We're delighted to be confirmed as finalists at the Club Awards 2023! This year's ceremony will take place on November 22nd at the Athena venue in Leicester.

The Club Awards applaud UK clubs of all shapes and sizes, from Rugby Clubs and Cricket Clubs to Social Clubs and Community Clubs. Now in their 31st year, all elements of club life are recognised at the Awards, as people and businesses join together to celebrate all that’s great about Clubs across the UK and throw a spotlight on the vital role that clubs play in their communities.

Following the shortlisting, the competition judges will evaluate which clubs go through in which categories before being tasked appointing a winner for each category, who are announced on the night at the awards presentation.

Find out more about the Club Awards at https://www.clubawards.co.uk/

Trackman is taking the world by storm with its innovative technology that sees that likes of the PGA Tour and NBC partnering with the Denmark-based outfit to take advantage of second-to-none tracking capabilities.

It is with that knowledge and first-hand experience that we are incredible excited to be bringing Trackman to Bondhay Golf Club from October 2023!

TrackMan Range is a flexible golf-ball tracking solution with tour-proven technology and the industry's best Virtual Golf, Practice, and Entertainment software. It is one system with multiple options: the in-bay screens and mobile applications gives the player(s) real-time activity and performance reports with comprehensive insights on how their golf level is progressing. It also gives the player the ability to test their game on a number of top courses around the world without leaving their home course. For a change of pace or to aid getting people into the fun of golf, Trackman features a number of interactive games.

Work is already well underway to renovate the existing Driving Range area and implement the infrastructure required to accommodate the Trackman system. This includes a fresh look, new flooring, mats and bays; new lighting, radar tracking system and lighting. The new-look area will also include a dedicated range kiosk to take and manage bookings as well as serve fresh food (from a new menu) and drinks direct to the players in the bays, which will also be able to be ordered from the comfort of the bay.

The Trackman Range will also allow players to take advantage of the state-of-the-art mobile app and bay monitors to control the system and monitor their playing stats. A new booking system will be introduced to accommodate advanced bookings and allow users to check availability ahead of time, which will be accessed directly from the Trackman application or from the booking page of the Bondhay website, plus in person or over the phone in the Pro Shop and Range Shop. Booking isn't required and walk-ups are always welcome.

More information about the operation and lauch of the Trackman Range will be issued over the coming weeks. For any enquiries, contact Josh Clarke (Marketing Manager) on marketing@bondhaygolfclub.com.

Managing Director’s Update

Welcome to the August/September edition of the Bondhay Newsletter. I am hoping that August will be much warmer and drier than what has been a strangely wet July.

The new Alan Hardisty Trophy will be taking place on 2nd September 2023, created to honour my Dad who has been at the club since 1997. The trophy is to recognise and celebrate his commitment and dedication to the club over the last 27 years. The format is a Single Stableford Shotgun with a free gift for everyone who enters. Entry is £10pp for members and £40pp for visitors. The prizes include a 7-day free membership for Bondhay Golf Club, a 50” TV, golf vouchers and much, much more. I want to thank everyone who has entered so far and to anyone that decides to take part. We only have a handful of tee times left. Please visit Pro Shop or our website to book. All welcome.

Prestige Award

I am delighted to announce that Bondhay has been named “Golf Club of the Year” by the Prestige Awards 2023/2024. These awards recognise smaller, independent businesses that are extremely successful and hard working on a local level.

It is an honor to be recognised for the quality of the Club and for the hard work of the teams in the Pro Shop, Greens, Hospitality and from the Management team. The staff have worked hard for the last 12 months and continue to surprise me with their unwavering commitment, dedication and support. The Prestige Award ceremony will take place later this year at Hazelwood Castle.

Memberships

At the beginning of this year, I made the tough decision to increase the membership prices by 15% with an increase also made to the visitor and society tariffs. This was to cover the general increase in the cost of living and operations — including a 600% increase in our electricity bill.
Interestingly, England Golf have recently published some statistics that relate to subscription prices across the UK. The average subscription price is £1082 with 33% of clubs charging a joining fee. The average joining fee is £1016. 36% of clubs offer a flexible membership.

Our 7-day membership is currently £1190 which includes your Yorkshire Union and England Golf fees and VAT, which we are required to pay on all memberships. We do not have a joining fee. This is equivalent to £22.88 a week or £3.27 a day. We also offer a number of membership options that offer something for everyone. I think you will agree that this is excellent value for money.

Online Booking for Members

In July we provided members with the ability to book their tee times on line with BRSGolf. You will need to register using your email address and your Bondhay membership number, NOT your CDH number. This sends an email to our Membership Team who will activate your account. You can book 8 days in advance using the on-line system or the BRSGolf app. You can still contact the Pro Shop or office and book your tee time if preferred, up to 9 days in advance. To register for the BRSGolf system, or to login to your account, visit www.bondhaygolfclub.com/book and select Members or select Member Booking in the menu.

Cancellation of a Tee Time

We are still experiencing problems with members booking tee times and failing to show up. This is unacceptable. This is particularly annoying when members have booked tee time on a Saturday or Sunday morning and then fail to show up without having the common courtesy to let us know.
I am now keeping a list of members and visitors who fail to notify us that they wish to cancel. Repeat offenders will lose the ability to book on line or book a prime tee time on a Saturday or Sunday morning.

Hole In One

A hole in one is a fantastic achievement and should be celebrated. All hole in ones at Bondhay Golf Club should be brought to the attention of the Pro in the Shop, following which you will be issued with a framed certificate and a bottle of whiskey and your name will be placed on our honours board.

Weekend Bookings

Visitors are now required to pay in full for any tee times on a Saturday and Sunday morning. This is to stop the number of “no shows” for prime tee times.

Policy Updates

I am currently reviewing and updating the following policies:

• Adult Safeguarding Policy
• Children & Young People Safeguarding Policy
• Bondhay Golf Club Terms & Conditions including Dress Code, Introduction to a Golf Course and the Bondhay Golf Club Constitution
• Disciplinary Policy (in line with England Golf)

These policies will be updated and circulated to all members via email and available via a link from the website.

Course Measuring

On Tuesday 1st August, the Course will be being measured by a third party that has been recommended by England Golf. This is long overdue and will ensure that the course measurements are as accurate as possible for the benefit of all golfers. This exercise will mean that the slope index will need to be reassessed. Any updates will be reflected across club collateral and signage in due course.

Marshal & Club Etiquette

Most of you will know that I have employed a Marshal for the course. Melvin is employed on the course on most weekends and on busy days during the week.

I would like to remind everyone that you are required to be at the 1st tee, 10 minutes ahead of your tee off time. Please report to the Marshal if you arrive early as he may be able to bring forward your tee time. Please wait to be called forward to the 1st tee.

Please continue to repair your divots and pitch marks and rake your bunkers.

I am in the process of writing the term and conditions for all memberships. These include course etiquette and the dress code. Our marshal has the authority to remove anyone from the course who is not dressed appropriately or who uses abusive or threating language or threatening behavior. This type of behavior and language will not be tolerated at Bondhay Golf Club.

Fishing Ponds

We have now started work on renovating and securing the fishing pond. A chain link fence will stop unauthorised access to the lake. Our intention is to renovate the existing pegs and to replenish the fish stock before opening the lake to our members and visitors.

Halfway House
I have decided to bring back the halfway house in the orchard adjacent to the 9th Green. The footings will be in place in the next few weeks. It is likely to be completed in early 2024.

Trackman

Trackman is coming to Bondhay Golf Club. Last week I had a meeting with a representative from Trackman. I have now signed the contract to equip our 8 bays on the driving range with the latest Trackman technology.

The driving range will be painted over the coming weeks and new lighting, heaters, signage and flooring will be installed. The rear of our current kitchen will be opened up and will serve food, alcohol and refreshments to the customers of our driving range. A new seating area will also be created at the rear of the kitchen which can be used by any customers waiting to use the range. Please be patient with us as we carry out the work on the driving range.

Between 24th and 29th September, Trackman technology will be fitted to the driving range. We will need to close the driving range on a number of days to ensure that the staff can work safely. You will be able to use the range from the 30th Sept. Trackman will conduct checks over the following 3 weeks with an official launch day in mid-October.

I hope that you can see and appreciate the changes that we are making to the Club. All of these things take time and money.

We have recently seen an increase in the price of food stuff and drinks from our retailers. This will an increase in price of drinks, both soft, tea and Coffee, and alcoholic drinks by around 20p. This is likely to take place in the next few weeks.

Please continue to support the club by using the shop and the clubhouse.

Lisa Hardisty
Managing Director

Men’s Captain’s Update

I’d like to extend a big THANK YOU to all participants and raffle prize donators for this year’s Captains Charity Day in support of Alzheimer’s Society. The day it self-raised £653.00 from the Raffle and £1793.33 in total. Thank you!

My Captain’s Away Day is at Tankersley Park Golf Club on Friday 8th September 2023. This is open to all sections and has a prize table of over £2,000. My aim is that every player will get a prize. The Pro Shop are now taking bookings. The first tee time is 10:00am. The cost is £60, which includes a bacon cob and coffee on arrival, 18 holes of individual stableford golf, followed by a 2-course meal and prize presentation. I would request that everyone please bring with them a small raffle prize, as all money raised from the raffle will be donated to Bluebell Wood Hospice. Don’t worry if you cannot make the day, any raffle prizes can be left with Mackenzie in the office or in the Pro Shop.

I shall look forward to seeing you all around the club.

Carl Hough
Club Captain

Lady Captain’s Update

We are now well and truly in the serious Competition season! It is nice that we have had a number of different winners of the competitions so far. Unfortunately, I wasn’t one of them.

All of our YLCGA White Rose and Weekend League competitions have now been completed. There are still a few matches to be played by other clubs before the closing date at the end of July (at the time of writing). In the White Rose we will finish in the top 10 of 43 clubs. There is still a good chance that we can finish in the top four in the Weekend League and qualify for the finals, fingers crossed. I would like to thank Sally for running the White Rose competition and Laura for running the Weekend League competition.

It was my Lady Captain’s Away Day at Elsham Golf Club on the 21st July. There were 17 of us, made up of lady members and friends and I would like to thank everyone for making it a great day. The weather was better than expected, we only got wet playing the last couple of holes. As usual there was plenty of drinking and we kept the coach driver entertained with the singing. Congratulations to all the prize winners, particularly to Sue Clark who was the overall winner with a great score.

Enjoy your golf!

Mel Clark
Lady Captain

Secretary’s Update

I think it’s fair to say that a massive transformation is underway at our Golf Club, be it on the course, driving range and clubhouse. At our recent committee meeting many of the projects were presented and discussed. The next 12 months look really exciting for all our members.
Feedback to the Club is key to understanding members requests and thoughts. Comments posted into the Suggestion Box on the notice board are communicated at every committee meeting, which is also attended by Bondhay Directors and Management.

This year we would like to combine the annual dinner and dance (Saturday 2nd December) with a short, tightly controlled presentation evening. As always we will ensure the event is keenly priced to get maximum participation and if last years bash was anything to compare with a great night out is on the cards.

The social side of golf is something we would like to help develop over the next year or so and your support would be really appreciated. Shortly we will be embarking upon next year’s golf and social calendar and we will keep all informed with hopefully many new events and competitions to get involved in.

The par 3 course complimentary usage over the summer months has gone down really well with the full members and has proved a beneficial alternative, offering a quick round of golf or valuable short game practice!

And finally I would like to welcome Phil Bonewell to the committee. Phil will take over as Handicap Secretary replacing Roy Cullis who will be Bondhay Gents Captain 2024.

Mark Highfield
Secretary

Marketing Manager’s Update

As Lisa mentioned in her update, Hole In Ones haven’t been celebrated quite as they should in previous years, which didn’t make sense to us. It is a fantastic and rare achievement that deserves a place in Club history. That’s why we’ve introduced the issuing of an official certificate on achievement and the presentation of a bottle of whiskey. This was previous at a cost to the achiever and then claimed back via insurance, but this will now be issued by the Club.

It seems like an enternity since a new website was first mentioned. The sheer amount of tasks in terms of our general overhaul of club collateral unfortunately meant that the timeframe got stretched to compensate for other tasks. I’m pleased to say that I’ll be running a soft launch of various aspects of the new website over the coming month or so, after much hard work in development. A number of new pages and improvements have already been launched, including a news/blog section, easy online booking, fixtures and event listings.

From the Fixtures or Events pages of the website, you can see which events are available for you to enter online. Simple complete the application form and a member of our team will be in touch to confirm your tee-time and send you a secure payment link to collect the entry fee.

Phase 2 will see the roll-out of an online shop facility where you will be able to browse and purchase the best that the Pro Shop has to offer. We have a fair bit of internal admin to do before this can be launched, but it’s certainly something to look forward to.

A members area was originally outlined to be part of a new website, but upon further planning and investigation I have made the decision to omit this on the basis that the investment in a private area would not be worth it at this time. Memberships and bookings are handled by the newly implemented BRS app or website and fixtures are available to all via the golf section of the site. I will open further consultations on this with the committee in the future to best explore how a private area will best serve our members.

Club Fixtures have until now been posted to our social media channels on a monthly basis, but you can now view the full year’s schedule over at www.bondhaygolfclub.com/fixtures. Alongside this, online applications have been enabled for major competitions, such as the Men’s Open and Alan Hardisty Trophy. Where an online application is available, it will be listed as ‘Online’ in the entry column under Fixtures and have its own listing on the Events page.

In a highly satisfying update, the Academy Course scorecard has finally been modernised, including an extra player column and a useful course layout map. An update to the Devonshire Course scorecard will be confirmed once the remeasure is complete.

For the society golfers reading this, our usual Winter Special is back for the upcoming off-season! For as little as £35 per player you get to start the day with a bacon cob and coffee, followed by 18 holes on our stunning Devonshire championship course, before heading back into the Clubhouse for a hearty plate of pie, hand-cut chips and peas. For more information or to book your day, contact the Office or Pro Shop team.

October sees a return of non-golf events to the Club as Sheffield United, Leeds United and Rotherham United’s ex-goalkeeper Paddy Kenny brings his evening of football career tales. Tickets are priced at just £25 which includes general admission and a supper of pie, chips and peas. Meet and Greet is just £10 extra including a private meet with Paddy and signed photograph. Tickets are available to buy in person at the Club or on our website.

And finally, you may have seen on our channels that Mackenzie (Clubhouse Manager) and I have signed up to take part in the Alzheimer’s Society’s Memory Walk at Clumber Park this coming October. Our grandfather, Alan Hardisty (recently retired Managing Director of Bondhay) was diagnosed with vascular dementia last year so we have seen first-hand the effects of this unforgiving disease. A JustGiving page has been set up to collect donations and I’d be beyond grateful if you can spare anything—even a pound—for this amazing charity. Click here.

Josh Clarke
Marketing Manager

Two members of the Bondhay Golf Club team will be taking part in the the Alzheimer's Society's Memory Walk this October.

Josh and Mackenzie, Bondhay's Marketing Manager and Clubhouse Manager respectively, will be heading to Clumber Park in support of the charity's work to help people diagnosed with dementia. Both have encountered the disease first hand with Alan Hardisty, Bondhay's recently retired Managing Director and Owner, having been diagnosed in the last 18 months. Alan just so happens to also be Josh and Mackenzie's grandfather, so raising money for the Club's official charity hits home greatly.

Josh said "When we saw that the Memory Walk is taking place on our doorstep at Clumber Park, we didn't give a second thought to signing up and entering. Seeing what the disease is doing to a loved one is heartbreaking and to be given the chance to make a difference, no matter how small, seemed like a no brainer.

For the Alzheimer's Society to also be the Club/Captain's charity at Bondhay this year is a fantastic coincidence, so I hope that we can count on our members to show their support and work hand-in-hand with other fundraising efforts across various events. A huge thanks in advance to anyone that is kind enough to part with their hard-earned money for this fantastic cause.

I'm looking forward to a bit of sibling rivalry with our fundrasing efforts!"

If you would like to make a donation Team Bondhay's Memory Walk, you can do so on JustGiving at https://www.justgiving.com/team/teambondhay.

The Memory Walk will take place on Sunday 1st October 2023 at Clumber Park. It is free to take part and you can sign up online. You can also join Team Bondhay's fundraising efforts on JustGiving by selecting 'Join The Team'.

Bondhay Golf Club has been announced as 'Golf Club of the Year' as part of the Yorkshire Prestige Awards!

The Prestige Awards introduced their regional awards to recognise smaller, independent businesses that are extremely successful and hard working on a local level. Each nominee has to submit supporting information for their chosen category and once the allocation of nominations is met, all businesses within their category are then passed onto a panel of industry expert judges who ultimately pick a winner. Alongside the questionnaire, publicly sourced information is used such as reviews, testimonials and information provided on the company’s website and possibly their social media platforms.

It's an honour to be recognised for the quality of the Club and for the hard work of our teams in the pro shop, greens, hospitality and senior management. The last year or so has seen big rejuvenation and investment across the Club, which will continue on into the future to ensure that we are providing the very best for our Members, visitors and the wider public.

Lisa Hardisty, Managing Director of Bondhay Golf Club, said:

"I am over the moon to receive the Prestige Award for the Golf Club of the Year! I would like to thank the staff at Bondhay who have been working hard for the last 12 months and who continue to surprise me with their unwavering commitment and dedication to making Bondhay great again. I would also like to thank our members who have continued to support us as we develop and renovate the Club. Lastly I would like to thank the Prestige panel who have identified the changes we have made over the last 12 months to get where we are today."

The presentation ceremony will be held later this year at Hazlewood Castle Hotel.

The Management team and Club Professionals have collaborated with BRSGolf to implement an online booking facility for our members, allowing you to secure your own tee times more easily. This is part of an ongoing modernisation campaign across the Club, making golf more accessible than ever.

Members will first need to register for an account in order to access the system and app. The application will ask for a number of your details before being sent to our Memberships Team to assign to your member profile. Upon a successful match, you will receive a confirmation email with the next steps and access.

Tee times will be available to secure up to 8 days in advance using this facility and the Pro Shop will continue to manage the diary to allow for competitions and other events. Entry into competitions and the allocation of tee-times for such will still need to be performed through the Pro Shop or, where available, through our website.

If preferred, you can continue to book your times by phone or in person as before.

Visitors can continue to book via the GolfNow website (part of BRSGolf) or contact us directly for the best deals.

In the first episode of his new YouTube series entitled 'Golfing Gems', Golf Mad Dad (otherwise known as Andy), paid a visit to Bondhay to test his swing on our Par 72 Devonshire Course.

Watch the video below and find out how you can be in with a chance of winning a free 4 ball to use here at Bondhay...

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

Men's Captain's Update

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

Lady Captain's Update

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

Secretary's Update

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

Handicap Secretary's Update

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:

• Act with integrity by following the Rules of Handicapping and to refrain from using, or circumventing, the Rules for the purpose of gaining an unfair advantage.
• Sign in before play when returning a card for handicap, check your attester is able to attest your score before using the myEG app
• Submit all acceptable scores for handicapping (singles stroke play formats) promptly after play (always before midnight when using the App) scores must be returned electronically or with a physical scorecard to the Pro Shop.
• Attempt to make the best score possible at every hole; and complete a score for every hole unless a valid reason prevents this. ie Pick up / hole not started /hole aborted
• Delete any incomplete round giving the reason. Any score which is not returned will attract a Penalty Score.
• Do not enter ‘0’ as a hole score unless no points have been scored. In a Stableford format use the drop down menu to report no score on a hole
• If the player ‘picks up’ during the play of a hole in a Medal competition, they should continue to score correctly for the remaining holes. Even though the score will be DQ from the competition, it will still count for handicap.
• Submit acceptable scores to provide evidence of current playing ability. Non-acceptable formats (AmAms/4BBB/etc) are not to be used.
• Play by the Rules of Golf when returning scores.
• Certify the scores in a timely manner of other golfers when the round has been witnessed, and the score agreed. When using the MyEG App, the attestor will also need to have downloaded the App.

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

Head Pro's Update

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

Marshal's Update

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

Marketing Manager's Update

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

I would like to start by thanking our members for their continuing support over the last couple of months. I ask that you all continue to support the Clubhouse and the Pro Shop before and/or after play. I am continuing to work with the management team at Bondhay to bring about change at the Club, change that will benefit our members in the short, medium and long term. Change comes at a cost and will take time, so I ask for your patience and understanding while I navigate through this period of transition.

I feel like it is necessary for me to update you all on the health of my Dad, Alan. I wouldn’t ordinarily share something that is so personal, however he has been a friend to many of you for several years and I feel that an update will prevent further speculation. Some of you will now know that my Dad, Alan, has been diagnosed with vascular dementia. My husband Craig and I are now caring for my Dad and will continue to do so in the coming months/years. Many of you will have noticed that there are two caravans on the land overlooking the 10th tee. My Dad will be living in one of the caravans and my husband and I will be living in the other. This will allow us to continue to offer my Dad the care and support he needs at this time, maintain some independence, and for him to live in a familiar place surrounded by his family and friends.

I understand that there has been a rumour circulating that the Club has been sold to a third party. This is not the case. I have taken over the role of the Manging Director of the club. I am proud to be following in the footsteps of my Father and want to ensure that the business continues to grow over the next few years. I will be responsible for making any decisions that relate to the Club and the course. I have surrounded myself with a management team who I consider to be experts in their own field, and I can confidently say that I have a team of managers who are all passionate, hardworking and focussed on making Bondhay successful. We will have our first management meeting in the next few days. This meeting is intended to focus each manager on developing their own area of business with my support and guidance.

I would like to finish by thanking our retiring Chairman, Stuart Squires, for his dedication and commitment to the club over the last few years. I do not intend to appoint another Chairman at this time.

Lisa Hardisty
Managing Director

Lady Captain’s Update

I can’t believe that I am nearly a third of the way through my Lady Captain’s year. To date we have only played one trophy competition, the Lady Captain’s Inaugural and the next trophy competition is due to be played in April.

When I first drafted this I said that the weather had been kind to us, then the snow came. This meant that our friendly match at College Pines was cancelled, but they are trying to arrange a new date. Throughout the winter months the Ladies have been playing fun competitions and thank you to Rachael for organising these and for putting a fun twist on some of them, even though this meant losing our hard-earned points at the end of the round!

The course is starting to look very different with the removal of a lot of trees, the bushes on the ninth hole and the odd bunker being taken out. Hopefully this will help with our scoring!

Now that we are moving into Spring, I hope this will encourage more ladies to join us for our Sunday competitions. The posters for these, up to the end of April, are on the notice board in the Ladies Locker Room and includes a Texas Scramble on Good Friday.

Mel Clark
Lady Captain

Head Pro’s Update

I hope everyone had a great winter. Those of you that I have seen throughout the winter months have been working hard on their game. If you haven’t, it’s not too late to to book in for a refresher lesson with myself, Tom or Reece to perfect your technique.

Our Pro Shop is very well stocked with tees, gloves, balls, grips, clothing and much more. We now offer a custom fitting service for Ping golf clubs, as well as a large selection of demo clubs in stock to try before you buy. April brings a new summer clothing range from Under Armour, Penguin and Island Green all at competitive prices. Also in stock are the latest cart and stand bags from Motocaddy, Ping, TaylorMade and Powacaddy. We have a few 2022 shirts in stock all reduced to clear at £25.

Tom, Reece and I are happy to advise and help you in any way possible, so don’t be a stranger and feel free to pop into the Pro Shop… even if its just for a friendly chat!

We will be running the majorss sweepstake again this year so look out for more information which will be posted in the professional shop.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all members for their continued support throughout 2022 and into 2023 and hope everyone has a successful year golfing.

Barry Hurt
Head PGA Professional

Secretary’s Update

The Honours Boards are now updated for all 2022 winners. The committee have now included two extra prestigious events to the Honour’s Boards, these being the Summer Singles and Doubles Knockout competition. First prize for the singles will be £100 and £50 each for the doubles winners. All past winners have been recognised on the Boards.

Our ambition for the 2023 season is to offer more varied competitions both at Bondhay and throughout Yorkshire / Sheffield Union. As a committee we will be allowing additional monies to be available to satisfy this competitive activity and will work closely with our professionals to link Bondhay competition success with external competitions.

As a gent’s section we produced many successful teams in 2022. Our accolade started with a memorable victory in the Notts Alliance Golf League team event with Reece Samson also clinching the professional trophy. The Seniors Taskers Team accomplished remarkable success across eight participating counties over 8 gruelling rounds beating Hillsborough GC in the final. The 6-18 league team narrowly missed promotion to division 1 and the Scratch Team finished third in division 5.
The committee have purchased Bondhay Team Polo Shirts which will be provided to all participating team representatives listed below. Good luck for the new season!

Gents Team Captains 2023:
Scratch Team - Mark Highfield
Taskers Team - Michael Yeend
6-18 League - Greg Masters
Notts Alliance - Carl Hough

Finally we are looking for a Temporary Handicap Secretary to take over from Roy Cullis’s in his Captains Year 2024. It would be great to get someone on board now and join our Committee. Any interested parties please drop me an e -mail: markdiane01@outlook.com

Mark Highfield
Secretary

Handicap Secretary’s Update

Hopefully by the time this newsletter finds you we are back on a Qualifying course. We did try mid March, but unfortunately the weather delayed our plans.

Barry and I attended an England Golf seminar for Handicap Secretaries which covered the usual explanations and expectations from a Club Handicap Secretary / Committee, with some recommendations on terms of competition.

So the committee have adopted a number of aspects in line with England Golf recommendations. To be in the prizes of Majors or Board Events, a player will be required to have submitted a minimum of 5 competition score cards in the previous rolling 12 months (increasing to 10 starting 2024). The maximum strokes received being 28 (handicap index white tees 23.6 / yellow tees 24.7). If your handicap is higher, this does not exclude you from these competitions.

The Captain’s Greensome on Saturday 25th will now be a Pairs Scramble.

Should you have any questions around handicapping, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Roy Cullis
Handicap Secretary

Greenkeeper’s Update

I think I’m right in saying that we all thought Spring was here in February, but as dry as it was it’s definitely made up for it through March. I’m sure it’s rained every day since the snow thawed making it difficult to get the grass down to spring heights of cut. It’s normally nice to get everything cut and striped up ready for the new season, but the weather and environment dictates this. Hopefully good weather is around the corner and we can get the playing surfaces back to normal. The Greens have had their renovations done and we are now into our nutrition programme. As the temperature and daylight increases, we should see some recovery and disease scars closing in.

We will soon be into our spring and summer maintenance programme and finishing up with winter jobs. Stumps will be ground with our stump grinder and the areas seeded. Further tree removal will be planned for next autumn.

White tee markers are now back out and preferred lies is still on until further notice. Please look at the notice boards for any changes and information regarding the course. Please repair pitch marks, replace divots and rake your bunkers.

Finally, we’ve welcomed two new additions to our ranks over the last few months. Alfie and Matt have joined us on the Greens team, with Matt also taking up a few shifts in the Pro Shop to aid Barry, Reece and Tom. Be sure to say hello if you bump into them on the Course or in the Shop.

As always, if you want to know anymore regarding the course, please feel free to get in contact with me through the office.

Ellis Wilson
Head Greenkeeper

Marketing Manager’s Update

Firstly, I wanted to say thank you to each and every person that’s made me welcome on my return to Bondhay. It’s been a pleasure to catch up with some familiar faces and meet many new members across the sections. I’m very much enjoying and looking forward to continuing the hard work required to step things up across the Club for the benefit of everyone that takes advantage of the excellent courses and facilities.

Over recent months, we’ve been working hard to refresh, revive and increase the corporate image and presence for Bondhay within the Club and beyond through the use of different mediums. You may have noticed more frequent updates on our social media channels and in your inbox, plus improved communications and assets around the clubhouse. You will also see more marketing collateral around the clubhouse and grounds to promote various offerings, in addition to an upcoming refresh of signage. The aim of all this is to create a more connected community for our membership and the wider public, with an identity that is harmonious and professional.

Fixture lists for all Sections are now being sent to your inbox, published on social media and in notice boards around the clubhouse on a monthly basis.

The Mother’s Day Lunch celebrations were our first ‘big’ non-golf event since I took up since I rejoined the Club. Over 50 covers enjoyed a three course meal with a free welcome drink for all and handmade cupcakes for all the mums in attendance. Thank you to those who booked and showed their support. There was lots to learn from a team perspective, which we will review and use to make the next one even better. The aim is to keep building up to more celebrations and events over the coming year and beyond, including theme nights, celebrity talks, music and more. If you have any requests, do let me know.

If you’re reading this before Easter, we’ll be hosting Sunday Lunch with an Easter twist on 9th April. Book your table on 01909 723608 or email events@bondhaygolfclub.com.

I am conscious that the promise of a new website has been floating around for a number of months. I can confirm that this is now in pre-development, with an aim to have it live within the coming months after a thorough process which includes revamping the design, usability and copy. The old/current website is no longer fit, so it’s important that we take this opportunity to make sure a new one serves a purpose for members and visitors alike. I won’t go into the specific details of functionality in this newsletter, but if there is anything particular you would like to see within the site, suggestions are welcome.

Whilst I and the wider team have many great ideas, we can’t continue to do it without support from you, our members. With that in mind, I encourage you to support the Club in any way you can beyond turning up for your round, whether that be socialising over a coffee in the clubhouse, joining us for Sunday Lunch with the family, or attending an event. The support that you give and the extra money that we can generate from events, weddings and more will be invested into improving the fundamentals of the golf club for your enjoyment.

If you would like to discuss any of the points mentioned above, or have any ideas and feedback, you can reach me on josh@bondhaygolfclub.com or come and see me in the office on a Wednesday, Friday or Saturday.

Josh Clarke
Marketing Manager

Kitchen Manager's Update

The winter period has meant a quieter time in general for the catering team at the Club, but we’ve seen some decent off-season demand for societies and stayed busy with a number of larger events in the Function Suite.

As we enter spring and approach summer, we are giving some thought to revising the food menu in the Clubhouse bar/restaurant. We want this to be reflective of what our members would like to eat, as well as offering a good selection for visitors, so I would like to invite suggestions on dishes that you would like to see on the menu. We are looking at potentially offering afternoon teas throughout the spring and summer and also ways to further include the female golf sections.

Alongside the rest of the kitchen team, I would like to welcome Curtis to the Club as one of our new chefs. Curtis brings a strong passion for his craft which is reflective in the food he serves, so please give him a warm welcome if you see him.

Karen Smith
Head Chef

Welcome to the Bondhay Newsletter, which is intended to bring you up to date on any changes that have occurred or will occur at the Club in the coming months. It is intended that the newsletter will be circulated bi-monthly, including updates from our Head Pro Barry Hurt and Head Greenkeeper Ellis Wilson. I will also be inviting our Club Captains, Committee Chair Mark Highfield and Handicap Secretary Roy Cullis to provide their updates in future editions.

Firstly, I would like to thank you for your continued support over the last 8 months. We have seen a significant increase in the cost of goods (food, refreshments and shop goods) and a 600% increase in our electricity bill. This has resulted in us having to increase our prices in the Bar, Shop and for our Memberships. However in this time we have started to renovate the Clubhouse and make changes to our menus etc. which will hopefully benefit our members in the future.

Please continue to support the Club in 2023 by making use of our facilities and embracing the positive changes.

Memberships

The 2023 Membership rates have recently been published. The difficult decision was made to increase the tariffs by 20% due to a number of the factors mentioned above. However, we have now included an OAP 7-day Membership, Joint Membership and a Family Membership. Society and Hospitality Rates have also seen an increase.

Yorkshire Union and England Golf subs are now included in your membership. Details about these subscriptions can be found on our notice boards outside the Pro Shop.

We have recently upgraded our membership to GolfNow/BRS. This system will allow you to access details of your membership, payment details, make payments and more, all from an app on your mobile phone. You will also be able to see what tee times are available on each day. We are currently moving our membership details from our old system to the new one, so please ensure that the details we have for you are correct, which can be updated by emailing memberships@bondhaygolfclub.com. Our long-term plan is to allow you to book your own tee times on the app.

The Course

You will have likely seen our Head Greenkeeper Ellis Wilson out on the course most days. From 30th January, Ellis will take a more strategic role which will allow him the time to plan the work required on the courses, further train and develop our current greenkeepers, research products to assist in keeping the greens and fairways in good condition, and conduct the required health and safety checks.

A tree surgeon is working with the Green Staff at the end of January to take out approximately 45 trees and cut back the canopies. This will free up the team to work on other parts of the course, with the Surgeon continuing to work alongside the Greens team on a monthly basis. It is intended that some of the logs will be bagged up and offered for sale to our customers.

Winter Menu

We have recently launched our Winter Menu, adding new items such as chicken wings, fish & chips and stew & Yorkshire puddings, plus delicious Sunday lunches served from 12 noon every week. Our food is freshly made using locally sourced produce and we have improved the quality and presentation significantly. I hope that you will continue to support the kitchen and bar in 2023.

Mother’s Day

This year we are celebrating Mother’s Day in style, serving a three-course menu with free gifts for all the Mothers. Food will be served in the newly refurbished function room. Members receive a 10% discount on the total bill. We are taking bookings from 12 noon. All welcome. Please refer to posters around the Club or social media for more information and the menu.

Sky

A number of members have asked for Sky TV in the Bar and Function Room. Sky have informed us that we can have access to their channels for £600 a month, basing their calculation on the rentable value of the business. Unfortunately, I cannot justify spending £600 a month on Sky at this time.

Till System

The Bar and Pro Shop’s till system has undergone an upgrade that will soon allow you to use any vouchers against hospitality, clothing and accessories. This will also make it easier for any future discount schemes to be offered to Members using a membership card. The migration is still in place between systems at this current time and updates will be provided when available.

Barrier

A new car park barrier has been purchased and installed. Fobs are available to purchase in the Pro Shop. Alternatively, the code is available from the Bar and the Pro Shop on a day-to-day basis.

Juice Buggy

In 2022, a juice buggy was purchased for use on the course, equipped for selling hot and cold items. It will be staffed on busy days by one of our Pro’s who will move around the course offering hot pasties and sausage rolls, confectionary, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, coffee, tea, Bovril, and freshly made soup. Please support the use of the buggy by purchasing goods while on the course so we can continue to offer this service. Members can request the use of the buggy for any events that they are involved in planning.

Function Room

The Club’s large function room has recently been refurbished and saw use throughout December hosting a number of Christmas parties and weddings. The room is now the perfect place for all types of events such as Weddings, Parties, Christenings, Baby Showers and more, as well as continuing to be used official Club events. A range of food options is on offer, from a formal sit-down meal to a finger buffet and can accommodate 120 for a sit-down meal and 200-250 for an evening reception/party.
We are in the process of creating a bespoke brochure to advertise the function room to Club stakeholders and further afield.

Clubhouse & Bar

Our intention is to renovate and refurbish the Clubhouse in 2023. We have already started renovating the corridors leading up to the Clubhouse and clearing out some of the clutter that has accumulated over the last couple of years. The aim is to make the Clubhouse comfortable and welcoming for our members and our guests. This work will be started over the next few months.
Lockers & Driving Range

I am aware that the Driving Range and the Men’s Locker Room are in need of refurbishment. This will take place at some point in the near future, however other more pressing issues have had to take priority such as replacing equipment in the kitchen, replacing and repairing several pieces of machinery used by the Green Staff, and the new barrier and till system. Further updates will be provided in future newsletters.

Marketing & Website

A new website for the Club has recently been commissioned, which will host a direct link to BRS and a dedicated member’s section. An online shop will offer the opportunity for increased exposure of the Pro Shop and allow people to purchase clothing, footwear and accessories with delivery to your home address or collection from the Pro Shop. The new site will come fully responsive and be regularly maintained, which will be a huge step up from the existing one.

You may have met our new Marketing Manager, Josh, whose role is to continue to increase our visibility through a number of outlets and within the community, whilst updating the corporate identity of Bondhay. Our aim is to attract new business and returning business to the Club. If you have any thoughts or comments, you can reach Josh on marketing@bondhaygolfclub.com.

I’d invite you to follow us on Facebook and Instagram if you don’t already:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bondhaygolf
Instagram: @bondhaygolfclub

Feedback

A suggestion box has now been placed on the corridor wall opposite the Pro Shop. Please feel free to leave any constructive feedback in this box or alternatively (and my preferred option) come in and speak to me when you are at the Club. All feedback placed in the box should have your name and contact details on it so I can contact you to discuss your comments.

Our aim is to promote positivity at the Club, in person and online. I am aware that a minority of our members do very little to promote the changes at the Club and their feedback is destructive, not constructive. This isn’t helpful and I encourage you to work with us for positive change.

General

We have recently experienced a number of people who have been playing on the course(s) after their membership has expired. All golfers (Devonshire and Academy Course) must pay the appropriate green fee before playing, or renew their membership.

Score cards must only be submitted when you have played the course. Any player found to be fraudulently submitting cards will be reported to England Golf.

Please do not go in the Clubhouse in your Golf shoes. Leave them at the door or change into an alternative clean shoes before entering the Clubhouse.
Please rake the bunkers, repair your pitch marks and replace your divots on each hole. This applies to members, members’ guests and visitors. Our Green Staff work hard to maintain the course and it is important that you all follow these very basic rules to preserve the Course for everyone’s benefit.

Finally… I would like to thank you all for your support over the last few months. I hope that you will continue to support the Club and staff during 2023.

Lisa Hardisty - Managing Director