Club Times: March/April

A WELCOME LETTER FROM KEVIN COSTELLO Your New Club President

I am honored to serve as the President of the Atlanta Athletic Club and feel very fortunate to be a member of one of the top clubs in the country. I appreciate the confidence the members have shown in electing me to this position. We have amazing facilities and a plethora of programs for all family members. Most impressively, we have a deep culture and heritage that is shared and supported by a community of like-minded individuals. The past couple of years has been tough for the world, the country, the community, and our club. Most people just wanted to get through the pandemic. As I reflect back, we did more than get through it. We used the club to serve as an oasis from the madness that was going on elsewhere. It wasn’t easy. Difficult choices were made, and compromise and understanding were needed. We certainly all found our way as a membership. As a group, we didn’t just survive, we made progress in both our physical assets and growth as a community. The golf practice range was renovated, new roofs were put on many of our buildings, the men’s locker room wet areas were renovated and the reimagination of the Riverside course was begun. We gave the world a glimpse of our outstanding facility by hosting the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. We continued to add to the heritage and traditions of the club by crowning another in a long line of storied golf champions in Nelly Korda. In addition, two members of our club community, Bailey Moody and Brooks Curry won medals in the Olympics. Most importantly, we continued to thrive as a membership. Not only did we recognize the special place that we have, but an increasing number of prospective members wanted to be part of it, creating a multi-year waitlist for the club. This year will bring many challenges. Inflation persists in our everyday life and will continue to impact the costs of the club. It continues to be very challenging to find and retain employees. Corporate and other events still don’t appear to be rebounding to pre-covid days. While these are difficult issues, I am confident that David, Tony and the rest of the senior leadership team will lead us through these challenges as they have always done. From a Board perspective, we are fortunate to have the skills of John Stakel as our Treasurer. The year 2023 will be an important and exciting one for the Atlanta Athletic Club – our 125th anniversary! Our first 125 years has been spectacular and you can expect to hear more about our special events and initiatives as the anniversary approaches. Through the efforts of prior members, we enjoy one of the top clubs in the country. Our facilities, reputation, and heritage are the envy of many. As we prepare for the celebration, we also need to set the foundation for the next 125 years. A foundation built on stewardship – leaving the club better than we found it. Through caring, compassion, and respect for our facilities, our heritage, our future, and each other, I am certain as a membership, we can continue and enhance the unparalleled traditions of the Atlanta Athletic Club!

Finally, several thank yous are in order. First, a big thank you to Tim Bentsen, our past president, for leading us through one of the most challenging times any of us can remember. I had a front row seat watching a seasoned professional at his best. Much appreciation also to the Board for their tireless efforts. A special thank you to Brad Kuehn and Justin Hester, who are rotating off the board this year. Brad and Justin are completing their four-year terms and during that time, they have been very active and have chaired several committees. Brad served as chair of the Tennis, Membership, and Golf Committees, and has also worked very closely with Jimmy Cole, AAC’s Director of Facilities on many of the clubhouse projects that were completed during the past four years. Justin served as Chair of the Athletics and Membership Committees. Both of these individuals served with the singular focus of making this club better for the membership. Thanks to David Sheppard and his leadership team for steering the ship. Many of the actions he and his team took early in the pandemic allowed us to weather the storm far better than the vast majority of clubs. Finally, a huge thank you to Bruce Barfield. I know that many of you know Bruce. What many of you may not know is that Bruce has dedicated 10 years to the Board and is finishing his role as Chairman. Bruce’s outstanding service to the Club and Board is very impressive. To name just a few items… Bruce helped hire a new General Manager and he oversaw many improvements to the club facilities including the Ladies Locker Room, the Hall of Champions, the Troon Grill and Kitchen, the Interlachen Lounge, the main entry of the Clubhouse and private rooms, the St. Andrews Ballroom, and the indoor tennis courts and lighting. He was instrumental in repositioning the finances of the club for continued stability and growth. Bruce has also devoted countless hours to documenting the history of our club and making it more visible and available to our members. He has helped position the accomplishments of our members for greater recognition outside the club and has been a strong ambassador for the AAC across the world. In short, he has devoted a decade of his life to the stewardship of the Club. Bruce will continue to co- chair, with JimThorne, the 125th Celebration Committee. I have been privileged to serve on various committees and the Board over the past several years and as I mentioned in the beginning, I am honored to be the President of our fine club these next two years. I sincerely appreciate all of the support from the other Board and Committee members, our management team, and the membership. Sincerely, Kevin Costello President