Club Newsletter
Spring 2016
Key Dates
for your
2016 Diary
Irish Night
on Saturday 12th
March at 7.00 pm
Quiz Night with
200 Club Draw
on Saturday 26th
March at 7.30 pm
Freddie Mercury
Tribute Night
on Saturday 23rd
April at 7.30 pm
Jazz Night
and Supper
on Saturday 11th
June at 7.30 pm
Barbeque and
Summer Quiz
on Saturday 16th
July at 5.30 pm
Foreword by the Chair of Committee
It is now just over three months since the AGM when the
new committee structure was put in place resulting in a
“more compact” General Committee of five, being all directors of the new company, each with very well laid out and
specific areas of responsibility. I’m pleased to report this
new structure is working extremely well with excellent lines
of communication established between the five of us resulting in a very good working relationship. The new company,
Wollaton Park Golf Club Limited, has been formed and will
assume total financial responsibility for the running of the
Club from 1st April 2016. I’m also excited to report that we
are literally on the very brink of finally signing the 50-year
lease, which will obviously give us a far better security of
tenure than ever previously experienced before, allowing us
the luxury to look at longer-term strategies for the course
and the clubhouse. The future therefore looks exceedingly healthy for the Club, particularly highlighted by the continuing stream of applications for membership, which are
usually down to the reputation of our fine course.
I was really pleased with the first Members Open Forum (see Page 5) on Wednesday 4th
February, a new initiative although staged with a bit of trepidation, when nearly 70 members came along to discuss many aspects of the Club. We will stage another one this year,
probably in September, but there is no need to wait until then if you want to get in touch
with one of the five chairs of the committees, whose club email addresses can be found
on the “Contacts” page of the Club website and the back page of this newsletter.
Finally, may I, on behalf of the Club, with all the winter weather soon to be behind us
and spring soon to be upon us, wish all members a great season of golf here at Wollaton
Park Golf Club.
Tim Bowler ([email protected])
Handicaps
The changes to the CONGU system for handicapping took effect from 1st January 2016.
As part of those changes the handicap year will now run from 1st January to 31st
December (it was previously April to March). In order to tie in with this change the
annual review of handicaps took place in December. In all adjustments were made to the
handicaps of around 40 players who should all have been notified through
“HowDidiDo”, however, before you play in any competitive events in 2016 you should
check the handicap list in the locker rooms in case you have missed a notification. The
change in the handicap allowance for four-ball better-ball competitions from ¾ to 90%
also came into effect on 1st January for competitions starting in 2016.
Dave Parnham ([email protected])
PAGE
2
Meet the Ladies Captain - Val Semmens
I am Val Semmens and Lady Captain for this year. I have lived in Nottingham since 1964
when I married and have been a member of Wollaton Park Golf Club since the early 80’s. I
noticed on the Honours Board that I won the Harper Cup in 1985 and then again in 2015 thirty years later! I have always enjoyed my golf, particularly the Wednesday competitions
at Wollaton.
We have two sons, one lives in Switzerland and the other in Kent. They, and my five granddaughters, have taken much of my time in recent years but I hope to give more of my time
this year to golf and Wollaton Park. My husband, Vic, is also a member and we hope to
enjoy more mixed golf this year.
The Ladies section has reduced in number in recent years, as with many clubs. I believe
Wollaton is a great course and we have an enthusiastic, friendly and welcoming Ladies
Section. We are attracting new members, with the help of John Lower’s taster sessions, and
are together committed to encourage more lady members. If anyone knows of someone who might consider joining,
please introduce them to me and I will make them most welcome.
Caroline Hart is a most supportive Lady Vice Captain. Caroline has been a member since 2008, joining with her husband and two sons. Over the past few years she has learned a lot about the Ladies Section as a member of the Ladies
Competition Committee and more recently as Match Secretary.
We jointly offer our support to Tim Bowler and the Directors in establishing the new structure for the Club.
Editors Note: The General Committee is very pleased that Val and Caroline have taken on their new roles and
wish them a very enjoyable and successful year.
Update from the Gentlemen’s Captain - Michael Rush
I wish you all a happy golfing year. I was delighted to hear the news that Val has become
Ladies Captain and Caroline her Vice Captain. I wish them an enjoyable year and look forward to working with them. Three months has passed since I received my green jacket and
my “drive-in” filmed by my family. My dream continues as I look forward to theMichael’s
playing Captain’s Drive-In
season. The future of the course is secured with the new lease and the running of the club
in the capable hands of the “five just men”.
My wife Bea and I enjoyed the incoming Captains Evening as we were treated a bit like
royalty. The men’s Christmas Dinner and the Prize Draw with carol singing led by The Salvation Army. My contribution was a verse of Silent Night. Thankfully I remembered the
words as I did not have my glasses and I could read using Bea’s. After Christmas I had the
pleasure of receiving the Third Division Championship Trophy on behalf of the Club at the
Notts. Union of Golf Clubs Annual Dinner at The Park Plaza Hotel in Nottingham.
Being Captain you rely on many people and I would like to thank Neil Highfield for his
support and donation to my charity the Lymphoma Association and also to Liam White, our former Walker Cup player, who donated £200 to use my car park space for two months. We shall have a draws for use of the space for two
month periods from March onwards, £1 per ticket.
It has been a very wet period recently but Martin and his team have done a great job keeping the course playable.
Spring is on the way and as I always say “the thurd week of May the greens come good”. Enjoy your golf.
Editors Comment: Michael is a lovely singer as you will hear at the forthcoming Irish Night and you can view
him singing on “YouTube” if you search for “Michael Rush Immigrant Song” – the song is not about himself
but a fellow Irishman.
He also has a fine wit. After the AGM a long-standing member said to him “That is the best acceptance speech I
have heard in 33 years. I think you will be the most down to earth Captain we have had.” “Probably” replied
Michael “I am only 5 foot 3.”
PAGE
7
Representing Wollaton Park in Inter-Club Matches
We have been finalizing the list of inter club fixtures for men. These are friendly matches played against other golf
clubs in the surrounding area followed by a meal during which players can enjoy a drink, good food and good company. The matches are a mixture of home and away so over the course of a season players can get to play some great
courses all for the price of a meal. The matches are open to players of all levels and usually take place on Thursdays
teeing off around 3.30 pm. It is not a league and match results are for bragging rights only. What matters more is that
you enjoy your golf and the company of the people you play with. In particular, it is a wonderful opportunity for new
members to meet other members and get involved with the life of Wollaton Park Golf Club.
The list of fixtures is likely to be shorter than in previous years which reflects, sadly, the difficulty of our club and others to field teams on too regular a basis. Nonetheless there will still be a good range of games to choose from. Players
do not have to commit to play in all games. It all depends on your availability, although we do like to see players who
play in away matches volunteering for some home matches too. As far as is practically possible we like to give everyone who signs up a fair share of games. The completed list will be displayed on the “Matches” notice board in the
gents’ locker room. There will be copies to take away with you and a sheet for you to fill in to indicate your availability for each match.
It would be good to see some new faces this year as well as of course the players who loyally supported us in previous
seasons. So give it a go, you won’t be disappointed. For further details, contact David Parnham via the email address
From John Lower: I’d like inform the members that Shaun Smith is moving on to pastures new to take up the
Head Professional’s position at Mansfield Golf Club and Driving Range, where he commences duties at the
beginning of March. I feel sure that everyone would like to join me in giving him our best wishes for his future
venture and in thanking him for the help and support he has given me over the last few years. On a happy note,
I am pleased to announce that Glyn Krause will be joining my team. For those of you who don’t know Glyn he
was a member of Wollaton Park Golf Club during the 80’s. achieving a handicap of +1. He had an impressive
amateur record winning the Wollaton Stag on more than one occasion, The Leicestershire Fox, and the Sherwood Forester plus many more titles. He turned Professional and gained a European Tour card in 1989 and
achieved a top 10 finish on the tour during 1990. He later became Head Professional at Elton Furze Golf Club
in Peterborough for many years before returning to Nottingham. He will be starting with us in the middle of
March and brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience.
Club’s New Tractor
You may have seen the Club’s new tractor around the course while
playing a round which was acquired towards the end of 2015. It’s a
John Deere 4066R Compact Utility Tractor with a 66 BHP diesel engine, automatic transmission with 4-wheel drive and has the ability to
have all sorts of attachments connected to it. It’s also one of the cleanest tractors around with a diesel particulate filter which reduces harmful emissions by 80%.
Martin, our Head Greenkeeper, says the extra power the new tractor
has over the old one it replaced, which was 30 years old, makes life a
lot easier and it does jobs quicker around the course, like verti-draining,
pulling trailers and boring holes. He says detaching the front loader is
only a one-man job whereas with the old tractor it took three men.
Editorial Note: I would to say a big thank you to Steve Ackling who resurrected the newsletter after several
years of not being published. I now have the job of editing it however if anyone would like to volunteer to assist
me then I will be most grateful. I encourage members to send to me articles they think will be of interest to members and any snippets of information that I could include.
At Christmas the Club received a card from BIGGA, the greenkeepers association and on the front was a lovely
photo of Wollaton Hall taken from our course with snow on the ground. The photographer was our member,
Iain Robertson.
PAGE
6
House & Social
The House & Social Sub Committee are now up and running with myself as Chair, Rosemary Bow, Neil Highfield,
Lee Wheeler and Paul Williams forming the group. There is the possibility of one further person joining but the group
has deliberately been kept “tight” on the basis that when needed, we will seek help on specific projects or work/social
areas from club members that are able to do so.
2016 promises to be a busy year. In addition to the work carried over from 2015, there are some major and urgent
works that need to be driven forward in or around the clubhouse. These include replacing our antiquated heating system (target date for completion summer 2016) and the provision of disabled access and toilet facilities which, as priority projects, will run with the more general maintenance duties and forward planning activity.
Needless to say, social activities are also high on our agenda. In addition to the golf, these are considered key to
members getting to know each other and fully utilising the facilities the Club has to offer. No one underestimates the
challenges faced but we will push hard to make sure we have a good and fun year. We have two major events planned
for spring 2016, first is the “Irish Night” on Saturday 12th March, with an excellent musician, some sprightly dancers,
hearty food and quality drink on offer it promises to be an excellent evening. Next up will be the “Freddie Mercury
Tribute Extravaganza” on Saturday 23rd April that should be superb. Look out for posters and ticket availability on
the usual clubhouse notice boards and website. We aim to have our full social programme published in February – so
watch this space!!
Everyone using the clubhouse recently will have seen that the new till and billing system for the bar and restaurant is
now up and running. The system offers greater accountability and security and to be honest, brings us into the 21st
century and is long overdue. That said, it is different and has been tricky to implement, so please be patient if there are
any teething problems and offer your support to staff.
As said, 2016 will be a busy year with a fair bit of change and challenge thrown in. Please
feel&free
to speak to any
Ewan
Robert
of the H&S Sub-Committee members who will welcome positive suggestions and ideasJubilee
that can
contribute
to our
Trophies
Winners
planning for a successful future at WPGC.
Ken Johnston ([email protected])
Finance Matters
It was reported at the AGM that the Club’s financial position was in a pretty healthy state following the build-up of a
decent reserve over the last two financial years. On the signing of the new 50-year lease, which is imminent, the annual rent we pay to the city council will fall from £100k per annum to £72.5k per annum and this new rent level will be
backdated to November 2014, creating an additional reserve, however a good part of that will be taken up by having
to pay Stamp Duty of around £15.5k. One of the immediate benefits to members of the new rent is that the General
Committee have been able to decide that annual subscriptions should remain the same as last year for the forthcoming
season with Full Social annual membership being reduced to £60 and Retired Players Social annual membership being
reduced to £30 pa.
One of the terms of the new lease is that we must provide disabled toilet facilities in the Clubhouse within a year of
signing which will be budgeted for in the coming financial year at around £15k. We will also be budgeting for an
additional spend on the greens staff in the form of an additional assistant greenkeeper to ensure the course is maintained to the highest level possible within the Club’s overall financial constraints.
The heating system, including the boiler which has been supposedly on it’s “last legs” for the last fifteen years, will
have to be replaced sooner rather than later, and I would anticipate that we will be looking at around £30k as a reasonable budget figure for this work which will be tendered out for quotations soon.
I’ve mentioned in the past that the main “thrust” of the General Committee is always going to be to provide the best
member’s club we possibly can with the resources available to us but with a constant eye on the business side of
things, particularly with regard to continuing to attract new “customers”, especially in the shape of members from other clubs wishing to join us. That’s definitely been the case of late with a stream of new applications for membership
which really helps to give us a fair degree of certainty with regard to our income levels in the near future. The best
advert we currently seem to have for the Club is the growing reputation of our course in copingClive
with Chambers
all the wet
weather experienced over the last few months!
Tim Bowler ([email protected])
PAGE
3
Course Report
‘The wettest winter since records began’ was reported in December in most of the media outlets! Certainly, the
weather has set some real challenges for both the players and for the playability of the golf course. The situation
was discussed at the recent meeting of the Course Committee and it was agreed that a number of actions would be
necessary if next winter is as wet! One idea mooted was the use of small playing mats, particularly on holes 4/5/6,
In addition, greater restrictions on the use of buggies and trolleys when conditions are particularly bad was also
discussed.
The Head Greenkeeper has reported that the Winter Work Programme is progressing well and a large number of
bunkers have been renovated. He has also reported that the re-laying of the men’s 13th tee and the additional sprinkler’s to both the men’s tee and ladies’ tee is almost completed. A number of leaks on the watering system have also
been repaired. The demands that are placed on our watering system have increased substantially! There is a need to
start upgrading and installing larger diameter pipework to at least two large areas of the golf course. If such work is
undertaken, members will be informed prior to the work taking place.
The condition of certain bunkers continue to be a source of real concern for many members. A list of bunkers that
have been particularly problematic in 2015 has been discussed. Some of these bunkers, where drainage is a problem, have since been deep tined and these appear to have improved. There are however, a few bunkers that still create particularly challenges. This matter will be pursued further and if problematic bunkers are identified after the
refurbishment programme has been completed, we will seek outside quotations to potentially rebuild these bunkers.
Members may have noticed that much of the course seating has been removed. This bench seating is undergoing
refurbishment and will be re-installed in the next two months when there will also be a few additional benches as
well!
The Course committee has also agreed to an audit of the golf course via an agronomist report. This report and other
additions over recent years will help us to fully revise the Course Policy Document.
At this early stage a number of possible developments are under consideration and further details of these proposals
will be made available to all members. The areas currently being considered are the refurbishment of the nine-hole
pitch and putt course and the installation of a watering system and the provision and location of three new practice
nets.
Jim Glazzard ([email protected])
Editors Note: Jim was walking through the lounge recently when a member said “Jim, since you took charge of
the course…...” Jim smiled waiting for the obvious compliment that was coming his way “….the weather has
been absolutely awful.”
More Equipment for the Course?
The Club is currently considering the acquisition of a Campey Air 2G2 self
-propelled, hydrostatic drive, three-probe air injection machine, injecting
Louis effect
Willeyof
compressed air to either 7” or 12” deep. This causes a fracturing
the compacted root-zone, with no surface disruption. Air is injected vertically and horizontally over an area of 5ft to 12” deep. This “one-of-a-kind”
machine immediately relieves compaction, aides in surface water drainage
by creating larger pore space in the soil sub-surface, balances the water to
air ratio within the soil and encourages positive microbial activity. The
increase in air space within the soil means there’s more room for roots to
grow and the deeper the roots grow, the more resistant the turf is to
drought conditions. Most problems concerning turf on golf courses can
generally be attributed to compaction in one way or another. The Club will
soon receive a demonstration of this machine, which costs around £25k.
Editors Note: Phil “Lefty” Mickelson, who plays left-handed, is actually right handed. He learned to play golf by
mirroring his father's golf swing, and he has used left handed golf clubs ever since.
P A G EP A4 G
6 E
6
Men’s Scratch Team Success
The photo shows members of our Men’s Scratch Team at the Nottinghamshire Union
of Golf Clubs’ Annual Dinner at the Park Plaza Hotel in Nottingham on Friday 8th
January. From left to right: Ian Newlove, Dominic Tinsley, behind the Captain,
Michael Rush, and Marc Walters.
Our Scratch Team, captained by Gary Shepherd, were the NUGC Scratch Inter-Club
League Division 3 Champions for 2015 and have therefore been promoted to
Division 2 for 2016.
Tim Bowler & Jim Glazzard met with Nottingham City Councillors Steve Battlemuch & Alan Clark recently at
Loxley House to discuss issues affecting the Club the City could potentially help us with. Apart from the lease
many other items were discussed including the repair to the personnel gate by the cattle grid (now fixed), the
state of Lime Tree Avenue with regard to the potholes and speed bumps needing repair and the provision of
“brown direction signs” . It was hoped that the Club could get involved with “Sport Nottingham” to promote the
game of golf to youngsters during the summer holidays and also attend “Friends of Wollaton Park” meetings.
TO STAY UP TO DATE! CHECK OUT: www.wollatonparkgolfclub.com
Bunker Systems for Better Drainage
As you know we have some really problematical bunkers (see page 3) on the course that don’t drain very well. This is
usually down to the original method utilised to construct these bunkers way back in the 1920’s where a brick base was
often used. There are several new systems available for renovating bunkers which usually revolve around the laying of
a base of gravel or concrete pellets and then binding it together using a binding polymer. It is essential that the drainage system under the base of gravel or concrete pellets has to be assessed as fully adequate before work commences.
One of these systems was originally called the “Enhanced
Bunker Drainage Method”, the primary features of this bunker specification are a two-inch gravel layer applied over
the bunker floor and herringbone tile system capped with a
geo-textile liner. The gravel serves as a conduit for water to
transfer down the bunker floor slopes into the drainage
system, thus greatly reducing and/or eliminating sand
movement. The liner secures the gravel blanket and preWinnersthe
Neilpre& Lesley
vents native soils underneath from contaminating
ferred bunker sand that was installed overtop the liner.
This method has consistently reduced manpower requirements, and therefore costs, in bunkers following rainstorms
by 80 percent or more. This method currently replaces the
liner with a manufactured polymer binder to hold the gravel
blanket in place, altogether eliminating the need for liners,
which often can get damaged by rakes and golf clubs,
becoming exposed around the edges and aesthetically unpleasing.. The polymer binder allows water to pass through
the gravel or concrete pellets at more than 1500”+ inches per hour. This method has been tested on hundreds of courses throughout the world and while these courses are located in varying climate conditions, one factor remains the
same; excellent playing bunkers without big puddles of water. It is possible the Club may test one of these systems on
two or three of our worst performing bunkers in the not-too-distant future. It is estimated that an average sized bunker
would cost in the region of £1,500 to £2,000 to renovate but would give a lifetime expectancy of enhanced use
between 20 –25 years.
Jim Glazzard ([email protected])
Editors Comment: The Club is honoured that Joan Underwood enters her third and final year as President of the
Nottinghamshire County Ladies Golf Association and that Alan Watson has become President of the
Nottinghamshire Golf Captains Society for 2016.
PAGE
5
Membership & Marketing
Last year the general committee introduced restrictions on visitors (apart from member’s guests) at weekends and
bank holidays to leave the course free for members. At the same time green fees were increased so that they were
consistent with those at courses of similar quality. We need to generate about £95,000 pa from societies and visitors
and with the new arrangements we will still achieve this target. We have reviewed the impact of these changes, they
have worked well and we have decided to maintain these restrictions.
Each year about 8% of members cease to be playing members for a variety of reasons. So every year we need about
50 new applicants to join the club and that target has been passed this year. I have been interviewing new applicants
and the over riding reason given for wanting to join the club is the recommendation of current members and the
quality of the course. Even those applicants moving into the area have generally initially played several local courses
to test them before choosing Wollaton Park. Most of the male applicants have a handicap of 12 or less and want to be
7-day members which puts additional pressure on tee times for Saturday competitions. The number of lady members,
although lower than in recent years, is around the average for clubs in England but we need to attract more lady
members with handicaps that will enable us to continue to compete in the county leagues.
The number of junior and cadet members has decreased and we will not have a club team this year. We are looking at
initiatives to encourage youngsters to take an interest in golf and will publicise them when we have firm proposals.
The number of members at the end of December was 483 male and 67 lady playing members, plus 17 county
members and 19 intermediate members, of which nearly 400 are eligible to play on Saturdays, hence the pressure on
tee times. A restriction on the pre-booking of tee times by past captains and committee members was introduced last
year, it has worked relatively well but will continue to be monitored.
We have also looked at how we “market” the Club to societies who are looking for a venue in this area. Tom Muir is
managing our web site and I will be working with him on continual enhancements and linking-in with social media
with which, I have to admit, I am not all that familiar!
John Todd ([email protected])
Members’ Open Forum
The Members’ Open Forum held on Thursday 4th February was well attended by about 70 members and covered a
wide range of topics that will appear on the agendas of the General Committee and it’s various sub-committees over
the next few months. The following is a summary of the key topics discussed:
1. Now we have a agreed a long lease the committee was asked to develop a long term for course maintenance and
development.
2. Care of the course in winter – should it have been closed more often, use of mats or similar plastic material
(an example was displayed by a member) to protect fairways.
3. Proper buggy paths close to tees to reduce damage.
4. Best way for staff to rake bunkers – by hand or machine.
5. Should the shoe and trolley cleaner be re-sited.
6. Our approach to staff training and development.
7. The balance between singles competitions, better balls, greensomes etc and social golf particularly on Saturdays.
8. Re-establish 9 hole evening competitions.
10. General request for better information for members, particularly about proposed changes to the course, and to
receive feedback when matters are raised by members.
11. There was discussion about social events and their format and also about a relaxation of dress code to encourage
members and guests, especially young families, to use the clubhouse when walking in the park.
12. Information was provided about current membership numbers followed by thoughts on encouraging young people
to take up golf in this club.
The General Committee will fully consider all these points which were raised and will report on any actions taken.
The next forum will be in September.
Editors Note: The closing date for entry into the Club knock-out competitions is Monday 4th April by which time
all entry fees should be paid.
Snippets
Seniors’ Golf
USEFUL CONTACTS
Tim Bowler
Chair of Committee & Finance
[email protected]
Jim Glazzard
Chair of Course
[email protected]
Dave Parnham
Chair of Competitions
[email protected]
Ken Johnston
Chair of House & Social
[email protected]
John Todd
Chair of Membership & Marketing
[email protected]
Avril Jamieson
Club Secretary/Manager
[email protected]
General Enquiries 0115 9787574
Professional’s Shop 0115 9784834
Steward 0115 9787585
Catering 0115 9787341
Website:
www.wollatonparkgolfclub.com
Wollaton Park Golf Club Ltd.
Lime Tree Avenue, Wollaton Park
Nottingham NG8 1BN
Newsletter Editor: John Todd
Layout: Tim Bowler
Nottingham’s
Premier Golf Club
A course for all seasons
Coxmoor, Kedleston Park, Beeston Fields, The Leicestershire, Rushcliffe, Erewash Valley, Stanton, Rufford Park, Longcliffe, Melton Mowbray, Radcliffe.
These are all Clubs which the Seniors play friendly matches against. If you are
aged 55 or over you could be playing one of these fantastic golf courses as a member of our Seniors Team. Enjoy 18 holes of friendly four-ball, a tasty lunch and a
chat to some, nice old chaps from one of these clubs, all for the cost of the meal
(usually about £12). Hopefully you will also be there to welcome them when they
make the return visit to Wollaton Park. All you need to do is to put your name
down on the list that goes up on the Seniors Noticeboard, a few weeks before the
fixture, when you will have an 85% chance of playing. All matches start between
9.00 am and 11.30 am so you will be driving home in the daylight. Home matches
are always played on a Monday morning. If you would like to be kept up to date
then just send an e-mail to the Seniors Organiser, Derek Allwright
([email protected]). 47 members played last season, some played one
match, some played many. Bob Forbes is our Seniors’ Captain for 2016 and Ian
Culley, his Vice-Captain.
Scrubbers
How’s this for an unplayable lie!
Barry Moore is this year’s President with his Chief Stirrer being Phil Caulton. The
“Scrubbers” usually play on the first Sunday in the month at 7.45 am when all
members are welcome to turn up and meet some new friends. Proceedings following the golf , including the Junior Ball Draw, are usually finished by 1.00 pm.
Ladies’ Golf
A busy golfing season approaches and the ladies have been swotting up the rules of
golf with a quiz at the Ladies Coffee morning. Two early season friendlies have
been arranged and the Taskers team will be playing at Rothley Golf Club in the
first round and in the Ladies inter-club knockout first round we play Chilwell
Manor Golf Club. The taster sessions for ladies thinking of taking up golf have
gone well and we are always looking for ways of attracting lady golfers to the Club.
Past Captains
As commented by the Chair the new General Committee is working well. One of
the effects though is the change to the roles of the Immediate Past Captains. In the
past they have continued for a year on the General Committee acting as “wise advisors”. Now they suddenly have no official role after being Captains but their experience and knowledge is still very valuable. So Fran and Ian you are still needed!
Tees to go “Gender Free”!
I spotted an article recently discussing the merits of making all tees available to all
players. Ladies who wish to could play off the white tees and men, who are not
hitting the ball so far as they once did, could play off the red tees. Maybe we
should think about introducing “gender free” tees at the Club?
From the Club’s Archives
In 1926 the construction of the course was already underway and work started on
planning the clubhouse. The first Extraordinary General meeting of the club was
held in January 1946 following notice from the council’s Estates Committee of
their intention to terminate the club’s tenancy as from 31st March. After much
negotiation a new lease was agreed. Seventy years later we have just agreed the
first long term lease. Also in 1946 lady members were allowed on the pitch and
putt course for the first time. New teapots were purchased in 1966 replacing the
originals from 1927. The Club has only ever had four professionals in nearly 90
years: Edmund Williamson (1927-1960), Maurice Youings (1960-1972), Roger
Hastings (1972-1991 and John Lower, who celebrates 25 years at the Club in
October this year. (Information taken from the history of “Wollaton Park Golf Club” by Allen Gofton, 2000)