Men’s Major Pennant Semi-Final @ Pennant Hills this Sunday 17th March

Our Men’s Major Pennant side will play the semi-final of Division 2 Pennant against neighbours Muirfield GC on Sunday morning at Pennant Hills GC.

Tee time is 7am with the winner of this fixture progressing to the final but also getting automatic promotion to Division 1 (the top two teams are promoted).

Our squad has reached this stage 3 times in the last 5 years and we’d love to get as much OGC support to Pennant Hills on Sunday morning to help get our lads a victory and a place in Division 1.

 

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From the Course

Rainfall for the Week: 0.0mm,  Rainfall for 2024: 349.0mm, Dam: 100%,  Green Speed: 10.0 feet

The 7^th hole came back into play this week making the walk up this hill just a bit easier by having to stop once or twice, possibly three times, to hit your shots. The cutting height of the grass on this tee will be gradually lowered with each cut until it is down to the same height as our other tee surfaces. The new 11^th ladies tee will be mown before the weekend, topdressed and fertilised, and then come back into play next week.

With the help of our volunteers, the 6^th and 16^th collars were striped out on Monday, new soil was brought in, and new turf was laid on Tuesday morning. The preparation for play of these two collars will be the same as all our other collars. A pre-emergent herbicide was applied to all collars just over 3 weeks ago to control winter grass weeds from germinating in these surfaces, and this has resulted in some yellowing of these surfaces. All collars will be cored and fertilised to encourage this yellowing to grow out of these surfaces.

Greens dried out a little too much last Saturday afternoon mainly around the perimeter of the putting surfaces, but they have been nursed back from this and have almost fully recovered. Some cooler weather is predicted to arrive on Friday and remain mild over the weekend, which the greens will appreciate.

As I mentioned last week, some areas on fairways are showing signs of stress. The areas affected are the usual suspects which are weaker in turf coverage and turf strength. Whether this is from poor soil structure, ground pearl existence, or from nearby trees taking any available moisture from the soil profile away from the turf, or a combination of all these factors, they are always evident, but we get lulled into a false sense when we have an abundance of rainfall, and these areas aren’t brown in colour. When time permits, course staff are going to start to aerate all fairway surfaces with our verti-drain units. This work should begin before our Autumn greens renovations and will certainly continue during the renovations without the interruptions from play to speed this process up. It is a time consuming task with one run on the 15th fairway taking over 30 minutes to complete, and this fairway having at least 14 runs to complete the whole fairway! A fungicide application with a small amount of growth regulator has been started this week and will continue into next week.

Volunteers were on course this week and provided unbelievable support to the course staff with the removal of the existing turf from the 6^th and 16^th collars. Also completed on Monday morning and during the week was weeding crabgrass weeds from tee complexes, divotting fairways, and clubhouse maintenance. Thank you to everyone that volunteered their time this week, as always your assistance is very much appreciated!

This weekend we will be cutting and rolling greens on Saturday, and then cutting greens on Sunday morning.

Have a great weekend and happy golfing!

The Course Team.

Reception Open Saturday’s through March

The Club Reception will be open on Saturday’s throughout the remainder of March to assist those members wishing to pay their membership subscriptions in person or transfer to a different membership category.

Kathy Bright will be on hand the following additional Saturday’s;

• Saturday, 16^th March – 10am – 1pm
• Saturday, 23^rd March – 10am – 1pm
• Saturday, 30^th March – 10am – 1pm

Captain’s Corner – Temporary Local Rule, New Grass on 9th Hole

Members have probably seen the new work completed on the 9^th hole on both sides of the dam.

This area of new grass is substantial, and for a short period of time, until the new grass has established a solid root system, this area has been designated and sign-posted – Compulsory GUR.

If a player’s ball comes to rest in the Compulsory GUR area, it is mandatory that relief be taken at the nearest dropping stake.

There are three stakes on the 9^th hole. One on the tee side of the dam, one on the right side of the work towards the 8^th hole and one at the back left hand area of the 9^th.

Please be aware of this temporary local rule, it will be removed once the new grass is established.

All members should check the Local Rules Board on the 1st or 12th tee prior to play for any temporary local rule additions or changes.

Good Golfing,

Colin McRae
Club Captain

LIV GOLF Adelaide – Two Tickets Available

One of our members has purchased two tickets for the upcoming LIV Golf Adelaide event at The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide and due to unforeseen circumstances, is now unable to attend.

As such, the two tickets are being made available to any interested OGC member at the normal ticketed price.

The tickets provide access to all 3-days of the tournament and are $220 per ticket.

Interested members should contact General Manager, Sam Howe (gm@oatlandsgolf.com.au) who will put you in touch with the member.

The tickets will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

The 2023 LIV Golf Adelaide event was among the biggest golf events in the world and attracted a quality field not seen in Australia for decades (if ever). The 2024 event promises to be even bigger.

Super Senior Championship

One of the many Pennant competitions that OGC enter each year is the Super Senior Pennant (SSP). The SSP Committee also run an annual Super Senior Championship open to all male golfers over the age of 65 years.

Easter Long Weekend Trading

Members are advised that the Clubhouse, Course, and Pro Shop will operate as normal over the Easter Long Weekend with the following exception:

Reception: Closed Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday / Open Easter Saturday from 10am – 2pm.

Sandwich Hut: Closed Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday / Open Easter Saturday.

The Bistro menu will be available over all 4 days of the long weekend as normal, along with pre-packaged sandwiches from the bar on the days the Sandwich Hut is closed.

The Bettington Restaurant – Friday 22nd and Wednesday 27th March – Menu Available

Members and guests are invited to our a la carte Bettington Restaurant on Friday 22nd and Wednesday 27th March 2024.

Bookings are available for 2 to 10 diners, with a two course menu for $55 or three course for $69.

Seating times are available at 6pm, 6:30pm, 7pm and 7:30pm, so grab some friends and join us for another great night of food and friendship.

Bar account credit (expiring on 1st April) and Birthday vouchers redeemable.

Entrée 

• Caramelised onion and Gruyere tart fine, grilled asparagus, witlof and walnuts (v)
• Pan seared scallops, cauliflower cream, heirloom tomato sauce vierge, pancetta crumb and lemon balm (gf)
• Beef tartare, duck fat rosti, salted duck yolk and black caviar (gf)

 Main

• Confit duck leg, parsnip puree, roasted Swiss brown mushrooms, braised French cabbage, madeira jus (gf)
• Wagyu Tajima MB6+ skirt cooked medium rare, Ssamjang mayonnaise, grilled baby cos and bulgogi sauce(gf)
• Pan-roasted Kingfish with Lemon, caper and butter sauce, sourdough crouton, pickled onion, and pea tendrils
• Roasted lamb, broad beans, peas and mint, caramelised fennel & celeriac remoulade, turmeric roasted cauliflower, and jus (gf)

 Side – $9.00 each

• Crushed fried potatoes, truffle oil, rosemary salt (v, gf)
• Garlic parmesan roasted asparagus  (v, gf)
• Heirloom tomato and cucumber salad (v, gf)

Dessert

• Salted caramel tart, chocolate, pistachio nougat, honeycomb ice cream
• Bettington Eton mess, meringue, strawberry compote, vanilla Chantilly, fresh berries and lemon balm (gf)
• Milk ice cream, smoked cucumber jelly, meringue, and sorrel (gf)

Improve your Short Game and lower your scores with Jeremy Ward’s Short Game Clinic!

Join Jeremy on either Friday, March 29^th or Friday 26^th April for a fun 1.5-hour class focusing on chipping, pitching, and bunker play.

Here are the details:

• Date: Friday, March 29^th or Friday 26^th April (Or both)
• Time: 9:00am – 10:30am
• Cost: $70 per person
• Spots: Limited to just 8 participants
• Focus: Improve your chipping, pitching, and bunker play skills

This clinic is perfect for golfers of all skill levels looking to enhance their short game technique under the guidance of an experienced instructor.

To secure your spot:

• Use the “Jeremy Ward Lesson” booking sheet through the members website
• Email Jeremy at golfoperations@oatlandsgolf.com.au
• Contact Jeremy directly at 0434 574 660

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to take your short game to the next level. Book your spot now and start shaving strokes off your game!

Titleist Ball Education Day – Saturday 23rd March

We are excited to announce that Titleist will be hosting a ball education day at Oatlands Golf Club on the 23rd of March. This presents a fantastic opportunity for our members to gain valuable insights into selecting the right golf ball for their game. Additionally, there’s a chance to receive a complimentary ball or two!

Titleist will also be showcasing their latest SM10 wedges for members to demo during the event. This is an excellent chance to try out cutting-edge equipment and improve your game.

The event will run from 7am to midday to ensure that everyone has ample time to participate. We encourage all members to take advantage of this opportunity and join us for what promises to be an informative and enjoyable day.

Best regards,

Jeremy Ward
OGC Head Professional

Bar Tab and Visitor Vouchers – Expire 1st April 2024