The course remains wet although the high winds experienced today have certainly assisted to help dry out the course. There are still areas that are quite wet, and I ask members to be mindful of these conditions when you are playing at the Club over the weekend.
Unfortunately, due to the wet conditions, carts will not be available, and we apologise to members that will be affected by this decision.
We have put out a significant amount of rope on course the last 2 days, identifying wet areas and areas we don’t want traffic. They are unfortunately required at this time for the health of the turf.
The turfing we had planned to do between the 6th and 8th and the 4th and 5th holes has been postponed due to the wet conditions both here on course and at the turf farm that we source our turf from. We hope this can be completed in the next two weeks as it will make a big difference to the course.
Whilst we have not been able to get around the course as much as we would like due to the wet conditions, we have been concentrating on bunkers, garden beds, spraying onion weed, path edging and aerating the greens to aid drainage and the maintain the overall health of the surface.
The latest advice from Melbourne Water indicates up to 30mm of rain is forecast in the catchment area which will eventually make its way downstream. The river height is steady at Alphington but will rise again tonight and tomorrow as a result of the catchment rain. The river has risen from 1.960m to 2.106m today which may not seem like much, but 30 mm in the catchment areas is significant on an already swollen river catchment. At this stage we are unsure if the river will breach the bank and come onto the course, or not.
For context, unfortunately Eastern Golf Club currently have 11 holes out of play due to flooding.
We will continue to watch the alerts from Melbourne Water and will act and communicate accordingly.
No Carts on course - Sat 20th & Sun 21st
Members are advised due to the current course conditions and the forecast of more rainfall in the next 24 hours, carts will NOT be available over the weekend (Saturday 20th & Sunday 21st July).
An assessment will be made on Monday morning as to whether carts will be allowed to return.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause some members.
Men’s Founder's Cup
The Men’s Founders Cup is fast approaching. Registrations are now open, with the top 8 registered scores proceeding to the match play section. Please only register if you are available to play on all the of following Matchplay dates:
Quarter Final - Saturday 10th August
Semi Final - Saturday 17th August
Final - Saturday 24th August
Please note: That those who withdraw from an event after the draw has been completed, without a valid reason deemed acceptable by the Chair of Golf, will be ineligible to participate in the following year's event.
Women’s Grades Separations
The women’s grade separations will be adjusted daily to evenly distribute the field based on the number of players. Two grades will be split in half, and three grades will be divided into thirds or as close as possible to the nearest whole daily handicap. This ensures that members have a fairer grading system and improve their competition experience. These changes are for all women’s 18-hole competitions and will commence on Tuesday 6th August.
Timesheet Alterations Tuesday/Thursday PM field
The Golf Sub-Committee is always looking to improve the members' experience and utilise the course to its full capacity. It was brought to the committee’s attention that the 10th tee on Tuesdays and Thursdays has not been utilised fully for the last 12 months. Therefore, the Tuesday and Thursday timesheets will be slightly altered to accommodate both men and women on the 10th tee from 11:22 am until 1:06 pm on Tuesdays and until 12:10 pm on Thursdays. After 12:10 pm on Thursdays, the timesheet will remain open for rock-ups until 1:06 pm. Women will still be able to book off the 10th tee and play in the daily women’s competition field if they wish. This change will commence on Tuesday 6th August.
Harris & Poole win!
Congratulations to Graeme Harris and Steve Poole, who showed remarkable teamwork and skill to win this year's 2024 Foursomes Handicap - Michael Kelly Trophy.
In last Saturday's final, the top-seeded team of Robbie Dicintio and Lachlan Cantwell faced the number six seeds, Graeme Harris and Steve Poole.
Graeme and Steve started strong, leading by two-up at the ninth. Robbie and Lachlan fought back to square the ledger by the 17th hole, but Graeme and Steve secured the victory by making two great pars, winning the match 2-up.
New MiScore Feature: Pace of Play Notification
The MiScore App has a new pace of play feature which will be made available on Monday 22nd July. The new feature notifies each golfer of their average round time and their ranking based on previous rounds for that day of the week. The purpose of this feature is to encourage awareness, better practises regarding pace of play and advise members of their true performance (no player thinks they are slow).
Players will see a personal notification at the commencement of each competition round just prior to choosing partners. The information is based on the players round history over the 3 months for that particular day of the week at the club i.e. Wednesday afternoon competition. Players must have played at least two rounds to record details. Times are calculated on tee time and score submission time.
The Golf Operations Manager can also view a leader board of all player rankings and times which will be used in aiding the Golf Sub-Committee to identify slow players and improve speed of play at the club. It’s extremely important that you’re submitting your score promptly after completing your round so that your round time is accurate.
Course Care
Playing at Green Acres is a privilege and it’s important that we look after the course to ensure the enjoyability for not only our playing partners but our fellow members playing in the groups behind you.
Every member must follow the proper golf etiquette at all times -
by calling out ‘fore’ when their ball goes offline out of sight,
repairing pitch marks,
repairing divots by filling them with sand,
and raking bunkers.
It’s important that you enter the bunker at its lowest point, rake your footprints and impact location, footprints to and from the ball, and finally return the rake to the middle of the bunker facing the direction of play. This will ensure that the next player who’s ball enters the sand doesn’t find their ball on a downhill slope, or in a footprint like the photos below (taken during last Wednesday's competition field).
Courtesy to all members
A message to all members: If you are unable to play, you must remove your name from the booking sheet. The Golf Sub-Committee is tracking no-shows, and repeat offenders will receive warnings, with further action taken if this behaviour continues. Green Acres is a busy members’ course, and timesheet spots are valuable. If you know you cannot play, remove your name as soon as possible to allow another member to book. For late cancellations, call the Golf Centre, as the timesheet closes at 6:30 am every morning. You can reach the Golf Centre at 9859 2338.
Women's 5-Mth Membership - Offer Now Closed
Due to an overwhelming response, the recently advertised Women's membership offer is now full, and has a healthy standby list. We thank Members who shared the program details with their friends and family members, and we look forward to helping these women achieve their golfing ambitions and facilitate a pathway to permanent membership of Green Acres.
Reminders and Save The Dates Committee Day – Thursday 13 August. This important day in the Women's Calendar acknowledges and farewells outgoing committee members and welcomes the new committee. Join us for an exciting Shotgun 4BBB competition where the Captains take on the Presidents, after which enjoy a delightful lunch with fellow participants. Bookings open Monday 22 July, once registered you will be allocated to a team.
Annual Women’s Getaway Bookings for the Annual Women’s Getaway at Yarrawonga/Mulwala are still open with limited spots. This trip will be three days packed with fun, laughter, friendship and golf plus a range of activities including bridge. Application forms are still available from the club's reception and if you have any further question feel free to contact Anne Corboy on 0418360170.
British Open Sale - Extended to Monday 29th July
The Open Championship is on now, and our storewide sale continues, now extended to Monday 29th July!
The sale includes;
20% off all apparel
20% off all golf bags
15% off on all shoes
15% off all hardware
15% off all golf ball dozens
This limited-time offer is the perfect excuse for upgrading your golfing gear and ensuring maximum comfort on the course.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to step up your game with top-quality footwear at an unbeatable price.
