A note from Nick...
Bring a guest for free - Friday 25th August
Following a successful day last year, our ‘thank you’ event takes place again in August when members may bring a guest for free throughout the day. Please register on IG from 25th July.
Dress code
Through the recent spell of hot weather, we have noticed that some members, or their guests, have taken our relaxed approach to dress code to a whole new level. In simple terms, “if you can buy it in a Pro Shop, you can wear it properly on the golf course” (this covers items including ‘hoodies’) and, while we allow ‘smart demin’ in the clubhouse, we do expect that members using the club socially do not wear flip flops, sliders, board shorts or vests! There was even a sighting of bare feet wandering through the clubhouse last week. Alas, they did not belong to Joss Stone! Similarly, dress code on the course is important and all members should uphold club standards in terms of caps being worn the right way around and shirts being tucked in etc. I have reminded
Darren Wood, Stuart Barr, the Pro Shop and Clubhouse teams to be more aware of this going forward.
Obituaries
Members will be sorry to learn about the recent passing of Tony Acres and John Newton. Tony passed away peacefully on 2nd June at the age of 90 and worked for many years as Club Secretary, living in the Secretary’s Cottage. He contributed to the development of Burhill Golf Club and was instrumental in setting up several other golf clubs while working for Burhill Estates. John joined Burhill in 1995 and despite poor health still enjoyed coming to the club for lunch to see friends. Our sincere condolences go out to their families. Further information regarding funeral arrangements are on the club noticeboards.
Chipping from the Patio
There are a few ‘managed’ occasions in the year where we permit members or guests to chip from a mat placed on the patio onto the 18th green of the New Course. This normally accompanies a charitable angle. Sadly, it appears to have become something of an afternoon or night-time trend and I would appreciate that it now ends please.
Slow Play and Mutual Respect Policy
We are aware of a couple of recent incidents where groups have not been allowed to play through other groups in front and, in some cases, where some groups are not behaving in line with our Mutual Respect Policy – arguing with other members or giving ‘attitude’ to our polite team of Marshals. Common sense should prevail, and members should consider what is happening further ahead on the course rather than complaining directly to the group immediately in front.
There will be occasions where members playing in 2-ball formats are held up by 4-balls. If it is possible to allow smaller groups though then please do so but equally, we would encourage 2-balls to play (at weekends) either very early in the morning or well into the afternoon. It will never be a quick round when playing as a 2-ball mid-morning at the weekend.
Lost Property
Carol, Nicky and Diana are currently receiving more items of lost property than ever before. We do retain items for a few weeks but naturally cannot hang on to everything forever. If you have left an item behind, please contact our reception team as soon as is possible to try and retrieve it.
Cost Pressures
It is possible that we have started to see some green shoots in terms of a slight softening in food, energy and other cost increases experienced by the club and felt by other businesses and domestically over the last year or so. We have now contracted a 100% renewable source electricity supply agreement on a more favourable tariff and our Exec Chef, David Hanlon, has indicated that the cost of some core ingredients including cream, sirloin and chicken have stabilised. Interestingly, Maris Piper potatoes have more than doubled in price for a 25kg bag – now at £21!
Welcome to Dariia
We are delighted to welcome Dariia Mazaltseva to our Hospitality Team. She has relocated to the UK from Ukraine with her son and is staying with a family on the Burhill Estate while her husband supports the effort back at home. An extremely stressful situation no doubt and we are delighted to be able to play our part in a small way – please join me in welcoming Dariia.
Summer Wedding Dates
Members may wish to know that we have five celebrations to host over the next 3 months; 28/7, 5/8, 26/8, 2/9 and 9/9. The team will manage these as sensitively as possible. The majority are due for a 2pm arrival, only 2/9 is for an arrival time at 1pm.
Range Machine
We have been having some challenges with the range machine of late and despite best efforts have reached a point where it is not economical to repair it. We are due to have a new machine installed following a 6-week lead time so please bear with us.
Buggy Compound Refurbishment
We are pleased with the progress and expect to see the new shutter doors and install guttering to finish the job within the next couple of weeks.
Storm Shelter –17th hole, Old Course
It’s finished and we are delighted that members have enjoyed seeing the progress. The ‘peacock’ is a sign of artistic flair from the Master Thatcher.
By way of a brief reminder, club members receive 6 or 7 on-line survey requests each year. We have approximately a 10% response rate and, at the time of writing, our Net Promoter Score for the last 3 months is 56 – calculated from the question regarding ‘your willingness to recommend Burhill GC to friends and family’. This type of question is used across a range of service and hospitality sectors to take a barometer view of member (or customer) satisfaction. We do like to read your positive feedback and enjoy it when individual team members get a personal “shout out”.
Likewise, if we have not come up to scratch, we would prefer to know so we can do something about it. The calculation is shown below so please look at how the scoring works.
groups within a 20-40 range and £10 off each for groups of 40+).
• Kids Go Free initiative (Under 16’s go free) *
• Half-priced youth tickets for those aged 16 - 24*
*Excludes Saturday 12 August.
The R&A would really appreciate seeing local club members supporting this unique event. To find out more about your options and to secure your group booking discounts, please contact a member of the customer service team using the below details. Further information on the event and ticketing can be found here!
• Email: Tickets@AIGWomensOpens.com
• Telephone: +44 (0)1334 466010
Alex Wells – English Under 18 Amateur Championship
We would like to congratulate our junior member Alex Wells on a very impressive victory in the English Under 18 Championship at Effingham Golf Club which Alex described as his “biggest achievement yet”.
Old Trolley Store – Closure Reminder
As a reminder to members using the former Badminton Court (old trolley store), this facility will close on 31st July and all items need to be removed before this date. Any remaining and unidentifiable belongings will be disposed of. If you have any items left in the store please ensure they are removed before this date.
AIG Women’s Open at Walton Heath (9th – 13th August 2023)
The R&A would like to offer club members the chance to attend the Championship at preferential rates, including:
• Group discount offers (£5 off per ticket for
Alex scored 68, 68, 70 and then a final round of 70 for a total of 276 (-12).
A special mention also to Junior Vice-Captain Freddie Surgey who carded a 285 (-3) to finish in a creditable 11th place.
Regional Open Qualifying
We were delighted to step in and host Regional Open Qualifying for the sixth time in the last eight years on Monday 26th June with Germany’s Julius Kruetzer leading the way with an impressive 5-under par. A further seven qualifiers made it through to final qualifying at one of four venues including Royal Cinque Ports, Royal Porthcawl, Dundonald Links and West Lancs on Tuesday 4th July.
Burhill’s own Dongwon Kim prevailed in a three-man playoff to secure the final spot. The support received from the members and our team at Burhill was summed up very nicely by Andrew Bathurst – from The R&A who operationally led the event at Burhill; “The entire staff, volunteers and other members deserve an enormous vote of thanks for your magnificent support over the last few weeks, at very short notice, and not many could have guessed that yesterday’s event was put in the diary only six weeks or so ago”.
Social Media
Please follow us, engage with us, and share our Instagram posts and stories.
@BurhillGolfClubI hope you enjoy this edition of the club newsletter and both my team and I look forward to seeing you at Burhill Golf Club very soon.
Best wishes,
Nick Moran
Golf Operations Update
Darren Wood, Head of Golf Operations
d.wood@burhillgolf-club.co.uk
General Play Scorecards from Scotland, Ireland & Wales
As an England Golf member you are now able to add general play scores from any affiliated golf courses in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales – in addition to courses in England – as a result of new interoperability software which is being installed.
The extension within the app allows general play scores from courses in any of the four home nations to count towards a player’s Handicap Index®.
Not only does the new function allow players to submit scores in GB&I to their handicap record, but also permits their card to be attested by any member of an affiliated club or iGolf subscriber within the four countries.
This is a service notification to inform you of the software development and no further action is required by yourself, although we do recommend making a note of your membership number in case this is removed when the update occurs.
Teaching Academy & Short Game Area
The Teaching Academy and Club Fitting Area are for these purposes only. This allows members to have their lessons conducted in a more private environment. We ask that members respect this and use the main range or outdoor range for general practice.
When chipping onto the chipping & pitching green, please make sure that you pick up the balls after your session, if not it prevents other members from using the greens for their own practice session. (Thank you).
Custom Fit Studio
England Golf, working alongside Golf Ireland, Scottish Golf and Wales Golf have collaborated with technology platform provider DotGolf to develop this enhancement which will be available to all users of the MyEG App.
We are pleased to announce that our next refurbishment will be the Custom Fit Studio. This is due to be completed in July and will include the latest Trackman ball flight tracker. We offer free of charge fittings to members where you can try the latest technology and compare them to your current clubs.
For further information on golf club fitting please contact the Professional Shop.
Pro Shop Update & Fitting Days
We have recently held successful TaylorMade and FootJoy shoe fitting events at Burhill.
PING will be at the club on 10th July 11:0015:00. A Ping custom fitting expert and one of our PGA professionals will be on hand with the latest Ping G430 products to assist with fitting clubs to supply you with an extra few yards, improve your accuracy, and improve your game.
Please contact the Pro Shop to book to book a slot.
Recent Competition Results
Congratulations to the latest competition winners.
Ladies Section:
Coronation Foursomes: Elsa Dane & Lisa Smith (38 Points)
Molly Rowledge Trophy: Justine Errington (35 Points)
Spring Meeting Medal: Silver - Scynthia Larsen (Gross 80). Bronze - Margi Satchel (Gross 95) Nett - Cheryle Watson (Nett 73)
Spring Meeting Foursomes: Young Soon Park & Jing Wang Ji (37 Points)
Invitation Day: Melissa Readings & Caroline Western (40 Points)
Senior Club Championship: Jade Hwang (Nett 70)
Mens Section:
Ron Bennett Centenary Trophy: Ben Wilson (Gross 65)
Spring Meeting Gold Medal: Freddie Surgey (Gross 65)
Spring Meeting Frank Harrison Trophy: Aran Hayashi & Amreek Sachdev (Nett 68)
Mens Scratch Open (36 holes): Michael Tudor (Royal Wimbledon GC) (Gross 142 total)
Fathers & Sons: Craig & Sean Jacoby (41 Points)
Coronation Cup (36 holes): Michael Prior (Nett 138)
2022 Men’s Autumn Foursomes - John Moore and Ian Stevens
Vets Section:
Yellow Ball: Michael Ellis, Paul McCarthy & Steven Kim (81 Points)
Greensomes: Roger Bullon & David Hogarth (42 Points)
Junior Section:
Season Kick off Scramble: Noah Craze, Hanna Nordlund, Grace Taylor & Filip Wang (Nett 58)
Mixed Competitons:
Arthur Scott: Lindsey Bennett & Ed Smith (36 Points)
Centenary Foursomes: Elsa Dane & Nick Ashby (38 Points)
Jubilee Goblet: M’Liss Wickham & Richard Wickham (38 Points)
2022 Mixed Autumn Foursomes – Angie Crockett and Craig Jacoby
Club Events – Dates for your Diary
Burhill Junior Open:
Wednesday 9th August – New course. 18-hole stroke play including lunch and prizes. Open to all golfers 17 and under. Handicap limit 18.4 boys and 24.4 girls. £50 entry fee per play.
(Surrey Order of Merit points)
Closing date for entries – Wednesday 26th July.
Burhill Family Foursomes:
Thursday 17th August – Old and New Courses. Our famous, generational mixed foursomes’ competition first played in 1937. £130 per pair (Members) and £160 per pair (Visitors).
Closing Date entries – Thursday 3rd August.
Surrey Centenary Pro-Am:
25th September - The Old Course, Burhill Golf Club – contact our Pro Shop for details.
Burhill Christmas Cracker:
Open to any golfers that would like to take part in a light-hearted day out. Plus, prizes for the best Christmas outfit! Tea, Coffee & Bacon rolls on arrival, 18 hole Stableford (With Mulled Wine and Mince Pies at the Half Way House). All followed by a traditional three-course Christmas carvery & prize giving. Entry Fee: £95.00 per visitor and £80.00 per member. Closing date for entries -Thursday 30th November.
Entry forms, Competition Rules and Price Points are available on the club website or can be collected at Reception.
Best wishes,
Darren WoodGolf Courses Update
Rob Surgey, Senior Course Manager r.surgey@burhillgolf-club.co.uk
During my last update we were praying for a dry spell after the wettest October to May on record. This certainly happened and since the 15th May we did not record a single drop of rain until 20th June! The cold easterly winds and the warm sunshine during the day really confused the grass types - they didn’t know if we were in winter of summer. It is very rare for us to go from winter conditions straight into summer in the space of a week, but this certainly happened this year.
Old Course Bunker Renovation Programme
I am really pleased with the new bunkers installed this winter on holes 2 and 16 of the Old Course. They have settled down well and look great. We made the bunkers on the 16th a little more visual from the tee and this has really helped frame the green. The tree preservation work to the rear of 16 has already started to spring new shoots from the trees. This work will preserve the trees for many years to come.
Open Qualifier
We were delighted to have been asked at short notice to host an additional Open Qualifier again this year. The course was in great condition. We needed to slow the greens down prior to the event to meet R&A stipulation that they match the speeds of the greens at Royal Liverpool for The Open. We are currently running our New Course greens at just over 11 feet on the stimp meter, and this was taken back to around 10 feet for Regional Qualifying.
Irrigation
We are currently using enough water to keep the grass alive and well. The heat and wind over the past month has really dried the courses out, with evaporation being very high. We have to be very careful with the amount of water we use to maximise our stored water. We cannot keep watering at the current levels so hopefully the weather turns over the next week as planned and we get help from mother nature. The reservoir has good levels at present, but this will soon deteriorate if we have to rely on the irrigation system for further long spells.
The pictures on page 10 are great and show the different grass types in our fairways. The burnt off grass is Poa annua which has very shallow rooting and has no drought tolerance. The lines of green grass you can see in the picture is from where we have overseeded over the past few years with rye grass. This rye grass has stood up to the drought conditions very well and we are really pleased with the results. The plan is to keep overseeding with rye grass so that it becomes the dominant species and we have better summer fairways.
We will also be monitoring whether we need a smoking ban on the courses. We are not quite at that point yet but let’s see what the weather brings.
We are all looking forward to the Club Championships and New Zealand Shield through July.
Course Maintenance
We intend to carry out our summer greens maintenance on 24th/25th July – New Course and 21st/22nd August – Old Course.
My team and I hope you all enjoy the improvements made and wish you all ‘good luck’ on the course.
Many Thanks
Rob SurgeyClubhouse Update
Stuart Barr, Head of Clubhouse Operations
s.barr@burhillgolf-club.co.uk
Halfway Hut Additions
Ice cream has returned to the Halfway Huts for the summer, but members have also been asking for emergency supplies of golf balls, tees, suntan lotion and, in the winter, hand warmers. You will be pleased to know they will be introduced shortly.
Specials
We do hope you are enjoying the variety of specials we have on offer at the bar. In the last few weeks, we have had a range of options including Cajun Spiced Halloumi Cheese to Grilled Gammon Steak and Peri Peri Prawns. We are always open to hearing your ideas and suggestions so please let us know if you would like to see anything in particular.
Wine of the Month
As we head towards the mid-summer, there is plenty of time to enjoy a glass or two on the terrace after a round of golf. My recommendation for this would be Comte de Provence Rose La Vidaubanaise, a classic light pink in the glass with a bright nose of wild strawberries and watermelon. It is refreshing
and smooth on the palate with a moreish finish.
Some members have requested something summery and sweeter served at the bar. We are now serving Bulmers Crushed Red Berries & Lime, an extremely refreshing drink particularly in the summer!!
Our team are an integral part of Burhill Golf Club. This month I would like to highlight a front of house team member who has recently returned to the club. So, may I introduce Janine Sabbagh. She has very kindly taken some time to answer a few questions for us.
What’s your current role and how long have you been with BGL?
My current role is Food & Beverage Assistant and I have been at BGL for 3 months and a previous 6 months in 2022.
What was the journey to where you are now? Previous roles?
I have been in and out of hospitality since I was a teenager and at university while studying Fine Art. I always enjoyed the social aspect of hospitality and I have always worked in positions where customer service is paramount. I worked in many art galleries in London including the Tate Modern, Tate Britain and The Royal Academy and in various roles such as Information Assistant and Supervisory roles. I also worked as a Relocation Agent.
In a few words describe your job. Fun, being helpful and creating a special experience.
What is your favourite part about working at Burhill Golf Club?
Variety. I love working in different areas of the large operation which is Burhill. I aspire to do an apprenticeship in other departments. I would like to mention that none of this would be possible without great managers like Kasia and Stuart to run the department.
I also enjoy meeting new team members and of course, the beautiful grounds! There is a lot I enjoy about working at Burhill Golf Club.
What’s your typical day like at Burhill? My typical day would be working in the Honours Bar and Lounge, setting up the terrace and running food and drinks out to members.
What is your favourite highlight at Burhill? Its wonderful nature, greeting members and seeing my colleagues from all departments.
What is the best thing you have achieved? Motherhood.
What are your hobbies?
Swimming, painting and yoga.
What would your ideal meal be?
Mani’s Homemade Curry followed by Eton Mess!
Best Regards
Stuart Barr
