CAPTAIN'S CHAT
It is just amazing that we are almost at the end of yet another very successful summer season. So much has gone on over the past few months that I felt it wise to summarise and update you on where we are with projects and what we will be doing in the winter season to improve your golfing experience on this wonderful course of ours.
Bookings:
This topic, as always, has been highlighted in the survey and we had representation from a group of members. At this point in time we can’t do too much but we do commit to investigating the issue and will quantify all aspects and report back to you as soon as possible. Having said that we have to take cognisance of the fact that Erinvale has some unique issues that most other clubs do not face. Our course is very busy with an excess of 46 thousand rounds played annually with the majority between the months of November and March. Forty percent of our members are swallows and are here on holiday and want to play just about every day of the week. Then we have to deal with the influx of overseas guests/visitors who want to play one of the best if not the best course in the Western Cape. What we have to do here, is try to balance this pressure as the financial contribution the visitors make, is significant and helps to keep our subscriptions down.
New SAGA Handicap procedures:
You would all have received the new regulations in the last few days with regards to how your handicaps will be calculated which in short is that it will be adjusted during the night of the day you entered the score. It will in effect be a live system. Please take note that if you have an open round when you play your next competition you will need to have that round entered the day before you play or you will not be allowed to compete.
With this change in mind, we will be implementing and enforcing the rule that all score cards will need to be completed, signed and handed into the pro shop within ten minutes of completing your round. Any cards not handed in within this time frame will not be considered in the competition results.
Locker rooms:
At the AGM a motion was proposed and approved for the committee to look into fixing and upgrading the men’s locker room. The committee has decided to include the ladies locker room at the same time. This is a sizable project and we hope to have proposals with costs ready for the committee to approve before the end of April. If approved the plan is to use the week of 9 May as the course will be closed for hollow tining thus minimising any inconvenience to members and guests.
Greens:
Hollow tining will take place the week of 9 May and after the success of the last one, we will close the course for the entire week. This will allow the team to work uninterrupted and will also minimise the time to get you back onto the course. We understand the frustration of not being able to play your course over this period and the difficulty until the sand has been absorbed, but it is a very necessary procedure if we are to continue to have the magnificent greens we are known for.
Bunkers:
After years of complaints and the results of the survey where this was the hot topic, we have had Phil Jacobs, of The Gary Player Design Group, pay us a visit recently. He was part of the original design team that built Erinvale so it was good to have him do a full site inspection. He had some good comments/suggestions and will be putting a proposal together for us to review and decide on the way forward. This should be available for discussion by the end of March.
While on this subject I am very disappointed to notice a marked increase in the number of bunkers that are not being raked by players, visitors and members alike. This is just not good etiquette and is very penalising on those who play behind you. We do not have a team of workers or caddies to rake them after you. It is your responsibility to rake them correctly and leave them in pristine condition. It is not good enough to simply drag the rake behind you as you walk out. If you are not sure of the correct procedure to rake a bunker I am sure our Director of Golf will gladly give you instruction. Please ensure you adhere to this in the future and do not force your committee to take drastic action on those who are reported for not raking a bunker.
Water:
Without this precious resource we can’t survive and we are in the middle of the worst drought in living memory. The fact that our course is in such magnificent condition is due to the timeous introduction of the new borehole we sunk late last year. It has given us the much needed additional water as our old boreholes were not producing the required amount to see us through the hot, dry summer months. Easter has yet again brought relief rain and the 40mm on Saturday was very welcome and hopefully signs of a wet winter to fill the dams and underground water table.
We also owe a huge vote of thanks to Greg Leckie and his team who have managed our water resources with diligence and produced the best conditioned golf course in the Western Cape under very tough conditions. Greg, your knowledge and passion for Erinvale is appreciated and on behalf of the entire membership, thank you.
Cart path:
As you will see we are moving along nicely with the new path on the 16th hole. This was needed as the old path was breaking up badly and was getting dangerous in places. It was also felt that it was always in play besides the noise and disruption to the homes. The new path along the fence will be less visible and is far more out of play. We only have a few more to do until they are all of the same standard and safe for travel. We are doing them in order of priority and available resources with the next requiring attention being the 13th.
Food & bev:
This too has been a very hot topic and we admit that it has been a very difficult time for all to, firstly understand the issues and secondly to implement a strategy to resolve the problem. We are confident that we have turned the corner and are on the way back to where we produced good quality food.
We have had a consultant in to observe and generate a report for us to work on. This went beyond food and included service levels as well. Some of this can’t be fixed in a day but the process has started and we believe that we will be delivering an excellent experience very soon. Judging by the comments from the last few functions we are on the right track. Paramount in making a success of this is the sourcing of quality food. The best chefs in the world cannot produce good food from poor quality produce and it is in this area where we can’t compromise.
Survey:
This was quite successful and it was great to see such a good response, better than we anticipated. We will be sending a summary that will be easier to absorb by the end of March.
Geese:
At the beginning of last year the numbers of geese on the course was reaching alarming proportions and the mess from their droppings and the damage to the greens, was unacceptable. This is not only on Erinvale but all over the Western Cape and the reason Cape Nature has declared them vermin. Unfortunately they have no natural predator so they invade areas such as golf courses that have lush green grass and dams for them to breed in. Obviously we can’t go around shooting them, as is the practice in many other golf courses, as we are a housing estate so we needed to look into alternative methods of persuading them to go elsewhere.
Ash, our geese chasing dog, has done a good job but it was not sufficient as they just fly into the dams and wait for her to move on. We employed the services of a company that specialises in bird control with the use of birds of prey to harass them. Due to the fact that the geese are such large birds the traditional Peregrine falcon could not be used so a hawk was chosen. The hawk is of similar size but unfortunately is the same speed as the geese so it needs to get close before being released to have any effect. This has been a very successful exercise and with the combination of Ash the numbers of geese has been reduced considerably. We still have a couple of pockets to deal with but I am sure you will agree that was well worth the cost and effort. Another benefit is that the other birds we used to see on the estate are now returning.
Owls:
Cape Nature recently released four Spotted Eagle owls in the trees at the 17th. The hope was that they would stay and help with rodent control. They have been seen regularly and are quite used to humans allowing you to get quite close. This picture I took while playing the 17th recently and was so relaxed considering I was almost in touching distance. Wonderful.
Spike bar & deck:
It has been noted that the bar area is looking a bit tired and needs a bit of a face lift. The furniture is outdated and too dark. The air conditioning is not effective especially in the very hot months so this will be looked into as well. The deck is also breaking up in many places and is a danger to members and guests so this will need to be replaced soon.
That’s enough from me for now. All that remains is to wish all our overseas members bon voyage and we look forward to seeing you back in the summer. To those staying behind I look forward to seeing you on the golf course and in the clubhouse. Prize givings are going to be very quiet!!
Auf wiedersehen, Vaarwel, Beste groete, Best wishes
Dean
UPCOMING EVENTS
Masters
Our next Major is the Masters which is to be played on the 9th April and this year we have added a Par 3 contest that will be played to the exact distance as the Augusta National Par 3 course which they play on the Wednesday before the Masters. We will be hosting it on Friday the 8th April in the afternoon before our Masters. So don’t miss out on this event and we the first to put your name on the trophy.
Click to enlarge
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