May Board Meeting

The May Board meeting saw several operational and governance matters addressed and concluded with the annual Life Members, Past Presidents and Captains dinner. This dinner is a Green Acres tradition of over 50 years standing, and is a way of recognising and thanking these long term members who have served the Club so well.

At the Board meeting, financial accounts for the month were presented and our Financial Controller, Ingrid Morrison, advised that the cash reserves position at the end of April was $5.3m. It was noted that costs, particularly wages and cost of goods, continue to put pressure on results, and prices will need to be reviewed over the coming months. She also explained aspects of the reports from the new NorthStar system. It will allow for greater and more granular insight into Profit & Loss reporting so that for example, individual functions and events will be able to be more easily analysed and assessed, and trend analysis year on year, will be able to be done.

The newly appointed course architects have visited several times, doing course walkarounds and assessing various aspects which will no doubt be part of considerations for their Course Enhancement Plan which is currently in development. It was also noted that many members have made positive comments with regards to the work being done on the garden beds and vegetation areas.

In membership matters, the General Manager reported that we still had 57 members yet to pay subscriptions as of the end of May and the expectation is that, as in previous years, some of those will end up being resignations.

The Board was informed that development of the new website and mobile phone app, is progressing but has been further delayed. The external contractor building the new site, has been asked to do everything they can to limit any further delays. The expectation now is that mid to late July will be the launch date.


The Board also discussed potential changes to the Women’s Sub-Committee structure in an attempt to encourage women members to volunteer for positions on the Sub-Committee. Further discussion is needed and there may be changes in the near future, and I encourage our women members to consider putting their hands up to serve and make a positive contribution in this area.

Board Matters Ratified

Other matters which the Board ratified were:

• Introduction of a newly developed Director’s Induction Manual – this will be used to induct new Directors and Officers, and ensure that roles and responsibilities and clearly understood.
  
  
• A new Women’s membership offer – as a way of encouraging women to “tryout” Green Acres, there will be a limited number of 5 months temporary memberships available starting September this year. The expectation is that many women who take up this offer will enjoy the GA experience, make new friends and decide to continue on as a regular member. There will be more promotions and information on this over the coming months.
  
  
• A Conflict of Interest Policy which is designed as a guide for Directors and Officers of the Club.
  
  
• Ratification of recommendations to enhance our HR and Administration procedures and practices. A key aspect of this will be for the Club to work with an experienced HR consultant on a part time basis, to assist us in these areas.

Captain’s Putter Final

We have reached the epic conclusion of the popular members' event, the Captain’s Putter, with the final being played tomorrow - Saturday 8th June.

The final is between the number 15 seed, Brett Ryan, and the current Club Captain and number 16 seed, Rohan Duncan.

This isn’t the first time these two have played each other in match play. They faced off many years ago in men’s representative golf at the old Eastern Golf Club in Doncaster, and we will see if history repeats itself this weekend.

The match commences off the 1st tee at 12:34 PM. Be sure to come down and show your support for your favourite finalist.

To view the draw and results please click below.

Women’s 4BBB Knockout- Jean Chambers trophy

The first round of the Jean Chambers 4BBB Knockout was played on Thursday with the winners progressing onto the quarter finals played next Thursday 13^th June.

To follow your favourite pair please click the following link.

Men’s Foursomes Championship & Foursomes Handicap

This year marks the first time that the Men’s Foursomes Championship (36 holes) and the Foursomes Handicap (Michael Kelly Trophy) qualifying round event are played concurrently, on the same day, Saturday 15th June.

Foursomes is played in pairs, where one player tees off from the even tees and the other player plays from the odd tees. The pair alternate every shot until the ball is holed. With only two balls in play, the group moves much faster than normal.

The timesheet for the day is set up differently, with 6-minute intervals running from 7:34 am to 8:58 am for the morning session, and in the afternoon field commencing from 11:00 am to 12:34 pm. Due to this quick-paced format, social play will commence earlier than usual.

Ensure that you register for the correct event, as the Men’s Foursomes Championship is a gross event (played off the stick, without handicaps), while the Foursomes Handicap event is played with handicaps.

The Foursomes Handicap is a qualifying round for foursomes Matchplay, with the top 8 registered foursomes nett scores proceeding to play Matchplay in the following weeks. Please only register if you can play on all the dates as listed.

The Men’s Foursomes Championship Registration Page is below and opens tomorrow at 2pm. It is a 36 holes gross event.

Men’s Foursomes Handicap Registration Page- Nett event

Please only register if you are available to play all the following rounds:

• Qualifying Round: Saturday 15th June 2024
• Quarter Finals: Saturday 22nd June 2024
• Semi Finals: Saturday 29th June 2024
• Final: Saturday 13th July 2024

The regular booking sheet is now open. Only players participating in the Foursomes Handicap (HCP) event are required to book their pairs' tee times.

For the Foursomes Champion event (gross event, without handicap), registrations close on Wednesday, June 12th. The draw for this event will be completed shortly after the registration deadline.

Reserved spots that are not used will be released and made available for other pairs to book.

Dress Code - Course and Practice Facilities

It has been noticed that as we enter the cooler conditions of winter that some members are starting to wear their non golf specific hoodies, jumpers with large non-golf related logos and even tracksuit pants or jeans down to the club to practice. Remember the Trackman hitting bays are deemed part of the practice facilities and appropriate golfing attire is to be worn at all times.

Please show respect to your fellow members and club policy by being aware of the club’s dress regulations. A summary of what is acceptable course and practice facilities, and common breaches is found below.

✅ Acceptable items of dress; 

• Tailored trousers, shorts or skirts must be worn.
• Trousers, shorts or skirts designed to be supported by a belt must be worn with a belt.
• Shirts must have a collar and be tucked in to trousers/shorts unless specifically designed without a collar or to be worn outside trousers/shorts.
• Socks must be worn and may be any length or colour, and may be worn with shorts.
• Only golf shoes with soft spikes or moulded soles are permitted (except for caddies who may also wear flat sole shoes).

❌ Unacceptable items of dress;

• Denim jeans.
• All gym attire including tracksuit pants, tops and hoodies (that are not golf specific- large front pocket).
• Abbreviated shorts or shorts or long pants with an elasticised waist, shorts supported by a drawstring and shorts or long pants or three-quarter length pants with large “cargo” style pockets.
• T-shirts.
• Apparel and headwear displaying large non golf related motifs, logos or advertising.
• Caps and visors worn backwards.

Golf Etiquette- Calling Fore

In golf, calling "fore" when your ball goes errant is a crucial aspect of etiquette that ensures the safety of everyone on the course. Members are reminded to shout "fore" loudly and clearly immediately after an errant shot to warn others of a potentially dangerous situation.

Effective use of this warning signal helps prevent injuries and demonstrates respect for fellow players.

Alongside other etiquette practices like maintaining the pace of play, caring for the course, and observing silence during others' shots, calling "fore" is essential to upholding the respectful and considerate nature of the game of golf.

• Tuesday June 11th: Grandmothers Trophy, June Medal presentations and 'Catch Up Lunch'. 
  
  
• Thursday 18 July: Women’s Annual Mid-Winter dinner