AGM – New Committee

The club’s first Annual General Meeting following completion of Stage 1 of the golf course was held on Thursday 12th November and resulted in the retirement of several committee members and the election of able replacements.

The Committee would like to thank Bob Hall, Garry Mayer and John Pottage for their commitment, stewardship and collective effort over the years in helping to get the Maleny Golf Club up and running with a 9-hole Stage 1 course of which we can all rightly be proud.

A warm welcome is also extended to Jenny Oxenham, Tom Bertwistle and Mike Norman who’ve been elected to fill the vacancies. Robin Hay has filled the role of Vice President/Club Captain vacated by John Pottage and Roly Nieper has taken over the role of Secretary vacated by Bob Hall.

Full details on the composition of the Committee and Sub-committees can be found on the website here

President receives Queensland sports volunteer award

Stop the presses! Great news! Our President Dr Max Whitten was announced as the winner of the 2015 Sports Volunteer of the Year award at the Queensland Sports Federation’s 21st Sports Awards & Hall of Fame Presentation at a gala black-tie dinner in Brisbane on 30 November.

Max has been the driving force behind the establishment of the Maleny community golf course which officially opened for play on 30 June – fittingly earning him his nomination by Golf Queensland. The award recognises Max’s leadership, commitment, drive and enterprise in facilitating construction of the course to meet unmet demand for golf in the area.

The award focuses only on achievements during the past 12 months, however, construction of the course was the culmination of many years of hard work by Max, wife Penny and a committed team of like-minded supporting volunteers.

Congratulations and many thanks go to Max, Penny and to all those unsung supporters who made it all possible in the face of great adversity as the focus shifts to development on the next 9 holes. The Committee would also like to acknowledge Joe Walters’ initiative in harnessing Golf Queensland’s support and Garry Mayer’s involvement in drafting the nomination.

Broad community support for golf in Maleny

“One volunteer can achieve little, but a group can move mountains, or build a golf course (with the assistance of a fantastic superintendent!). And so it was with much pride that I accepted the award from Sports Queensland last Monday evening for the 2015 Sports Volunteer on behalf of members and staff of the Maleny Golf Club. It was a great night for golf as Jason Day was made Sports Star of the Year.

“Golf Queensland was active in preparing the successful nominations and we are grateful to them. What it tells us is that others have independently judged the golf course to be a quality product.

“Now we are working to upgrade the temporary golf shop, build a practical maintenance facility and finalise design details for the second nine holes. I hope it will be someone else who will front up at the QSport Awards in a few years’ time to accept the trophy from Brisbane’s Lord Mayor.

“You might be excused for believing, based on recent comments in local media, that the Club persisted in building a golf course that the majority of this community did not want. Both the Club and Council followed due diligence before embarking on the journey.

“The Club canvassed and received unanimous support from 103 Maleny businesses and Council engaged a reputable well-known firm, Tract Consultants, to survey the community. Their 2003 report to Council, concluded that just 13% opposed a golf course.

“Top golf architects, Thomson and Perrett were engaged by Council to assess the site suitability for a golf course and Ernst & Young was engaged to assess the viability of building and operating a golf course. Council also talked with Steve Porter about selling his land for a golf course. Council received affirmative advice on all counts.

“Council then established a community-based Taskforce to recommend a draft master plan for the combined Porter and Armstrong farms. This plan, which included an 18 hole community golf course, was presented by the Taskforce to a well-attended public meeting in the Showground Pavilion on 21 Feb 2004 and then to a Council forum n 25 May 2004. Michael Berry was anchor man for both presentations. Both presentations were well received by the community and Council.

“Finally, in 2010, Council approved the Maleny Community Precinct Masterplan which included an 18 hole golf course following unanimous recommendation from the Precinct Advisory Group.

“We see little point in continuing a public debate when the history is so well documented. Finishing the golf course is now our focus.” – President, Dr Max Whitten

Club Shop

Work continues on enhancing our temporary operating premises, with the interior paint job completed during November thanks to a herculean effort put in by Bob Leach and Ralph Ding. It looks great!

Hopefully, we will have the footings in and the roof on soon so that additional refrigeration and other creature comforts can be installed in time for the Xmas holiday season.

The Golf Shop remains short of volunteers to assist in staffing the business seven days a week. Volunteer participation is vital as it underpins the club’s viability by helping to keep operating costs, and therefore membership fees, down.

Apart from individual shifts we also need a list of standbys in case our regulars fall ill or go away on holidays. If interested please get in touch with Richard by phoning 5499 9960 or sending an email to shop@malenygolfclub.com.au

Members please note that there are a lot of new Gold, Silver and Bronze membership cards awaiting collection at the Golf Shop. So if you haven’t tried out the course yet pop in, pick up your membership card and play a round.

Xmas Gift Vouchers

If you’re struggling for Christmas gift ideas why not give a Maleny Golf Club Gift Voucher for Xmas. Vouchers will be available for purchase from the Golf Shop – two rounds of 9 holes plus a cart for $65.

Competition Golf

Following the AGM the Committee elected a new Match Committee comprised of Robin Hay, Tom Bertwistle, Margaret Trigger, Ralph Ding, Garry Mayer, Bob Leach and Robin Hay.

The Match Committee has determined that competitors now have to play the ball as it lies through the green. If your ball lands in the rough you should play a Provisional Ball to assist in keeping up the pace of play. Relief can be taken only from red dirt areas on the fairway (being deemed Ground Under Repair) by marking the ball and taking a drop without penalty.

Plans are afoot to prepare a quarterly fixtures time sheet from January to make it easier for planning purposes. Any player queries are welcome and members will get back to you ASAP if your query can’t be answered on the spot.

Please note Secret Santas (value $5) will follow the Ladies competition on Wednesday 16th and the 9-hole completion on Thursday the 17th December, so bring along your gift to participate.

Competition players are encouraged to book their preferred tee times on-line via the Book Online button on the Fixtures page on the club’s website or click here in order to save administrative time at set-up. If you have forgotten your logon for this site or don’t have one contact Garry Mayer at handicaps.malenygolfclub.com.au. Alternatively, please call the Golf Shop on 5499 9960. There have been some changes to fixture tee off times in December so please consult the club website www.malenygolfclub.com.au for more details.

Congratulations go to Paul Lowe who carded a net 68 on November 7 to win the 2015 Medal of Medals competition by one shot from Paul Viertel. Paul then backed this effort up with a net 61 on November 28 to take out the November Monthly Medal sponsored by Maleny Property Rentals. (Let’s hope the handicapper has got to him before next year’s Medal of Medals!) Runner up was Scott Alexander with a net 62 – an outstanding effort which saw Scott’s handicap drop by more than 10 shots – surely a record!

Club Christmas Party and Raffles

A great time was had by all at the Maleny Golf Club Christmas party and presentation night held at Maleny Manor on the evening of Wednesday 18 November. The hospitality, including the service, food and wines was fantastic and greatly appreciated by the 100 members and partners in attendance.

A big thanks goes to Margaret Trigger on the organisational and fund raising fronts as well as to John Cundill and the Maleny Singers for their presentation of “Fairway Follies” – a fitting theatrical exclamation mark to celebrate completion of the first 9 holes of the course.

Thanks also to MC Ralph Ding who managed to keep the night moving with levity and precision!

The club raised almost $1,200 from the raffle of our Xmas hamper and a beautiful framed water-colour painting donated by acclaimed local artist Michele Retschlag of the Armstrong Farm’s Old Cow Bails overlooking the 3rd hole.

Course Update from the Superintendent Mick McCombe

The greens are performing really well following the renovation work undertaken in early October and additional grooming. Work will now get underway on construction of the ladies’ tee on the 7th hole. The grass has been growing at an unbelievable pace of late, presenting a significant challenge for our team of volunteers of whom we would always welcome more.

From a planning perspective, good progress has been made during the past month with course designer Graham Papworth and the Committee on the design of the second nine holes.

Captain’s Corner with Robin Hay

A big hello to all members, many of whom I’ve yet to meet such has been the amazing growth in our membership ranks since the opening of our first 9 holes just five months ago.

Now that we are a recognised golf club with plans to take part in regional zone competitions and events in future, I believe it is important that the club fosters the adoption of good golf etiquette as part of our membership culture. This really amounts to displaying what are essentially considered to be good manners to fellow players – whether playing on our home course or elsewhere as a visitor.

Consider yourself to be an ambassador for the Maleny Golf Club when playing away and remember that your conduct on course may reflect collectively on how the club and all its members are perceived by others.

Click here for more information on the RandA website on golf etiquette.