Chief Executive’s Message
Dear Member,
Annual Member Survey
Members will recall that a full comprehensive survey was circulated to all in 2018 and its results helped the Board shape the Development Masterplan 2035 as well as help the management team to make operational improvements benefitting all members. We have sent small annual surveys on specific topics since, but the Board felt that it was a good time to receive full feedback on the direction of travel for the Masterplan taking into account the effects of the pandemic and other economic factors including changes to working patterns that affect our operation and can shape the Club’s policy, strategy and services.
The 2018 survey had 1400 responses which represented 42% of the membership. While that is deemed a very good response we would hope to exceed it if possible so please make time to complete the survey. The survey will be confidential , co-ordinated as before on behalf of the Club, by GGA Partners. Every adult Member will receive an email from GGA Partners on Tuesday 15th March so please check all your email folders. If you haven’t received it please contact andrew.johnson@ggapartners.com to request another to be sent.
10th Hole Safety Improvements
Work is continuing on the 10th hole based on the recommendations from our Course architect Ken Moodie and Safety Consultant Scott Watson. The resulting designs involve the realigning of the main tee and the creation of mounding between the 10th and 9th fairways for added protection for golfers. The greenkeeping team have taken advantage of the current calm weather to complete turfing of the tee and will now shape the mounding as per Ken’s design. The next step is to agree with the Council’s Planners on what height the protective fencing can be in front of the 10th tee and on the fence perimeter to ensure that balls hit offline don’t enter Priory Lane or neighbouring properties. The planners are also concerned how the proposed fencing will result in the loss of any trees and today we met and reassured them that we are planting numerous new trees to offset this.
You may have noticed the new trees being planted by the 15th tee as part of the new Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Wood started by Peter Bradburn and his team as part of his Tree Management plan for the Club’s whole estate. Peter has talked about the plans in his fortnightly Grass Clippings column but we were relieved to see that we only lost two trees in the recent storms. Two Scots Pines were badly damaged to the right of the 12th hole and again we will look to replace with indigenous species. The full survey of all the trees on the estate we undertook last year was a wise investment as we were able to identify and take down the diseased trees near the car parks that would have surely caused significant damage if they had fallen on the days when the winds were at their strongest.
Art Group Lecture – free to all Members – Tuesday 15th March, 8pm
To welcome back Members in person to listen to the next Art Group Lecture all Members have been invited to listen to: Japonisme to Modernism – how Japanese style changed Western Art:
It covers Van Gogh, Toulouse Lautrec, Monet, Degas, and Whistler as well as architects such as Le Corbusier. It starts at 8pm and you can join in person or by Zoom. Click here for more details
An Evening with Sir Andrew Strauss – April 28th 7.30pm
We don’t often get the chance to listen to and ask questions of someone at the top of a particular sport in the UK. Andrew Strauss has recently been asked to once more head up English Men’s Cricket to take the team to be World No I in Test Cricket as well as in white ball cricket. He achieved it before his wife Ruth passed away and he understandably had to take time away from the game to support his family after such a tragic loss.
Come to hear about his plans for English Cricket, his memories of a glittering career while supporting the very worthwhile Ruth Strauss Foundation on the evening.
Roehampton Charity Regenerate helping people of Ukraine
Andy Smith the leader of local charity Regenerate, is on a mercy mission/fundraise to the Romanian-Ukraine border to help fleeing refugees.
https://twitter.com/RegenerateAndy- Regenerate is the Golf Captains’ (Paul and Tricia) nominated 2022 charity so any support anyone can give would be most welcome – www.justgiving.com/campaign/heartukraine
Best wishes,
Marc