Hoebridge Golf Member Newsletter - June/July

AN UPDATE FROM...

Sarah Blunden General Manager

Hi everyone, Wow! What a difference a few months makes. After a horribly long and wet winter, Spring finally showed itself in mid-

I want to start this newsletter with a huge thank you and well done to the greenkeeping team. The golf courses are looking stunning! I always love getting out there in the late Spring when the grass is at its greenest, the trees are in full leaf, and the course is fully striped back up.

As always, there’s still plenty for us to work on in order to continually provide you with the best courses possible. Over the next few months, we will be overseeding the tees, greens, and approaches, micro-tining the greens on the Shey and Par-3 course, applying wetting agents, and ensuring the irrigation is running as efficiently as possible ready for summer. Our main summer maintenance is booked for Wednesday 12th July, when we will be scarifying and immediately back filling the greens with

sand. This will allow us to get them back in play straight away. This process physically removes thatch from the greens which helps to improve the overall health and drainage of the greens. As with any form of aggressive greens maintenance, there will be a recovery period following the work. However, it is essential that we manage the health of the greens and keep moving forward with improving playability on the courses.

We have an exciting few months ahead of us, with the Club Championships, Invitation Days, and your Charity Golf Day all coming up. Good luck to everyone taking part during June and July.

Looking back to the start of May, we had brilliant fun at our Coronation Event. Over 80 members took part in a fun competition across either the Main or Shey Course. This was followed by a BBQ, games, and a singalong in the clubhouse.

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I had so much fun taking part in the events that day, and especially loved everyone joining in and singing together in the afternoon. A special thanks must go to the super talented, Gionny. Our F&B Supervisor, Gionny can normally be found serving you on the bar. However, on this occasion he was belting out the tunes to ‘Oh Mandy’ by Barry Manilow, ‘My Way’ by Dean Martin, and ‘That’s Amore’ also by Dean Martin. He did a magnificent job, and I hear he is already booked in for further events later this year.

Back at the end of April, we held our New Members Golf Day. It was lovely to be able to meet some of our new members in person and also introduce them to the committee. A fun round on the Shey Course was followed by drinks and nibbles back in the clubhouse. It was a great opportunity for me to get to know some new faces, for our new members to meet others, and also to allow any questions regarding the club to be answered. For those of you who have recently joined, we will be hosting another new members golf day later this summer.

We are very lucky at Hoebridge, to have such a great team of people working for us. This has been further shown with two recent internal promotions; Gavin to Head Chef and Mark to Assistant H&F Manager. Congratulations guys! We have also welcomed our new Driving Range Manager, Sam, who will be overseeing the day-to-day running of our TrackMan Range. You can find out more about Gavin, Mark, and Sam further down the newsletter.

However, as with all great teams, there comes a time when we have to say goodbye. Our Sales Manager, Shawn, is sadly moving on to pastures new at the start of June. Shawn is hanging up his H&F sales hat in order to focus solely on golf sales. Shawn has been with us for 18 months and in that time has built the Sales Department back up after a difficult period during the pandemic. From golf days to functions and membership sales, Shawn is always on the end of the phone to welcome new and returning visitors alike.

We will all be very sad to see Shawn leave, but we wish him every success in his new role.

I hope you are all able to get out to enjoy some sunny rounds of golf. I look forward to joining you for a round on Charity Day, if not before.

See you all soon!

Thank you!

Sarah Blunden

COURSE UPDATE

Barry Gardener Course Manager

Hello all,

We are now, finally, getting to enjoy some nice weather and the courses have come on leaps and bounds in the last month. The team have been busy with the mowers, keeping on top of the spring growth, whilst also keeping on top of some of the more mundane but functional jobs.

As we are now fully into the golfing season, the aim is to maintain the playing surfaces we have, to offer the best golfing experience for everyone. You may find that the greens have been top dressed with sand, or have some very small holes in them from time to time. There may be somebody out hand watering greens with a hose, the mowers will be constantly buzzing around, and greenkeepers might occasionally get in the way! But please remember, we are doing all these things for the benefit of the golf courses and for the golfer.

We will soon be introducing six double bins for the main course, for general waste and recyclable waste. So, we ask for all your efforts in helping us to be more sustainable and putting the correct waste in each bin.

We will also be introducing five divot boxes for the men’s tees on the par-3 holes on the main course. Ladies, you don’t make as much mess on the par-3’s as the men do, but feel free to use them too.

We are also going to trial having some divot bags out on the course for people to collect at the tee, so that they can repair their own or other divots on the fairway before leaving the empty bag on the next tee.

The next day it will move onto the next hole etc. This concept has been mentioned by a few members, so we hope more will get on board and in turn help the course conditions improve.

As always, we ask that golfers repair their pitch marks, replace any divots, and rake the bunkers after use. You don’t need to see any more posters of me point at you asking for help!

Happy golfing!

Barry and the greens team

CLUB UPDATE

Meet Our New Driving Range Manager

Sam Warner Hello all,

My name is Sam, and I am thrilled to join the team as the new Driving Range Manager. I am an enthusiastic worker, lover of golf, and will always have a chat no matter the topic. In my spare time, I’m a big Liverpool fan, so spend my time watching them play, sometimes I’m out on the golf course, or having a cheeky pint (if the weather permits it!).

Within my role, I will be ensuring that you, as members, get the most out of your experience on the range, whether that be hitting a couple before your round, or a long session that includes food and drink. As a team, we’ll strive to make sure you enjoy your experience and want to come back again.

We have many different options on the range, varying from playing full 18-hole golf courses virtually to general practicing, or playing games with friends and family. For the more competitive golfers, we also have tournaments which you can enter to win prizes.

If you see me, please say hello! It will be great to get to know you all.

Gavin joined Hoebridge as our Senior Sous Chef in January 2022. He quickly established himself as a senior member of the team and brought with him lots of ideas, such as new, fresh daily specials. When our Head Chef left in November 2022, Gavin stepped up to the mark and lead the kitchen whilst we were recruiting. He took the reins and ensured standards and service continued as normal. During this time, Gavin began to make improvements on how the kitchen was managed, furthered by his fresh daily specials, and showed real passion for taking the F&B department at Hoebridge forward.

It soon became clear that our next Head Chef was already with us!

Mark first joined Hoebridge in 2016 as a Personal Trainer. However, in 2020, when restrictions meant he was unable to train as much due to Covid he left to continue growing his own Personal Training business from the comfort of his own home. Once restrictions were lifted Mark returned to Hoebridge on a part time basis as an Assistant Greenkeeper, alongside his Personal Training from home. He did a brilliant job within the Greenkeeping team, helping to move the standards of the Golf Course even further forwards. In April 2023 an opportunity arose for Mark to return to the Gym as our Assistant Gym Manager. Marks enthusiasm and energy for growing our membership and personal training opportunities was great to see. His knowledge from his time already spent at Hoebridge together with what he had learnt from running his own business meant he had all the experience we were looking for to be promoted to our Assistant Gym Manager. The Golf Courses loss will be the Gyms gain.

Congratulations to Gavin and Mark

A big congratulations to Gavin and Mark who have been promoted to Head Chef and Assistant H&F Manager respectively.

GOLF UPDATE

Ian Hayward Head Professional

Custom Fitting

We are two majors down and the golf season is in full swing! As the weather starts to improve and the greens firm up, we have seen a large increase in the number of wedge fittings taking place in our state-of-the-art custom fit studio.

It’s so important to have control from 100 yards and in, and the best way to start on the right foot is with a fresh set of grooves. But we aren’t just limited to wedges. More shaft and head options are being added to our studio on a monthly basis, so book your free session with us and we’ve no doubt that you can be fitted for the missing piece to your golfing puzzle.

weekends, and I am pleased to say that there has been a noticeable improvement in the average time taken complete a competitive round of golf. This has been made possible by the club members and the wardens working together, and this improvement in pace of play will lead to a far more enjoyable golfing experience for all members and visitors to Hoebridge Golf Centre. However, it is now important that we don’t let this hard work slip away.

Whilst it is great to see the pace of play getting better, there is always room for improvement and we’d encourage every golfer to adopt ‘ready golf’.

To book your free fitting, please contact the Pro Shop, or email customfit@hoebridgegc. co.uk. Jonny and the team will be happy to find a convenient time for you.

Pace Of Play

Ready golf begins before you even start your round of golf, by ensuring you are on the tee and ready to play at least 10 minutes before your tee time. Once on the course, some examples of ready golf include:

• Ensuring you are always keeping up with the pace of the group in front

• Hitting a shot when safe to do so, if a player farther away is assessing their options

• Shorter hitters playing first from the tee or fairway if longer hitters have to wait

• Hitting a tee shot if the player with the ‘honour’ is delayed

• Taking no more than two practice swings

• Reading and lining up putts whilst others are putting and leaving the green promptly

• Completing your scorecard on the next tee

Let’s continue the good work and try to eradicate slow play at Hoebridge for the benefit and enjoyment of the entire membership.

We have been monitoring and recording the pace of play on both weekdays and Continued On The Next Page

Longest Golf Day

On Tuesday 20th June, myself (Ian) and James Dedman, along with a couple of friends, Michael Crane and Phil Shepley, are going to take on the 72 hole challenge to raise much needed funds for the wonderful Macmillan Cancer Support.

We are going to take on the challenge over three different venues. We’ll start at Hoebridge, before moving on to West Byfleet and finishing by playing both the Old and New courses at Burhill. It should be an entertaining day!

If anybody would like to make a donation towards this fantastic cause, please use the link below or feel free to find us in the Pro Shop!

https://longestdaygolf.macmillan.org.uk/Team/teamwayward

Many thanks, Ian

HEALTH & FITNESS UPDATE

Ryan Stonehouse Gym Manager

Hello from the Health Club!

I want to start with a reminder about all the benefits available to you as members.

H&F Membership Benefits:

Induction

• 1-hour personal training session and consultation to assess your current fitness level and put together your goals

• 6-week and 12-week review with a personal trainer to monitor your progress towards achieving your goals

Ongoing

• Complimentary personal training session every 12 weeks, during which you can get expert advice on how to plan your training and finding the right workouts for you

• Group fitness classes all delivered by our excellent personal training teamwith a maximum of 10 members in each class it is another opportunity to access regular coaching on your exercise technique to avoid injury and get the best results out of your training

• Bring a guest for £10.00 and enjoy working out with friends or family for the day

• 10% off in the bar and restaurant at Hoebridge for you to enjoy a well earned drink and bite to eat

• Free room hire in our function rooms, giving you the possibility to also celebrate your special events with us

Member of the Month

Helen Court

Allow us to introduce, Helen Court

When Helen joined us in September 2021, her aim was to get fitter and build up her strength, but to also use the gym as an escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Helen has since been showing fantastic improvements using a combination of PT sessions and classes. She is now regularly in classes and is one of the first names on the list!

Helen has been incredibly consistent during her time at Hoebridge. Whether it be in the gym, having a private PT session, or up in the studio for a class, she is a great example to others on what it takes to achieve your goals and enjoy yourself in the process.

We are excited to see a lot more of Helen throughout the rest of the year, and hope to see her in plenty more classes so she can continue her journey.

Helen said: “I have loved my regular PT sessions and I really enjoy a mix of classes. As well as noticing an improvement in my fitness and strength, I have made some lovely new friends at the gym!”

From the whole team at the gym at Hoebridge, a huge congratulations and keep up the great work!

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Fitness for Golf

The gym is a great place to help improve your golf game, especially when doing specific exercises that relate back to golf movements and the muscles used during those movements. Here are a few exercise examples to try out. For more information, please come and chat to one of our personal trainers.

Box Jump (Rory McIlroy’s go-to)

Benefits include:

• Develops posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, lower back)

• Improves any muscular imbalances

• Improves athleticism and functionality

Squat With Medicine Ball Rotations

Benefits include:

• Improves lower body strength and stability

• Improves coordination

• Trains fast-twitch muscle fibres (good for explosive movements in the golf swing)

Kettlebell Single Leg Hip Thrust

Benefits include:

• Increases rotational mobility

• Improves core stability

• Helps improve swing speed