Oatlands Enews – Friday 15th February 2019
Introduction from Sam Howe – New General Manager
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to the membership at Oatlands and thank the Board for the honour of being appointed the next General Manager at Oatlands Golf Club. My background in golf is that I grew up playing golf as a junior at Muirfield Golf Club before completing my PGA traineeship in 2000. Following the completion of my traineeship, I played the Pro Am circuit for a number of years before taking a role as the Head Professional at Glenmore Heritage Valley at the base of the Blue Mountains. I have found my way to OGC via roles at Bonnie Doon GC (Director of Golf), Woollahra GC (General Manager), a stint in London bars and restaurants (General Manager) and Elanora Country Club (Director of Operations / Assistant Manager). In short, I am a lifetime golfer with a passion for the Golf Industry and the special place that golf holds in the lives of Club members and social golfers alike.
While I am currently recovering from a back injury, I am very much looking forward to getting out on the Golf Course with as many members as possible over the coming weeks and months. I was fortunate enough to have two games at OGC back in January and am extremely impressed by the quality of the golf course following another difficult year in regard to weather. Many Clubs across Sydney are finding course maintenance tough going, particularly with regards to greens. In my opinion, this has a lot to do with Club’s not prioritising green health over green speed. In my first week at OGC, I have spoken to a number of members on their desire to have faster greens and while my inner golfer would love to play faster greens, I believe one of the main reasons the greens at OGC are so healthy is that Dom and his team have managed the health of the plant as a priority over cutting and rolling greens to within an inch of their lives.
Having worked alongside one of Australia’s leading greenkeepers at Elanora (Daniel Cook, formerly of Augusta National), I have witnessed first-hand industry best practice when it comes to course care and preparation, and while the budget for course care at a Club like Elanora is beyond the imagination of most Clubs, I couldn’t tell you how many times I have heard Daniel tell members that the secret to consistently good greens is prioritising plant health ahead of a stimp meter reading, so much so, that in my 4 years at the Club he never stimped the greens once.
One of my main objectives in the long-term at Oatlands is to stabilise the membership “churn” and re-instate an Entrance Fee befitting of a private Club like Oatlands. This would greatly reduce the attrition rate of new members and provide a more stable platform for the Club to plan and implement projects that improve the facility and add value for our loyal members. In the meantime, it is important for the Club to work hard on attracting new members and retaining existing members both new and long-standing. I believe this Club is uniquely placed in the Sydney golf market with a high quality private golf course, an array of interesting and well-priced member events, and perhaps most uniquely a virtually gender neutral membership structure. The Clubs progressive approach with regard to membership and access, which sees many lady golfers taking part in Saturday competitions, is well ahead of the curve in the wider Sydney golfing community, and I strongly encourage all members to recommend OGC to friends and family for Club membership, based on the camaraderie and inclusiveness that is obvious the moment you drive through the gate.
In closing, I would like to thank all the members I have met so far for their warm welcome, and to the outgoing General Manager Barnaby Sumner, for the thorough handover he has provided me. I would also like to extend an invitation to all members to stop by and say hello and to discuss all things Oatlands, as was the case with Barnaby, my door is always open.
Kind Regards and Good Golfing,
Sam Howe
General Manager
Rules Update
With the new Rules of Golf that came into effect on 1st January, the Club has received considerable feedback on a number of inconsistencies being applied across the membership. These primarily relate to the following changes:
- The new procedure for dropping a ball from knee height as opposed to shoulder height – Note: in the event of an incorrect drop a player may re-drop without penalty given they have not played a shot prior to correcting the error.
- Reduction in time for searching for a lost ball – Previously 5 minutes, now 3 minutes. Members are asked to diligently follow this change as it will assist Pace of Play and everyone’s enjoyment of their game.
- The flagstick can be left in when putting – Many members are used to having the flag taken out and there is an argument for wanting to remove an obstacle in the hole, however the main benefit of this rule is that golfers can putt without having to wait for someone to attend or remove the flag and members are asked to utilise this rule whenever possible.
- CORRECTING A MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE 2019 RULES OF GOLF – Our Club is one of many that has NOT adopted the 2019 Model Local Rule that provides an alternative to Stroke and Distance for a Lost Ball or Ball Out of Bounds. So, as has been the case in prior years, if your ball is lost or out of bounds, you MUST proceed under penalty of Stroke and Distance, applying Rule 18.2.
A new score card is now being used with revised local rules. We ask that you please ensure that you familiarise yourself with the local rules as printed on the back of the score card. To assist members understanding of the local rules, an expanded explanation of the Local Rules has been placed on the web site. The document can be viewed here: https://www.oatlandsgolf.com.au/cms/?p=680.
If your ball may be lost outside a penalty area or may be out of bounds, we encourage you in the strongest possible terms to announce and play a Provisional Ball before moving forward to search.
I refer all members to the following website which provides a detailed summary of the important new rules. These have been explained in recent editions of the eNews. https://www.golf.org.au/site/_content/document/00043354-source.pdf
Storm – Friday 8th February
Members would be aware that OGC were hit by another significant rain event on Friday 8th February. This storm once again caused substantial damage to many areas on the course and clubhouse with 52mm of rain falling in 30 minutes. Once again, the course staff have gone above and beyond to get the course playable the following day and back to pre-storm conditions within a week.
This clean up would not be possible without the tremendous input from the Clubs volunteers who once again were out in force. Another 20+ trailer loads of green waste were added to the pile adjacent to the 15th hole on Monday alone. This waste will be mulched in the coming week.
Hazardous Trees
Following the storm of last week, a number of trees have been assessed as a risk of coming down and therefore the area underneath them has been marked as GUR. An arborist will be on site this week to assess the respective trees and the required applications lodged to remove them as required. Members are asked to take care when venturing into treed areas especially during windy conditions.
Mixed Pennants
Well, what amazing and hard golf the team has played over the past few weeks. Round 4 we came up against a very determined Massey Park at their home ground. Not only did we have to contend with searing heat but scorching scores. Their team were on fire and we went down 5 – 0, with the reserves of Ben Mees and Viv McMahon being are only saviours.
Round 5 saw us wander up to the lovely Blue Mountains and to Springwood GC. The weather was perfect, but again it is always tough to play away. All matches were very closely contested with 3 halves a win and a loss, with the end result being a tied match. A quick congratulations to Chris Garland and Pixie Sasse who remain undefeated for the competition. Again, well done to our reserves Ben and Viv for another extended win on the 18th hole!
Our final match is this week at home. Let’s cheer everyone on to bring it home strong!
Debbie Jepson – Team Manager
Major Pennants
The men’s Major Pennant season commenced on Sunday, 10th February with our side venturing to Monash Country Club to play the hosts. Unfortunately, our side were unsuccessful going down 5 matches to 2 in a fixture that was closer than the result suggested. The team’s next match is at home on Sunday 17th February when we host the return match with Monash.
Volunteers
Time gets away from us, but we are only about four weeks (5) weeks away from Autumn course renovations (March 18th & 19th). Our process is refined, but we kindly ask any member who may have a spare few hours to assist with this process. If you have the time, please reach out to the Club through the main office or via email admin@oatlandsgolf.com.au to register your availability.
Lost Property
A reminder to all members that any lost property is to be returned to either the Professional Shop, Bar or Administration Office. Please ensure that lost items are reunited with their owners. Thank you!
Matt Seamons – Club Captain
On The Course
Rainfall for the week: 60mm Rainfall for 2019: 133mm Dam: 100% Green Speed 8.5 feet
- After the storm that lashed the course on Friday night, course staff members have spent the majority of the week cleaning up debris and repairing bunkers. The damage from this storm event was worse than the December storm, and has taken 4 days of hard work to get the course back into reasonable shape.
- Monday was spent cutting up fallen trees and branches and moving them to our ever expanding green waste pile. We were once again assisted by the volunteers who went above and beyond expectations. Repairs were also performed to the satellite box between the 8th and 10th fairways to restore automatic control of our greens pump, so that nightly watering could resume.
- Tuesday morning we started the arduous task of removing silt from bunker bases, pushing washed out sand back up onto faces, and then raking bases. The 37 degree day felt even hotter with the reflection from the sand in the bunkers. This process continued on Wednesday morning as well as today, with 5 bunkers still requiring attention. These will be repaired first thing Friday morning with all bunkers except the 10th fairway bunker back in play tomorrow.
The Course Team
Volunteers
Volunteers were on course Monday assisting with the clean-up of tree debris all day. Thank you once again gentlemen for your ongoing support!
A special thank you to the volunteers who backed up on Tuesday to blow and vacuum the fairway!
AROUND THE TRAPS
AC Berk Cup First Round Stroke – Saturday, 9th February
The hot weather continues and with it some hot golf as well, so please join me in congratulating the following members on their fine performances:
A Grade: Charlie Alam
B Grade: Pablo Hrdina
C Grade: Lin Chen
D Grade: Kevin Davey
Scratch: Charlie Kim
Ladies: Seon Mi Kim
Super Pin: Brad Doherty $352
St Hallett Open Day
Fancy a challenge? Then our St Hallett Open Days are the perfect opportunity to see if you can overcome some of the extremely challenging pin positions that are possible on our course. The following date has been scheduled: Friday, 8th March.
Don’t forget that players who are able to score 36 points or more are rewarded with 1 Dozen Pro V1’s. Jump online or contact the Professional Shop to make a booking.
Bistro on Bettington
The next event is scheduled for Wednesday, 27th February. Bookings are now open; the menu will be advised in next weeks E-news.
Chicken Run @ OGC
A huge thank you to all the brave souls who attended this event last week. The weather may not have been favourable but the golf was fantastic, six (6) frozen chooks were handed out and the meal was again of the highest quality. Well this event is back on Friday, 15th February. A reminder that you play 7 holes of golf (Commencing at 5.30pm) followed by a fantastic buffet dinner. The event will again be hosted by Rod Walsh who is looking forward to handing out some more frozen chickens at the end of the day. The cost of the event is $30pp and includes entry into the “Chicken Run” along with your meal and a drink voucher. We will be giving out prizes for the best Male and Female golfers and perhaps a few prizes for those who need a little encouragement. Play will be in 6’s so grab your friends and have some fun. Please jump on the website to reserve your place (There are already 50 people booked to attend so jump on the website to reserve your spot!).
Battle of the Sexes
The Battle of the Sexes for 2019 will take place on Sunday 27th February with a 12:30pm shotgun start followed by dinner. Join the team and try and earn bragging rights for the coming year. If your team loses and you’re not competing, you still suffer the bragging rights of the opposing sex.
OGC 2019 Easter Touring Party to Peninsula Kingswood
Every two (2) years the Club arranges a touring party to our reciprocal club Peninsula Kingswood and bookings for this event have just opened (April 18th to April 22nd) . As in previous years, we will not only enjoy the wonderful facilities on offer at Peninsula Kingswood but we will also enjoy some time at Barwon Heads along with 13th Beach. The General Manager will be arranging tee times on all four (4) days and there will also be group dinners each night, with all charges for golf & dinner (Food only) to be placed on to your member accounts. You will need to arrange transportation, accommodation and golf carts. Time is of the essence so please reach out to the Club with any questions you may have regarding this tour. Bookings close soon so please reach out to the office to confirm your place!
General
Plenty of great social events coming your way from the classic “Chicken Run” to “Bistro on Bettington” and “Battle of the Sexes”. Your Club is giving you plenty of reasons to attend and I ask all members to support these events.
The AC Berk Cup is just around the corner along with the Captain’s Cup, Autumn Medal and Memorial Bowl.
Good golfing and I look forward to seeing you at OGC!
George Isaac – Club President
Dear members, be one of the first to try the new Taylormade M5 & M6 metal woods at our Taylormade Demo Day at Oatlands on Thursday 21st February. Bookings are essential so head to our fixtures page and reserve a time. I’m sure you’ll just love the new technology…..It just keeps getting better!
“WHAT TAYLORMADE HAS DONE WITH INJECTED TWIST FACE IS ALLOW US TO HAVE A HOTTER FACE THAT FEELS MORE STABLE. THE FACT THAT IT’S AT THE LEGAL LIMIT AND THAT’S AS FAST AS YOU’RE GONNA GET… YOU’LL HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO BLOW IT BY YOUR COMPETITION WHEN YOU STEP UP TO THE TEE.””
– Tiger Woods
Steve Youdan – Director of Golf