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This week’s Enews covers the following topics:

• Membership – 6 & 7 Day Membership Nearing Capacity
• From the Course
• Upcoming Events
• Prostate Cancer Information Night at Oatlands Golf Club
• JDP Fundraising Golf Day a Great Success
• Bunker Rakes and Preferred Lies
• Life Member and Disabled
• Dine & Discover NSW Extended to 31^st July 2021
• Healthy and Active for Life Online
• Cart Hire – Price Increase, effective 1st July
• Practice Golf Balls
• Ladies Gardening Volunteer Morning
• Pennant Update

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Membership – 6 & 7 Day Membership Nearing Capacity

The membership at the Club has continued its string trend of the last 15 months and our 6 & 7 day membership categories are once again nearing capacity.

Following the Board’s decision in October last year to cap 7 day playing membership at 500 members and 6 day playing membership at 180 members, the response in the form of upgrades and new applications exceeded all expectation with those caps reached in December and waiting lists put in place.

At the recent membership subscription renewal on 1st April, our forecast on playing member resignations was 25% better than forecast, and once those new applicants on the respective category waitlists were offered positions, the 6 & 7 day membership categories were left with just over 30 spaces available. Subsequent to this, interest in membership has remained strong and at the time of writing we have the following availability:

Category	Maximum Number of Members	Status as of 17th June
Saturday Playing Categories (Full, Intermediate, Junior)	500	492
6 Day Categories	180	172

Members who are considering upgrading their membership to 6 or 7 day membership, or those thinking of introducing a friend or family member to our great Club are encouraged to do so sooner rather than later as these spaces are expected to fill within the next 2-3 months and the waitlist process re-commence and likely to be in place until renewals in 2022.

Membership Fees for the Club are available at the link below;

• Click here to download the categories and 2021/2022 subscription fees

If you have any questions or wish to transfer to a different membership category, please contact the Club’s General Manager, Sam Howe, or Membership Co-ordinator, Kathy Bright.

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From the Course

Rainfall for the Week: 11.5mm,  Rainfall for 2021: 638.0mm   Dam: 100%   Green Speed: 10 feet

A shortened week for the course staff this week with the public holiday on Monday, so the team has been trying to finish off some jobs that we did not get to complete last week. The grinding of all the roots (there has been many), from around the pine tree that we removed last week from the RGHS of 17 has been completed, with new soil to be brought in and shaped accordingly before turf is laid on this area. The stump grindings from a previous tree removal near the 17^th tee / 16^th fairway have also been tidied up and replaced with soil for turfing as well. Our next order of turf will include these two sites, plus the prepared area behind the 14^th green and some extra Zoysia to finish off the 9^th tee pad. 

The 12^th green was taken out of play on Tuesday and given a mini core and a medium topdressing of sand. The mini core removes some of the built-up mat and thatch from the putting surface allowing the surface to drain better, provide air to the root system of the turf and inevitably firm the putting surface. The small holes made during the mini core are filled with the new sand with minimal disruption to the putting surface. All par 3 holes will receive this treatment gradually over the next few weeks, rotating each of the holes out of play as we perform this process to them.

We are also in the process of constructing new separate rubbish bin and soil bin boxes for the men’s 12^th tee to replace the structure we had previously built for this tee. The existing structure has been good but is starting to break down. The new boxes are nearing completion with a coat of paint to be applied before being installed.

The mesh walls of our practice bays have been replaced after being bent out of shape from wayward directed shots. Protective rubber mats will be installed where most of these wayward shots usually hit the mesh, to provide protection for the mesh and ultimately longevity!

Have great weekend everyone!

The Course Team

 

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Upcoming Events

With the Club’s new Head Chef, Andrew Yang, commencing on Monday 21st June, we are pleased to announce the re-introduction of a range of popular Club events.

Upcoming events are as follows;

• Wednesday 30th June – The Bettington Restaurant
• Thursday 1st July – Ladies Foundation Day
• Saturday 3rd July – Mens Foundation Day
• Friday 16th July – The Bettington Restaurant
• Saturday 24th July – OGC Christmas in July
• Wednesday 28th July – The Bettington Restaurant
• Friday 30th July – OGC Pub Trivia Night

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Prostate Cancer Information Night at OGC

Following detection of cancer and a surgical procedure on his prostate, a prominent Club member has organised for respected Urologist, Dr. Phillip Kateralis to host a short information evening on prostate cancer at Oatlands Golf Club on Wednesday 21st July commencing at 7pm.

The information session will last 30-40mins with 20 minutes for questions from the floor.

While we don’t want to exclude any members, Dr Katelaris’ focus is on men 40+. He also encourages member’s partners to also join the information meeting.

This information evening is free of charge and the Club will provide attendees with finger food.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in Australia with over 18,000 diagnosed each year. Early detection and advances in treatment has seen the recovery rate almost double in the last two decades, but with the disease and cure still stigmatised and men generally regarded as less likely to visit their doctor or specialist for a check up, we thought this was a good opportunity to provide our members with the opportunity for easy to digest information.

If you would like to attend, please advise the Club’s General Manager by email gm@oatlandsgolf.com.au 

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JDP Fundraising Golf Day a Great Success

The Club’s annual Junior Development Programme Fundraising Golf Day took place on Monday 14th June. The event which unfortunately had to be cancelled in 2020 due to Covid restrictions, was supported by over 100 members, guests, juniors and parents.

This years event was an ambrose format with a member of the JDP programme joining the majority of groups to make each team a 5 person ambrose. Congratulations to the winners (pictured adjacent) of Mark Clout, Tony Monaghan, John Fader, Jean Lu and JDP junior, Donovan O’Connor.

The day was not only a great opportunity for our JDP kids to mix with our established members but also raised over $3,000 to go toward the implementation of the JDP programme.

Oatlands Golf Club has had a long successful JDP programme, however when Golf Operations Manager, Jeremy Ward, started with the Club in June 2020 the programme has gone to a new level. We now host 10 JDP clinics a week during all four school terms (up from 4) and have 100 kids as JDP members with a waitlist of almost 20 kids. This success of this programme is not only good for the future of membership at Oatlands but also for golf in general with many of the JDP kids destined to stop playing at some stage (study, family, etc) but getting a solid grounding in a game that they will inevitably return to and gets increasingly more difficult to learn as we get older.

Thanks to everyone that took part in the JDP day and well done to our PGA staff of Jeremy Ward, David Ecob, Jason Park, Paige Stubbs and Max Dakic for the continued improvement in our fantastic Junior Development Programme. 

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Bunker Rakes and Preferred Lies

The Match and Greens Committees have considered the timing for placing rakes back into bunkers.

The determining factor for bringing the bunkers back into play is that the new sand has settled to an appropriate level of compaction that minimises the chances of plugged balls.

As noted in last weeks Enews, this process is being assisted by wheel rolling and the purchase of a whacker packer (see video below) however, neither of these are possible on bunker faces. Fortunately, the recent light rain performs this function naturally and it is therefore expected that rakes will go back and preferred lies will cease in the next 4-6 weeks.

This will provide members with an adequate window to get used to playing the ball as it lies from bunkers ahead of the 2021 Club Championships later in the year.

Members will be informed as soon as a decision is made on a date for re-instating the rakes.

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Life Member and Disabled Parking

Members are reminded that the car spaces assigned for life members and disabled parking permits are only to be utilised for their intended purpose and by those eligible members.

It is being reported 2-3 times a week to management that these spaces are being utilised incorrectly.

We respectfully ask that these spaces, clearly marked, are not abused.

Thank you for you co-operation.

 

 

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Dine & Discover NSW Extended to 31st July 2021

Club Members are advised that the Dine & Discover NSW Program has been extended by one month, with the program now ending on 31st July 2021.

This is great news for OGC and its members with many of the Club dining events cancelled in May and June due to the unexpected loss of our Head Chef and this extension will give members the chance to use their outstanding vouchers attending one of the Upcoming Events with our new Head Chef, Andrew Yang, listed earlier in this communication.

The Dine & Discover program provides every NSW resident aged 18 and over with four $25 vouchers to spend at participating businesses of which Oatlands GC is one. Note, only the Dine Vouchers can be used at the Club and not the Discover Vouchers.

 

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Healthy and Active for Life Online

The NSW Government is offering a 10 week online program for over 60’s starting 6th July covering staying healthy and active for the modern life which is becoming more and more online.

Details are in the flyer below or by clicking on the following link:

www.activeandhealthy.nsw.gov.au

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Cart Hire Price Increase – Effective 1st July

Members are advised that the Club will be implementing a price increase for motorised cart hire from 1st July.

This price increase is the first since 2014 and is being implemented to bring pricing into line with industry benchmarking.

The price increase for will be as follows;

• 18 hole cart hire: $37.50 (increased from $35)
• 18 hole medical cart hire: $30 increased from $27.50)

In-conjunction with this, the Match Committee is undertaking a review of the medical cart entitlement.

The review will likely result in members, authorised to utilise a medical cart, being required to update their medical certificate on a periodical basis. The objective of this is to ensure that the “medical carts only” restriction remains of benefit to the golf course, and as such, to the members who genuinely can’t play golf without the use of a cart on medical grounds.  

Members on the medical cart register will be contacted over the coming weeks with further information.

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Practice Golf Balls

With the increase in golf participation at the Club in the last 12-18 months, we have also seen an increase in the number of golf lessons and members practising both on the range and on the golf course.

The Club now has 5 PGA staff and run 10 Junior Development Programme sessions every week. As such, the practice fairway can often become covered in practice balls making it difficult for members to hit their own golf balls and then locate them amongst the lesson balls.

To counter this, the Club has just ordered 1,000 dedicated yellow lesson balls that will be clearly marked “practice”. This will allow for members to hit their own golf balls on the practice range and identify them for collection.

The worldwide resurgence of golf through Covid has created some supply chain issues so we are unable to give an exact time on when these new teaching range balls will arrive however hope it will be in the next 4-6 weeks.

Members are also asked that when practicing on the golf course to please pick up your golf balls after hitting them. Golf balls that are intentionally left on the golf course can cause damage to mowers and also cause confusion and delays for golfers mistaking golf balls when searching for a potentially lost ball.

Thank you for your patience, assistance and understanding.

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Ladies Gardening Volunteer Morning – Tuesday 22nd June

 

The next monthly ladies volunteer gardening morning will take place on Tuesday 22nd June at 9am.

Sign-up is via the sheet in the ladies locker room.

This is a great way to give back to the Club and a wonderful morning of camaraderie and friendship.

 

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Pennant Update

Men’s Major Pennant

The first leg of the postponed Major Pennant relegation final for Division 2 was played on Saturday 15th May and what a fantastic result.

We came away with a fantastic home win in the playoffs against Glenmore Heritage Valley and a huge 6-1 win.

We play the return leg away at Glenmore on the 19^th of June needing only one and half matches to remain in division 2 for 2022.

 

Mixed Pennant

There was no Mixed Pennant played on Sunday 13th June due to the long weekend.

We have our final away match this Sunday at Beverley Park. Our result will determine where we finish in the overall standings. We have already won our division (knocking out Monash, Pennant Hills and Beverley Park) but this is how it works from here:

• There are 10 divisions.
• Winner of the Top 6 divisions (based on number of match and game wins) goes straight to Quarter Finals.
• Winner of the Bottom 4 divisions (based on number of match and game wins) playoff for the last 2 Quarter Final spots on Sunday 27^th June.
• In the QF’s – 1 plays 8, 2 plays 7, 3 plays 6, 4 plays 5 on Sunday 4^th July.
• Semi Final is on Sunday 11^th July.
• Final is on Sunday 18^th July.

If we beat Beverley Park this Sunday we will not only avoid a Play Off match, but we will be seeded No.1 in the Quarter Finals (as we were last year), because we are currently the only undefeated team with 4 wins and 1 tie. Even if we lose this weekend, it is highly unlikely (though possible) that our ranking will drop below 6 to force us into a playoff.

 

Men’s Master Pennant