Newsletter #17

Reflecting on the 4th

Practice Area
DAR golf visited recently to assess the damage caused by heavy rainfall last October.  A particular variety of grass seed has taken while other grass mixes were washed away and, therefore, the hitting platform is dotted with clumps of a strong grass variety.  Following assessment, DAR have now sprayed off a large area of new grass which will be reseeded in the next fortnight.  In addition, such was the deluge that the main drainage pipe has lifted and needs to be replaced.  Other parts of the drainage system are also damaged and require work.
We expect all remedial work to be carried out, by Dar golf, in the coming weeks, which is covered by them under the terms of the original contract.  The opening of the practice area has suffered a set back but, depending on weather conditions, we will strive to be hitting off mats by the end of the summer.  This is not guaranteed.
Finally, there are many deep ruts, now hidden in the grass, where one could easily trip and we ask members to stay off the practice ground to avoid accidents.

Greenkeepers Revenge
The greenkeepers revenge was a great success and enjoyed by all, particularly James Timmins and the team who enjoyed it, maybe a little too much.  The greenkeepers have now fixed the sprinkler system on the 18th which, unfortunately, malfunctioned when the Captains’ and Vice-captains’ were putting out!  €2,500 was raised on the day which will go a long way towards the purchase of mats for the practice area. We may give it a go again next year, maybe after the greens have been hollow tined. Thank you for the many compliments received from our members about this initiative.
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Some tricky obstacles to overcome!

Teams
Well done to all our teams. While a number have been knocked out, we are still supporting our Mens Senior Cup Team managed by Colin Sunderland playing Bunclody in the next round in the 17th June. The 1st round of the Barton Shield is to be played against Wexford on the 10th June. We wish them well.   On the ladies’ side, still in contention are The Minor Cup – managed by Jackie Hamilton through to the 2nd round, the Challenge Cup- managed by Denise Burke through to the 3rd round and Revive Active Ladies Fourball – managed by Nuala Noone through to the 2nd round.
 On the subject of teams our Captains’ wish to host a town hall meeting in the coming weeks for all interested and experienced parties to garner opinion with a view to formulating a medium term (3 to 5 year) strategy to improve Courtown’s performance in inter club competition.  There will be a further communication on this and everybody is welcome to attend.
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Course and Facilities
Our course is in fantastic shape thanks to our hardworking greenkeepers.  Monies spent on the course and monies spent on machinery is paying dividends and committee emphasis continues to be course improvement while paying attention to our clubhouse facilities.
It has been decided to remove the parapets on the three full length windows in the bar area substituting a safety barrier instead.  The reason is three-fold.  It will improve the natural light in the bar, improve the view to the course and improve the view of the clubhouse from the 11th & 18th greens. Thanks again to our volunteers who are carrying out this work.
Many members will be aware that our roof has been leaking during heavy rain.  Some of our skylights were also leaking and these have now been repaired.  Roof repairs will commence in the coming weeks and will take about 3 weeks to complete.  As the existing roof is being stripped, it will necessitate a skip being located near the front door.  The front door area may be out of bounds for a few days.
New course machinery, new golf buggies, course drainage, course sanding, kit out of the practice area, roof repairs, new showers all come at an ever-increasing cost but tight cost controls remain in place and are being monitored.  Utility prices are very high putting further pressure on finances. An energy audit has recently been carried out, with grant assistance, and any cost saving we can garner will be implemented.

Course Rangers
A new initiative has been implemented whereby several volunteers have agreed to carry out course ranger duties, at the weekend.  The club thanks the volunteers for their contribution, it is much appreciated. A course ranger will be on duty on Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. We ask the members to respect our rangers and adhere to their recommendations and requests.  The rangers have the full support and backing of our committees in their efforts to improve pace of play.  We would like some more volunteers and if this is something for you, please let us know by emailing [email protected] or by letting any committee member know. Course rangers are not the panacea for all our slow play difficulties and personal responsibility has a greater part to play.  Courtown Golf Club has adopted a “ready golf” policy which not only applies to the tee box but also the fairway and greens.  Please review our policy on the website by clicking on “more” on the top headings and “policies” and “pace of play “on the drop-down boxes.  You can also access it by clicking on the attach hyperlink https://www.courtowngolfclub.com/pace-of-play.html
 
Social Prepayment
Prior to the Covid pandemic any monies remaining on your card as at the end of November was retained by the club. This practice was paused during Covid as members did not have every opportunity to avail of bar and restaurant facilities.
Please note, this practice will recommence in 2023 and any monies remaining on your social prepayment card, for this and previous years, will be retained by the club by 30 November 2023. This only applies to the original €100 prepayments paid with your annual subs and not to any top ups.
 
Trees
Two mature trees have been “red spotted” indicating that they are to be felled.  They are located to the right of the 4th green and opposite the white tee markers on the 16th.  They are rotting in the centre and constitute a hazard.
 
Visiting Captains
Captain Paul & Captain Eileen hosted the visiting Captains which was attended by the Wexford clubs and also included Coollattin Golf Club, Woodenbridge, Arklow and Blainroe.  We were delighted to receive many compliments about the standard of our course and quality of our bar & catering.  It is a great way to showcase our club in an effort to attract green fees.
 
The View Restaurant
Our caterers are delighted to be part of the Courtown Golf Club team and they would like to thank our members for their support.  The restaurant is open Sunday to Thursday 9 a.m. -8 p.m. and Friday/Saturday 9 a.m.-9p.m.  They will accommodate players who are playing late if they pre order.  Breakfast is now available daily, to midday.  In addition, the restaurant is available for outside catering and private functions.

Fixtures and Opens
There is plenty of opportunity to entertain your family and friends in the club over the coming weeks.  Our 9 and Dine is up and running on Friday evenings.  We also have two open weekends on June 10th/11th and June 24th/25th with something for everyone between 2-person team events, fourballs and singles competitions.   The marquee will be erected for the June bank holiday weekend and The View Restaurant will be providing a barbeque on Saturday afternoons with some background music on the patio. So, bring along your family and friends and enjoy all the golf, bar and catering that Courtown Golf Club has to offer.