12 August 2021 | ISSUE 70

THE GOOD LIFE
 
On the Course | Off the Course
 
 
Members and Guests
 
Dear Member,
 
 
The Club

We have already received a great response on the member’s survey this past week. This survey will give us important insight into the member experience and what we must focus on going forward.

Click here to take part in our Member Survey and stand a chance to win a lunch for four at The Fairway Hotel’s Balata Restaurant. The survey will close on 19 August and the winner will be announced on 23 August.

Happy golfing
Francois


We always encourage communication between our members and the Club. If you have any comments or questions, please don’t hesitate to either contact our CEO, Francois Swart at ceo@randpark.co.za or our Club Captain, Derek McGowan at captainslog@randpark.co.za.
 
 
Mutual Respect: The Key to a Great Randpark
(Written by Randpark Member, Grant Winter)

No power at home so I couldn’t send emails. Frustration. But I needed to enter my latest 18-hole score for handicap purposes. I phoned the club. “Hi, Gugu here,” said the very cheerful lady on the other end of the line, “what can I do for you?” I told her my problem. “Don’t you worry, I’ll sort it out,” she replied. A moment’s pause and then she added, “Actually, I see you have two open rounds.” Another moment’s pause and then she said: “All done. I’ve already fixed everything.” I had been speaking to Head Concierge Gugu Sikhosana and she couldn’t have been more friendly, more efficient and more gracious. It was such good service. All in less than a minute. Yes, a small gesture in a big organisation like Randpark, but a gesture that summed up the “Mutual Respect” ethos that CEO Francois Swart and his team are implementing at the club.
 
“It all comes down to the club being a place of enjoyment,” says Francois. “With so much happening with Covid and the chaos that’s been happening around us, it’s natural to feel stressed, threatened, frustrated and angry whether it be because of crime, the economy or challenges at work or whatever. The pressure builds up and you need a release. So that’s why we are striving to make Randpark your favourite place – your home from home. When you drive through the club gates, you can leave your anger and stress behind and enter a world that goes well beyond golf. Randpark is indeed a place for golfers, but also a place for families and friends to gather in a warm and friendly environment that strives to offer personal attention and added extras to create what is hopefully an unforgettable experience. We want to create an atmosphere and facility you can be proud of – where you can meet for golf, or just re-unite and re-connect with friends over breakfast, lunch or dinner, have some fun and leave your troubles and frustrations behind. And if there’s all-round mutual respect so much the better as we’re all in this together.”
 
Francois feels strongly that members need to respect the club’s staff. “Times have been tough for them, work-wise. One week the club is closed, then it’s open, then it’s closed again. It’s been difficult for them to adapt and they’re trying their very best. The last thing we want, when staff are trying to observe protocols, is for people to bite off their heads with some uncalled for, nasty comment. How much better things can be if you show mutual respect.”
 
Men’s Club Captain, Derek McGowan has no trouble in buying into all this. “If you are feeling stressed don’t take it out on your wife (or husband) and kids. Rather come to the club and let off some steam here on the golf course. Have a drink afterwards and enjoy the camaraderie. It’s a place to release your tension. And remember, just like you’ve chosen your family, so you’ve chosen this club. You can’t be treating your family or the club or its members or staff as your punch bag, no matter what your frustrations are. Again, it all comes down to mutual respect. Yes, in golf and at the club and indeed in life there are rules and regulations but one rule pretty much covers all of these and that is to treat others like you want to be treated yourself.”
 
One player who can identify with our CEO’s desire for people to leave their stress behind when driving through the club’s gates is 27-year-old Zethu Myeki, who played for South Africa as an amateur before turning professional at the beginning of 2020. “I think our club is doing a great job with all its facilities and also for observing all the protocols necessary in this time of the ‘new normal’, so you can feel safe,” she says. “Yes, we may get frustrated out there in the world but we’re so blessed here at Randpark to come through the gates and, as Francois says, feel at home among our fellow members. And as far as facilities go, by the way, the Inrange facility is absolutely fantastic if you want, like me, to work hard on your game and know exactly where you stand, whether it be how far you’re hitting the ball, or whatever. It literally does everything you need to improve your game.” And Zethu’s hours of Inrange practice is clearly paying dividends in tournament play as she takes part each month in the Standard Bank Pro-Am Series for the lady professionals and won the June edition of the competition with a sizzling 67 at Parkview. This coming week she’s at Glendower.
 
Jock Wellington, a relatively new member of Randpark, has for the last 20 years been a dominant player in South African Senior Amateur Golf. He is a multiple winner of the SA Senior Amateur and long-standing member of the over-50s national side, has been No 1 in the rankings for a good chunk of the last two decades and has been a stalwart for Central Gauteng in the annual Senior Amateur Interprovincial.
 
“Mutual respect? Of course, it’s needed,” says Jock who still plays scratch golf at 70. “Especially in these difficult times, we need to be far more tolerant. Here at Randpark some of the people have been months without a proper income. So, there’s definitely no need to jump down someone’s throat if there’s no ice in your drink. As golfers, we should just be extremely grateful that we are allowed to tee it up and play this wonderful game on two fine courses at such a great club. Yes, there are issues out there with lockdown and the frustration it has brought, but let’s not translate that into aggro at the club.”
 
And yes, there have been stress-induced aggro and unfortunate and unnecessary altercations. There is no need for this in golf. Yes, times have been hard during the pandemic, but all the more reason to show gratitude that we can at least enjoy our passion for the game away from what’s happening out there in the world.

Long-time member Otto Knabl feels that one very important way of showing mutual respect is to get vaccinated. Otto, an Austrian, but a permanent resident in South Africa, is a regular visitor to his country of birth and was there in May and June. “In Austria and Europe generally, they won’t let you on the golf course if you haven’t been vaccinated. I know that for practical reasons this can’t happen here just yet but ideally, it should also be the case. In that way, we can all be safe and isn’t that what we all want? You know, in Europe, of every 100 people that die of Covid, 99 haven’t been vaccinated. So Randpark golfers, get vaccinated if you can so you and anyone else you come into contact with can be safe. That’s how you can show mutual respect to other golfers.”
 
Another member, Richard Way, agrees: “I’ve been playing golf regularly at the club week on week and thoroughly enjoying it here at Randpark, but since June last year I haven’t been either into the halfway house or into any other part of the club. Okay, it could be argued that this isn’t good for the club finances as I haven’t been buying drinks! But I just think it’s the responsible thing to do in order to ensure social distancing and avoid being with a crowd of people as we all know this is how the pandemic spreads. So, as Otto says, get vaccinated and be responsible.”
 
Lady members, Jacqui Jones and Janene Matsukis are fairly new to golf, describing themselves as “learners” (although they’re far from hackers and already hold down handicaps in the low 20s). They have a different take on mutual respect: “What does happen some of the time is that because we’re still learning, we might find a fourball behind us getting irritated because we’re holding them up,” says Janine. “Here again is where mutual respect can play a part. They perhaps need to be more patient and for our part, we must be ready to let them through and we make sure to do this,” adds the former Zimbabwe squash and basketball international. Says Jackie: “Janine and I both own technology companies and out there in business we’re in opposition to each other. But we’re such good friends and we team up well on the golf course. Yes, times have been difficult. But let’s be thankful we can actually play this game and feel safe and at home here at Randpark when so many other people are struggling. Be patient with others and there’s no need for irritation.”
 
With a good deal of mutual respect here at Randpark we can make a great club even better. Thanks Francois, thanks Derek, thanks Gugu, thanks everyone!
 
 
Out of Stock Beverage Items

We are currently experiencing out of stock on the following beverage items:
Castle Lite Draft
Guinness Cans 440ml
Heineken 0.0 Blade Draft

We are trying our best to source these items from other suppliers, so please bear with us.
 
 
Kyocera Document Solutions is a global leading provider of total document solutions. We offer reliable and eco-friendly MFPs and printers, business applications, consultative services, digital transformation services and business process optimisation services.

No matter what challenges the customer might face, Kyocera puts its knowledge to work by combining an award-winning range of device technology and business software to help clients capture, organise and share information securely. Thereby, increasing workflow efficiency, enhancing employee productivity, minimising environmental impact and significantly reducing operating costs, all the while exploring new ways to use data to drive innovation and competitive advantage in order to unlock their full potential. Our objective is to help organisations put knowledge to work to drive change.

According to Infosource market information, Kyocera has held the #1 overall position in the Copier/MFP segment in Southern Africa for the last two years.

So, whether you’re looking for printers, MFPs, software solutions, electronic signature solutions, or require assistance with Business Process Optimisation or Workflow efficiency, look no further.

We are proud of the good work we have managed to do in the SA market via our Kyocera Authorised Partners in the SADC Channel, and in particular with our Partner, 123mds, in Johannesburg, which is exactly why we’ve partnered up with them in this very exciting Randpark Club project.

We look forward to catching up with you at the club in the near future.

Regards,

The 123mds & Kyocera Document Solutions Team
Tel: 0861237746
Email: sales@123mds.co.za
www.123mds.co.za

Make the most of your Randpark Membership with Adventour

Adventour has specifically designed golf tours at very special prices, with you, our members in mind. Click here to browse the amazing 4-day packages that stretch from Cape Town in the South to the Kruger in the North.

For more information, please contact Brendan Mills: 082 849 5372 or David Meiring: 071 137 0092 | sales@africanadventour.com.

World Golf Awards

We are proud to have once again been nominated for SA’s Best Golf Course 2021 in the World Golf Awards! World Golf Awards™ serves to celebrate and reward excellence in golf tourism, world-class courses and golf destinations. Please click here to vote for your Club.
 
 
Join the WhatsApp Group

Receive Randpark news updates via WhatsApp in two easy steps:
1. Add Randpark as a contact on your phone 082 052 4767.
2. WhatsApp us your first and last name. If you ever want to stop receiving event news, simply send us a WhatsApp with the message "STOP".

Please note this WhatsApp number is operated from a computer and, unfortunately, unable to receive any phone calls. Please contact the Club on 011 215 8600 for assistance.


SAVE THE DATES


Please diarise the below dates for the Ladies AGM, Company AGM and Club AGM.
We look forward to seeing you there:
Ladies AGM – Saturday, 28th August 2021
Company AGM – Monday, 13th September 2021
Club AGM – Monday, 20th September 2021

 
 
Just as we thought the winter was something of the past, we are expecting a big cold front to hit us over the weekend, so for all those playing this weekend, ensure you are dressed nice and warm, as we are in for a few cold and windy days. The “August” winds over the last couple of days have made scoring on the courses a little bit more difficult than normal, as Gauteng golfers are not accustomed to playing in windy conditions. One small tip I can give is don’t try and overpower the wind. Swing at an easier tempo; the easier you swing, the less spin the ball will generate. More spin on the ball equals more shape in the air, and with the wind playing a factor, it can lead to either big draws or big fades.

With the wind making conditions a little bit harder and leading to more strokes being played members are still advised to maintain a good pace of play. It is still your responsibility to ensure you keep up with the recommended pace of play, as on the scorecard, to make the round enjoyable for your fourball and the rest of the field. We wish you a great golfing weekend.

Rule of the Week

Provisional Ball:
This question was asked by a few members this week on when a provisional ball may be played and when you can’t. The 2019 R&A Rule of Golf under rule 18.3 gives a clear understanding of when a provisional ball is allowed and when not.
In the description of Rule 18.3 it states the following:
“If a ball might be LOST outside a penalty area or be out of bounds, to save time the player may play another ball provisionally under penalty of stroke and distance (Rule 14.6)."

For a ball that might be lost, this applies:
When the original ball has not been found and identified and is not yet lost and,
When a ball might be lost in a penalty area, but also might be lost somewhere else on the course.

BUT if the player is aware the only possible place the original ball could be lost is a penalty area, a provisional ball is NOT ALLOWED and a ball played from where the previous stroke was made becomes the player’s ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance.

If a provisional ball itself might be lost outside a penalty area, or be out of bounds:
The player may play another provisional ball.
That provisional ball then has the same relationship to the first provisional ball as the first one has to the original ball.

A general reminder that if you are playing a provisional ball, it is the player's responsibility to announce to his marker that he/she is playing a provisional ball. The player must use the word “Provisional” or otherwise clearly indicate he or she is playing the ball provisionally under Rule 18.3.
 
 
Entries will be limited to the first 120 paid entries. Participants must be 50 years and older on the day of the tournament. Entries close on the 6th of September and the draw will be done on the 7th of September.

Entry Fee: R200 (incl. hospitality stations at registration, comp fee, gift and warm-up buckets at the Range)
Tee Times: Sat, 11 Sept, Bushwillow PM Field 11h14 – 13h06 off both tees;
Sun, 12 Sept, Firethorn AM Field 06h30 – 08h30 off both tees
Halfway House: Grab & Go – Players own account
Sunday Prize Giving Lunch: Optional at an additional cost of R150 pp
Registration: Click here or contact Leanne on 011 215 8600 | clubevents@randpark.co.za
 
 
Enter the Windhoek 5 Star National Pairs at Randpark on Saturday, 28th of August and stand a chance to win an entry into the Regional Playoff.

Format: Betterball Stableford
Cost: Normal Saturday Competition Fee will apply
Prizes: Stand a chance to win an entry into the Regional Playoff worth R5000. The winners of each Regional Playoff will be flown to Cape Town to play in the Final at Pearl Valley Golf Estate
One overall winner per course
All day through the field competition
Normal Club Prize-giving will be at 14h00 (morning field) and 18h00 (afternoon field)
Saturday booking procedures will apply. Please ensure you and your playing partners are both available, if required, to take part in the regional final (date to be confirmed)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thursday’s Curry Night Specials

Sit down or take-out from 5 pm to 8 pm. Take-outs must be ordered with your service host.

Lamb Meatball Curry - R110
Served with pilaf rice and topped with cucumber raita
Thai Turkey Curry - R90
Simmered with red capsicum, green beans, sweet potato and coconut milk, served with fragrant rice
Chickpea & Broad Bean Curry - R60
Served with fragrant rice

All curries served with sambals, chutney, desiccated coconut, mango achaar and spiced tomato chutney

You can also order your Club-favourites from Monday to Saturday between 11 am and 7 pm and Sunday between 11 am and 4 pm for take-out collection. Click here to view our take-out menu. Contact 011 215 8600 to place your orders.
 
 
If you are looking for some fun in the sun this weekend, join us at the Driving Range for putt-putt or an unforgettable experience with Inrange, test some used equipment or simply just sit, snack and enjoy a cold beer at Gimme Café. It's time you started having more fun!
 
 
Click here to book your table and click here to view the menu.
 
 
Have a great weekend
Stay Safe, Healthy & Happy!
The Randpark Team

 
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