Oatlands Enews – Friday 27th January 2023

Published on 27th January 2023 in E-News, Guests

Content

This week’s Enews covers the following topics:

Elite Player Development Programme – Tax Deductible Donations via the Australian Sports Foundation
Ladies Weekend Pennant and Matchplay Trophy Events
From the Course
Volunteers Golf Day and Dinner
Short Game Clinic and Hitting High Lofted Chip Shot with Max Dakic
Titleist Fitting Day – Tuesday 14th February (Limited Availability)
Taylormade Fitting Day – Thursday 23rd February (Limited Availability)
Golf Ball Education Day – Saturday 4th March, 7am – 11am
Pennant Update
Upcoming Trophy Events
Join Our Members Only Facebook Group

Elite Player Development Programme – Tax Deductible Donations via the Australian Sports Foundation

Oatlands Golf Club has a Junior Development Programme with over 100 kids aged 5yrs to 17yrs, one of the largest in Sydney and most likely Australia. This programme has evolved in recent years under the guidance of Jeremy Ward to the point where just over 40 of the kids now have handicaps and 9 of those are on single figures. This is on the back of 10 JDP clinics offered per week during school term by our dedicated PGA Professionals. In addition, the Club has 25 members aged 18 years and over on handicaps ranging from +4 to 5.

In order to facilitate the continued development of these elite players, Oatlands Golf Club is aiming to expand the Junior Development Programme with the addition of an Elite Player Development Programme. This programme will target the top 20 golfers aged up to 22 years and assist their ongoing development via specialised coaching and training programmes. These will include: one on one coaching sessions, practice plan development, tournament preparation, tournament entry fee assistance, physical and nutritional guidance for peak performance.

Developing and successfully implementing programmes of this nature come at a cost. As an example, the Club’s Junior Development Programme costs approximately $40k per annum.

As such, the Club has recently applied for and had approved, the new Elite Player Development Programme as an approved programme through the Australian Sports Foundation. This approval allows for tax deductible donations to be made toward the programme, to help support and develop the Club’s evolving talent. It is forecast that the Elite Player Development Programme will cost additional $30k per annum, and therefore we are calling for donations through the Australian Sports Foundation to help fund this important aspect of the Club’s future.

Donations to the Elite Player Development Programme can be made via the Australian Sports Foundation by clicking here and as mentioned are fully tax deductible.

The video below from OGC Head Coach, Jeremy Ward, provides members with some additional insight into the Club’s growing development programmes.

For more information, please contact Jeremy Ward, or General Manager, Sam Howe.

Ladies Weekend Pennant and Weekend Matchplay Trophy Events

Women’s Major Pennant

There are many complexities involved in operating a Golf Club, particularly when it comes to gender equality. Oatlands Golf Club is very active in this space and are one of the few Clubs whereby all timesheets are open to men and women.

True equality in golf, and at our Club, is an aspirational target that will take time to achieve. There are many reasons for this, but the primary reason is that women only make up approximately 25% of participants across golf (this is a similar gender mix at OGC). In 2019, the Humans Rights Commission produced a set of guidelines for “Equal Opportunity for Women and Girls in Golf”. These guidelines are available by clicking here.

The OGC Board and Management actively implement recommendations in these guidelines as a means of working toward equality.

In recent times, Golf NSW has started making many of their Pennant competitions mixed, thus providing female golfers the opportunity to play weekend pennant, despite in many cases Clubs not having sufficient female golfers to field female only teams. In the last 12-months, OGC has fielded mixed Encourage Shield and Eric Apperly Pennant sides.

Regarding the top tier of weekend Pennant, being Major Pennant, rather than make Men’s Major Pennant mixed, Golf NSW have added in a Women’s Major Pennant. There have been quite a few requests from members asking that OGC field a Women’s Major Pennant side, and as such we thought it important to address the reasoning as to why, at this stage, the Club has decided not to do so.

The traditional top-tier of Ladies Pennant has been Grade Pennant. Grade Pennant is played on a Friday. OGC is currently in Division 2 of this competition which has 6 divisions and works on promotion and relegation.

In introducing a Women’s Major Pennant, Golf NSW has included a condition of the event that players can’t play for the same Club in both the Grade Pennant and Women’s Major Pennant. The logic behind this is so that female golfers who are only able to play on the weekend are not prevented from playing the Women’s Major Pennant by better golfers already in the Grade side. Unfortunately, this condition has become counter-productive as many Clubs are unable to field strong enough Women’s Major Pennant sides without diminishing or losing their Grade Pennant side. This has been evidenced by Golf NSW having to cancel the Division 2 of the Women’s Major Pennant for 2023 due to Club withdrawals prior to the commencement of the competition.

Oatlands would like to be able to field a competitive Women’s Major Pennant side, however to do so at the risk of having to drop out of the Grade Pennant, (a competition the Club has been involved in for decades), does not move us toward the objective of equality as it would be eliminating a Pennant competition which is played mid-week and in-line with 85% of our female rounds of golf, in favour of a weekend competition which is played on a Sunday and at a time when less than 15% of our female rounds are played.

It is hoped that in the future Golf NSW will adjust its condition of play to allow players to represent the one Club in both Grade and Women’s Major Pennant, and the Club has been lobbying Golf NSW to this effect.

Weekend Matchplay Trophy Event

In 2023, the Club will be introducing two new women’s weekend matchplay events. Dates for these are currently being determined and will be communicated in the Enews in due course.

These two events will be one singles and one pairs event with top 8 qualifying followed by matchplay.

It is hoped that these events will be well supported and will assist the Club in determining the demand for more women’s weekend trophy events and matchplay events.

The Ladies Committee and Club Management will continue to proactively work through these complex issues with the objective of providing the greatest opportunity to participate for all of our members.

For questions relating to Women’s Major Pennant or Weekend Trophy Events, please speak to the Club General Manager, Sam Howe, or Ladies Captain, Paula Skelton.

From the Course

Rainfall for the Week: 34.0mm, Rainfall for 2023: 174.5mm Dam: 100% Green Speed: 9.5 feet

All greens were aerated this week with solid needle tines to relieve built up compaction in the greens sub-soils from rolling and wet weather conditions. Our greens remain in a very health condition, and this aeration will allow oxygen to move into the soil for our root systems to breathe and stay healthy. Thunderstorms are forecast to roll in over the coming week, so these aeration holes will also be beneficial in removing excess water from the putting surfaces following these heavy downpours.

Greens are rolled after the needle tining to settle the putting surface down evenly, and then all greens were dusted. The dusting sand was then rubbed in the turf canopy with a drag mat, this whole process takes 2 days to complete with 4 staff members involved. The first cut the greens received this week was on Wednesday, and green speeds will only increase as the week progresses with greens being mown everyday up until Sunday. Greens remain very true even after this routine maintenance work this week, with the good putters in the membership being able to adjust to the daily green speed that is presented.

All fairways and roughs have now been treated with a growth regulator herbicide to enable the course team to keep these playing surfaces to the expected standard. Fairways have been mown twice this week, and rough have been mown from edges of fairways to tree lines because of the shortened public holiday week.

Growth on our tees has increased this past week, with the usual two cuts for the week just being enough to keep these surfaces under control. Herbicide control of weeds in our couch and zoysia surfaces continues each week to keep the ever invasive kikuyu and winter grass under control.

Unfortunately, the sand hasn’t been placed in the newly lined 14^th bunker this week, as our supplier is waiting for the quarry to produce the sand. Our supplier is hoping it will be ready for delivery next week, and then we will install this sand to finish this bunker off. Once completed, we plan to move across to the 1^st green and start on the front left bunker.

Young team member Sam Collishaw has been given a chance to perform the horticultural duties for the Club, and will be trimming hedges, looking after the annuals, fountain and lawn areas around the clubhouse and Golf Shop. This is a new role for Sam, and he is very keen to learn and get our garden areas back to standard after recent staff changes. The course team is doing a fantastic job under the current weather conditions, keeping up with the increased growth over the entire course because of the high humidity. The extra work, such as the bunker lining work will get completed, but priority needs to be given to certain things at this time of year and under the current circumstances.

Our volunteers were on course Monday morning, performing a bunker run in front of the competition, edging paths, trimming and clearing drainage pits, repairing practice nets, checking OOB and Hazard pegs, and finished installing the remaining fly traps. Another productive Monday gentlemen, very much appreciated by the course team and your fellow members!

Have a great weekend!

The Course Team

Volunteers Golf Day and Dinner

The OGC Volunteers had their Annual Golf Day and dinner on Wednesday 25th January, with a 4-person ambrose at the end of the regular competition field.

There was lots of banter leading up to and on the day, starting with the allocation of teams and then team names:

THE HAMBURGLAR’S – Jeremy Ward, John Mitchell, Neil Vale, George Isaac
ALL-STARS – Sam Howe, John Carey, Peter Bowyer, Joe Wahbe
GRANT’S GRINNERS – Grant Lomas, Rod Ruston, Anthony Hooper, Matt Hartland
DOM’S DISCIPLES – Dom Yates, James Chiang, Stephen Jones, Dave Gaffaney
MACCA’S MAULERS – Mike McFarland, Colin Davis, Bill Mitchell, Col McRae
THE SCORERS – Ian Tanner, Tony Groth, Dave Pickering, Mike Shephard

A great day was had by all, and in recognition of the immense contribution made by our volunteers.

The winners of the day were Grant’s Grinners (Grant has big shoulders), with plenty of additional awards given out at the dinner.

Short Game Clinic and Hitting High Lofted Chip Shot with Max Dakic

OGC Professional, Max Dakic, will be hosting a Short Game Clinic on Tuesday 21st February at 8:30am.

The clinic is limited to 8 people with a cost of $60pp.

As a precursor to the clinic, MAx has prepared a short video where he talks us through hitting one of the hardest shots in golf, the high lofted chip.

To book for Max’s Short Game Clinic on Tuesday 21st February, or a private lesson with with Max or any of the OGC Professionals, visit the Club website or contact the Pro Shop.

Titleist Fitting Day – Tuesday 14th February (Limited Availability)

The OGC Pro Shop will be hosting a Titleist Fitting Day on Tuesday 14th February. Bookings are essential and space is limited with only 5 fitting slots available from 9am to 1pm.

Bookings available through the Club website or by contacting the Pro Shop.

Taylormade Fitting Day – Thursday 23rd February (Limited Availability)

The OGC Pro Shop will be hosting a Taylormade Fitting Day on Thursday 23rd February. Bookings are essential and space is limited with only 5 fitting slots available from 11am to 3pm.

Bookings available through the Club website or by contacting the Pro Shop.

Golf Ball Education Day – Saturday 4th March, 7am – 11am

Titleist Golf are running a “Golf Ball Education Day” on Saturday 4^th March from 7:00am to 11:00am at Oatlands Golf Club.

This will be a fun and interactive experience for our members to learn what ball is suitable for them, and will take place on the putting green.

This day is open to all members with no booking required and lots of freebies to be given away.

Pennant Update

The 2023 Pennant season kicks off this weekend with our Men’s Major Pennant side playing at home on Sunday 29th January against Fox Hills.

Coming off 3 seasons of finals (two semi-finals and a relegation final) the squad is in good shape and this year OGC’s Head Coach, Jeremy Ward will be managing the side.

This weeks side is as follows:

Wil Reece
Charlie Kim
Nathan Wareham
Luke Mason (c)
Sam Reece
Grant Lomas
Roger Nakaad

Reserve: Budd Frome

Tee time is 7:00am and we encourage as many members as possible to get along and follow our premier Men’s Pennant side.

Upcoming Trophy Events

Men’s

Saturday 28^th January – AM Stanton Cup
Saturday 4^th February – AC Berk Rd1
Saturday 11^th February – AC Berk Rd2 / Club Medal
Saturday 18^th February – Captain’s Cup
Saturday 4^th March – Autumn Medal

Ladies

Monday 30^th January – Ladies Opening Day
Thursday 2^nd February – Club Medal Rd1, President’ Cup Qualifying, Vets Rd1
Thursday 9^th February – President’s Cup Rd1
Monday 13^th February – OLGA Rd1
Thursday 16^th February – President’s Cup Rd2
Thursday 23^rd February – President’s Cup Rd3
Monday 27^th February – Shirley Davies Trophy
Thursday 2^nd March – President’s Cup Final

Join Our Members Only Facebook Group

The Club’s members only Facebook Group is a fantastic way for members and staff to engage with each other.

We now have almost 350 members who have joined the group and we would love to see that grow to include all of our members.

Importantly, members are advised that this social media platform will not be used for the Club to communicate critical information, that will remain via the Enews, website and direct email however, it is a place that members and the Club can post interesting Club and golf related items to compliment this Enews.

To join the Members Only Facebook Group please click on the link below and then click on the “JOIN GROUP” button. You will be asked a few questions to verify you are a member and then approved by the group administrator shortly thereafter.

www.facebook.com/groups/870087546972166/

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