Spring into Golf. NGC Newsletter Spring 2017

Transcription

1 Spring into Golf NGC Newsletter Spring 2017 Golf Club Report - Garry Wilbraham Well I am pleased to say that things are moving on. We started this journey of amalgamation in November Nowra Golf Club management and administration was replaced as part of an arrangement with Bomaderry Bowling Club management. An agreement was struck for a Memorandum of Understanding between the two Boards. The Annual General Meeting of Nowra Golf Club was held on Tuesday 28 th February when 138 voting members attended. A new board was voted in with Tony Hunter taking over the leadership as President, Col Lott Club Captain and Jill Downie Treasurer, were the only directors that remained from the previous Board. On Tuesday 6 th June, the members of Nowra Golf Club attended the Extraordinary General Meeting to agree to the amalgamation of the two clubs. There were 156 members present and the vote was carried 156 votes for, and nil against. On Sunday 9 th July, the Members of Bomaderry Bowling Club attended the Extraordinary General Meeting to agree to the amalgamation of the two clubs. There were 258 members present and the vote was carried 235 votes for and 23 votes against. From this point, we had to have all minutes approved by both Boards to confirm that they are approved minutes. This took some time to be tied in with the regular Board Meetings. The file was sent to the Office of Liquor and Racing (OLGR) on Thursday 10 th August. This document is a large file and is some 50mm thick with many records of the procedures that have taken place. At this stage, 4th September, we have not heard any comments from OLGR. This is part of the process as it is up to them to process the amalgamation. With the Bomaderry RSL Amalgamation this part took around ten months. Therefore, the Board of Spring Newsletter 2017 Page 1

2 Nowra Golf Club is still responsible for the management and direction of the Nowra Golf Course with the Board of Bomaderry Bowling Club having control of funds. On the other side, many changes have been implemented at the golf course and club house to reduce costs. There is a team of greenskeepers with Kyle Williams the head greenskeeper. Kyle was the apprentice at Bomaderry Bowling Club and is showing great enthusiasm at the golf course along with Brad Saibura, John Courtney and Alex Cheyne. The course is starting to improve and yes we have made some mistakes but will get them right in the end. We have had some working bees that have proved very popular with volunteer members which is great to see. The golf course will be closed on Monday 18th September to Wednesday 20th September for greens renovations which will help the greenkeepers greatly. Inside the club, the movement of the proshop into the clubhouse has helped to reduce the cost of wages and given a better service. The club house is only open on Friday nights for the members raffle and restaurant, which is proving very popular. There is plenty of room for more members to attend and the raffle has been changed so that 10% of the takings is put into a course improvement account managed by Gordon Lymbery, Rodney Crouch and Sue Stephens. They will use the funds as they see fit with the approval of the Board. So please buy more raffle tickets to support the course improvement fund. The club house has been very popular with functions of all types. From businesses to weddings, birthdays to wakes and anything else you can think of in a great venue. This is proving to be a good return. Financially, we have reduced the massive losses to nearly breaking square. The separation of Men s Golf Nowra into a sub club on 1st July is working well and this is helping to make the management of the Nowra Golf Club a lot easier. The support from the three golf sub-clubs has been great. The future is to make the golf course great and make some money from functions. Enjoy your golf. Garry Wilbraham Acting Secretary Manager Spring Newsletter 2017 Page 2

3 From the President Spring is here, the renovation of the greens is imminent, so with a bit of sunshine and rain, the course should be back to its beautiful best. Hopefully the 6th green will be back in play in the not too distant future. Good luck to all for all the various Championships. The Sunday working bee on July 30th was attended by about 20 members, who helped to tidy the parts of the course that the staff don't have time to get to. Thanks to all those who gave up a few hours to keep the course looking good. You have probably noticed some colourful mulch at the 17th & 18th tees. Many thanks to Peter Rowell who supplied and spread it. Peter was also responsible for trimming the casuarinas along the riverbank on the 6th fairway, as well as doing a lot of whipper snipping. The tee signs look as though they have been out in the weather for a long time, so Daryl Roth kindly offered to tidy them up. So far he has repainted the 4th, 14th (mens), 16th & 17th. Thank you Daryl for a great job. Bushcare group. We could always do with more helpers. And a big thank you to all the other volunteers who mow, weed, garden and generally tidy up around the course, as well as John Pratt's Men's Golf Nowra is now up and running, on similar lines to Women's & Vet's. Remember to pick up golf balls that have been won within 12 weeks, otherwise they are forfeited. Vouchers won will still go on member's accounts and the balance available will be shown when the card is swiped. It is now only a matter of time until the amalgamation with BBC is finalised, and when this happens the Board will be dissolved. The running of Nowra Golf Club will then be administered by Bomaderry Bowling Club, with the golf being run by the three sub-clubs. Tony Hunter President Spring Newsletter 2017 Page 3

4 Thanks to our Sponsors Spring Newsletter 2017 Page 4

5 From the Red Tees - Women s Golf We all look forward to the Spring weather heralded in by warmer morning temperatures. Then we can say goodbye to those chilly winter winds. Whilst we could do with some rainfall to help the course along, we have enjoyed the sunny clear days over the past months. For the Captain, it is a great day at golf when it's not raining in the morning no big decisions to make! As my term as Captain draws to an end I would like to thank everyone for their help and support over the last three years. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with such inspiringly positive women from both the membership and the committees. Committee members have worked willingly and tirelessly to ensure that every Thursday is fun and runs smoothly. The Women s Golf programme is always busy but never so busy as we are in September, October and November. During these months w e e x p e r i e n c e t h e D i s t r i c t T o u r n a m e n t, o u r C l u b Championships, Pink Day for Breast Cancer and our AGM, together with a few regular golf competition games! It would be remiss of me not to mention the success of the WGN Pennant Gold team which claimed the Illawarra Pennant this year. Ably led by a determined Jill Levi, the team played consistently to win six out of the eight matches, square one game and recorded a loss in the final match to scrape in with the very narrow margin of half a point. It was a dedicated effort by Jill Levi, Peta Merchant, Sandra England, Corrinne McMillan, Linda Trusler with the occasional assistance of Gloria Davis, Shirley Moore and Sue Hunter. Well done - we are all very proud of the team. Jill Levi is a very busy golfer and throughout the year she has also dedicated her time on Friday mornings to her merry band of beginners who benefit from her knowledge of the game. Jill provides coaching and sound advice to guide the ladies towards becoming playing members. This year we welcomed Jeanna Walsh to competition on Tuesday and Thursdays after having gained some confidence from Jill's expertise. Thank you Jill for this wonderful service to the club and in particular to women's golf. The committee is excited about the introduction of the Maureen Knaggs Super 6 Matchplay Knockout, a new and very different event on our calendar. This one day event replaces the knockout competition which was held between August and December in previous years. In collaboration with Maureen Knaggs it was decided that the event needed a spruce up so the committee has come up with a new and interesting concept that will be played on 28th September. Thank you Maureen for your ongoing interest in and support of women's golf. Spring Newsletter 2017 Page 5

6 The day will kick off with an individual Stableford competition to be played from holes one to six to establish "the cut". Perhaps this part of the day will make us all feel like "professional golfers"! Sixteen players will "make the cut" and they will participate in the Match Play Knockout with the unsuccessful players then going on to continue the stableford round. This competition will be "The Plate Event, played in one division for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. The Match Play groups will then play holes one to three and as a result eight players will be eliminated. If a result is squared the pair will play hole four to decide the match with the winner being the player whose ball is closer to the pin after two shots. Play will continue as such until all but two players are eliminated. The final pair will once again play holes one to three to determine the winner. I hope you will all support this event, it's sure to be a lot of fun. WGI Tournament The WGI Tournament will be played at the St Georges Basin Country Club on 9th, 10th and 11th October and the competition is open to all district club members. Club Champion and WGI Trophy winners qualify to compete for the District Finals Events on Monday, while GNSW Medal winners will compete on Tuesday for the WGI District Medal Playoff. This is played in three divisions and District winners progress to the State Medal Final at Horizons Golf Resort on 12 December. Women's Golf Nowra Club Champion, Sandra England will represent us at the Tournament in the Champion of Champions event and WGI Trophy winners Gloria Davis, Jill Levi, Cathy Ison and Sue Hunter are eligible to play for this prestigious trophy. Golf NSW Medal winners were Peta Merchant (Div 1), Val Wilson (Div 2) and Jeannette Bright and Rickie Gilligan (Div 3 joint winners) who are eligible to enter the District Medal Play off in their respective divisions. On Wednesday 11th October the District Foursomes Championships will be played as part of the WGI Tournament. This event will be played in divisions. Good luck to all who enter. WGN Championships Our 2017 Women's Club Championships will be bigger and better this year as we have been able to secure a new major sponsor in Bridges Financial Services Pty Ltd represented by Nerida Hicks and Simon Boom. Ray White Jervis Bay, represented by Loretta Nelson, and Colleen Campbell have also come on board to sponsor again this year. This generous sponsorship has ensured that we can conduct the competition in three divisions this year, reflecting the committee's philosophy of providing the opportunity for players of all levels to Spring Newsletter 2017 Page 6

7 compete on an equal basis. Our Championships are the climax of a year's golf in which we can try out our golfing prowess together with an ability to maintain our concentration over a 72 Hole stroke competition. It would be great to see all our playing members over the three divisions stepping up to support our sponsors and the committee's endeavours. It's a fantastic time of the year to be out on the course so your entry in this event will help to make it a success. The entry sheet will soon be available so keep an eye out in the women's club room. The Veteran Women's Championships will be played in conjunction with Rounds 1 and 3 and you need to qualify by having played five veterans' games on Tuesdays prior to the Championships. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - YOUR CLUB NEEDS YOU The time is nigh for nominations for the 2018 WGN Committee to be made. Our AGM will be held on 23rd November after the Captain versus President Match Play Day. It becomes more difficult each year to encourage members to join the committee to help out with the operations that go on behind the scenes. It's not "rocket science" but "many hands make light work. Please consider taking a position on our committee and helping out. November will also keep us very busy with Presentation of Championship Trophies, Medal of Medals and the finish of the eclectic and season's events. That then leaves only two events in December - a two Person Stableford Multiplier (you know 3 X 0 = 0 ) kindly sponsored by Wendy Phillips and our Closing Day with a 3 Club event and luncheon to finalise competition for Once again the year has flown!!!! Let's all do it again next year. See you on the red tees. Sue Hunter Women s Captain Spring Newsletter 2017 Page 7

8 From the Blue Tees - Men s Golf The winds of change have settled at the club and competitions are running smoothly. Thank you to our Saturday sponsors for their ongoing support. They are listed in our new program book so please make sure you support their businesses. As we move towards amalgamation a men s committee has been formed (the current Board) and will operate as a sub-club of Bomaderry Bowling Club in the future. This sub-club will operate alongside the Women s and Veterans sub-clubs. The Men s sub-club now has its own bank account which was initially funded by the closure of the jackpot account and the ball ledger account. From 1st July a portion of each competition green fee paid by competition players on Wednesdays and Saturdays is also allocated. This money is being used to fund some prizes, buy balls, trophies etc. You will have noticed balls are b e i n g h a n d e d o u t a t presentations on Wednesday and Saturday and can also be collected at designated times from the golf office. Please note balls are only kept for 12 weeks after which time they will be forfeited. Club Championships Beginning October 7, 2017 The Club Championships are starting on the 7th of October and are being sponsored by Darrian Hall (Shoalhaven McDonalds). To enter you must pay for all 4 rounds of the championships on the first day of play. Jackpot Hole: During the 4 rounds of the Men's Championships, the Jackpot will operate on the 4th, 12th and 16th holes, anyone within the 30cm on any of these holes will share in the daily $1000 worth of vouchers on offer. Twilight Competition Beginning October 15, Get your Team together Teams: Each team is to consist of a maximum of eight (8) players. Players can be anyone from anywhere. Beginners, juniors over the age of 10 years along with members and guests are encouraged to play. All players must be financial member of Nowra Golf & Recreation Club Ltd. Social membership One (1) year $ Cost: Team entry fee is $20.00 per player to be paid with lodgement of entry form together with evidence of membership of the club. (Membership number). Rounds: Full Golf Members of Nowra Golf Club: $5.00; Social members $ Spring Newsletter 2017 Page 8

9 Details: First 8 weeks Sunday 15th October 2017 to Saturday 9th December Christmas break then re-commence second 8 weeks Sunday 21st January 2018 to Saturday 17th March The competition will consist of nine (9) hole Single Stableford competition alternating weekly from the front 9 holes to the back 9 holes. The competition rounds can be played from Sunday to Friday each week in conjunction with any o t h e r c o m p e t i t i o n w h e re S i n g l e Stableford can be scored. Handicapping: All players with an official GA Handicap will use ½ of the handicap based upon the slope rating of Men 121, Women 125. Players with no official handicap will use either their previous handicap if they played previously in the twilight competition. New players will be handicapped after the first card (stroke only) and allocated a handicap subject to review weekly. Full rules and handicapping system available from Peter Done in the golf shop Team Entry Form Available from the Golf Club. Entries by Friday 13th of October Col Lo4 Men s Captain Spring Newsletter 2017 Page 9

10 From the Greenkeeper These past couple of months have been all about getting sorted for the warmer months to come. Although we have had a rough time with the winds, we have been doing our very best to keep the course in the best condition possible. The new fertilising program that has been put in place has been proven to be very effective so far. We have had soil tests taken and received very positive feedback with the graphs showing an increase in all key nutrients, and we have been told that there hasn t been such an increase like this in such a short period of time for well over 8 years at this course, so that is very promising! Although you may think that not much has changed on the surface, rest assured that a lot of good things are happening below the surface, which will in turn make for a less stressful summer. Now that it is starting to warm up, we have seen a great increase in the growth of grass on the new 6th green, which will be oversown in the next couple of weeks. In regards to the fairways, we have seen a large increase in the number of bindies growing, which looks very unsightly. We will be blanket spraying the fairways to alleviate this problem so that, come summertime, we won t have any issues. More importantly, on September the 18th, 19th and 20th our greens renovations will be taking place. This will involve coring all greens, fertilizing and topdressing. I encourage any members or volunteers to come down on those days and give the g r e e n k e e p e r s a h a n d shovelling cores etc. That would be a great help and will really speed up the process. As they say, Many hands make light work! For a couple of weeks after coring the putting surfaces won t be great. We do apologise for that but it s a small price to pay for the overall benefits that will come from renovations. Other than that, everything else is ticking along nicely. We haven t had any luck with new machinery but that is always something to look towards in the near future. We have also been looking further into the irrigation system and are hoping to get some quotes for irrigating the whole course. No more dragging hoses around all day everyday just to keep the greens from drying out! The many benefits of a complete system will come into play in the warmer months and should prevent the significant loss of turf that has occurred on the course in previous years. Spring Newsletter 2017 Page 10

11 On a final note I would just like to thank all those players who follow directives about not driving carts on tees and green surrounds, and leaving hoops in place. We don t put hoops and signs there to annoy you! They are there to stop wear and tear which ultimately makes for a much better course for you to play on. With your continued cooperation we will all have a course to be proud of. Kyle Williams Head Greenskeeper Course Critters Spring Newsletter 2017 Page 11

12 Veterans Bushcare Report Much of our time over the winter months has been spent eliminating the accumulated debris on the course and the riverbank, through burning. This had to be done in between rain, back in June, and the more recent high winds. Other projects recently undertaken include: * Removal of dead and dying wattles along the roadside bank. * Ongoing weed control along Wilson s Walk, the bank next to the road and above the road adjacent to the 16th fairway. * Planting another forty casuarina trees along the riverbank. We have had very few losses of young trees planted last spring, although the wombats seem to have taken a liking to the new leaves. * Carting debris to the specified burning area. * Planting replacement trees in the rainforest area near the 18th tee. Many thanks to the ladies for their ongoing upkeep of the clubhouse surrounds. This always creates a good first impression for visitors to our course. Also many thanks to the helpers at the working bee held in July. Your help certainly makes it easier for our small band to maintain the established garden areas around the course. John Pra4 Coordinator Spring Newsletter 2017 Page 12