Oatlands Enews – Friday 13th October 2023

Published on 13th October 2023 in E-News, Guests

Content

This week’s Enews covers the following topics:

  • Elected Office Bearers for 2023-24
  • Modified Office Hours – Monday 16th – Monday 30th October 2023
  • From the Course
  • Take Care of our Turtles
  • Monday and Thursday Competition Trial: Starts 20th November
  • Annual Presentation Dinner – Saturday 4th November
  • Join Our Course Volunteer Group
  • Melbourne Cup Luncheon – Tuesday 7th November 2023
  • Nine, Wine & Dine – Starts October 2023
  • Grooves and Greens – Friday 17th November, Free Outdoor Music Event
  • Upcoming Member Events:  October 
  • Recent Trophy Event Winners
  • Upcoming Trophy Events
  • Members Only Facebook Group

Elected Office Bearers for 2023-24

The following Office Bearers of Oatlands Golf Club Ltd were formally elected at the 90th Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, 11th October 2023.

President: George Isaac
Vice-President: Matthew Seamons
Captain: Colin McRae
Vice-Captain: Peter O’Donnell
Treasurer: Robert Hollings
Director: Mark Clout
Director: Ben Mees
Director: Bill Mitchell
Director: Paula Skelton

It should be noted that Tony Groth stood down as Treasurer this year after 16 years on the Board (15 of these as Treasurer) and an immeasurable contribution to the sustainability and success of the Club during this time.

Modified Reception / Office Hours: Monday 16th – Monday 30th October 2023

Members are advised that office hours for the period Monday 16th October 2023 to Monday 30th October inclusive will be 9.30am to 2.30pm due to staff annual leave. If you would like to pay your account outside of those hours, please see the Bar or Proshop staff. If you call Reception outside of those hours, please leave a message and we will respond the next day when the office is attended.

From the Course

Rainfall for the Week: 1.0mm,  Rainfall for 2023: 695.5mm, Dam: 95%   Green Speed: 10 feet

A productive week for the course team this week with the assistance of our volunteers on Monday morning. All of the 5th collar was cut out, removed and re-turfed with new Santa ana couch. The 7th collar had all but the front section cut out and replaced as well, with the new turf being an instant improvement. The 5th hole was out of play on Monday through to Wednesday to allow this work to be completed uninterrupted, and to give this new turf a few days to settle in before being exposed to any traffic from golfers. This work will continue next week with the 2nd collar planned to be replaced. Other collars to be included in some form of replacement will include the 4th, 6th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, and 15th.

Growth regulator applications have begun on fairways and roughs this week with the back 7 holes all completed. A pre-emergent herbicide has also been added to the tank mix to ensure that these playing surfaces remain as weed free as possible. The pre-emergent being used this time will have a longer residual on surfaces and should provide weed control for the remainder of summer. We are also adding pigment and an iron based fertiliser to the tank mix which is leaving the fairways and roughs with a deep green colour a day or two after the application.

Our greens are in great shape and can handle any hot weather conditions which seem to be coming through once a week at the moment. During October and November, we try and toughen the greens up for the summer ahead by pushing them in regard to moisture levels, in an effort to force the turf roots to go deeper into the soil profile searching for moisture. The root systems will naturally shorten over the summer months as the turf battles its way through unfavourable growing conditions, therefore getting them as deep as we can now, will have benefits later in summer.

The night time temperatures are starting to consistently stay in the teens which then causes the soil temperatures to increase as well. This week we have seen some greening up of the dormant collars with any significant recovery growth on these surfaces only a fortnight away, provided the trend with the night-time temperatures continues.

Our volunteers were back on course Monday morning and were a great assistance with the collar work on the 5th and 7th greens. This group of gentlemen are such an asset to our Club. They are here most weeks making a difference and assisting the course team and myself. You all certainly earned your lunch this week. As always, it was a great morning of banter and laughs whilst completing plenty of tasks in the process. Thank you, gentlemen!

Greens will be cut on Saturday, and then cut and rolled on Sunday.

Have a great weekend and happy golfing!

The Course Team.

Take Care of our Turtles

As mentioned in the course report, there has been a number of turtle sightings and nests being laid around the course recently.

These areas are ecologically sensitive and we will endeavour to protect the nests whenever they are found.

The simplest way to do this is by covering them, as seen in the picture below, so that golfers don’t accidently destroy the nests.

So, if you see the odd plastic crate around the golf course, please leave it in its designated location and help us protect the OGC Easter Longneck turtles.

Monday and Thursday Competition Trial: Starts 20th November

As we approach the 2023 Ladies Closing Day (Thursday 16th November) and gear up for the 2024 Ladies Opening Day (date TBC), the Match Committee will be trialling some changes to Monday and Thursday timesheets with the objective of encouraging greater participation in the Club’s Monday and Thursday competitions, which over the last year has had a considerable percentage of unused tee times when compared to all other days.

Trial Details: Starting after the 2023 Closing Day until the 2024 Opening Day, we will be conducting a trial for the Monday and Thursday competitions. The trial will introduce the following changes:

  1. Play in Groups of 4 – Allowing for a more diverse competition offering such as 4BBB events and aligning timesheet configuration with all other competition days where participation is higher.
  2. Ladies Priority Bookings on the 1st Tee: During the trial period, we will allocate priority bookings for our lady members exclusively on the 1st tee from when the timesheets open until 4:30pm the next day. 12th tee time slots will open to all Full-playing members when the timesheet opens at 4:30pm, 8 days in advance. This change will allow a broader cross-section of members the opportunity to access preferred tee times when the timesheet first opens.

Note: The competition format which sees both a men’s and ladies competition will be maintained, with any addition 4BBB events being run under a medley / mixed format.

Purpose of the Trial: Our decision to conduct this trial is in response to declining participation numbers on Mondays and Thursdays. We believe that by implementing these changes, we can revitalize these days and create a stronger golfing community. The trial structure has been carefully designed to balance the ladies priority access while creating greater access to the broader membership, and at the same time allowing for a more diverse competition event offering. We hope that this diversity in competition formats will entice more members to participate, and reverse the declining participation trend on these days and see our Monday and Thursday events thrive.

Your feedback and participation will be invaluable in determining the success of these changes. We encourage you to embrace the new group play dynamic and experience the benefits it brings to both your game and your connections within the Club. We believe that this trial will breathe new life into our Monday and Thursday competitions, making them more vibrant and enjoyable for all.

Annual Presentation Dinner – Saturday 4th November

Members and their guests are invited to the Club’s Annual Presentation Dinner on Saturday 4th November. This event will celebrate the major event winners for this year’s golfing programme and is held the evening of the Men’s Club Championship finals.

Each major winner will be presented with their trophy and an individual prize, whilst runners-up of major events will also receive an individual prize.

Dress for the evening is smart casual with the cost for the night, being $69pp. The evening will commence with a sumptuous three course dinner prepared by our executive chef, Andrew Yang.

To confirm your attendance, please RSVP to the Office on 9630 4444, admin@oatlandsgolf.com.au, or book via the online timesheet.

We request that bookings include individual names so that we can identify the trophy winners attending.

Join Our Course Volunteer Group

Our band of merry volunteers are looking for new recruits.

The volunteers meet every Monday morning and assist the Course Staff with various duties that are vital to the ongoing maintenance of the course.

This working group contributes an enormous amount to the Club and its members but is also a tremendous “men’s shed” activity with lots of fun and friendships formed both on the course and in the Clubhouse.

Lunch is provided after each session.

For more information, please contact Club General Manager, Sam Howe, gm@oatlandsgolf.com.au, or simply turn up on Monday mornings at 7am.

 

 

Melbourne Cup Luncheon – Tuesday 7th November 2023

Members and guests are invited to enjoy the ‘Race that Stops a Nation’, the iconic Melbourne Cup at OGC with a Chef’s Buffet Luncheon on Tuesday 7th November. This is a great day to get into your finest spring carnival attire and join friends for an afternoon of excitement, camaraderie and hopefully, to pick a winner in the great race.

Bookings essential and can be made via the Club website or by phoning Reception.

Nine, Wine & Dine – Starts 27th October 2023

Members and guests are invited to join the Club for the first in our Spring / Summer series of Nine, Wine & Dine on Friday 27th October.

This new series will replace the long-running Five after Five and will see aspects of this series carry over, such as optional competition format to encourage participation by competition and social golfers alike, and guests able to be invited with no green fee payable.

The 9-holes played will be holes 1-7, 17 & 18, with those playing competition playing a 9-hole stableford and with a traditional prize of a trophy voucher and ball competition included.

Tee times will be available from 4pm – 5:30pm with a two course modified a la carte menu after golf.

Bookings are now open for the first in the month series and we hope to see you there.

 

Grooves and Greens – Friday 17th November, Free Outdoor Music Event

We are pleased to announce the next iteration of our Grooves and Greens event on Friday 17th November. This free event for members and guests will run from 6pm – 10pm and will include;

  • Live Music adjacent to the 18th green from 7pm.
  • Outdoor BBQ and Bar available (BYO food and non-alcoholic beverage permitted, alcoholic beverages to be purchased from the club due to license restrcitions).
  • Par 3 shootout competitions on the 18th hole

This event is limited to 150 members and guests, so jump onto the club website and book yourself in for this popular OGC event.

Upcoming Member Events: October

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 October:

  • Saturday 14th October, The Bettington Italian Night, 6pm, 6:30pm, 7pm, 7:30pm – Booking required
  • Wednesday 25th October, The Bettington, 6pm, 6:30pm, 7pm, 7:30pm – Booking required
  • Saturday 28th October, New Members Cocktail Night (by Invitation: New Members, Proposer, Seconder)

Recent Trophy Event Winners

Men’s Trophy Winners

Last weekend saw the final round of the medal qualifying for the Men’s Club Championships which also determined a number of major trophies for the year. Congratulations to the following winners;

  • 36 hole Championship Medal – Wil Reece 147
  • 36 hole Championship Medal runner up – Rowan Easterbrook 148
  • 36 hole The Plate Medal – Gilbert Im 158
  • 36 hole The Plate Medal runner up – Joe Isaac 159
  • 36 hole Middle Markers Medal – Campbell Robertson 168
  • 36 hole Middle Markers Medal runner up – Lin Chen 172
  • 36 hole Long Markers Medal – Sean Park 180
  • 36 hole Long Markers Medal runner up – Max Wahbe 184
  • 36 hole Ted Lines Veterans trophy – Peter Crawford 138 Nett
  • 36 hole J&P Hall Handicap Medal – Lin chen 136 Nett
  • 36 hole Junior Championship – Rylan Prasad 154
  • 36 hole junior Championship Nett – Justin Hadi 135 Nett
  • Spring Medal Play off was won by Sean Park.

This weekend will see the first round of Men’s Club Championship matchplay on both Saturday and Sunday.

Click here for a copy of the draws in each of the four grades.

Ladies Trophy Winners

There were no Ladies trophy events decided this week with the first round of the Ladies Club Championships taking place on Thursday 12th October.

Upcoming Trophy Events

Men’s

  • Saturday 14th October – Club Championship Matchplay Rd 1 (Plate, Middle Markers, Long Markers)
  • Sunday 15th October – Club Championship Matchplay Rd 1 (Open)
  • Saturday 21st October – Club Championship Matchplay Rd QF (Plate, Middle Markers, Long Markers)
  • Sunday 22nd October – Club Championship Matchplay Rd QF (Open)
  • Saturday 28th October – Medal
  • Saturday 28th October – Club Championship Matchplay SF (Plate, Middle Markers, Long Markers)
  • Sunday 29th October – Club Championship Matchplay SF (Open)
  • Saturday 4th November – Club Championship Matchplay Finals (All Grades)

Ladies

  • Thursday 19th October – Club Championship Rd2
  • Thursday 26th October – Club Championship Rd3

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/

 

< Back to previous page