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This week’s Enews covers the following topics:

• Covid-19 Operation Update
• From the Course
• Annual Report 2021
• Passing of an Oatlands Stalwart, Malcolm Darroch
• Oatlands Online Trivia
• OGC BBQ Ribs Night
• OGC Kitchen – Takeaway Menu

Covid-19 Operation Update

Hi Members,

We trust you are all doing well given the current state of restrictions in Greater Sydney.

I will attempt to provide a succinct overview of Covid-19 related items that are currently affecting the Club and its members below.

Current Restrictions and Access to OGC

• The current ‘Stay at Home’ restrictions for Greater Sydney and LGAs of Concern (including Paramatta) combine to limit access to OGC to those members that currently reside within 5kms of the furthest point of the golf course
• This has resulted in approximately 45% of our playing membership being unable to access the golf course
• This equates to over 440 members 

Timeswap Arrangements at Other Clubs

• OGC has timeswap arrangements in place with 14 other Golf Clubs
• These timeswaps are providing tee times for approximately 160 members per week
• These times are being allocated at each respective Club and then communicated Club to Club
• These times are being allocated on a rotation basis to those members that are eligible to play at each respective course based on their residential address in relation to the other Clubs LGA or 5km restrictions, along with additional priority given to those members that have had the least amount of access to OGC since the beginning of 5th July

We appreciate that all affected members are keen to get back to the sport they love, however, the provision of times when compared to the times being provided are only able to facilitate a game every couple of weeks (at best) for those currently affected. We ask for your patience as we do our best to get as many members access to another golf course as possible.

OGC Tee Times

• OGC is currently running timesheets from the 1st tee from 7am everyday
• Play is in groups of 2 (detail on expanding to groups of 4 will be provided under “Vaccination Status” further down)
• Commencing Wednesday 22nd September, tee times for the play of holes 12-18 will be available Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 7am to 8am. These times will facilitate access to the golf course for those members that reside within 5kms of the furthest point of these holes, some of whom are unable to play the full course due to this 5km restriction.

Vaccination Status

• OGC strongly encourages all members to get vaccinated
• There has been much discussion from the NSW Premier around the easing of restrictions being linked to “double dose” or “fully vaccinated” rates of 70% and 80%
• The current NSW Public Health Orders allow for exercise in groups of 5 if all individuals in the group are fully vaccinated. This does make some provision for golf in groups of 4, however, given the current status of demand for golf based on eligibility within the 5km restriction, there is no need for OGC to offer groups of 4 at this time.
• As soon as the Public Health Orders provide more of our members access to the course and we see subsequent pressure on timesheets (presumably when the state reaches the 70% rate of full vaccination), then we will make provision for groups of 4 fully vaccinated golfers to play.

Forecast for Easing of Restrictions

• The message from NSW Health has been that restrictions will start easing when the State gets to 70% vaccination, and then be further eased or lifted when we reach 80%
• The forecast from NSW Health is that 70% vaccination will be reached in mid-October
• At that time, we hope (expect) that there will be a significant change to the LGA and 5kms restrictions that will see all of our members once again being able to access their course and Club
• The detail and requirement regarding vaccination status at that time is yet to be established by NSW Health. The Club is in regular contact with Golf NSW, the Golf Managers Association and the PGA, and will work within the legislation and guidance from these associations to ensure a return to safe and normal operation at the earliest opportunity

We will continue to provide members with updates on the NSW Health Orders, status of the Club operation, and most importantly access to OGC for our members, as new information comes to hand.

In the meantime, our thoughts are with all of you who are currently unable to access the Club. We hope that we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel and that we will soon be able to welcome all of our members back to the Club without restriction.

Sincerely,

Sam Howe
General Manager – On behalf of the Board, Management and Staff of OGC.

From the Course

Rainfall for the Week: 16.0mm,  Rainfall for 2021: 768.5mm   Dam: 100%   Green Speed: 9 feet

Another productive week on the course for the team, with our focus directed towards the bunkers in the rejuvenation program. As a result, we have prepared the surrounds and laid turf around the 6^th, 9^th and LHS 8^th bunkers. The surrounds of the RHS 8^th, both bunkers on the 10^th and the 11^th have also been prepared for turf to be laid early next week. Once the turf has been laid around these bunkers, we will then start the preparation of the 2^nd bunker surrounds for turfing to be completed the week of September 27^th. This will mean the first part (establishing the Zoysia surrounds) will have been completed in a 4 week period.

The new couch which was laid on the 11^th, 17^th and 18^th collars and surrounds has all taken root, and the collar sections on the 11^th and 18^th have had their first cut this week at 13mm with our fairway mower. They handled this well and will now receive some top dressing to even out any uneven areas. The kikuyu on the women’s 11^th tee also had its first cut this week, also at 13mm with the fairway mower. It has been top-dressed today with a fertiliser application planned for this morning. This tee should be back in play in 2 weeks’ time.

The 16^th flyover area has been aerated today, and top dressed with sand that we salvaged from the bunkers. The 15^th championship tee and the 18^th tee complex was cored, with fertiliser to be applied to all tees and the 16^th flyover this morning.

All greens were dusted (light top-dressing) on Monday morning, with the 16mm of rain on Monday night / Tuesday morning, ideal for settling this sand into the surface. The height of cut is down to 3mm so the speed of the greens should start to increase from now. Fertiliser and insecticide applications are being made in front of play which requires watering in, therefore the early morning golfers may see the sprinklers on from time to time.

We have scarified the collars this week which has improved the appearance of these areas. The turf leaf in these areas gets pushed down from traffic over the winter months when the couch turf goes into dormancy. It has been quite surprising to see just how much turf is still in these collars after it has been scarified. The scarifying removes any dead material on these surfaces which may be impeding water and nutrient movement, as well as any early season new growth from occurring.

Many members showed their appreciation over the weekend whilst we were hand watering all the new turf, for the work we had completed during the course closure. We thank you for your kind words or encouragement.

Enjoy the weekend!

The Course Team.

Annual Report 2021

The Club’s Annual Report, Annual General Meeting Notice, and Director Nominations were distributed to all eligible voting members via email today.

Given the current status of the Covid-19 restrictions, and the forced closure of the Clubhouse, it is almost certain that this year’s Annual General Meeting will held electronically. Details of the online meeting and registration will be sent to all eligible members in the coming fortnight.

A copy of the Club’s Annual Report can be accessed by clicking on the link below, along with Director Nominations for 2021-22;

Oatlands Golf Club Annual Report 2021

Director Nominations 2021-22

Passing of an Oatlands Stalwart, Malcolm Durroch

Long time member of Oatlands Golf Club, multiple Club Champion and Foursomes Champion, Doctor Malcolm Darroch passed away in Bega hospital on the weekend aged 87.

Malcolm captained Oatlands’ Senior Pennant (now called “Major Pennant”) team for many years. Playing usually at number 1 to number 3 with his beloved pipe gripped between his teeth, he lost very few of his matches. Possessed of a wonderful albeit cryptic sense of humour, he was loved and respected by all and sundry. Not a regular golfer, he was more than competent borne out by a 6 under par (66) round he had at The Commonwealth Golf Club during one of our many visits to the Victorian sand belt courses. Also a handy boxer in his earlier days he once held the navy welterweight title whilst ensconced at the Jervis Bay Navel Facility.

He was a real character and a great credit to Oatlands Golf Club. Probably only about 20 or so members at the Club would remember him though, as he relocated to Tura Beach some 20 years ago. I kept in touch with him through email. With his cutting sense of humour, his hair lip, his ever present pipe and his very British accent, he was one of a kind.

Just a bloody good bloke.

Written and provided by Bill Tunks (thanks Bill).

OGC Online Trivia

In recent years, the OGC Trivia Nights have become one of our more popular Club events. With the unfortunate closure of the Clubhouse during the current lockdown, but also during the 2020 lockdown, the popular event has been cancelled twice in the last 18 months.

As a bit of fun, our Clubhouse Manager (Karah Chapman) and Events Supervisor (Kelly Roveto), have put together an online trivia package for members to play at home.

This trivia activity can be accessed via the link below:

Oatlands GC Virtual Trivia

OGC BBQ Ribs Night

OGC Kitchen – Takeaway Menu