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BOARD MEETING NOTES

Below are notes from the Board Meeting held on 29 April 2025

Purging of Accounts (House & Prizes)

A friendly reminder to all Members that House & Prize accounts will be purged at close of business Saturday 31st May (Top Up accounts are not purged). All accounts can be used in the Cafe, Bar or Golf Shop.
Prizes won from the 1st May 2025 will remain in your Prize account and will not be purged.
Quarterly Financial Statements

The Financial Statements (unaudited) for the third quarter of the 2025 Financial Year were adopted by the Board. The Financial Statements can be viewed below;
January 2025 – March 2025 Financial Statements

New Course Machinery

The Course team received their new Toro 3500D Rough Mower this month as part of the Club’s ongoing capital replacement plan. The past 4 years has been troublesome for the manufacturing and delivery of golf course equipment, with extended wait times. The $70,000 machine was ordered in June 2023.

Member Subscriptions

Membership Subscriptions were issued via email to all Members on 17 April and fall due on 31 May. If you have not received your invoice, please email office@lrgc.com.au or membership@lrgc.com.au and they will be re-sent. Alternatively, you can view your invoice in the ‘My Account’ section of the Members Portal and App.
Full Playing Members who make payment by 31 May will receive 3 x complimentary weekday visitors passes and a 2 for 1 Waterfront Dine In voucher, with a total value of $275.

Clubhouse Master Plan

An update on the Clubhouse Master Plan was sent to Members on 22 April. If you have not had the opportunity to view the presentation, please click on the link below.
Clubhouse Master Plan Presentation – April 2025

Kurt Schulenburg – Service Excellence Award

Congratulations to our Course Superintendent Kurt Schulenburg for being awarded the 59club’s Superintendent of the Year accolade.

59club is a golf specific facilities improvement program that undertakes quarterly mystery shopper visits of approximately 1000 golf facilities across the globe annually. The visit rates every aspect of the Club’s offering, service and experience from the moment the golfer visits the Club’s booking platform through the moment they depart the Clubhouse following golf and a meal. The extensive feedback provides the Board and management with accurate feedback and results on the golfers experience and benchmarked against facilities of all levels. The feedback and data all contributes to improving our Member and guest experience.

Kurt was awarded ‘Superintendent of the Year – Golf Course under $120 green fee’ out of the Club’s participating across the country. It’s a testament to Kurt and our entire Course team on the condition the Course is presented to Members all year round, despite the challenging conditions we are faced with through weather, increasing rounds and occasional damage.

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.

May Medal

After a one week delay due to rain, the May Medal was held on Saturday the 10th May. Our Club Champion Nick Hutchison won the Men's A Grade medal with 2 under playing off 2 for a Net stroke score of 67. 3 Birdies, 1 bogey and 14 Pars is a nice round.

Nick however provided some more context. He got up and down from off the green 9 times, one of them for a hole out birdie!

B Grade went to Brett Kinsella with a Net 69 playing off 14, while C Grade was won by Dane Drayton with a Net 71.

Peta Bird won the Ladies Medal with a Net 76 playing off 12, winning on a Countback from Harper Lee.

Well played to all.

Captain's Cup

The Captain's Cup is a Nett event played over all 12 Saturday Monthly Medals of the Membership year. The winner is the player with the lowest combined nett score in 8 of the 12 Medal rounds. It is played across all grades and the May Medal was the final round.

The winner this year was Ian Brown, who pipped Cam Gillespie by a shot. Ex-Captain Doug Campbell will rue the wet weather which forced the postponement of the May Medal for a week, as he was leading and couldn't play the following week.

Masters Pennants

Our Division 1 Masters Pennant team start their season on Sunday the 18th of May at Long Reef versus Cabramatta. The other teams in our group are St.Michaels and Dunheved. The squad is as follows:

Adam Lynn, Jimmy Little, Jimmy Knox, Tony Holley, Ian Brown, Nick Sherlock, Mick McKerihan, Matt Pook. Reserves are Ross Bockman and Nigel McCook.

Come and support our strong side.

Tony Holley | Vice Captain

Pennants

Silver Salver

The Silver Salver Pennants game at Pymble was cancelled due to weather on 2 May 2025. The team of Ali Gattas, Sally Hill (captain), Jenni Brown, Wendy Millson and Janet Atchison played at Monash against Pymble on 9 May 2025. Unfortunately, the team had a loss. The next game is at Ryde Parramatta against Monash on 16 May 2025. Good luck to the team of Ali Gattas, Sally Hill (captain), Vanessa Murphy Wendy Millson and Janet Atchison with Karen Smith as reserve. Long Reef is hosting the Silver Salver teams on 23 May 2025.

Bronze Plaque

Long Reef is hosting the first Bronze Plaque game of the year on 16 May 2025. Their first game will be at Mona Vale against Wakehurst on 23 May 2025. The team will be Jie Cheng, Tracey Martin (captain), Veronica Bertram, Tanya Gadiel, Danni Seisun and Di Pinnuck as reserve.

Bronze II

The Bronze II team commence their season on 16 May 2025 at Asquith playing Muirfield. The team will be Carol Sherlock, Fiona Woolley, Val Wilson (captain), Karen Scott and Liz Morton with Deb Trim as reserve. Good luck ladies! Their next game will be at North Ryde against Castle Hill. Team to be announced later.

Foursomes Championships

The Women's Foursomes Championships qualifying was reduced to one round due to the weather. The 18 hole gross winners for the Women's Foursomes Championships were: Sue Kruse and Vanessa Murphy with 91. The B Grade winners were Dani Montgomery and Muriel Dawson with 108 and C Grade winners were Jen Vasseleu and Lisa Jenkins with 108. The 18 hole nett winners were Jen Vasseleu and Lisa Jenkins with 74 nett on from Sue Kruse and Vanessa Murphy with 76 nett.

The quarter finals of the Women's Foursomes championships were played on 8 May 2025. The results were:

The Open Championships

Sally Hill & Ali Gattas won 1 up from Janet Atchison and Diana Sier

Natalie Driver & Pam Burke won on the 20th from Wendy Thomas and Marianne Rudd

Jennifer Jansson & Karen Smith won 7 and 6 against Tracey Martin and Helenka O'Connell

Robyn Lyon & Lorraine Stafford won 6 and 5 against Carol Sherlock & Colleen Mansfield

Michelle Milsted & Moira Rowland won 5 and 4 against Sue Dewell & Sheila Dickson

Clare John & Aki Lee won 2 and 1 against Adriana Bowyer & Jodie McPherson

The C Grade Championships

Val Hindmarsh & May Yeng won on the 19^th against Lyn Harper & Amanda Savage

Jeanette Black & Helen Cregan won on a forfeit from Robyn Carson & Fiona Macdonald

Jill Hensman & Jan Hanson won 4 and 3 against Therese Hettler & Libby Cleary.

The final of the Women's Foursomes Championship will be played on 15 May 2025. The Open Championship final will be played over 36 holes, with the B and C Grade Premierships played over 18 holes. All women members are welcome to come down to the club to help celebrate with the finalists at the end of the round.

Results:

On Tuesday 6 May 2025, Sandra Haberlin (36) finished 5^th with 37 points. The 4BBB was won by Deb Trim and Danielle Seisun with 46 points. The 9 hole competition was won by Angela Brown (38) with 19 points from Kathie Nelson (360 with 17 points and Li-Shyan Chen (42) with 15 points.

On Thursday 8 May the winner of Division 1 was Vanessa Murphy (14) with 14 points on a c/b from Camilla Lassen (26). The winner of Division 2 was Margaret Lavers (37) with 28 points from Elizabeth O'Brien (41) with 26 points.

On 10 May 2025 The winner of the weekend May monthly medal was Peta Bird (12) with 76 nett.

Up Coming Fixtures:

15 May - Finals of the Women's Foursomes Championships

16 May - Pennants -hosting the Bronze Plaque teams

22 May - Par Round sheets are on the noticeboard in the locker room

23 May - Pennants - hosting the Silver Salver teams

29 May - Lilith Gollan stableford (first 9 holes), and the first round of the Super Vets

5 June - Golf NSW medal round and the qualifying round for the President Trophy, Veterans Challenge Brooch

Presidents Trophy match play rounds are 10 June, 12 June, 17 June and the final on 19 June

Sue Kruse PSM | Women's Captain

As of the 14^th of May, the Course has received 549mm rainfall so far this year compared 691.3mm for the same time last year.

It’s been a very unusual weather pattern at Long Reef over the last couple of weeks, with calm, wet, conditions and a noticeable absence of typical coastal winds. So far this month, we’ve recorded 90.4mm of rain, with frequent drizzle and light rain keeping the Course consistently wet. While many would welcome still days on the course, the wind actually plays a crucial role in helping dry out the Course.

The Course is staying wetter for longer, which is impacting both turf health and playability. Last week our team managed to mow the entire Course. With more rain expected this week, it was good to get that done while conditions allowed. Golf carts have been off the Course now for a week. When the ground is this wet, carts can cause serious damage especially in heavy traffic wet areas. Unfortunately the wet areas extend far beyond what our cart GPS can control, therefore carts won’t be permitted until certain areas improve.

We’re not even into winter yet, and we’ve got at least 3 months of wet conditions ahead. It’s important that we do everything thing we can now to protect the Course and minimise damage that would be present through the entire winter.

The 1A green is progressing well. We finally have started to mow it at our normal green height. Over the next few weeks, it will receive some regular light sand dusting to even out the surface. It has now been incorporated into our regular green’s fertiliser and fungicide maintenance program to ensure strong, consistent growth.

Path repair work will be noticeable over these coming weeks as we repair pot holes and uneven areas across the granite paths.

The greens are recovering well from the vandalism that occurred prior to Easter. Our team have been giving those damaged areas some light hand topdressing to smooth out the damage surface, with a full recovery expected soon.

Kurt Schulenburg | Course Superintendent

Shop Promotion - Win with Your Spend!

Spend $200 or more in one transaction at the Golf Shop before 31st May and go in the draw to win a TaylorMade carry bag, a pair of FootJoy shoes, and a Long Reef logo cap!

With Member accounts purging at the end of the month, now is the perfect time to treat yourself. Our new winter apparel range has just landed - drop in and let our team help you find the perfect piece for the colder months.

The all new Titleist Mini GT Drivers have landed - and they're an absolute game changer, especially around Long Reef.

Designed with a compact 275cc head, the Mini GT blends the precision of a fairway wood with the power of a driver. It's built for control and workability, making it ideal for tight tee shots and perfect for our windy coastal conditions.

You can even hit it off the deck - giving you a versatile weapon from the fairway when the wind is up, penetrating a low, long shot when necessary. The Mini GT comes in 13.5° and 11.5° loft options, with premium shaft offerings to suit a range of swing speeds.

If you're looking to keep it in play off the tee or want a reliable second option off the fairway, come in and give the Mini GT a try.

Jenny Schulenburg | Director of Golf

Question: Terry was playing during a wet period while the greens were rather saturated.

Terry played to a green from approximately 80 metres out. An elevated shot.

The ball hit the green on the full and stopped. When the players reached the green they could see that the ball which had stopped, had become embedded.

Terry said "My ball is embedded, I will get free relief."

Terry took free relief as described in Rule 16.3. He marked his ball, lifted it, cleaned it

His reference point was the point immediately behind where his ball had embedded.

His relief area was an area no closer to the green than the reference point within one club length of the reference point. Terry dropped his ball within the relief area and putted.

Terry acted correctly? A. True B. False

New Cocktail Range

We are excited to announce we have launched our new cocktail range at the Bar.

$18.70 Golfing Member Price

Passion-Putt

Vodka, St-Germain Elderflower, Passionfruit, Lemon, Bitters

The Pink Birdie

Gin, Triple Sec, Raspberry, Lemon, Lime

Espresso Par-Tini

Vodka, Kahlua, Espresso, Sugar Syrup

Marga-Reef-Ta

Tequila, Triple Sec, Lime

$12.80 Golfing Member Price

Aperol Spritz

Aperol, Sparkling Wine, Soda, Orange

$14.50 Golfing Member Price

Hugo Spritz

St-Germain Elderflower, Sparkling Wine, Soda, Mint

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LRGC - 14th May

From 'TEA' (Rooms) to GREEN

It is with pleasure that we not only celebrate the Club's 104^th birthday today the 14^th May but also look briefly again at the Twight Connection. Betty Twight is a treasured long-standing member of the club. She became a Gold member with 50 years of continuous golfing membership in 2018 and there has been another six years to add to that. Betty would dearly love a round of golf today if her body would allow.

After reading the first Minute book about fourteen years ago and learning that the first meeting was held in the Twight Tea Rooms the connection with the family was realised. Betty became our first source of information and material about her in-law family and has provided the club with photographs and memorabilia as well as sharing memories of the Golf Club in general which have helped to fill in the gaps!

The Tea Rooms were created right on the beach by Collaroy pioneers Stanley and Florence Twight, the grandparents of Betty's late husband Dick. The Rooms had become something of the neighbourhood village hall and is where many clubs held their first and continuing meetings. This was so for the Cricket Club, the Tennis Club and the Progress Association. The long 70-foot building was opened in 1912. It could seat a large gathering.

By September 1920 a group of 'Golfing enthusiasts" led by Cecil Martin had entered into communication re. the subject of creating a golf course with the council. As the first meeting on the 14^th May was chaired by the Warringah Shire Mayor it was likely that the booking was made by council, but by the end of the meeting the responsibility had passed over to a committee, members names were listed and the club named. Within a week there was a bank account, thanks to four benefactors and the week later the course design was underway. LRGC continued to use the Tea Rooms for their meetings until the opening of their own clubhouse in Feb 1923.

Stanley Twight had become a Golf Club member on that first night, but he was not a golfer, but as he did with other clubs he stayed a member for the first full year to make sure the club was really up and running. His first love was the Surf Club which had commenced in 1911, as indeed it was for his grandson Dick, Betty's husband. Norman, Dick's father was a Foundation member of the Collaroy Surf Club. Stanley and Florence's contribution to the surf movement was acknowledge with the naming of a small park just above the swimming pool. So far there has been five generations of Twights in the Surf Club. Dick who joined at 13 years of age was awarded an OAM in 1990 for fifty years of service to the Surf Club Association. Betty is now the Patron.

Dick's parents Norman and Adele took over the Tea House in 1923, but it was not to last. It was demolished in the 30s along with other beachside properties that were unstable. The Twight family continued with a variety of businesses and building projects within Collaroy.

Betty left Cottesloe WA in 1951 on a working holiday. By chance she and her three friends rented a flat at the bottom of Alexander street owned by the Twights. Dick was living downstairs when they met. They married in Perth in 1952 and made Collaroy their first home.

Following that first Golf Club meeting in 1921 the Golf Club had continued to grow and prosper from the 9-holes in 1921 to 18-holes ten years later. Things went backwards in the war years but it recovered and survived. A new Clubhouse was built by the late 60's.

By 1968 the Twight connection to the golf Club was to continue when Dick and Betty joined the club together. Dick had played socially before. He remained a member for 40 years before ill-health slowed everything down. He was a Golf Club committee member from 1974-77, became Club Captain in 1982 for three years and returned to the committee in 1988-92. He was Captain when the men won their first and only Pennant, the 1982 Junior Pennant. He was an enthusiastic organiser of the Goulburn events and made equipment available from his company during the early stages of the wetland project. He was credited with creating the Billiards Room for the 'young ones'.

There is so much more to the story including Betty's achievements and there is a fuller account available in the archive collection.

There are two short stories that Betty relayed that are really a sign of their times!

In 1896 when Stanley, from Marrickville, (who had visited the area to fish as a young boy) married Florence from New Zealand he brought her to Collaroy to live. Florence was far from impressed with the run down house that stood in their 6 acres of orchard at the bottom of Collaroy street, but she was persuaded to stay if he bought her a cow of her own!

As a young boy Dick's parents ran the Tea House. He was one of four boys. The Tea House had no boundaries or fences and was open to the beach. On very busy days Adele, Dick's Mum, felt relaxed knowing that the boys could not wander off from the secure position of attaching them to a washing-line that ran the length of the property. They still had plenty of room and freedom to play, although they were tethered!

So many stories in 104 years! Happy Birthday Long Reef Golf Club and thank you Betty for your help, knowledge and continuing support. Wishing you a full recovery from that recent fall.

Sources:-
Betty Twight
The First 65 years of Women at Long Reef
Club Minute books

Sandra Mellowes | Archives Committee