The recent bad weather has resulted in course closures and competition cancellations but the forecast for the next few weeks is looking good. Our golf programme is getting into gear with a wide range of weekend and midweek competitions to suit all levels- so make sure you take advantage and get out and play golf!
As we start the season in earnest, can I briefly draw your attention to some issues. Firstly, our Dress Code which must be observed both on the course and in the Clubhouse. Neat dress is essential at all times and track suits, football shirts and shorts are not permitted. A full copy of the Dress Code is available on our website. 
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The second issue concerns Slow Play. The Club’s policy here is set out in our ‘Pace of Play- the Courtown Way’ on our website. We operate a ‘ready golf policy’ which means thinking ahead – hit when you are ready and it is safe to do so (there is no ‘honour’ on the tee or on the Green), keep up with the group ahead, maximum 3 minutes searching for balls. We should all aim to complete a round in 4 hours for a fourball and 3 and a half hours for a three ball. Our Rangers will shortly be on the course to help ensure a good pace of play on competition days and we would ask all members and their guests to cooperate with them. 

Practice Area            
 Our new practice area (which we are calling Courtown Golf Club Academy) is almost ready for opening as you can see from the photographs. This is a great achievement given the problems presented by the weather since the project commenced. A big thanks to all the volunteers for their work and effort in getting it over the line and in the process saving the club a substantial amount of money. 

Bookies Prize 
This will take place on Saturday 18th May and will feature generous prizes funded by the ‘book’ from last year’s men’s Captains Prize. A big thank you to the organisers and collectors Noel McCartan, Colin Sunderland and Kieran Murphy. As well as funding prizes, the Bookies have contributed €4,500 towards various Club projects over the years including the Bungalow, the Academy practice area and the new trolley shed for which the Management Committee is grateful.      

Other news in brief…………..
• Inter- Club Teams: The competitive golf season is up and running for Ladies, Gents and Mixed teams. Please come along and support our teams. 
• Club Match draws have taken place and are posted on notice boards and on the Clubnet App. 
• Our membership drive, Journey to 100, is in full swing and we have more than 40 new or returning members for 2024. If you know of any friends who might be interested in playing this great game get them to contact us!

​Yours in golf,

Donal O’Keeffe
Hon. Secretary

​  We have now commenced our 2024 Golfing year and look forward to a successful and fruitful year of golf. To all new or returning members we extend a special welcome - our Captains Mairead and Gerry will be in touch shortly to make sure you have playing partners and can submit the cards needed to get your handicap. We’ll have a get together for new members in April- so keep an eye out for that. 
This year promises to be one to remember here in Courtown Golf Club as it’s the first time in a while we’ll be operating at full capacity- we’ll have a course in top condition, excellent practice facilities indoor or out, a quality catering service from The View restaurant and the excellent service provided by our Professionals- Paul and James. We’ll have a full and varied range of competitions to tempt you with throughout the year. So, make sure you get full value from your membership by playing, practising and participating! 
We welcome in our newly elected Committees, who will work on your behalf, and wish them all the best for their coming terms of office. 

 Practice Area
Work to install bays with a covered canopy is underway and it is expected that the new practice facilities will be opened shortly – we’re hoping weather conditions in the coming weeks are favourable to allow us to complete the final few necessary jobs. 

 Course 
The course has stood up well to all the adverse weather over the last few months. Drainage and sanding programmes over recent years are paying dividends. Big thanks to the Greens staff and volunteers for all their help. The machinery replacement programme is continuing, and the Club has recently purchased some new equipment - a roughs mower and a chipper which will be a big help to the Course staff. 
Our Course staff have major concerns regarding the condition that our members are leaving the greens in. The amount of unrepaired pitch marks is getting out of hand and the greens are suffering as a result.  Please ensure you repair any pitch marks you see on the greens. We do not have many visitors at the moment, so this problem is being caused by the members!

 Membership
The recruitment drive ‘Journey to 100’ has resulted in 31 new applications to date, and promotion of the club on social media will continue.  Members are encouraged to highlight the facilities and benefits of our Club to any potential members. 

 Trackman Studio
The studio is hosting its first tournament in 2024 and participants have played on some of the most demanding courses in the World! You can arrange a visit (for practice or fun) through the Pro Shop- rain never stops the Trackman!!

Teams /Managers /Selection.
Following a series of meetings, we are happy to report good progress in preparing our various teams for the Golf Ireland series of inter-club competitions which are due to start soon. Thanks to all who have stepped up as team managers and to all who have put their names forward to ‘wear the Courtown jersey’!! Supporting all our teams is an expensive business, so we will be running some fundraising events in the coming weeks. Keep an eye out for these.
 
Captains Drive-In 
This will take place on Saturday 16th March when our Captains for 2024 - Mairead Carty and Gerry McGrath and Junior Captains Caoimhe Geraghty and Callum McNulty - will try to drive the first green to kick off their year in office! This will be followed by a shotgun start mixed scramble after which we’ll adjourn to the Clubhouse and hopefully cheer on our boys in green to another 6 Nations Championship. Hope to see you all there. 
 
Visiting Societies
Following a discussion at the 2023 AGM, the Management Committee have looked at the question of access to the Saturday morning timesheets for some visiting societies. This is an important income stream for the Club and the MC have sought to reduce the impact on members through a number of measures. Societies with Saturday morning bookings will be asked to push back their starting times, if possible. For future years the earliest time we’ll offer will be later than the current starting time of 10 am. In addition, we are looking at ways of ensuring that visiting societies can maintain a suitable pace of play through better starting procedures, playing in 3 ball groups, monitoring of pace by Rangers and improved signage on the course.