Many of the images from this edition of Through The Green were captured by member, Tim Bowman, who ventured out on an early autumn morning.

Visit this link to check out all of the images from Tim’s recent shoot.

Fill, Rake, Repair

Members are reminded of the importance of caring for your courses. Whilst the course maintenance team works hard year-round to prepare the courses, it is vital that we all take the time to repair any damage to the course that results from playing a shot. That’s why we are asking you to Play Your Part and Fill, Rake, Repair.

Fill Divots

• Use the sand mix provided.
  
• Fill the divot completely.
  
• Level it with your foot.
  

Rake Bunkers

• Enter and exit from the lowest point.
  
• Smooth the sand after your shot.
  
• Leave the rake in the designated spot.
  

Repair Pitch Marks

• Use a pitch mark repair tool.
  
• Insert it at the edges, not the centre.
  
• Push the grass towards the centre and smooth it with your putter.
  

Nominate a Course Care Champion & WIN!

Know a fellow member who consistently Plays Their Part?? Simply nominate them and you both go into the draw to win a box of your choice golf balls. Enter by following the link below or by looking out for the QR codes around the Club.

Nominate Now

Around the Club

Long Island Update

The Long Island project is progressing smoothly, aided by favourable weather conditions that are helping us regain lost time from permit delays. Our objective is to initiate play on the new 9 holes later this year, with two more course walks planned before their finalisation. As an indication of progress, the greens on the 6th and 7th holes are currently being mowed.

Our next course walk is scheduled for Sunday, August 4, offering members a clearer visual sense of the renovation's future appearance compared to the initial walkthrough. Scheduling it for a Sunday afternoon aims to encourage member participation and attract a substantial crowd of interested spectators.

Work on the second "half" of the course will commence later this year, and we maintain optimism about project completion for play starting in 2026. Our confidence in the project's outcomes continues to grow. You can find our monthly website update by following this link.

Town Hall Meeting - Saturday 15 June at 3pm

The next Town Hall meeting will take place on Saturday 15 June from 3pm in the upstairs function room at Cape Schanck.

Town Hall meetings are an ongoing initiative for members to discuss current matters with Committee members in an informal setting. These meetings are scheduled bimonthly (six per year) and will rotate across Friday, Saturday and Sunday times with the aim of making them generally accessible to the broadest possible spectrum of members.

Our Chairman, Andrew Davis, Director, Nehemiah Richardson and our CEO, Matt Corby will host the upcoming Town Hall meeting.

We encourage members to recognise that these meetings are a good faith initiative and that, while no topics are off limit, the expectation of a high standard of conduct and respect for the views of others will be assumed at all times.

The Town Hall meeting will conclude at approximately 4.30pm.

Changes from Monday 1 July - Match Committee

In response to recent survey feedback we are making some on course changes effective from Monday 1 July

Rakes Out of Bunkers

The Club will be trialling leaving the rakes out of bunkers from July 1. Ground staff will place the rakes above a blue ‘T’ marked on the bunker surrounds. Remember to take the rake into the bunker with you and once you have finished raking the bunker, simply return the rake to this position.

While there is no absolute right or wrong way (in or out of bunkers), here are the main reasons we are trialling this approach:

• Our bunkers are expansive, so placing rakes inside them can result in more work for players, requiring them to walk through the sand to collect a rake, rake the marks back to their ball, and then rake their way to the exit point.
  

• Once out of the bunker, it is often necessary to throw the rake back in to align with play, positioning it in the base, away from the slope. At times, this can cause two issues: the rake might bounce and leave a depression, which is not ideal if a ball lands there, and wooden rakes, like we have on The Old Course, can break.
  

• Poorly repositioned rakes are problematic whether inside or outside the bunker. If placed on the face inside the bunker, it becomes an issue when the ball cannot be replaced onto the slope.
  

• The governing bodies of the game, The R&A and the USGA, recommend placing rakes outside the bunkers, and all tournament play follows this guideline.
  

• Criticism often arises when a ball deflects or is impeded by a rake placed outside the bunker, usually due to poor positioning. Rakes should be positioned on the blue ‘T’ that will be marked on the bunker surrounds.
  

Spreading the Wear and Tear (Blue Tee Rotation)

With the aim of improving the playing surfaces during winter, we plan to continue an initiative we have trialled in the past which will regularly relocate the blue tee markers to the teeing ground which normally supports either the red or black tees.

This initiative is intended to reduce winter wear on the blue tee boxes on all courses (which make up approximately 90% of total play) and, as a result, spread the divot zones on the fairways.

Tee rotations will be carefully considered, and some holes excluded from movement to the black tee boxes when the carry to reach the fairway is considered unrealistic for the average player (such as 3rd hole Old, 9th hole Moonah and 9th hole Gunnamatta). Tee rotations must be maintained as plus or minus 100 metres from the normal blue tee locations.

Members who find it challenging to play from the front of the black tee boxes during this period are encouraged to play from the red tees; handicaps are adjusted automatically for red tee play.

We thank members in advance for their cooperation.

PACE OF PLAY

Pace of Play Monitoring

For member enjoyment, a reasonable pace of play is a requirement of The National Golf Club. The Club has set the following guidelines regarding the recommended time to play a round:

• Stableford/Par - 4 hours 5 minutes
  
• Stroke - 4 hours 15 minutes
  

A group is considered in position if it is playing within the allotted time or within five minutes of the group in front. A group is also considered in position if it is keeping its place in the field (immediately behind the group in front). A group will be considered to be out of position if it falls more than five minutes behind time, or (where applicable) falls too far behind the group in front.

In addition to Course Marshalls, Golf Operations is now monitoring the pace of play of all players by analysing round times in comparison to the adjacent groups. Any players impacting the field with their pace of play will receive an email from Golf Operations suggesting ways to improve their speed of play.

Course Marshalls

Course Marshalls will advise if a group falls out of position, and will apply as follows and in the order listed, if the time out of position, or position in relation to the group in front is not improved:

• Informal advice the group is 5 minutes or more out of position.
  
• Official advice the group is 5 minutes or more out of position.
  
• Group advised to pick up and walk to the next tee, or to a position required to ensure impact on following groups is minimised.
  

Course Marshalls are employed first and foremost to provide assistance to members in maintaining a reasonable pace of play. Members should be mindful at all times that a group playing at a pace well outside the recommended time to play can significantly affect the time taken to play for the rest of the field.

Round Timer

You may have noticed a change in the top left-hand corner on your MiScore screen when scoring. This box labelled “MINS” displays the time remaining (in minutes) to play the next hole in order to be on time.

The number will not count down as you play the hole but will update for the next hole each time hole scores are entered. The time remaining would normally be in the range of 10-15 minutes for a group travelling on pace. If the number is higher than this, your group is ahead of time. If the number is negative (-),indicates your group is well behind time.

Please note – this information should be used as a guide to assist you in playing at an acceptable pace. Whilst this feature will assist you to monitor your pace of play throughout the round, the group’s position in the field in relation to the group in front is paramount.

The time indicates that there is 14 minutes allocated to play this hole.

This group would be considered to be keeping up with the pace of play.

The time indicates that the group is at least 7 minutes behind the expected pace of play.

Dress Code

Further to a recommendation by the Membership sub-committee, the General Committee has approved a number of changes to the dress code which have now been updated into the By-Laws. They include allowance of:

-Genuine golfing tops without a collar being worn in the clubhouse (for men and women)

-Any item of clothing that could be bought from the pro-shop

-Plain or golf-branded hoodies on the courses and, only with the hood down, in the clubhouse

-Runners being worn in the clubhouse.

An update of the Dress Code can be found here.

Code of Conduct - By-Law 9

Our Code of Conduct By-law offers guidance regarding the expected standards of conduct for members and their guests, ensuring the club maintains an enjoyable and safe environment for everyone. Members are reminded to consistently show respect and consideration towards others. Disciplinary actions are administered under the assumption that members are familiar with the Code and the behavioural standards expected of them.

The Code of Conduct can be accessed at the following link.

No Cap on Junior Guests

Based on feedback from the recent Member Satisfaction Survey, the General Committee has approved a change regarding juniors playing as guests with their parent or grandparent. Starting 1 July 2024, the previous limit of six annual rounds for juniors under 18 will be removed when they are accompanied by their parent or grandparent who is a member. A green fee will still apply.

Bump & Run

Under 40s

To enhance the social experience for our younger members, we’re excited to introduce a new WhatsApp group specifically for those aged 25 to 40. This group aims to facilitate connections among members who are looking to enjoy rounds of golf with others in the same age range.

If you’re interested in joining or want more information, please contact Ben Hall at 0403 640 800 or via email at ben.hall@nationalgolf.com.au.

Reciprocal Access - NSW GC

Members are advised that no reciprocal access with be available at NSW GC between 5 August 2024 and 7 April 2025 due to course renovations.

A letter from NSW GC Captain, Sean Murphy, can be accessed below.

NSWGC Course Closure 24-25

Maintenance of Clubhouse and Surrounds

As recent issues with plumbing have shown, the clubhouse is starting to require increasing routine maintenance. If you see anything that’s broken, out of order or in other disrepair, please don’t hesitate to flag it with us at maintenance@nationalgolf.com.au

Olympic Dreams

Superintendent of The Old Course, Scott Calder, is preparing to make his way to Paris for the Olympic Games to help prepare the golf course at Le Golf National for the Olympics.

Taiheiyo Golf Club - A Trip to Remember

A group of members recently visited one of our reciprocal clubs, Taiheiyo Golf Club in Japan. Member Michael Barr has penned some words from his recent trip and we encourage members to read more about their experiences here.

Suggestions

Members are able to provide general feedback to the Club through the website – at the link below – or by connecting to the QR Codes located above the mobile phone charging rack on the column in the middle of the bar at Cape Schanck, or at the entrance to the office at Long Island.

https://national.miclub.com.au/cms/contact/suggestions/

Get Social!!!

Don't forget to tag @ngcmembers when out on course, so that we can share what's happening around the Club.

If you haven't done so already, members are encouraged to follow the member-exclusive Instagram page.

Search @ngcmembers or click on this link to follow.

On Course

Presidents Trophy

Congratulations to Darren Topham for winning the 2024 Presidents Trophy Final. Darren defeated Mark Batrouney 6&4 on The Old Course.

The Presidents Trophy requires 32 players to compete through 5 rounds of knockout match play after an initial qualifying round.

Silver Spoon

Golf Victoria’s annual Silver Spoon event final was held on The Gunnamatta Course on Friday 10 May.

Congratulations to Cherryl Houben who posted the best score out of all other qualifiers! Cherryl will be representing The National at the State Finals held at Gardiners Run on November 18th. Good luck Cherryl!

A.W.Lester 4-Ball

The Moonah Course hosted the A.W. Lester Fourball Aggregate Stableford on Saturday 27 April.

Congratulations to Simon Woolmer & Mark Glenn who won the event with a combined score of 79 Stableford points. Peter Theodorakopolous & Nick Palamaras finished runners up with 76 points.

Cody Brenner - U.S Junior Amateur

Congratulations to member Cody Brenner who has advanced into the 76th U.S Junior Amateur after finishing in second place at the recent qualifier at Makani Golf Club in Hawaii. Cody earned the second qualifying spot after beating Korea’s Mingi Kim (73) during the first playoff hole.

Cody is hoping to join a few familiar names on the list of winners at the U.S Junior Amateur, including Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth – just to name a few.

The event will take place in late July at Oakland Hills Country Club before Cody commences his College career in August.

What an amazing opportunity for a very talented young golfer!!

Hamish Farquharson makes the Australian Team

Congratulations to our current Junior Club Champion, Hamish Farquharson, on being selected in the Australian team to take on the United States Golf Association (USGA) National Junior Team in July. Hamish will travel to Wisconsin to take part in the Ryder Cup-style event. The Australian team was selected by the Golf Australia High Performance selection committee and they will take on the top six male and top six female junior golfers in the US.

We wish Hamish and the Aussies all the best in their matches.

Sue Wooster - Australian Mid-Amateur Champion

Congratulations to our recent Hall of Fame inductee, Sue Wooster, who has been crowned the 2024 Australian Mid Amateur Champion. Sue capped off an impressive week at Wollongong Golf Club after winning in a playoff. It’s a great start to her campaign as she is set to jet off to the US in the coming weeks.

Read more by following this link.

Outstanding Achievement - Ken McNamara

Congratulations to member, Ken McNamara for beating his age recently. Ken played the Gunnamatta Course, and at age 78 finished with a brilliant score of 77.

Holes-in-One

Congratulations to the following players on achieving an ace since we last published Through The Green.

• Adam Story
  
• Andrew Schapper
• Dung Nguyen
• Ang Giannakopoulos
• Livio Marrone
• Rory Hunter
• Keith Crawford
• Mitchell Bevan (photo not shown)
  

Tasmania & King Island Members Tour

The National Golf Club is excited to announce a member-exclusive golf tour, taking in premier courses on mainland Tasmania and King Island.

To be held from 7 to 10 October, golfers will play at Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm, as well as King Island’s Ocean Dunes and Australia’s #1 ranked course, Cape Wickham.

The trip will be hosted by our PGA Professionals Tim Stone and Sahil Sahib and includes private chartered flights, accommodation, dinners, and more.

For further details about the trip, including the itinerary, inclusions, and exclusions, please download the event flyer.

This tour is limited to only 14 members and bookings must be received by 1 July 2024. The cost is $3,955 per person twin share, or $4,355 as a single. There is an option to play an additional round at Bougle Run (a new 14-hole course at Barnbougle) for $105.

To avoid disappointment, reserve your place now via the online booking form. A deposit will be charged to your member account.

If you have any questions before booking, please contact Tim Stone on 03 5988 2767 or via email at tim.stone@nationalgolf.com.au.

Women's Sunday Metropolitan Pennant

At the time of publishing our last edition of Through The Green, our Sunday Women’s Metropolitan Pennant team were preparing for the Division 1 Final. Whilst the team put up a gallant effort in attempting back-to-back titles, they fell short against a very strong Commonwealth team.

The day was captured in the video below.

Tip of the Month

with Nick O'Hern

Course News

Winter Turf Care

At our Cape Schanck courses we are blessed with firm playing conditions in winter compared to many courses across Victoria. Each season presents opportunities and challenges. Winter allows the course staff to undertake numerous tasks such as bunker refurbishment, vegetation management and cart path upgrades. These works are critical for the ongoing improvement and preservation of our courses.

The downside to winter is more evidence of Poa annua in the couch surfaces. Despite a rigorous pre-emergent program aimed at preventing the establishment of this problematic weed, we will see more evidence until our herbicides, along with the warmer weather, can effectively kill the Poa annua. Even though we don’t have great success with controlling Poa with herbicides in the winter, this is when other control management strategies are implemented, such as hand weeding and manually painting individual Poa plants with selected herbicides to avoid damaging the couch turf. We continue to explore the latest practices in controlling unwanted weeds.

During winter, we also experience more pitch marks because the greens don’t dry out, making them more vulnerable. It’s imperative that all golfers repair their pitch marks immediately.

Divot Collection Areas

Links courses across the world have magnificent undulations and it is this natural feature that sets them apart. The side effect is the divot patterns that form in the valleys during the cooler monthsand we are not alone in experiencing this problem. Many high profile links courses in the UK require golfers to carry and play off mats during winter .

At The National we don’t want to enforce the same rule so we implement otherstrategies to combat the situation. The first stage is to GUR the divot collection areas to allow golfers to drop to the side to areas free of a divot. The second stage is introducing preferred lies on the fairways and then placing a drop zone stake in close proximity to the GUR area where golf balls don’t have a tendency to gather .

Cart Path Upgrades - Links Courses

The steep sections of the Links courses will be upgraded over the cooler months. These areas continually wash away after heavy rains and become a safety concern, with carts braking on the loose gravel when travelling down the steep slopes.

Around the tees and beside sections of the greens, an edge will be installed to prevent carts from parking on the grass and wearing out the turf. On the Moonah course, this will be a concrete edge, and on the Gunnamatta course, a raised wooden edge will be installed to give each course its own unique personality.

Bunker Refurbishment

The cooler months provide a great opportunity to refurbish bunkers. This involves topping the bases up with sand, stabilising the faces and improving the access into bunkers.

Looking Ahead

July

Young Guns

School holidays are just around the corner which means that our popular school holiday clinics and other junior events will also be taking place. Read below for further information on how your kids can get involved these holidays!

School Holiday Junior Clinics

Tuesdays 2nd July and 9th July at Cape Schanck

• 6-8yo 10am-11am $50 (for 2 x 1hr sessions)
  
• 8-12yo 11.30am-3.30pm $200 (for 2 x 4hr sessions and includes lunch)
  

Bookings via https://www.golf.org.au/mygolf/facility/The+National+Golf+Club+at+Cape+Schanck+(VIC)

Term 3 Junior Program

Our Term 3 Junior Clinics will commence from Sunday 21 July and run for 9 weeks

Mondays (6-12 y/o) 4.15-5pm @ Cape Schanck (https://www.golf.org.au/mygolf/facility/The+National+Golf+Club+at+Cape+Schanck+(VIC))

Wednesdays (6-12 y/o) 4.15-5pm @ Long Island (https://www.golf.org.au/mygolf/facility/The+National+Golf+Club+at+Long+Island)

Sundays @ Long Island (https://www.golf.org.au/mygolf/facility/The+National+Golf+Club+at+Long+Island)

• Little Stars (5-6 y/o) 9.30-10.15am @ Long Island
  
• Junior Clinic (6-14 y/o) 1.30pm @ Long Island
  

Use the code ‘EOFY15’ for a 15% discount off all Term 3 programs

2024 Peninsula Junior Masters

We encourage our junior boys and girls aged under 18 as of 2 July to enter the Peninsula Junior Masters. The event will be held at The Dunes (1 July) and Rosebud CC (2 July). See further details on the GPV website or by following this link.

U.S Kids Golf

The National is hosting the Tour Championship of the USKG Kids Tournament on the Gunnamatta Course on Thursday 4 July.

For boys and girls (forward tees for varied age groups, no handicap required), information and registration via US Kids Golf

https://tournaments.uskidsgolf.com/tournaments/local/find-local-tour/495734/melbourne-au)

National Juniors Win at Schools Golf Competition

A team of four National members has recently won the APS Golf Day at Spring Valley. Competing against schools from the APS, AGSV and BAS, the team from Haileybury proved to be too strong. Congratulations to the boys on a great win!

• Lenny Saville - 70 Nett 69
  
• Rehan Pervaiz - 76 Nett 75
  
• Kyle Somers - 79 Nett 73
  
• Adam Mao - 80 Nett 75
  

The Challenge - Monthly Junior Competition Results

May 19 – Guest Day Stableford– Monica Hoey 40pts (member winner), Bailey Thomason 35pts (Guest winner)

Next Event – Sunday 16 June at Long Island

Previous Editions

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