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I would like to officially welcome everyone to Redbourn in the Summer! It seems like we skipped Spring pretty much all together, but what we have come into is some glorious weather with the course playing exceptionally well!
GM UPDATE
We hope you all see improvements being made throughout the year that will impact both the club and the course for the better, and we welcome any feedback you may have.
Robin
New PGA
Professional – Beth Sellars
Hi, my name is Beth Sellars and I’m excited to be joining the team from the 9th of July.
I have been a qualified PGA pro for over five years and have worked at The Grove, Woburn Golf Club and most recently Old Fold Manor Golf Club.
My latest role as a Junior Development Coach at Old Fold was brilliant and allowed me to gain lots of knowledge and experience.
I would like to thank everyone who is receiving this newsletter, as it means you decided to rejoin us for another season or are brand new to the club. Thank you for picking us.
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I was a finalist for the England Golf Participation and Development Coach of the Year Award and the PGA Coach of the Year Award in the East region.
I’m looking forward to using my experience to help develop all sections at Redbourn Golf Club and work with the team to help make the golf club one of the best in Hertfordshire and beyond.
Looking forward to meeting you all.
Beth
Sustainability
Olivia Flynn Sustainability Manager
Hello everyone! We have been making some exciting sustainable changes at Redbourn.
In collaboration with the maintenance team, we have started a large upcycling project which has seen the creation of new recycling bins across the course and around the clubhouse, making the correct separation of waste more accessible while on the go.
To increase the population of pollinators throughout the course, we have created some beautiful bug hotels to provide safe and sheltered habitats for insects. We have received some positive feedback from those of you who have spotted these, so do keep a lookout as we continue to create more! We are planning on dotting some hedgehog hotels placed strategically near the greens, providing a safe home, with the hopeful outcome of the hedgehogs being encouraged to eat the worms that have the potential to damage turf quality and playability!
CLUB UPDATE
We are organising a botanical survey of the course to gain a better understanding of the ecology to begin a long-term project of increasing our biodiversity and rewilding suitable areas. As well as conducting a staff commute survey to start gathering information on our scope three emissions, which I am hoping to roll out to the driving range visitors soon.
I have already been in touch with several members who are very keen on sustainability in golf and have had some encouraging feedback on the work we are doing. Hopefully with all these new additions and projects going, these little homemade touches are making the club feel a lot more personal and cared for.
If you have any questions or ideas, please do not hesitate to contact me as we can only continue to make positive, green changes with more collaboration!
Olivia
New Pitchmark repairer
While earlier in this Newsletter we introduced you to our new PGA Professional Beth Sellars, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome another new addition to the team. Normally described as a tool, but very useful, this is our new pitch mark repairer!
Depending on the depth of the pitch mark, one or two presses down on this will properly repair and smooth out any pitch mark. The marshals will be armed with this as well as the course team when needed to help maintain the fantastic greens we already have. That isn’t to say that we don’t want you members to keep repairing your own, but will allow us to take green maintenance to another level.
New Mr Mulligans Opening
BGL group opens Mulligans crazy golf and gaming location in Hemel Hempstead’s Jarman Park on 11th July! Redbourn Golf Club Members can get 50% off Golf and Games if they book before 08/07/24 with code: BGL50 at https://mrmulligan.com/ hemel
The venue will feature a custom-built, 18hole crazy golf course designed with a gaming theme. The course includes holes inspired by iconic games and toys including Monopoly, Lego and Hot Wheels, as well as holes themed around superheroes, famous space movies and toy shops.
The venue will also be packed with additional activities including electro-darts, ping pong, pool, virtual reality games, deck shuffle and Mulligans’ largest arcade zone to date, which includes over 50
CLUB UPDATE
machines. Mulligans Hemel will be the first site to offer contactless top-up cards for use across the arcade machines. Split into zones, the site will also house a cocktail bar, restaurant and dedicated birthday party and group booking areas.
Once open, Redbourn members will be able to enjoy an ongoing 20% off golf and games discount with proof of membership upon check-in. For more information on Mulligans Hemel please visit https://mrmulligan.com/hemel
CLUB UPDATE 72 Hole Challenge
On Thursday 20th June, a team of seven players: Robin Cheng, Simon Wright, Ivan Boyce, Richard Shakespeare, James Wright, Winston Childs and Peter Dear, completed the 72 Holes in one-day charity challenge at Redbourn Golf Club. An amazing £1,500 was donated to Prostate Cancer UK and £600 to the Captain’s Charity the RNLI through the Club’s Just Giving pages.
The team completed all four rounds in under 12 hours, averaging just under three hours a round. Looking fresh and enthusiastic, they started their first round at a cold, damp 5.20 am and worked their way through a field of players which got busier as the day went on and completed all four rounds in glorious sunshine.
The team was determined not to stop for any breaks as they knew they would struggle to get back out.
Men’s Captain Neil Marcus had the ‘easy job’ of keeping the boys sustained in the support buggy and helped to clear the way ahead for what was some very quality golf, considering how sore and uncomfortable the lads were as the day went on.
A very special mention must be made to the members of Redbourn Golf Club for their kindness and consideration in letting
the teams play through them throughout the day – thank you all so much, you helped to make the day such a success. Prostate Cancer UK and the RNLI are so appreciative of the effort you all put in, congratulations!
Our New Gardner
Starting 1st July, we are delighted to announce that Viv Gardner will be transitioning from her role in the shop to become Redbourn’s Gardner. With a surname that couldn’t be more fitting, Viv will now be dedicating her talents to caring for our club’s beautiful grounds.
Viv’s journey with us spans over 30 years, a remarkable tenure that began after she initially opposed the club’s development more than two
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CLUB UPDATE
decades ago. Over the years, Viv has become an indispensable part of our team and a beloved friend to many of our members.
For those who cherish their interactions with Viv, there’s no need to worry—she will still be a familiar face around the club. You’ll now find her outdoors, nurturing our plants and enhancing the natural beauty of Redbourn, instead of being inside and checking you in.
We look forward to seeing Viv flourish in her new role and continue to contribute to the club in this fresh and exciting capacity.
Robin
CAPTAIN’S UPDATE Captain’s Update
Neil Marcus Club Captain
I am delighted that my Captain’s Day went so well, and I hope all 85 members who attended had a lovely time. Thank you for sharing this very special day with me. To cap it all off, an astonishing £4,000 was raised for my charity from a raffle with over 40 prizes and a silent auction with 15 golfing and hospitality lots up for grabs. I am so proud of our members, and I thank them sincerely for their generous contributions. Many congratulations to Pete Freeman on winning the Wadham Cup for the highest stableford with 43 points and to Craig Ingram on winning the Bines Cup for the lowest gross score with a net 75 on countback.
The team yellow ball competition (14 out of 22 yellow balls came back!) was won by Pete Emery, Dave Lorimer, Craig Ingram and Shayne Norman. I would like to thank Haydn and his team for their hard work in presenting such a great course, Babs Smith and the ladies for their help on the day and Paula, Kevin and the team for delivering a lovely carvery meal.
Our first Seniors Charity Invitational was held on Thursday 23rd May, and it was a great success. Friars Captain and Men’s Section Vice Captain, Glen Barker did a great job promoting and setting up this event. We attracted visiting teams from Chorley Wood, Aldwickbury Park, Burhill, Panshanger and Chesham & Ley Hill.
Local knowledge was evident, with the team prize going to the Redbourn team of Jim Walker, Sahib Singh and Sid Sidhu. Liz Masters of Not Just Travel sponsored our Hole-in-One event on the 7th, where there was a £5,000 holiday up for
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grabs, with cash prizes on all the other par 3s - alas, no one won! An amazing £1,143.00 was raised on the day from entries and Chris Dyble’s raffle.
The Eric Russell Team Trophy took place over the weekend of 22nd-23rd June. 11 teams competed in our Ryder Cup format competition with fourballs and foursomes playing on Saturday and singles on Sunday. The Eric Russell Team Trophy was eventually won by SMS All Stars with The Friars and Fossil A teams in joint second place. A good amount was raised for the Captain’s charity in the raffle. As always, there was a great atmosphere in the Clubhouse and many thanks, as always go to Bob Taylor, Lin Taylor and Bab Smith for their superb organisation.
As you know, we have been asking members for their ideas on naming the holes on the Ver course. This is something which we see at other clubs and helps to connect the holes with their geography, history and characteristics.
The hole names have now been agreed upon and will appear on future scorecards.
Best wishes,
Neil
CAPTAIN’S UPDATE
Lady Captain’s Update
Linda Hill Ladies Captain
Eric Russell Weekend
I would like to thank everyone who bought a raffle ticket at the Eric Russell Weekend. Some of the prizes have not yet been claimed so please check the Men’s notice board for names and numbers, prizes are in the office.
Club Championships 6th & 7th July – We need more ladies!
We are very short on ladies to play in the club championships which is a 36-hole challenge over two days. We would like this to go ahead so if you would like to enter, please let Linda know on 07759 422 931.
The senior’s championship is a one-day competition on 7th July (Sunday) which is open to all club members. Thank you to all who have signed up to play, but it would be great if we could get some more numbers. To qualify, you must be over the age of 55. It is a really nice weekend and I look forward to seeing you all.
Invitation Day 20th July
Bring your friend and have a great fun day of golf - you can sign up your name on HDID and let me know your partner’s name and club.
Many thanks
Linda
An Update From ...
Charlie Turner Golf Operations Manager
Hi everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine.
We have ‘The Open’ major sweepstake going on in preparation for The Open Tournament, including a bundle deal for x3 tickets and some special additional Open balls, for only £40.
We’ve taken stock of some brand new Motocaddy SE trollies starting from only £499, speak to the Operations team and they will give you a free hire trolley for one of your rounds so you can feel how much more enjoyable it is not carrying or pushing your trolley.
I want to remind everyone that we don’t charge for any Custom Fitting, so if you have your eye on a new club or have a gap in your set, give us a call and we will get you booked in. We also price match all other competitors.
OPERATION’S UPDATE
I would also like to mention we have a third marshal starting with us on the 1st of July, which should help our speed of play issue that occurs and also means we can have a marshal for later in the evenings.
We will be putting more time into making sure we have a marshal on the 1st tee, making sure the tee sheet runs smooth and we don’t get anyone trying to sneak on or golfers going out that are more than a 4 ball.
If anyone has any issues or concerns going forward, please don’t hesitate to address them with me, I want the best for the club and all members to be as happy as possible!
Kind regards,
Charlie
WEATHER UPDATE Rain & Weather Update
Robin Cheng General Manager
It’s been raining…
Despite the great weather we are having now, it comes as no shock to any of you when I say, it’s been raining quite a lot. The first five months of this year have been the wettest in the last 20 years, closely followed by 2014 which I believe saw rather large areas of the course flooded.
If I think back to this year, however, I think we closed when we needed to, but remained largely open throughout, especially when considering other courses in the area.
I also don’t think that it was to the detriment of the course, and throughout this almost biblical amount of water, the course played very well and has come out the other side of it, prime and ready for the season.
A big thank you must go out to Haydn and his on-course team for working day in and day out in cold, wet and muddy conditions, and for all the work they have done to help drain the course.
Also, Paul Geary, who works on The River Ver. I think he has played a massive part in draining the course and making sure the water doesn’t return to the golf course.
Hopefully now with these stats behind us, we can look forward to a prolonged spell of shorts and sun cream!
