Broomieknowe Golf Club
Captain’s Report
JUNE 2024
Broomieknowe Golf Club
Captain’s Report
MARCH/APRIL 2025
Introduction
Thanks to Jack Sibbald, our trusty drone pilot, for the spectacular pictures of the course. These will be used as part of our marketing strategy.
New – and Old – Members
I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all our new members, it is encouraging to see our numbers continuing to grow and I trust that all the ‘oldies’ will extend the same welcome and a helping hand to orientate the ‘newbies’ to Broomieknowe.
There is always lots to learn when joining a new organisation and you will find the club policies and procedures on the website. There are a few club ‘rules’ that I need to highlight for the benefit of new members and those longer-standing individuals that may have forgotten them. The Directors are conscious that some items that were previously printed in the, now defunct, fixtures book are perhaps not articulated clearly to members. This will be rectified but, in the meantime, a few important points are listed below:
The Club Captain always has priority on the course.
Players must give way, on request, to a Broomieknowe Club match/tie.
Avoid slow play, keep up with the group in front.
Treat the course with respect, repair divots/pitch marks, rake bunkers properly and remove your litter.
The Broomieknowe bag tag with current sticker must be displayed on your equipment.
Trollies must not be taken onto tees.
To enable accurate data collection, we would ask that you book your tee time via Club V1 or How Did I Do before you play. I know that many will simply check the tee sheet for afternoons and evenings, see spaces and simply turn up to play. Please help us by simply adding your name into your chosen time slot, it only takes a couple of seconds.
The Course
March has been very dry with only 13mm of rain compared with the average 52mm. At the beginning of the month, all spring renovations were carried out with the greens scarified to a depth of 5mm then solid tined to 13mm. Cold start fertiliser was then applied to promote early season growth. Frosty nights have hampered recovery from the disease-scarring but there is now clear evidence of new growth.
The Air2G2 machine was delivered on 31st March, staff received training and all greens have had initial treatment.
Tees and approaches have been fertilised with some approaches being extended to bring more bunkers into play. Tees have been realigned and widened. All bunkers are now in play. Middle field bunkers are still soft as the lack of rain has delayed the sand settling into the matting. Top field bunkers have had sand levels checked and have been topped up. The bottom field bunkers have been rotovated, topped up and excess sand moved to augment the lower areas of the bunkers.
All tree stump grindings have been collected and backfilled with soil, seeding will be done when conditions improve to allow germination. The large stump on the 6th will be removed as soon as possible. All fairways and semi-rough have been raked and the rubbish blown from the surfaces.
The Clubhouse
The Clubhouse continues to be very busy with footfall increasing – credit to all of the clubhouse staff for their efforts in providing hospitality to members, guests and visitors. Special events such as the Tapas evening for the Ladies and the Mother’s Day menu have been very successful but credit must be given to the staff for the extra effort required in staging these. We anticipate a busy clubhouse for the Master’s Weekend where an American-themed menu will be on offer.
The Directors have discussed potential changes to clubhouse operating hours. We may open for food on a Wednesday so that visitors and members playing in the Medals will have a dining option.
Directors also considered the possibility of opening for coffee at 0900 rather than 1000.
This change cannot be implemented immediately due to licensing restrictions. Application for change is straightforward but as the Licensing Committee meets quarterly, approval will take some time.
Captain’s Charity: Crohn’s and Colitis UK
The evening with Karl Morris was very well supported and I am certain that many of us will have taken some ideas forward to improve our golf. Thanks to Ailsa Cackett for organizing the event. Although the aim was not to make a profit, rather to cover the cost, a small profit was made that was divided between the Captain’s and Lady Captain’s Charities so many thanks for that.
Finally
It was nice to see some sunshine and a bit of warmth for a change. I hope you all have a successful season and don’t forget the bunker penalty – sorry, just had to get that in!!
Alison Scott (Captain). This Phase 2 work progressed much more smoothly and rapidly when compared with Phase 1, top field bunker construction and renovation. There were several reasons for this: the weather was kind, we engaged a fifth greenkeeper, new equipment was purchased, and work was required on fewer and smaller bunkers. Having been let down by our original contractor, Allgrass stepped in at short notice and, having provided excellent service, will be engaged for the work in Phase 3.
The 11th green was the wettest/softest green on the course and reconstruction work was done to create a run-off on the left. The result of this will be assessed before addressing similar problems towards the back of the 13th green.
Extensive tree thinning has been undertaken, allowing more sunlight to reach the greens, with the area at the right of the 13th green being particularly beneficial.
The previous infill of the ditch at the 4th was not successful and this has been redone by the team. The indications are that this has been more successful, with water flowing through the new pipe. James finished a stone construction at the end of the ditch infill, creating more stability and an attractive feature.
The Clubhouse
Several successful events have been held, and the restaurant and bar continue to be busy, particularly during the day. This is encouraging and thanks must go to the clubhouse staff for providing a welcoming environment and efficient service.
The Clubhouse Services Group are working towards establishing a program of refurbishment and cleaning of the clubhouse and its environs. Members will be informed of the timetable of works when it is finalised.
Membership
Membership continues to be very healthy and, to date, 60 individuals have joined on our ‘Winter Offer’ with several potential Country Members to finalise. Final membership numbers will not be clear until April 2025 so a full report will be issued in the April/May Captain’s Report.
New Member Feedback
A member who joined Broomieknowe GC towards the end of 2024 has praised both the quality of the course and the club facilities but has expressed some concern around the attitude displayed by some members.
It is imperative that ALL members and others associated with the Club demonstrate a welcoming and helpful face to new members and offer help and guidance to allow them to find their feet and become comfortable with us. All new members should feel free to contact any member of Council (contact details on the notice board) for assistance and orientation of any kind and I am always up for another round although perhaps few would appreciate my golfing skills or lack of!!
Captain’s Charity: Crohn’s and Colitis UK
Many thanks to all those who supported the Charity Quiz in person and also to those who have donated in various ways in their absence. In my last message, I hoped for between sixty and seventy participants, but all my expectations were exceeded by a crowd of eighty! I have never seen the clubhouse so busy for an event like this, so thanks again. The clubhouse staff put in a huge effort to make the evening a success so many thanks to them.
The magnificent sum of £605 was raised, a fantastic start to the year. The winners were Egil’s Friends and the Jam followed closely by the Dellthoms and We Need a Bigger Boat. The bunker penalty on the 18th will be the main event throughout the season with collecting tins on the bars, in the locker rooms and professional’s shop. The main fundraiser will be the ‘Captain’s Charity Day’ late in the season but if any member or guest has goods or services they would like to donate for auction or raffle, I would be grateful.
Improve your Game
The visit by Karl Morris, Golf Coach, on the evening of Wednesday 5th March 2025, is almost fully subscribed. Thanks to everyone who has booked their place but anyone who would still like to attend should contact Ailsa Cackett.
Finally
I am sure we are all looking forward to better weather, binning our mats and approaching the new season with anticipation and, on my part, optimism!!
Alison Scott (Captain)
