Welcome to the August/September newsletter. I want to start by welcoming our new members to the club. We are seeing an increase in the number of members for the 18- and 9-hole course and an increase in the use of our facilities by families with children. We offer a range of memberships to cater for all age groups with a range of payment options. You do not have to be a member to take advantage of our facilities. We are open for food and refreshments on a daily basis and our staff are always on hand to assist and welcome you.
Thank you to those members, new and old, who continue to support the Club.
Last month we said goodbye to Rhys, Ellie and Emmy from our bar team. Hopefully Ellie will be back with us later in the year. We wish them all well for the future and thank them for their hard work.
Refurbishment and Renovation.
We are continuing to refurbish and renovate the Clubhouse and Course in 2024. The Clubhouse, including the bar area are still in need of renovation however we have had to have the roof above the Clubhouse repaired, which was an unexpected expense. Due to the lack of renovations over the years, we find that every job such as the toilets, is much bigger than anticipated. The jobs take much longer and cost much more money. We are prioritising the repairs that impact on our day-to-day business and our ability to service our customers before moving onto the visually aesthetic changes. Please be patient with us as we carry out this work.
Halfway House
The Horsebox has now been in operation for a few weeks. It is situated between the 9th and 10th hole. We have opened the horsebox every weekend and for busy events during the week. We offer a range of food and drinks. The horsebox is proving to be popular with visitors and society members however it is not used by many of our members. This is disappointing given that this is something that was suggested by our members. It would be nice if members could support this facility by purchasing a drink or a bite to eat when passing. We are hoping to be in a position to rent this facility for events in and outside of the club in the next few months.
Members Support
Since my arrival at the club, I have listened to the suggestions (both positive and negative) made by members on how to improve our facilities. I accept that the club as a whole (including the course) was in desperate need of renovation and rejuvenation when I arrived in late April 2022. I have previously spoken about the amount of personal money and time that I have invested into the club for facilities such as Trackman and more recently, the Halfway House, only to find that they are used predominately by visitors and not members. Our facilities such as the bar/kitchen, Trackman and halfway house are only used by a small percentage of our members. These are the same members that also support events such as Golfer/Non-Golfer, Christmas parties etc.
Please support the club by coming into the bar, making a purchase from the horsebox and using Trackman etc. We are always looking at ways to improve our facilities and the service we offer. It would be nice to see that the changes are appreciated by our members, old and new. All of our events are advertised on social media, our website and on posters around the club. I’m sure that Josh will touch on the upcoming events.
Staff Training
Our staff have recently completed their first aid training. All of our Green staff and Pro shop staff are trained in first aid along with some of our Bar staff and Office Managers. First Aid boxes can be found around the Clubhouse. Our greens staff carry first aid boxes when out on the course and have a defibrillator in the office.
Alfie and John on the green team have recently successfully completed their spraying course. Our Course Manager, Ellis, has been busy training the green staff in all aspects of spraying and cutting. This will provide us with an omnicompetent Greens staff who are trained in all aspects of Greenkeeping.
Voucher System
As you know, the voucher system is currently held within the Pro Shop. All prize money is added to this system and can currently be used within the shop. We are currently working with our till supplier to integrate the back system for the bar and the shop which will allow you to be able to spend your vouchers across the club. This is a surprisingly huge piece of work which is both time and money intensive so we hope to report good news in the near future.
Course & Equipment
I am sure that Ellis will provide a comprehensive update on the course however I just want to touch on a couple of points that were raised at the recent Committee meeting. We were asked about the weeds on the fairways and the stumps that need grinding. Both of our machines/equipment to perform these tasks were in need of repair which was holding up the process. With the off-and-on wet and warm weather of late, it’s no surprise that weeds took their chances.
Over the last two years I have purchased some more machinery for the course however some of the older machines were in need of a service and/or repair. For many years we have relied upon the services of a local company to repair our machines (off site) however I have now employed the services of an engineer who will attend on site to service and repair the machines and be assisted by the local company where necessary. Many of the machines can be repaired and serviced within a day which is beneficial to the club. This is also cost effective.
Following the Committee meeting the sprayer has now been serviced and repaired and can be used by the green staff. Please be patient as it takes time to conduct and keep on top of the work. Some of the dying weeds may look unsightly, but we’ll look to manually remove then where possible. The stump grinder is going to take a little longer to repair and service. Please bear with us while we conduct our repairs and while we service our machinery.
Please continue to repair your pitch marks, replace your divots and rake the bunkers.
And finally… We are still awaiting the decision for the temporary planning permission from the council for the caravans situated at the bottom of the car park. The planning application is crucial for us as a family as it means that we can continue to care for my Dad.
He has now been diagnosed with Lewy Body dementia as well as vascular dementia. Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a brain disorder that can lead to problems with thinking, movement, behaviour, and mood. Visual hallucinations, or seeing things that are not there, are a common symptom. We have been referred to the local mental health team and community nurses who will assist us with the care for my Dad.
Thank you to those who continue to ask about him or spend time with him when he is at the club. I really appreciate your kindness.
Lisa Hardisty - Managing Director
Vice Captain's Update
The golf season is now in full swing and it’s great to see so many members out enjoying the beautiful weather over the last few weeks. The greens are in great condition this summer and many members and visitors have commented positively.
Bondhay Opens: As you are all aware Bondhay members must now have 6 qualifying scores to play in our major board events. To promote consistency and fairness we have now applied these restrictions to all Bondhay Open events going forward. This initiative will stipulate that all visitors playing in Bondhay Opens must have 6 qualifying cards within the past calendar year.
Christmas Dinner and Dance: Friday 6th December will be the members bash. We are currently deciding on the menu and evening entertainment. The Committee will be paying for the DJ/ music thus keeping the cost lower for all members. Over the last few years the members dinner and dance has been a super evening so please pop in the diary now, you will not be disappointed.
Club Captain/ Club Vice Captain and Team Captains: Over the last few months we have been seeking a new Vice Captain for the 2025 season. I’m pleased to announce Shane Turner will take up the post. Shane has been a member of Bondhay for many years and I’m sure will be a popular appointment with all the membership. We are currently working on next years other “Bondhay Team Captains” and these will be communicated in the Autumn.
All honours boards are now updated with 2023 champions.
Captains Charity Day: As we are all aware this year has been a little difficult to manage due to Roy Cullis our Captain’s unfortunate health scare. We have decided to re schedule the Charity Day to Saturday 19th October 2024. The competition will be a Shotgun start format with some great prizes and all funds donated to Ashgate Hospice, Roy’s nominated charity. Once again please support if possible for such a worthy cause.
As always any ideas or suggestions to improve the golf experience for members at Bondhay is most welcome. The suggestion box is secured on the notice board so please feel free to use or pop in the office to discuss. All correspondence is discussed at the quarterly committee meetings.
Mark Highfield - Vice Captain
Handicap Secretary's Update
I hope you are enjoying your golf now the weather has turned a little dryer. From a personal perspective, I’m really enjoying the course but the trend continues... much lower scores away from Bondhay. I see this trend when I look across our members but as you will see from the summary below, our handicaps look to be fair. As it stands, I see no need to adjust any handicaps.
Quick analysis of winning scores starting from 1st April:
- Stableford: average winning points = 39.2
- Medal: average winning score = 73.7
By Division
- Div 1 = 74.5
- Div 2 = 73.1
- Div 3 = 73.7
Phil Bonewell - Handicap Secretary
Head Pro's Update
Just the usual summer camp coaching, junior coaching on Saturdays, new druids shirts, 30% off selected island green shirts, clubs comps in full flow, mens open limited places still available, summer special 20% off golf bags, taylormade demo day went well and well attended, we do have selected demo clubs people can try that didn’t make the day as well as ping demo clubs, captains away day names being taken. Golfer non golfer names being taken.
A busy summer is continuing for the Pro Shop team with plenty more events coming up over the next couple of months. The second edition of our Men’s Open is on 17th August with a few places still available, so book now to avoid disappointment.
Junior Coaching has been extended through August and remains every Saturday from 11:30 until 12:30. This has been complimented by four Kids Summer Camps over the school holidays. A full day of coaching and fun with me and Tom for £30, including lunch and a drink. Sessions are on 6th, 8th, 13th and 15th August from 10:00 to 15:30.
We have a fantastic new range of Druids golf clothing available, which will continue to be added to with the latest gear. There’s 30% selected Island Green shirts and 20% off golf bags in the Pro Shop at the moment, so grab yourself a bargain.
The recent TaylorMade Demo Day was well attended and received and we have selected demo clubs that you can try if you weren’t able to make it along, plus the PING demo clubs from their demo day a few months ago.
Names are still being taken for the upcoming Captain’s Away Day on 6th September 2024 which will be at Oakmere Park Golf Club. Further details are available from the team in the Pro Shop.
Barry Hurt - Head Pro & Shop Manager
Marketing Director's Update
The summer holidays are now in full swing and there’s a busy August and September ahead of us at Bondhay with loads of events and competitions, as well as the continuation of improvements across the Club.
I have just announced an exciting collaboration with Natalie Haywood to relaunch Ladies Coaching at Bondhay this September. In a male-dominated sport, I feel it important to allow women of all backgrounds to feel comfortable entering or advancing in golf. Natalie is well regarded in the industry and comes of the back of a stint as Head Professional at Rotherham Golf Club. She will be working alongside us on a number of ladies-based events and available for lessons at the Club in future. Booking for Ladies Coaching is available via our website.
Continuing our partnership with Milestone Entertainment, we have a number of exciting events coming up in the back-half of the year, starting with the return of Joanne Gregory’s Evening of Clairvoyance on Thursday 26th September. October 11th sees a tribue to Sweden’s power-pop supergroup ABBA, where tickets include a three course meal, tribute act and disco. In November, Milestone are bringing our first Murder Mystery Evening with the wonderful Stirling Murder, again including a three course meal and of course all the fun and mystery – the theme/plot for the night will announced soon. December rounds off with two exciting Dancing Through The Decades events, serving as a fantastic opportunity to get friends, family and colleagues together for a festive ‘knees up’. Tickets for all events are available from Milestone Entertainment. The links are on the Events page of the Bondhay website or Facebook page.
As Mark touched on in his update, we have arranged a new date for the Captain’s Charity Day, fundraising for Ashgate Hospice who support people living with a life-limiting illness and those who care for them. This will be a 08:30 shotgun start with bacon cob and coffee before play. A presentation will take place after, with the opportunity for players to purchase refreshments and food from the Clubhouse. We encourage you to wear an item of pink clothing if you can as an extension to Ashgate’s fundraising campaign that’s taking place in the weeks before. You can enter now in the Pro Shop or via the events or fixtures page of our website.
The Halfway House has now been in operation for a couple of months with reasonable use by members and visitors, although not the roaring trade I expected after such a demand for it. That being said, I’ve assessed the product offering and have made a few changes to ensure it suits the golfers that use it. This includes changing or removing some of the canned drinks and increasing the range of bottled drinks. Some additional snacks have been introduced such as Hendo’s crisps and Nobby’s Nuts. Hot dogs will soon be added to the menu as a more lunch-friendly snack that can fill a gap between the 9th and 10th holes, alongside the staple hot food of sausage and bacon sandwiches, and sausage rolls. The usual hot drink offering remains unchanged. We try to staff it as much as is operationally viable, but sometimes this means it may not be open at certain times. Standard operating hours are Saturday and Sunday from 07:30 until 14:30.
As always, if you have any comments, suggestions or feedback, it’s always welcome.
Josh Clarke - Marketing Director