News Archive

Member Update – 15 September 2022

Members

A recent incident on the course

We have had a recent instance in the club where the Rules of Golf were infringed and were reported as such.  A Disciplinary Sub-committee was formed to consider the allegations, the responses and any mitigations.  Taking account of all the information provided, the committee arrived at an outcome which was a disqualification, a formal warning and a sanction.

The committee would not normally provide any direct correspondence to members on a matter such as this but, on this occasion, I thought it important for our members to be aware of a few things, as follow:

1. Players who bring forward concerns to the Committee regarding behaviour on the course, should be commended for doing what they believe is right.  
2. The information provided by those involved is not considered as right or wrong but will be examined in the context of the Club’s Code of Conduct with any mitigating factors taken into account. 
3. Spike Bar chatter around allegations is not helpful, often lacking factual context, often biased and ultimately having a negative effect on those involved.  This is not the way each of us would like to be treated at Gungahlin Lakes, if the situation involved us.
4. We all make mistakes, go through a personal or more open process and then should be able to move on.  The folks involved in this matter have made a call, been heard and held to account within the Rules of Golf and our club Code of Conduct. 
5. The committee totally supports the right to call out instances of poor golfing behaviour and commends any individual for doing so, as it does the right to a fair process following any notification.

We are in no doubt that matters such as this take a significant toll on all of those involved and this has been the case, in this instance.  Your Golf Committee considers the matter concluded and hopes that all of those involved can see the matter as finalised and return to playing great golf, as we approach the Opens and our Club Championships

Summary from the Golf Club Committee meeting – 8 September 2022

From the President….

• Front Entrance – Ainslie continues to work with Spacelab to get the necessary design drawings and a Provisional Order of Costs undertaken for the project. Work is ongoing. They are supportive of the work proposed.
• The membership letter and associated documents have gone to members via email and been posted to the website. Subs are due by 30 September.
• Water Management Plan – Richard is yet to finish the work required. Work to continue on this document.
• Jolly Joker monies – We have been discussing with Ainslie where to next on the issue of money for junior development (outside that provided to Murray). Ainslie have agreed a grant will be made to the Committee for use in further promoting the development of our junior golfers which may include some support for junior tournament play. Those involved in Junior development will consider the best use of these funds.
• Waterland Irrigation has agreed to once again sponsor the Club Championships to the value of $1500. Our thanks to Waterland for their continued sponsorship.
• Members number as at 1 September stands at 738.

From the Treasurer…

• Current available funds = $93,900

The Captains…

• Kevin was not in attendance.
• Fiona provided an update on discussions re the refresh of the Spike Bar. There has been good feedback re the morning coffee station – but we will need to utilise this facility if it is to become permanent. It was again noted that we need an EFT option – discussions are continuing with the Ainslie Ops Manager. The Pie warmer is now operating in the Spike Bar.
• GLGC Women’s Open Thursday 22 September – to date we have received 70 entries for the Women’s Open. The exciting entry is a player from The Australian with a handicap of +6.5. She will be teeing off the 1st tee, if anyone is keen to watch. The longest drive is on the 18th, so you may be able to catch her talent at either end. The event will be a shotgun start at 8:30am. We are currently looking for volunteers to ball spot and to assist with close out. If you are able to assist, please let me (Fiona) know. Ken Wark has volunteered to be the rules official on the day. If you volunteer on the day, we will be able to provide you with lunch as a thank you.

 The Greens …

• GLGC Club Championships are to be held on 8-9 and 15-16 October.
• Match Committee is to advise Greens staff of course setup for both events. GUR is to be marked by committee members
• Side of 9 is a problem (always flooded) – this has been roped off
• Renovation of greens is programmed to start on the 17th October. We will need the assistance of volunteers to do this task.
• Pro Shop has put small notes in the carts to advise users not to drive on fairways – this is also a positive outcome after some guidance from Kevin.
• The bunker renovation program is almost complete – it has been a success – they are all draining much quicker. Due to the amount of rain, we are having, the bunker faces will often expose rivulets.
• Fairways are beginning to grow and the rough is definitely “jumping. We will all need to be mindful of this as we play over the coming months.
• Greens have recently had gypsum applied to them – this helps improves water penetration and helps to displace sodium in the soil
• Safety screens on 7 and 11 are in this week. The White tee screen on 14 is also being moved to allow for a larger tee box which will allow for red tee to be used over there more often as well. More work is to be done on the 14^th.
• We are aware of tree stumps around the course. These have been left at approximately 2-3 feet high to eliminate trip hazards. The intention is to “bulk buy” when more trees have been felled.
• There has been positive conversations about the work done on the hedge at the Spike Bar. Although horrible at the moment, it is intended to be allowed to grow to form a hedge – thus providing a natural, physical barrier so that patrons and carts do not end up in the pond. The view will not be impeded as the hedge will be 3 foot tall.
• The entrance garden is also being revamped. Further removal of grasses will be undertaken and new plantings introduced – stay tuned.

 WHS…

 The issue of the female toilets in the halfway house not been operational in a recent weekend was discussed. This is not an acceptable situation and will be discussed with Shane.

 Other matters…

The committee considered a number of suggestions:

• Pennant Shirts – Leo presented a short paper on some design options for next year’s Pennant Shirts. Leo will look at some further options and send these out to the Committee for further consideration.
• Monthly Medal Presentation – Fiona offered a short paper suggesting some additional things to be taken into Account at the Monthly medal presentations.

Honour Board events

This weekend (17 and 18 September) sees the playing of the Gungahlin Lakes Men’s Open with the Women’s Open to follow next Thursday (22 September).  Both events have good fields and both have some very low markers playing.  The course is in excellent condition taking account of the amount of rain and we have had which we have Shane’s team, Dad’s Army and some of the Territory Horticulture team to thank for this.  Whether you are playing or not, there will be great golf on display and so I encourage you to get out and watch some of the elite players tackle our course.

Our club Championships are also fast approaching commencing on Saturday 8 October and running for two weekends.  This is our premier Honour Board event and I encourage you all you participate.  Remember to play in the Championships you need to have paid your subs and be a financial member of the AFSC.      

For your information and good golfing.

Richard Oliver/President

2022 Club Champs

The 2022 Gungahlin Lakes Golf Club Championships, proudly sponsored by Waterland Irrigation, will be held on the weekends of 8/9 and 15/16 October.

Timesheets will open on Tuesday 27 September 2022 at 7:00pm. All four rounds will be played from the first tee to give our greens staff maximum opportunity to present the course to the standard expected of our Championships.

Whilst there will also be individual events on the Championships weekends, priority will be given to members entering the 4-day Championship event. From 27 September to 6 October bookings will only be accepted for players choosing to play in the full 4-day event.

Your booking time will be the same for all four rounds, unless you are in a seeded group (gross in each division) in the 4^th round. Some adjustments will be made to the time sheets after the 3^rd round to accommodate the seeded groups.

Members can book and pay online via the usual booking sheets. The cost to enter this year’s event is $60. Payment must be made by credit card at the time of online booking.

Please note, if you are booking a group it is your responsibility to ensure the timeslot suits all people in your group for all four rounds. You will need to pay in full for each person in your group. Bookings and payment will also be accepted through the Proshop.

Once player numbers and tee times for the 1^st round have been finalised the Match Committee will create bookings for remaining rounds using the same tee time as round one. Any requests to change tee times for extenuating circumstances will be subject to availability of tee times and will be at the discretion of the match committee.

Timesheets will be opened to members wishing to book for individual day competitions 2 days prior to the day of play. Competition fees for individual day events will be $15, with payment to be made online at the time of booking or at the pro shop.

Handicap ranges for the event will be determined once entries are closed and may not align with ordinary grade divisions. This is done to equalise each grade, to the best extent possible, and provide an equal playing field for the nett events.

It is a requirement that members have paid their 2022-23 membership fees to play in the Club Championships. Consistent with recent advice, membership fees are payable by 30 September 2022. Please note that it may take up to 3 business days for your fees to be registered, so do not leave it until the last few days as you may find yourself ineligible to play in this year’s Championships.

In order to be eligible for the Club Championships members must also have played 5 individual rounds of golf in the last 6 months. Members may apply for a waiver of this requirement where extenuating circumstances apply. We strongly recommend you read the Tournament Rules prior to entering the event. The tournament rules are here.

Pace of Play

Members,

With the upcoming Opens and Club Champs, I thought it would be a timely reminder to give instruction on things to assist with Pace of Play.

At GLGC we do not go off the time that it took to complete a round, but rather where you finish in relation to the group in front. As The Men’s Open and Club Champs will be a one tee start it is imperative that the field flows and pays respect to the groups behind.

Please ensure you do the following:

Walk at a descent pace between shots (please don’t dawdle up the fairway)

Take your pre-shot routine while others are hitting (there are others to watch the ball) and keep it to a minimum

If it is safe to Hit, hit when you are ready (ready golf)

If unsure of where your ball is hit a provisional (unless you suspect it is in a penalty area)

Fill out the MiScore at the next tee, not the green.

If you lose a ball, the time limit is 3mins to look for it. There is a handy timer on the MiScore app if you choose to use it.

If you find your group has fallen behind, take steps to catch up.

Whist two players finish putting the others can go to the next tee and tee off (not just wait for the others)

Putt out when you are close to the hole (if not on anyone’s line)

All players dislike having to wait, so if we can keep the field flowing it benefits all

Good Golfing

Capt Kev

2022-23 Renewal Forms

Members please find links below to the President’s Renewal Letter and relevant forms for the 2022/23 Subscription Renewals

You will be receiving these by email, but can always access them from here.

Please note:

• You should confirm any Playing Rights restrictions for the Category you choose
• You should note that to maintain your Playing Rights, Fees need to be paid by 30 September 2022

Letter to members 2022-23 memberbership fees

Members-Application-Form-generic2022-23

Credit Card Payment 2022-2023

Direct-Debit-Request-form-2022-23

Splash September 2022

SPLASH-Sept 2022