Members and Guests

Dear Member,

The Club

A lot is happening in between the buzzing atmosphere and full courses. We are still busy with bunker sand top-ups on both courses; to date, we have dropped 120-tons of sand, and are busy with another 120-ton delivery to finish this off. We are using the sand pro (bunker raking machine), and keeping the sand as wet as possible to help it settle and compact, which will reduce the possibilities of plugged lies, especially in the faces.

We have also dug out the drainage on the 9th fairway bunker on Firethorn, which was blocked with a yellow clay-like sludge, and have added a brand-new drainage pipe and stone. We should be done with the bunkers by next week and, hopefully, a nice bit of rain will help settle them even quicker.

As previously communicated, we will be starting with a list of projects, on both courses, for the remainder of September and throughout October, which will include the following:
• We will be redoing the garden at the entrance of the clubhouse, which has the big Randpark logo on the curved wall. This garden was an eye-sore, and Johan is busy shaping this to be a feature of the clubhouse entrance.
• Laser levelling of tees will commence from the 13th of September, which will include:

- Firethorn - 9th Tee
- Bushwillow - 6th Tee, 13th Tee and 15th Tee

• Tee extensions will commence from the 11th of October, and will include:

- Firethorn - 6th Tee, 17th Tee and 12th Tee
- Bushwillow - 5th Tee

• Cart paths will be extended

Bushwillow:

- 1st Green to 2nd Tee – this will include the reshaping of the top and bottom path to tidy up the area.
- 5th Green to 6th Tee
- 8th Bridge to 9th Tee

Firethorn:

- 11th Tee to Fairway
- 11th Green to 12th Tee

• We will be bringing in a stump grinder to get rid of all the stumps sticking out of the ground on both courses. We will also be removing a few alien trees.

These projects will only be completed by the end of October and should not interfere with play. We will keep members posted on the progress.

Golf Carts

A major concern on both courses is the amount of golf cart traffic, especially when the driver of the cart does not adhere to the rules by sticking to cart paths. A GPS cart tracking map over the past weekend highlights the number of cart rounds, as well as how the carts condense in certain areas, not to mention some cart lines in very dodgy areas. Carts create significantly more wear and damage to the golf course than walking golfers, and it is up to the cart drivers to drive with course care in mind. White lines in front of greens are placed there to avoid excessive wear around greens and keep the course enjoyable for all golfers. Good cart etiquette would include avoiding worn areas, staying on the cart paths, as far as possible, avoid driving right on top of the tee boxes and next to greens.

Last Saturday’s golf cart traffic on Firethorn

Last Saturday’s golf cart traffic on Bushwillow

1. The impact of cart traffic varies.
Many factors influence how cart traffic affects a golf course. Certain grasses are more vulnerable to traffic injury and may require special cart policies. Areas with heavy soils and poor drainage face a greater risk of compaction and other traffic issues. Even the time of year plays a role. When grasses are growing slowly, they are more vulnerable to the cumulative effects of cart traffic. For all these reasons, cart policies vary from course to course, hole to hole and even day to day.

2. Wet conditions and cart traffic do not mix.
Carts can slide, skid and sink when turf is wet, causing immediate and lasting damage. Wet soils are also more vulnerable to compaction, which can have negative long-term effects on playing conditions, even if those impacts are not immediately visible. Avoiding wet areas and respecting cart path restrictions is an important part of being a responsible cart driver.
Driving a golf cart through a wet area causes serious damage. By respecting cart restrictions and avoiding wet areas, golfers help care for the course.

3. Cart traffic during hot, dry weather can also cause problems.
It’s easy to understand that driving a cart through a soaking wet area is likely to cause problems, but many golfers are not aware that driving over dry or heat-stressed turf can also cause issues. During hot and dry weather, cart traffic increases stress on the grass and can leave behind damaged turf and straw-coloured tire marks that may take weeks to heal.
Cart traffic during hot and dry weather can also cause turf damage. The tire marks that appear on dry or heat-stressed turf can take weeks to heal.

4. Sometimes it’s better to take the road less travelled.
A single golf cart driving down a fairway has little to no effect on turf health or playing conditions. It is the cumulative effect of many carts that eventually takes a toll on the grass. This is why cart damage is most obvious in areas where traffic is concentrated, like the ends of cart paths. Doing your best to steer clear of high-traffic areas can greatly reduce the impact of your cart.

5. Less cart traffic means better playing conditions.
Walking or sharing a cart goes a long way toward reducing cart traffic and improving turf health. This helps courses conserve resources, and provide better playing conditions for everyone.
The Club uses ropes, stakes, signs and many other traffic control measures to minimise the negative impacts of cart use; but ultimately, they depend on golfers to be mindful of where and how they drive. Respecting course rules, being understanding of cart restrictions, and doing our best to reduce cart traffic can have a very positive impact on the courses we play.

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.

Randpark Club Learning Centre - CMASA Learning Platform

Handicap Cards

HNA will be issuing new handicap cards very shortly. We will let you know once they are ready for collection from the Club. Please note that you will not be able to exchange your card for the new one, unless a head and shoulder photo of yourself has been loaded onto our system. Please follow the four easy steps below. Should you experience any difficulty uploading your photo, you can email a photo with your membership number, name and surname to Felicia at marketing@randpark.co.za or Nadja at membership@randpark.co.za.

Step 1:
Go onto the Randpark Website and select 'Tee Time' under Members Section.

Step 2:
Log in using your own username and password.

Step 3:
Click on your name displayed on the top right-hand corner of the screen and select 'Edit My Profile'.

Step 4:
Click on 'CHANGE PHOTO' and upload a head and shoulder photo you are happy with. Click save.

Let's grab another win for the Best Club in Joburg!
Follow these three easy steps:
1. Click here
2. Scroll down to ‘Golf course’ and type "Randpark Golf Club"
3. Don't forget to complete your details at the bottom and submit!

RULE 18.2 THE TIME FOR BALL SEARCH
Limiting the search period to three minutes is more consistent, with the underlying principle that golf is to be played in a prompt and continuous way, without long pauses in play. In most cases, if the ball is going to be found, it will be found within the first three minutes. Although this change may increase the number of lost balls, on average the overall impact should be to speed up play. Knowing that the search time is limited to three minutes should encourage players to play a provisional ball when they believe there is a chance their ball may not be found.

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

Enter the Heritage Golf Championships at Randpark on Saturday, 18th of September, and stand a chance to qualify for the National Final on the 23rd of September at the Gary Player Country Club, Sun City Resort.

Format: Betterball Stableford
Cost: R120
• One overall winner per course, morning and afternoon fields (4 pairs)
• 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 partner are both available, if required, to take part in the national final (23rd of September)
Please click here for more information on the rules and gift bag.

Don’t forget to hand in your scorecards on Saturday, and stand a chance to be one of the lucky Johnny Walker Black winners!
We will be doing Member Attendance Lucky Draws during prize-giving.
AM Prize Giving - THREE bottles of Johnny Walker Black!
PM Prize Giving – ONE bottle of Johnny Walker Black!
You must be present during prize giving to be eligible.

Sponsored by Ubuntu Resource Management and CTL Group Holdings (Pty) Ltd

All Senior Club Champs players will receive a complimentary warm-up bucket at the Range.
Up for grabs, R10 000 SATIB Hole-in-One opportunity on the 17th Firethorn & 13th Bushwillow.
Join us for prize-giving lunch on Sunday at R150 pp. Partners and families are welcome! Book here or contact Leanne, clubevents@randpark.co.za.
More information will be communicated to players via SMS on Friday, 10th September.
Click here for Round 1 and 2 draws.

DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND, WE HAVE OPENED BUSHWILLOW AS FIRETHORN IS FULLY BOOKED. PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS LIMITED AVAILABILITY ON BUSHWILLOW!

Our MAJOR SALE at the Randpark Golf Shop is in full swing and we have fantastic value on offer! If you prefer to walk our green fairways, we have the most lightweight push cart ‘The Wishbone’ available at only R3 999.95. This can be combined with the TaylorMade TM20 8.0 Cart Bag at only R2 399.95. These are just two of the promotions we currently have on offer.

Please click here to browse through other great promotions! We look forward to seeing you on the golf courses.

Thursday’s Curry Night Specials

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

Lamb Meatball Curry - R110
Served with pilaf rice and topped with cucumber raita
Chicken Tikka Masala R90
Mild spiced tomato based curry with plain yoghurt, Indian spices and red onion marinade, served with fragrant rice
Tamarind Sauce Fish Curry R90
Tangy and sweet curried fish served with fragrant rice

All curries served with sambals, poppadums, chutney, desiccated coconut and mango achaar.

You can also order your Club-favourites for take-away collection Monday to Saturday between 11am and 7pm, and Sunday between 11am and 4pm. Click here to view our take-away menu. Contact 011 215 8600 to place your order (Mon-Sat 11am-5pm and Sunday 11am-4pm).

Have a great weekend
Stay Safe, Healthy & Happy!
The Randpark Team