Member Update from the Men’s & Women’s Club Captains
We hope everyone is enjoying the start of the winter golf season and continuing to make the most of our course and club competitions. It can be a bit fresh and wet underfoot in the mornings, but these lovely sunny and still days have been just wonderful.
We wanted to provide an update on two important topics currently being discussed and monitored by the Golf Committee — the updated Frost Policy and the ongoing Gender-Neutral Tee Time Trial.
Updated Frost Policy – Effective Immediately
Following discussion at the recent Golf Committee meeting, an updated Frost Policy has now been adopted and comes into effect immediately.
The revised policy has been introduced to better support the current gender-neutral tee time trial while also ensuring that members playing in official competitions, and club matches are given appropriate priority if there is a frost delay.
As we all know, winter mornings can create challenging scheduling situations, particularly on Tuesdays and Saturdays when competition participation is high. The updated approach is intended to provide clearer guidance and fairer management of tee times when frosty conditions impact play. The short of it is that if there is a competition on, those players that were entered in a competition (trophy comp) get priority as soon as the course reopens over non-competition players, but other than that, you lose you tee time.
We appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation during these winter months and ask members to continue working with Pro Shop staff when delays occur.
Gender-Neutral Tee Time Trial
The club is still only a few weeks into the gender-neutral tee time trial, and the Golf Committee continues to closely monitor how the system is operating.
To date, several member emails and comments have been received, and we would like to sincerely thank those members who have taken the time to provide constructive feedback.
The committee acknowledges there are differing views and experiences regarding the trial, and all feedback is being considered carefully as part of the review process.
One of the positive intentions behind the trial is to create greater opportunity for members to access tee times, play alongside a wider range of fellow members, and encourage an inclusive club environment. It’s been great to see this put into practice with members playing at different times, integrating and filling up the tee sheet.
As with any change, there will naturally be an adjustment period, and we encourage members to continue sharing constructive feedback via email as the trial progresses.
Booking Etiquette & “Ghost Bookings”
An important issue identified during the early stages of the trial has been the occurrence of “ghost bookings.” (where members book in another member to block out a spot, knowing they will not be playing).
We ask all members to please ensure that tee times are booked only for players who genuinely intend to play.
Holding places by entering the names of members who may be overseas, unavailable, or not regularly playing prevents other members from accessing available times. It also limits opportunities for newer members and others to join groups and meet fellow golfers.
The success of a gender-neutral system relies heavily on fairness, consideration, and good booking practices from everyone involved. The committee will continue monitoring booking behaviour, repeat no-shows, and misuse of the booking system throughout the trial period. To date, Thursday has seen the most ghost bookings.
We know many members are doing the right thing, and we appreciate your support in helping ensure fair access for all.
Thank you again for your patience, feedback, and continued support of the club as we work through these initiatives together.
We encourage members to keep an open mind during the trial period and to welcome opportunities to play with different members. Please just book and play as you normally would rather than trying to “block” and “disrupt” others to prove a point, but most importantly, enjoy your golf.
Kind regards,
Nic Schnell
Men’s Club Captain
Joanne Wheater
Women’s Club Captain
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