five star Boston Harbor Hotel at Rowes Wharf to the club for a special cooking demonstration and book signing.   Bay Club Executive Chef Jim Mercer joined Daniel to demonstrate how to prepare White Bean, Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Dip as well as Pan-Roasted Striped Bass with Orange Ale Essence.  These recipes, along with a collection of easy to make recipes for the home cook, are featured in Simply New England, Daniel’s first cookbook released in November.  All who attended received a personally signed copy of the book.

Internationally-renowned, Daniel Bruce has been awarded the title of Vice Consellier Culiniaire, Bailliage de Boston, and he has been honored twice as one of the “Best Hotel Chefs in America” at the James Beard House. In 2009 Daniel was the featured chef at the Celebrity Chef and Winemaker Auction Dinner at the Nantucket Wine Festival, as tribute to two decades of dedication to wine and food education. Additionally, Daniel is an honorary member of Chevalier du Tastevin and has been recognized by Boston magazine as the city’s Best Hotel Chef. Daniel has made numerous live television appearances on national programs such as NBC’s Today and Live with Regis and Kelly. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Johnson & Wales University in 1996 and in 2013, Daniel was awarded Chef of the Year by the Massachusetts Restaurant Association.

Portugalia Marketplace, Fall River, MA

A new market recently opened in Fall River that will undoubtedly take the South Coast by storm.  Portugalia Marketplace is a spin-off of Portugalia Imports, a wholesaler/distributor of ingredients for Portuguese cooking.  It is a friendly, family, neighborhood Portuguese market and so much more.

The folks at Portugalia Marketplace no doubt take their cues from places such as Chelsea Market Place in New York or the best of contemporary Portugal/Azores markets.  Housed in a former factory outlet in Fall River, the fully renovated facility houses a gorgeous open floor plan market with beautiful exposed brickwork, tall ceilings with huge wooden beams and old windows.  The floor to ceiling glass wall that sections off perhaps the largest display of international Bacalao, providing a salt cod room the likes of nothing you have ever seen in America. 

The market offers wonderful prepared dishes of traditional fare such as roast pressed chicken, braised octopus, Bacalao in two to three ways and various soups and sides. The cheese and charcuterie section is quite impressive and inspiring of all things chicken, pork and blood. Olive oil is given the same respect as fine wine as they are both displayed like alter objects; both with ample selection of variety and budget.

The nicest aspect of this market is the Café with true European coffee, pressed sandwiches and pastries. They carry items rarely seen in other markets. You truly feel like you have traveled to an Old World, European marketplace in Portugal and then you realize you are in your own back yard. It is an exciting place.

And I suggest you check out the interesting root vegetables from the Furnas Islands and the dried fava bean nuts section.

Enjoy,

Jim

Aerie Homes, the developer of The Preserve at the Bay Club, currently has two homes under construction.   The framing of their model home is nearly complete and the foundation of their spec home has been poured and its framing is now underway. They anticipate having both homes completed by this spring.

According to Paul Abelite, President of Aerie Homes, three distinctly different home designs ranging from 1,825 to 2,115 sf, with first or second floor master options, three or four bedrooms, and two-and-a-half baths will be offered. Exterior materials will include weather-resistant woods, top of the line windows, and cedar shingles, making the homes  as durable as their design is timeless.  Homes will feature a minimum of two-car garages, and options include three or four bedrooms, sunroom, bonus room and golf cart garage, not to mention many interior finish options.

In addition to activity in The Preserve, two other homes are in the design stage, with at least one ground breaking schedule for May 2014. For more information on real estate opportunities, please contact Dave Andrews at 508-207-9232 or sales@bayclubmatt.com.

The Bay Club at Mattapoisett is a country club with an eighteen hole championship level golf course and residential property located in Southeastern MA.  To arrange a private tour please contact Dave Andrews via e-mail or phone, 508-207-9232.

How can I be ready for the new season when there is snow on the ground?

With the arrival of winter, Head Golf Professional Greg Yeomans offers members some tips to prepare for the 2014 golf season without playing any rounds.  The first suggestion is to do lots of stretching.  This can be done utilizing the TRUE Stretch offered at the Fitness Center.  Once we stop certain activities such as golfing on a regular basis, we get tight and our swing can become restrictive or too short.  This can lead to timing and swing flaws.  Because  I don’t play from November through March, I make sure I stay loose by doing stretches.  

In addition, members are able to practice their swing at the Indoor Golf Center located onsite in the Cart Barn.  The hitting bays and simulator create a perfect environment to work on your fundamentals.  Whether you need to make a grip change, improve your posture or fix your swing path, utilizing the simulator can help you achieve all of these goals.  The worst thing you can do is to be sedentary.  Greg suggests you stay loose by stretching and if nothing else, hitting some balls to maintain your timing and rhythm so you are ready to start the new season. And if you need some professional advice, Fitness Director Dave Maloney at the Fitness Center or Greg Yeomans at the Golf Pro Shop are happy to arrange a private appointment and work with you to keep you flexible and in shape during the winter months.

Mattapoisett Historical Society President, Seth Mendell returns to the Bay Club for the next in his series of local history lectures.  In this talk he will briefly trace the history of New England whaling and the building of the whaling bark “Wanderer”.  Seth will also share the “Wanderer’s” many voyages in the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans and will conclude with the vessels tragic end on the rocky shore of Cuttyhunk Island on August 26, 1924.  The “Wanderer” was the last whaler to be built in the Holmes’ shipyard in Mattapoisett and the last whaler to sail from the port of New Bedford.    

The Bay Club at Mattapoisett is a country club with an eighteen hole championship level golf course and residential property located in Southeastern MA.   To arrange a private tour please contact Dave Andrews via e-mail or phone, 508-207-9232.

Author Tom Clavin recently visited the Bay Club to discuss his book The DiMaggios: Three Brothers, Their Passion for Baseball, Their Pursuit of the American Dream.

In The DiMaggios, Tom draws on a wealth of source materials, interviews with family members and teammates, and in-depth reporting to reveal how three kids from an immigrant family of eleven found their way to the upper echelons of American sports and popular culture. A vivid portrait of a family and the ways in which their shifting fortunes and status shaped their relationships, it is also a transporting exploration of an era and a culture, using baseball as a lens to view and understand American society in the twentieth century. He reveals the untold Great American Story of three brothers, Joltin’ Joe, Dom, and Vince DiMaggio, and the Great American Game—baseball—that would consume their lives.

Tom is an acclaimed sportswriter and journalist who has authored 15 books, including biographies of Roger Maris and Gil Hodges. Hewas a contributor to the New York Times for 15 years, and the publications for which he has written include Golf Magazine, Manhattan, Men’s Journal, Parade, and Smithsonian. His next book, to be published in November, is The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, an American Legend.

Members enjoyed a special post lecture buffet at the Golf House restaurant featuring Sous Chef Kristin Costa’s House Made Lasagna.

Executive Chef Jim Mercer recommends “Fear of Food: A History of Why We Worry about What We Eat” by Harvey Levenstein.  Are eggs the perfect protein, or are they cholesterol bombs? Is red wine good for my heart or bad for my liver? Will pesticides and processed foods kill me? Here with some rare and very welcome advice is food historian Harvey Levenstein: Stop worrying!  In “Fear of Food” Levenstein reveals these worries, causing an extraordinary number of Americans to allow fear to trump pleasure in dictating their food choices.

Members at the Bay Club recently began a drive to collect old golf balls to donate to The First Tee of Massachusetts.  In the first few days, two 55 gallon trash barrels full of golf balls have been collected.  The First Tee is an international youth development organization introducing the game of golf and its inherent values to young people.   The club is planning future campaigns that will include donating old clubs.

NESN’s New England Boating recently featured Mattapoisett. Watch the full episode and learn more about this special town’s history and what it has to offer.

On Saturday, June 22 members were treated to a special cooking demonstration by Joanne Chang, chef/owner of Flour Bakery + Café.  Joanne prepared Christopher’s Oven-Baked Potato and Red Pepper Tortilla, Gougères and Bittersweet Chocolate-Espresso Terrine.  Participants also received a signed copy of her second cookbook Flour, too: Indispensable Recipes from the Cafe’s Most Loved Sweets and Savories.

Joanne currently operates four Flour Bakery and Cafés in Boston.   She and her husband Christopher Myers also own and operate Myers+Chang, a pan-Asian restaurant in the South End.

The Bay Club at Mattapoisett is a country club with an eighteen hole championship level golf course and residential property located in Southeastern MA.   To arrange a private tour please contact Dave Andrews via e-mail or phone, 508-207-9232.