Internet Down!!!!

Unfortunately we have had no internet connection at the club today, forcing me to log in from home to send this out. FROMMS Trust who provide the internet service to the South Makara valley have advised that one of the antennas on the South Makara repeater stopped working about 2am this morning. They are going to try and fix it on Saturday morning but until then we are not able to print out cards or enter scores. We have therefore put blank cards on the small table under the white board in the downstairs foyer, opposite the card printer screen. If the system is not back up and running after your round, simply put your card into the downstairs slot where you would normally put it, or if the shop is open upstairs, give it to the shop staff. We will then enter your score when we have the system restored. Don't forget to put your name and date on the card, and check that the card shows the correct colour of the tees that you played off.

This Weekend's Events

No doubt many of you will be staying up late these next few days, watching the British Open on TV, but dont let a lack of sleep deter you from coming out over the weekend - there's nothing like a round of golf in our country setting to rejuvenate a tired body or mind. And although the weather forecast for the weekend is a bit mixed, dont forget that the weather out here can be quite different from in town - especially when its a southerly which often bypasses our western valley. If you want to check out the Makara weather forecast, just go onto the Course page of our website - this link will take you there directly:

KGC Weather Forecast

On Saturday the women will be playing LGU5: Home Pennant Stableford 4 while on Sunday it is the second and final round of the Grant Keats Cup for those men who entered it a couple of weekends ago. This is being played on a best nett basis so although some entrants may think they are out of the running, because of a blow out score due to a bad hole during the first round, the same could happen to any of the front runners this Sunday so don't be deterred from playing the second round.

The Shop Scramble will be running all weekend, open to all players, being scored this time on a Par basis. Only $5 to enter.

Westward Ho Shield

The qualifying round for this will be held on Sunday 26th. This is a men's event with the top 16 best nett scorers qualifying for the knock out rounds. This is a great rehearsal opportunity for the club championships which start at the end of August so hopefully as many members as possible will enter. An entry form is on the notice board, otherwise ring or email your entry.

New Members

We warmly welcome the following new and returned players to the club:

• James Calcinai
• Dave Castle
• Luke Cardno
• Joshua Cardno
• Rupert Yortt

We look forward to seeing you out on the course - dont hesitate to slot yourself into any incomplete foursomes on the internet booking sheet or contact the shop staff if you would like the club to arrange playing partners.

Committee Feedback

The committee held its monthly meeting on Tuesday. Our finances continue to be in good shape. As a result of tight cost control we have been able to generate trading surpluses for every month so far this financial year. It is pleasing to see that green fees are up on last year, reflecting perhaps the effort we have put into attracting players to the course via special promotions over the past couple of summers. With our membership numbers remaining fairly constant it is important that we attract as many casual players as possible in order to grow our revenue. Partly with this in mind, the committee has decided to stop blocking off certain tee times on weekend mornings for club members only, except for 3 tee slots on Saturday reserved for the women's club. We are confident this wont prevent members from playing when they wish, given many of these time slots have not been used lately, plus it will make it easier for members who wish to book in visitors to play with them. Nevertheless, we encourage members to book their time slots early in the week, or when you complete your round using the facility on the scorecard screen.

Other feedback from Tuesday is

• We have operated these past few months without a manager, with committee staff attending to many of the management functions. We intend to continue operating in this mode for the meantime, but will advertise soon for a second club assistant to complement Sara's role as she has expressed a wish to work only one weekend day over summer.
• The intended work on the path to and from the 12 tee has been delayed and will now be held over to spring.
• The new greens mower has been ordered and is currently on the ocean on its way to NZ. It is expected to arrive early August. We will pay for it by a combination of grant, donations, generated funds, and favourable supplier financing. Thanks to everyone who have made donations to date.

Entrance Improvements

In addition to their sterling work keeping our course in such good order, our green keepers have also been taking some time out to smarten up the surrounds of the entrance to the car park, particularly the area around the chemicals notice board. Once completed, it would be great for a couple of members to take over responsibility for the maintenance of this area - any volunteers?

Sponsor Speak

No doubt most of you will have noticed that we are getting our sponsors' logos incorporated into our website. Have you also discovered that if you click on these logos when they flash up, you will be directed to their website for further information about them. We encourage you all to check them out.

Happy golfing,

Play Safe

Your KGC Committee