It’s been a strange year and the committee is very conscious that we have been running the club as a ‘virtual’ entity for the last few months. We want to update you on what has been happening this season and to remind you of upcoming events.
Firstly, though, we want to thank you all for the support you have shown the club by adhering to the COVID-19 regulations we have had to impose. The discipline you have all shown in using the BRS system is appreciated and has enabled the club to maximise opportunities for offering visitors the chance to play the course. We are also truly grateful to the volunteers who have manned the starter roles since we reopened.
Secondly, we would like to welcome the almost 60 new members who have joined since lockdown ended. We would have liked to invite you all to a meeting to fully integrate you into the club, but obviously, that has not been possible. We hope that you are enjoying the experience, but please feel free to contact any of the committee members if you have a query about the running of the club. We are hoping to run the winter scrambles from October which will give us all a chance to get to meet new members and renew friendships.
As mentioned earlier, we have had to rely on the internet to keep everyone informed about what is happening at the Club as we have not been able to use the noticeboards in the clubhouse area. Now the Social Club is open for access to the toilets and foyer we will post notices that we feel are useful, as and when appropriate. We will, however, continue to update you all using the BRS email facility, so we would urge you to read our correspondence to keep yourself up to date with what is happening!
At our recent committee meeting, we decided to simplify the entry rules for the NHS Charity day. The details will be with you shortly if you have not already received them. This is a chance for the golf club to thank the NHS for their efforts during the pandemic, so if you want to take part in the event, please look out for the update later this week.
There are one or two playing issues that members have asked us about recently. Firstly, the tree stumps are all an integral part of the course and the ball should be played as it lies. There is a new white line at the front of the 9/15 tee denoting the start of the GUR area. If you cross this line but do not reach the far side of the GUR, you should take your drop on the tee side of the white line.
Last weekend saw the Club Championship being played over 36 holes, it was great to see so many new members on the course. The winner was Mick Beck whose Gross score was 145, closely followed by Mark Sneap on 148. We have been able to run a full programme of competitions since June and, as ever, there has been a good range of prize winners, some old regulars and some new faces as well. Sean Parker has won a major and 2 medals, Richard Littlewood and Ted Rogan have each won 2 medals, and Dale Banks, Graham Gilson and Liam Smith have scooped a major each. The outstanding performance so far this season came from 12-year-old Ruby Sutton, who after having her first Hole-In-One the night previous, beat all entrants to win the Captain’s Day Shield with 42 points. Congratulations Ruby!
Finally, a couple of reminders:-
Please lookout for more information on noticeboards about the FootJoy Polo Shirts and Chill-Out sweaters that we are looking to order
If you owe money for competition entries, you can drop the money off with any committee member if you wish, or you can pay via bank transfer. If you would like to pay by direct bank transfer, please email Matthew Forde (matthew_forde@hotmail.com) or Liam Ridgill (liam0409@hotmail.co.uk) who will provide you with the necessary details. Please DO NOT make any direct bank payments to the Club before liaising with Matthew or Liam as these payments are held in a separate account.
Midweek competitions will still be invoiced retrospectively, however, the weekend competitions can now be paid to our starter, Alan Puddyford, on the day. The Committee would like to thank Alan for his efforts and efficiency in controlling the weekend competitions.
Please continue to book your competition and casual rounds on BRS, it is still important that we maintain the order this gives us. Unfortunately, the current COVID-19 regulations do not allow us to run our usual ‘fiddles’ but we are looking at ways to reintroduce them safely ASAP.
Please find a list of our current committee and their roles:-
Chris Burrows - Chairman
Kevin Harrison - Vice Chairman and Greens Coordinator
Matthew Forde - Secretary
Alastair Sherry - Treasurer
Liam Ridgill - All Round responsibilities for WHS, Competitions, Marketing, IT and Finance
Steve Burton - Handicap and Competition Secretary
Steve Simpson - Club Captain
Roger Elliott - Senior Captain
Graham Trotter - Senior Vice-Captain
Andy Ritchings
Dan Mitchell
Darren Neary
Enjoy the rest of the season, and we will issue a further newsletter to let you know what the autumn and winter months will involve both on the playing side and the work programme on the course.
Best wishes,
The Committee