Dear Members,

Happy New Year

I’d like to wish you all a very Happy New Year. I hope the New Year finds everyone fit and well and recovering from a very enjoyable Christmas and New Year. To anyone who’s feeling less than 100% (for whatever reason) I hope you return to fitness and good health as soon as possible, so that you are able to enjoy a good golfing 2012.

Membership Fees - 2012

Starting on the serious matter that is money, I must remind you that your membership fees for 2012 are now due and whilst I fully understand the financial demands that Christmas puts on us all, it would really help the Club’s ‘cash flow’ if members could pay their membership fees as soon as possible in the new year and by the end of February at the absolute latest.

£495 for the year does still represent excellent value for money. Obviously, as always the club will lose some members in 2012 as not everyone who was a member in 2011 will (for whatever reason) renew their membership in 2012. So it is very important that we continue to try and promote the club in a positive light and keep the number of members as high as we can. Membership fees provide the main source of income for the Club, if the numbers drop, then so does the money that is available to spend on the course. So, if you can persuade any of your family or friends to take out club membership in 2012 rather than pay and play that would be great as every membership secured is a definite bonus for the club, just as every membership not renewed is a real loss to the club.

In my last blog I reminded members that it is possible to spread the cost of your membership fee by paying it in instalments via ‘Fairway Credit’ there is a small administration fee, but if you would like more information on this please contact the Secretary, who I’m sure will be happy to provide you with all the necessary details. The added benefit fro the club is that whilst you pay ‘Fairway Credit’ in instalments the club receives your full membership fee at the outset.

Can I also remind members that any existing member who introduces a new member to the club in 2012 will receive £50 off their 2013 membership fee when the new member rejoins in 2013.

Committee Members - 2012

In the coming weeks and well in advance of the Annual General Meeting in March, a notice will be displayed in the Club house (to the side of the bar) listing the club committee membership positions. The positions which are already filled (i.e. President, Vice Presidents, Gents and Ladies Captain’s & Vice Captain’s) will have the incumbent’s names shown together with their proposer and seconder. All of the other committee positions are ‘up for grabs’ as it were, so, if you feel you have something to offer and would like to try to continue to move the club forwards, please consider putting your name forward to serve on the club’s general committee.

However, anyone wishing to put their name forward does need to find a ‘Proposer’ and ‘Seconder’ for their nomination. If more than one person puts their name forwards for a particular position (e.g. Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Secretary, Ladies Secretary) or, if more than 10 people put their names forward to serve on the general committee there will be a vote (by the members present at the AGM) to determine the successful candidate. If there is only one nominee for a position, (or less than 10 nominees for the general committee) the positions will be filled by acclimation. At the first committee meeting following the AGM committee members will be allocated to sub-committees and the sub-committee chairs identified.

Looking to the 2012 Season

The fixtures list for 2012 has been completed and is being printed and copies should be available in the clubhouse in the next few days, so please pick up your copy.

On this year’s fixture list you’ll notice some changes, as we’ve moved some of the major competitions around a little to try and spread things out a little more. We’ve also moved the Bank Holiday and mixed pairs competitions from afternoon to morning starts in an attempt to generate more interest. A copy of the fixture list is also available on our website, so as an alternative you can always view it, or download it from there.

By way of a memory jogger, in my last blog I mentioned that we’re introducing 8 ‘Fun’ competitions, all of which will be ‘9 hole’ events held mainly on the 1st & 3rd Wednesday’s of the month from May to August these will start from 4.00pm. Please help the club by giving these new competitions your full support.

Entry forms for the 5 Stanedge ‘Opens‘ are also available, please see the Secretary (or the website) and remember if you (& your playing partner) register your entry before 30th April 2012 (with the exception of the Junior/Adult Open) you will receive a £5 reduction in the entry fee.

Another plea for members to support your respective Captain’s and the Club, please put your names forward to express your interest in playing in some (or all) of the friendly matches we’ve arranged with other clubs. We need a minimum of 12 players for each match, so watch out for the entry lists being displayed in the respective changing rooms several weeks in advance of each fixture and put your name forward.

Website

I’d like to offer my personal thanks to Garry Nicholson who has continued to post updates and generally maintain this for the club despite having returned to University in September to undertake a Masters Degree. Thanks Garry. As an aside I did notice just before Christmas that the Website ‘Hit Counter’ had topped 15,000 and whilst I think it’s fair to say that a lot of the ‘Hits’ have been generated by Garry and myself, we are certainly not responsible for them all, which indicates that a number of people do make use of the website on a regular basis and hopefully find the information posted useful.

Social

Following the success of the ‘Race Night’ held by our Captain in the summer, I believe it is planned to hold another ‘Race Night’ sometime in early March, so watch out for the notices detailing this event, both in the clubhouse and on the club’s website and put your names down for another ‘fun’ night – who knows, you might even win something!

It’s the annual Ladies Captain’s Dinner on Friday 16th March – this year it’s being held at the Sandpiper Hotel in Unstone – the cost is £22 per head. If you would like to attend and support the Ladies Captain a list for you to enter your names on (partners welcome of course) and the menu are displayed on the General notice board in the clubhouse.

That’s all for now!

Andy Hesketh

Club Chairman