We are coming to the end of the golden weather and renovation work is progressing aplenty.
The 11th and the 16th are looking well drained, 4 & 5 are next, and with luck and good weather should be playable by Thursday in time for WGI Women's 9 hole inter club event. TK and the team of staff and volunteers will be doing their best.
I really do want to praise TK, staff and the 'magnificent seven' (you all know who you are) for getting on and getting the job done. When it became clear that the quote for a contractor to do the work was going to blow out, TK simply took it on himself to get this work done. While I know he gets paid (as do the staff), this really is stepping up against the odds. Great effort. Thank you. I'm sure all club members will (in time) be very grateful for you going above and beyond your normal and expected duties.
By the time the golden weather is well and truly gone we hope to have completed the first stage of work to holes 11,16,4,5,and 3 (and with luck some work on 12). The trenches will be filled with aggregate, novaflow and sand and will be topped off with grass and seed in the autumn. It's likely that there will be significant GUR for a while until the grass strikes and we get turf on the surface.
A reminder that once the drains are done (as much as they can be in this first tranche) then the second coring of the greens will occur (starting Tuesday 9 April). You can expect the greens will beome slow and bobbly until the seed strikes and the greens can once again be groomed. The benefit of this second coring will become evident from healthier greens and surrounds. The first coring has made a huge difference and ridding our greens of remaining weed and disease will be a bonus. Again, time will tell, but there will be some short term discomfort.
It is Easter and a good time to raise some cash for our course renovations.
Make up a team of four and let Keith know (on the sheet in the foyer) or by email to clubhouse@karorigolf.co.nz
$100 per team with a green fee of $10 for affiliated visitors.
Mitre 10 have donated $1000 in prizes and these will be augmented to boost the total prize pool.
There will be a shotgun start at 10am on the day.
This event follows shortly after Easter and is always well patronised by Karori Golf Club Members.
The Course will be Closed for the day for the tournament until after 2.00pm.
There will be a Commemoration at 8.00am prior to tee off at 8.30am.
Multi Tee Start.
Entries close on Wednesday 24 April at 4pm to allow for a draw to be completed.
The entry fee this year is $20 for members and $30 for affiliated visitors. The fee includes a cooked breakfast prior to the commemoration and the tees will have the traditional libation available for fortification purposes of course.
There will be a generous prize pool and the Fraser Smith Trophy will be awarded to the best Karori player on the day.
Please encourage all your friends and associates to enter. While the day has it's solemn remembrance side it is also a wonderful club occasion.
Everyone welcome, and everyone is good enough.
3. Seriously - We need more members.
As things stand right now we have 385 members of which just on 250 could be classed as playing members.
For a "City" club (even if in a rural setting) this is low.
Without affecting anyones playing access the club could urgently use a hundred new or returning members.
Our best advertisement is our members. We all know why we like being club members and how we enjoy our special course.
The easiest way to increase our membership is by word of mouth. Every club member who introduces a new member gets a two month extension on their membership for each new member that they introduce. If we all introduced one new member each, job done.
While there is absolutely nothing we can do about where we are there is much to like about our golf course. Talk it up when you are with other golfers. You never know, others may be looking for a change of scene. Let's get them thinking about us as somewhere to go.
And we have a sweetner! Any new person, or returning member (who has been away from the Karori Golf Club for two years or more), may join for 16 months for $995. That's a pretty good offer.
4. Eclectic Results
True confessions of a club captain time.
Getting a result from the eclectic is going to take a while.
I allowed the eclectic to be played off all tees to encourage everyone to enter, and while it had that result the downside is that it is impossible to determine a true half handicap for anyone who played on other than the white tees. Consequently I am going to have to do the calculation manually for each golfer. There is a way to do it, but it is laborious and will take me some time.
All the same I am on to it. I may have a result by the end of the week.
For now I can report that far and away the best gross score was Adrian Porter who scored 54 birdieing every hole except 9 and 17 (par) and 14 (eagle). That's impressive Adrian. Great effort.
5. This weeks golf
a) Women
Our 18 hole women are playing round 2 of their Medley, as are the 9 hole women too. With luck the weather will co-operate tomorrow.
While there may be some drainage work going on, it will be possible to play most holes and if necessary to ring out two points on any hole which for safety reasons is out of play.
b) Wednesday Competition
Wednesday Competition is also likely to be disrupted by drainage work the details of which will be outlined as soon as possible.
All the same, be at the clubhouse by 10.15am for the disc draw. Tee off is at 10.30am.
$5 covers your entry to the competition and buys a raffle ticket.
Fields have been good recently so get along and enjoy the company of other golfers. All members and affiliated visitors are invited to enter.
c) WGI Womens 9 Hole Membership Inter Club
Karori are hosting the WGI 9 Hole Membership Inter Club this Thursday with the course closed from 7.30am until 1.30pm.
Ten clubs from the Wellington area will be enjoying our course and contesting their inter club competition for 2024. We wish all the teams well and hope that our Karori Women enjoy hosting their guests on Thursday.
d) Thursday Twilight
As we get to the end of the golden weather fields have diminished a bit so come along while the daylight lasts and have some fun. Remember it is Friday Eve, so you can get a head start on a good weekend. Good golf from the short tees and a gourmet barbecue at the conclusion of the golf equals a great evening out.
e) Collegians
The course is closed all day for the Collegians Tournament.
No tee times are availble after 6.56am.
f) Autumn Cup - Saturday
Round 5 of the Autumn Cup will be played on Saturday 9 March.
Make up your own fours and go.
After four rounds, first equal on 10 competition points are Cathal Curtain, Nelson Laureles, and Terry McAlister, while a point further back is Jonty du Toit on 9 competition points.
All to play for here.
g) Sunday Club Day
Sunday Club Day is supported by Shirties, Matts Mobb and Gaskies; and it is competent for golfers to make up their own fours and head out.
The Gaskies is designed as an "all comers" group. It exists to provide an opportunity for new golfers and those who may feel that they are not good enough to enter a competition field, to join in with confidence. Cards go on the picnic table and a member of the group draws out the field before tee time. That way everyone is mixed up and you never know who you will meet next. Some of our good new inter club players have started their golfing adventures with this group.
When we say "everyone is welcome" we mean it. Everyone is welcoming and will be more than willing to help you along. When I say it is fun, it really is. The club room chatter afterwards can be quite humorous.
So be at the picnic table by 8.45am for the card draw. We tee off at 9.06am, a reasonably civilised time.
Grant Keats Trophy - Round 2
This will be played on Sunday along with Sunday Club Day.
Those who played round 1 will be able to complete the competition. As this is a trophy event any tie for first will be determined by an 18 hole playoff the following week.
6. WGI - Round 5
After four rounds the divisions are starting to take shape.
Division 2 dropped from first to 4th after their away game at Te Marua (this division is very tight so anything is possible), Div 5 are 3rd after their home game against Carterton, Div 9 are 5th after their away game to Waikanae, and Div 12 (The Hillbillies) are bringing up the rear after their home game against Otaki.
This week Div 2 travel to Martinborough, Div 5 are at Shandon, Div 9 are at home to Masterton and Div 12 have a home game against Judgeford.
Best of luck to all teams, and thank you to all those who turn out game after game to represent the club. There is a good spirit in each of the teams and I'm hopeful that we may be in the hunt at the sharp end of the season.
7. Sunday Results
March Monthly Mdeal: Winner was Gavin Lowe nett 66 on countback from John Stubbe 66 with Lee Moresi on nett 68
LGU and Putting: After Tuesday and Sunday the result is Sin-Yee Hailstone and Denise Marten tied on -6.3
Sunday Club Day: Best of the day was John Stubbe on 40 points from Gail Kirkland and James Philpott both on 37 points.
That's it for this week.
Good luck to everyone representing the club this week.
Remember please be respectful to those working on the drainage and follow the club notices about holes in play and GUR in place to help make the course more playable.
Catch you all again next week.
Mark Peck
Club Captain.