Reef Breezes | Thursday 26 June 2025

Dear Kimberley,

The Long Reef Community Rallies Behind Michael Infanti

The outpouring of support for Head Teaching Professional Michael Infanti has been nothing short of extraordinary. Since Members were informed of Michael’s recent cancer diagnosis and the launch of the fundraising raffle on 14 June, the response has reflected the very best of the Long Reef spirit.

The generosity shown by Members and the golfing community has deeply touched both Michael and his wife, Chiara. The support received to date will ease their financial burden during this incredibly challenging time.

Michael made a brief visit to the Club last week to catch up with the Golf Team and was incredibly grateful for the overwhelming support. As he adjusts to ongoing chemotherapy treatment, he is hopeful of returning to Long Reef soon to personally thank Members.

The fundraising raffle remains open until Friday 4th July, with 100% of proceeds going directly to Michael and Chiara to assist with rent, bills, and daily living expenses. Incredible prizes have been generously donated by Taylormade, Titleist, Srixon, Ping, Callaway, Footjoy, Stella Blu, Manly Sea Eagles, and Penrith Panthers.

Members who have not yet purchased tickets, can do so via this link. Every contribution counts and is deeply appreciated by the Infanti family.

Due to the overwhelming response, we are delayed in sending out raffle ticket numbers however, we expect to catch up on this over the coming days.

Development Application Lodged – Clubhouse Master Plan

A major milestone has been reached in the Clubhouse Master Plan journey, with the Development Application (DA) officially lodged with Northern Beaches Council. This marks the beginning of the formal notification and assessment phase and represents the significant work by the Club and the Building Committee.

While this is an exciting advancement, the project is still in its early stages. Following determination of the Development Application, the Club will enter the next phase of Member consultation, detailed planning, and procurement. For context on the current timeline, the Club is still taking event bookings up to 24 months.

The Club will continue to provide updates as progress unfolds and thanks all Members for their continued interest and engagement.

Membership Renewals

The Club extends its thanks to all Members who have renewed their Membership for the 2025–2026 year. Early review of renewals reflects how sought after Long Reef Membership is, with very minimal resignations.

Only a few days remain before any non-financial Members are resigned. A full report on Membership numbers will be provided in July.

As part of this year’s renewal, all financial Members will receive a personalised Long Reef Member Bag Tag. These are currently in production, and Members will be notified once they are ready for collection.

Ben Russell | General Manager

Master Pennants

Our Senior Pennant side travelled to Dunheved Golf Club on Sunday 15 June for a must win match. The outcome wasn’t what the team was hoping for going down to the local side 5 matches to 3. The return match at Long Reef was played on Sunday 22nd June and the team was out to reverse the loss of the previous week. With perfect weather conditions our team came away with a win 5 matches to 3. A great way to end the season and a special thank you to Tony Holley as team manager.

An Albatross on the 4th

Congratulations to Alyssa Starc for an incredible achievement on Sunday, 22nd June — scoring an albatross on the 4th hole (women’s par 5)! With just two shots to complete the hole, Alyssa joins the rarest ranks in golf. Well done, Alyssa!

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Hole in One

Congratulations to Boaty Boatwright who bagged his 4th hole in one on Monday 23 June on the 13th.

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Upcoming Events:

Foursomes Championships
A reminder that the qualifying round of the Foursomes Championship is on Saturday 28th June with four in each grade to qualify. The semifinal and final will be played on Saturday 12th and 19th of July respectively.

The Barling Trophy – has been rescheduled to be played on Sunday 20th July

Men vs Women – has been rescheduled to be played on Sunday 10th August.

Green maintenance

The course is back to playing the ball as it lies with the exception of the 14th, 15th and 16th fairways still having the 1 metre preferred lies in the general area. The course is playing well and the greens are firming up and running true and quick. However, with the increased number of games being played there are greens with a high number of unrepaired pitch marks. I ask that all Members take a little time to repair not only their pitch mark but also any other pitch marks they see.

Late cancellations

The Club has commenced monitoring the number of late cancellations by Members for competitions within 24 hours of their scheduled tee off.  We understand that from time to time there are unforeseen circumstances that prevent Members from playing and thus needing to cancel their game. However, repeated short-notice cancellations, particularly without a valid reason can disrupt the experience for other Members and impact course availability, resulting in long waitlists and Members missing out on the opportunity to play.

We ask all Members to support the fair and efficient use of the booking system by cancelling well in advance if they are unable to play, and to avoid making bookings without a genuine intention of playing. If cancellations within a 24-hour period continue to occur without reasonable explanation, further action may be considered to help manage access and uphold fairness for all. Thank you for your cooperation and support in maintaining a positive playing experience for every Member.

Results

Wednesday 11th June – Single Stableford, Irish Team best of 3 Stableford and Vince Horan Qualifying with a field of 218.

The winner and score of the day went to James Jennings with a score of 39 points.
Full Results

Saturday 14th June – Single Medley and 2 Ball Aggregate with a field of 191.

The winner and score of the day went to Nigel McCook with a score of 39 on the Countback.
Full Results

Wednesday 18th June – Single Stableford and 2 ball aggregate with a field of 213.

The winner and score of the day went to Shane Mather with 40 points.
Full Results

Saturday 21st June – Medley Par and Hudson Shield Qualifying round 2 with a field of 215.

The winner and score of the day went to Jane Hagan with a score of +4 on the countback.
Full Results

 

 Rob Cordaiy | Captain

Pennants

The Pennants season is well underway with three teams currently competing in the Northern Districts Pennants Association competition. 

Bronze Plaque - On 20 June the Bronze Plaque team played against Wakehurst at Bayview with a narrow loss of 3 and 2. On 27 June the team will play their last game at Warringah against Elanora.  The team will be: Sam Sparke, Jie Cheng, Lyndall Bacon, Tracey Martin, Dani Seisun and Jan Daniel as reserve  Good luck girls! 

Bronze II - On 20 June we hosted Bronze II and it was a beautiful day at Long Reef. Thank you to those who helped on the day. The last game of the Bronze II season will be on 27 June at Muirfield against North Ryde. The team will be: Val Wilson, Rowena Robinson, Karen Scott, Fiona Woolley, Sue Gaunt and Deb Trim as reserve.  Good luck girls! 

Bronze IV - The Bronze IV team of Heidi Lillyman, Sheila Dickson, May Yeng, Julie Vargeson and Val Hindmarsh competed against Wakehurst at Roseville. The team won 3.5 to 1.5.  The Bronze IV team will play their next match at Asquith against Elanora. The team will be Sheila Dickson, Julie Vargeson, Val Hindmarsh Libby Cleary and Virginia Murphy with May Yeng as reserve. Great to see so many new golfers playing and enjoying pennants.  Good luck girls next week! 

Presidents Trophy

The final of the Presidents Trophy was played on Thursday 19 June 2025 between Marianne Rudd and our President Michelle Milsted.  It was a great game which see sawed back and forth until Marianne holed a putt from off the green on 15 for a par to go 2 up.  Michelle showed her true fighting spirit with a win on the 16th.  Marianne held her nerve to halve the 17th and then win 18 to finally win the match 2 up.  Well done to both ladies for playing such exciting golf.

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Captains Trophy

On 17 July the qualifying round for the Captains Trophy will be held.  The event is a 4BBB event with 8 teams qualifying for match play. The match play rounds will be played on Thursday 24 July, Tuesday 29 July and the final on Thursday 31 July 2025. 

Saturday medley competition – on 21 June the Saturday competition was won by Jane Hagan with +4 on a count back from Nat Driver.  Jane was also the winner of C Grade and Natalie Driver A Grade.  Well done ladies!


Up Coming Fixtures:

  • 26 June – McNicol Trophy Mixed Division Par round and 1st Eclectic closes
  • 3 July – Super Vets round 2 stableford
  • 5 July – Weekend Golf NSW medal round
  • 6 July – Women’s Weekend Foursomes all 6 and 7 day players eligible to play
  • 10 July – Weekday Golf NSW medal round and the start of the 2nd Eclectic
  • 18 July – Captain’s Trophy 4BBB event qualifying round

Sue Kruse PSM | Women's Captain

Reciprocal Club Update

We’re pleased to announce two new reciprocal club arrangements now available to Long Reef Golf Club Members in addition to last week's announcment of Tura Beach.

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Mollymook Golf Club 

Located on the beautiful NSW South Coast, Mollymook Golf Club offers two exceptional courses – the scenic Hilltop Championship Course set amongst native bushland, and the relaxed Beachside Course overlooking the ocean. 

Please note the reciprocal agreement for Mollymook is effective from 1st July 2025 

Learn more: https://www.mollymookgolf.com.au

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Coolangata Tweed Golf Club 

Nestled on the NSW–QLD border, Coolangatta Tweed features two highly regarded 18-hole courses surrounded by waterways and natural bush. A popular destination for both social and competitive golf. 

Learn more: 

https://www.cooltweedgolf.com.au/cms/

To view the full list of our reciprocal arrangements, visit: https://longreefgolfclub.com.au/reciprocal-clubs/

 If you require a letter of introduction prior to visiting any of our reciprocal clubs, please contact reception@lrgc.com.au

As of the 24th June, the Course has received 778.6mm of rain so far this year, compared to 941.6mm at the same time last year. That’s a 163mm less rainfall this year compared to last year. In the last fortnight 14.6mm has fallen on the Course.

After an extended period of wet weather, we’re finally seeing a better weather pattern. The Course has started to dry out, allowing us to resume our regular winter maintenance schedule. Our team are focusing on getting all playing surfaces back to their best.

You may have noticed recent work between the 10th and 11th holes in the swale drain. This has been shelled out to address drainage issues on the 10th fairway. Over time, the swale drain had sealed over with silt and was covering the lateral lines that feed from the fairway. This blockage was causing water to seep slowly through the soil profile down the fairway, leading to wet and inconsistent turf conditions.

The Canary Island Date Palm located in the car park had unfortunately been in gradual decline over recent years. In an arboricultural assessment in April, the tree was identified as dead, so it was removed this weekend to ensure the fronds didn't cause damaging to cars or people. The whole left in the bitumen will be repaired in the next week.

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I am delighted to share some news that our resident swans at Long Reef have recently welcomed new cygnets (baby swans). These beautiful additions have been spotted paddling alongside their proud parents, bringing a wonderful sense of life to the Course. We kindly remind everyone to admire the swans from a distance and avoid disturbing their space, especially during these early stages as the young ones grow and develop.  

Kurt Schulenburg | Course Superintendent

Members BBQ – Thank You for Supporting Michael Infanti

We’ve been overwhelmed by the love and generosity shown by our Members in support of Michael Infanti, our much loved Head Teaching Professional, as he begins his fight against Stage 4 stomach cancer.

Michael wants you to know he is incredibly touched and blown away by the outpouring of support from his Long Reef family.

To thank you all for standing behind him and his wife Chiara during this difficult time, we’re hosting a Members BBQ on Saturday 5th July from 7am on the Golf Shop terrace. Come down and enjoy a sausage on a roll on us — a small token of appreciation for the big impact of your support.

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Our Biggest Sale Yet - EOFY!

Only 5 days left!

Enjoy a massive 20% off the Members price on all apparel in store! 

Now's the perfect time to stock up and refresh your winter wardrobe with our latest range from Abacus, FJ, Rohnisch, Travis Mathew, Peter Millar, Ping and more!

Hurry, sale ends Monday 30 June at 5pm sharp!

Don't miss out!

Jenny Schulenburg | Director of Golf

Question: Jerry was playing in a stroke round at Long Reef. He had reached the 13th tee.

His tee shot hit a tree, flew backwards over his head and ended against the fence in very deep rough. He looked despairingly at his situation and considered his options.

  1. He could drop close to the fence for penalty of one stroke and drop his ball laterally away from the fence.
  2. He thought about stroke and distance penalty but that would be closer to the hole than where he had played his original stroke.
  3.  He discussed the situation with his fellow players and decided he would play again from the tee area, teeing his ball.
  4. He must play again from the blue tees.

It is with great sadness that I inform the membership of the passing of Margaret Mullins aged 89. Margaret’s passing was very sudden as she had only just renewed her membership as a playing member.

Margaret had been a member of the Club for over 32 years and she will be fondly remembered and missed by her many friends.

Her husband John was one of the most influential members of the Club. I took his position on the Board after his passing and I am a very proud recipient of the John Mullins OAM award.

Last year Margaret and I were both rehabbing at Arcadia. I was lucky to be able to spend many days having a chat and catch up with Margaret. She was a hoot.

To her daughter Gretel and son-in-law Peter, who are both Members of the Club and the rest of the family, we extend our deepest sympathy and thoughts during this difficult time.

Stephen Twigg | Welfare Coordinator

New Wine Available - The Hidden Sea Chardonnay

 Limestone Coast, South Australia 


The Wine that Saves The Sea

The Hidden Sea is a premium wine brand with a clear promise: 

for every 1 wine bottle sold, the equivalent in weight of 10 plastic bottles is removed and recycled from the ocean.


The Hidden Sea Chardonnay combines the taste of stonefruit and citrus with a creamy texture and oak influence, overlaid with subtle hints of white peach, nectarine and light spices.


Available by the glass or by the bottle.


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Long Reef  V Goulburn Annual Visit 
Sunday 27th July at Long Reef
Open to all categories of male playing members
(including retention plus)

We are expecting around 20 golfers and need to match however many players attend.

For any interested players the sheet will be on the notice board at the end of June.

The format is a 2 ball best ball, with breakfast before a shotgun start, then dinner and presentation following the event.

Single players will be found a partner.

Goulburn is a Reciprocal Club and we have been playing this event since 1952, the longest inter club competition in Australia.

Any questions or queries contact: 
Greg Dousset 0417 752 696 


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Margaret Mullins

Margaret joined the club in late 1992 alongside her husband John. For the past two years or so she was unable to play as she recovered from a bad fall in Melbourne and then a knee operation. This week Margaret was ready to play again and just a few days before she died she had paid her fees as a five-day member for next year.

We will so miss her sense of humour, her kindness and her grace.

Two years after John joined he was elected to the Board and Margaret soon found herself as the patient supporter of the Club’s Vice-President for four years and then Club President for a further four years after that. Until John died in 2015 the club’s office became John’s second home. John was awarded Life Membership in 2004 to acknowledge all that was achieved under his leadership and beyond. To remind us of his tireless volunteering, the Club created the John Mullins Achievement Award named after him in 2016. Margaret was at the 2016 AGM to present it.               

While John attended meetings, Margaret got on with the task of becoming a good and steady C-Grade and Bronze golfer – with her long ground strokes and competitive spirit. She was an happy, enthusiastic and supportive club member in every way!! She was soon in the winner’s circle as the 2007-8 photos show. 

Margaret dressed with style and flair, but loved nothing more than dressing up and down with her dear friends for the special days. There are photos of the Christmas Dress-up Fun days, the Concerts and the Orange week of golf. She was a driving force at the Orange week of golf motel parade! The photo of both John and Margaret being very hippy at one of the club’s social events takes some beating! They also played in the mixed golf events of course.

Marg was in her late 80s but so much younger in spirit. We hope she knew how popular she was. We will miss her and we pass on our best wishes to all her family.

Sandra Mellowes | Archives Committee

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Answer: Jerry decided that stroke and distance penalty was allowable so he took his ball back to the tee and played a magnificent shot which ended about 20 cm from the hole.

Jerry worked out that he had now had 3 strokes with his one strokke penalty for stroke and distance, so he putted the ball for a 4

Rule 18.1. applies. Jerry was required to play his ball from exactly where he had played his first stroke being allowed to tee his ball anywhere within the teeing area defined by the blue markers in this situation.

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