September Newsletter - Richmond Park Golf Course
Dear Golfer,
It’s hard to believe that September’s here already. Lockdown robbed us of the first couple of months of summer, so in a way it feels like the season has only just got underway. Yet here we are approaching the end of the 2020 season, one that will go down as the strangest on record.
Ask any golf club owner/operator and they’ll tell you the same thing. The huge surge in demand for golf, coupled with constantly changing COVID-19 guidelines, has resulting in a lot of plate spinning. Over 50,000 golfers have tee’d off since we reopened in May. The majority have been delighted that they’re back playing golf again, spending time in nature and doing the thing they love. Thank you to everyone that’s been supportive and understanding – there’s also been a handful of grumbles about some of the measures put in place, but please remember we are prioritising your safety in what are very challenging circumstances.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to show my appreciation for our brilliant team of staff at Richmond Park, for their commitment and positivity since returning to work. It’s not been an easy few months and I owe them a big thanks.
Golf course update – important customer information
Our greenkeeping team will be carrying essential course maintenance from Monday 7th to Thursday 10th September. The planned work will include intensive aeration to all greens, to help relieve compaction and ensure healthy turf. Deputy Head Greenkeeper Ian Brown explains the process: “Most golf clubs carry out a programme of aeration at this time of the year. We’ll start with hollowcoring – a process that remove small cores of turf, allowing the soil to breath. We use a Toro ProCore to leave a clean finish that gets surfaces back into play quickly. We then use a sand-based dressing to fill the holes and encourage quick recovery.”
We aim to keep disturbance to a minimum – check our tee booking system for more information about which courses are affected and when:
https://richmond.intelligentgolf.co.uk/visitorbooking/
Golf after lockdown. What are your thoughts?
With reports of packed tee sheets and driving ranges up and down the coutry, golf is back and more popular than ever. Its COVID-friendly qualities has appealed to newcomers and those returning to the sport. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a new and improved version of golf to help retain the same level of interest for the long term.
In July we asked you to help us shape the future of golf by completing a customer survey. We had over 2000 reponses, providing valuable feedback to help us better understand what we can do to make golf even more appealing. We’ll be using this data to help us build our business strategy for the remainder of 2020 and beyond.
Clubhouse services
We have now opened our clubhouses with COVID- secure measures in place. Please continue to observe the guidelines to help protect our staff and customers, especially as the summer comes to a close and more people want the comfort and warmth of an indoor space.
Food & Beverage Manager Andy Silverman explains: “Our outdoor seating areas have provided golfers with a safe and pleasant place to enjoy a drink and a bite to eat. In accordance with Government guidelines, we’ve now reopened limited dining spaces inside the clubhouse. We’ve adapted our menu to provide a range of tasty and convenient snacks to eat in or out”.
Are you a Fairweather Golfer?
September may be here already, but there’s still lots of sunshine to enjoy! Loyaltee™ is golf’s most flexible membership plan. Why commit to a 12 month contract if you don’t want to play all year? Perfect for all you fairweather golfers out there! Pay monthly and cancel anytime. Plans start at just £82 per month.
Click here to register online today:
https://www.glendalegolf.co.uk/richmond-park-golf-course/golf-membership/
Tennis coach shoots an ace at Richmond Park!
Richmond Park regular Christopher Lloyd is a tennis coach that loves to occasionally swap his raquet for a set of clubs, and play a round at his local golf venue. Like most players, he certainly doesn’t expect to card an ace on the short holes, let alone the longer par-4s.
On Wednesday 8th July, on the par-4 17th hole on the Princes Course, Christoper pulled out his driver and hit a full blooded drive down the centre of the fairway. The ball bounced, fortuitously, high off the road that runs across the fairway and made its way onto the green. The ball proceeded to roll the full length of the green and straight into the hole.
Christopher arrived home that evening and researched how many, “hole in ones” on par 4 holes have occurred. According to his research, only once ever on the PGA Tour in 2001 by Andrew Magee. Can anyone else match this ace?
Please get in touch if you have any suggestions, comments or feedback and I look forward to seeing you on the fairways soon.
Best regards
Jon Dummett
General Manager