Oatlands Enews – Friday 22nd January 2021
Content
This week’s Enews covers the following topics:
- Modified Local Rules – Flags can be removed Saturday 23rd January
- Drinks Cart on Saturday’s – Trial to Commence Saturday 30th January
- From the Course
- Break and Enter in the Carpark – Please be Aware
- Major Pennant – A New Era
- Mixed Pennant – Expressions of Interest
- SuperPin – Wednesday 20th January
- Rules Corner – Member Questions
- Oatlands Takeaway Meals – Updated 9th January 2021
- Renaming Bistro on Bettington – Vote for your Favourite Entry
- Upcoming Events
Modified Local Rules – Flags can be removed from Saturday 23rd January
Following the recent run of zero community transmission of Covid and in line with Golf NSW guidance, the Modified Local Rule relating to flagsticks being left in will change as of Saturday 23rd January to allow flagsticks to be removed.
The Local Rule regarding no rakes and preferred lies in bunkers will remain in place as the raking of bunkers if rakes are re-instated is not optional.
Drinks Cart on Saturday’s – Trial to commence from Saturday 30th January
The Club will be trialling an on-course drinks cart on Saturday’s commencing Saturday 30th January.
The drinks cart will circulate the golf course from 10am to 3pm to cover the hottest period of the day and provide all competition players the opportunity to utilise the service at some point during their round.
The service will be trialled throughout February with a decision on extending the trial or making the service permanent throughout summer or longer made at the end of February.
We hope members will support this service and remind members that due to Covid restrictions in place at the Club relating to cash that purchases from the drinks cart will be via Eftpos or House account only.
From the Course
Rainfall for the Week: 1.5mm mm, Rainfall for 2021: 34.5mm Dam: 85% Green Speed: 9 feet
The week started off on a very busy note with around 16 volunteers on site to start preparation’s on bare patch replacement work on the 12th and 13th holes. These patches had the turf around them cut off and removed. The soil in these areas was then rotary hoed with any rocks or tree roots removed, before new soil was added which will be more beneficial for turf growth. We will be laying turf on these areas in the first week of February, hopefully once this hot spell of weather has passed. These areas total 270m2 which was a great effort by all involved to get them to the stage that they are at by all involved on such a warm day. The course team is very appreciative for all this assistance.
Members will have noticed that work has started behind the 4th green this week, with a large amount of bare dirt now in this area. We are changing the shape of this area to reduce the slope of the green surrounds, and extend these surrounds out onto the 5th fairway. This will make it safer for golf carts that travel around the rear of the 4th green to gain access to the 5th tee. We will create a flat grass path for the carts and cover this path with the same plastic green mesh product we have used on the 11th, 12th and 15th hole in an effort to preserve grass coverage in a high wear area. We will also address the green surrounds beneath the large tree behind the 4th green, levelling out this area and returfing to improve the quality of these surrounds.
All greens received a light dusting of sand this week, which is a method of controlling thatch in the greens but isn’t as damaging to the grass as scarifying. Just like scarifying, regular dusting of greens creates a firmer putting surface which increases the green speed and also improves the trueness of the ball roll.
The weed removal work in the 9th pond has continued this week with only a large clump of weeds in the middle of the pond to go. The hole in the overflow wall has been filled with concrete, and waiting to be tested when the pond gets refilled. We have also added the biological treatment which will remove the nutrients from the silt and reduce the algal growth in this water. Weed spraying in our gardens also continued this week with all the 15th hole gardens completed including the path around the rear of this green, and the 9th creek line.
Some very warm weather is predicted for this weekend and into early next week, with the focus for the course team on survival and getting the greens through this period with minimal damage to our putting surfaces. Moisture levels will be monitored by our probes thoroughly on Thursday and Friday, with extra hand watering of the greens being performed each morning over the weekend. Staff will also be on course in the afternoons to attend to any dry areas that may develop during the day. Members are asked to be patient and courteous during these afternoon periods should staff need to water greens whilst they are playing.
Good Golfing
The Course Team
Break and Enter in the Carpark – Please be Aware
Members are advised that there was a break and enter to a members vehicle in the Clubs carpark between 2:30pm and 5pm on Thursday 21st January.
The incident has been reported to police who advised that they are targeting this type of crime in the wider Parramatta area due to a series of similar incidents.
In yesterday’s case there was a small bag left on the drivers seat that may have looked like a wallet or purse and it is presumed that the perpetrator has scoped out which vehicle might have something of value in it, smashed a window and quickly made off with the contents.
In this instance the bag only contained a few covid masks and some cosmetics however it is a valuable lesson for members to be mindful of not leaving anything of valuable (or perceived value) visible in your vehicle when parked.
If anyone witnessed anything out of the ordinary in the Club carpark between 2:30pm and 5pm on Thursday 21st January, please advise the Clubs General Manager.
Major Pennant – A New Era
With the Covid postponements to the 2020 Mens Major Pennant season it has been a quick turnaround from the teams loss in the semi-finals in November to the upcoming start to the 2021 season in February, and while the turnaround has been short the teams new Manager Ken Doolan has been busy getting his squad of 10 players together for practice and team building.
In 2021 the Club has drawn the following opponents in our Division 2 draw;
The Lakes
Lakeside
Cumberland
The majority of the squad will be contesting The Lakes Medal on Sunday in preparation for the start of the season and took part in a group session on Thursday evening hosted by Matt Green, one of Australia’s leading golf physiotherapist, on preparing your body for peak performance. This was session proved successful for at least one of the participants with Rowan Easterbrook shooting an impressive 3 under 67 in today’s Tiger Tee Challenge.
The squad working with Matt Green on Thursday evening.
Mixed Pennant – Expression of Interest
The 2021 Mixed Pennant competition will commence in late April / early May this year (later than in previous years.
Oatlands has a strong history in this event including a runner up finish to Ryde-Parramatta in 2020.
Any members wishing to take part in the 2021 squad should email the General Manager, Sam Howe, at gm@oatlandsgolf.com.au by no later than 5pm on Friday 5th February. All EOIs will be forwarded to team managers Debbie Jepson and Peter Crawford for consideration.
Superpin – Wednesday 20th January
There has been an unfortunate error with the Superpin on Wednesday 20th January whereby the measurement that was written on the Superpin card reflected a measurement of 50.1 cm when in fact it was 501cm. This meant that the following players in field misunderstood the distance they needed to better, and subsequently the prize was unable to be awarded.
As a result, the Club will have two Superpin holes on offer this coming Wednesday 27th January.
Regular readers of this Enews will know that the Match Committee have had to address a number of issues in relation to accuracy and integrity on the golf course in the last 6-12 months,, and I again take this opportunity to remind all members to ensure they are playing their part in maintaining the integrity of our great game.
The most common defense have been defense against alleged breaches has been accidental error or ignorance of the Rules. These excuses can’t be accepted without consequence given the impact the breaches have on the majority of other golfers by deriving rightful winners of prizes.
The Club knows that it is only a very small minority of members who this relates too, and does not mean to cause offence to the wider membership by discussing the issue so directly in this public communication, however, we trust members will appreciate that this is an important issue to the Match Committee and Board and not one that we can allow to continue unchecked.
In Good Faith,
Matthew Seamons
Club Captain
Rules Corner – Member Questions
By John Bowring (Oatlands Member and one of Australia’s most senior golf Rules officials);
I am commonly asked questions by members to clarify their understanding of finer points of the rules. Here are some of the latest questions asked. The quotations in italics are from The Rules of Golf. You can find the full rules in searchable form here: https://www.randa.org/en/rog/2019/pages/the-rules-of-golf
- Another player played my ball. How do I put my ball back into play, and where?
- This is governed by Rule 6.3c(2) What to Do When Player’s Ball Was Played by Another Player as Wrong Ball.
If it is known or virtually certain that the player’s ball was played by another player as a wrong ball, the player must replace the original ball or another ball on the original spot (which if not known must be estimated) (see Rule 14.2).
This applies whether or not the original ball has been found.
Note: The ball must be replaced by the player, NOT the person who played the wrong ball.
- If I take relief from a sprinkler head near the putting green, can I drop or place on the green if that is within one club length.
- Rule 16.1 covers relief from Abnormal Course Conditions, Immovable obstructions. Your ball is in the General Area so we follow Rule 16.1b
Rule 16.1b Relief for Ball in General Area
If a player’s ball is in the general area and there is interference by an abnormal course condition on the course, the player may take free relief by dropping the original ball or another ball in this relief area (see Rule 14.3):
Reference Point: The nearest point of complete relief in the general area.
Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point: One club-length, but with these limits:
Limits on Location of Relief Area:
Must be in the general area,
Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point, and
There must be complete relief from all interference by the abnormal course condition.
NOTE: The limits require the relief area to be in the General Area. This prevents a drop or place on the putting green. If a dropped ball rolls onto the putting green, it has rolled out of the Relief Area and must be redropped.
- Are there any situations where I can drop on the putting green.
- Yes. When taking lateral relief from a Red Penalty Area (Rule 17.1d(3) ) and taking lateral relief for an Unplayable Ball (Rule 19.2c) the relief area can be in any area of the course (except the same penalty area if taking relief from a red penalty area).
But note a limit on the relief area is:
If more than one area of the course is located within two club-lengths of the reference point, the ball must come to rest in the relief area in the same area of the course that the ball first touched when dropped in the relief area.
I have had this occur several times at major tournaments at The Lakes on the 11th hole. The green has water at the front and right side. If the flag is front right, and the ball rolls over the green into the water back right, two club lengths from where the ball crossed the margin of the penalty area, no nearer the hole puts you on the putting green.
If you are uncertain what to do on the course in stroke play, you can play two balls under Rule 20.1c(3) and refer the issue to the Committee or Pro-Shop before submitting your score card.
I am always happy to answer questions on the rules from members. Send your question by email to john.bowring@intsciences.com.au and put “Rules Question” in the subject line otherwise if I don’t recognise the sender, I may delete without opening the mail.
Oatlands Takeaway Meals – Updated 9th January 2021
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);
Celebration of Aussie Lamb – Saturday 23rd January
Five after Five: January – March
