News Archive

We are getting there……more course time and some additional measures – Update 14 April 20

All Members 

Firstly, thank you for the understanding response to our requests for people to limit their competition games to help those working to get their games in on the weekends.  With the two people tee-offs we are only able to accommodate around 90 players per competition which means some players are not getting their preferred slots and days.  We appreciate your understanding of the situation and we are working with Ainslie and Murray to bring the course back to full operation, as soon as possible. 

As a committee we are trying our hardest to ensure all members have a fair and equitable access to our course and competitions. After discussion with Ainslie, the Committee and Murray we will be opening a competition on Fridays to try to alleviate some of the access issues. We have also decreased the tee time intervals to 6 minutes and added additional early morning tee times (while daylight hours allow).

 The Committee has also decided that until circumstances return to some sort of normalcy the following restrictions will apply: 

• Members are to limit themselves to booking in advance for two (2) competition games per week  This will allow everyone the greatest opportunity to plan and play their golf.
• Members are welcome to book in for additional competitions rounds of golf if there is a vacant spot after 4.00pm on the day prior to the competition.
• All Honour Board events: Monthly Medals, Matchplay etc. events will be suspended.  A further decision on which Honour Board events will be run in 2020 will be taken when physical distancing restrictions are relaxed. For the time being all events are Pro-shop run competitions.
• Timesheets for both Saturday and Sunday events will now be open at the same time – 7 pm on the Saturday of the weekend prior.

With everyone’s current work and lifestyle arrangements being different we ask everyone to be considerate when booking. In particular, if you can play on a weekday, we ask that you consider playing one or both of your two competition rounds on Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday to allow those members still working greater access to the weekend time sheets. 

The Committee will continue to review these arrangements weekly in order to ensure members are not missing out on playing competition golf.  Hopefully any further changes will be relaxing, rather than tightening, these restrictions.

Once again, we thank you for the part you will play in ensuring that our full membership body will have the best access to the course and competitions we are able to provide. 

Our next Update will be provided next Monday or earlier, if there is something of significance to report.

Richard Oliver/President   

Summary from the Golf Club Committee meeting held on 9 April…..

The following items were discussed and outcomes recorded for the Golf Club Committee meeting on 9 April: 

Reports – Reports from the relevant members were taken as read and issues discussed as appropriate.

Ainslie Group and the Golf Club – Richard has been in regular contact with CEO Ainslie over the past couple of weeks regarding the operation of the Golf Club.  The key outcomes from these meeting have been provided to members in the Updates posted to the Website and Facebook.  The next Update will be provided early in the week commencing 13 April.

Capital budget – We are yet to catch up with Ainslie to get better definition around planned Capital expenditure in 2020.  As members would expect, with the ceased operation of the licenced club, funding for Capital Projects is likely to be significantly affected.  The AFSC will need to redirect funding to its staff and essential operations.  I will further update members on this when more is known.

Sponsorship – The Golf Club wrote to local business in the Gungahlin areas advising of the availability of sponsorship opportunities. Follow-up with the targeted businesses will occur when businesses have re-opened for trading.

Dad’s Army – Work has been suspended until further notice in line with the COVID 19 restrictions. 

Greens – The repairs to the course continue and with the recent good rain falls, it is rapidly coming back to its former glory.  We estimate the repair is at around 70% and we are hoping with around 3-4 weeks remaining before the frosts begin that the good grass growth will continue and we will have a good cover before Winter begins.  To help care for the course while it repairs Preferred Lies will continue, until you are informed otherwise.

The Club’s Website – One of the priorities for the club in 2020 is the re-design of our Website with the intent of making it easier to use, more intuitive and for us to be able to locate information/content much more easily.  We have agreed a funding package for this work and will now seek quotes for the work to be done.  This will not affect to operation of the current site as the new work will be done outside the current Web environment.

MiScore App – The Committee noted the trial being run by Murray and will talk with Murray about how he finds the product and how well it dovetails with the way we currently operate.

Honour Board updates – we have Ainslie’s permission to enter the AFSC premises to update the Shields and Club Executive boards. Our contractor will do this in the next two weeks.

Golf Manager – With the re-opening of the Course, the Golf Manager will return to being in the office two days each week.  These are currently Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Richard Oliver/President  

Delay to timesheet opening and competition restrictions

Hi members

You are no doubt aware that implementing physical distancing requirements has reduced the number of competition time slots available. The Committee, Murray and Ainslie Group are currently exploring options to increase the availability of competition spots on both weekdays and weekends. Despite this, it is apparent that we will need to introduce some form of booking restrictions to ensure all members have the opportunity to play in one of our competitions.

We have delayed the opening of next weekends time sheets until 7pm Wednesday to provide additional time to work through these issues and get the best outcome for all members. We will provide further advice shortly.

Thank you for your continued understanding as we work through the evolving challenges of playing golf at this time.

Update for members – course to reopen on selected days…..

All members

In consultation the Ainslie CEO it has been agreed that the course will open for competition and social play on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and the weekend days commencing tomorrow 7 April.  All competitions will be run by the Pro-shop team. 

In the approaching Easter period, the course will be open for an additional day (Monday 12 April) on which the Pro-shop team will run a competition. This will not be an Invitational event.  The course will not be open on Good Friday (10 April). Time sheets will be available for members from this afternoon to use in booking in for their games. Pro-shop staff will be able to accept social bookings made via the phone on the days that the course is open.

Play on other days of the week will be considered as part of the regular review process and advice regarding this possibility, will be available early in the week commencing 12 April. Please check the Website and Facebook pages for further updates.

All players must comply strictly comply with the following health measures:

Social distancing

• Groups will comprise two players only.
• Players are to keep four meters between themselves and their playing partner at all times. Failure to adhere to the distancing guidelines may see individuals and the Ainslie Group fined and may cause the closure of the course.  We know Police are carrying out spot checks.

Scorecards

• Players must enter their own hole scores on the scorecard.
• Enter your Marker’s score on your card e.g. your scorecard should have both sets of scores recorded.  
• It is not necessary to have a marker physically certify the player’s hole scores. Some form of verbal certification should take place.
• Write your Marker’s name where your Marker would normally sign.
• Scorecards are to be entered into the kiosk as usual.  Please use a pencil or tee when ‘tapping’ the screen.  Doing this will alleviate the need to touch the screen with any part of one’s person. Once the scores have been entered place your cards into the box, as you would normally do.

Flagstick 

• Players MUST leave the flagstick in the hole at all times when putting. Players should not need to touch any flagsticks while playing.

The Hole

• A device will be in each hole to ensure that players can lift their ball easily out of the hole without touching the sides of the cup.  A ball at rest in the hole will be considered to be holed even if it is not entirely below the level of the hole.
• Do not pick-up another person’s golf ball.

Bunkers 

• Rakes have been removed from all Bunkers.  Players are requested to smooth bunkers using their feet or a club after their shot.
• Should your ball come to rest in an area that has not been ‘smoothed’ adequately, players my place their ball within a card length of the affected lie.  Good practice would be to consult your playing partner if you deem it necessary ‘place’ your ball.    

Sand Buckets

• Sand buckets should continue to be used to fill divots. We would like members to take home a sand buck and treat it as theirs until these measures are no longer required. If you already have a sand bucket at home, then bring this to golf and use it and of course take it home with you.  We are keen for this possible transmission method to be eliminated, as much as it can be.  The club will purchase new buckets to supplement our existing supply to ensure we have sufficient buckets to enable this measure.  

Carts 

• Due to the risk of transmission, only single-player use of golf carts will be permitted.   

Putting

• Players should putt one at a time. This measure will keep players from standing in close proximity with others, thereby further reducing the possibility of transmission.

Pro-Shop

• No more than two people are to be in the Pro-shop at any one time.
• Payments are by card only. No cash will be accepted.
• There is to be limited social interaction at the Club prior to, or at the conclusion of your game of golf. Members are to arrive no sooner that 20 minutes before their allocated tee time, play golf, and then depart the Club.
• Golf Carts to be returned to the cart parking area near the practice nets.
• Golf cart keys are to be returned to the Pro-shop and placed in the container provided.
• Pull buggies must be returned to the Pro-shop for cleaning.
• The Driving Range will be open on the days that the Pro-shop is open but social distancing is to apply – four meters between each player practicing is required.
• Range buckets to be left up on the range (staff will collect for cleaning). 

Members in ‘categories of concern’ primarily those over 65 years of age and indigenous members over 50 years are asked to think seriously about whether by playing they would be putting their health at greater risk.  The health of our players is our pre-eminent concern and we ask that you take seriously the health risks of playing when you may be susceptible to transmission.

Good golfing.

Richard Oliver/President

Splash April 2020

Due to current circumstances Splash is a shortened version with a message from the President

SPLASH-Apr 2020 (1)