Oatlands Enews – Friday 18th August 2023

Content

This week’s Enews covers the following topics:

  • Full Membership – Closing Soon
  • Golf Cart GeoFence Action Zones – Effective Thursday 24th August
  • From the Course
  • Captain’s Corner – Tee Time Arrival
  • PING and Titleist Fitting Days 
  • Club Closure for Course Renovations – Monday 21st – Wednesday 23rd August inclusive
  • Mixed PGA Scramble – Friday 15th September
  • Upcoming Member Events:  August – September
  • Recent Trophy Event Winners
  • Upcoming Trophy Events
  • Members Only Facebook Group

Full Membership – Closing Soon

The Membership Committee is pleased to advise members that our Full-Playing Membership (7-day membership including; Full, Senior-Full, Intermediate and Junior) is once again nearing capacity, which is well ahead of the post renewal forecast which we predicted the capacity wouldn’t be reached until November.

At the time of writing there are only 4 spaces available in our Full-Playing Membership categories. This is a fantastic position for the Club to be in and builds on the momentum generated over the last 4-years whereby Joining Fees have been reinstated and a waitlist reached for the fourth consecutive year. 

Any 6-Day and Lifestyle member wishing to upgrade to Full-Playing membership is encouraged to do so as soon as possible, as once the last spaces are filled and a waitlist commences, there is unlikely to be availability until the 2024-25 renewals in March / April 2024.

Thank you to all those members that have recently joined our wonderful Club, and to those existing members that have proposed and seconded new members.

For more information on membership, please contact Membership Co-ordinator Kathy Bright by phone or email; admin@oatlandsgolf.com.au.


Golf Cart GeoFence Action Zones – Effective Thursday 24th August

As previously advised, the GeoFence “Action Zones” for the new cart fleet will become active on Thursday 24th August.

The Action Zones are areas of the golf course where cart behaviour is managed. The management of cart behaviour in these areas includes the following:

  • Cart Speed Restriction: From full speed (18km / hr) down to 3kms / hr with nine speed increments in-between
  • Full Restriction: Carts entering these zones will automatically stop and will need to be reversed out

The Action Zones have been setup to manage cart wear and tear on the golf course and to maximise safety of cart use for the driver, passenger and golfers walking the course.

The primary use of Action Zones at Oatlands has been setup as follows:

  • To prevent carts from crossing yellow lines on the approach to greens
  • To direct carts away from sensitive areas and pinch points
  • To prevent carts from driving on tee boxes
  • To slow down carts in high foot traffic areas

The process of mapping and defining the Action Zones has been assessed and reviewed by the Captain, Greens Chairman, General Manager, Course Superintendent and Golf Operations Manager, and has been tested by the General Manager and Golf Operations Manager. While we expect the system will function as intended, the setup is complex, and therefore if cart users experience any difficulties, please report them to the Pro Shop so that the setup can be reviewed and issues resolved.

We thank all cart users in advance for their assistance, and look forward to the benefits this system will provide the golf course, and also our members, in more regular cart availability in weather sensitive conditions.


From the Course

Rainfall for the Week: 21.0mm,  Rainfall for 2023: 596.5mm, Dam: 100%   Green Speed: 10.0 feet

As advised last week, the course team has been able to mini hollow core all greens this week, which is the first stage of this year’s spring greens renovations. These small cores were tidied up and the holes left open to allow air and water movement through the top section of the soil profile. We have applied half of the required fertiliser to all greens, with the other half to be applied next week after the greens have been top-dressed and solid tined.

Some early renovation work was performed to the 14th collar last Friday to remove the dirt/mud material which was covering this surface. This material was stunting growth and producing an undesirable playing surface. The collar and apron were heavily scarified with verti cutting blades, the Ventrac broom then swept over these surfaces removing more dead material, and last of all the leftover stubble was scalped down using a rotary mower. This process was then repeated on the 7th and 10th collars on Monday, removing a lot of dead material from these areas as well.

On Tuesday morning we continued this work down on the 8th collar and realised that even more material could be removed but the machines weren’t able to remove as much as we wanted. We then started using a jet nozzle on our hoses and this removed the remaining material and produced a nice clean surface at the same time. This new process was repeated on the 11th, 12th, 18th and chipper green collars, and will continue during the course closure period for renovations next week. It is an intensive process with each collar taking 3 hours to complete, without any interruptions from members play. Please see the video at the bottom of this Course Report for insight into the process.

The low limbing of tree branches has continued this week with plenty of branches being removed to allow more sunlight through onto surfaces. We thought we had an irrigation leak on the 1st fairway this week, but after some digging around, we discovered it was the old bubbler line that was the problem. The team has repaired this leak and the hole will be backfilled on Friday.

Our volunteers were on course Monday morning helping with the hollow coring of greens, high pressure cleaning areas around the clubhouse and clubhouse maintenance work. Thank you gentlemen for your assistance, its always very much appreciated!

Greens will be cut on Saturday and Sunday. Have a great weekend and happy golfing!

The Course Team.



Captain’s Corner – Tee Time Arrival

Rule 6 – Commencement of Play

Over a period of time, it has become apparent that some members are not abiding by the Rules of Golf and the Rules set out by the Match Committee as to their requirements prior to starting play.

It is a requirement that the Committee provide each player with all the conditions that apply on the day, including score cards, if applicable, conditions of the day, such as the event, and tee colours, and any special conditions of the day, which are detailed on the Notice Board.

It is a players responsibility to ensure that they are fully aware of all the above conditions of play of the day prior to commencing their game of golf.

The Committee has long stipulated that a player must report to the Pro-Shop at least 10 minutes before the allocated tee time for a number of reasons. These include but not limited to, ready and available to play, payment of their competition fees, is aware of conditions of the day and to be available when called to the tee.

Over the past couple of months, a small number of players are arriving well inside the 10 minute requirement, and in a number of cases walking straight to the allocated tee, and having playing partners wait for the late player to become organised. The impact of this is such that there is an effect to the whole field, without providing Pro Shop staff adequate time to address the issue before it becomes a problem.

The matter has been discussed at the Match Committee, and in order for all players to play, taking consideration the possible impact to all other Members, the following will be put in place effectively immediately;

A member, which also includes social play, that fails to report to the Pro-Shop 10 minutes before their allocated time will have their tee time reallocated to a time that fits with their arrival at the Pro-Shop of all members of the group. This could result in a tee time at least 1-2 group after that of the original booking, or in the event that the late arrival occurs for an original booking at the end of the field, could result in no provision for an alternate time.  Reports to the Pro Shop that a member is “on their way” will not be accepted, all golfers must report in to the Pro Shop no later than 10-minutes prior to their designated tee time.

Col McRae
Club Captain


PING and Titleist Fitting Days

The Pro Shop will be running a series of Fitting Days with two of the biggest equipment manufacturers in golf over the coming month.

These days are a great opportunity to road test the latest technology with instant feedback from the expert Club fitters on hand and the latest launch monitor technology, to identify the incremental improvements that new equipment can produce.

The following days, dates and times are available:

PING – Tuesday 5th September: 8am – 11am

TITLEIST – Tuesday 12th September: 9am – 1pm

Bookings are essential and can be made online through the Club’s website or by contacting the Pro Shop.

Bookings times are on the hour, however as a general rule, the following timing is required:

  • Driver or Fairway Wood Fitting – 30 Minutes
  • Iron Fitting – 45 Minutes
  • Full Set Fitting – 1 Hour

Club Closure for Course Renovations – Monday 21st – Wednesday 23rd August inclusive

Members are advised that the Club’s bi-annual Course Renovation is scheduled for Monday 21st August – Wednesday 23rd August inclusive.

This renovation is, to a degree, reliant on suitable weather conditions, and as such, there is a possibility the intended schedule may be extended at short notice to ensure a full renovation is possible. Given the stress the golf course has been under due to a high volume of traffic, it is vitally important the upcoming renovation is completed in full.

All Club facilities (including Clubhouse, Admin, Pro Shop, Practice Facilities) will be closed during the renovation.


Mixed PGA Scramble – Friday 15th September

Oatlands will be running a Mixed PGA (formerly Holden / VW) Scramble on Friday 15th September, 8am shotgun start.

The event will be open to male and female, members and guests, and requires a minimum of one member per team to qualify in the 4 person Ambrose format.

The cost is $75 for members and guests (the majority of the fee going to the PGA).

All participants will receive a bacon & roll on arrival and a Callaway gift pack.

Registration for the OGC Mixed PGA Scramble is done though the PGA event portal which is accessible by clicking here.

Subject to the number of entries received, it is hoped that OGC will qualify two teams for the Regional Final where the qualifiers will be joined by one of the Club’s PGA Professionals.

Click here for event terms and  conditions.

 




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:

  • 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

Recent Trophy Event Winners

No Trophy events were decided in the last week.


Upcoming Trophy Events

Men’s

  • Monday 21st – Wednesday 23rd August inclusive – Renovations: Course and Club Closed
  • Saturday 2nd September – HP Evans Knockout QF
  • Saturday 9th September – HP Evans Knockout SF 
  • Saturday 16th September – HP Evans Knockout Final
  • Saturday 23rd September – Club Championship Medal Rnd 1 of 2

Ladies

  • Monday 21st – Wednesday 23rd August inclusive – Renovations: Course and Club Closed
  • Thursday 31st August – Captain’s Cup Rd1
  • Thursday 7th September – Captain’s Cup Rd2
  • Thursday 14th September – Captain’s Cup Rd3
  • Thursday 21st September – Captain’s Cup Final
  • Thursday 28th September  Medal

Mixed

  • 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 inter-generational 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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