1.       MEMBER SURVEY

The annual Member Survey was completed by 427 Members, approximately 45% of the Club's Playing Membership. This was the largest completion rate in the past 5 surveys. Thank you to all Members who completed the survey. Your feedback significantly impacts the short and long term direction of the Club.

The Board and Sub-Committees are in the process of reviewing the results and individual responses before presenting the survey summary and list of action items to the Membership in January 2023.

2.       HOSPITALITY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

The Board have engaged Tully Heard Hospitality Consultants to create an independent and professionally developed long term site development strategy that is market focused, financially responsible and provides robust assumptions for our Clubhouse master plan investment thesis.

Their work will include focus groups with multiple stakeholders (including from Members and the community) to create a plan for the redevelopment of the Clubhouse both in terms of our immediate remedial plans and our long term vision.

3.       CLUBHOUSE WORKS FOR REMEDIAL REPAIR AND COMPLIANCE

It was approved to carry out remedial and compliance works in the Clubhouse Function Kitchen and storage areas, Café kitchen and storage areas and the Pacific Room. The work includes reconfiguration of the kitchen floor plan, addressing compliance issues inherited by the aging building, installation of a cool room in the Café, replacement of the bi-fold doors and improvements to the Pacific Room.

These works are scheduled for late June through to mid-August and will cause minimal disruption to Members access of the Clubhouse facilities.

4.       NEW MEMBER INTAKE

On 8 December, 22 applicants were offered Membership with Provisional status until 31 May 2023. Provisional status Members have access to Wednesday and Saturday timesheets 12 hours after the timesheet has been released.

The Membership Committee will continue to monitor timesheets and playing trends to ensure demand of tee times can be realistically met.

5.       EASY GOLF MEMBERSHIP

The Easy Golf minimum timeframe of 12 months was removed and the maximum timeframe a Member may remain in the category was reduced from 60 months to 24 months. Easy Golf Members now have the same access to the practice facilities as all Playing Members.

The Easy Golf category was created to provide an introductory option for those Members new to golf or Club Membership. The 24-month timeframe will provide Easy Golf Members with an opportunity to utilise the Course in social and competition formats before upgrading to Full Membership.

The 60-month timeframe will remain in place for those Members who joined prior to November 2023.

6.       FINANCE

The result for October was a net surplus of $233,167 driven by a record number of weddings and exceptional bar trading for the month. The net surplus year to date is $355,188 and we are on track to achieve our updated full year forecast surplus of $1,041,000. Good news given the significant capital works approved for the bunker master plan and mounds plus the Clubhouse compliance remedial works.

7.       STROKES GAINED STUDIO PARTNERSHIP

Strokes Gained Studio, located in Brookvale, a world class golf training facility designed for the everyday golfer to train on their game as well as their fitness.

The partnership will provide each Monthly Medal winner in 2023 a free one-month membership to the studio, to practice in the Trackman simulator bays and utilise the gym.

8.       EXTENSION TO CONCRETE DRIVEWAY AT MAINTENANCE DEPOT

The driveway in to the maintenance depot to the left of the 12th fairway will be extended and fitted with a dish drain. This will be completed in March/April 2023 and will assist with reducing the water that runs down to the 12th fairway from the headland. 

9.       ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN

An Environmental Plan for the Golf Course and its surrounds will be completed in 2023. The plan will cover management of the wetlands, waterways, bushland, flora and fauna on Griffith Park including revegetation, weed management, water control and maintenance practices.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you would like clarification or further expansion on any of the items above.

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

• Thursday 29th December - will open at 5pm on Friday 23rd December
• Friday 30th December - will open at 6.30pm on Friday 23rd December
• Thursday 6th January 2023 - will open at 5pm on Friday 30th December

"Senior" at 50
In line with changes introduced by Golf NSW, we will be lowering the qualifying age for Senior events for men to 50 years of age at the time of the event. This will come into effect on January 1st 2023 but will only impact events scheduled for later in the calendar year - the Senior Club Championship and the Long Reef Senior Medal. The qualifying age for Masters Pennant has been 50 for many years so there is no change there.

Captain's Cup
This was played on Saturday 3rd December in conjunction with the December Medal and congratulations to this year's winner, Adam Lynn. Adam beat Ross Trewartha on a countback after both finished with excellent nett 65s. It is Adam's first ever Medal win - he picked the right month to do it. Well done Adam and I look forward to presenting you with the prestigious trophy at next year's prize presentation.

December Medal
A  countback was needed to separate Adam, who won A Grade and Ross who won B Grade and one was needed to separate Russell Smylie and Tristan Loud to establish the C Grade winner after both finished with nett 66 but the eventual Medal winner was Russell. Congratulations also to Jane Hagan who won the Women's Medal with nett 71. As previously reported, in addition to their medals, the four winners will also receive temporary membership at Strokes Gained.

Great scores were recorded in all grades with Scott Haley beating Boaty Boatwright on a countback for the runners-up spot in A Grade after both shot nett 68 while Gordon Philp was runner-up in B Grade with nett 66 and Stuart Mulvena third with nett 68. The third place in C Grade went to Josh Dowse, also with nett 68.

Luke Edgell was the Scratch winner with 2 under par (69).

It was a popular day for the circle on the 8th with Mitch Bockman, Josh Malin and Paul Korbel all sharing the spoils while Nearest the Pin on the 2nd went to David Bradley and Lennox Cleary was closest on the 13th. Greg Dousset is off to Chubb's after he was nearest on the 7th.   

Just as an aside, I said after he won the B Grade Cup that he wouldn't be there long and congratulations to Lennox who has now got his handicap into single figures - watch out A Graders!!!

Invitation Day
After not being held since 2018, it was great to have this event back on the course last Saturday. We had full fields in both the morning and afternoon so thank you to the Members that supported it and took the opportunity to bring a guest for a game at Long Reef. It was really pleasing to hear such positive feedback from the visitors about the condition of our course.

Congratulations to Mitch Bockman and his guest, James Johnson who won the morning competition with 46 points, beating Jenni Brown and her visitor, Prue Puskar after a countback.

We'll be keeping a close eye on next year's entries (and handicaps!!!) after previous winners James Hobday and his returning guest, Kaj Humlin won the afternoon competition with an incredible 54 points.

Eclectic winners
Congratulations to Cam Gillespie who shot a gross 54 to win the A Grade event- he didn't quite manage to birdie every hole but he went close.Cam also won the nett prize. Michael Rogan won both in B Grade while Daniel Muncke won the C Grade gross prize and Cha Loh the nett. Jenni Brown won both in the Women's. 

Rules clarification
There has been a bit of conjecture about whether string / ribbon attached to your golf bag is permitted or not. It is currently a bit of a grey area but that will be removed effective 1st January 2023.

If you claimed that the ribbon / string was attached to your golf bag with the purpose of differentiating your bag from others to assist with identification, the string or ribbon would be permitted. However, if you attached the string / ribbon with the sole purpose of assisting with wind direction, that is contrary to the rules.

As I say, in two weeks it becomes immaterial because with effect from January 1st, the R&A rule book will identify string / ribbon as prohibited under Rule 4.3a(2) so I would recommend the immediate removal of any string / ribbon that you have attached to your golf bag - whatever purpose you have it there for.

Fun Day
More information will follow in the new year but if you have children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews or just young neighbours, please earmark Sunday 12th February 2023 in your calendar. We want to encourage as many kids as possible to try golf in a fun environment so we will be holding a Fun Day at the Club to promote golf to our Members' kids, relatives or friends. Bringing kids into the game is a priority to ensure long term success so please look out for more information in January and bring the future Long Reef golfers along. 

Get Well Soon
A few of our Members have been unwell, hospitalised or undergone surgery/ treatment in the last few weeks and I would like to take this opportunity to wish them well, a speedy and full recovery and I look forward to seeing them back on the golf course soon. All the best to David Costello OAM, Brian Ratcliffe, Ross Bockman and Peter Burke.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
This is the last Newsletter for 2022, so I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2023. I hope you all enjoy a safe holiday period, whatever you are doing and I thank you all for your support of Long Reef Golf Club in the last 12 months. 

Here's to a great golfing 2023!

Wendy Thomas | Women's Captain