Editor: Wendy Grindlay 0274 400575

Email: wendygrindlay@gmail.com

Deadline Tuesday lunchtime.

On website by Wednesday p.m.

Week ending 3rd April 2020

NEW SPONSORS

Greenacres members should take heart from the ongoing

support of our family of sponsors and the faith shown in the

club and its future with some significant new sponsorships

and renewals. I am pleased to announce three new Club

sponsors:-

New Silver Sponsor

Rentals4You are a Property Management company based in

Stoke, owned and operated by Jayne Watkins.

Whether you’re a property investor or a private landlord,

employing an experienced property manager is often the key

to a successful tenancy, which is where Jayne comes in.

She has been managing properties in Nelson since 2012,

although her experience in the industry is not limited to

management, as she has also renovated and built her own

houses, giving her a real understanding of the house building

process. If you’re looking to manage your own property, but

need some help finding suitable tenants, Jayne is more than

happy to hold viewings, prepare the tenancy agreement and

undertake the necessary background checks before handing

things back over to the landlord.

Jayne Watkins—info@rentals4you.co.nz

New Bronze and Hole Sponsor

Fresh Choice Richmond has been serving the Community of

Richmond and beyond for over 60 years. Ever since Ivan and

Lyalla Watson (current owner Gary’s grandparents) opened

Richmond Super Discount in 1957, the focus has been fresh

food, competitive prices and exceptional service.

Originally located on the corner of Queen and Cambridge

Streets, it was the place to go for fresh bread, sliced cheese,

fresh veges and all manner of other groceries. In 1975 Ivan

handed the reins on to his son Ian, who moved the shop

down the road to 259 Queen Street. In 1986 Ian made one

more move to the current location in the then named ‘Village

Mall’, where in 2003 Gary and his brother Matt, the third

generation of Watsons, stepped up to continue the legacy his

grandfather Ivan started 46 years ago.

Signage Sponsor

Drummond & Etheridge has been built on a reputation of

‘talking straight’ with customers and providing quality service

long after the initial sale. It’s a simple, honest approach,

which has seen them grow steadily for over 80 years.

Well known to the grounds crew at Greenacres, Drummond

& Etheridge are our local John Deere dealers, proudly

managed in Richmond by Chris Mason. They sell and

service combines, foragers, tractors, farm machinery, ATVs

(like Mules), watercraft, golf and turf equipment, ride-on

mowers, lawnmowers, irrigation and a range of lifestyle

related merchandise.

RENEWALS

Among renewals at this time of year, two Bronze sponsors

have recommitted their support of the Club.

Summerset Richmond Ranges

New to us in 2019, development is progressing well at Sum-

merset Richmond Ranges. They have recently welcomed

their first residents into the village and look forward to wel-

coming many more in the coming months. Set on over 8

hectares, with views of the ranges, the village will be home

to around 400 residents on completion, with a mix of

villas, cottages and serviced apartments. The village centre

will offer numerous village facilities, including care centre

and award winning Memory Care Centre.

Locally owned and managed since 2001, Jennian Homes

Nelson Bays remains the most trusted and awarded building

company in the Nelson Tasman region and have supported

Greenacres for several years now (and built houses for a

few members, to boot). The Nelson Bays business has been

attributed numerous industry and community awards during

this time—Best Jennian Homes Franchisee (including

Supreme award), Registered Master Builders House of the

Year Awards and Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce

Business Awards.

Once lockdown has lifted, be sure to check out their Display

Home at 50/52 Berryfield Drive

NEWS FROM OUR GREENKEEPERS

It’s of no surprise to anyone to say that the situation we all find ourselves in is most unusual.

I have worked for 20 years on courses from Ritzy ones to more economically challenged and

from brand new to the oldest course in the world. I have also worked through times of

natural disasters, but I have never had to sit back and watch all the hard work we put into a

course slowly grow back into a wilderness.

It is a very sad thing and the longer we have to stay away, the longer it will take to bring it

back. Please think about this if you are intending to carry on life as normal instead of staying in

‘Your Bubble’.

So, with this being unchartered waters for all golf clubs - how we come out of this will be a

point of much discussion amongst all superinten-dents, but I believe the best way of bringing

the course back into a playable condition will go something like this:-

First priority will be getting all surfaces back to their desired cutting heights. This will have to be done by raising mowing heights to a point

where no more than 20% is taken off the leaf at one hit. This is because if we take it down all at once, it is very hard on the grass plant, which obviously we wish to keep healthy, especially going into winter (or being in the middle of winter, depending on how long this lockdown lasts). The more we can mow to get on top of the grass growth and disperse the clippings

from the surface, the better.

The time of year that we will most likely be doing this is going to make it more challenging.

With potentially no growth, we will have to carefully watch for wear from repetitive

mowing. It will also mean that when the Greens get back to near the right height, processes like verticutting and sanding might not be the best idea, due to recovery. Brushing and rolling may

be the best options to help with the performance of the greens, but I will keep in contact with my network of peers to see how

they are approaching this and take all ideas into consideration.

Obviously everyone is going to want to make the most of their freedom when it comes, but

please realise that the course will not be in good shape for some time and we will be working hard

to bring it back as fast as possible, so please give us the room to do so.

The management and I are keeping a close eye on the situation, so when we get the green light

to head back, we will do so. In the meantime, with all golf around the world at a stop, I en-

courage you to watch fine golfing documentaries like the lovely Story of Happy Gilmore—you may get some tips for putting a few extra yards on

your drive! Cheers, Andy

FINANCE UPDATE

Given the extraordinary times the country and the world is in it is

reassuring to be able to report that club finances are in good health to

ride out the lockdown and beyond. Notwithstanding the purchase of the

new rough mower in January, we have been chipping away at bank debt

and can announce that the club is debt free at the time of writing.

Greenacres has had another fine summer season, with visitor numbers

and green fees reaching new heights. Our thanks go to Alistair, Ian and

Wendy in the Golf Shop for putting in extra shifts over summer. The cafe

has benefited from this growth and also played its own part by catering

for a range of golf and non-golf functions. Great work Rochelle. On the

tournament side the Richmond Unlimited 3-Day tournament was been

able to tick up its contribution even more this year (following a successful

inaugural 2018 event). Twilight Golf, with a few more teams, more fun

and more eating has been a standout,and increased its contribution by

20%. Well done all those involved.

And of course you have, through Snippets, seen the growth in member-

ship. 68 new members have joined since 1 September 2019 taking total

membership to 445.

Subscriptions are and always will be the backbone of our revenue so

please keep those payments coming (statements will be sent out in April).

Once NZ Golf and Tasman Golf levies are removed (approx $21k this year

and due to be paid from April) then membership subs cover our course

costs (everything from irrigation and sprays and chemicals, to the

remuneration we pay to our greenkeeping staff). Highly important to the

long term success and development of the course and club.

On the staff side, we are sorry to see Leila leaving us to start her own

venture. We will miss her cheerful personality and wish Leila all the best

for the future.

All other employed staff, Adam, Alistair, Andy, Ian and Rochelle are

chomping at the bit to get back to work at Greenacres Golf Club. We are

lucky to have such a dedicated team Club President Peter and I are

keeping in regular contact with them.

Peter and I are also plugged into NZ Golf and their initiatives around

course care during the lockdown and reopening as soon as possible.

In short:

Finances are good, but we need members to keep subs ticking over.

Key staff are locked in and eager to get back to work.

We have the ongoing faith and support of our sponsors

Some exciting tournaments are still planned for the second half of the

year

FROM THE BOARD

Name change Remit from 2019 AGM

The board has been presented with two reports about the name

change. These have been discussed and there is no clear evi-

dence to which way this should proceed.

With regard to the current situation we are all in, the Board has

decided to put this matter on hold until further notice.

None of us could have imagined the situation we are in, even a

few months ago. No sport, no gatherings, stay home, that we

wouldn't be able to play the game we love and that Greenacres

Golf Club would be closed. As heart breaking and difficult as the

government's measures are, we are lucky compared to many other

places in the world. We have been given time to protect our loved

ones, our community and assets. This, plus a bit of luck, should

see us back out and about before we know it. Stay Safe. Be Kind.

JOKE - thanks to Graham Sherlock

We are a week into self isolation and it's really upsetting me to

witness my wife standing at the living room window gazing

aimlessly into space with tears running down her cheeks.

It breaks my heart to see her like this. I have thought very hard of

how I can cheer her up. I've even considered letting her come

back inside but rules are rules.

……. this lockdown ain’t

so tough!!!

I made a golf course in my garden

during lockdown!!