WHALEWATCH

1. WHALEWATCH Whangaparaoa Golf Club Newsletter August 2013

2. A Message from your President

3. TREASURERS REPORT FOR AUGUST 2013 As to be expected getting through June and July and into August, the main winter months, turnover in income did drop. At the time of writing this, we are halfway through August. Bar takings have been down on an average of 30% since May. Cart takings. Our worst month was June where we still came out in the black by $277.00. *Green fees, on an average of 50% down for the June July period. This has meant that we have had to dip into club cash reserves to carry the club through this period. But overall, as we come to the end of the first financial year, income has increased quite well in all areas, except subs. Bar takings for this year to date are $61,054 compared to 2012 when they were $50,345 for the same period. Carts:- These have done well. As mentioned above, June was our worst month, but we still made a profit. To date the carts have made $10,000.00. Green fees. To date we are at $94,630.00 net. Previous year takings were $74,750, less commission to Mayes of $12,239, leaving the club then with $62,511.00 net. The Shop has contributed with a profit to date of $5600.00. The management has now added clothing apparel to hopefully increase sales and lift the image of the shop. The clothing is very good quality and management are confident that the investment was a wise choice and members will support it. So overall, income has increased by a total of $58,437.00, which has been much needed. Subs. Still a major hurdle the club has to overcome. 2012, $272,845 2013, $227,240. A shortfall of $45,605.00 This is because there are less people paying subs due to declining numbers. People stopping playing, leaving the district etc. *This shortfall was responsible for absorbing nearly all the gains made in other areas! *See what we can do about it on the next page!

4. We need your help and you don’t have to be Superman (or Superwoman) Invite friends and family to join you for a game of golf! The next time you are sitting on the loo grab a pencil and write down the names of the people you would like to play a game of golf with. Then give them a call and sort out a date. It’s as simple as that to fix the shortfall in our subs. The bonus will be when you attract a new member to join our club. We need new (younger?) members. This is our club so let us fix our problem!

5. A word about volunteers and the benefits they bestow on us. In each of the preceding Whalewatch editions we have extended thanks to those who continue to make our course just that extra special. Without their help to achieve the same high standard we would need to increase our subs to employ more staff - (something we all want to avoid! ) We are always looking for ways to improve our facility without the need to spend money, and because we know that our members are special and will help if they can, we need to make this request :- your club needs to increase the body of willing helpers who can be trained in the use of our machinery, to take a temporary load off our hard working greenkeepers if they are called to undertake additional duties such as drainage, repairs etc. It is visualised that this would be very intermittent but would ensure that the course is maintained to our current high standard with your help! One golf course just north of us Omaha have aspired to create a “Dad’s Army “of lady members who have organised themselves to maintain all the areas of garden on their course. They now regard this as an additional source of fellowship, fun and hilarity. Come on give it a go – you too can then feel the sense of pride and satisfaction.

6. A HOLE IN ONE PLEASE! It is not often that a Club member makes a hole in one but when two members each make a hole in one in the same week it is extraordinary!!! Firstly:- Roy Adlard on Tuesday the 13th of August on the 11th hole. and then”- Allen Johns on Thursday the 15th of August on the 14th hole. Congratulations gentlemen from all our members. Our Treasurer would have to have mixed feelings, having to dip into the club funds once again for the “shout”, but he assures us that he is full of admiration for our two club members.

7. “The Mens Club Champs" Next month, over the weekend of Sept 21st & 22nd, see’s the Men’s Strokeplay Club Championships, and we really want to see a big field. The format is:- 5 grades ·Senior – handicap TBC ·Intermediate: handicap TBC ·Junior: handicap TBC ·C Grade: TBC ·D Grade:TBC ·Senior, Intermediate, and Junior grades contest over 54 holes. (27 each day) ·C Grade and D Grade contest over 36 holes, (18 each day) ·Theweekend isalso the qualifier for the Mens Matchplay championships where the topplayers from each grade battle it out in a Matchplay Knockout until we get to a 36 hole final. Competition Winners 4 Ball Best Ball Winners: Bill Joy & Bruce Alder Runners Up: Bob Taylor & Geoff GrimwoodDue to Geoff being too ill on the day to play, Bob Taylor had to play Bill And Bruce by himself and nearly pulled it off! Hibiscus Trophy - Best Nett over 2 rounds Winner: Sam Laita Runner Up: Steve Abraham Upcoming CompetitionsElliot Memorial Cup - Best Stableford over 2 rounds - Sat 24th & Sat 31st AugustSeptember Cup - Best Nett over 2 rounds - Sat 7th & Sat 14th SeptemberClub Championships - Sat 21st & Sun 22nd SeptemberAndrew Cup - Par Competition - Sat 28th SeptemberMatchplay Championships - Sat 5th Oct - Sat 26th October Comming Up:- Whangaparaoa Golf Club Annual Charity Tournament Sunday 10th of November!

8. REPORT FROM THE LADIES 9 HOLERS Re Photo:- good “play the lie” on the 13th for a right hander not so good for others!! In Autumn several competitions were wound up with the following results:- Stroke Play Championship Winner Div 1- Shirley Segetin, Div 2 Denise Pond; Ford Cup winner Gayle Nairn, Runner-up Yvonne McIntyre; Our Sue Bunt Competition winner, who's name goes forward to North Harbour, Gayle Nairn. ‘The Winter Stableford competition was won by Thelma Ritchie with Joy Holdsworth as runner-up.Our combined Veterans day with Helensville saw 64 players enjoying a great game and companionship. Another Veterans Day will be held on the 23 September on our course. What a boon the 'blower' above the ninth green is proving to be. Our congratulations to the volunteers who installed it and built the gazebo. We are proud to have made the decision to contribute to this facility. Several interesting 'fun' competitions have been instigated over the winter period to run in conjunction with our Mid-Winter Madness trophy days. Now spring is looking like springing up more serious golf is coming up in the form of Match Play Championships and several other competitions. Details of when these take place is in your club programme book.Valerie Herbert

9. Ladies night on the 16th of August 2013 It could be argued that golf is just an excuse to meet others who want a bit of fun in their life, and the ladies who organised their recent “pink night” proved this beyond all expectations. They not only did a wonderful job putting together a fun night but showed the “boys” what it means to keep the putter in the bag and discover life outside of the holy greens. These photos prove that when the opportunity presents itself, hilarity comes naturally to ladies who are normally so shy and retiring!

10. Grounds report to members July 2013 I am sure as members you are aware of the ongoing improvements to our course and the high quality presentation thereof. Our greens have improved in both speed and trueness of line and are currently in better condition than a lot of other clubs. The grounds staff has entered a regime of sanding, fertilization and control mechanisms that promises even greater improvement to our greens quality in the months ahead. Our thanks must go to their endeavours. Over the last few months we have had up to 7-8 members arriving on “Volly’s Day” (Mondays each week). The grounds staff have trained and inducted these members in the use of machinery and equipment used in our course preparation. (An OSH requirement and that also ensures the club’s operational integrity). This now means in the medium term there are trained personal available to assist our grounds staff, not only regularly on Mondays, but as a back-up in the event staff holidays or sickness. There is a great club spirit generated among the Volly’s group with plenty of friendly banter. So join us any Monday. (It is not an essential commitment to every Monday. You will be made welcome as and when you are available). We meet at 8.30 am at the greenkeepers’ shed.

11. The visual aspects of improved course presentation are apparent, however, there have been improvements taking place in the greens shed. Blair originated a new machinery layout to make better use of the area available within the shed. Ancillary equipment bays have been built, new shelving erected (acquired for under $10.00). All this has resulted in an improved working space. The surrounds of the shed have been tidied; the grounds staff lunchroom refreshed and a second hand vacuum cleaner provided by a club member. The club has made an application to Pub Charity for 100% funding for new grounds machinery to replace existing aging equipment, this will be considered by the charity during August. We feel sure that that the current efforts by volunteers will carry substantial weight when the allocating body considers our application. Everybody keep your fingers crossed that we are successful. Should this request be totally or even partially granted, it will mean further improvement in the quality of our course presentation. THE VOLLY”S are planning further course improvements during coring week scheduled for the last week of October. This is when additional voluntary assistance will essential and requests for help will be posted nearer to this date. Some funding for this work is already available and this does not come from membership fees or asset sales! 2

12. Members may not be aware of the difficulties the club is facing with water quality in our holding dams and the exacerbation of the volume and contamination of water flowing onto our course from surrounding properties. Months ago a couple of members made representations to the RDC about water being diverted onto our course. This ultimately led to a meeting with Councillor Wayne Walker, Chairman of the Auckland City Council, Environment and Sustainability Forum. Mr Walker was sympathetic and appreciated our concerns and instigated our contact with Sam Blackbourne Auckland City Council Technical Specialist, Stormwater Infrastructure and Environmental Services and Elizabeth Fassman, University of Auckland, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The upshot of these contacts and meetings was that our golf course was selected for a low impact design study competition for students in the University of Auckland Engineering Department, sponsored by the Auckland City Council. Club representatives helped lead a field visit of a group of 40 students to our course in May. This culminated in an invitation to representatives of the club, being invited to the presentation of the winners of the WGC Low Impact Water Quality and Storm-water Study. 3

13. So what has come out of all of this attention? The President and myself attended this function which was preceded by a by a lengthy in depth discussion with the Senior Lecturer UoA and Councillor Walker about WGC storm water and drainage issues. The Club has obtained access to all these students, engineering, environmental and water quality recommendations. Obviously this information allows the club to prepare and adopt an ongoing strategy for improved water quality in our dams and drainage containment issues relative to our course. It was intimated that should the club prepare such a strategy and present it to the Auckland Council, it could be accepted as a case study and subject to financial and technical assistance. Going forward this involvement is positive and if we utilize one or two of the solutions put forward in the information we now have access to, it would illustrate our commitment to the plan, with the ultimate reward to our club being immense. There is a lot of work to be done in disseminating all the available data and preparing a strategic document. “The ball as they say is now in our court.” K Bishop on behalf of the WGC grounds committee and Club President. 4

14. Tom and Mick were walking along a street in Toronto.Mick looked in one of the shop windows and saw a sign that caught hiseye. The sign read, "Suits $10.00 each, Shirts $4.00 each, Trousers $6.50per pair."Mick said to his buddy, "Hey look at these prices! We could buy a whole lotof dose and when we get back to St, John's could make a fortune.Now when we go in you stay quiet, okay? Let me do all da talking causeif they hear our accents, they might think we're thickos from Newfoundlandand try to screw us. I'll put on my best accent." "Right y'are Mick, I'll keep me mouth shut, so I will. You do all dabusiness," said Tom.They go in and Mick said in a posh voice, "Hello my good man. I'lltake 50 suits at $10.00 each, 100 shirts at $4.00 each, and 50 pairs oftrousers at $6.50 each. I'll back up me truck ready to load 'em on, so Iwill." The owner of the shop said quietly, "You're from Newfoundland, aren'tyou?""Well yes," said a surprised Mick. "What gave it away?"The owner replied, "This is a dry-cleaners.“ THE END Cheers Bill Anderson Ph 428 2952