President’s update

Welcome to 2021 even though it is 13 weeks into the year. On the golfing & social front we have continued to build on the 2020 successes despite Covid19 coming back at us for a week. Our two big summer events, The Australia Day Classic & The Leschenault Classic have been run & won. We received excellent feedback from members & visitors who played in those events. In the middle of them was the Summer Cup and it was great to see Ian Fitzgerald visit from Queensland to assist his son who has taken over sponsorship from him of that event.

The Board have been busy looking at the projects we have on our books & allocating priority to where our funding has permitted. One improvement down at the grounds shed is the installation of above ground fuel tanks & they should now be only days away after a very long wait accessing the tanks. Once done that will allow further work to progress to build a new machinery shed & staff facilities.

The priority project, the new entrance road, is moving along steadily under the watchful eye of the special projects co-ordinator, Warren Mezger. Another meeting is set for this week and  a funding submission will be finalised to help take this to completion in 2021. Survey of the area has been undertaken and specialist advice sought to provide the best possible result & value for money. I am hopeful that a commencement date for preliminary roadworks can be announced soon with the intention to have a solid start during winter.

The replacement of our grounds water pumps has risen up the priority ladder and careful consideration is being given to carrying our that important task this winter. The installation of the three new pumps & shed enclosure should set up the club to be free of any major risk to the course for many years to come.

The very large Sydney Blue Gum tree that towers over the 17th green & ladies 18th tee has caused us much angst over the last few weeks since the large branches broke off it. Many comments and much advice have been received from our members, mostly in admiration of the tree, but understanding the dangerous risk that has become evident. The Board have just approved the removal of the tree as the real risk of someone being killed or injured by more falling branches outweighs the benefits of leaving it there. The project has been handed back to the Grounds Committee asking that a survey is conducted of all the River Gums, Blue Gums and Marri trees & implementing a risk reduction plan for them within the next three months.

The issue on the 3rd Hole to minimise the risk to local residents of errant balls entering their properties has been mildly reduced by the current changes. We now are using the ladies tee for the men’s white tee and the installation of Out of Bounds markers along the right side of the fairway has improved things. Although the men’s blue tee has been squeezed to the right side of the tee box, hitting from the front has helped. There is a bit of tree trimming to be done on the right, but we are hopeful by the end of April a final outcome will be agreeable to all parties, especially to our members.

On a lighter note, the club has ordered ten new motorized carts to replace our older ones. These carts have the latest lithium batteries which are maintenance free & have double the life of the old ones. Depending on supply the carts should be delivered by the end of winter.

The Board have approved the appointment of Sam, our Pro Shop casual into part time employment for 25 hours a week. Sam will undertake a Retail Traineeship Program and we look forward to him having a long term future at the club.

Last week I attended the WA Golf Awards night at the Perth Convention Centre to give support to Peta Van Wyk and Norm Ellery who were finalists in the Volunteers of the Year section. Peta for her extensive work with our juniors & Norm for his commitment to veterans golf & hours of work undertaken tackling our parramatta grass infestation. Unfortunately as with BGC, no one came home with the top award, but they will be back next year!

Lastly, we now move into South West Open time and planning is underway to get it back and running after a year of Covid19 interference. Sponsors are in place and requests to volunteers will be out in the next couple of weeks. With the course looking an absolute picture, we are placed to have our best pro event for years. I encourage all members to get involved where they can. Have a great golfing year!

Regards

Geoff Fuller

President