Golf Management Committee Monthly Newsletter

GOLF MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

April 2018

From the Course

Ornamental and filtration fountains

• An ornamental fountain is set to be placed in the lake to the short right of the first green.
• An electric aerator fountain is also set to be installed near the pump shed on the first hole to improve water filtration in the irrigation system.

Bunker dry units

• A number of relatively inexpensive "bunker dry" units have recently been purchased to try and improve drainage flow from flooded bunkers. A bunker dry unit attaches to solid piping at a recommended depth below the lowest point in a bunker prone to flooding and is designed to prevent sand and sludge from contaminating drainage lines and therefore to improve the rate of drainage discharge from bunkers.

Golf Operations

Practice facility improvements

• With the support of the OSCC Board, the NRDGA, Women's Golf Northern Rivers, the North Coast Academy of Sport and the Jack Newton Junior Golf Foundation, the NSW Government is funding an upgrade to the Club's existing golf practice facilitiesbetween the 2nd and the 7th holes.
• Key elements of the project, to be completed at a future date, are the construction of an all-weather practice tee area with 8 covered teeing bays; an increase in the size of the existing practice chipping green; additional contouring around the chipping green to more effectively replicate course conditions; and construction of a small pitching green at about the 40 to 50 metre mark out from the teeing bays.
• Following the approval of the Club's DA by Byron Shire Council in late March, work on the upgraded practice facilities will begin shortly.
• The new facility will be available to all golfing members and will provide our Club Professional, Chris Graham with a more weather proof golf coaching facility for members, visitors, and for the various club and regional junior golf development programs that Chris provides.

Amendment to local rules on the back of our golf cards

• As foreshadowed in the February 2018 GMC newsletter, an ambiguous local rule provision (local rule 3 c) relating to bunkers "under repair", which appeared to contradict the intent of rule of golf 25-1b(i), will be deleted from competition and social cards. Use of the new competition cards will occur from Wednesday 2 May 2018.
• With the deletion of the former local rule 3 (c), it should then be unambiguous that if a ball finishes in a bunker designated as GUR, the player will have the option of playing the ball as it lies in the bunker, or taking relief without penalty within one club length of the nearest point of relief outside the bunker, no nearer the hole - consistent with rule of golf: 25-1b(i). Note that rule 25-1b(i) is the applicable rule - not rule 25-1b(ii), because once a bunker has been designated GUR, under the rules of golf, it automatically loses its status as a hazard and is deemed to be "through the green".
• If a bunker has been taken completely out of play due to major renovation work being done by green staff, a sign to that effect will be posted in the relevant bunker and a free drop zone will be provided.