Welcome to the next edition of the Bondhay Newsletter. It would be remiss of me not to start with the recent targeted attack on some of our greens on the Devonshire Course. Events like that are obviously particularly concerning to a golf club and can have huge detrimental effects both in the physical elements of the course and the subconscious approach of members and visiting golfers in the near future.
For those who aren’t aware, seven of our greens were discovered to be heavily damaged on the morning of Sunday 27 September. The nature of the damage suggests that it was premeditated action intent on causing severe disruption to a large part of the golf course, with shovels or similar tools used. The incident was referred to the police and enquiries remain ongoing.
Our greenkeeping team swiftly jumped into action (many of whom were enjoying their usual weekend day off), conducting vital repairs across the day. The process continued for nearly a week afterwards to get the majority off of temporary greens for the following weekend, but full recovery will be an ongoing process. We’re incredibly grateful to each and every member of the team for their work and dedication. Our thanks also go to College Pines GC who kindly dispatched a member of their team to help with repairs on the Sunday, and to Shirland GC who gave many of our members courtesy rounds the week following.
I will be working on ways to improve our overall security in the near future, including the expansion of remote and discreet CCTV cameras and the securing of our boundary perimeter, among others.
Finally, thank you to each and every person and organisation that reached out to show and offer their support online or in person, it means more than we can put into words.
Captains
The handover of Club Captains is fast approaching, so I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Shane Turner for his work and dedication in the role over the last year. Shane has been a pleasure to work with in the role and always showed a balanced approach to whatever matters came across his desk. Alongside his wife and family, Shane has dedicated time to fundraising for the excellent Tom Henson Charity across multiple events, so thank you to everyone that has supported their endeavours.
Chris Bowler, our current Vice Captain, will be picking up the reigns of Club Captain from November. We’re looking forward to seeing Chris transition into the role and wish him all the best for this captaincy year.
Teams
Our congratulations again to all competition winners this year, and to the 6-18 Team for winning the league, which also saw promotion to Division 1. Thank you to everyone who has given their time to take part in competitions and team events this year, whether that be Board Comps, the Scratch Team, 6-18 Team, Taskers, Notts Alliance and everything in between.
Coaching
Following a pause over the summer months to allow you to maximise time on the course, Open Coaching returned on Tuesday 13 October. This is our adult golf coaching series, allowing you to work on many aspects of your game with Barry and Tom. Open Coaching takes place every two weeks on Tuesday nights between 7pm and 8pm. It’s just £7 to take part, which includes unlimited balls on the Range and dedicated time with the Pro team. Ages 16 and above of all abilities welcome.
Weekly Junior Coaching continues to thrive, with many new faces taking up golf, and more regular attendees continuing to build on their skills - including a move to course play in many instances. Junior Coaching is held every Saturday 11:30am-12:30pm, meeting on the Trackman Range. £5 per person for ages 4 to 16. Beginners and more experienced players welcome.
Winter Opening
Now we are sadly plummeting towards the winter season, the Pro Shop and Trackman Range will go back to slightly reduced hours compared to the spring and summer. At the time of writing, the hours are:
Mon-Tue 07:00-19:00, Wed-Fri 07:00-20:00 and Sat-Sun 06:30-19:00.
These hours may adjust further in line with daylight hours as the year goes on and, as usual, will increase again come the spring.
Festive Golf
We have now opened up tee times over the Christmas and New Year period for both members and visitors. Bookings can be made for dates between Saturday 19 December and Sunday 03 January, including for Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Members are welcome to book, but need to do so via the Pro Shop due to the BRS App having a booking window of 10 days. You can do so in person at the Club, or by calling us on 01909 723608.
As usual, there are some great offers to be had for visiting players and societies. Discounted rates start from as little as £20 per person per round, with hospitality available as an advanced add-on or you can order on the day as usual.
Booking in advance is recommend to avoid disappointment. Visitors can book at the link below, by calling us on the number above, or through partner sites such as GolfNow.
https://visitors.brsgolf.com/bondhay#/course/1
Course Maintenance
Pre-scheduled greens maintenance took place in mid-September, with a number of actions taken to improve the short and long term conditions of the playing surfaces. This included a successful round of solid tining (instead of the usual hollow coring) in response the change of conditions owing to the summer’s drought.
We have had a small number of people who have questioned the actions taken during this schedule of works, and even suggest what they would have done. Let me assure everyone that any significant maintenance works are done with the best interest of the greens in mind, guided by a short to long term plan in consultation with agronomists and other relevant third party representatives.
I’m aware of some grumbles regarding the course maintenance taking place ahead of the end-of-season Champions of Champions event, leaving the greens ‘unfavourable’ for such an occasion. The fixtures and course maintenance schedule were agreed in late 2025 by the Member Committee, with input from the Pro Team and Management. Whilst the dates were scheduled in agreement, this will be reviewed and avoided for the 2027 competition season. As it stands, Greens Maintenance will take place in the first week of March and second of September.
Our usual winter maintenance schedule will go ahead as usual between now and the start of the new season, and we hope to expand on ongoing projects such as further removal of selected bunkers and trees, conditions permitting and subject to other tasks. We also hope to tackle obstacles such as tree stumps. Further to this, I’m exploring options to increase efficiency and reduce the reliance on expensive manual equipment. More on this as and when it progresses.
Winter Course
Winter tees and fairway mats are always a topic of hot debate among golfers. Every year, we go back and forth on what the correct route is to both satisfy golfers and protect the course. Usually, we land on continuing to allow full play on the tees, bringing in condition-based rules for fairways etc, and utilising temporary greens when the weather dictates it. However, allowing tees to be used in full over last winter, and then having little recovery time ahead of months of drought, left our tees struggling to catch up this summer.
With that in mind, we’ll be re-introducing the use of winter tee mats over the course of this winter. Where required, these will be secured in landscaped areas in the matching rubber base. As is stands, we will not be building these into permanent structures out of timber or otherwise. We believe it’s more beneficial to allow the mats to be mobile, meaning that they can be taken out of areas that get worn and allow the previous area to rest and recover. Most other courses have their permanent winter tees built next to the paths (to prevent wear from walking to and around the tees), which on our course simply won’t be suitable owing to the angles available through the course layout and tree lines.
Fairway mats are permitted on the course, but are not mandatory. We will be stocking some in the Pro Shop for anyone who wishes to add one to their golfing toolkit.
Buggy rules will be updated as conditions dictate. At the time of writing, buggies are still permitted on fairways. If the weather deteriorates, we will likely move to the 90 degree rule, or paths only in particularly inclement weather.
Membership Payments
A couple of years ago, in response to requests and the increased cost of living’s effects on personal finances, we introduced the ability to split membership subscription payments over three months on direct debit. This has evolved over time into us offering further beneficial payments terms on request, including over greater periods of time or more regular smaller payments.
However, this year has seen an increase in people signing up and being accepted for various plans, only to go on and either not make their payments or make an assumption that they can cancel part-way into their membership year. Our Terms & Conditions of Membership make it quite clear that all memberships are for a period of one year, with the exception of Associate Renewables. Payment schedules not being kept or members ‘disappearing’ causes significant disruption to the Club through cash flow interruption and administration time, which has a detrimental effect on our wider members and customers through a multitude of knock-on effects.
If you are applying for the first time or renewing your membership and wish to use our direct debit schemes, please ensure that you are familiar with our Terms & Conditions of Membership and have suitable means to pay your subscription. Any unpaid balances (that are not part of a standard renewal bill) are subject to administration fees and interest, and may be escalated further if necessary.
Please note that Direct Debits are still available as normal to new and renewing members for those who wish to use it.
Pro Shop
A fantastic range of autumn and winter stock is now available in the Pro Shop from brands such as Puma, Adidas, Under Armour and Callaway, alongside a selection of balls and accessories to suit all players. There’s also now a new coffee machine courtesy of Heavenly Coffee, bringing a higher standard of beverage and matching the bean quality available as barista in the bar.
The off-season is an excellent time to work on any areas of your game that have been causing you issues recently, and lessons with Barry and Tom are highly recommended. If a one-to-one lesson isn’t your thing, you may find our Open Coaching sessions a better fit.
Bar
September saw the bar and function room go through a change of brewery and a complete system refit, bringing Staropramen, Madri, Caffreys Stout, Worthingtons, Aspall and Rekorderlig to the draught lineup. This was a long overdue change after years sporting the limited Heineken brands, and gives us greater access to the drinks available through Molson Coors for any future changes.
Winter drinks are in full flow as well, with the usual pumpkin spice and gingerbread treats in hot and cold options. The team will continue to introduce exciting flavours and variations over the coming months, so keep an eye on the specials boards and menus for more.
The bar and restaurant welcomes both members and the wider public year-round, meaning that you don’t have to be playing golf to visit. With the introduction of fast Starlink wifi, it’s also a great place for remote working and you’re more than welcome to join us for a change of scenery.
Fishing
The opening of the Bondhay fishing lake has been a great success over the last few months, with many fishermen enjoying the tranquility that the location offers. The facility will remain open over the winter, but any works and fallow periods will be managed and dicated by Embryo Angling who care for the lake on our behalf.
A reminder that fishing is by advanced booking only and must be done directly through Embryo’s booking website at www.embryoangling.org/venue/bondhay-lake.
That’s all from me for this edition. I hope you have an enjoyable couple of months golfing and look forward to a further update ahead of the festive season. As always, if you have any questions, feedback or suggestions, our door is always open or you can contact me through the usual channels.
Josh Clarke - Operations Director
As I write my final newsletter as Club Captain, I find it hard to believe how quickly the year has passed. It has been a genuine privilege and honour to represent our wonderful club and serve as your Captain.
Looking back on the season, there have been many memorable moments, firstly congratulations to all the winners throughout the year and also the 6-18 Team on winning the league and getting promoted to Division 1.
I would like to offer my sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to the success of the year. To the management staff, committee members, volunteers, professional staff, green-keeping team, catering staff, and bar team and all the captains of the teams that represent Bondhay Golf Club. Your dedication often goes unseen but never goes unappreciated. The smooth running of the Club depends on your hard work and commitment.
A special thank you must also go to all members who have supported club events, competitions, and charity activities throughout the year. Your enthusiasm and generosity have helped create a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere that benefits us all. To all those that contributed towards my chosen charity whether it was donating prizes or sponsoring holes. A big thank you to all those members and visitors that bought raffle tickets or auction items that help raise a fantastic £3,500 for The Tom Henson Charity.
Personally, I have been humbled by the kindness, encouragement, and friendship shown to me during my captaincy. I have enjoyed meeting members old and new, representing the club at home and away fixtures, and sharing in the many successes and celebrations across all sections of the club.
As one chapter closes, another begins. I am delighted to hand over the captaincy to my successor Chris Bowler and wish him every success and enjoyment in the year ahead. I know they will receive the same support and encouragement that has been afforded to me.
Finally, thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as your Captain. It has been a role I have been proud to undertake and one that I will look back on with great fondness. I leave with many happy memories, great friendships, and immense pride in being part of such a fantastic club.
I wish you all good health, good golf, and many enjoyable days on the course in the years ahead.
Shane Turner - Club Captain
The 2026 golf season is coming to an end and it’s certainly been an exciting year. Thank you to all who took part in the weekly competitions and honours board events accumulating in the Champion of Champions event won by Andy Hunt.
I will ensure the honours boards and trophies are all updated in due course.
Two of our Bondhay teams performed exemplary this season with our club claiming the Notts Alliance league for the 5th year in succession and a fantastic performance by the 6-18 league team promoted into Division 1 in the Sheffield Union league.
As the season draws towards conclusion we have the members AGM at 6pm Tuesday 20th October at Bondhay. The committee will take you through our section finance, Captains for 2027 and committee member individual updates. The AGM meeting is also the opportunity to ask questions you believe will enhance the golfing experience at Bondhay. If you can make it please come along.
Mark Highfield - Club Secretary
