Presidents Newsletter July 2020

Spring is just around the corner and I’m sure you are all looking forward to it. We have managed to get through various stages of Lockdown without any major health disasters however many businesses have been and continue to be under pressure. I think the South Canterbury region as a whole has coped very well and is in a good position to recover quickly.

Golf has been steady with good numbers out enjoying the course which has been in very good condition. We are coming into a very busy time on the course over the next few months with our Spring Tournament to look forward to plus bookings from visitors.

The committee has been looking at how the club can make better use of our facilities. We need to try and utilise our clubhouse more and create more use of the course. Any suggestions would be welcomed. We have also looked at our membership options and subscriptions. We will put forward some suggestions and call a Special General meeting before the end of September (as this is our roll over month) so members can have input and vote on what is proposed.

Golf

As I mentioned earlier our Spring Tournament is on 12^th & 13^th September. This an opportunity for all our members in all categories to get in and support the club by making the tournament a success. Find a partner from outside the club and invite them to play. I expect all members to get in behind the tournament as a large entry will certainly help our bottom line which has been affected by Covid. Thanks once again to Nevis Jones and his team for organising.

The club championship knockout rounds are underway and there are certainly some quality golfers amongst the senior draw. Good luck to all players and we look forward to finals day in September.

Grounds

All going well the hedge on the eastern boundary will be trimmed shortly. This is going to cause disruption to the course so when we call for helpers to clean up please come out and give some time otherwise we may need to close part of the course. You will have noticed some soil (and Spuds) dropped beside the 9^th fairway. This will be used to make some modification to the approach to the 9^th green.

With the lack of growth it is vital that we all repair our pitch marks on the greens and replace or put sand in divots. We are running out of fresh areas to tee off on the par 3’s. Take time to repair your divot’s or use the sand provided, don’t leave it to someone else. There is spare sand in all the shelters on the par 3’s.

Farewell

Farewell to Owen and Elizabeth Berrill. The club will certainly miss Owen and Elizabeth when they move back to Auckland on the 14^th August to be closer to family. They have both been wonderfully loyal club members who have taken a full role in the club. We thank them very much for being positive and active members. We wish you both well for the future, and you are welcome back anytime.

AGM

Our AGM is scheduled for Monday 7^th December. Once again I ask that members give serious thought to getting involved in helping with the club administration. I am not standing for President again as I believe 3 years is enough. It is important that new people come on board and continue to bring fresh ideas.

Good golfing everyone, and as always make sure you get out and use your course - it is such a great asset.

Harvey King