Welcome to the June edition of our newsletter. Finally, we have warm weather and longer days enabling our members and visitors to play from early in the morning until later into the evening.
I would like to start by introducing our new staff members to you. We have increased the number of greenkeepers on our team. I would like to welcome Matt and Ben to the team and congratulate Ellis Junior on his promotion to Deputy Head Greenkeeper. I would also like to welcome Stewart back to the Greens Team following his shoulder surgery. The additional staff allows our Course Manager, Ellis, the flexibility and resilience he requires to complete the never-ending list of work required on the course.
A new mower has recently been purchased for the fairways. The short/medium term plan is to purchase a number of refurbished machines to provide us with resilience and flexibility during the next few years. Parts for machinery are becoming extremely difficult to source.
We have also purchased new yellow, white and red tee markers which are now on the course together with the new 150-yard markers. This is part of a medium-term plan to replace and enhance the furniture on the course. We have also purchased new car parking signs for the three Captains and the Management at the club. These will be situated in the top part of the car park adjacent to the driving range. We have chosen to purchase three signs that say Captain and not signs for specific Men, Women or Seniors. The term “Captain” can apply to the position held and not to the gender identity of the person holding that post. This follows guidance issued by EnglandGolf.
Ellis and I have had a meeting with a local supplier who will be providing us with a quote to replace the mats on the Academy Course and to provide directional signage, bins and seating. The Par 3 course is available FREE OF CHARGE to all 7 day and 5-day members throughout the month of June, July and August. Plans are in place to organise a competition on the Par 3 course one evening during the summer months, details of which will be displayed in the clubhouse, shop and sent out via our marketing emails.
Fencing and wooden gates have now been erected at the entrance to the driveway of the Club. These gates will be closed at night once all paying customers have left the premises. Gates will also be erected at the entrance to the Greens Shed and at the top of the lane which leads down to the pond. This is to enhance the security of the Clubhouse and the course. We are also installing CCTV cameras that will provide us with better coverage across the Clubhouse and the Bondhay estate.
We are currently in talks with a company who have expressed an interest in developing our fishing lake. In early June further fencing will be erected around the perimeter of the lake before we renovate the pegs and fill the lake with fish. Further information about this facility will be issued in due course, but it’s likely won’t be in operation until the back end of the year. We have also been approached by two companies who have shown interest in developing our Driving Range. One of the companies are interested in bringing the Trackman to Bondhay while the other would like to install Swingbay, a product similar to Trackman.
One of our members is currently repairing and painting the exterior of the clubhouse and foyer. Many of the window frames were rotten and have now been replaced. This week the guttering will be removed and cleaned and Bondhay Blue will replace the old green. The new fence around the beer garden is nearly complete.
I have introduced a Course Marshal to our team. Melvyn Fieldhouse will now marshal the course on a weekend and on busy days during the week. I know that Melyvn has written an update on his role for this edition of the newsletter so I do not intend to steal his thunder. What I will say is that so far we have received positive feedback from members and visitors who have been assisted by Melvyn on the course and he is an asset to team Bondhay. I receive daily updates from our Marshal. These allow me to identify any common problems that impact on the membership or the course. Recently we have had a handful of golfers who have been on the course and haven’t paid the correct green fee which has resulted in me asking that the names of all members are taken when making a block booking. Our system will identify who is and who isn’t a current member.
A huge congratulations to our Assistant Pro Reece Samson who has been smashing the results on the Clutch Pro Tour, most recently a second place at Sonning Golf Club.
I would like to finish by saying thank you to all of our members and friends at Bondhay who continue to show love, friendship and support for my Dad, Alan. He now spends much of his day working in and around the course with my husband Craig or in the clubhouse surrounded by friends and being waited on hand and foot by the staff.
Please continue to support the club by visiting our Pro shop and Clubhouse. We are now serving Sunday lunch every week between 12 and 4pm.
Lisa Hardisty - Managing Director
By the time this goes to press, my Captain’s Charity Day will be less than 2 weeks away. If you have not yet booked your spot, please do so in the Pro Shop. The format is Pairs Texas Scramble. Any donations for the raffle table will be most welcome. My charity of choice for this year is The Alzheimer’s Society, please support myself and the charity where you can. Please leave any donations with Mackenzie in the office. Thank you.
Spring has sprung and the course is now looking in full bloom. Bondhay Golf Club have various teams that represent the club throughout the year.
6-18 Handicap League, Taskers Knockout Trophy (over 50’s), NAPGA (Notts Alliance) and Scratch Team League. The Club has had some great success last year, Winning The Taskers Trophy, NAPGA OOM and Harry Brown Trophy, also Reece Samson won the Pro’s OOM. Well done to all Team Captains and players alike. Let’s keep the winning form up and support our great club.
Yours In Golf
Carl Hough - Men's Captain
We have now arrived in the serious Competition season! It is nice that we have had four separate winners of the competitions so far. Unfortunately, I wasn’t one of them.
It is good to see that all of the ropes have now gone from the course, we no longer need pick and place and the ball is starting to run further, I think summer might have arrived!
Our friendly match with Styrrup and College Pines has now been re arranged at College Pines in October.
We are well under way with our YLCGA White Rose and Weekend League competitions. At the time of writing, three White Rose matches had been played and we have won two and drawn one. The Weekend League Team are currently sitting top of the league with three wins. Good luck to everyone playing in the forthcoming matches.
Enjoy your golf.
Melanie Clarke - Lady Captain
Over the last year we have re organised committee responsibilities but we still hope additional members will get involved. We are currently looking for a Junior Organiser and someone to cover Roy Cullis’s forthcoming Captaincy. The member would cover as Handicap Secretary in Roy’s absence for a calendar year. Please contact myself, Carl Hough or Roy if you are interested in getting involved (we actually only meet on a two month cycle with the Committee and Bondhay management).
Presentation Night - The committee and management agreed that a presentation night will take place after the Champions of Champions final. The evening will involve a presentation, dinner and dance. We will work on this initiative and communicate in due course.
As previously communicated, our ambition for the 2023 season is to offer more varied competitions both at Bondhay and throughout Yorkshire / Sheffield Union. To drive this initiative, we have entered Bondhay into the following SUGC events: Turner Shield x 2 teams, Club Champion (scratch event), JH Aitchison Trophy 6-18 pairs and SUGC Charity Competition Am-Am. The Committee will decide qualification criteria for each allowing as many competition winners as possible to represent our club.
Bondhay Gent Team Reports
The Scratch Team have started strongly with a very capable squad boosted by 2 new players. We have currently won 3 out of our first 4 matches and are in a healthy position in the division. The 6-18 league under the captaincy of Greg Masters has also began the season very positively. Bondhay are currently in second position in Division 2 and seeking a push for promotion after just missing out by the smallest margin last year.
Unfortunately the Taskers Team were knocked out in the second round as we defended the title won last year. I am sure our welsh wizard Captain Mick Yeend will be regrouping his troops for a fresh challenge in 2024.
The Bondhay Nottinghamshire Alliance Team performed brilliantly once again this winter/spring 2023 defending the Nottinghamshire Alliance Order of Merit Championship from the previous year. Mark Highfield and Carl Hough finished second and third in the OOM league respectively. Reece Samson finished fourth in the professional OOM having to miss the last event due to the Clutch Tour.
Congratulations to Adam Kitchen who won the Club Champion scratch event at Hallamshire GC shooting a remarkable 1 under par in the final.
And finally don’t forget to utilise the suggestion box on the notice board, all comments go into the committee for discussion, good, bad or indifferent!
Mark Highfield - Club Secretary
As we are now launching into the main Season for competitive golf, I thought it might be a good idea to remind players of their responsibilities with regard to the Rules of Handicapping.
A player is expected to:
There is now an updated version of the handicap appeal process posted on the handicap notice board. Please take a moment to review this important document.
Should you have any questions regarding your handicap please do not hesitate to contact me.
Roy Cullis - Handicap Secretary
It’s great to see you all gracing the fairways at Bondhay and taking advantage of the nice weather we are experiencing at the moment — let’s hope it lasts all summer!
I’d like to thank everyone who has supported the team and I in the Pro Shop. We are fully stocked with the new summer range in Penguin, UnderArmour and the new addition Island Green. We also have the new 2023 range of golf bags in stock all at competitive prices. If you have any questions or see something we don’t have in stock please let us know and we can try get it in for you.
The golf season is fully underway with a full calendar of competitions for all. It’s not too late to enter the Captain’s Charity Day on 9th June, along with our Men’s Open on 10th of June (if you’re reading this before then). There is still a handful of spaces available.
Look out for our summer Pro Shop draw with a chance to win a year’s free membership, a Motocaddy S1 trolley, a set of Ping G430 irons, plus more prizes all for just £10!
Barry Hurt - Head PGA Professional
I would like to start by introducing myself. My name is Melyvn Fieldhouse and I have been a member at Bondhay Golf Club for many years. You will find me on the 1st Tee most weekends and bank holidays and busy days during the week. My role is to provide a great golfing experience to members and guests and to ensure that they are adhering to the course rules and etiquette. I have a list of everyone who is playing on the course on a particular day, their tee time and their status (member/visitor etc). I would like to ask all members and visitors to the course to make their way to the 1st tee time 10 minutes early so that you are ready to tee off on time.
One of my roles is to ensure that the appropriate clothing and footwear is worn on the course. I am aware that this will now be circulated to all visitors and societies at the time of booking. Can I remind everyone that you should repair your divots, repair pitch marks and rake the bunkers.
Melvyn Fieldhouse - Course Marshal
June is shaping up to be a busy one across all departments of the Club, with plenty of competitions, matches and events to keep us all busy. It’s probably worth reminding the kids that Father’s Day is on Sunday 18th June and we’ll be serving a fantastic Lunch in our clubhouse bar and restaurant from midday, with breakfast served all day from 7:30am. Bookings are now being taken, everyone is welcome. You may even want to give them a whirl round the Par 3 Academy Course and Driving Range to practice their swing! The 9 hole course is available to 5 and 7 Day Members free of charge throughout the summer months.
As is customary for each season, the Bondhay Summer Special is now available for Societies and other visiting groups. We’ve put together a package that takes advantage of the longer days, starting with a warm up 9 holes on the Par 3 Academy Course, before heading to the Clubhouse for a freshly prepared lunch and beer, and then back out on to the Devonshire Course for 18. It’s a first in that this offer can be taken advantage of 7 days a week until the end of August. Prices start from £40 per player.
It has been great to see the Function Suite getting a bit more use over the last couple of months, with a handful of weddings, birthday celebrations and presentations taking place. To try and help showcase our newly renovated room to the a wider audience, last month we launched a FREE Function Suite hire offer that runs until the end of June. The offer is available for any type of event for any future date. For more information, you can contact us on the usual channels or view our brochure here.
As always, your feedback and suggestions are welcome and help me to ensure that we’re focusing on the things that matter to our members and wider customer base.
Josh Clarke - Marketing Manager
