Club newsletter for February 2019

Greetings club members and concession card holders

It’s been a scorcher of a summer and many of you have taken advantage to get out to play golf more often, with the number of rounds on our course topping 3100 so far this year, which is a 34% increase on the same period last year. This is a fantastic result when you consider that the number of rounds played nationally has risen just 4.5% and in the Tasman district 2.3%. The extra revenue this has generated will benefit both the club and the Nelson City Council and demonstrates our course is a valuable asset worth investing in.

While the weather and the relative lack of wind in the Maitai Valley has played a major part in the increased patronage, the efforts of the club and the council to better promote the course, the improvements made by our new greenkeeper and the friendly service provided by our golf shop staff have also played their part.

However, we have had our challenges, with the worsening drought and extreme fire risk making it difficult to keep the course open and playable. Our manager Gordon Davidson, the greenkeeper and club officials have been working overtime in the last few weeks to convince council and Nelmac staff that our greens must continue to be irrigated if long term and costly damage is to be avoided which would undo all the good work that has been done recently. Their lobbying has paid off with the council agreeing to resume normal watering for now.

Fire risk

To minimise the fire risk, smoking and petrol-fuelled carts have been banned on the course. Please observe these temporary measures.

Total Golf Maitai Masters

The drought has meant we have had reschedule the Maitai Masters, our biggest annual fundraiser, from February 23 to April 6. By then we hope some decent rain has fallen to green up the course in time for the tournament. It also gives the greenkeeper more time to get it in top condition. With more than $6000 in prizes, including a weekend away for two, this is a tournament well worth supporting. Grab an entry form from Gordon or the golf shop or by ringing 5487771/5487301 or emailing waahitaakaro@xtra.co.nz or waahitaakaroproshop@golf.co.nz.

Inter-club results

Our Old Hickory team teed off the season with a creditable second place at Tasman earlier this month, while our Sloan Trophy blokes got done by Golden Downs at Murchison. The second round of both competitions is looming so if you want to be considered for selection you must put your name down on the sheets pinned on the clubroom noticeboard.

We host the next round of the Old Hickory at Waahi Taakaro on Thursday March 7, which means the Golden Oldies competition for that week moves to Wednesday March 6.

Opening day of the winter season

This has been moved forward a week to Saturday, March 30 to accommodate the Maitai Masters. It will again feature a fun team format and a BBQ and we hope you invite family, friends and visitors along to take part.

Club programme

This will be out soon and you will be able to pick up a copy at the golf shop or the clubrooms. The Golden Oldies programme will be similar to last year, while the men’s programme will include some changes, including a new competition and a revamped Shootout.

Golf Committee stuff

This has met three times since January to organise the Maitai Masters and review how we run the game. It has made a series of recommendations which are awaiting approval by the Management Committee. These include:

Keeping No 9/18 holes as they currently are
Doing away with the internal out-of-bounds on No 18
Changing the left hand side of fairway No 9/18 from the tee blocks to the river from out-of-bounds to a water hazard
Allowing placing of one club length until drought conditions ease
Re-rating the order of stroke holes on the course
Putting sandboxes on some tees

Some changes have already been made, such as using meat packs and vouchers for competition prizes and raffles and revamping inter-club selection guidelines. We will let you know when others get the go-ahead.

We want your feedback

Your views are important to us and we want to hear them. Suggestion boxes are to be put in the clubrooms and the golf shop so please use them and don’t forget to include your name and contact details. Also, don’t be shy in approaching management committee and golf committee members if you have something to say or suggest. We also have an excellent website (www.waahitaakarogolfclub.co.nz) and lively Facebook page where you can read about what’s been happening and leave comments. Use them.

Volunteers required for duty rosters

Clubs don’t run themselves. At present most of the work is being done by a just a few people. We need help running raffles, doing draws and results, helping out in the bar and kitchen and the occasional working bee. Please put your name down when a roster sheet is passed around. The more people on it, the less often you will be asked to help.  

Weekly Saturday start sheets

Get your name down for the next week when these come round. It helps the starter do the draw quicker.

Help youngsters into golf

We have again agreed to host a junior team golf day on Sunday March 10 from 10.30am.  This is designed to inspire young beginners to take up the game. We require volunteers to accompany and help coach them around 6 holes. It proved a big success when we held the first one late last year and we got great feedback from the kids and their parents. These could be out future club members so please help out.

 New rules of golf

Who thinks they know what they are? Not enough of you by all accounts. As a starter watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chPOtfLUHC0.

Also, our district referees are putting on a series of easy-to-understand seminars for your average club player highlighting the changes, starting with one this Sunday, February 24 at Nelson Golf Club from 9.30am. This will be repeated on Sunday, March 3 at Motueka Golf club from 9.30am and Monday February 25/March 4 at Greenacres Golf Club from 7pm.

Also, be aware that our club is still playing the existing rule if a player thinks his ball may be lost or out-of-bounds: Play a provisional ball and take a two-shot penalty of you can’t find it or it is OB. There is another option under the new rules but clubs have to adopt a local rule to bring it into force and we have decided not to at this stage.

Club subs

These invoices will go out soon and are due by April 30 and must be paid by then now that the Nelson City Council requires up front the course access levy they charge every member. A list of prices is on the board outside the clubroom’s front door. Remember they are good value and cheap compared to many other clubs.

Sponsors

Thank to sponsors who make it much easier to exist, particularly Total Golf, NBS, C&F Legal, The Marketing Studio and Cap-it-All Promotions. Gordy is working on several new ones and also putting in funding applications to help pay our wage bill. We expect some announcements soon.

Happy golfing to you all.

ends