Oatlands Enews – Friday, 26th April 2019
Content
This E-news covers the following topics:
- Change to Weekly Enews Communication
- Thursday Ladies Clinic and JDP with David Ecob – Starting 9th May
- From the Course
- Volunteer Update
- Pennant Player Profile – Tim Frazer
- Inside Golf – Club of the Month: May
- Club Dress Regulations
- Upcoming Demo / Fitting Days
- Rules of Golf – 12.2b – Touching Sand in the Bunker
- Upcoming Events
- Representative Teams
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Changes to Weekly Enews Communication
As previously communicated, this will be the last Enews in its current format. Following feedback from the membership, changes will be taking place to the weekly communication schedule commencing Friday 3rd May, with a rotating weekly focus for the Enews communication as follows:
Week 1: Enews – Story driven content including personality profiles
Week 2: Captain’s Letter – Course, Event and Rules related information. Including competition and Pennant updates
Week 3: Forthcoming Events – Communication relating to upcoming Club events including historical information on upcoming Club Trophies and past winners
Week 4: Pro Shop Newsletter – Coaching tips, equipment reviews, demo day information
Week 5: Member Survey – For those months that have five Friday’s you will receive a Member Survey on current happenings at the Club.
As always, member feedback on Club communication is encouraged. Please provide any feedback to the General Manager, Sam Howe at gm@oatlandsgolf.com.au
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Thursday Ladies Clinic and JDP with David Ecob – Starting 9th May
Following feedback from the membership, David Ecob will commence golf lessons on a Thursday from 9th May 2019, starting with a weekly ladies’ clinic from 3:00pm.
David’s schedule in the first 6-8 weeks of Thursday coaching will be as follows:
3.00 – 4.00pm, Ladies’ Golf clinic $15 per head.
4.00 – 5.00 pm, JDP Golf clinic.
5.00 – 5.30 pm, Private lesson.
These times will be monitored and more private lesson times added as demand increases.
For bookings, please contact the Pro Shop or visit the Club website by clicking here.
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From the Course
Most members would agree that the golf course is looking fantastic at the moment. With the greens having recovered from the March renovation in excellent condition, and ongoing warm weather seeing tees and fairways continuing to jump out of the ground.
At the Club’s recent Greens Committee meeting, the issue of bare patches was discussed with the priority fairways for re-turfing established. This programme will be carried over the coming months (as weather conditions and competing priorities allow). Course Superintendent, Dom Yates has put together an analysis of the potential causes and ongoing strategy for the long term improvement of these areas. This is outlined below:
A specialist from Living Turf has been on site to discuss the course and bare patches. The isolated bare patches are being caused by either Ground Pearl, African Black beetle; Argentinian Scarab beetle; kikuyu Mites; or a combination of all these pests. The Ground Pearl and beetle larvae attack the roots weakening the plant. The mites then come in and attack the plant leaf as the plant is already weakened, and then thirdly disease comes in and finishes the plant off.
The plan to control all these problems will be to select areas around the course and compare them to untreated patches for the success and continual update of the treatment process. In the next 2 to 3 weeks, we will apply a fungicide to control any disease present in these patches, and then add a miticide to control any mites that may also be present. The miticide will be reapplied 2 weeks after this initial application as the mite life cycle is very short, however millions of eggs are laid by every female.
When Spring arrives, we will target Ground Pearl, African Black beetle and Argentinian Scarab beetle. Two different insecticides will be applied separately, the first (Spinner) to try and control the Ground pearl. The second insecticide will be Acelepyrn for the treatment of African Black beetle and the Argentinian Scarab beetle. This has already been applied to the 17th fairway following re-turfing in this area which uncovered a significant concentration of the two beetles. This will provide our playing surfaces with season long control for African Black beetle and the Argentinian Scarab beetle. Mite control will also start again to keep their populations under control. To help these patches recover, we will avoid the use of growth regulator applications to allow them to recover unrestrained.
We will then monitor the treated areas and compare against untreated areas for ongoing refinement of the treatment process. It is hoped that this labour- intensive exercise will provide better playing surfaces for all members, decrease the amount of GUR areas to be marked, and reduce the need for regular re-turfing of these areas thus freeing up resources for the ongoing maintenance of the course.
Have a great weekend.
The Course Team
Volunteer Update
The Clubs volunteers have had a well earned break in the last few weeks with the US Masters Breakfast and Easter Monday getting in the way of their outstanding contribution. The volunteer activity will recommence on Monday 29th April at 7:00am. Any members wishing to join the volunteers are most welcome. Volunteer activities on Monday’s are followed by lunch and drinks supplied by the Club.
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Pennant Player Profile – Tim Frazer
If ever there was someone who meets the criteria of a “lifetime golfer”, it’s Tim Frazer.
Tim started playing golf at the ripe old age of 18 months and has been addicted ever since. Currently playing off a handicap of 1, slightly off his best handicap of +2, Tim has also played golf at a professional level prior to re-joining the ranks of amateur golf, and the membership and pennant team at Oatlands Golf Club in 2014. Tim is now one of the first players to be picked for the Oatlands GC Major Pennant team each year, and is amongst our top few players. Tim is also the reigning Club Champion and hopes to join the list of back to back winners when he defends his title later this year.
Current handicap: 1
Lowest handicap: +2
Best score at Oatlands: 68
Nickname: Fraze, T
What age did you start: 18 months
Personal golfing highlight: Playing professionally from 2011 to 2013 in the US and Australia
Favourite Tour Player: Australian: Adam Scott, International: Tony Finau
Favourite Golf Course you’ve played: Australia: Royal Adelaide, International: Pebble Beach
Interests: Cricket, Rugby League and going to the gym. Working on that short game whenever I have a chance!
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Inside Golf – Club of the Month: May 2019
Members will be pleased to see Oatlands Golf Club featured as the Club of the Month in the soon to be published May edition of the monthly Inside Golf magazine.
The article focuses on the inclusive culture of the Club along with the high quality of our facilities and some of the collaborative environmental projects the Club have underway.
We hope that members enjoy the article and that it represents the pride members have in their Club.
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Club Dress Regulations
Members are asked to please be mindful of the Club Dress Code. There have been a number of members and guests utilising the facilities in recent weeks who are not adhering to the Club standard. The Club Dress Regulations have evolved over time to keep pace with the changing face of golf, and the Board and Management believe that the dress regulations in place is one of the important aspects of maintaining the Clubs culture.
Please click here for more information on the Clubs dress code.
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Upcoming Demo / Fitting Days
The Oatlands Golf Club Pro Shop host regular Demo / Fitting Day in-conjunction with the leading Golf Club manufacturers.
These days are a great way to trial the latest technology on offer and get your next golf club purchase fitted specifically for your swing.
Upcoming Demo / Fitting Days are listed below with a link to the booking timesheet for each respective day:
Monday 29th April: Titleist – Click here to book
Thursday 9th May: PING – Click here to book
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Rules of Golf – 12.2b – Touching Sand in the Bunker
We all know you cannot ground your club in the bunker. But what about touching the sand in the bunker with your club during the backswing? Or leaning on your club resting in the sand while you wait to play?
Answer to question 1. When you are playing a shot in a bunker and you accidentally touch the sand while making your backswing. What is the ruling?
Unfortunately you are in breach of Rule 12-2b when you touch the ground in the bunker with your club before making your stroke. General penalty of 2 strokes! “But, isn’t my back swing part of the stroke?”, No, definitions tell us that “a stroke is the forward movement of your club made to strike the ball”.
Before making a stroke at your ball in a bunker, you must not touch the sand in the bunker with your club:
- In the area right in front of or right behind your ball (except as allowed in fairly searching for your ball or in removing a loose impediment or movable obstruction)
- In making a practice swing, or in making your backswing for a stroke
When you think about it, this makes perfect sense. If you had a chance, you could sweep your club back and make a nice clean and even lie for your ball in the bunker, especially if it was in the position in the illustration! Now that would not be fair!
Answer to question 2. Your mate, whose ball lies in a bunker casually leans on his club in the bunker while he waits for you to play your shot. Can he do that?
Well, physically I guess so. AND as far as the Rules of Golf go, Rule 12-2b(2) exception does allow you to lean on a club to rest, stay balanced or prevent a fall, BUT, you will get the general penalty “if your actions in touching the sand improve the conditions affecting your stroke“.
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Sunday 12th May: Mother’s Day Luncheon
Wednesday 29th May: Bistro on Bettington
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Ladies Pennant
No update as of the time of publication
Mens Pennant
Masters Pennant
The 2019 Masters Pennant kicks off on Sunday with Oatlands GC playing host to Windsor GC at 11am.
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Have a great weekend from the team at Oatlands.