Our Repair and Maintenance Project
On Tuesday night at the extraordinary general meeting an overwhelming show of hands voted to begin work on our Repairs and Maintenance Project. The outcome was enthusiastically welcomed by the Technical Committee and the Board who have been absorbed for a couple of years in the development of the plans to deliver the project and turn the soil.
It has been a long journey where various options and alternatives have been considered, a journey interrupted by COVID and slowed down during our Centenary year. Many Members have been onboard for the trip, all passionate about the task, offering alternatives, expressing preferences and taking part in workshops and briefings. Every one of these inputs was considered by the Technical Committee in conjunction with the Board and The Player Group, clearly not all made it to the final design. Some because of cost, some did not fit, others were modified. The Board is appreciative of the interest and willingness shown by all participants and the enthusiasm of Members toward approval of the design notwithstanding that there may be some minor modifications and risk mitigations that could find their way to the final product.
That journey is now over and today we gather together to embark on another, it begins with the preparatory stage of the R&M Project where Michael and the Course Team will finish off the temporary green and build a tee on the first hole to create a par 4 and par 3 on the first fairway. Similarly, they get ready to build another temporary green and temporary tee on the fifth hole again establishing a par 3 and par 4, this time on the fifth fairway. A third temporary green and tee will follow on the tenth hole in July creating a par 4 and a par 3 on the tenth fairway giving us 4 spare holes and allowing us to take 3 holes out for a complete rebuild and retain a spare hole as a 19th in case of need. The next step is to build the first of the USPGA greens on the practice green we know as 16A. This will be ready for seeding in September and be ready for play by January 2025 when Stage 1 of the R&M Project commences with a rebuild of 9, 17 and 18. Members will see the greens between now and July, although the tees will be held off until October when the Club Championships are completed.
In October 2024 we will provide a review of objectives of the preparatory stage and a detailed outline of the work plan in Stage 1 when the rebuild of 9, 17 and 18 are planned. This will be the first of the formal project reports to Members and it will address the flow of play, par of the course and any disruptions to movement on the entire area of the Club. Barnaby, as General Manger, will provide interim reports, generally monthly, covering work in progress. His reports will be photogenic with commentary. The budget will be compared to actual each quarter and any material variance will be notified to Members.
The decision of Members to allocate the money and get the R&M Project underway was some 30 years in the making, it was a momentous decision from that point of view but more so because of the overwhelming number of hands that shot in the air when the vote was called for. It was said that there was an air of confidence and joy from everyone in the room. That is an accurate reflection and we celebrate that, as a cohesive group, we are joined together to successfully complete one of the most important projects our great Club will undertake.
Michael Rowan
President
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