MEMBER NEWS SEPTEMBER 2022 In this Edition: • Club News • Course Update • Club Captain’s Updates • Golf Updates
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Dear Member,Redbourn
Dear Member, Welcome to another Redbourn designedNewsletter.Members’Alettertokeepyou all informed on what’s going on at the club. I have recently returned from a couple of weeks holiday by the beach with the family to, what is relatively, a sea of green on the golf course! What a difference a couple of weeks and some water makes!
Updating the Honours Board I am currently in the process of updating the Honours Board with recent winners, as well as those who have had holes in one. Please can all those who have had holes in one at Redbourn Golf Club in the last three years, please reply to me via email and provide any evidence you may have. Prices I know that all we hear in the news lately is the rise in living costs and the uncertainty of what is to come with our energy. The last three months of this year are expected to see a 630% increase in the golf club’s bills. Current fertilisers for the course have gone up by around 40%, sand for topdressing has seen a 22% increase, and food and drinks costs are soaring. With increased living costs as well, the company wage bills will be increasing to help staff partially combat the expected 14% inflation rates due by the end of the
CLUB NEWS HONOURS BOARD / PRICES & MORE...
Weyear.are trying to find cost saving strategies to combat these price increases such as switching fully to LED lights on sensors. Units that would have run all night are now on timers that switch on prior to the business opening. All these need to be implemented before the price increases to avoid a huge rise. We’ve seen examples in the news such as Tom Kerridge’s pub, which will move from a £60k per annum electricity bill, to an estimated £420k. We understand that all these costs not only impact the business, but also impact us as individuals, whether a member of staff or a member of the club. However, in the coming months certain costs will unfortunately need to be passed on to members, guests, and visitors. Club News continued on page 3...
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CLUB NEWS CONTD. HONOURS BOARD / PRICES & MORE...
As mentioned last month, I would like to offer a thank you in the way of a random draw for three courtesy guest passes for those who have taken the time to respond to the customer feedback email. With ongoing projects, our scores are steadily increasing and it seems like as a whole, members are starting to feel a more positive vibe at the club. The paths will be finished this month and flattened properly, while our irrigation system has now been fully operational for the last two weeks. The random competition draws, while not everyone’s cup of tea, do promote a more inclusive club and allow for the integration of new 34members.people responded in August, and I hope you all will respond this month if you get the email with whatever score that you feel we deserve. I can announce the winner of the August draw is, Nick Wilson! Well done, Nick and thank you for your feedback! We will be doing the same draw every month to encourage as much feedback as possible. Positive Feedback - Improvements being made - Better buzz - Course conditions improving - Marshals - Friendliness of staff - Improved bunkers - The range
Customer Feedback Monthly Draw
Constructive Feedback - Paths need completing - Irrigation system not working - Random draws for medals
Irrigation
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Seeding With the irrigation now working, and the weather a little less extreme, we are now starting to re-seed the course to help it recover. We have booked an overseeder for the week commencing 12th September and will be seeding greens, tees, approaches, and fairways where necessary.
Bunkers
The irrigation system has been a constant challenge for us and the greenkeeping staff since 16th June. With pumps, filters, blockages, return valves, pressure vessels, and aerators all deciding to fail on us due to one catastrophic moment in June, I am pleased to say that everything has now been functional for just over two weeks. The greens, tees, and approaches are all now being watered Weovernight.haveinstalled an additional safety valve down in the pump house to help reduce any further issues we may have. For those movie buffs out there, try and guess what movie the picture is from.
The lack of water has also had a big impact on our bunkers. The heatwave and lack of water has caused the sand to become loose and unstable, forcing the sand away from the centre and out of the bunker. To help with this, please be sure to rake towards the middle of the bunker and not towards you, as it moves sand to the edges where it is not needed as much.
Renovations Week As other courses are also doing this time of year, we have booked in our renovations week for the week commencing Monday 3rd October. This will include hollow coring and any additional overseeding needed. The aim of this week is to remove as much thatch (organic matter) as possible from the upper layers of soil and replace with sand, which will reduce the chance of disease and firm up the playing surfaces. We will also be scarifying fairways but are hoping to do this by the end of PleaseSeptember.expect 2-3 temporary greens at a time while the work is being carried out during this week. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
COURSE UPDATE IRRIGATION / SEEDING / RENOVATIONS WEEK / BUNKERS
Congratulations to Tony Biggerstaff who defended his title from last year and has now won the Club Championship three times. Also, congratulations to Ivor Barton who won the Senior Club Championship this year.
The newly formed events and competition committee need your help. In order to comply with GDPR requirements we need your permission to send you information about events put on by members. Unfortunately, even if you have agreed to receive emails from the club, we cannot use this permission. If you want to be kept informed about members events, please sign up by sending an email to handicap.competitionsrgc@gmail.com stating that you would like to be included in these communications. If you decide for any reason that you don’t want to receive these, you can opt out at any time. Our Men’s team recently played an away match at Mill Green over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Unfortunately, we lost the match 4 – 2, but a good time was had by all in this friendly match play competition. Our final match of the season will be away to Chiltern Forest on Saturday 22nd October. A sheet will be put up on the notice board if you are interested in playing in this event. The draw sheet for the summer knockouts is on the Captain’s notice board. If you haven’t done so already, please try to arrange your matches as soon as you can. Thank you, Matt Perry Club Captain
The Club Championships were held on the weekend of the 13th and 14th of August, and it was great to see so many of you competing. It was a hot weekend, and the course proved to be very tricky.
Tony Biggerstaff Club Champion 2022 Ivor Barton Senior Club Champion 2022 After the hot summer period, the course has been in desperate need of rain which has finally arrived over the last few days. It’s nice to see green grass growing again on the fairways! Hopefully we can enjoy playing in the autumn period with some grass under foot. I’m sure we will look back with fond memories of this summer when the rain is lashing down the 18th fairway again!
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MEN’S CAPTAINS UPDATE MATT PERRY
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Golf Grips
Losing Distance
If you find that every club loses 10 or 15 yards of distance in the autumn, you haven’t suddenly lost swing speed. It’s caused by the cooler temperatures and softer conditions. As a result, you might need to club up with one or two extra clubs and aim to hit the back of the greens.
GOLF UPDATE STEVE HUNTER
Shorter daylight hours and unpredictable weather may reduce your ability to play as many complete 18-hole rounds as you would like. Don’t let that keep you away from the course, though. Playing shorter rounds - perhaps nine holes - will ensure you’re getting the time to keep your game in good shape while enjoying time on the course. You can also keep your handicap up to date by registering for nine-hole qualifying rounds, this is an excellent way to stay competitive all year round.
After a fantastic summer, it’s now time to get prepared for some autumn golf. The following tips and recommendations might help you to play your best golf of the year so far!
Have One Eye on Next Season
Happy golfing, Steve DirectorHunterofGolf
Play More Short Rounds
Autumn is an excellent time of the year to put some work in on your game. With fewer people on the course, there’s an opportunity to try new shots, test out new equipment, and experiment a bit more. The off-season is also a great time to get booked in for a couple of lessons or a custom fitting - James, Louis, Charlie, and I will all be happy to help!
You might get away with worn and shiny grips throughout the summer period, however the colder temperatures and wetter conditions will negatively impact your play if your grips are not up to scratch! We are currently offering two free grips when you get a set of ten or more clubs re-gripped. I would also recommend that you have a pair of Footjoy rain gloves in your bag ready for the inevitable wetter playing conditions. The rain gloves are extremely effective, and the wetter it is, the grippier they become!
Thank you for reading the latest edition of the Members News. Please feel free to contact us on 01582 793493 or info@redbourngolfclub.co.uk Redbourn Golf Club Kinsbourne Green Lane AL3HertfordshireRedbourn7QA
