Club Email

Below are notes from the Board Meeting held on 27 January 2026
MICHAEL INFANTI UPDATE
We are very pleased to share the wonderful news that Michael has been given the all clear and is now cancer free. Michael plans to return to work in a limited capacity this week, and no doubt his lesson schedule will fill quickly. Michael and Chiara have expressed their sincere gratitude for the support shown by the Club community during this time, and he is very much looking forward to being back.
SUNDAY MORNING TRIAL
The Club will be conducting a three-week trial of a revised Sunday tee time structure in March 2026. The purpose of this trial is to improve Sunday morning access for Members in the 6 and 7 Day membership categories, while still maintaining appropriate availability for public bookings. The trial will take place on Sundays 8, 15 and 22 March 2026, with both Member competitions and public tee times available across the morning and afternoon. During the trial period, Members will be able to book competition tee times from the 9th tee between 6.38am and 8.09am, and again from 10.50am to 12.21pm. Member feedback will be sought following the trial to assist in determining any future adjustments to Sunday booking arrangements and start times.
SARGOOD PARTNERSHIP
Long Reef Golf Club has proudly supported the Sargood Foundation since its opening in Collaroy in 2014. To strengthen this valued partnership and further welcome guests visiting from across Australia, the Club will be extending a food and beverage offer to Sargood guests, providing a $30 buy one meal, get one free voucher.

INSTALLATION OF CCTV ON THE COURSE
Many Members will have noticed CCTV cameras have recently been installed at selected locations around the Course. These cameras are being introduced on a trial basis to help deter damage to the Course, particularly from the use of e-bikes.
The Club will monitor the trial closely and keep Members updated as needed.
BEN RUSSELL BECOMES A CERTIFIED CLUB MANAGER THROUGH CLUB MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
We are pleased to announce that General Manager Ben Russell has successfully passed his Certified Club Manager examination through the Club Management Association of America BMI Program.

This internationally recognised qualification reflects Ben’s commitment to professional excellence and strong club leadership.
Ben will now travel to the United States in February to attend the World Golf Management Conference in Anaheim, followed by a study tour of leading Californian golf facilities. Ben has also been awarded a scholarship through Golf Management Australia to support this important professional development opportunity.

MEDICAL INJURY CREDIT POLICY CHANGE TO 6 MONTHS
The Club’s medical policy is designed to provide financial relief to Members experiencing extenuating circumstances due to injury or illness. Effective immediately, the eligibility period for a medical or injury credit has been amended from a minimum absence of 3 months to a minimum absence of 6 months. A 50% subscription credit will now only be applied to eligible Members who are unable to play golf for 6 months or more as a result of injury or illness. This credit will applied to the following year’s subscription fees. Each Member may be eligible for a maximum of 12 months absence during their Membership. The credit can only be processed once the Member has returned and played their first round back, either socially or in competition.
This policy does not apply to Members in restricted membership categories.

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST: HOUSE COMMITTEE AND GRANT SUPPORT ROLES
The Board is seeking Expressions of Interest from Members who may wish to join the Club’s House Committee, particularly those with experience in hospitality or restaurant operations. In addition, the Club is also looking for Members who may be interested in assisting with the identification and application of potential grant opportunities. Members who would like to be involved in either area are encouraged to contact me at k.w.warren@me.com
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.

Practice Facilities

Members are reminded that appropriate golf attire is required when using all Club practice facilities, including the driving range, practice green, the practice nets and practice putting green.

While these areas are designed for practice and warm-up, they remain an extension of the golf course and are an integral part of the Club. As such, the same dress standards that apply on the course also apply within the practice facilities at all times.

Course Dress standards:

Shirts: Collared shirts or polo shirts, including turtle neck golf shirts, are required.
Bottoms: Tailored trousers, shorts, or cargo-style pants are acceptable.
Footwear: Soft-spiked or rubber-soled golf shoes.
Socks: Short white socks, ankle socks with a logo, or long socks.

16th Fairway Reconstruction – Course Works Update

The reconstruction of the 16th fairway is well underway, with significant progress already visible as more turf is laid and the shape and feel of the hole become increasingly defined. This is a major project for the Club and remains a top priority for Kurt and his team. Their focus is on completing the turf installation, irrigation system, and new bunkers as efficiently as possible to ensure the hole is finished in the next couple of weeks.

To achieve this, staff resources will be largely directed toward these works. While every effort will be made to maintain the course, some routine preparation tasks in the lead-up to Club competitions may not always be completed as normal. This may include bunkers not being fully raked and some rough areas not being mown as regularly during the summer months.

The short-term disruption will enable the team to complete the 16th hole and have it ready to return to play, subject to favourable weather conditions and the successful establishment of the new turf over the coming months. Like me, I’m sure everyone is eagerly anticipating the reopening of the newly revamped 16th.

Programme Book 2026

The Programme Book has now been updated for 2026 and will operate across the full calendar year from January through to December. This update has been introduced to help Members plan ahead more effectively, particularly around our Major Trophy events.

To view the 2026 Programme Book, please click here, or alternatively open the LRGC App and select the Programme Book button.

Major Pennants

Last Sunday the Major Pennant team took on Macquarie Links in the first match of the season in perfect conditions.

Adam Elliott, making his major pennant debut, got off to a strong start, maintaining a slim lead all day, until a clutch birdie on 18 saw his opponent halve the match.

Elsewhere on the course the Long Reef boys were making short work of it with Harry McKerihan winning 7 and 6, Cam Gillespie making 6 birdies in his 5 and 3 win, while Nick Hutchison and Lennox Cleary both recorded solid 4 and 3 victories. Club champion Ryan Farrell went out in the No 1 match and in a closely fought contest, held on to win 1 up.

Matt Tierney battled hard all day but came up against a tough opponent, losing his match 3 and 2. So, a good 5.5 to 1.5 win to open the season and we now head to Macquarie Links this Sunday for the return match.

Results

Wednesday 21st January – Single Stableford and 2 ball Aggregate with a field of 235.
The winner and score of the day went to Paul Toussaint with a score of 41 points.

Full Results

Saturday 24th January – Medley Stableford & Waltz team Stableford with a field of 232.
The winner and score of the day went to Mark Frith with a score of 42 points.

Full Results

Wednesday 28^th January – Single Stableford and Vince Horan Qualifying with a field of 232.
The winner and score of the day went to Neil Lucey with a score of 40 points on the countback.

Full Results

Saturday 31^st January – Medley Stableford and 4BBB with a field of 229.
The winner and score of the day went to Archie Macmillan with 41 points on the countback.

Full Results

Rob Cordaiy | Captain

Women's Weekday Opening Day - 29 January 2026

A big thank you to all the ladies that attended our opening day. We had 136 players on the day and 140 attended the lunch. It was lovely to see so many new and old faces. The Weekday Open day was played as a Drop out Ambrose in steamy conditions and I would like to congratulate all players on their pace of play . Before presenting the prizes for the day, the Most Reduced Handicap was announced. The 2025 winner was Karen Dickson with a reduction of 12.7 - a great result.

The winners on the day were Caroline Clarke, Chris Perry, Di Pinnuck and Leanne Caristo with a 57.25 nett. Runners up were Grace Ping, Toni Wilson, Fiammetta Archer and Fats Mcconochie with a 58.125 nett .

Weekend Opening Day - 1 February 2026

The Weekend Opening Day was held on Sunday 1 February 2026. It was a fun day playing a 2BBB team event although the conditions were very windy and challenging. A special mention must go to Adriana Bowyer who had an eagle on the 3^rd

The winner of the 2BBB on the day was Gretel Watson and Petrina Rousel with 46 points and runners-up were Aom Bowler and Ashleigh Muir on 43 points .

Vouchers were also presented for:

2025 Weekend Aggregate Stableford – this is for the best five of twelve Stableford rounds during the year The winner was Janet Atchison.

2025 Weekend Gold Medal – for the best three net medal rounds . The winner was Jie Cheng

Composite Course

Composite Course - Conditions of Play

A player who complies with the following conditions MAY play off the Gold Tees on the nominated holes. Players must be 70 years of age or over and have a 'combined' age plus handicap of 105 or above.

Players must have a daily handicap of 37 or greater. The nominated holes that the Gold Tees can be utilised are: 3, 4, 7, 9, 15, 16, 17 & 18. If you wish to play the Composite Course you must tell the pro-shop before you play otherwise you will be disqualified. Note - This condition does not apply to major trophies, medal rounds, Matchplay and any competition advised by the Women's Committee.

Long Reef Golf Club Charity day – 19^th March

We are seeking donations for our Silent Auction, Hampers, and Live Auction items in support of Northern Beaches Women’s Shelter. All contributions, big or small, help raise vital funds for local women and children experiencing homelessness and domestic and family violence. If you are able to donate an item, experience, or hamper, we would love to hear from you. Thank you for supporting our Charity Day and our local community.

Social WhatsApp Group

A WhatsApp group is being created for all those women who would like to play socially and would also like to meet and play with other women in the playing group. If you are interested please message Pru Bardsley on 0422 000 007.

Upcoming Fixtures

Thursday 5th February – Club and GNSW Medal 1 ; qualifying for Singles and Long marker knockout- Matchplay will be Feb 17^th, 19^th,24^th and 26^th. Put your name on the sheet in the pro-shop if you wish to qualify and you are available on all of these dates.

Saturday 7^th February – Club and GNSW Weekend Medal 1

Monday 9^th February – LRGC hosting Barrenjoey Week of Golf

Occasionally photos of members may be published in the newsletter, either individually or in a group. If you do not wish your photo to used or published in our newsletter, please forward an email to ladies@longreefgolfclub.com.au as this will inform the Women’s Committee of your request. Please do so by 13^th February 2026.

Liz Morton | Women’s Captain

After a very dry finish to last year, with just 82mm of rainfall recorded from October through December, the weather has finally turned in our favour. January delivered approximately 221mm of much-needed rain, marking a significant shift in conditions. This overdue rainfall has restored our water storage to 100% capacity and allowed the Course to begin recovering strongly. Areas that were previously dry, including stressed fairways and bare patches, are already responding well.

Some Members may not be aware that the last time we experienced comparable drought conditions, where water supply was limited to tees and greens, was in 2018. That was the last occasion our dams were completely empty and water needed to be purchased to maintain essential playing surfaces. In the years since, we have generally enjoyed strong summer rainfall despite hot conditions. This summer, however, has been notably dry, making the recent rain especially welcome and timely.

The mounds project continues to progress well, with more than 2,600 rolls of turf laid to date by my staff. A big thank you to the volunteers who have also assisted with this work. The bunkers are beginning to take shape in the rough, with two now formed on the left side and one on the right. Turfing will continue toward the end of this week as works move ahead.

Many Members are aware of the ongoing challenges we have faced with vandalism on the Course at night and the increasing presence of e-bike skids across greens.

A trial of CCTV security cameras in key locations on the Course is underway, in the hope to deter the on-going damage we have been witnessing.

The 10th and 12th greens have been closely monitored following the appearance of unusual stress patterns earlier in the summer. These symptoms did not present as typical seasonal stress and were therefore assessed in detail to ensure the most appropriate course of action was taken.

The 10th green has responded well to targeted agronomic management and continues to recover steadily. The 12th green, however, has shown a slower response, and to ensure long-term surface quality and consistency, we are planning to re-turf the affected areas.

Independent advice was sought during the assessment process, and ongoing management has focused on supporting turf health and recovery while minimising disruption to play. These measures are aimed at delivering the best possible outcome for Members and maintaining the standard of the Course.

Thank you to Members for your patience and understanding as we continue to manage the Course through recovery.

Kurt Schulenburg | Course Superintedent

New Equipment In Store

We've just taken delivery of the latest TaylorMade QI4D range, featuring cutting edge technology designed to improve forgiveness, consistency and ball speed across the face. The new drivers, fairways and hybrids are built to deliver greater stability and tighter dispersion, particularly on off centre strikes, making them suitable for a wide range of golfers. All models are now available for fittings in store, or Members are welcome to trial them on the Course.

We've also received the new Callaway Quantum range, offering another impressive option for players looking for easy launch, strong carry and performance throughout the bag.

In addition to the new models, we are clearing out all the TaylorMade Qi35 ex demo models at unbelievable prices. This gear presents outstanding value for Members looking to upgrade. Stock is limited, so we encourage you to come in and check it out before it's all gone.

Finally, we are absolutely delighted to share the news that Michael is now cancer free. This is fantastic news for the entire Long Reef community, and we are looking forward to welcoming him back to the Golf Shop and seeing him back on the teaching tee!

Long Reef Course Etiquette: Bunkers

Jenny Schulenburg | Director of Golf