AGM

The Club held a quorate and compliant AGM by Zoom on Friday 27^th November, with both live voting and proxy voting ahead of meeting.

The AGM meeting was expertly arranged by David Maskery having spent a lot of time in research into other Club’s remote AGM’s and having taken advice on compliance with our Club rules. Zoom held up well and the meeting was continuous without any breaks in the online platform.

The AGM confirmed that Honorary Membership will be conferred on Brian Young who has been central to so much of the Club’s development, from a nine-hole course to the eighteen-hole course we play today. The Club lost a significant amount of land to the Alresford by-pass more than 30 years ago, and Brian was instrumental in securing replacement land ensuring a bright future for us.

All other motions were passed by a combination of both the live and the proxy voting methods, with more than 120 members taking part.

I was delighted that we were able to hold live discussions under AOB, on; suggestion to maintain some tee time booking post-covid, a suggestion to provide compensation for our members in 2020 due to the course being closed for two periods, and the membership schemes offered in 2020 in response to the emergency created by the Covid pandemic.

Re-Opening of the Course

The course will re-open following guidance from regulators and central Government. Tee times need to continue for now which will continue until such time as we are informed that they are no longer needed. It is the default position of the Club to return to golf without pre-booked tee times at the earliest opportunity. If there is sufficient interest in having some pre-booking in the future the Management Committee and Captain’s Committee will lead a full consultation of our members to ensure that all members have an opportunity to contribute their thoughts on the matter.

Clubhouse Development

The Management Committee has invited members of the Finance Committee to our next meeting in two-weeks’ time to review plans and finance options for the proposed Clubhouse development. A Special General Meeting (SGM) of the Club will be called should a preferred package of improvements and finance be approved. That SGM will be called with at least two-weeks’ notice with all full members being provided with detailed plans and costings so that informed decisions can be made at that time.

Head Professional – Mark Wood

I need your help! Mark first applied to become our Head Professional in March this year; and then after 6-months of interviews and planning he started with us on November 1^st and was forced to close within a few days.

Mark, and his wife Mandy, have invested personal funds and much time in an update of the Pro-Shop and brand-new stock. Mark also has invested many thousands of pounds in ‘Flightscope’ which is a high-tech coaching aid which replicates your swing path, ball flight, angle of attack etc. He will also provide you with a video of your swing and pinpoint improvements and practice drills for you, following a lesson with him.

Mark has a price match guarantee for shop stock and will provide a full range of standard and custom fitted clubs from Callaway, TaylorMade, and Ping for example.

So; do check out the updated Pro-Shop on your return to golf at the Club, and do your Christmas shopping safely at your Club.

Management Committee

It is a privilege for me to be Chairman of the Management Committee, and act on your behalf; I thank the AGM for their ratification of my post for a further year. If you want to provide me with any feedback about our Club please do so by emailing me; chairman@alresfordgolf.co.uk. But do tell me good things as well as the not-so-good!

All existing members of the Management Committee were ratified to continue in post for another year, with a new Vice-Captain of the Club joining us for the next 12-months as usual.

Management Committee members are;

Chairman – Robert White

Chair of Finance – Ray Panter

Chair of Bar & Catering – Trevor Pearce

Chair of House – Sue Masser

Chair of Greens – Bob Moore

Vice-Captain – Simon Freemantle

Chair of Planning and Development – Nick Duncan

Membership Numbers

Our Club rules permit a total of 675 full members. Given the amount of golf each member now plays this is considered to be an outdated limit, but no change has been made in recent decades. The Management Committee will determine a ‘maximum number of Full Members’ policy, to be implemented this year, without a rule change at this time. It is likely that the Club will need to close to new members at some point during the spring of 2021, so that our course does not become over-crowded and that; as members we enjoy the privileges of a Club that really feels like ‘a private members’ club’, reflecting that our Club is owned by its members.

Any 2020 full member is guaranteed continued membership on payment of their 2021 membership subscription before January 31^st 2021. After that date; lapsed members can re-join but it may be that the Club has taken on other members in the subsequent months and that we might have closed to further 2021 subscriptions.

So the simple message is; if you intend to pay your 2021 subscription, do pay on receipt of the invoice from David Maskery and by the very, very latest by January 31^st 2021. If you might have some difficulty in meeting that date, do discuss it with David as he will be keen to help.

David Maskery – General Manager

The AGM conferred thanks and congratulations to David for an outstanding years’ work keeping us all safe and well-informed. David’s role has changed from that as a traditional Club Secretary, so I have moved his role, by agreement, to that of ‘General Manager’. On your return to the Club you will notice that the main office has been extended into Malcolm’s old office. This will help David to maintain confidentiality and to be undisturbed by members when he is busy. The new layout of the main office, will also provide a better impression for new customers and new members.

Robert White

Chairman of the Management Committee

Qualifying Competitions over the Winter

After 8^th December, there won’t be any qualifying competitions until the end of February or beginning of March. This is to allow the Greenstaff flexibility in completing their winter projects without having to maintain a measured course. The knock-on effect of this is that we will not be able to accept Casual Play during this period.

Knock-out matches do not require a measured course so are not affected by this decision. However, there will be non-qualifying competitions organised by the Pro’s Shop.

Winter Eclectic

Unfortunately, this winter there won’t be a Winter Eclectic Competition for men. You may remember from previous years that this was organised and administered by a completely manual process, so as there have been so many other things going on of late it has not been possible to set this up in time. It will be back next year.

Winter Leagues

The Lombard 4BBB and Winter Mixed Competitions were both oversubscribed with the largest entry for almost a decade. The first 32 teams to sign-in for the competitions have been drawn into 8 leagues of 4 teams; the winners of each league will go forward to a straight knockout. The draw has been emailed to the teams. In view of the 4-week closure because of the lockdown and the reduction in the tee-slots the play-by date for the league phase has been extended to 4^th April 2021. We suggest that any match where all players can play during the week is arranged for a weekday, and that it may become easier to arrange matches after Christmas. Please ensure that all results, identifying the winning team and the score, are written on the draw sheets posted on the notice-board.

Match Committee

I’d like to thank all the members of the Match & Handicap Committee for the work they have done over what has been a very busy and difficult year which included reorganising the entire fixture list after the resumption of golf to offer as many qualifying competitions to members as possible. David Robertson has decided to stand down after many years of sterling service, so we’re on the look-out for anyone who would be interested in joining the Committee.

George Clelland

Question.

A player playing in a Stableford Competition, has taken too many shots and picks up.

The player then decides to practice their bunker shot on the same hole in a green side bunker.

• After playing out of the bunker, the player takes two putts to hole out.
• The player did not hold up play.

Is the player subject to penalty?

Vets get up to in their spare time. Thanks Gerry and look forward to another invite.

After the flyby we were able to hold a slimmed down version of the Vets AGM which gave us the opportunity to give Ed a big thank you for being our Captain during what has been a turbulent year.  His final act was to present the few trophies that we had managed to compete for during the year:

• Peter Armitage winning the Joe Kitchen Trophy,
• Tony Brooking the Over 80’s Stableford and
• Steve Oldham the rejuvenated Winter Roll Up.

The Annual Accounts have been posted on the Notice Board in the Club House, thanks to Ken Coburn for getting them out so quickly.

The ‘rearranged’ Texas Scramble will now be played on Monday 16^th December. Again this event is being very well supported despite no Christmas dinner being available this year nor the opportunity to once again admire Bob Archer’s festive jacket!  

The closing date for entries is on the 4^th December. Please contact Wynne Tufnell if you still wish to play.

The postponed Winter League matches have now been rescheduled for January and February.

I am very much looking forward to being your Captain this coming year and I am feeling optimistic that come the spring we will be able to resume our normal programme of competitions and matches.

Hope you all stay safe during the coming weeks and have a Happy Christmas with as many of your family and friends as the restrictions allow.

Gareth Rees

hut has improved dramatically which is also great and should anyone have an urge to help us with it’s assembly and treatment do please get in touch.

New Range?
The new practice nets are about to be ordered so look out for the new base being constructed to the right of the entrance to the Range.

Singing the  Blues?
We are considering adding forward blue tees as seen on many courses to aid players coming onto the course from the Academy or those struggling with the distances required. Feel free to let us know what you think.

Course Conditioning

• Greens have been aerated to a depth of 3 inches with 15mm solid tines and aerated again using the verti drain with 12mm solid tines to a depth of 6 inches.
• Nutrition continues with ‘turf hardeners’ and ‘liquid irons’ being applied along with ‘penetrants’ to break up the surface tension and allow water to move through quicker.
• Disease pressure has been very high this month resulting in a third application of fungicide, unfortunately fusarium is visible on some greens with the 11th worst affected and this has been caused by prolonged leaf wetness and humid conditions as the driver.
• A dew suppressant was applied to stop dew forming on the grass blade and this will help keep any more disease at bay, a tricky one to apply at this time of the year as the surface has to be bone dry for the product to work.
• Tees and Aprons have had an application of wetting agent and iron, this will help reduce worm casting and dry them out quicker.
• Tees, Aprons and Fairways continue to be cut once a week.

Fighting t’Hawk

Birds continue to peck areas around the course, all fairways areas are being cleaned up soiled and seeded.

To combat this a falconer has been visiting the course twice weekly and flying a Harris Hawk and two Falcons the idea being to warn off, and possibly attack the crows.

The main problem being the grubs in the ground that Crows feast on. We will also try to encourage Starlings, as they also eat the same grubs, but do so in a less destructive way!

Attention to Detail

• ‘Patch work turfing’ has been completed around the course on areas around bunkers and greens; New bunkers on 4,5 and 13 have had a strip of fresh turf around the edge where it burnt off in the spring.
• Leaf clearing has proceeded, but at a slower pace than normal. Thankfully most of them are down now, so there will be a big clear-up before we re-open.

Welcome Back!
On re-opening, you need to be aware that:

• The 1st fairway bunker will be lift and drop with a white line around the area,
• The 1st tees will continue to be under construction with all play from the current yellow tee.
• The new Practice swale remains closed to let the turf settle.
• The 12th tee is under construction so a temporary tee mat has been positioned for White and Yellow Tees. Red tee is open as normal.
• Local rules will still apply for bird damage and the area where the sheep are grazing.

Bob Moore
Chair of Greens Committee

Answer.

Yes

• As the player had picked up, they were not completing play of the hole and were therefore practicing during the round.
• Two shot penalty to be applied to the next hole.

Notes;

• If the player’s ball was in the bunker when they decided they couldn’t score and then played on, the player would not be penalised as the player is entitled to play out the hole.
• The player is allowed to practice by chipping near to the green or putting, but not allowed to practice bunker shots.
• If on last hole no penalty as round was completed. Rule 5.5b.

projects or items were paid for by the 100 Club during the year but during 2021 we will be funding the new Starters Hut.  Our membership has remained steady with new members offsetting those who have left the golf club.

If you would like to be part of the 100 Club and actively contribute towards future enhancements to our facilities, and have the chance of winning a cash prize each month, then why not join us.

The monthly draw is for six cash prizes: £100, £50 and four at £32.

Each share cost £1 per month paid for by monthly standing order and there is no limit to the number you can purchase.  Members generally have between 1 and 10 shares with 5 being the most common holding.

For further information about the 100 Club and its history please refer to this section in previous editions of FORE Info.  Application forms can be obtained from the Secretary’s office or from me –  Pat Wallis phone 01420 564417 or email peterpat51@outlook.com

Meanwhile let’s hope for a cheerful Christmas despite the restrictions imposed upon us and lots of good golfing in 2021.

Pat Wallis