Oatlands Enews – Friday 14th January 2021
Content
This week’s Enews covers the following topics:
- It’s Time for a Better Oatlands Golf Club
- From the Course
- Dom Yates discusses the Golf Course benefits of the proposed Clubhouse Development
- Covid-19 Update
- Men’s Club Championship Semi-Finals
- Hole In One – Tony Shin
- Hole In One – Peter Crawford
- Rules of Golf – Rain Damage in Bunkers
- Members Only Facebook Group
- OGC Paint & Sip – Sunday 20th February
It’s Time, for a Better Oatlands
The ability to fund Capital Expenditure (or CAPEX) is critical for any golf course – and Oatlands is no exception.
Capital Expenditure is NOT what is spent day to day to operate your Golf Club. Capital Expenditure is money spent on “large” items like clubhouse renovations (eg. replacing carpet, air conditioning), updating course maintenance equipment, updating areas of the golf course such as the recent practice green replacement. Capital Expenditure is extremely important to maintain and continually improve the quality of Oatlands Golf Club.
How do We Budget Capital Expenditure?
Budgeting always involves allocating limited funding to an ever growing pool of projects. The “standard” for determining the amount of funding available for Capital Expenditure each year is to take our budgeted profit for the year, then add the amount of annual depreciation. Over the last 10 years, the amount available for Capital Expenditure under this formula has averaged between $300,000 and $350,000.
How do We Allocate Capital Expenditure?
The primary focus at Oatlands has always been the golf course. At present, the cost value of all our course maintenance equipment (tractors, mowers etc) is $1,950,000. On average, all course plant needs to be replaced over 7 to 10 years. That means on average, we need to spend between $195,000 and $278,000 each year just to replace course plant, without allowing for increased cost of replacement caused by inflation.
It is clearly apparent that once course equipment is funded, it is always very difficult to fund other important capital expenditure such as clubhouse repairs and improvements eg. carpet, tables, chairs, kitchen equipment, air conditioning and any other number of items that present year to year. Further, it is all but impossible to fund major clubhouse renovations.
A Better Oatlands
We all want Oatlands to be the best possible golf course, providing the best possible amenities for members. Unfortunately, our current business model simply does not and cannot provide the Capital Expenditure funding required for the future.
In the Development Proposal, your Board has a plan that will provide significant passive income for Oatlands, thereby enabling greater certainty for the funding of Capital Expenditure needs.
Our plan will:
- Provide members with a stunning new club house. The current clubhouse is beloved by all, but due to its age we will at some point need to pay for major renovations which cannot be funded by the Club’s current operating model. The fully funded new clubhouse will eliminate clubhouse Capital Expenditure for several years, allowing more to be spent on the course.
- Ensure the long term financial strength and viability of Oatlands Golf Club. Through retained properties, the Development Proposal will provide a source of passive income that will facilitate increased capital expenditure for your Club. Projects such as the 9th and 13th ponds, both of which need work, will be within reach. A program of replacing old greens can be contemplated. This will enable us to make and maintain Oatlands as the best course in Northwestern Sydney. As a not-for-profit Club, current funding and the current business model is not sufficient.
- Provide a significant increase in capex funding. Oatlands Golf Course will be able to deliver more consistent course presentation at higher standards (with increased maintenance), and begin to investigate some long needed improvement to our aging greens. 14 of our greens are over 70 years old, and will need to be rejuvenated at some point in the near term to maintain health of the greens and our standing in the golfing community.
By voting YES to the Development Proposal is your means of ensuring that Oatlands has the financial base to meet future Capital Expenditure requirements.
Please refer to www.oatlandsgolf.com.au for detailed information on the development proposal.
From the Course
Rainfall for the Week: 66.0mm, Rainfall for 2022: 121.5mm Dam: 100% Green Speed: 9.5 feet
It’s been a very busy week on the course for the depleted team. Hopefully with so much Covid exposure we will be much more resistant in a short time. This week, we have 4 staff members in isolation with that changing around 8pm on Friday night with another staff member testing positive, which meant another staff member was required to get tested as they carpool from the Central Coast together (total of 6 in isolation).
Nevertheless, the team has been able to continue with the trimming of the Zoysia bunker edges this week, completing the 3rd, 7th, front two on the 16th and the RHS bunker on the 8th. Drainage pits throughout the course have been trimmed and cleared, trimming around the ponds and 6th creek has been completed and the tombstones on all tees have been trimmed as well.
As I’ve mentioned over the past few weeks, the humid weather is encouraging the kikuyu on our fairways, green surrounds and roughs to grow quicker than we can cut it. To slow this growth down on our fairways and roughs, the team has applied another application of growth regulator to all fairways and rough areas from fairway edges to the tree line. An application of this same product will be started on greens surrounds on Friday and completed early next week if required.
The thunderstorms are also playing havoc with the preparation of our bunkers. Three staff members spent all day last Friday removing silt, repairing faces, and pushing sand around only for the 30mm of rain on Friday night to bring all this hard work undone. The same process was repeated by course staff and volunteers on Monday morning, with bunkers in good condition for Wednesday’s competition. Last night we received another 29mm which has again damaged and silted up the bunkers. A huge positive was that our our rejuvenated bunkers are all draining well with no silt contamination. Completion of this project will result in saving a considerable amount of labour hours that bunkers currently consume.
Certainly we are having challenging times at the moment with reduced staff (Covid), grass growing while we watch it and constant heavy rainfall damaging bunkers). What a difference from a couple of years ago when there was no rain !!
We appreciate members understanding that not all aspects of course presentation may be up to expectation at this time. Some edging may not be done or some weeds may be noticeable where they should not be. We must prioritise what is required to keep the course playable to the highest standard under the prevailing circumstances.
That said, it was great to see our volunteers return for their first Monday morning of the new year. The volunteers helped repair and prepare bunkers, cleaning the 6th creek, edging pathways, trimming suckers from tree bases, checking all OOB and hazard pegs, and the never ending clubhouse maintenance. Thank you gentlemen for your efforts this week and it was great to have you all back for another a year!
Our greens remain in great condition with a light scarification of these surfaces being performed this week which removes dead and decaying material from the surface. This process reduces the thatch and mat layers in our putting surfaces which will aid overall health and produce a firmer putting surface.
This weekend, greens will be cut on Saturday and then cut and rolled on Sunday morning. Given the Club Championship semi-finals will be played on Saturday and Sunday, expect the course to play more difficult than usual.
Enjoy the Weekend!
The Course Team.
Dom Yates discusses the Golf Course benefits of the proposed Clubhouse Development
Covid-19 Update
It is becoming difficult to provide clear updates on the Covid-19 situation as it effects the Club given the changing nature of virtually every aspect of the pandemic from daily case numbers, testing and isolation protocols, and even return to work guidance.
Like all other industries and businesses, the golf industry and Oatlands Golf Club are operating under a level of pressure with regard to staff numbers due to positive cases and self isolation requirements.
Fortunately, and as previously noted, we have been somewhat fortunate with timing which has not seen any aspect of the Club’s operation fully shutdown in recent weeks, however, this has been tight and has seen Course, Clubhouse (Bar and Kitchen) and Pro Shop, all having to cover staff shortages at short notice.
As an indication of the wide spread nature of what is occurring, and also that OGC has been relatively fortunate to date compared to other Clubs, the image below is the headline from today’s daily Clubs NSW media update.
Please be assured, OGC is taking the cautious approach to all aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic and while we don’t expect to have to close any aspect of the Club’s operation over the coming weeks, we will certainly do so if it is in the best interest of the health of our members and staff.
We ask all members to please be diligent with the wearing of masks while indoors at the Club and QR code every time you visit.
Men’s Club Championship Semi-Finals
The weekend will see the Semi-Finals of the Men’s Club Championships played across all four grades with the Plate, Middle Markers, and Long Markers being played on Saturday 15th and Club Championship on Sunday 16th January.
A copy of the weekend matches and early match results for each grade can be found by clicking here.
Good luck to all competitors!
Hole in One – Tony Shin
Tony Shin recorded his first Hole in One in his 30 years of golf on Friday 31st December.
Tony’s perfect shot occurred on the difficult 5th hole.
Congratulations Tony!
Hole In One – Peter Crawford
OGC members Peter Crawford has recorded a hole in one on the 2nd hole on Sunday 9th January.
It’s been a good year on the golf course for Peter who was the manager of the pennant winning Mixed Pennant side.
Congratulations Peter!
Rules of Golf – Rain Damage in Bunkers
Over the last month, there has been a number of significant rainfall events including 55mm of rain overnight on Wednesday 5th January.
These unpredictable weather events wreak havoc with our bunkers which are not always able to be repaired prior to play.
The Match and Greens Committee and the Rules of Golf, provide that bunkers should remain in play if there is an area within the bunker where relief from Abnormal Playing Conditions could be taken. To take relief from Abnormal Playing Conditions within a bunker, relief must be taken within the bunker no nearer the hole. If this is not possible, then the individual bunker will be made GUR, as opposed to all bunkers being made GUR (and therefore taken out of play) if they were unable to be repaired.
As a result of this, members may find themselves in a bunker that has been damaged by moving water, or may be holding water.
Members should be aware that the Club has a local rule in place that allows for relief in this situation. Local Rule number 5 (listed on the scorecard and MiScore app) states;
- Ground Under Repair
a) Those areas identified by white stakes and/or lines.
b) Clearly defined wheel ruts in the General Area.
c) Areas in bunkers where sand has been removed by the movement of water resulting in deep furrows through the sand.
Item c) allows for relief to be taken (within the bunker) for situation such as those shown below;
Members Only Facebook Group
The Club’s Members Only Facebook Group has been in operation for almost 7 months and has 233 OGC members that have joined.
This social media platform allows members to engage with each other and with the Club, in addition to the traditional communication channels already in place.
To join the Members Only Facebook Group please click on the link below and the 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/
OGC Paint & Sip – Sunday 20th February
Join us for an afternoon paint and sip session
$75 ticket includes 2 hours of painting, grazing board and a drink on arrival
Book on the booking sheet or by calling reception
