Oatlands Enews – Friday 8th October 2021
Content
This week’s Enews covers the following topics:
- Monday 11th October – Covid-19 Restrictions Easing
- From the Course
- Modified Local Rules – Bunker Rakes back in use as of Monday 11th October
- Taking Relief from Ground Under Repair (GUR) and Nearest Point of Relief – Part 2
- Lynwood Country Club offer to OGC Members
- Annual Report 2021
- Golfing Programme to the end of 2021
- Bettington Restaurant and Melbourne Cup
- OGC Kitchen – Takeaway Menu
Monday 11th October – Covid-19 Restrictions Easing
The Club communicated with all members on 20th September asking for members to provide a copy of their digital vaccination certificate to make a smooth transition in returning to a more normal operation. At the time of writing, 70.2% of our playing membership have provided their vaccination status. We again ask members to provide this information as soon as possible to assist the Club in providing and managing access to the course, clubhouse, and golf shop within the compliance requirements of the Public Health Orders.
Detail of the communication requesting vaccination can be accessed by clicking here.
The following outlines the operational requirements of the Club under the revised Public Health Orders as of Monday 11th October:
Stay at Home Rules – LGA or 5km Restriction – Updated 9th October
- As of Monday 11th October, this restriction no longer applies across Greater Sydney for fully vaccinated individuals only
- Unvaccinated individuals remain subject to the LGA or 5km restriction
- Details of how members can utilise the Club’s facilities based on vaccination status are detailed below
Clubhouse
- The Clubhouse (including Locker Rooms) will be open ONLY to members that are fully vaccinated
- COVID Safe check-in (QR Code) and proof of vaccination is required
- A member of staff (Covid Compliance Marshal) will be tasked with checking vaccination status.
- If you are playing golf on the day that you are utilising the Clubhouse facilities, then your vaccination status will be recorded on the golf timesheet and visible to the Covid Compliance Marshal
- If you are not playing golf and are utilising the Clubhouse, you will be required to present proof of vaccination upon entering the Clubhouse
- The capacity of the Clubhouse will be limited to one person per 4 square metres. To facilitate the high demand expected, seating will be placed in the members lounge, alcove, and function rooms
- Outdoor verandah area capacity will be limited to one person per 2 square metres
- Drinking indoors must be seated, but drinking outdoors may be seated or standing
- Masks are required for all staff and customers in all indoor settings (except children under the age of 12)
Golf Course and Timesheets
- Masks are no longer required in outdoor settings (except for front-of-house hospitality staff)
- Golf is available in groups of 4 if all 4 players are fully vaccinated
- For unvaccinated individuals, golf is available in groups of 2
- Timesheets have been setup to accommodate groups of 4 and groups of 2
- A clear demarcation between fully vaccinated (groups of 4) and unvaccinated (groups of 2) is displayed in the description of each tee time
- The golf course will be members only in the initial stages of the return to normality. This will be reviewed against member demand, and alongside the development of a QR code vaccination check by NSW Health
- The Club requests that any members who have not played at the course for some time due to Covid-19 restrictions and who have trouble initially getting a game, to please contact the Club as soon as possible so we can assist, email gm@oatlandsgolf.com.au
Golf Shop
- The Golf Shop will re-open, however, will only be accessible to fully vaccinated individuals
- Until such time as the Public Health Orders provide for access to the Golf Shop to unvaccinated individuals, registration for those that are not vaccinated will be somewhat difficult to manage. We ask those individuals to remain outside the Golf Shop and wait for a member of staff to assist you
- The Golf Shop will be operated at 1 person per 4sqm capacity
Miscellaneous
- It is recommended that members always have a copy of their vaccination status on-hand
- Golf carts can be shared with two fully vaccinated passengers
- Unvaccinated individuals are unable to share a cart even if the other person is vaccinated
- Club bathroom facilities are not available for unvaccinated individuals under the Public Health Orders as they are part of the internal Club premises. This will undoubtedly prove awkward for those individuals who are not vaccinated; however, it is important to note that the Public Health Orders clearly instruct that Clubs must take all “reasonable steps to ensure a person complies with the Public Health Order when entering premises”.
We ask all members (vaccinated and unvaccinated) utilising the Club’s facilities, to please respect the Club’s requirement to ensure compliance with the Public Health Orders, along with the role that staff are obligated to play in this compliance.
For detailed information from Golf NSW including Frequently Asked Questions, please click here
From the Course
Rainfall for the Week: 22.5mm, Rainfall for 2021: 797.0mm Dam: 95% Green Speed: 10 feet
A short but as always, a very productive week on the course for the team. The thunderstorm last Friday afternoon was short and sharp, with 13.5mm of rain falling in about 10 mins! The rainfall wasn’t such a big problem but the strong winds that came with the storm dropped a large amount of debris across all surfaces on the course. Bunkers drained well, both new and older bunkers, and this is because of the work the team performed in the older bunkers over winter by digging out all low areas and replacing the existing contaminated sand with new sand.
The team has completed the lining, drainage, and filling of sand in the 9th bunker this week, working as a great unit after learning so much from last years bunker project with this smaller size bunker only taking 2 days to complete with predominantly 2 staff members! Next week we will attempt to complete the 6th bunker, weather permitting.
Members may have noticed several greens with blue dye being sprayed over their collar areas. The team is applying herbicide to control the clumps of winter grass weeds in our collar surfaces. These weeds are a nuisance during play as they grow much quicker than the couch grass and therefore create a bumpy playing surface. This is a very cautious and measured application with the risk of this herbicide killing the winter grass plants in our putting surfaces very possible by members walking through sprayed areas or pushing their buggies through and over the green. The herbicide needs to dry on the leaf before any traffic, to avoid tracking it onto the green.
Mother Nature must have been informed of Freedom Day on Monday as she has turned the temperature up over the past week, resulting in an increase of growth on our fairway and green surround areas. Fairways have been mown twice this week and we aren’t too far away from having to apply our first growth regulator application to get them under control. Seasonal insecticide and pre-emergent herbicide applications will be performed to fairways next week which require watering in straight after being applied. These applications will take a week to complete and will be followed up with the growth regulator application the week after, which doesn’t require watering in.
As well as the 6th bunker, we will also be performing work on the 12th collar and bunker surrounds early next week. We have poisoned some larger areas of kikuyu in the couch surrounds of this green similar to the 17th green surrounds we completed during the course closure period. The team will prepare these areas over the week with turf to be laid early the following week.
Enjoy the weekend!
The Course Team.
Modified Local Rules – Bunker Rakes back in use as of Monday 11th October
Oatlands Golf Club have had a “modified local rule” in place for much of the last 18 months that allow for a preferred lie to be taken in bunkers and therefore removed the need for bunkers to be raked. With the easing of Covid-19 restrictions on Monday 11th October and the beginning of the return to the “new normal”, this modified local rule will be removed with all rakes placed back into bunkers and preferred lies in bunkers ceasing to be an option.
While many of our bunkers have been or are being refurbished, the quality of the bunker surface is heavily reliant on golfers raking their footprints and shot damage prior to leaving the bunker.
We ask all members to be aware of this requirement and the negative impact on fellow golfers if this fundamental aspect of course care is not undertaken each time you are in a bunker.
Given that bunker rakes have not been present at OGC for so long, Course Superintendent Dom Yates has prepared a short video on the correct procedure for raking a bunker which can be viewed below.
Taking Relief from Ground Under Repair (GUR) and Nearest Point of Relief – Part 2
Following last weeks video, a number of questions were submitted regarding GUR and Nearest Point of Relief from recently renovated greens collars. The short video below addresses the correct dropping location in this situation.
Lynwood Country Club offer to OGC Members
Over the last two months, OGC has had timeswap arrangements in place with 15 other golf clubs to assist those members who have been unable to attend our Club.
During this time a number of Clubs, including OGC, made tee times available for other Clubs that weren’t necessarily located in an LGA that benefitted our members. This aspect of the timeswap arrangements gives a wonderful insight into the unity of the golf industry that really came together in a time of need.
One of those Clubs that offered times to OGC was Lynwood Country Club.
Although not necessary, Lynwood CC has offered to acknowledge the times provided by OGC by offering all OGC members access to Lynwood CC until 1st November with no green fee payable.
Members wishing to utilise these tee times can do so by phoning the Lynwood Pro Shop (02 4580 2800) to make a booking.
The conditions on the bookings are as follows:
- Available Monday to Friday and Sunday (excludes Saturday)
- Competition booking only, competition fee payable (no green fee payable)
- Lynwood Covid-19 restrictions with regard to vaccination will apply
OGC thanks Lynwood for this generous offer and we hope some of our members will find an opportunity to take up the offer.
Annual Report 2021
Given the current status of the Covid-19 restrictions, and the forced closure of the Clubhouse, this year’s Annual General Meeting will be held electronically. Details of the online meeting and registration have been sent to all eligible members today.
A copy of the Club’s Annual Report can be accessed by clicking on the link below, along with Director Nominations for 2021-22;
Oatlands Golf Club Annual Report 2021
Golfing Programme to the end of 2021
Since the end of June, the Club has had to postpone a significant number of trophy and club golf events on the men’s, ladies and mixed golf programme.
With the imminent return to groups of 4, the following draft programme* has been put together up to the end of 2021 in an attempt to complete as many of these events as possible:
- Thursday 21 October: Captain’s Cup Qualifying, Medal Rnd 4
- Sunday 24th October: WS Targett Matchplay – Quarter-Finals (Qualifying completed pre-lockdown)
- Monday 25th October: Veterans Closing Day, Team Events
- Thursday 28th October: Captains Cup Matchplay Quarter-Final
- Sunday 31st October: WS Targett Matchplay – Semi-Finals
- Thursday 4th November: Captains Cup Matchplay Semi-Final
- Saturday 6th November: Men’s Club Championship Medal and Matchplay Qualifying – Rnd 1 of 2
- Sunday 7th November: WS Targett Matchplay – Finals
- Thursday 11th November: Captains Cup Matchplay Final
- Saturday 13th November: Digger’s Day
- Monday 15th November: Ladies Annual General Meeting, 8:30am Shotgun Start
- Thursday 18th November: Ladies Club Championships Rnd1, Medal Rnd 5
- Saturday 20th November: Men’s Club Championship Medal and Matchplay Qualifying – Rnd 2 of 2
- Sunday 21st November: Father & Son Trophy
- Thursday 25th November: Ladies Club Championships Rnd 2, Medal Rnd 6
- Saturday 27th November: Oatlands Cup
- Sunday 28th November: Sunday Xmas Cheer
- Monday 29th November: Ladies Xmas Cheer Ham & Turkey Day
- Wednesday 1st December: Men’s Xmas Cheer Ham & Turkey Day
- Saturday 4th December: Men’s Plate, Middle Marker and Long Marker Championship Matchplay – Rnd 1
- Thursday 2nd December: Ladies Club Championships Final Round, Gold Medal
- Sunday 5th December: Men’s Club Championship Matchplay – Rnd 1
- Thursday 9th December: Ladies Presentation Night
- Saturday 11th December: Presidents vs Captains Day
- Sunday 12th December: Mixed Foursomes Championships, 36 holes
- Saturday 18th December: Men’s Plate, Middle Marker and Long Marker Championship Matchplay – Quarter-Finals
- Sunday 19th December: Men’s Club Championship Matchplay – Quarter-Finals
- Saturday 15th January: Men’s Plate, Middle Marker and Long Marker Championship Matchplay – Semi-Finals
- Sunday 16th January: Men’s Club Championship Matchplay – Semi-Finals
- Saturday 22nd January: Men’s Club Championship, Plate, Middle Marker and Long Marker Championship Matchplay – Final
*Subject to provisions in the Public Health Orders
Cancelled events for 2021:
- Mens HP Evans Knockout
- Mens Presidents Cup
- Mens Winter Medal
- Mens Oatlands Senior Cup – TBC pending Public Health Orders and visitor access
- Legacy Cup
- Ladies Castle Hill Interclub
- Ladies Summer Foursomes
- Ladies Grace Norris Trophy
Bettington Restaurant and Melbourne Cup
OGC Kitchen – Takeaway Menu
