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This week’s Enews covers the following topics:

• Happy New Year
• From the Captain
• Membership Update
• Covid Update
• From the Course
• ALPGA Member Paige Stubbs joins the Pro Shop Team
• Jeremy Ward – Short Game Clinics
• Titleist Demo Day – Tuesday 19th January
• 2021 Programme
• Renaming Bistro on Bettington – Vote for your Favourite Entry
• Oatlands Takeaway Meals
• Upcoming Events

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Happy New Year

On behalf of the Board, Management and Staff at OGC we would like to wish all members and their families a happy and prosperous 2021. With 2020 behind us, 2021 brings with it the promise of a more “normal” year and many positive things for OGC. The golf course is looking fantastic due to the hard work of our Course Team and ideal growing conditions, especially when compared to the hot dry summer of 2019/20. The quality of the golf course is especially good given some of the staff difficulties that are facing the course aspect of the entire golf industry with qualified staff very difficult to find for some years now. Fortunately, the improved membership position along with some “outside the box” decision making regarding recruitment direction has put us in a position to appoint two new qualified course staff, expected to start in the next month, to support Course Super Dom Yates and Course 2IC Martyna Synak.

These appointments will allow the bunker project to move forward at a renewed pace and the continued improvement to our already great golf course. It has never been a better time to be a member of OGC and that position is only set to strengthen.

Our new chef Dirk Podro who started in November did a great job through the Christmas period and now has an opportunity to review the food offering at the Club and stamp his own identity on the offering. This will be seen in a variety of new events planned as well as ongoing improvement to already popular offerings such as the Bistro on Bettington. We hope as many members as possible will partake in these events and bring along family and friends to enjoy the Club facilities.

Karah and her Clubhouse team have perhaps had the most difficult job over the last year with Covid restrictions impacting Clubhouse operations most significantly. A more stable 2021 (fingers crossed) will allow Karah and her enthusiastic team to look for new ways to improve service standards and product offerings to members and guests.

Jeremy Ward has now been managing the Pro Shop for just over 6 months with a renewed level of enthusiasm, product offering, and increased variety in coaching options available. This will continue to improve with the recent appointment of ALPGA member Paige Stubbs to the coaching team commencing Monday 11th January.

Last but not least, you, our wonderful membership. While 2020 is one we would all like to forget, the strengthened position of our membership at the Club and the contribution that each and every one of you make in making this the best members Club in Greater Sydney can’t be underestimated. With a full and active membership, waiting lists in all categories, and record participation on the golf course, the Board and Management are now able to restart the 5 Year Strategic Planning process (put on hold at the height of Covid, March – June) with a vastly improved position and potential for what can be achieved for the Club and its members over the next 5 years.

To that end, the Board and Management will be engaging with members via a series of focus groups in March to generate input from members on the future direction of your Club. Expressions of interest to take part in these focus groups will be communicated in the next month with all members invited to take part.

In short, 2021, looks like being a standout year for OGC, and while the Covid pandemic still looms as a threat, it seems our NSW government is better equipped to handle it than almost anywhere else in the world, so we move on with confidence and high expectations for the growth of the Club we love and call home.

Your General Manager,

Sam Howe.

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From the Captain

Happy New Year to all Oatlands members.  I wish you all a great year of golf.

Oatlands is widely known as a very friendly Club where all members are made to feel welcome.  As we begin 2021 we have the strongest membership numbers in many years.  We welcome all new members to the Club, and we welcome all those who are new to competition golf.

Golf is unlike any other sport.  Frankly, it is the only sport where players of different skill levels can play together in a competitive and/or social environment. 

Golf is also a sport where compliance with the rules of the game are the responsibility of the player.  The rules of the game, coupled with our Club’s by-laws, are designed to create an environment where everybody can play the game competitively knowing that they are competing on a level playing field.

We are currently enjoying some of the best golfing condition in many years.  As we start a new year, I want to take this opportunity to remind all players of their responsibilities as a member, and the expectation that other members have of them.

Before You Play

• Book Your Game:  Whether you are playing in competition or socially, all play must be booked on the Club’s booking sheets.  When playing socially, players who are booked will always have priority.
• Every player must report to the Pro Shop before play.  This applies whether you are playing competition or social golf.
• Register with the Pro Shop a minimum of 15 minutes before your tee time.
• If you have booked but are not able to play, please remove your booking as soon as possible to allow other members the opportunity.
• Dress Code.  To avoid embarrassment, please familiarise yourself with the Club’s dress regulations.  The Club maintains a certain standard of attire which is not negotiable and will be enforced by Pro Shop and Clubhouse staff.

On the Course – Social Play

• Always carry a sand bucket and repair all pitch marks. 
• Always repair your lob mark on the green, plus at least one other.
• All play must be from the tees of the day – no exceptions.
• You must play the holes in order.
• A maximum of 2 balls can be played in social play and only when doing so does not impact other golfers.
• Pace of play is extremely important.  You must endeavour keep up with the group in front.  A round should take no more than 4 hours 20 minutes.
• Call up on all par 3’s.
• Every member is responsible for the behaviour of their guest.
• Most of all – enjoy yourself.

On the Course – Competition

In addition to above;

• Always familiarise yourself with the Local Rules before commencing play.
• Every competition has documented Conditions of Play, which are provided on the club’s web site. 
• Report to the Pro Shop hop at least 15 minutes before your designated tee time
• The preferred method of scoring is the MiScore App.  If you cannot utilise the App, please obtain a score card from the Pro Shop.
• Familiarise yourself with the Rules of Golf.  Ignorance of the rules is not an excuse for breaching the rules.  If you are not sure, please ask.
• Endeavour to maintain a good pace of play.
• It goes without saying that you MUST correctly enter your correct score.

Most Importantly

The Rules of Golf, and the club’s by-laws, exist to maintain an environment where all members can play with confidence and the knowledge that the competition they are competing in is managed with integrity.  It is the responsibility of every individual member to help to maintain their golf course, and to maintain a relaxing environment. Compliance with the Rules of Golf, and the Club’s by laws, will ensure a pleasurable visit for every member.

Good golfing
Matthew Seamons
Club Captain

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Membership Update

Members would be aware that we now have Joining Fees in place for all playing categories (except Junior Playing) and waiting lists are growing, at the time of writing there are 15 names on the waiting list for Full Playing Membership.

This is a great position for the Club to be in and is the foundation for more predictable planning and budgeting with the expected reduction in the churn of members that all golf clubs have seen in the last 10 years.

Ultimately however, the success of the Clubs implementation of a cap on member numbers and subsequent joining fees will be determined by our ability to attract new members willing to pay the modest joining fees in place for each category.

Whenever a new member joins the Club we track where that new applicant has come from; Member referral, moved into the area, Facebook, Website, Getting Started Programme, Newspaper advertising, etc, and despite the various marketing channels in use, 90% of our members still find their way to the Club via existing member referral. 

So, with this in mind, we ask all members to consider inviting a friend to consider joining our great club and partaking in all we have to offer. While a joining fee may seem an obstacle to membership to some, the goal of the Club is to attract members for life, and therefore the modest joining fee when amortised over a lifetime of new friends and shared experience is a small price for an incredible return.

As we toward membership renewals at the end of March, now is the time to refer a friend or family member for membership at OGC with availability set to open for a short time after renewals are sent and the inevitable resignations that occur when people move out of the area or can no longer play golf for whatever reason.

Further information on membership is available on the website or by contacting Kathy Bright in Reception or via email;

administration@oatlandsgolf.com.au

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Covid Update

With the recent Northern Beaches Covid outbreak and some spreading to different parts of Greater Sydney, NSW Health have imposed some additional restrictions on Hospitality and Retail venues. This information has previously been communicated by dedicated email however to ensure it is read by all members those communications have been copied below;

COVID UPDATE – 30TH DECEMBER 2020

Published on 30th December 2020

As members would be well aware the Covid situation in Sydney has escalated since Friday 18th December.

This morning the NSW Premier announced 18 new Covid cases in Greater Sydney in the last 24 hours. This is obviously less than ideal, however, NSW Health’s world leading contact tracing team has linked 9 cases to the Avalon cluster, 6 cases to one extended family in Croydon, with the remaining 3 cases under investigation and we would expect traceable in the next 24 hours.

As a result of these new cases a number of new restrictions relating to group gatherings have been brought into effect by NSW Health. Details of these are available on the NSW Health website  (I have also found the ABC News website to be a good source of factual Covid information without the “worst case” reporting of some of the other media providers).

At this stage the new restrictions have a relatively small impact on the Clubs operation, with Clubhouse capacity unchanged at one person per 4sqm, and all social distancing compliance measures in place and under daily review.

The main change that members will notice is that as of tomorrow (31st December) the Covid QR code registration in place at the Club will switch from the current provider to the Services NSW QR code, as mandated by the state government. Members are still required to register every time they visit the Club by scanning the QR code. The Services NSW registration is similar to what we had in place, however, will require you to register with Services NSW before use. Many members will already have done this as hospitality venues across the state have started switching over ahead of the January 1st compliance deadline.

I would like to assure members that the Club remains a safe place to enjoy the course and clubhouse facilities. We are reviewing the NSW Health guidelines and compliance requirements daily with areas of the Clubs operation adjusted as required. The Club has an internal Covid Management Plan in place, developed in-consultation with a number of peer Clubs, and is registered as a Covid Safe business with NSW Health.

With this in mind, we ask all members to remain vigilant and adhere to the guidance and requirements of NSW Health, being;

• Register your attendance every time you visit the Club
• Social distance at all times
• Maintain good hygiene practices
• If you feel unwell (no matter how minor the symptoms), get tested and isolate until you receive your test result (test results are currently being turned around in under 24hrs)
• Regularly check the NSW Health website for updates and case locations. This information is being updated multiple times a day. The case location website is available by clicking on the link below;

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Pages/case-locations-and-alerts.aspx

In short, we are asking members to be alert but not alarmed. The Club remains a safe place to visit and enjoy, and if we all work together, we can keep it that way.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, stay safe.

Sam Howe

COVID UPDATE – 2ND JANUARY 2021

Published on 2nd January 2021

Following the NSW Premiers announcement this morning on the updated Covid requirements in Greater Sydney, masks have been made mandatory for all staff in Hospitality venues (when indoors) as of midnight tonight.

As such, members will see all Clubhouse (Bar, Catering, Administration) staff wearing masks commencing tomorrow and until further notice.

At this stage our interpretation of the NSW Health requirement is that patrons (members and guests) are not required to where masks however it is recommended. The Club supports this position and encourages the wearing of masks until the current outbreak is behind us and the restrictions in place across Greater Sydney are lifted.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to let me know.

Thank you for taking the time to read this email, stay safe.

Sam Howe

General Manager 

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From the Course

Rainfall for 2020: 1250, Rainfall for the Week: 27.0mm mm, Rainfall for 2021: 27.0mm   Dam: 100%   Green Speed: 9 feet

 It’s been a greenkeepers dream Christmas and New Year period this time around with mild temperatures and rainfall almost every day. The humid days aren’t ideal as this creates an environment more favourable for disease development in our playing surfaces. Being well aware of these conditions, the team has been on the front foot and we have kept our greens predominantly disease free for the most part.

The humid conditions are ideal for growing grass, which is great but can also create issues in surface preparation. We lost approximately 270 hours of course maintenance during the Christmas holiday period through the public holidays. Extra applications of growth regulator have been applied to fairways, green surrounds and rough lines to keep them under control and enable the team to produce quality playing surfaces with such reduced hours.

The whipper snippers have also been getting plenty of work of late, trimming tree bases and distance posts, creek lines, tee furniture and garden edges. All bunkers have also been trimmed up and weeds in them have been sprayed.

The dirt that was stockpiled on the 10^th flyover has been spread and shaped with nothing to be stockpiled here in the future. There was plenty of couch and kikuyu grass in these piles of dirt, so with the weather being ideal at the moment we should see this grass develop naturally over the area. We are planning to start working behind the 4^th green next week with soil being brought over from the 8^th flyover to create a more level passage way for cart access behind this green. The additional soil will attempt to reduce the slope of this area and extend the shape of the 4^th green surrounds out onto the 5^th fairway. Improvements to this green surrounds between the large Eucalyptus tree and the green will also be undertaken during this time.

Several areas on the 13^th hole and one on the 12^th hole have been marked out with blue dotted lines. These areas are going to be repaired and re-turfed by our ever willing group of volunteers over the coming weeks. These bare areas will have the existing turf removed, the soil beneath prepared to correct any conditions that has been stopping the turf from growing previously, and new turf laid on them. These 2 fairways are the start of a long list of areas that have been ear marked to be completed over the entire course. They say, ‘many hands make light work’, so if you’d like to help improve your golf course please contact the club.

Our volunteers are on a well-earned Christmas break, but are “chomping at the bit” to get back into it and this bare patch work.

Good Golfing

The Course Team

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ALPGA Member Paige Stubbs joins the Pro Shop Team

The Club would like to welcome Paige Stubbs to the Pro Shop team commencing Monday 11th January. Paige is an ALPGA member and Tour Professional and has competed on the European and Asian professional golf tours. She has a double degree majoring in Psychology, Sports Coaching and Exercise Science and has a passion for game development focusing on all aspects of the game including bio-mechanics, sport psychology and swing technique for golfers of all abilities.

Page joins the team at Oatlands in 2021 at a time when Club membership and the Junior Development programmes are flourishing and will provide a fantastic complement to our already strong stable of PGA Professionals. 

Paige is offering lessons on Monday afternoon, Tuesday all day, and Thursday all day with bookings via the link below. Lessons outside of these times can be made by contacting Paige directly on 0416 421 677.

Please click on the short intro video below, provided by Paige ahead of her first day at OGC on Monday.

 

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Jeremy Ward – Short Game Clinics

Due to popular demand, Golf Operations Manager and PGA Professional will be running another series of short game clinics starting 21st January, details as follows;

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

 

• Thursday 21^st January – Week 1 – Chipping – How to create backspin and the correct technique for the flop shot  
• Thursday 28^th January – Week 2– Pitching – How to control ball flight and distance 
• Thursday 4^th February  – Week 3– Putting – A variety of drills to help with short & long putts plus the importance of routine  
• Thursday 11^th February  – Week 4– Bunkers –  Bunker technique and how to get out of a bunker every time

 2:00pm to 3:00pm

Total cost Per Member –  $195

Booking available through the Online Booking Sheet or by contacting the Pro Shop.

For more details please contact Jeremy Ward in the Proshop.

 

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Titleist Demo Day – Tuesday 19th January

 

The Pro Shop, in-conjunction with Titleist Australia will be hosting a Titleist equipment demo day on Tuesday 19th January from 9am – 2pm. Bookings are essential and will fill quickly as these events are always very popular and oversubscribed.

 

Bookings can be made online or by contacting the Pro Shop directly.

 

 

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2021 Golfing Programme

2020 saw major disruption to the Men’s, Ladies and Mixed golf calenders. While we expect 2021 to be far more stable, the recent Northern Beaches outbreak shows how quickly restrictions can be enforced and therefore things can change.

The 2021 Programme has been completed and is in the process of being uploaded to the website (currently loaded to the end of February). Once this is completed a PDF copy of the full year will be produced for members to download and print if required.

Due to the uncertainty that Covid creates we will again not be printing a full year fixture book for distribution.

We apologise for the inconvenience and trust will members will understand.

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Renaming Bistro on Bettington – Vote for Your Favourite Name

Throughout November and December, the Club has been running a competition to rename the Clubs popular Bistro on Bettington evenings. The response to this competition has been fantastic with almost 70 suggestions received. 

These suggestions have been narrowed down to 6 finalists and we are now asking for members to vote on their favourite to assist the Operations Committee in making their decision. To cast your vote, please fill in the fields below (voting will close Thursday 28th January at 5pm);

 

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Oatlands Takeaway Meals

Members are reminded that the club are still offering the Takeaway meals that become popular during the March to June 2020 Clubhouse Closure, with over 150 meals being sold each month. The menu is being updated regularly with Head Chef Dirk Podro creating new and exciting menu items every 1-2 weeks.

These takeaway meals are easy to reheat and taste fantastic. Serving 2-4 people depending on the menu item, they are great way to have a night off from the kitchen and still eat like you were at a restaurant.

Take a look at the current menu below and contact the Club to place an order or order over the bar for immediate collection.

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Bistro on Bettington – Saturday 9th and Friday 15th January

Celebration of Aussie Lamb – Saturday 23rd January

Five after Five: January – March