April Report
Well as we now move into the year proper, what with early morning dew for the morning golfers, gentle Sou’Westers for the afternoon field and our greens heading towards full recovery after a very stressful summer enduring heat, humidity and excessive moisture.
Rules Evening
As you all may be aware your Club has arranged a Golf Rules evening next Month and whilst there are simply too many Rules to really comprehend the average golfer is deemed to be aware of the general day to day basic rules of Golf.
Local and not so Local Rules
This would bring me to the rope cordon of the Penalty area on the first hole. IF you are INSIDE the Penalty area by a small margin you DO NOT get relief from the ropes for stance or swing. You must be OUTSIDE the penalty area to obtain relief from the ropes.
On this subject as well, remember our Club local rules have always been that Penalty area posts are IMMOVABLE obstructions so you do not obtain any relief from these if you are inside the Penalty area but you do if OUTSIDE the area.
For OUT of BOUNDS this changes again as there is NO relief from either the POSTS or the boundary line of wire.
For areas of G U R, it should be remembered that any relief must be TOTAL and that relief taken from any allowed area must NOT be any closer to the Hole.
Pace of Play
We can go on but the above and maintaining a reasonable pace of play and being behind the group in front of you and NOT in front of the group behind you are basic elements you are asked to be aware of.
So moving forward into our wonderful Autumn season with pleasant days and evenings stay well, safe and good golfing.
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
March Report
Well firstly apologies for the absence of this Shot last month but certain medical issues got in the way which resulted in absences from the golf course proper and my obligations as Club Captain. One thing about medical science today is that you are soon readily informed that much has to do with the old D.O.B., syndrome.
Anyway thanks to my support of Committee members, Men’s Golf Captain Les Murphy, V.P., Paul Atkin and C.E.O., Ian Munro for insisting that I do have some time out and time away to get on top of a few issues. In reality it does make one realise that the world still turns whether or not you think you are needed in it or not!
15th Hole
It was good to see at the last Board meeting the decision to rescind the Match committee decision to place an O.O.B. along the 12th hole (roadway) and to put more of a reliance on the common sense of golfers in general when playing the 15th hole. Without a doubt there may be a few with the ability to take the 3rd hole route to the 15th green but only a few. The remainder might let their ego’s dictate their ability thus bringing into possible danger those that are playing the 3rd hole and may not be visible from the 15th Tee.
Some members did state that most holes have an element of danger when protesting the O.O.B., but the other holes are generally impacted by “mishits” rather than intentional shots.
Renovations
Moving on, I do know that this summer has not been the best one for our greens with much moisture, high humidity and high temperatures. As we now approach the autumn renovations time please be conscious of the work Steve and his staff need to undertake to bring our ageing golf greens back to the level we are accustomed to.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this months “Short Shot” and I hope to see you on the course soon.
Good Golfing,
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
January Report
Well I trust that all members had an enjoyable Christmas and New Year festive season and are looking forward to a new golfing calendar year. One thing about this season was certainly the “traditional” type summer it was as against the past few years that were severely impacted by inclement weather and Covid limitations.
Both our Golf course and our Club have seen very strong social traffic with the early Xmas Friday night raffles being extremely well patronised, so good on you, the members.
As mentioned the golf course is very busy and whilst some are still coming to terms with the turnaround it has been a definite aid to our course staff in their endeavours to ready the course every day for a day’s play.
Speed of Play and Compulsory Call Ups
Also worth mentioning is the feedback we are getting on competition rounds being completed in roughly 4 hours 20mins. It is good when members who are using the Mi Club App see the time they have completed their round and say wow that was good! A BIG contributor to this is the ” Call Up” on our 3 Par 3’s, the 2nd, 5th and the 16th. There is no doubt that this helps the speed of play and now we do not see the log jams of the past on these holes.
I am aware that the call up is not everyone’s preference but everyone please bear in mind that as a Local Rule it IS compulsory and that a reported breach may incur the Low marker of the offending group a 2 stroke penalty. So when reaching the green and before commencing to putt, should the following group be waiting on the Tee, PLEASE stand back and call them up.
Etiquette, Courtesy & Respect
To further embrace some course etiquette and courtesy, after being called up please DO NOT quickly race up to the green whilst some are concentrating on a 10 foot putt. This is only an unwanted and unnecessary distraction, particularly to a nervous putter. The same courtesy can also apply to driving carts up to a Tee area where the group in front are attempting to Tee off for their next hole.
For over 300 years, etiquette, courtesy and respect have been the foundations of Golf and whilst much has changed in Dress, Clubs, balls, courses etc, these basic elements still exist.
I wish you all a great golfing year and 2024.
Sincerely,
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
Xmas Report
Well, it would seem that we have reached the tail end of the year without too many of the past Covid elements and restrictions that did seriously cause some difficulties in the years 20/22. We should all remember that this virus still does exist, just ask our Club Professional James and the Swing Fit girls that came home from their N.Z. golf trip.
Proshop, Board & Sub Committees
For those that may be unaware James has renewed his contract with our Club and we do look forward to bigger and brighter things in the future and to his new involvement with the new look sub committees structure and the Golf Course.
Looking forward, we now have a new Vice President in the Vets Captain, Paul Atkin and a new Director in Steve Manton so I personally wish both members all the best in their new roles and their contributions.
On this subject I would also like to thank Lindsay Verdon for his past 3 years of contributions to our golf course and along with Steve Brennan the evidence of their combined knowledge is easy to see.
Course
The areas of the recent tree removal on a few holes is now nearly complete with significant grassing and some mounding with the end result a real pleasure to see. Whether or not these new areas will assist in some poor shot making remains to be seen but when you stand on the Tee’s and look at the end result it is nothing short of terrific.
Just to reiterate that there are still many trees on our course that are in a state of decay or worse and moving into next year more work will be undertaken in this area. Once again all this will be done with the appropriate Arborist approvals.
Xmas is coming
So now as Christmas approaches our course will see a significant increase in traffic so ALL members are asked to pay extra attention to the repair of fairway divots and green pitch marks and repair those divots on Tees.
We have a very enjoyable and aesthetic golf course and it is a long way from becoming anything else so only you can help keep it that way.
I trust that you all have a very enjoyable, safe and healthy Christmas with some good golf thrown in.
Sincerely,
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
November Report
To state the obvious, the weather of recent weeks, in particular the strong gusty winds, have played havoc on our golf course. With the amount of “clean up” necessary to continually maintain a presentable course is not only time consuming but takes staff away from other necessary work.
Post Renos
Whilst the course renovations to both greens and fairways were timed and subsequently followed up by almost 3 inches, oops, 90ml, of rain it could not have been better. The Bunkers on the course have also fared badly through these events and this is another area where staff need time to repair and re-invigorate them.
These have been major factors in the postponing of the Men’s Foursomes Championships as the course staff had no opportunity to properly prepare the course for a Club Championship event. One only needs to look at the Bamboo to see how dry it has been and the strong winds have somewhat shredded them to the bone.
Call Up Holes
All will be aware that the compulsory “Call Up”, on our Par 3’s (except the 14th hole”, have been put in place for a reason. Should your group reach the green, with balls on the putting surface, you are obligated to call up the following group IF, they are on the tee waiting. If not, you may obviously then putt out.
The reason for mentioning this is that, being a Local Rule, there is a Penalty for breach of a Local Rule which is 2 Penalty strokes and this Penalty may be given to the ‘Low Marker” of the offending group. So if your group is “Called Up” you are obliged to hit and not wave them on or ignore the call up.
Free Dirt
Our Club has been successful in acquiring more than a dozen truck loads of good soil, courtesy of the P.M. Race Club and sincere thanks to them for this. This will be put to very good use around the course, in particular in reducing the size of some bunkers, base fill and such all in an effort to further improve the general playing area of our course.
In this regard, you, the members, continued efforts in keeping those divots filled and the pitch repairs on the greens is paramount.
Stay safe and Good Golfing,
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
October Report
Well to state the obvious there has been little rain anywhere for quite some time and considering this situation our golf course is holding up relatively well.
Tree Management
Some serious work has been undertaken to remove some trees on a few holes, thus giving the holes a whole new dynamic, take for instance the (new)5th hole. Although a few members have expressed some anger at the tree removal it should be pointed out that we only are permitted to remove trees that are in a state of decline, such as they are considered by the Arborist to be dangerous, diseased or decayed and dying.
We still have numerous trees, in particular Banksia trees that do have a definite life span that are being slowly munched away by termite and white ant infestation. These can be readily seen and viewed as you look at certain trees around the course. Then we have some really wonderful Coral trees that look as good as your average Gogglebox contestant and are not only unsightly but of no certain use.
The efforts being put in are to only enhance the course that you play, both from an aesthetic and playable format and to minimise any harm or risk to our players from falling branches, exposed roots and so on.
Call Up Holes
As it has been decided to implement the Compulsory Call Up on the 2nd,5th and 16th holes members are asked to abide by this should the following group reach the tree and be waiting.
With the current road works beginning to play more havoc towards our Club it is asked that members be mindful of this and allow some extra time to get to your tee time.
With spring renovations soon to begin and the prospect of any serious rain not forthcoming you are all asked to make that extra effort to repair those divots, both new and old ones and to look for those pitch marks on the green, in particular the approaches as it can only help both the course in general and our course staff in particular.
Good Golfing,
Neil Smith
Club Captain
Spring Report
Well, yes I know that it’s been a while but circumstances have prevailed. Now that SPRING has sprung, winter can now go into hibernation and hopefully our golf course will see some recovery from what has been a very busy period.
In preparing the course for the Seaside Classic, closely followed by the annual Pro Am tournament, Men’s golf Championships and the 2 day Annual Vets invitational the course has endured much golf and all the above without consideration for the normal weekly events and social play.
Renovations
Thus in the next couple of weeks a full Greens renovation will occur with some fairway’s scarification as well. You may recall that early Autumn the weather was not in our favor and much rain had a negative effect on the renovation but we have been fortunate that they have got us thru winter despite all the golf being played.
If predictions remain true for a long hot summer, (remember those when you were a kid), water on the course will become a factor to keep both greens and fairways nourished so hopefully our water source on the plains will remain sufficient.
Pace of Play
Some issues are raised with regard to slow play, often by the same golfers, which can and does affect the following groups which can then bank up like the old concertina effect and ultimately frustrate someone’s round.
A few things that ALL members might bear in mind is that:
- When finished putting, move directly to the next Tee, (don’t wait on others to finish).
- Mark your scorecard AFTER you have played from the Tee.
- If looking for a mishit ball remember that the Rules of Golf now only allow 3 MINUTES and NOT 5 or 10 minutes until you find it.
- The low marker of your group has a responsibility to ensure that the proper pace of play is maintained and that is to keep up with the group in front of you and NOT in front of the group behind you.
I do not believe it fair to penalise a single individual and it is up to ALL to be responsible for their own pace of play however Penalties can apply to the group as a whole with consistent offenders being removed to the back of the timesheet.
Tree Maintenance
Members would have noticed the recent removal of trees on certain holes around the course, in particular some old and decaying Banksias with dangerous protrusions of roots which then creates safety issues for many.
The removal of many of these, particularly those that are close to and impacting fairway or Tee health but are considered (by the Club’s arborist) to be unsafe and may cause injury, are seriously diseased and dying or like some coral trees, don’t do anything for the course proper. The select and judicial removal of these trees will enable further enhancement of these areas and make them far more playable for a lot of members.
Once again all members are asked to keep the divot and green pitch mark repairs up as this is one aspect that will keep our golf course in good shape for everyone to enjoy.
GOOD GOLFING,
July Report
Well it’s that time of year that we need to pay up for another year of golf enjoyment on our fine golf course.
Increased Costs
Much like everything else these days it seems that costs have increased way out of proportion to how we like to live, like for instance just go to Coles or Woolies and see what you get for $100.00. Our golf course is suffering much the same way with the day to day necessities in product, chemicals, sand etc, etc going thru the roof.
I’ve heard some say the membership increase is above inflation but so are the increases in anything you want to buy to live a reasonable and comfortable life.
We do not know how or when or if it will stop and I certainly wouldn’t be holding my breath for things to change in the near future but all I can say is that to play a quality Golf Course such as we have, has to come at a cost and the assessment of the increases was considered greatly and felt to be reasonable.
Future Events
Again, at this time of year we look forward to some signature events looming in the Seaside Classic, which has had a bit of a makeover to adjust to the present economic climate and more member considerate, our own Club Championships and the Pro Am.
Course Change
The course turnaround is in place for the 10th July and much has gone into this by quite a few people to ensure a smooth transition.
At the end of the day we can only hope that the turnaround is effective for our course staff to better manage their workload around the holes that our Club still receives complaints and have issues with so all members are asked to be patient and accepting with the new configuration.
Course Care
Once again course care comes into the conversation with the repair of divots and pitch marks on greens all too evident and as the ground is so cold at present with no growth whatsoever your efforts in repairing these is needed and appreciated.
On the subject of course care I am constantly amazed how many members in golf carts drive OFF a cart path to get closer to a green or Tee when on any other day these same members would walk further to the Bar for a beer or down a shopping aisle.
Please do the right thing and STAY AWAY from the Tee’s and Greens and Bunkers and remember the Local Rule of 10 Metres from any of the above, NO exceptions and NO BLUE TICK exemptions.
Keeping Up
My final whinge, if you like, is to maintain contact and distance with the group in front of you as some unfair long rounds are being experienced by some members all due to some not keeping up with the group in front.
Rakes
On a positive, and if you can get over the look, but the current placement of the rakes seems to certainly be having a very positive effect on our bunkers with much better and cleaner efforts in the raking and no haphazard leaving of the rakes in the bunkers as before, so a thank you to all for your efforts.
We do know some bunkers have 1 or 2 rakes too many so some of these will be removed but still leaving the option to reinsert in a different spot after raking.
After an enforced layoff I am looking forward to getting back to golf and see you all out there.
Stay well, stay Safe and Good Golfing.
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
May-June Report
Well, firstly some apologies for my, I have been advised, noticeable absence from our golf Club in recent times but the old D.o B., kicked in a few issues that were unforeseen and required some Professional help and not the golf type of professional help.
Now with a triple Hernia extraction and repair I hoped to have turned the last corner into the straight run back to our great golf course and hopefully some better golf.
Whilst some meetings and discussions are always ongoing I do know the present issue of the bunker rakes location has raised a few concerns. The idea of trialling a few different options is to endeavour to have a system that lets YOU take the rake to your shot and return it to its designed point.
This alleviates unnecessary trudging through the bunker to collect a rake, take it to your shot, excessive time raking your steps but simply take the rake to your shot and return it, thus also improving speed of play.
ALL members are asked to think about the present options of rakes in a “stand up” position or the top end of the rakes protruding from the Bunker edge. Give your friendly Board member your view, nicely of course, as it is you the member that this is being trialled for.
On the subject of Board members we all know that in any Club once a rumour begins it grows teeth and the rumour becomes more expanded and more untrue as it spreads so if YOU, the member has any concerns over what is happening on the course or in the Club itself ASK first someone who might be able to provide you with some facts and not second hand fiction.
We are now coming into the time of year where the weather is colder, the ground is colder, Sou, westers become dominant as do our greens become faster.
It is more imperative than ever that we all make that extra effort to fill those divots and repair those pitch marks that others leave so please do your bit to help our course survive another winter season before the warmer growing months are back with us.
Also the users of Carts do have a similar responsibility of care as to where and how they are driven around the course, stay on the cart paths where possible and NOT around bunker or green surrounds or inside or contrary to any directional signs.
Whilst noise complaints are still a burden with us, plans are moving forward for a new Cart Station at the 12th tee, which will soon become the1ST Tee, as the course is reversed.
It is hoped that this will resolve a few issues for our Course Staff to be able to work more freely without the prospect of receiving a complaint from our neighbours to the North or South of the course.
ALL members are asked to be patient with this change as it is implemented, new Tee signs are in place and to follow and obey new directional signage, particularly for Carts.
At this point I wish you all good winter golfing and hope to be back on the course with you after my enforced R and R.
Good golfing,
April Report
Well, no, I didn’t really forget last month but an enforced stay in the Big House threw things out of whack with no golf, tests, appointments etc, etc.
It must be a thing with getting older that you really need a diary to keep track of medical appointments.
The same thing is presently happening with our greens with a couple really on the brink and certainly a few inches of rain at the time of our autumn renovations did not help matters.
With most of our greens reaching an age and a point with few options available we are trying to care and preserve them as much as possible until the correct and right decisions can be made as to their future.
Because of poor drainage, excessive wear, too much rain at the wrong time and now with late humidity occurring all the elements for poor health in a golf green.
ALL members are asked to take extra time to repair pitch marks each time you walk onto a green as this does help some recovery in some small way.
The constant traffic that our golf course encounters gives no time to allow for any rest and recovery which certainly does not help our green staff in any way to ready the course for daily competitions.
Further to this is that with the somewhat abnormal weather conditions they need to spend too much time doing bunker, Tee and green repairs from water damage rather than a maintenance job.
Whilst the course numbering will still be changed, we are wanting to have both MiClub and MiScore ready for the change and this process is in hand and awaiting finalisation, but this change will assist our course staff being more effective in how they work and manage the course.
Members will be fully advised of when but mid April is hoped for.
Again your help in repairing divots, whether you are in a golf cart or walking and pitch marks on greens will be of benefit to the whole golf course.
Good golfing,
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
February Report
Well, I know I shouldn’t have to ask you but have you ever seen Port Macquarie Golf Course look so good?
With enough rain and sunshine and combined with the good efforts of our course staff and given we are in the middle of summer; even our greens are holding up and playing at a nice pace while winter is their preferred time of year.
New Tee Times
Whilst much needs to be done in terms of Tee’s and Bunkers, a program is taking place to begin some serious work in these areas and it is partly for these reasons that new Tee times are being implemented for mornings access to the golf course.
With existing noise issues to be considered, it has been agreed and decided that there is to be NO Social Golf by anyone before 0700 on ANY day and not before competitions on Thursdays and Saturdays.
This only to be fair to ALL our course staff who regularly have to dodge golf balls by inconsiderate golfers in the early daylight hours whilst they are attempting to do necessary work.
So if you’re an early riser have another cuppa before you venture to the course but at ALL times check with the Pro shop first.
New Back 9 Layout
Work will shortly be taking place to prepare proper cart parking adjacent to the 12th Tee in readiness for it to become the 10th Tee.
Those that like to drive around the back of the 12th Tee and onto the shoulder will need to stop this practice as the Course Policy for ALL carts is that they are to remain a full 10 metres from any green, bunker or TEE (unless they are on a Cart Path).
So if you can walk 20 steps to the bar for a drink you can park 10 metres from a Tee!
New signs will be done to properly number all the holes on the back nine with the 11th hole becoming the final or 18th hole.
Whilst an actual commencement date is still to be advised, sufficient time will be given to all members of the change.
Taking care of the Greens
Some members have also spoken of damage being found around some holes being caused by putter heads being used to scoop the ball out of the hole.
Whilst this is not a recommended practice ALL members are asked to take care in retrieving your ball from the hole as any damage to the edge of the hole may just be the reason YOUR putt has missed.
All efforts by members in continuing to fill divots, repair pitch marks on greens is greatly appreciated so please keep the efforts up.
Finally with Men’s Pennants now upon us, we are lucky to have very good teams in all divisions. Good Luck to all and play your best.
Good golfing and stay well.
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
Birthday Report
Hello and welcome to another year of hopefully more traditional weather for golf, no more Covid or any of its relations and some more ongoing changes to better suit our golf course and playing conditions.
Flags
Firstly however a thank you to those of you who corresponded re the change of the pin placements and how difficult they were to assess. It was however a somewhat successful chance for the greens staff to manage pin placements in what has been a very busy time on the golf course and that it allowed a better and more variable pin placement and was certainly less time consuming for the staff.
With regard to other future and possible changes, one is likely to be positions of rakes in relations to bunkers. However, sufficient notice will be given when this is to occur so that you might have more adequate time to adjust.
CARTS
As mentioned before, the golf course has been extremely busy with both member and social participation which is great for your Club given the difficulties of the past couple of years and I would like to remind all that in an effort to maintain its present excellent playing condition that ALL cart users be mindful that the Club has a policy that NO CARTS are to be driven within 10 metres of any Greens OR Bunkers.
This policy has NO exceptions! Which thus includes those who presently have a blue tick exemption. These were originally given out when the staff were using Blue lines to distance from greens. So please be respectful of this and keep carts away from greens and bunkers which may impact the general playing area.
Thanks
I think it is opportune to thank Steve and his staff for the efforts they have put in over the past weeks to maintain the course to such a standard that, visitors in particular that I have spoken to, can only speak highly of its excellent condition and presentation.
Obviously our help and contribution is in finding that extra divot to fill or pitch mark to repair.
Without wishing to bore you any further I do hope you all have a wonderful healthy year and good golf and do apologise for my lateness in this column but having family leave and return to their own habitats brought me to this day, which by the way happens to be the birthday, 8th January, of the late great Elvis so I think I will go and play some vinyl.
All the Best,
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
Xmas Report
Well here we are again at the time of year where your golf course will only get busier with school holidays, longer days to play a game and so on.
This also means that the Course staff have more work to do and often less time to do it in when things like the very recent hail storm impacted the already struggling bunkers, shredded trees and left debris all over the course. The cleanup alone takes the course staff away from other necessary jobs.
It is for these reasons, amongst others, that the Tee’s are being moved around, back to front etc, so as to try and vary the wear as much as possible.
Please Note
Further to this, in a couple of weeks, the Flags will change with the front nine ALL having a RED flag and the back nine a BLUE flag.
Given that most members are these days use the Miscore App, GPS or Laser measuring devices to gauge distances, this should not be a huge impact and for those that don’t well just try to hit the middle of the green. You could even use the on course 100m and 150m markers that generally measure to the centre of the green.
It is also an opportunity to vary the distance from Tee to Green of the Par 3 holes. Once again the reasoning for this is to enable a broader option for PIN placements. This new initiative will be a trial until the end of January and it will be reviewed.
Doing things to try and protect our Tee’s and Greens is a bit like keeping an old car on the road in that it often requires a bit more love and consideration.
Winge of the Month
As an older guy who has been playing golf for some 60 odd years from Junior Pennants to today’s hit and miss type game, I was taught about the etiquette and dress standards of the game at the time and whilst I do fully understand that we are now living in the 21st Century not all things of the past are relevant and I have never thought of myself as a whinger but I would like to have a bit of a whinge about BLACK SOCKS worn on the course.
These business socks remind me of the days I had to wear a suit, collar and tie, of seriously older gentlemen who put them on with sandals and that they just DO NOT look COOL!
These days it is difficult to implement any type of codes as most people don’t care, do not oblige etc, but please leave your black socks in the drawer.
Having been reelected for another term I will do my best to maintain the integrity you might expect and look after all your golf interests and the great golf course that we have to enjoy and will whinge no more!
Please enjoy your Christmas, stay safe and well and Good Golfing.
CHEERS,
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
September Report
Well, for many reasons I have never been so glad to see the end of a Month.
The Month of August was. for both personal and health reasons a real dud.
Fortunately for our Golf Club it was somewhat quite successful with the Pro Am being a hit with good fields for both days and a very successful opening Dinner night with guest speaker Sam Burgess.
The month of September has begun with the Annual 2 day Vets tournament, which has had to be cancelled the past 2 years because of Covid but is now back to Port Macquarie.
Although the Men’s Championships did get started the 2nd round last Saturday had to be cancelled due to the weather but fortunately it didn’t hang around too long to cause too much damage.
Sadly, yours truly has had to miss all the above for more than 1 issue but I do look forward to a return to golf in the not too distant future.
I would like to express thanks to those who have been able to take over, so to speak, in doing what needed to be done including Vice Captain Paul Atkin, Les Murphy, John Tracey to name a few, so many thanks guys.
Fortunately, at the time of writing we have some Spring sunshine which moving forward to renovations will hopefully stay with us as after such a wet year the work scheduled to be done is very important.
Keeping this month brief I wish you all continued good health and Happy Golfing.
Cheers,
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
August Report
Well, we rolled the dice and WON!
It was only a matter of a few weeks ago that at a Seaside meeting the decision was made to ” take a punt” and hold the 2022 Seaside Classic, even though entries were slowly rolling in with late entries expected but knowing we were in some unchartered waters as the last Seaside was 2019 and we have had 2 1/2 years of Covid impact.
Of major concern was the weather at the time, with it seemed continuous rain and the overall condition of the Golf course, which was quite sodden, very soft fairways, damaged bunkers, limited golf cart use and restrictions and so on.
Fortunately a break in the weather occurred which enabled our course staff to slowly get on top even though we had to prepare many areas of G U R and continue with preferred lies through the green.
Although the early part of the event was somewhat down in participation the days still yielded reasonable fields with good prizes on offer.
The Ladies “Jean Derrin ” event did also suffer somewhat with their days being quite cold which did affect the scoring, as did the course condition.
The main weekend did however produce full fields, the event being played in “3”s which greatly helped the pace of play.
N.S.W. Golf Club member, Zac Mullins did successfully defend his title from 2019 and won the title by 6 shots from Bonnie Doon member Fletcher Murray.
We all know what a funny game golf can be with all its vagaries but on the 12th Tee Zac Mullins drove his ball into the dam. From a penalty drop he hit a 7 wood to short of the green and then proceeded to chip in for Birdie.!!!
Many thanks need to go to many people who have assisted in making the week so successful for our Club but of particular note our C E O Ian and assistant Lauren and staff, to Steve and his guy’s for doing their utmost in preparing the course under the challenges they did have, the Pro shop who kept everyone running to timetable but our house staff and kitchen who did excel in keeping all our visitors happily fed and quenched!.
Of particular mention is our Miclub guru John Tracey and his assistants for finalising the individual day competitions and the overall, not an easy task.
So next for our Club is the Better Homes Pro Am in a few weeks time, with guest speakers planned and hopefully a bit warmer and brighter weather.
Whilst holding these events is extremely beneficial to our Club, both in recognition and financially, it does create much more work for our course staff with the additional damage that does occur so your help is sought when playing to fill that extra divot and repair those pitch marks as it is these areas that many talk about most but often don’t do enough so PLEASE it is EVERY members responsibility to do their bit when it comes to filling a divot or repairing a green pitch mark and this is regardless of weather you walk or ride a cart to play golf.
As we now have only a few weeks of winter left, hopefully some early spring warmth and sunshine will not only assist my bones and golf swing but create some growth on the course and dry out those really wet areas.
Stay well, stay safe and Good golfing.
Cheers,
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
July Report
June Report
Well NO, I hadn’t forgotten to do my editorial but my wife had me away on a family get together in a place where there was certainly more sunshine than here, thus the reason for being a tad late.
It would seem that winter has really struck here in Port (and I guess elsewhere) and following on from some 6 months of rain the golf course will be really enjoying the present sunshine. Without dwelling on the weather and its impact, suffice to say we are very fortunate to have been playing the amount of golf that we have been able to as other courses around us haven’t.
At the time of writing I am advised that Kooindah Waters to our south is being played as a Par 3 course and the likes of Grafton to our North will not be fully playable until sometime in August, thus all the rain affecting some courses in a far more severe manner.
ALL members are asked in the present conditions to be more aware of filling a divot and repairing a pitch mark ON EVERY HOLE.
We will not be seeing any real growth for a few months now and considering how the top layer of the ground is so wet your help is really needed to protect the course as much as possible.
Similarly, with those members who might use carts to play, your care and attention to how and WHERE you drive it is equally very important. Those who believe they can disregard the cart directional sheet will be advised their cart privileges can and will be rescinded, so please be aware all we are trying to do is keep YOUR golf course in the best playable condition as possible, given its present state.
Moving forward, Friday July 1st, will see the beginning of the new OPEN time sheet for both Male and Women members. Dual competitions will still be run (Men and Women’s) however booking in times will be OPEN to ALL. Again the same format will be for Saturdays competitions although the Saturday Business women will retain their allocated time lines.
As has been previously advised this is to fall in line with the now new changes to our Club’s membership structures and to allow more equal course access to ALL members. The other competition days, Vets, Mens and Womens remain unchanged.
This is a follow on from the trials held at the end of May and thanks to the Match committee members for all their help in bringing it to a conclusion.
Finally, it is really pleasing to see our Club returning to some normality with the Restaurant and Club house having good patronage so many thanks to our management and staff for their efforts and especially to Chef Frances for his input and the specialty Wednesday nights which have been a hit.
Have YOU dined at the Port Macquarie Golf Club lately?
Until next month please stay well and good golfing.
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
May Report
CHANGE.!!!
Is something a lot of people just can’t get their head around. Some accept it without too much trouble, and again, some just don’t really care too much either way. For others it appears, to have the same effect as an impending end of the world. It doesn’t seem to matter if it’s beer prices, petrol prices, politicians or whatever. I do remember a customer telling me in my first Pub in Bathurst that when a Schooner got to a dollar he would give it up.!!!
But change is happening and we all hope for the better of our Club and its golf membership base.
New Competition Options
Friday time sheets are now going to provide for a 9 hole Medley competition to follow the 18 hole Men’s/Women’s daily competition. This competition will be run under the same C of P as the Sunday Medley comps.
Members & visitors alike will have the opportunity to choose, if they wish, to play either an 18 Hole Comp, a 9 Hole Comp or just play socially. For those time poor members, albeit Male or Female, further options are now available.
Friday’s will also become an alternate Tee, 1/10th start each Friday to, we hope enable our Course staff to catch up on much needed work following the past 3 months of rain. Whilst we can be grateful for the present relief from any rain, our course is at saturation point as you will all be aware.
Cart Conditions
The present conditions have amplified the fact that cart rules need to be followed by ALL members who require the use of the same. Where evidence is available of misuse of such cart restrictions or flagrant disregard of the direction sheet handed out by the Pro Shop, the offender will now receive an official warning followed by removal from the time sheet in the event of another occurrence. The Club has unfortunately agreed to suffer the loss of cart income from Social golfers to ensure minimal damage to the course in order that it may be protected as much as possible for the use of members.
Course Maintenance
Obviously, all 18 holes do not yet have paths and the path completion is certainly some time off. At present ALL 18 holes are suffering the effect of water somewhere and this is where your care and attention is required.
Presently the fairway divots and green pitch marks are of much concern as we now enter the colder months and any recovery will take that much longer, regardless of winter sunshine, but ANY attempt to fill and cut in a divot or repair a pitch mark gives it a much stronger chance, so please, whether you walk or ride look out for a divot or pitch mark to repair.
Men’s Pennant
The Club’s Men’s Pennants sides all performed admirably this year through many rain affected courses that were played but certainly not under the best conditions. The division 3 won a Flag with divisions 1, 2 & 4 finishing a very credible 3rd, so on behalf of the Port Macquarie Club sincere congratulations to all Captains and Team members for your efforts.
Also might I offer huge congratulations to Ian, Lauren, Chef Francis and ALL the team members for the success that the Club is enjoying via the Restaurant to the bar.
This is happening despite the issues of poor weather, Covid illness or staff shortages in different areas. So despite the hurdles your Golf Club continues to go forward. Enjoy your Club.
Stay well and Good golfing.
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
April Report
Well, I’m not too sure how much more we can all bear, or for that matter who we can blame!!
It all started some 2 1/2 years ago with severe bush fires in the region with the climate tragics blaming everyone else, then the Pandemic hit for which we could all blame China, then the rains come followed closely by floods, more climate tragic blame, and this has seemed to continue for 12 months now, in fact it is little more than 12 months ago our Club was being utilised as an evacuation centre.
Now with the war in Ukraine we obviously know who’s at fault there!
So with an election on the horizon more blame is going to be thrown about along with all the zillions of dollars to secure more job security for a few worthy and a lot maybe not so much, but that’s what elections are about.
The point in all this is that we, in Port Macquarie, have fared reasonably well compared to many who have suffered throughout all the above elements with our Golf course remaining playable under various conditions due the the efforts of staff and volunteers to keep it so.
Whilst we are still waiting and hoping for the rain to pee off and give us a break and some good old fashioned sunshine, the saying that every good flood is followed by a drought can now be put to the test.
The end of April will see a change to our Friday and Saturday golf formats over 2 weekends, commencing Friday April 29th, to a single timesheet Medley format with individual competitions for both Men and Women. There will be minimal changes to the present timesheet booking process for any of these days competitions with obviously first in gets the time.
This change of our golf program amounts to the Women losing exclusive access to their Friday competition and Men exclusive access to Saturday although the Saturday business women will still retain their position on the timesheet. The change has been necessitated to abide by equal access to the golf course by ALL playing members and this has resulted in a new restructure of our membership categories to begin in our new golf calendar year, July 1st.
Other competition days, such as Tuesday Men’s and Women’s Vets, Wednesday Womens golf and Thursday Men’s golf are scheduled as “Stand Alone” or special circumstance days are allowed and approved as such.
It is hoped that the new change will not cause too much inconvenience or angst to most members but will in some ways offer more flexibility to the golf calendar as will the new changes to the membership categories to be offered.
Our Club is also entering a new phase with the Restaurant with Francis our new Chef, together with a new Menu off to a flying start, Thursday “after golf” raffles and Putt for dough being run by Lauren, music happening on selected nights, so to help finish the year with some good old fashioned support let’s get INTO the Club and give it your support!
In closing I would like, not only as Captain but on behalf of the Board, to extend huge thanks to Robyn Cooper for the effort she has given to our Club in past months in assisting staff to maintain our restaurant operation, even under limited operating hours and conditions and for her help in assisting Chef Francis to settle in to his role.
After dodging Covid for some 2 years it did finally find me, damn it, but am now out and on recovery road and looking forward to a return to golf so on that note, stay well, stay safe and GOOD GOLFING.
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
March Report
Well they say it never rains but it POURS and pour it has. From the very north of the Sunshine Coast in the allegedly sunshine state to our own Port Macquarie and south it has in many areas been totally unrelenting. You may recall that this time last year our own Club was being used as an evacuation centre for many locals and members alike who all suffered personal loss.
Again at this time last year we did not think we would be enduring another year of Covid with further lockdowns, restrictions, tests and so on. As Covid has presently been somewhat forgotten due to the current weather situation another dimension is being added in a battle between Ukraine and Soviet Russia.
For those too young to remember, did you know the Great Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-1920, followed the First World War. They say history has a habit of repeating itself, well let’s hope that in this 21st century, history forgets and doesn’t repeat itself.
Despite ALL the above we have managed to maintain a very good golf course with not a lot of play being lost despite the weather. At present the water table is extremely high thus it doesn’t take a lot of rain to have surface water over parts of the course and it’s then quite slow to dissipate.
With particular regard to the many users of golf carts, both Steve and Lindsay Verdon have been instrumental in producing the Cart Sheet which indicates where carts are to be driven. It is important that ALL member cart users do abide by these instructions as misuse or disregard of the same will only reduce the availability of cart use on the golf course in these conditions further, thus resulting in a negative impact for both members and our Club alike.
In these conditions it is extremely hard for the course staff to do and complete all the set jobs necessary therefore as it does fine up there is much catch up work to do so please all be patient and aware that Steve and his limited staff cannot instantly bring the course back to the level you may be accustomed to but it will and does take time, particularly when you look at the many damaged bunkers.
Last month I did mention the proposed and forthcoming change to the present competition format under guidelines necessary for equal course access. In agreement with the Match committee we will trial on Friday April 29th, Saturday April 30th and Friday May 6th and Saturday May 7th, new timesheets enabling medley fields.
The trial is mainly to assess the proper Timesheet opening times as to be fair to all, although it is intended that Saturday will remain with a dual opening times for both the AM and PM fields. Further to this is the fact we would like the playing program to fall in line with some proposed changes to the membership categories, thus from July 1st, a new beginning. Further details of these changes will be highlighted moving forward.
In closing might I say that for YOUR Club has endured as much difficulty as any other, certainly with regard to our Restaurant but the tide is changing and positive things are happening but a huge and massive thank you to Robyn Cooper who has given her expertise and help in keeping our kitchen open and operating in limited and somewhat difficult times and to Ian Munro for his persistence in wanting to retain ownership of this aspect with a new and credited Chef soon to begin.
Your support going forward and in the future is needed to help bring the Club back to where we all want it to be.
Stay well and Stay safe,
Good golfing,
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
February Report
Well as we step out into the new golf calendar year with Pennant sides being selected and starting, a new program taking place to include medley fields there is much to look forward to in the coming months.
There has been much talk and discussion with the term ” Gender equality” being thrown about but I would much prefer to look at it from an equal access to our golf course perspective.
The narrative from both Golf Australia and Golf N.S.W., is much the same in offering the same degree of golf availability and accessibility to ALL members, as their membership privileges may allow.
This being said members of ALL your golf committees have been appraised of what is deemed to become of necessity in the not too distant future with a full 2 week trial being looked at towards the end of April whereby we can assess the best option for timesheet openings and bookings.
I do know that CHANGE, in any sense does not necessarily come easy for many, certainly for someone who has been playing golf for over 60 years, however with this new woke type world we are now living in, there isn’t much any more that is the same as it was last year, the year before that or before that and so on, and I do know that some time, patience and adaptation will be required by members to allow for the introduction of the new playing program when it does begin.
As the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed you will all be fully informed of the progress.
Speaking of TEE’S, you may all have noticed some recent variations to your handicap over some competition rounds.
Our Course Chairman, Lindsay Verdon has programmed a few new course set ups, with help from our Mi Club guru’s, different Red, White: short or Long, Blue: short or long to Black: short or long, NO not your coffee, to help in the wear and tear on our Tee’s thus moving the markers more specifically to certain areas and not confined to the distance plates will share the wear.
Regardless of where the markers may be you still have to hit the ball from somewhere and then get it in the hole so when you get to golf spare a thought for Rule of Golf No.8 ” COURSE PLAYED AS IT IS FOUND”.
In closing, you will all be aware of the resignation of elected President, Tony Hayward through necessity of medical conditions.
One’s health and well being should be paramount in any position, particularly one as voluntary as President of a Golf Club, so Tony take care of yourself first and we know you do care.
ALSO I cannot finish with a huge CONGRATULATIONS to our Club Professional, James Single for taking out the double of the NATIONAL Golf Professional of the Year title. A huge effort and well done to James and his staff who have all contributed I’m sure to this success.. Sadly James couldn’t make the awards because of the dreaded C., Omnicon.
Damn I thought I wouldn’t have to mention it this month, so I’ll wait until next month.
Good Golfing and Stay Well,
Sincerely,
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
January Report
Well, on the assumption that we all did enjoy Christmas and were happy to see the start of a New year with more prospects than the last might I say that I do not believe that it could or can be any worse than the year of 2021.
Your Club has endured much in the past year with staffing and management issues, Covid closures and lockdowns, Restaurant closures, golf and course limitations all of which have impacted severely on the Club’s revenue base.
As we now enter a new phase and year with a new Club Chef and menu imminent, some retained staff, furniture issues being addressed, all of which are positive beginnings to a new year we now seek your support as members to support the efforts of our Management and Board going forward.
As can be seen your Golf course is in somewhat remarkable condition due to the varieties of the weather we have been enduring but also the constant demand of the golf course to be constantly mowed, and mowed and mowed.
As a player who spends a lot of his time OFF the fairway and in the rough next to it, I just wish it could be mowed as often!
A respectful reminder to ALL cart users that have a Club privilege of a Blue tick that it does NOT allow you to drive within 10 metres of any green or Bunker surround.
I would remind all that the low marker in any group is deemed responsible for not only the pace of play of their group but the etiquette and course conditions that are in play.
We all play the same golf course, albeit some differently to others but the use of motorised vehicles should not be taken for granted as more complaints being received over a few offenders may see some privileges withdrawn.
Many of you may have heard, or been hearing of possible changes to the way competitions are played on our golf course and whilst as yet there is no timeline for this change to be implemented discussions are ongoing as to its implementation.
The change to a more streamlined Medley golf week, giving equal access to ALL, both male and female members is now a requirement by law, thus the need to address our week of golf as a whole and in conjunction with a revamp of our Club’s membership categories.
I accept that some changes will initially seem unfair, unpalatable etc, etc but at the end of the day we need to address the real issue of what is fair to ALL members alike and it is this aspect that your Match committee will be addressing going forward and for further recommendations to the Board.
It will not happen overnight and it is hoped that some trial periods may be invoked that we can assess and gain some feedback from.
The playing calendars of the Men’s, Women’s and Vets competitions all need to be considered along with our Seaside and Pro Am events etc, etc.
Anyone want a Headache??.
Subject to no further Covid restrictions, new pandemic strains, I would like to wish you all a safe and healthy 2022 and good golfing.
Cheers,
Neil Smith
CLUB CAPTAIN
Xmas & New Year Report
Firstly, my apologies for omitting this column last month but I was under pressure to produce the Captains Report for the Annual general meeting and making every endeavour to do justice to this report I somewhat conveniently forgot all about doing this column.
Anyway moving forward as we should, the Annual General meeting has been held, some weeks later than normal due to COVID and lockdown closures.
Personally I would like to both thank and congratulate the members who did stand for Board positions and were successful but also ask those who were not successful to not be dismayed but positions are available annually to be voted on.
To our new Club President, Tony Hayward, and Club Director Nick Ratcliffe, we look forward to your input going forward.
It would be remiss of me to not thank past President, Bill MacDonald, who, for the past 30 something years has devoted the best parts of his week to Port Macquarie Golf Club, both while working and retired and his contributions should not be forgotten, so thank you.
The Women’s A.G.M., was also held this week with new Women’s Captain, Lyn Somers being voted in over Jackie Rider. I have worked closely with Jackie the past couple of years and her drive and passion for the role cannot be questioned so thank you Jackie. To Lyn and Vice Captain Sheena, I look forward to our future association and working to achieve further golfing improvements in our Club.
It should be mentioned that ALL the sub committees of our Club do play a very important role for each of their membership whether it be Women’s, Men’s, Vets or other and much of this goes totally unnoticed so should you pass a committee member you know give them a quick thank you for a job well done.
Like most club’s, Volunteers are the backbone of the club.
According to reports, N.S.W., has reportedly had it’s wettest November ever and much of this has fallen on our golf course. Very fortunately we did not receive the severe hail and wind damage of nearby towns however our golf course has, thru the efforts of Steve and his crew and Course Chairman, Lyndsay Verdon managed to keep us on the golf course and playing.
There is a downside however that when carts are allowed, with cart instructions to follow from the Pro shop when the course demands that care be taken in areas that are adversely affected by water, that some members think it doesn’t apply to them. There are NO exceptions to the cart rules that may be applied for the day and if these are not followed by the users it could result in carts been taken off the course until conditions suit and this would only have a totally negative impact for all members who need the use of a cart, so please be mindful of this.
As our new golfing calendar is coming together for 2022, with hopefully much less impact from the COVID pandemic, I would like to thank the members of our Men’s Golf Committee, Handicapper John Tracey, Ross Radford and Secretary Les Murphy for there support and assistance throughout the year and our Mi Club Coordinators and Vice Captain, Paul Atkin, for all their continued support and help.
To all and each and every member have a safe and very happy Christmas and New Year.
Good Golfing and Best wishes,
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
September Report Update
As much as I did not wish to write another chapter concerning timesheets and some very selfish members of the Port Macquarie Golf Club, after a very disappointing attempt to fully explain the situation to members last Saturday evening the effort was only met by some quite rude and offensive behavour. All members have at one time or another only been able to have a game of golf only on a Saturday or a Thursday and quite often this has not been an easy task to achieve. Last year thru COVID, Saturday only golfers did advise their name and were given a priority booking in an effort to help them at least accomplish one game of golf in a week.
Whilst we are still under the COVID cloud it was felt a new way to accommodate ALL members was to change the Booking procedure to simply on a FRIDAY, either 5PM for a morning booking OR 6.00PM for an afternoon booking for the following THURSDAY OR SATURDAY. This was to give those members that can ONLY play on a Thursday or a Saturday an opportunity to book a golf time leaving ALL those who regularly play on both days to choose which day to play in the initial offering. The following SUNDAY evening the Thursday and Saturday time sheets would reopen, again 5.00Pm for morning and 6.00PM for afternoon times for the remainder of members to book in for the other day on which they wished to play.
ALL this new structure is intended to do is accommodate members who have only one opportunity per week to play a game of golf and not two, three and four games per week as many of you already do. For those fearful of not getting their own usual preferred time or booking, sorry but that is what happens with time sheets, nothing is ever guaranteed and it is not part of your membership package that there is a guarantee but always subject to availability.
Now as we get closer to Daylight saving the time sheet will get a little larger and more accommodating but nonetheless it would be really nice to see more members thinking of the “Glass half full” analogy and NOT half empty and the end of their world.
Again, stay safe as it isn’t over yet.
Good golfing.
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
September (Spring) Report
Well as this phase of COVID continues and we remain in a lockdown situation, might I say how fortunate we all are to be able to continue to play golf. Some of us certainly not as much as we would like and a few others play somewhat excessively which too often prevents another member from a game who may not have the liberty of being able to play on any given day and at any given time.
It would also seem that this current strand of COVID has had the ability to create personality changes in some who like to vent their anger and frustrations on others by use of the keyboard. I would respectfully remind these keyboard warriors that NO Individual, Committee or Board member, is solely responsible for the current decision making with regard to the timesheet structures, competition etc. These decisions are made in conjunction with others to determine what might be the fairest for ALL members alike.
It has been no easy task to accommodate all those wishing to play on any day when the timesheet is limited to 2 players at a time and we ask members to be considerate of others in their own playing schedule. But again some only consider their own agenda and play regardless and without concern for others.
Partly for some of these reasons the new timesheet opening format has been designed to hopefully give an equal opportunity for ALL members to login and select their preferred playing day. It is hoped this will even out the spread of members logging in over and for different days. As mentioned it is no easy task trying to accommodate the playing privileges of all members given the current restraints, a bit like putting the proverbial square plug, or golf driver, into a round hole so again patience of all is required at a time like this as anger and abuse to a few will not achieve a better result.
It is also worth mentioning the WAITLIST works, so if you cannot secure a game on your preferred day get on the waitlist.
Finally, we are all anxious for this period of COVID to come to an end and in this respect it is worth remembering that all this began with a very small number of people NOT doing the right thing, so, to continue to ensure our own personal health and safety I ask you all to ” Do the right thing”.
Happy golfing and stay well!
Neil Smith
CLUB CAPTAIN
August Report
Apologies for the lateness of this month’s column but I have found that moving house is not as easy as maybe it once was, if ever it was an easy task. I was advised that moving house and getting divorced carried similar levels of stress. I have moved house too many times to count but never experienced the latter stress. If that is the case I find my job as Club Captain is equal to getting a divorce !
Moving on it is a nice change to be hearing some compliments been given towards both the golf course and Club operations. To put into words the difficulties of the past 18 months would take full use of the Oxford dictionary however with thanks to our new C E O, Ian Munro, many aspects of the Club’s whole operations are being addressed and changed where necessary.
I would respectfully remind many that change for the better does take longer than quick fix change of which admittedly we may have seen too much of in recent times.
A number of issues concerning the course have had to be put on hold due to the current Covid situation, including a course remeasure and rating adjustment if necessary but we are working with Mi Club towards this end.
Further we are looking at re visiting the aspect of the rear Pods of the 14th Tee with an aim to re align and join them together, again as a work in progress it may take some time to complete given other work on the course proper but it will be a worthwhile result.
I would remind all members that given the present Covid climate and restrictions that we are still playing the golf course under normal conditions whilst other club’s around us have adopted the Golf N.S.W. recommendation of Flag stick remaining in, rakes removed from bunkers etc. Again as it is only a recommendation it has been agreed not to adopt it at this point of time but it may change quickly so ALL members are asked to be conscious of their environment and the guidelines in place.
Sadly with the cancellation of the Seaside Classic this year now comes cancellation of the Better Homes Pro AM. Hopefully these events will be back in a brighter 2022.
Finally, as this year’s H E M Matchplay, previously the Patrons Matchplay, gets underway, saw the final of the Uptin Knockout a few weeks ago and congratulations go to Tony Hayward and Michael Swift who prevailed over Michael Cusato and Glen Pollard in a great match.
Whilst the light in the Covid tunnel may seem quite dim at present stay well, healthy and good golfing.
Cheers,
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
July Report
Well as we enter our second month of winter and after another week of really unwanted and unneeded rain which topped the golf course right up and undid a lot of earlier repair work, we can only hope for some good quality sunshine to see us through. On top of the weather we now seem to be in a worse Covid position than 12 months ago so we all need to now have an extra teaspoon of ” Patience ” each morning to get us through the day and the next. This latest dose of Covid restrictions and requirements affect everyone so please do your bit to appease all the Club staff, Pro shop et al as they are only doing what they are required to do.
The Seaside: This current episode also means we will soon be making a final decision on whether to proceed with our annual Seaside Classic. We have been receiving very good entry feedback however to be fair to all concerned we cannot leave any decision to postpone too late to make. Immediate notice will be posted on the website on this issue.
The Uptin Final: Last saturday, July 3rd, saw the final of the Club’s long running Uptin Knockout played between Michael Swift / Tony Hayward and Glen Pollard / Mike Cusato. As the referee I watched them tussle over 18 holes and play the game in the spirit in which it should always be played which saw Swifty and Tony prevail 4 & 2 over Glen and Mike.
Because of the enduring weather conditions your help is really needed to keep the divots and pitch mark repairs up as with the cold ground etc nothing much is growing (Covid being the exception) so please ALL members make a conscious effort to help out in this area.
With the 4th hole now back in play all should have noticed the improved look of the hole and once the turf has settled in and the mowers have been over it it will only be enhanced further so a job well done to Steve, Josh and the ground crew.
Until next month please stay safe, stay well and Covid free and good golfing.
Cheers,
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
June Report
Well, as we now enter our winter solstice, put the lawn mowers away for a break, add an extra layer of golf attire, we find the golf course still requires it’s daily dose of care and maintenance with the greens getting up to their winter speed, fairways and rough continue to be trimmed and now a revamped 4th hole to contend with and challenge us.
Without a doubt the improvements to the 4th, with much improved line of sight vision, and bunkers readjustment is a great job and well done to Lindsay, our Course Chairman, Steve Brennan and his team.
It is really this time of year our course needs every members help in the care and maintenance of divot repair and green pitch marks due in a large way to the softness of the ground underneath as the course is still recovering from over a metre of rain just some weeks ago so please all members can play a part and repair a divot or pitch mark during their round.
I have also been recently advised of a few 5 hour rounds taking place and again this is a reminder that the low marker in any group is deemed responsible for the pace of play in that group.
I understand fully how the rough, in particular, has been of late, mainly because I, myself spend so much time in it, but now with most holes offering hazard or penalty area relief it is really important to maintain the pace of play, stay behind the group in front of you and NOT in front of the group behind you.
Last month I did congratulate, what I thought was the doing of the Ladies committee for the greenery works to the bottom and rear of the Club House however I was reminded that the Men’s and Lady Vets and Tony Haywards Club recycling endeavours were all contributors to the effort so many thanks to all concerned.
As will now be noted your Club’s Restaurant is now back in operation with a well credentialed and reputed Chef and new front of house staff.
Many new initiatives have been put in place to make your next visit to the Golf Club as enjoyable as possible so please do not leave your next visit too long.
Stay well, stay safe and Good golfing,
Neil Smith
Club Captain
May Report
The Congratulations Issue
- 1. Firstly, might I congratulate Matthew Hayes for his 19th hole Port Tyre World Knockout win over incumbent Club Champion Leon Smith. Their match was a seesaw event all day with Matty needing to birdie the 18th hole to take the match to the 19th. Sincere congratulations to both players for the fine spirit in which they played the game.
- 2. Also congratulations to Fred Fouche for his Gold Medal win in April and condolences to Peter Adams who lost to Fred in a countback situation.
- 3. Sincere congrats to the Ladies committee for their fine endeavours in the greenery work around the Club adjacent to the 9th green. This area never looked overly clean or tidy but now has a very appealing appearance. What a world of difference, a few nice shrubs can make.
With our greens staff now having had the opportunity to get rough mowers into places so previously wet, the course is definitely drying out and returning to some normality, which is in some ways obvious with some of the scores being returned in competition, although some of mine are not in this category. Of particular note is Evan Berger who produced a scintillating round of 67 or 5 under Par off our Par 72 course. Terrific golf.
Although our course is still somewhat soft, it amplifies the need to be more aware of both unfilled divots that need attention and also pitch marks on greens that are invariably overlooked. In this area, we ALL need to be more aware and observant, as any of these areas not attended to at the time only increases the time it takes to recover.
The new Friday competition for Men starts Friday, May 7th with the timesheet opening from 10.40 through to 12.29. This is a new initiative to try and relieve some pressure on the Thursday competitions and as, hopefully the demand New increases more times may be added as necessary so, as time progresses we may see some momentum. To begin all Fridays will be a single stableford event with normal prizes according to field size and the Conditions of Play.
New Timesheet Opening Times
Whilst on the subject of timesheets and Mi Club Log in the Men’s golf committee has agreed to revert to the previous format of 5,00PM booking for the Morning field ON THE DAY OF PLAY and 6.00PM for the afternoon field. This will commence from Book-in May 27th for Play on June 3, so please have your groups organised.
Finally, a belated welcome to our new C E O, Ian Munro, who has a vision for our Club which includes your member support. If you haven’t yet met Ian take time out to make yourself known, particularly if maybe you are a Chef in another life he would love to meet you!!. Ian is turning every stone in an endeavour to employ suitable staff to get our Kitchen open and running so we wish him sincere luck in his efforts.
In closing Congratulations to ALL our Men’s Golf 2021 Pennant teams with Divisions 2, 3, and 4 winning their Flags and Division 1 being Runner up. This year Pennants were played on very wet courses in the L N C area through all the weather in March early April, so all efforts were certainly rewarded.
Until next time,
Stay well and Good golfing,
Neil Smith
Club Captain
April Report
Firstly, may I wish all members an enjoyable and hopefully dry Easter weekend.
Through the month of March, following the Annual Beverley Park reciprocal visit our Golf course has received upwards of 700mm of rain which after some very heavy periods did necessitate actual closure of the course for some time. The fact we are actually back playing is evidence of how good the golf course is even though a few problem areas do exist. It is these areas in particular that are keeping carts off the course and until there is some relief in these areas unfortunately this has to be so. With the course at saturation point, I would ask all members to make that extra effort to fill fairway and rough divots wherever possible and of course, the pitch marks on the greens are far more prevalent. So please make that extra effort to assist and maintain them.
By now our Men members should be aware of the Online booking in changes for both Thursday and Saturday competitions to 5.00pm FRIDAY for the following Thursday and 5.00pm SUNDAY for the following Saturday competition. WHY you ask is this necessary and after much discussion at the Men’s golf committee meeting it was resolved that, to enable a fair and equal opportunity for ALL members to log in and book, that they can arrange their playing groups on the competition day prior, arrange a member of that group to book the times whether it be in the morning or afternoon field. IT should be remembered that now daylight saving has ceased our Thursday and Saturday competition fields will reduce by upwards of 10 to 15 playing times due to the shorter days.
For this reason the new Friday competition will commence on Friday, April 30th. The timesheet will soon be uploaded for booking -in from 5.00pm SATURDAY April 24th. These Friday competitions will follow the morning Women’s competition and will trial thru winter and continue if fields and participation warrants.
In closing one might wonder what more can and will be thrown at us (and many others know doubt ) with the drought and bushfires through 2019/2020 then COVID-19 hit everyone thru 2020 and is still impacting and severe rain and floods in March to the extent that our Golf Club became an evacuation Centre in Port Macquarie.
To our C E O, Craig Cooper, who spent many 15+ hour nights overseeing the Club and the evacuees and his organisation together with President Bill MacDonald who spent his days there keeping things straight, the staff and other helpers who did willingly give up time to assist A BIG THANK YOU !!! At the same time it is sad news that C E O Craig has found the need to leave us after such a short stint when the effects of change were beginning to take effect but we wish him sincere thanks for his time and all the best in the future.
To the family of Kevin Grounsell our sincere condolences on the very sudden and sad passing of Kevin, a long time member and Sponsor with the families Just Cuts business.
As we warm ourselves into Autumn and Winter please do not forget that your Club needs you through these times so whether it be for a cup of coffee, a beverage or snack you can contribute to our Club in no small way and assist.
Stay well, Play well and above all Stay SAFE.
Sincerely,
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
March Report
Well as we leave summer, the month of February has left us with over a foot of rain, which at the moment would seem quite sufficient. Considering the amount of water endured by the golf course, you will not be surprised to notice that there are quite a few areas that are still saturated. This is making it quite difficult to ease the cart restrictions fully, but hopefully this will happen in due course, as a bit of sunshine and wind comes upon the course.
The rain has also had an effect on players in the Port Tyreworld Knockout. As we head towards the semi finals, the players have been very obliging in agreeing to other arrangements to play their matches, so good luck to all in the remaining matches.
I extend a warm welcome to all those members from Beverley Park visiting this weekend on the Annual trip, as I recall the 62nd consecutive visit, so fingers crossed for a fine dry weekend of golf and good company and hospitality.
To all members who make use of the ball retriever on the end of their putter, it has been noticed that consistent damage is being suffered to the hole edges due to the ball been retrieved whilst the flagstick remains in the hole. So where possible, please remove the flagstick to make easy access to remove the ball.
Many will notice the extra mowing that has been done around the course and this will not only aid the drying out process but visually looks terrific. The rough in the past few months has been quite horrendous. So for those who spend too much time in there, this is a godsend.
There have been some very notable scores lately and a more recent one comes from a 60 year member, who just happened to have recently turned 90 years in age and can still get 44 points. Well done Lionel Riley so keep it up.
With a somewhat easing of Covid-19 restrictions your Golf Club would really like to see more of you, not just for the odd game of Golf but also inside the Clubhouse for that after game drink, a snack or stay for a meal. We are no different to many, many others who have suffered over the Covid pandemic with a significant number of Clubs, Golf Clubs included, who will not be operating at the years end. And although this is not our situation, the Club still needs to operate profitably to ensure a solid stable base and to enable future works on the golf course to continue, so if you haven’t been in for a while or had dinner how about giving the Club a go.
In the hope of seeing some bright blue skies and gentle breezes over early autumn stay safe and play well.
Cheers,
NEIL SMITH
CLUB CAPTAIN
February Important Update
IMPORTANT
In a further endeavor, to be seen as fair and reasonable to the playing membership as a whole, the Booking In procedure is going to change. Because of the cessation of Daylight saving and the reduced timesheet playing times available,
we are moving to a SIX ( 6 ) Day Log In at 5.00 PM for ALL Thursday, Friday and Saturday Men’s Golf Competitions ONLY. There will be no split opening times for the Competition, all tee times will open at 5pm.
Women’s Golf, Vet’s Golf and Medley Competitions will stay as at present.
This will commence from FRIDAY, APRIL 2nd at 5.00pm for booking in for the following Thursday April 8th competition and thence Sunday at 5.00pm for the following Saturday’s competition. April 10th and so on. Notices will be placed in the normal areas for reminders to all.