Club Email

Below are notes from the Board Meeting held on 25 February 2025

Mounds Project

Members who have played over the past week would have noticed a significant area of the 16^th fairway and mounding has been excavated, shaped and re-turfed. This is a trial as part of our major project to address the mounds and turf quality in this area of the Course. The objective of the trial was to test:

with improved soil quality on the fairway, turf growth will be consistent with all other areas of the Course. The test area includes flat fairway, a high point and a slope exposed to wind
shallowing the mounds will allow for improved growing conditions even when mixed with the existing soil
re-shaping will retain balls on the fairway
process and time to carry out construction of an area

Craig Parry and the Club's Management Team are currently working through the plans and costings, with the intention of presenting the plans to the Members as soon as costings have been finalised.

New Board Member and Sub-Committee Members

In the last edition of Reef Breezes, I informed the Members of the appointment of Rachel Buxton to the Board of Directors, filling the casual vacancy that became available in December 2024.

In addition to Rachel's appointment to the Board and Golf Committee, I'm pleased to announce Members Liz Morton and Michael McNee will be joining the Membership and Marketing Committee. Both Liz and Michael have experience and knowledge that will continue to enhance the sophistication of our Sub-Committees.

Employee Recognition Scheme

Congratulations to Head Teaching Professional Michael Infanti who is the recipient of the Employee Recognition Scheme for January. Michael's dedication towards the Rookies and Chipper programs have been one of the determining factors in the successful development of beginner golfers into Club Member's. Micheal's knowledge of the golf swing has him highly regarded among many Members across a varying range of handicaps.

Beyond his coaching responsibilities, Michael is deeply involved in LRGC's broader golf community. He provides full time coaching to Members and guests, coaches all of our representative teams, and actively participates in product launches and fitting days.

He regularly assists in the Golf Shop, introduces new ideas to enhance the club's offerings, and works closely with Danny on the Chippers Program, producing exceptional results with our junior golfers.

Michael's dedication extends outside his scheduled hours - he frequently attends rep team matches on his days off to support our players and is always willing to contribute wherever needed. His passion, leadership, and commitment to LRGC make him a standout candidate for this recognition

Clubhouse Master Plan

The Building Committee having been working towards preparing the Development Application for the redevelopment of the Clubhouse. It has been a very comprehensive process with multiple engagements with numerous specialist consultants and Council Advisory Panels.

We expect shortly to be able to share with you the output of all this work before we submit to Council.

As committed last year we have taken on board all Member feedback and where possible and appropriate have incorporated it into the Masterplan.

I would like to thank everyone who has assisted in this process so far and look forward to any further thoughts and contributions.

MiClub Booking Issues

Over the past month MiClub have been working on the lottery system, to resolve an issue where some Members were in the booking countdown but not receiving a number when the timer reached zero. MiClub have now confirmed that the issues have been resolved and all updates have been applied to our portal. If you experience this issue and the countdown timer freezes at 00:00, please refresh your webpage. Please notify office@lrgc.com.au with the date and time of the timesheet issue so that we can pass the issue on to MiClub to investigate.

Moore Park Golf Club

Members would have seen the recent news about the NSW Government's plan to use part of Moore Park Golf Course to create more open space. As a Club that also leases the land it is located on, we feel for the Members of Moore Park Golf Club.

Moore Park Golf Club have submitted an alternative proposal to retain an 18-hole golf course and are requesting the support of Sydney Golf Club's and their Members.

If you would like to view the plans Moore Park Golf Club have put forward and their request for your support, click on the below link:

savemooreparkgolfcourse.com.au - Home

Keith Warren | President

Note: This document is not intended to be a minute of the relevant Board meeting but is intended to provide members with a summary of the significant decisions made or issues discussed by the Board at its most recent meeting. Certain matters may be commercially sensitive, subject to privacy considerations or otherwise confidential and will not be included in this summary document.

Major Pennants

Major Pennants golf is hard, at times really hard. On Sunday 23rd February we faced the top of the table, undefeated Oatlands side at Long Reef. We had an unexpected scenario where we had to call our Reserve match back so Will Elliot could step in to the breach at Number 4. Playing a strong Oatlands player who had been undefeated,

Will birdied 2 of the first 3 holes and ended up winning the match on 15. Lennox Cleary playing at 2 thought he had to go one better, so he birdied all 3 of the first 3 holes, added a couple more and eventually won on 14. Harry McKerihan at 5 had a tough match, so tough they halved the 9^th hole with eagles and Harry made a number of other birdies to beat his opponent on 16 - the opponent was 2 under at the time! Matt Hunter and Ryan Farrell faced strong players without their best golf on the day.

Luke Edgell playing at 1 played a former pro Young Park (who missed out qualifying for the Asian tour by 1 stroke). A very nice guy, but an even better golfer (Luke said the best he has ever played in Pennants). He nearly holed his tee shots on 7 &13 and was about 6 under through 14 holes.

Our last match to finish was Nick Hutchinson playing at 7, who was even after 16. His opponent sunk a great putt to win the hole and managed to Par 18 to close out the match.

As Nick said, I played really well, shooting even par, but he was 2 under and he got up and down from the ball washer a dozen times.

Last Sunday the team had a tough battle at Bankstown. While Luke Edgell won early, we had 4 matches that made it to 17 or 18. Unfortunately we lost all of them, going down 6-1 at Bankstown. This Sunday we need a win to better position us for a relegation play-off. Please come out and support from 7am.

Strokeplay Cup

The last round of the Strokeplay cup was played on Saturday 1st March. Congratulations to the following winners:
A Grade - Matthew Hunter
A Reserve - John Carroll
B Grade - Robert Watson
C Grade - Alan Morisset
Women - Jenni Brown

Hudson Shield Play Off

The play-off for the Hudson Shield will be take place on Saturday 22nd March. Unfortunately, due to a wash out and a scheduling clash 2 of the qualifying rounds were unable to be played. Good luck to Peter O'Reilly and Richard Spence in the final.

Upcoming Events

Long Reef Medal & Salver | Saturday 5 April (timesheet open)

US Masters Monday | Monday 14 April (entries open 11 March)

Tony Holley | Vice Captain

Charity Day

A reminder that our women's charity day is coming up on March 20^th. Our charity this year is Women and Children First. Their colours are yellow, teal and light blue (this is so you can start organising your outfit). Lunch will be $50 and golf $15 - this includes a drink on arrival, amuse bouche, lovely 2 course meal and cheat sheets. Please pay online before March 13^th. Any dietary restrictions please contact Michelle Milsted.

Women's Grade

Since the last newsletter the Long Reef Grade team has had a win and a draw. On 21 February 2025, the team of Alyssa Starc, Emma Thurlow, Kate Shank, Kathy Waters and Peta Bird took on NSW at the Australian and won 4 and 1. On 28 February 2025 the team of Alyssa Starc, Emma Thurlow, Kathy Waters, Peta Bird and Nat Driver took on a very strong Pennant Hills team to draw. On 7 March 2025 we are playing Bayview at Wakehurst. The team will be Alyssa Starc, Emma Thurlow, Kate Shanks, Kathy Waters and Peta Bird. Good luck to the team.

Singles Knockout and Long Markers Knockout

The Singles Knockout and the Long Markers Knockout the first of the major trophies for 2025 has been completed. Both these trophies were played as handicap matchplay over the past few weeks. Well done to all those who competed.

1st Round - Prue Bardsley won against Mary-Jane Sanderson 3 and 1, Deb Kent won against Lynne Parsons 3 and 1, Gay Mccorby won against Marianne Rudd 1 up, Karmen Whitford won against Veronica Bertram 5 and 3, Sam Sparke won against Rachael Loomes 3 and 2, Rowena Robinson won against Paulette Bailey 1 up, Karen Smith won against Valerie Wilson 6 and 4 and Kathy Waters won against Sally Hill 1 up.

Quarter finals - Prue Bardsley won against Deb Kent 6 and 5, Karmen Whiteford won against Gay Mccorby 2 and 1, Sam Sparke won against Rowena Robinson 5 and 4 and Kathy Waters won against Karen Smith 1 up.

Semifinals - Karmen Whitford won against Prue Bardsley 1 up and Sam Sparke won against Kathy Waters 6 and 4.

The final was played in a great spirit with great golf with Karmen Whitford winning 5 and 4 against Sam Sparke.

Long Markers Knockout results:

1st round - Diana Pinnuck had a bye, Libby Cleary won against Fiona Macdonald 3 and 2, Jennifer Vasseleu won against Colleen Thompson 3 and 2, Karen Pethybridge had a bye, Kerry McCallum had a bye, Jill Hensman won against Grace Ping 3 and 1, Lisa Jenkins had a bye and May Yeng won against Margaret Lavers 1 up.

Quarter Finals - Diana Pinnuck won against Libby Cleary 2 and 1, Jennifer Vasseleu won against Karen Pethybridge 2 and 1, Jill Hensman had a bye and May Yeng won against Lisa Jenkins 6 and 5.

Semifinals - Diana Pinnuck won against Jennifer Vasseleu 5 and 4 and May Yeng won against Jill Hensman 6 and 5.

Results:

On Sunday 16 February 2025, Rosemary West (21) finished 6^th overall with 35 points.

On Tuesday 18 February 2025, the winner was Lorraine Stafford (28) with 43 points, followed by Tracey Martin (23) with 39 points on a c/b from Jie Cheng (21), Rosemary West (21) with 37 points on a c/b from Lynne Clayton (18) and Di Heffernan (27) with 36 points. The 4BBB was won by Karen Pethybridge and Di Heffernan with 48 points from Debra Trim and Karen Reader on 47 points. The 9-hole competition was won by Carol Cummins (38) with 17 points from Mary Payne (35) with 16 points.

On Thursday 20 February 2025 was won by Robyn Mccormick (31) with 38 points from Emma Thurlow (10) with 32 points.

On Saturday 22 February 2025, Catherine Wiggett (28) finished second in C Grade with 36 points.

On Sunday 23 February 2025, Jie Cheng (20) finished fifth with 38 points from Tracey Martin (24) with 37 points.

On Monday 24 February 2025, Therese Hettler (38) was the overall winner with 38 points. Sally Hill (15) won the B Grade with 34 points and Therese Hettler won the C Grade followed by Wendy Thomas (21) with 37 points.

On Tuesday 25 February 2025, the winner was Virginia Murphy (40) with 39 points and Denise Catling (36) finished sixth with 36 points. The 4BBB was won by Virgina Murphy and Therese Hettler with 51 points. The 9-hole competition was won by Jan Hanson (36) with 16 points.

On Thursday 27 February 2025, the overall winner was Chris Perry (4) with 45 points. Division 1 was won by Tracey Martin (23) with 41 points from Kim Sloane (16) with 38 points, division 2 was won by Clare John (2() with 38 points from Jan Daniel (28) with 36 points, division 3 was won by Chris Perry (40) with 45 points from Karen Reader (36) with 37 points and division 4 was won by Fiona MacDonald (45Z0 with 31 points from Elizabeth O'Brien (45) with 30 points. The 9-hole competition was won by Helen Cregan (27) with 19 points from Pam Burke (23) on 18 points.

On Saturday 1 March 2025, the March monthly medal was won by Natalie Driver (13) with 73 nett.

On Sunday 2 March 2025, Alyssa Starc (4) finished fifth with 37 points.

Up Coming Fixtures:

13 March - Greenkeepers Revenge team event 4 Ball Ambrose off the Gold Tees and interesting pin placements
20 March - Charity Day - 4BBB Irish Stableford team event
27 March - Mixed divisions Par round and the first round of the McNicol Trophy

Sue Kruse PSM | Women's Captain

As of the 4^th of March, the Course has received 188mm so far this year compared 246.6mm same time last year. In the last fortnight 21.2mm of rain has fallen on the Course. The dams are still at 80% capacity.

Over the past 2 weeks my team have been busy working on a few key projects aimed at improving the Course.

The first project was an expanded trial plot of new soil and turf on the last mound leading down the 16^th fairway. Craig Parry's son, Brendan Parry, assisted by excavating 150 m² of high pH soil from that mound at a depth 200mm. This soil was relocated to the right side in the large undulation in the rough. We then brought in new soil and sand mix and reshaped the entire area, applying a 150mm capping of new soil and returfed with kikuyu. These improvements are expected to improve the turf quality, increase safety for golfers playing down the 16th, be more visual for players on the 15th and provide better shot opportunities for golfersWe will keep you updated as Craig continues his mounds master plan upgrade.

We also installed extra drainage around the new 1A green. This is intended to help manage better drainage and playability during extended wet periods, ensuring the area remains in excellent condition.

Course renovations are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, let's hope this rain clears up!

Kurt Schulenburg | Course Superintendent

Product Testing

The new Ping i530 iron is designed for golfers seeking consistent launch, spin control and maximum distance. It features milled, tighter spaced grooves which delivers consistent launch and spin rates. It's hollow body construction maximised ball speed and forgiveness. The i530 blends workability and power making it a game changer for all players looking to elevate their iron play.

Watch the video to see it in action!

Our PGA Associate, Lee Grierson, had a great result on Monday at Oberon, placing 3rd in the PGA Chaplin Pro-am. Congratulations Lee!

Titleist Fitting Day

We are hosting a Titleist fitting day on Thursday 13th March! This is a great opportunity to be fitted for the brand new range of GT woods or T Series irons (T100, T150, T200 and T350) as well as the 620CB/MB.

T100 - Designed for elite ball strikers
T150 - More forgiving version of the T100
T200 - Players distance iron with added forgiveness
T350 - Game improvement iron

620CB/MB - Forged irons for skilled players who want maximum control.

They will have an expert fitter in our Trackman room who will ensure you have the right clubs for your game!
We will have a fitting day exclusive price on offer for the day, get in quick to secure your spot!

Jenny Schulenburg | Director of Golf

BOOK HERE FOR THE FITTING DAY

Question: On the 18^th hole Bill hit his tee shot well to the right to the middle of the practice area. He easily found his ball but it was in a puddle of water. Bill wished to take relief.

Which applies?

A) Bill must take relief off the practice area. He must drop his ball in the dropping zone with some loss of distance

B) Bill may take relief, dropping the ball outside and clear of the puddle dropping on the practice area.

C) Bill must drop off the puddle and the practice area dropping in the area defined by the dropping post.

Our annual Wine Dinner is back - this time with Wicks Wines.

The original farm was purchased in the Adelaide Hills by LJ Wicks in 1918, where he planted the family fruit orchards and nursery.

In 1999 the Wicks Family purchased the property they now call home. It was Wicks Estate's unique aspects, premium vineyard sites and diversity of its terrain that encouraged the family to venture into the world of cool climate wine.

Fast forward 20+ years and the vineyards are pretty spectacular!

Wicks Estate has evolved into a true family affair and being an Estate means they can oversee and process all of the grapes that come off the vineyard on-site.

Bookings via Clubhouse Reception (02) 9971 8113 or email: office@lrgc.com.au

The Australian Golf Heritage Society.

Long Reef is very fortunate to be represented on the Australian Golf Heritage Society by our members Les Browne and Gary Martinolli.

Les is the Captain and Gary a committee member who has taken on the huge job of resurrecting the Society's magazine. So far two issue have been published, giving us a very interesting list of topics to read and study and Gary is to be congratulated on the excellent presentation and content.

For those interested in golf history, the society is sharing the links to Brassie, the magazine, which aims to record golf history with a blend of historical material and items of general interest.

Long Reef Golf Club is featured in the first edition with an article based on our first one hundred years, written by Sandra Mellowes and Ross Lanes, as well as other fascinating stories about course designer Dan Soutar.

The recent edition has articles on Norman von Nida, one of our greatest golfers and sports heroes, Edwina Kennedy, our only winner of the British Women's Amateur Championship in over 130 years, the early years of The Australian Golf Club and the history of Concord Golf Club.

Click here to read The Brassie Issue 1

Click here to read The Brassie Issue 2

Sandra Mellowes | Archive Committee