Oatlands Enews – Friday 28th July 2023

Published on 28th July 2023 in E-News, Guests

Content

This week’s Enews covers the following topics:

  • New Cart Fleet with GPS and Change to Medical Cart Policy
  • Full-Playing Membership Nearing Capacity 
  • From the Course
  • Muirfield Interclub – It’s Hard to beat the Home Side
  • No Look Birdie and Celebration – Salim Rahmati
  • Mixed Foursomes Championships – Sunday 6th August
  • Upcoming Member Events – July and August
  • Course Care – A Simple Message
  • Pennant Update
  • Recent Trophy Event Winners
  • Upcoming Trophy Events
  • Family Membership Incentive – 50% Joining Fee Reduction for Immediate Family
  • Members Only Facebook Group

New Cart Fleet with GPS and Change to Medical Cart Policy

We are excited to announce that our new cart fleet, with state-of-the-art in-built GPS technology, will be arriving on Tuesday, 1st August.

GPS-Equipped Golf Carts:

The arrival of these new golf carts with GPS marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to improve our Club’s facilities and offer you the best possible golfing experience. The GPS technology integrated into the carts will provide several benefits to enhance the user experience and provide protection for the golf course:

  1. Geo-Fencing Protection: The GPS system comes with advanced geo-fencing technology, which ensures protection for our golf course. The system will create virtual boundaries, or “Action Zones,” around sensitive parts of the course. This means that the golf carts will be guided and restricted from entering these areas, ensuring the preservation of these critical sections and maintaining the course’s integrity.
  2. Improved Course Navigation: The in-built GPS will provide detailed course maps, precise yardages, and valuable tips to help you make well-informed decisions on each hole. This feature will undoubtedly add a new level of convenience and precision to your game, allowing you to focus on your performance and enjoy the course to the fullest.
  3. Wet Weather Course Access: With the geo-fencing technology, we will be able to grant more access to the golf course during wet weather conditions. The GPS-equipped carts will be able to navigate designated paths and areas that are less susceptible to damage in inclement weather. This means you will have more opportunities to play even when the weather is less favourable.

Changes to Medical Cart Provision and Pricing:

As we introduce these new GPS-equipped golf carts, we have carefully considered the existing medical cart provision. After extensive consideration, we have decided to make some adjustments to the medical cart policy in place.

Starting from Thursday 24th August, the GPS Action Zones will be activated, and the current provision of a “Medical Cart Only” restriction will cease to be an option for protecting the course. Instead, golf carts will either be:

  • Allowed on the course unrestricted; or
  • Allowed with access restricted to sensitive parts of the golf course through the geo-fence “action zones”; or
  • Carts off

Hence, carts will effectively be ON, or carts will be OFF. 

This means that when wet conditions allow carts on the golf course, all cart users will still be able to enjoy the benefits of the GPS-equipped carts, however will be guided away from designated sensitive areas. 

Our primary goal in making these changes is to strike a balance between providing course access to all members while ensuring the preservation of our beloved golf course.

Medical Cart Pricing:

The Club currently operates a two-tiered medical cart pricing:

  • Casual Medical Cart Hire Rate – $30 / 18-holes
  • Annual Medical Cart Hire Rate – $1,845 per annum

In-conjunction with the implementation of the GPS and Action Zones (24th August 2023), the Casual Medical Cart option will be removed.

Members who utilise a golf cart regularly on medical grounds will have the option of the Annual Medical Cart Hire, which for members who play an average of 1.5 times a week, works out to be just under $24 / 18-holes.

The standard rate for cart hire will remain at $37.50 / 18-holes.

The Board and Match Committee appreciate your understanding of the changes to the medical cart policy in-conjunction with the arrival of the new cart fleet and believe that these changes strike a suitable balance between the needs of the membership and the demands of cart usage on the golf course and will produce a positive outcome for all members going forward.

If you have any questions relating to the new cart fleet, changes to medical cart policy, or wish to apply for an annual Medical Cart, please contact General Manager, Sam Howe for more information.

Full-Playing Membership Nearing Capacity

We hope this message finds you in high spirits and enjoying your time at Oatlands Golf Club. We are pleased to announce that our Club’s full playing membership is once again nearing its capacity due to the overwhelming support and enthusiasm from our valued members like you.

In light of this encouraging development, we would like to extend a warm invitation to all our members who wish to introduce their friends and family to the fantastic experience offered by our Club. We encourage you to seize this opportunity early to avoid any potential disappointment. Introducing your loved ones to Oatlands Golf Club not only enriches our community but also ensures that they become part of the close-knit golfing family that we take great pride in.

Furthermore, we would like to remind you of our exclusive Family Incentive, specially designed to make the membership process even more rewarding. As per the Family Incentive, immediate family members of existing full playing members are eligible for a remarkable 50% reduction on the Entrance Fee when they join our Club. This offer presents an excellent chance to bond over shared golfing experiences while making the most of our exceptional facilities and amenities.

To avail of this limited-time offer and secure your friends’ and family’s membership, we kindly request you get in touch with our membership team at your earliest convenience. Our team will be delighted to assist with the application process and provide any necessary information.

We greatly appreciate your continued support in making Oatlands Golf Club the vibrant and inclusive community that it is today. Let us together continue to strengthen the spirit of camaraderie and sportsmanship that defines our Club.

From the Course

Rainfall for the Week: 6.5mm,  Rainfall for 2023: 568.0mm, Dam: 100%   Green Speed: 10.5 feet

The course team has performed some intricate spraying this week using light rates of Glyphosate (Roundup) on tee complexes and finishing off this spraying on the greens collars. Taking advantage of the later tee start on Tuesday morning, all tee complexes were sprayed to control any Winter grass and kikuyu weeds in these couch areas. Not only did we have to complete this work before the first group of golfers, but staff had to also perform their usual maintenance work before and after with caution so that the herbicide wasn’t tracked to non-target areas by their boots or by the wheels of vehicles should they drive through and over a sprayed area. We are fairly confident we had a successful morning and avoided any major tracking events, but we will only know for sure in a few weeks’ time when any wheel or foot marks will start to appear.

Some of our tee gardens have received some TLC this week with the Lomandra’s at the 6th tee being trimmed up and weeds in this garden sprayed, and the long garden behind the 8th green having all the leaf litter and sticks removed to tidy up the appearance of this garden. The mulched area along the fence line on the 12th hole has been refreshed, initially by our volunteers and finished off by the course staff. The mulch area between the 13th and 17th holes will also be freshened up as soon as we receive more mulch from the local arborists. 

All fairways and tees have been mown this week to tidy up their appearance. A carbon based product and black line-marking paint has been applied to tee pads to attract as much heat from the sunny days to keep soil temperatures as elevated as possible. This won’t necessarily promote any growth of the couch on the tees at the moment, but it may aid growth sooner than usual when the night-time temperatures start to increase, as the soil temperatures won’t have to increase as much as they would’ve in the past.

We are planning to start working on the right hand side of the 7th green area next week which will again see the use of the stockpiled material from the 8th flyover. The first stage will be the addition of another fairway sprinkler head near this area to maintain moisture levels in the soil profile. The whole area will be rotary hoed, and the stockpiled material will be transported over and shaped into place before new turf is laid over all the new works.

Our volunteers were on course Monday morning performing a bunker run for the competition players before starting the re-mulching of the fence line on the 12th hole. Thank you to everyone that attended!

Greens will be cut on Saturday and Sunday.

Have a great weekend and happy golfing!

The Course Team.

Muirfield Interclub – It’s Hard to beat the Home Side

 

The Oatlands ladies travelled to neighbouring Muirfield GC on Tuesday for the annual Oatlands vs Muirfield Interclub. The home side proved their mettle and showcased their local knowledge, and emerged victorious, securing a solid 338 to 290 triumph over our Ladies. The standout performers from Oatlands were Linda Gyzen and Chris McRae, who demonstrated exceptional skills and emerged as the top OGC scorers of the day. 

 

No Look Birdie and Celebration – Salim Rahmati

The video below was pulled from the CCTV on Sunday 18th July at the request of one of our members, Salim Rahmati, the subject of the video.

In NBA basketball style, Salim holes a “no look” putt on the 18th green while eye-balling a fellow member (all in good fun) and then proceeds to celebrate as only Salim can.

Thanks to Salim for allowing the use of this fun video!

Mixed Foursomes Championships – Sunday 6th August

Sunday 6th August will play host to the Club’s Annual Mixed Foursomes Championships. This 36-hole event under the alternate shot format of Foursomes is one of the most challenging and rewarding on the Club’s golfing programme.

The timesheet for the event will open on Saturday 29th July, however members are encouraged to plan ahead and organise partners prior to the timesheet opening.

Members are also reminded that the Conditions of Play for this event dictate that players wishing to be eligible for the gross event and need to ride in a cart, are required to get special approval for the use of a cart. This includes those members with a standard medical cart approval.

Some key Conditions of the event are listed below along with a list of last years winners:

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS
• The handicap of the team is half the aggregate of both partner’s playing handicaps. The handicap of both players
must be recorded on the card.
• Handicap is the aggregate of the team handicap divided by two
• The format is a Stroke event played with a partner, and using only one ball.
• The partners are required to hit off from alternate tees. In the morning round, male members hit off
the odd tees, female members hit off the even tees. In the afternoon round male members hit off the
even tees, female members hit of the odd tees.
• Once a player has teed off, the partners strike the ball alternately until the hole is completed. This
alternate striking of the ball continues even if a penalty is incurred.
• Scoring is identical to the method used for Stroke events. 

Upcoming Member Events: August – September

The Club has lots of fantastic events coming up for members and guests and we encourage members to take part in the Club’s diverse offering.

Following the recent member survey regarding event ideas, we will be adding to the list of event types below as the year progresses, however for the time being, please see the upcoming events for August and September:

  • Friday 11th August, Winter Eats & Beats, from 4pm – Bookings not required
  • Saturday 19th August, The Bettington, 6pm, 6:30pm, 7pm, 7:30pm – Booking required
  • Friday 25th August, 500 Social Cards Evening, 6:30pm – 9:30pm – Booking Required
  • Wednesday 30th August, The Bettington, 6pm, 6:30pm, 7pm, 7:30pm – Booking required
  • Sunday 3rd September, Father’s Day Lunch, 1pm – Booking required
  • Friday 8th September, Winter Eats & Beats, from 4pm – Bookings not required
  • Friday 15th September, PGA Scramble, Booking required
  • Saturday 16th September, The Bettington, 6pm, 6:30pm, 7pm, 7:30pm – Booking required
  • Friday 22nd September, Karahoke, – Booking required
  • Wednesday 27th September, The Bettington, 6pm, 6:30pm, 7pm, 7:30pm – Booking required

Course Care – A Simple Message

One of our members posted this image (taken from Twitter) to our Members Only Facebook group during the week, with a simple message for Course Care that we all should adhere to;

Pennant Update

Bronze I Pennant

The Ladies  Bronze I team travelled to North Ryde last Friday (21st July) to take on Ryde-Parramatta. Unfortunately our ladies suffered a narrow loss 3 matches to 2. OGC is hosting Bronze I today and therefore our side has a bye this week.

 

Eric Apperly Shield

The Oatlands GC Eric Apperly Shield (21 years and under) side played their third match of the season on Sunday (23rd July) against Liverpool GC at Oatlands.

Our young side played extremely well and came away with 5 matches to 1 victory.

This Sunday we play at North Ryde GC vs Manly GC at 11:19am.

Our team list below in order of play.

  1. Wil Reece (C)
  2. Sam Reece 
  3. Brad Hooper
  4. Christian Rees
  5. Isabelle Myeong
  6. Thomas Reicher

Recent Trophy Event Winners

Ladies Crystal Bowl

Congratulations to Soreen Ferm for winning the annual Crystal Bowl on Thursday 27th July with a score of 38 points.

Upcoming Trophy Events

Men’s

  • Saturday 29th July – Legacy Cup
  • Saturday 5th August – Presidents Cup
  • Saturday 12th August – HP Evans Knockout Qualifying
  • Monday 21st – Wednesday 23rd August inclusive – Renovations: Course and Club Closed

Ladies

  • Thursday 3rd August – Club Medal
  • Thursday 17th August – Club Medal
  • Monday 21st – Wednesday 23rd August inclusive – Renovations: Course and Club Closed
  • Thursday 31st August – Captain’s Cup Rd1

Mixed

  • Sunday 30th July – WS Targett Fourball Knockout Final
  • Sunday 6th August – Mixed Foursomes Championship
  • Monday 21st – Wednesday 23rd August inclusive – Renovations: Course and Club Closed

Family Membership Incentive – 50% Joining Fee Reduction for Immediate Family

The Board and Membership Committee of Oatlands Golf Club are pleased to announce a new membership initiative designed to encourage immediate family of our existing membership to join our wonderful Club.

Starting 1st July, all immediate family of an existing member in any of the Club’s playing membership categories, will be eligible for a 50% reduction to the joining fee of the respective category in which they join.

Eligibility criteria are listed below:

  • Must be in one of the following relationships with a current Playing Member of the Club.
  • Spouse including defacto*
  • Children including in-law relationships*
  • Parents including in-law relationships*
  • Siblings

* Defacto and in-law relationships require verification via a shared address on a photo ID or marriage certificate.

This is an exciting opportunity for existing members of the Club and one that we hope will continue to build the strong family and intergenerational culture that is one of the hallmarks of OGC.

For further information on this incentive or to make an application, please contact Kathy Bright via email: administration@oatlandsgolf.com.au or by phoning the Club Reception.

Members Only Facebook Group

The engagement among the membership on our Members Only Facebook group has continued to grow in recent months with posts from members and staff happening daily. 

So if you aren’t already part of our Members Only Facebook Group, join up now and join in the fun banter.

We now have over 380 members who have joined the group and hope to see this get closer to 700 in the next 12-months.

Importantly, members are advised that this social media platform will not be used for the Club to communicate critical information, that will remain via the Enews, website and direct email however, it is a place that members and the Club can post interesting Club and golf related items to compliment this Enews.

To join the Members Only Facebook Group please click on the link below and then 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/

 

 

 

 

 

 

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