Dear Member,

Membership Renewal

We have seen a phenomenal renewal of membership since the invoices were sent in April, but we still have outstanding fees, which have not yet been paid. We kindly request for all members, who have not yet been in contact with the Club, to please settle their accounts before 30 May 2021. If you have already made a payment that is not reflecting on your statement, please send the proof of payment to membership@randpark.co.za. It does happen regularly that incorrect references are used and we simply cannot allocate the payment to your account.

It is important to remember that the Club Constitution states that annual subscriptions are due and payable before 31 March each year. We would appreciate the ongoing support from all members of the Club, as it will allow us to continue growing, from strength to strength, and to ensure we deliver the Club experience our members deserve.

The Club offers multiple easy ways to pay your subscriptions:
• Direct EFT
• Credit card at the Club reception
• Using the Randpark Club App
• Signing up for a debit order

Please use your Member number as a reference and send proof of payments to membership@randpark.co.za.

Best Practice – Dusting of Greens

I am sure that many members wonder if the regular dusting of the greens is necessary and why do we do it? Well, dusting greens is probably the most important cultural practice for putting greens. In recent years, the USGA has recommended a heavier weekly or bi-weekly sand topdressing with finer sand than what was originally recommended. They found that more sand could be applied thus being more beneficial for the control of thatch build-up, the number one putting green enemy. Greens that develop excessive thatch tend to hold moisture and form big pitch marks. Although the greens will hold an approach shot easily, green speed and smoothness can be negatively affected. Thatchy greens tend to have shallow roots and are far more prone to heat and drought stress as well as poor traffic resistance. The grass will also be more susceptible to fungal diseases. We top-dress on a bi-weekly basis and adjust sand levels to the time of year and will also add a bit extra if we need to catch up on our programme. We use the finest sand possible, but supply can sometimes be a bit erratic and if the sand has larger particles, they tend to hang around a bit longer, especially in winter. Moving into winter, we will continue to do bi-weekly applications, but rates will be far lower as the grass is growing very slowly.

Training & Development

We are pleased that both training and development for Randpark staff members are well underway in all departments. Training took place throughout the Club the past few months, which included:

The Weekday Club Championships will be played on Thursday, the 1st of July, and Friday, the 2nd of July. The 36-hole event is played over both courses in the morning field; the first round will be played on Bushwillow and the final round on Firethorn. There will be two divisions in the Championships – Nett and Stableford points. This is really a fun and competitive event enjoyed by all. Entries will open soon for the event.

Please click the links below for:
2021 Club Champs Memories
All Divisions – Prize Winners
Club Champs 2021 Men A & B-Divisions Final Results
Club Champs 2021 Ladies A, B & C-Divisions Final Results
Club Champs 2021 Stableford Divisions Final Results

Rule of the Week

The embedded ball – what to do, when is a ball embedded and what are my options?

The definition of an embedded ball as in the Rules of Golf is when a player’s ball is in its own pitch-mark made as a result of a player’s previous stroke and where part of the ball is below the level of the ground. Unfortunately, players still get this wrong and a good example of this was Patrick Reid during the Farmers Insurance Open that raised a lot of questions regarding the ruling. Players must be certain that the ball is below the surface and “Plugged”. A good point that was raised with the golf office the other day: “what if my ball is lying in an unrepaired divot, may I get free relief?” The answer is NO, the exception will be if the ball broke the playing surface within the divot, only then will a player be able to take free relief.