COMMITTEE ACTS TO BOOST CLUB INCOME
Endorsing recommendations made by the Finance and Resources Sub-Committee,
the Committee has authorised Peter Marshall (PM) to implement a number of
measures designed to boost club income.
Several of these proposals have been suggested by past committees, and by
PM and David Gleeson, but have been held in reserve.
It is recognised that some of the measures will have an impact on members’
golf but action is necessary now if we are to maintain the club’s
strong financial position. Cuts in essential investment on the course and
buildings would inevitably have an adverse impact on the club’s reputation
on which its future depends.
Every effort will be made to limit the impact on members’ golf. Advance
notice will be given on the white board in the Palm Court area when there
is likely to be congestion on the course. Notice will also be given on the
club’s website.
Green fees
Introduce a “twilight green fee” from Monday to Friday (excluding
Thursday) at £30 for 18 holes after 4pm. This would apply between
May and mid-September. In other months, offer a 9-hole twilight green fee
for £15 after 4pm.
Remove the restriction on weekend green fees after 2.30pm, subject to junior
competitions.
Reduce green fees in the winter on weekdays only.
Societies
Give PM more flexibility over the restrictions imposed on visiting societies,
including their starting tees and times.
Allow societies on a Thursday morning and Monday afternoon when the Wednesday
and the Friday are booked or used by the Commandos.
3. Entrance fees and memberships
Maintain entrance fees at current levels.
Allow payment of entrance fees by instalments, for example £100 per
month for 18 months, but use a separate direct debit from subscriptions.
Consider incentives to members for the introduction of new members, for
example by crediting their club card with £100.
Offer the same incentive to any small group of potential members joining
together.
Regularly remind members via Tee Times of the need for the new members and
the preference of the committee for applicants introduced by members.
NOTE. In mid-March membership figures were as follows: Full; 368 (maximum
375); 7-day restricted 45 (maximum 100); 5-day; 95 (maximum 90)
Bar
Close the bar at 6pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Monday evenings from the
clock change in October to mid-February, except when required for functions.
Catering
Encourage more innovative ideas from the franchisee on menus and the availability
of food.
Miscellaneous
Establish links with local hotels, for example Sopwell House and The Noke,
which allow golfing residents to play at the club, both in twilight hours
and in the daytime.
Encourage local businesses to use the clubhouse facilities for meetings,
seminars, lunches etc.
Use indirect advertising via press comment.
FIRST TEE PRIORITIES CHANGE
Instead of playing their morning golf off the 10th tee, visiting societies
will in future have the 1st tee from 8.30am. Members wishing to play singles
may do so off the 1st from 8am but must be clear of the hole by the time
the society is due to start.
During the week, the 10th tee will be free for both members’ singles
and fourballs from 8.15am. Singles will have no priority over fourballs,
but where a match loses ground on the one ahead, it is hoped that etiquette
will prevail.
Members – especially those playing singles – are encouraged
not to start their rounds from the 10th too early to avoid delays likely
to result if they catch up with the society.
No firm conclusions have been reached following the two weekend trials which
allowed golf of any format to be played at any time off the 1st and the
10th tees. Further similar trials are likely to be held at the end of summer.
TWO-BALL GOLF HERE TO STAY
One or two members have drawn the conclusion from the two Saturday morning
trials held recently that there is a committee plot to marginalise two-ball
golf. The committee (and this is likely to be followed by future committees)
will continue to provide facilities for two-ball golf for as long as members
wish to play in that format.
There continues to be a strong interest in foursomes golf at the club. Not
only does this speedy golfing format reward unselfish play, in cordial company
it provides plenty of opportunity for conversation with an opponent during
the round.
However, in the interests of providing as many members as possible with
an opportunity of playing golf in the winter months, when play is restricted
by shorter daylight hours, the committee will consider whether, from 11.30am
on Saturdays, golf should be permitted from the 1st or 10th tees in any
format.
NEW GREENS GET GO-AHEAD FOR MAY
Members will have noted the high level of development and maintenance activity
on the course over the past month.
Most notable is the planting of 40 new trees in various locations which
will make for attractive views in future years. The tree fund, which exists
as a result of donations from past and present members, has covered nearly
all the expenditure involved. Martin Smith considers the trees to be of
excellent quality and is confident that they will take well.
1. The new paths are looking good and sufficient of the Astroturf-style material remains to cover the path by the 8th white and yellow tees. This will be undertaken when time permits.
2. We had a planned visit from a senior agronomist from the STRI earlier this month to review developments on the course and to inspect the new 6th and 16th greens. He was very pleased with what he saw and confirmed that the new greens would indeed be ready to play at the beginning of May. However, he cautioned, quite naturally, against any expectation that we should enjoy billiard-table surfaces to start with. This will take time to achieve and the regime of gently cutting and rolling the surface together with over-seeding, top-dressing and coring should meet with reasonable results by October.
3. The opportunity was taken during the visit to look at other areas of
the course where specific treatments would produce both playing and visual
improvements. These include under trees, where the ground has been affected
by extensive root growth, and such areas as those once occupied by the bunkers
on the 15th, where the turf that replaced them has never really thrived.
Drainage work in previous years has greatly improved early yardages on the
12th and 18th. There are now plans to improve the 12th tees, the start of
the 13th and at the drainage at the back of the 17th green. This work is
scheduled to take place in house in October.
Nigel Weekes, Chair of Green
STOUT EFFORT ALL ROUND
The Celtic combatants renewed their historic rivalry, with Ireland successfully
defending the trophy against Wales after a 5-5 draw on the format of “holes
up” agreed by captains Howard Warnes and Dermot Wickham. The Irish
were particularly grateful for a five-star performance from Frank Hennessy.
In the rugby that followed, Wales gained some well-earned revenge, watched
by an audience made the more convivial courtesy of stout supplied by Arthur
Guinness and champagne by Miles Baird.
Members with Celtic connections are encouraged to support next year’s
event, in which Ireland will be captained by Alan McMullen and Wales by
Warren Wynne.
MAKE THURSDAY YOUR ECLECTIC DAY
Thursday, April 17, sees the start of the 2008 Eclectic. It seems to have
been a long winter!
Last year more than 170 members took part – a high figure that meant
weekly prize money was generous.
On the downside, some members were guilty of pre-arranging threeballs. This
is totally against the ethos of the eclectic, which is to encourage integration.
The rule is turn up, sign up and play. This way, you will meet members –
often some new to the club – that you have not played with before.
This apart, pre-arranging is not fair to the next one on the list, who is
left in the lurch and may have to wait some time for a playing partner to
turn up.
I look forward to welcoming lots of you, and especially any new members,
from 3pm on April 17.
David Talbot, Eclectic Manager
COURSE CORNER
The 6th and 16th greens have been spiked, over-seeded and treated with
an application of slow-release fertiliser coupled with fortnightly top-dressing.
Lawn sand will be applied to all greens within the coming weeks to get spring
growth underway.
Tees have also received an application of spring fertiliser. Aeration of
the tees will continue through March and April, along with an application
of top-dressing when the conditions are suitable.
The last verti-draining of the winter programme is underway on the fairways.
Once complete, verti-cutting will take place, followed by an application
of liquid fertiliser to encourage spring growth. Artisans will then be divoting
three fairways per week throughout the season.
Several areas of rough which struggle to grow under the tree canopies will
receive spiking, raking, an application of high nitrogen fertiliser. They
will then be over-seeded and top-dressed with green waste compost.
We will be enhancing the area behind the flagpole by removing a small amount
of scrub and putting in a shrub border with a centre-piece of a flowering
magnolia tree to improve the view from the clubhouse.
Martin Smith, Course Manager
GIVE MIXED SOCIAL GOLF A GO
The mixed social programme starts in May with two away fixtures, the first
at Brocket Hall on May 11 and the second at Hadley Wood on May 25. The lists
to sign up for these matches will be posted on the board in the Palm Court
some five weeks before each event. Everyone is welcome, so if you have never
played mixed greensomes before make this the summer you do.
The other dates are: West Herts on June 22, East Herts on August 31, and
Brookmans Park on September 21 – all of these are home matches. The
last date is a new fixture for us – South Herts away on September
28.
If it is easier you can email your availability to me at janetkilsby@btconnect.com.
Jan Kilsby, Manager
GOLFING ETIQUETTE AT PORTERS PARK
[This item has been included by the committee as a gentle reminder to long-standing members, and for the information of relatively new members. Correspondence on this topic would be welcomed if addressed by email or letter to Peter Marshall.]
One of the great joys of playing at this club is that two-ball golf is
separated from 3/4 ball golf by granting priority at certain times and from
certain tees to those playing their golf in a particular golfing format.
In contrast, those of you who have played over courses where all forms of
golf are mixed up together are likely to have found this unsatisfactory.
The rule here is that players who start their round from either the first
or tenth tees in red times (as displayed on the adjacent notice boards and
as stated in the members’ diary) have priority on the course, at the
start and after nine holes, over players starting at either tee in black
times.
Members starting their rounds in black times must wait for a gap to appear
in the field or be invited to play first by members who started in a red
time.
Members who start their round other than at the 1st or 10th tees, or who
start at a time when there is no provision for golf to be played in their
chosen format, have no standing on the course. This does not mean that they
should incur the wrath of other members. However, such players must be particularly
careful not to delay or harass others on the course and they must recognise
that they may not be able to complete more than a few holes.
The basic rules of golfing etiquette should be followed at all times. Players
who have lost a complete hole to those in front, should invite those following
immediately behind to play through. Three-ball golf is a recognised format
at the club and this courtesy should be extended to players in a three-ball
who are being held up by two-ball or four-ball players.
It is a tradition of the club that the Captain is given priority on the
tee and that members playing in the quarter-final stages of boarded competitions
have priority over other players. Those who have crossed the stream at the
9th to continue their round, have priority over those waiting to tee off
at the 10th. Players who have booked a tee, having been given permission
to do so by the Managing Secretary, have priority over all other players
on the tee during the time booked.
Players who interrupt their round at the 10th for a coffee or a bacon sandwich,
lose their priority on the tee until there is a significant gap in the field
to enable them to resume their round without inconveniencing those following.
However, it is an act of courtesy for those continuing their round and not
stopping to ask those who have stopped if they may take their place on the
tee. It is customary for players wishing to pause for refreshments politely
to ask the players in front to place their order at the 10th so as to minimise
delays on the course.
These simple rules may yet give rise to difficulties in interpretation in
certain circumstances. When this occurs, it is expected that players will
show courtesy to one another and apply common sense to the situation in
which they find themselves. A member faced with discourtesy should avoid
causing a scene. If the incident is serious, the member should obtain the
support of witnesses and send a written report to the Managing Secretary
who will raise the matter with the committee.
Where the behaviour is very serious or is persistent, the committee has
adequate disciplinary powers, as a last resort, to deal with members whose
behaviour falls significantly below the standards expected at the club.
Discourtesy to employees of the club will be taken particularly seriously.
LADIES VOTE FOR STATUS QUO
The ladies’ section voted overwhelmingly in favour of continuing
to run their own affairs, with the ongoing co-operation of the secretariat,
Voting in favour of retaining a committee of five was 80.6% as against 19.4%
in favour of abandoning the ladies’ committee.
The survey brought 13 offers to stand for the ladies’ committee and
27 offers to help with or run an event.
*Ladies should note that their away day to France, planned for Wednesday,
April 30, has been cancelled owing to lack of support.
ARRIVED…
The Captain is pleased to welcome as playing members Mark Cherry and Adam Foster.
…AND DEPARTED
The club regrets to record the deaths of Pat Stamford, Jack Jefferies and Kevin Glynn. A memorial service will be held for Pat Stamford at Christ Church, Radlett, at 12.30pm on Monday, April 21, to be followed at 1.30pm by a reception at the club.
COMMANDOS ON DEFENSIVE
We have had a mixed start to the season, with the weather playing a significant
part in events. On both fronts, it is hoped that things can only get better!
Our first match at home to West Herts was keenly contested on what eventually
turned out to be a beautiful day. Early advantage could not be pressed home,
and an enjoyable match was halved.
Our scheduled fixture with the ladies was unfortunately frowned upon by
the weather gods, and had to be cancelled. It is hoped that this can be
re-scheduled.
Our away match against Brookmans Park resulted in rather a whitewash, with
the less said about the score the better. This, we hope, will lead to renewed
determination to do better in our forthcoming fixtures in April against
Sandy Lodge, Ashridge, Berkhamsted and Brickendon Grange, all away, and
Moor Park at home.
THIS AND THAT
The long awaited proximity cards are at last ready for distribution and
await collection via the office. All members have been notified by letter
and are asked to verify with the office that their personal details are
correct.
June 21 is Membership Day. If you know of anyone wishing to come along,
please enter their name(s) on the list posted in the Palm Court, or contact
the office.
New tee markers are still available. If you wish to sponsor one of these
(and have your name displayed for posterity), you may do so at a cost of
£70. Please contact the office.
There are still a few places available for men’s invitation day on
Friday, April 11. If you and a guest wish to take part in this event –
18 holes of afternoon golf, followed by dinner – please contact the
office.
CONGRATULATIONS to…
Matthew Chick who won the March stableford (Div I) with 38pts from Jai
Raja with 36pts. Andrew Devine won Div II with 39pts from Alan Ring with
38pts
John Freeman who won the March midweek stableford with 37pts from William
Cooper with 36pts
Sally McAlister who won the February stableford (silver division) with 33pts
from Linda Lambert with 32pts (last 9). Madeleine Olausson won the bronze
division with 34pts from Meera Patel-Schelleken with 31pts (last 9)
Susan Lawrence who won the March stableford (silver division) with 32pts
from Fiona Holden with 30pts. Ros Lake won the bronze division with 29pts
(last 6) from Madeleine Olausson