Oatlands Enews – Friday 23rd October 2020

Published on 23rd October 2020 in E-News

Content

This week’s Enews covers the following topics:

General Manager’s Update
2020 AGM Minutes
From the Course
Membership Update
Club Championship 2020 – Men’s and Ladies
Ladies Update
Korean Night – A Great Success
Digger’s Day 2020
4 Week Short Game Programme with Jeremy Ward
Volkswagen Scramble – Tuesday 24^th November 2020
Modified Local Rules – Penalty for Removing the Flag
Guest / Visitor Fee Increase – Effective 1^st November 2020
Ladies Volunteers Morning – Tuesday 27^th October
Pennant Update
Ladies Upcoming Events
Upcoming Clubhouse Events

General Manager’s Update

Well, it has definitely been an “interesting” year as a result of Covid, with a rollercoaster of uncertainty mixed with a huge amount of positivity and progress as a result of the resurgence in golf participation worldwide and at Oatlands. As we head towards the end of 2020, and into a Christmas unlike any we have experienced, it does appear that we are at the beginning of the new “normal” for the time being and until a Covid vaccine becomes available.

The direct impact of Covid on Operations at the Club has necessitated a series of, at times, frustrating adjustments for the Club and its members, ranging from a complete course and clubhouse closure, play of golf in groups of 2 only, restrictions on maximum numbers and the type of food and beverage service we can offer in the Clubhouse, adjustments to timesheets, adjustments to long-standing patterns of course access, unprecedented use of the golf course during competition and social times, reduced access to Club facilities such as showers and bubblers, and ongoing modified local rules relating to bunkers and flagsticks. This is by no means an extensive list however gives a little insight into the day to day impact of Covid.

I would again like to thank all of the Club’s wonderful members for their ongoing patience and support during this time. I would also like to thank the hard work and diligence of the Club’s Directors, Sub-Committee representatives, volunteers and staff, whose commitment and support have placed the Club in a position to navigate through 2020 and put the Club in a position to turn the potentially crippling impact of Covid into a major milestone in securing the long-term prosperity of the Club.

The recent changes to the membership announced at last weeks AGM will be covered in more detail in a subsequent section of this Enews, however the contrasting position of the Club’s membership now when compared to mid-April of this year, is nothing short of staggering. In mid-April 2020, we were staring down the nett loss of members after renewals and resignations of circa 300 members and a playing membership as low as 600. This turned around very quickly and as of June 30th we were roughly in line with the membership position pre-renewals. Fast forward a few months and the 50% increase in participation has seen our membership grow to the extent that we have now capped the membership, implemented joining fees for the first time in a decade, and at the time of writing, are rapidly approaching capacity in all categories of membership.

There is a multitude of benefits to the Club and its members as a result of this strong membership position, including the reduction of membership churn which will allow the Club to focus on increased engagement with existing members, the moderation or course usage to improve access for all members, and of course increased and sustainable revenue to be put back into improving the course and facilities for everyone.

The Club’s AGM last week, saw over 70 members in attendance with a series of robust discussions following questions from the floor. These are covered in the AGM minutes in a subsequent section of this Enews. The high attendance at the AGM and the level of engagement by those present, is a sign of the strength of the membership. This is the members’ Golf Club, and I strongly encourage members to have their say and not feel that they need to wait to the next AGM to provide constructive feedback. To that end, I would like to remind members that my door and my ears are always open.

Thank you again for your continued support of this great Club, the future might be uncertain but there is a bright shining light at the end of the tunnel!

Sincerely,

Sam Howe
General Manager

2020 AGM Minutes

The Club’s 2020 AGM took place on Wednesday 14th October with over 70 members in attendance.

The Minutes of the AGM can be viewed by clicking here.

If members have any questions, please direct them to the Club’s General Manager, Sam Howe, gm@oatlandsgolf.com.au.

From the Course

Rainfall for the Week: 8.5mm Rainfall for 2020: 1,010.0mm Dam: 75% Green Speed: 10 feet

A busy week experienced by the course team once again this week, with a surprise or two along the way, to ensure there is never a dull moment!

On Monday morning with the help of the volunteers, 120m’s of the green protective mesh was laid on the top side of the 11^th fairway which will provide a pathway for all cart traffic on this hole in the future. The 11^th hole is affected by the shade of the trees that line our boundary with Oatlands House, and along with the traffic that this fairway receives, it becomes very difficult to maintain quality grass coverage on this particular fairway. The plan is to force all vehicle traffic (carts and course machines) onto the green mesh area which will then enable the turf to be able to grow better on the fairway.

The last 2 bunkers on the 5^th hole have had the Shade Tuff Zoysia laid around them with the bunker bases being cleaned out before new cloth linings are installed early next week. The team is hoping to have sand in these 2 remaining bunkers by the end of next week. The bunkers on the 4^th hole are getting close to being back in play, with the turf around these bunkers establishing well. Our concern is players entering these bunkers over the top faces of these bunkers instead of the lowest point as is intended with their design. If players enter over the top high edges before the turf has fully established (rooted down), damage could be caused the bunker edge and injury could result to the player from a slip. A root hormone application is planned for next week to assist this turf to establish.

All areas of the course will be cut this week including rough. Our fairways are growing well and our first application of growth regulator has been applied over the past week to these surfaces. This application not only regulates growth but also has health benefits by helping the turf to cope during stressful periods of heat and drought. As the turf isn’t growing as vigorously, it therefore isn’t using as many elements to grow as it usually would and thus is able to deal with these stress factors better.

Members may have noticed some oil marks at the back of the 12^th green last weekend which was the result of a leaking hydraulic hose on our greens mower last Friday morning. Such an incident usually means significant damage to the turf and death of the plant because of the heat of the hydraulic oil. But going by the appearance of the turf on Thursday morning, it looks like we may avoid any damage to the turf. It has served as a learning experience for all our staff members and now they know what to do with any oil leaks in the future. Perhaps the strength of the storm logo is empowering the turf on this green to deal with heat of the oil!

Volunteers were on course Monday morning, laying the green mesh on the 11^th hole, continued painting posts on 5th handrail, gurney the remaining bays of the practice nets, finished edging pathways, trimmed sprinkler heads on fairways, trimmed suckers from tree bases and performed clubhouse maintenance tasks. A very busy day for these gentlemen and as always much appreciated by all the course and club staff.

Have a good weekend!

The Course Team

Photos from the week that was on the course!

Please note, the Club in no way endorses the Course Superintendents barracking for the Melbourne Storm. On the upside, our Course Super is available to hand paint your company logo for any future Corporate Days at the Club.

Membership Update

Following the announcement at last weeks AGM introducing a cap on the number of playing members, the re-introduction of joining fees, and a cap on the number of total rounds for Lifestyle membership (commencing 1st April 2021), there has been a significant amount of movement within the membership including over 30 members upgrading from Lifestyle membership to 6 or 7 Day Membership.

At the time of writing, the status of each membership category is outlined below;

Category	Maximum Number of Members	Status as of 23rd October	Joining Fee Status
Saturday Playing Categories (Full, Intermediate, Junior)	500	480	As of 28th February 2021 or when capacity reached.
6 Day Categories	180	143	As of 28th February 2021 or when capacity reached.
Lifestyle Membership	370	Full with a waiting list	All new applicants required to pay the joining fee.
Junior Development (JDP)	110	Full with a waiting list	NA

Joining Fees to commence 28^th February 2021, or earlier if the above Membership Cap Limits are reached;

Full playing $2,500
6 Day $2,000
Intermediates $1,000
Lifestyle $1,500
Juniors Nil

The Board and Management believe that most, if not all, membership categories will reach their capacity prior to 28^th February 2021, at which time, any member wishing to upgrade their membership and new member applications, would be placed on a waitlist. Existing members wishing to transfer will be prioritized over new member applications.

Any member of less than 3 years wishing to upgrade their membership, once the Joining Fee has commenced, will be required to pay the difference in the Joining Fee for their existing category and the Joining Fee for the category to which they want to upgrade. Members who have held a Playing Membership for 3 years or more will not be required to pay the difference in the Joining Fees.

Rounds Cap Limit for Lifestyle Members;

Commencing 1^st April 2021, Lifestyle Members will be entitled to a maximum of 120 rounds per membership year, of which a maximum of 12 can be competition rounds.

Based on analysis of the round data for the last 2 years, it is expected that this will impact 40-50 Lifestyle Members.

Once the 120 round limit has been reached, further play will require an upgrade in membership category, which will be subject to availability, and the payment of difference in the Joining Fee based on the criteria outlined (as noted, no fee is payable if the Member has held a playing Membership for 3 years or more).

The Board and Management of Oatlands Golf Club believe these initiatives are a positive step forward for the Club. They will provide the Club with the opportunity of significantly reducing the turnover of members and strengthening the membership base, that will allow the Club to grow and prosper into the future. That will benefit the membership as a whole.

If you have any questions or wish to transfer to a different membership category prior to the implementation of Joining Fees, please contact the Club’s General Manager, Sam Howe, or Membership Co-ordinator, Kathy Bright.

Club Championship 2020 – Mens and Ladies

The first round of the 2020 Men’s Club Championship were played on Saturday the 17th of October for The Plate, Middle Markers and Long Markers with the first round of the Championship grade being played on Sunday the 18th. Click on the link below to view the results and upcoming quarter final matches for each grade;

Club Championships Matchplay Quarter-Finals Draw 2020

The first round of the Ladies Club Championship were played on Thursday 22nd October for Division I, II, and III.Click on the links below to view the results and upcoming semi-final matches for each grade;

Club Championship Division I Matchplay Semi-Finals Draw 2020

Club Championship Division II Matchplay Semi-Finals Draw 2020

Club Championship Division III Matchplay Semi-Finals Draw 2020

Good luck to all competitors!

Ladies Update

The Vets Closing Day on Monday was a great success! Thanks Mary and Kerrie for all your time and effort throughout the year in managing the Vets program and for the preparation and well thought out entertainment for Monday’s event. We were spoilt with funny stories, brain teasing, drink & food treats and prizes for all. A good fun day!

Monday’s golf “team event” was won by Rhonda Tresnan, Carole Blonk, Di Goss and Paula Skelton. They can look forward to their Pro Shop accounts being topped up nicely.

The other Veteran winners for the year will be communicated next week.

Round 1 of the Club Championships were played on 22/10/20. Well done to all competitors and congratulations to those who made it through to the semi-finals.

A reminder that the Ladies General Meeting is on Monday 2/11/20 after golf at approximately 1-1.30pm. Try and book in for early golf when the timesheet opens this Sunday 25/10/20 so as many ladies as possible can be back in the club house to take part in the meeting.

Remember to mix it up for Thursday competition. It has been a tradition at Oatlands for lady members to play with their friends for Monday competition and mix it up to meet and play with different ladies for Thursday competition. In this spirit, the committee are putting their names down as individuals on the Thursday timesheet and all lady members are encouraged to do the same.

Dolores Pearse
On behalf of the Ladies Committee

Korean Night – A Great Success

The Club’s first Korean themed dining event took place on Friday 16th October with over 90 members and guests joining in for a night of Korean Dining and Soju.

It was wonderful to see such a diverse cross section of the membership in attendance as well as a group of off duty bar and Pro Shop staff.

Thanks to Club President George Isaac for providing the great photos from the evening below;

Digger’s Day – Saturday 14th November

The Club is pleased to announce that the annual Digger’s Day in support of Legacy Australia will proceed as planned on Saturday 14th November.

The event will follow the same format as 2019 with the event running throughout the AM and PM shotgun starts.

Entry will be $40pp and will include;

Competition Fee
On-course BBQ
Legacy Donation

Golfers will be able to purchase drinks throughout the day from the drinks cart and clubhouse, the usual betting options will be available at registration, and the on-course BBQ and Rum Cup will be run from Farmer Tunks Hut between the 6th green and 7th tee.

Covid Safe initiatives will be in place which will include multiple registration tables and the crossover between the AM and PM fields managed through the use of the Club’s function room for the AM field post golf congregation.

All members are encouraged to take part in this event which raises a significant amount of money for Legacy Australia. Below is a short video on the important role Legacy plays in supporting the families of Australian Defence Force veterans who have given their lives or health.

4 Week Short Game Programme with Jeremy Ward

Oatlands Golf Operations Manager and PGA Professional, Jeremy Ward is offering a 4 week Short Game Programme for members over the coming month. Details of the clinics and short video overview by Jeremy is provided below;

4 week (1 hour) Clinic focusing on SHORT GAME ONLY. 4 week program includes:

Tuesday – 2:30pm

Week 1 – Tuesday 27^th October……. Chipping– How to create backspin and the correct technique for the flop shot
Week 2 – Tuesday 3^rd November……Pitching– How to control ball flight and distance
Week 3 – Tuesday 10^th November……Putting– A variety of drills to help with short & long putts plus the importance of routine
Week 4 – Tuesday 17^th November…… Bunkers– Bunker technique and how to get out of a bunker every time

Total cost Per Member – $195 …….. Maximum of 5 members in class

Friday – 10:00am

Week 1 – Friday 6^th November……. Chipping– How to create backspin and the correct technique for the flop shot
Week 2 – Friday 13^thNovember……Pitching– How to control ball flight and distance
Week 3 – Friday 20^th November……Putting– A variety of drills to help with short & long putts plus the importance of routine
Week 4 – Friday 27^th November…… Bunkers– Bunker technique and how to get out of a bunker every time

Total cost Per Member – $195 ……… Maximum of 5 members in class

Volkswagen Scramble – Tuesday 24th November 2020

Oatlands Golf Club will once again be holding a Volkswagen Scramble for members and guests on Tuesday 24th November.

The PGA run event sees teams of 4 compete in a 4 person ambrose with winning teams qualifying for the regional final where they are joined by one of the Club’s PGA professionals for the chance to make the national final.

Last year, the Club winning team, playing with David Ecob in the regional final at Riverside Oaks, narrowly missed qualification for the national final by a single shot.

We are hoping this years winner will go one better.

This mixed event is great fun and is open to members and guests, with each team requiring at least one member to be eligible for qualification.

Entry for the event and the 8am shotgun start is via the PGA’s event link below;

https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/6716583794175919315

Entry Fee:

Members: $40.00 per person

Visitors: $70.00 per person

This event is an invitational event, where there must be at least 1 Oatlands Golf Club member per team. If your team fails to meet this requirement, Oatlands Golf Club has the right to refuse entry.

Inclusions:

6 x Callaway golf balls per person
A chance to share in over $1,700 of prizes
Exclusive partner offers

Registrations Close: Monday, November 23, 2020 at 12:00 PM

Modified Local Rules – Penalty for Removing the Flag

Members are reminded that the Club modified Local Rule requiring flagsticks to be left in is a Local Rule as directed by Golf NSW and incurs a General Penalty under the Rules of Golf if breached.

There has been some discussion during the qualifying and first round of the Club Championships and suggestion that this requirement is suggestive only and not a Local Rule.

The Match Committee understand that having to leave the flag in the hole is frustrating for some golfers, however at every juncture of Covid-19 and the subsequent Health Orders enacted by the NSW Government, the Club have followed the advice of our governing bodies (Golf NSW and Clubs NSW), and therefore at this time the Local Rule remains in place with breaches incurring the General Penalty.

Guest / Visitor Green Fee Increase – Effective 1st November 2020

Members are advised that the Guest / Visitor Green Fee will increase on 1st November 2020 from $55 per person to $65 per person.

With the increase in demand for tee times at our Club, the ongoing quality of the golf course, and membership nearing capacity, the Board feels that this is an appropriate increase and representative of members expectations.

Ladies Volunteer Morning – Tuesday 27th October

Our Lady Members are encouraged to join our recently formed band of enthusiastic gardening volunteers on Tuesday 27th October from 8am – 10am.

For those interested in assisting, a sign up sheet is located in the Ladies Locker Room or you can email the Ladies Committee on ladies@oatlandsgolf.com.au

We recommend you bring your own gardening gloves, if you have them, as these can be in short supply subject to the number of volunteers who attend.

Pennant Update

Major Pennant Semi-final – Date Scheduled for second leg against Penrith

The Club is pleased to announce that the second leg of the Mens Major Pennant Semi-final against Penrith has now been scheduled for Sunday 29th November at Penrith GC.

The majority of the squad have been keeping their form through the Club Championships and despite a disappointing narrow loss in the first leg at Oatlands in August, they are all feeling very confident of making up the deficit and progressing to the final and promotion to Division one in 2021.

Super Senior Pennant

This week, the Super Seniors travelled to Roseville Golf Club, to take on Monash. A very interesting course, being very narrow, lot of par 3’s, but not straightforward.

Monash started the day in 2nd place behind the host, Roseville.

Again, all but one match was in the balance at halfway, but unfortunately, the boys could not finish the job.

The results for the day were;

Peter Greenaway All square

Mike McFarland Lost 4 & 3

Campbell Robertson Lost 5 & 4

Rod Bowyer Lost 7 & 6

Brian Watt Won 3 & 1

Col McRae Lost 3 & 2

Mike Carlin Lost 2 down

Rob Palin Lost 2 & 1

This was the last game for Oatlands this season, and while there were disruptions due to Covid-19, the team represented Oatlands Golf Club as proud members.

Col McRae
Team Manager

Encourage Shield

Round 2 of Encourage Shield was played on Sunday 18th October against Pennant Hills at North Ryde.

First off was debutante Stan Gade who was 3 down after 3 holes. Stan fought very hard and showed great character to win the last 2 holes and halve the match.

Next was Christian Fong who tried hard but was outplayed by his opponent 4 and 3.

Nicholas Chen was 6 down with 6 to play and like last week showed great courage but just fell short losing 1 down on the last.

Tyler Mitchell played well and lost to a better player on the day 3 and 2.

Jia You dominated her opponent and scored a convincing 5 and 3 win.

Rylan Prasad also continued his fine form this season with another 5 and 3 win.

Despite losing 3.5 – 2.5 our team gave a fantastic account of themselves will be better for the experience.

Our next match is on Sunday 25th October vs Stonecutters Ridge at Stonecutters Ridge.

Ladies Upcoming Events

The Ladies General Meeting will be held Monday 2/11/20 after the morning competition, at approximately 1-1.30pm. Please stay around to be part of this and if anyone would like to be a part of next year’s committee, let one of the current committee members know.
Book early for Melbourne Cup Tuesday 3/11/20 – $70/head with maximum of 90 people.
Ladies Club Championship finals are on Thursday 5/11/20. Grades B and C will compete over 18 holes and A Grade will compete over 36 holes. It would be great to have a cheer squad cheering the ladies onto the 18^th and into the Clubhouse with drinks and nibbles on offer, so stick around!
Closing Day is Thursday 12/11/20. It will be a shotgun start with a Xmas theme and will include a number of fun events.
Ladies Presentation Night is Thursday 26/11/20 at 6pm for 6.30pm – $65/head all inclusive. Covid restrictions will see us enjoying drinks and hors d’oeuvres sitting in the Spike Bar on arrival, followed by a sit-down dinner in the function room.
Tuesday 27/10/20 is the next ladies gardening morning from 8am – 10am. Bring your gloves and any favourite tools.