Content

This week’s Enews covers the following topics:

• From the Course
• Keith Rigelsford Cup and Midweek Club Championships
• Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea – 107 Bettington Road
• Ball Prize Credit – Expires 30th June 2024
• Captain’s Corner – Embedded Ball Relief
• Col’s Campfor for Duck Management
• New Frozen Meal Menu
• Oatlands Senior Cup – Tuesday 25th June
• Australia’s Truest Green
• Junior Development Programme Fundraiser – Monday 10th June
• Pennant Update
• Upcoming Member Events:  May and June
• Recent Trophy Event Winners
• Upcoming Golf / Trophy Events
• Members Only Facebook Group

---

From the Course

Rainfall for the Week: 34.5mm,  Rainfall for 2024: 665.5mm, Dam: 100%,  Green Speed: 9.5 feet

After recording rainfall for nearly 14 days in a row, it became too much for the course to handle this week and we had to make the decision to close the course on Monday and Tuesday. In hindsight, the course should’ve been closed on Sunday as well, but it was difficult to make this decision whilst driving around in the early hours of Sunday morning whilst completing the morning course preparation tasks. The rain that fell on Sunday night/ Monday morning, whilst only 3mm, made the decision to close the course, the right call to protect the playing surfaces.

With the course closed, the team hasn’t just sat around playing cards in the shed. All collars and aprons were edged with the hard blade edger, with this work followed up with a herbicide application to collars and aprons on holes 1 to 9 to control the kikuyu and Wintergrass weeds in these areas. This is a particularly dangerous application around greens as it will kill the turf on our greens either by direct application or by being tracked onto the green by foot traffic or buggy wheels. This is why it is very advantageous to apply this herbicide while the course was closed.

Fungicide and a herbicide for broadleaf weeds has been applied to all fairways, with this work also being completed much faster without any play on the course. We do create some surface marking around the course while we perform these tasks, but damage is very limited as we minimise vehicle movement around the course as much as possible.

Bunkers have been trimmed up, and all bunkers will be back in play by the weekend. Skelton’s Pond on the 15^th hole has been pumped out after it was filled up again from drainage lines out of the 13^th bunkers, and fairway drainage on the 13^th and 14^th fairways.

Herbicide applications performed to tee complexes are showing signs of success on the Wintergrass weeds, but not a 100% success rate. This is because these weeds are at different stages of life cycles, and the older weeds will require additional applications or rotation of chemical groups to achieve the control we are after.

Volunteers were on course this week tidying up the 6^th creek, removing Crabgrass weeds from tees, painting jobs in the clubhouse, installing new LED lights in the maintenance shed, repairing the flagpole, checking and cleaning the practice nets, divotting fairways, and clearing drainage pits. Thank you gentlemen for all of your assistance this week!

We will be cutting and rolling greens on Saturday morning and cutting them again on Sunday morning.

Happy Golfing

The Course Team.

---

Keith Rigelsford Cup and Midweek Club Championships

The second and final round of the 2024 Midweek Club Championship and Keith Rigelsford Cup was played on Wednesday May 16th on a golf course that remained wet and played much tougher than round one, with the extra thick rough adding a few strokes to the scoring by the end of the day.

The Winners of the Championships and their scores can be seen below:

Keith Rigelsford Cup

• Nigel White 139 NETT

 

Midweek Club Championship Gross 

• Championship – Charlie Kim 148 
• The Plate – Lindsay MacInnes 165
• Middle Markers – Nigel White 169
• Long Markers – Stephen Jones 185

 

Midweek Club Championship NETT 

• Championship – Mike McKechnie 143
• The Plate – Craig Jones 143
• Middle Markers – Mark Henning 142
• Long Markers – Paul Park 139

 

Congratulations to all the winners and to all competitors that took part over the 36-holes!

---

Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea – 107 Bettington Road

One of the Club’s Bettington Road neighbours (the Wehbe family at 107 Bettington) is hosting a Biggest Morning Tea / Breakfast on Tuesday 21st May which the Club is pleased to be supporting. Details are in the flyer and the background on their hosting of this event is provided below;

 

Our Biggest Morning Tea/Breakfast event on Tuesday the 21st May really is like no other. The Wehbe family first started hosting this event in our home in Oatlands in 2001 and it has grown from strength to strength. Last year we raised over $24,000 for cancer research.

 

What is so special about our event?

Unlike other “Biggest Morning Tea” events we start at the crack of dawn. We have an amazing spread of hot and cold breakfast and morning tea items with a coffee cart and barista present and fresh Lebanese manoosh cooked onsite with the use of a Saj. We have BBQ’s running cooking bacon, eggs, sausages and other hot dishes then with true Lebanese hospitality we set out a huge buffet of hot and cold food that is constantly replenished throughout the day. it’s quite the Smorgasbord.

 

Our event starts at 6am and goes until midday, with official speeches at 10:30am.

 

We have had up to 500 locals attend in the past, and have a range of dignitaries and politicians present on the day all digging deep, helping raise funds for cancer research. We have attendees pop past before they go to work, before and after school drop off, some business even come and have their team meeting over our lovely spread of food, and it truly is an amazing community gathering.

 

Why cancer research?

Unfortunately like most Australians, our family have been touched by cancer. Mum lost her sister many years ago and then my father Raymond passed away in 2020 following his cancer battle. To say we are very passionate about this cause would be an understatement.

 

We really appreciate the Clubs support and offer to help spread the word about our event.

 

If anyone is unable to attend on the day but would like to contribute to this worthy cause, please click on this link https://www.biggestmorningtea.com.au/fundraisers/shirleywehbe

---

Ball Prize Credit – Expires 30th June 2024

Members are reminded that ball prize credit accumulated up to the 31st March 2024 will need to used by 30th June 2024.

Credit not used by this time will automatically expire.

Credit accumulated after 31st March 2024 will remain available for use until 30th June 2025.

Balances are available on the Account section of the member page of the Club website or by contacting the Pro Shop.

Credit can only be used at the Pro Shop.

---

Captain’s Corner – Embedded Ball Relief

With recent rainfall, there are areas of the course that remain wet and where golf balls can plug. Rule 16.3 allows relief from Embedded Balls in the General Area:

16.3

RULE 16.3 – Embedded Ball

When Relief Is Allowed

 

(1) Ball Must Be Embedded in General Area. Relief is allowed under Rule 16.3b only when a player’s ball is embedded in the general area.

• There is no relief under this Rule if the ball is embedded anywhere except in the general area.
• But if the ball is embedded on the putting green, the player may mark the spot of the ball and lift and clean the ball, repair the damage caused by the ball’s impact, and replace the ball on its original spot (see Rule 13.1c(2)).

Exceptions – When Relief Not Allowed for Ball Embedded in General Area: There is no relief under Rule 16.3b:

• When the ball is embedded in sand in a part of the general area that is not cut to fairway height or less, or
• When playing the ball as it lies is clearly unreasonable because of something from which the player is not allowed to take free relief (such as when a player is unable to make a stroke because of where the ball lies in a bush).

(2) Determining Whether Ball Is Embedded. A player’s ball is embedded only if:

• It is in its own pitch-mark made as a result of the player’s previous stroke, and
• Part of the ball is below the level of the ground.

If the player cannot tell for sure whether the ball is in its own pitch-mark or a pitch-mark made by another ball, the player may treat the ball as embedded if it is reasonable to conclude from the available information that the ball is in its own pitch-mark. A ball is not embedded if it is below the level of the ground as a result of anything other than the player’s previous stroke, such as when:

• The ball is pushed into the ground by someone stepping on it,
• The ball is driven straight into the ground without becoming airborne, or
• The ball was dropped in taking relief under a Rule.

The following video provides additional explanation of this Rule.

---

Col’s Camphor for Duck Management

Members may have noticed campfor cartridges (see picture) on a number of flags / pins around the course.

These are being trialled to direct duck traffic away from greens to limit the impact their droppings have on the greens and golfer experience.

This solution was suggested by Club Captain, Col McRae and has been affectionately dubbed, Col’s Camphor. Col has been up at the quack of dawn installing these cartridges where required.

Early signs are that camphor does have an effect on the ducks and acts to limit their movement across greens surfaces.

---

New Frozen Meal Menu

The kitchen team at OGC are pleased to roll out a new Frozen Meal Menu for members and guests.

These meals are a great way to enjoy a ‘home cooked’ meal without the hassle of cooking and cleaning.

Frozen meals are available from the Clubhouse bar and can also be purchased using Member Bar Account credit.

---

Oatlands Senior Cup – Tuesday 25th June

Entries for 2024 Oatlands Senior Cup (a Golf NSW Senior Order of Merit Event) are now open.

This event is open to all male golfers over aged 50 years or above as of the 25th of June and with a GA handicap of 18.0 or less.

Last year’s winner of this event was Andy Hugill of Mona Vale Golf Club.

In the event that this event is oversubscribed, a ballot on handicap may be required.

Tee times are from 8am to 10am with entries closing Thursday 20th of June at 5pm.

Entry Fee: Members: $25 / Non-members: $80

---

Australia’s Truest Green

In Western Australia, Mount Lawley Golf Club’s 13th hole is called ‘The Commonwealth’. Its green has been shaped like Australia since the 1940’s and has recently been renovated. This par 3 is the shortest hole on their course and pin positions are generally described by their geographical location. They say that aiming for Alice Springs is a safe bet as this hole is notoriously the windiest on the course.  

‘The Commonwealth’ renovated

‘The Commonwealth’ – 1940’s aerial view

---

Junior Development Programme Fundraiser – Monday 10th June

The Club is pleased to announce that the annual JDP Fundraiser will again take place this year on the Monday of the King’s Birthday long weekend.

The event will be an ambrose with a 12pm shotgun start followed by a presentation. This is a great way for members to support our junior programme and the future of the Club.

 

In 2023, our Juniors won the metropolitan and state Encourage Shield Pennant, and with over 50 juniors now with handicaps, this is only the beginning of a wonderful period in the long history of successful junior golf at Oatlands.

 

The event will cost members $35pp and guests $75pp and will include a bacon & egg roll before golf along with lots of great prizes.

 

All money raised will go back in to the Club’s Junior Development Programme.

---

Pennant Update

There was no Interclub match on Sunday 12th May due to Mother’s Day.

The side travel to Avondale GC on Sunday 19th May to take on Avondale GC at 7am in a fixture that could decide the division with Avondale recording a strong win against Manly in the first match.

Ladies Silver Shield

The Ladies Silver Shield side record their first win last week (Friday 10th May) with a 3 matches to 2 victory over Wakehurst at Muirfield.

• Jenny Doherty Won 6/5
• Lisa Bechara Won 1up
• Stephanie Monaghan won 2/1
• Lesleigh Perkins lost 2/1
• Linda Bestford lost 1up

The next match is today (Friday 17th May)  against Muirfield GC at Bayview GC.

Keith Rigelsford Cup and Midweek Club Championships

See earlier article.

Ladies Foursomes Championships Rd1

The first round of the Ladies Foursomes Championships took place on Thursday 16th May, and despite the weather clearing up and competitors being treated to a day of sunshine, conditions were difficult with the course playing very long and heavy after the previous weeks rain.

Heading into the second and final round on Thursday 23rd May, the first round leaders are listed below for each grade:

• Open Division: Jenny Doherty and Debbie Jepson are tied with Paula Skelton and Linda Gyzen on 87
• Bronze I: Jean Wong and Narelle Anderson are tied with Myeong Kim and Yvonne Kang on 101
• Bronze II: Lizzie Sorbara and Nicole Whittaker have a 5 shot lead on 120

Upcoming Golf / Trophy Events

Men’s

• Saturday 18th May – Men’s Foursomes Championships
• Saturday 25th May – Start of Winter Shotgun Starts on Saturday’s
• Saturday 1st June – Doug Spurway Memorial Trophy
• Saturday 8th June – Club Medal / Southpaw Cup
• Monday 10th June – Junior Development Programme Fundraiser
• Saturday 22nd June – Governor’s Cup
• Tuesday 25th June – Oatlands Senior Cup (Golf NSW Senior Order of Merit)
• Saturday 29th June – Foundation Day

Ladies

• Sunday 19th May – Ladies Hcp Matchplay Trophy Final
• Thursday 23rd May – Ladies Foursomes Championships Rd2
• Monday 27th May – Dorothy Besemers Trophy
• Thursday 6th June – Club Medal / Oatlands Cup and Long Markers Qualifying
• Sunday 9th June – Ladies 2Ball Hcp Matchplay Qualifying
• Monday 10th June – Junior Development Programme Fundraiser
• Thursday 13th June – Oatlands Cup and Long Markers Qualifying Rd1
• Sunday 16th June – Ladies 2Ball Hcp Matchplay Quarter-finals
• Monday 17th June – Grandmother’s Trophy
• Thursday 20th June – Oatlands Cup and Long Markers Rd2
• Sunday 23rd June – Ladies 2Ball Hcp Matchplay Semi-finals
• Thursday 27th June – Oatlands Cup and Long Markers Finals
• Sunday 30th June – Ladies 2Ball Hcp Matchplay Final

Mixed

• Monday 10th June – Junior Development Programme Fundraiser

Members Only Facebook Group

If you aren’t already part of our Members Only Facebook Group, join up now and join in the conversation.

This group is where members can share their experience of Oatlands Golf Club and chat to one another about interesting things happening in the world of golf and society as a whole.

Importantly, members are advised that this social media platform will not be used for the Club to communicate critical information, which 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/