Dec 2009 / Jan 2010

	Barry's Corner
	Bob's Blog
	Your Winter Visit to Sedona
	Calendar of Events

James Cash Penney once said,  “Change is vital, improvement the logical form of change..” A common theme conveyed in this edition of the Review is finding ways to continue to improve the financial position, the member and guest experience, and continue to improve the value of your investment in your Rocks lifestyle. These economic and value challenged times require further investment and will ultimately make each our project better.

As many of you have seen over the years, the progress made to date has not been revolutionary but rather evolutionary. It is a continuation and extension of the original vision for the Rocks set forth by the developer, our great employees at the Rocks over the years, the members and Troon Golf while improving the value of your dues dollars.

Our valued members will enjoy the following improvements:

1. Liability insurance cost reductions
2. The community is aggressively pursuing a property tax appeal to reduce the property tax liability moving forward
3. All contracts have been reinspected with greater expectations from all of our vendors (including Troon Golf) leading to at least $50,000 in savings for next fiscal year
4. Ongoing reinvestment in staff training
5. Member experience service touches continue to be improved with food delivery, increased member benefits including the complimentary addition of a Troon National Twosome card for all of our Rocks members
6. Continued capital investment back in to the community
7. The addition of member feedback tools including the website enhancements to improve communication and continue to solicit your feedback on how your member experience can improve. Please click on the link below to help guide us.  Member Survey

We look forward to seeing you in 2010 and wish each and every one of you and your families a Happy Holiday season.

Feel free to contact me at rdemore@troongolf.com or at 480-477-0558 anytime

Barry's Corner Not all that many years ago when I first started to play golf, I quickly realized that my chances of making the PGA Tour were probably not that good. Passion for the game doesn’t always lead to becoming a professional. As I became older, I had another realization, that the Senior Tour or now known as the Champions Tour, was probably out of the question as well. Joining the Super Seniors is no longer on my bucket list, and something should have told me that a double digit handicap was probably never going to achieve greatness in golf. Golf somewhat aside, what I now find enjoyable is reading what I hope will be a good book. My column is certainly not meant to be a book review nor an update on what I have read lately, such as Dan Brown’s, Lost Symbol. However when you’re next in residence, ask me about recently playing Abenaqui Country Club in Rye, New Hampshire. Dan Brown’s “compound” adjacent to the seventeenth fairway required that two golf holes be moved to accommodate his home…at his expense. There is much to be said for being a best selling author. Another of my favorites is Pat Conway, author of Prince of Tides and The Water is Wide. I recently read Beach Music and South of Broad his newest, both are very excellent reads. Besides providing a little too much insight into my life and probably more than you cared to know, where is all this leading to? I happened upon a management book written by Ken Blanchard in 1993, called RAVING FANS, A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service. I am sure that many of you have read “The One Minute Manager” or any of the other ten “One Minute” best selling books that Mr. Blanchard has written. I have given much thought to the context and message Blanchard delivers in Raving Fans and how it can enhance our community. The three salient points discussed are: (1) Decide what you want. At The Rocks, the developers and Timbers Resorts decided what we were to be as a community and entrusted Troon Golf and management to carry out their vision. Understanding the member and Boards vision for the future is critical to management being able to formulate goals to achieve member expectations. (2) Discover what the customer wants. All of you have expectations of ownership when in residence and what you want to see in the future for yourselves and your families. How should the community function to protect and uphold the value of your investment? (3) Discover what the customer wants, and Deliver “Plus One Percent”. Delivering Plus One Percent with consistency, each and every time. In this very mini-book review, what we’re asking is that you share your vision for the community with the Board and with management. Allow us to set goals to ensure that we achieve your vision and in turn, create in you Raving Fans with every Rocks experience now and in the future. We want to make sure that our goals throughout the year are in concert with and closely align with your expectations. Please share with us your thoughts and desires to make your community One Percent more than what it is today.

Bob's Blog As we plan for 2010, your Rock’s Club board of directors, in conjunction with the Rock’s Condominium board, has been working with Troon management to ensure we approach next year in the best possible financial position. As a result of our direct communications, we have some significant developments that I want to share with you. Troon has elected to reduce their annual management fee by $10,000 in both 2010 and 2011. In addition, while the Troon base management fee is subject to an annual CPI increase, Troon has agreed to remove any CPI increase until 2014. In 2014 the CPI increase will be applied using the 2009 base management fee. Troon is also going to utilize their Troon North agronomy team to handle landscape maintenance and project oversight at our facility. This should result in an annual savings of approximately $30,000. These cost savings, couple with our ongoing fiscal measures, will enable us to maintain the monthly dues at the current rate in 2010. That’s right ---- NO dues increase next year. On behalf of Steve Rosen, Condo board president, and all members of both boards, I would like to thank the Troon executive management team ( Hud Hinton. Tim Schantz, Jim Bellington, and Rob DeMore) for their efforts in developing the above mentioned cost savings measures for The Rocks. As an added bonus, in 2010 Troon management will upgrade the Arizona Troon Twosome card to the National Twosome Card for each Rocks owner. The upgraded cards will allow Rocks members to enjoy the benefits of the card at any participating U.S. Troon golf facility. A couple of housekeeping issues: Please remember that if you must cancel any scheduled weeks that you have on the books, you must do so at least 14 days prior to your arrival date. If you cancel inside the 14 day window, you will be charged the full housekeeping fee for the cancelled week. As the holidays approach, you are reminded that The Rock’s doesn’t have a formal gratuity policy. However, you are encouraged to “tip” as you see fit either during your stays at The Rocks or if you want to recognize employees over the holiday season. We appreciated everyone’s cooperation as we transitioned from quarterly to monthly dues payments. This change went very smoothly, and will improve our ability to be proactive. The Thursday and Friday night dinner service has started again. Chef Rusty has a new menu with the same outstanding quality. As a new amenity, the Four Seasons hotel is now providing shuttle service between The Rocks and the Four Season’s for dinner, spa service, etc. Simply ask a Rock’s concierge to call for the shuttle, and then ask the doorman at the Four Seasons for the return shuttle. It beats walking through the desert on a cold winter night! Your board of directors would like to wish you and your families the happiest of holiday seasons.

Your Winter Visit to Sedona We have a special Sedona Secret for our guests at The Rocks. Sedona Private Guides has been the pre-eminent guide company in the red rocks for 14 years. Sedona Private Guides can take you off the beaten path, far from the throngs of tourists. They know the most intimate and spectacular places in nature and the best times of day to take you there. All of their outings are private and customized to suit your exact tastes. From strenuous hikes, to gentle journeys, Sedona Private Guides can create the perfect Sedona hike for you, no matter your level of ability. They pride themselves on being able to take everyone into the beauty of nature. Imagine yourself and your loved ones at sunset in Sedona watching the red rocks glow orange and red as the last light of the day fades from view. It’s not to be missed! Sedona Private Guides is so dedicated to our guests here at The Rocks that they’ve created a special outing just for you. It’s called, “The Perfect Day in Sedona.” It combines the best of their tours (the ability to see several places in Sedona) with the hikes (exploring deeper, to reach little known places of beauty). Clients can choose their preference: lunch at a café, restaurant, or on the trails. This adventure is customized to account for travel time to Sedona from Scottsdale. It begins around 10am, and finishes around 3:30pm. Sedona Private Guide’s outings are among the very favorites of our guests. Dennis, Nathan and Eric can take you on adventures that include Sunset hikes and yoga outings. Contact your Rocks Concierge, visit http://www.sedonaprivateguides.com or call the office at 928-204-2201 for more information. You’ll be glad you did!

Calendar of Events SPORTS Arizona Cardinals Football University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale Dec 27th vs St. Louis Jan 3rd vs. Green Bay 21st Annual Insight Bowl Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe Dec 31st Minnesota vs. Iowa State 39th Annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale Jan 4th Boise State vs. TCU Phoenix Suns Basketball @ USAirways Center thru Mid April Phoenix Coyotes Hockey @ Jobing.com Arena thru Mid April SIGNATURE SCOTTSDALE EVENTS ZooLights at The Phoenix Zoo thru Jan 11th - daily from 6pm to 10pm.  The magical, colorful sights and sounds of The Phoenix Zoo's holiday light spectacular will make your season sparkle. Las Noches de las Luminariasat Desert Botanical Garden thru Dec 30th – daily from 5:30pm to 9pm.  Experience this unique Southwest holiday tradition as the magic of thousands of hand-lit luminarias light the pathways and cast a soft glow on the Garden's world-renowned plant collection Scottsdale Fantasy of Lights at WestWorld thru Jan 2nd - daily from 6pm to 10pm.  The Scottsdale Fantasy of Lights is a spectacular drive-through holiday lighting event and exciting way for you and your family and friends to enjoy the holiday season! Rawhide's Cowboy Christmas thru Jan 3rd daily from 5:30pm to 10pm Holiday Lights at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park thru Jan 2nd – daily from 6:30pm to 9pm.  Arizona's most unique holiday event - take a train ride through more than 100,000 lights and featuring a variety of holiday displays turning the Railroad Park into a winter wonderland. Fiesta Bowl Artwalk – Jan 2nd: Come root for your favorite team & enjoy great art while strolling along Main St in downtown Scottsdale. Rock 'N Roll Marathon – Jan 14th: Scottsdale Arts District P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon & 1/2 Marathon – Jan 17th.  A world-class event that offers winter running at its finest with plenty of sun, spirit & "sole music" along an idyllic fiat course. Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction – Jan 18-24:  The auction features more than 1,000 of the world's finest collector and special-interest automobiles and is attended by 250,000 collectors and enthusiasts from around the globe.  WestWorld of Scottsdale Fine Art Expo - Jan 14th-Mar 28th - The Arizona Fine Art Expo showcases 100 nationally-acclaimed artists applying their artistic talents in studios.  SW corner of Jomax & Scottsdale Road. 20th Annual Celebration of Fine Art - Jan 16th-Mar 28th - Imagine visiting 100 artist' studios in one day! Visitors can meet the artist and watch them working in the full spectrum of art media.  Scottsdale Rd/South of Loop 101 Russo & Steele Collector Auto Auction - Jan 20th-24th - Be sure to check out this boutique-style auction featuring American muscle cars, European sports cars, hot rods and customs. Scottsdale Rd/south of Loop 101 Silver Auctions Jan 22-25 - AuctionSilver has skillfully established a solid reputation for auctioning affordable collector cars in this January-in-Arizona extravaganza. This provides buyers and sellers an auction where they can feel comfortable.  Fort McDowell Resort & Casino Arizona Sun Circuit Quarter Horse Show - Jan 24-Feb 1st - Watch 1,500 of the country's best quarter horses compete for $200,000 in prizes. Horse and riders from around the world ride in five rings over eight days. WestWorld of Scottsdale. Heard Museum World Champion Hoop Dance Feb 6-7 - More than 70 dancers from throughout the U.S. and Canada vie for the nation's most prestigious hoop dancing prize.  Food, frybread and shopping round out this event.  Heard Museum. Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show - Feb 11-21 - The 55th Annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show has set the pace in the Arabian horse world. It has grown from 50 horses to more than 2,000 horses, bringing top owners, trainers and breeders from around the world competing for a chance to win. FBR Open - Feb 22-28 - Annually sporting the largest crowd on the PGA TOUR, the FBR Open has gained legendary status on the TOUR for being unlike any other golf tournament.  TPC Scottsdale THEATER Annie at ASU Gammage: Dec 29-Jan 3rd August: Osage County at ASU Gammage: Jan 5-10th Garrison Keillor at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts: Jan 28th Christina Wong: Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at ASU Gammage: Jan 30th COMEDY Norm McDonald at Tempe Improv - Jan 14th Mike Birbiglia at Tempe Improv - Jan 28th-30th Sinbad at Tempe Improve: Feb 4-6th TROON NORTH GOLF CLUB Sunday, Dec 27th & Sunday, Jan 31st - Prime Rib Dinner $19.95++ per person Contact your Rocks Club concierge (480.889.7800) for information regarding any of the above mentioned events.