Golf Committee Chair’s Update
I hope most of you have been able to enjoy the wonderful condition the course has found itself in over the past week or so. I was able to see it firsthand this past weekend at the Gold Cup, where I once again heard nothing but praise from the players, and accolades must once again be extended to Peter and his team for the preparation of the course. As you undoubtedly know by now, we have had one of the wettest Februarys on record, so getting the course in its current condition has been no small feat.
I will keep this correspondence succinct for once and use this as an opportunity to provide an update on the Indoor Golf Centre and a few other recent developments.
Indoor Golf Centre and Short Game Practice Area Update
Michael Hill, Club Chair attended our most recent Golf Committee meeting on 26th March to reiterate his and the Board’s continued support for the development of the Indoor Golf Centre and Short Game Practice Area. There have been further delays though, and our initial expectation of commencing construction in 2024 looks increasingly unlikely.
When I wrote to you last, it was our intention to have already submitted our final pre-planning document to Wandsworth Borough Council (WBC) by early 2024, but changes in planning application laws have meant that we will now need a BREEAM Assessment (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) as part of the pre-planning application for the IGC. Previously this was expected to have been submitted as part of the formal and final planning application, but the Club will now need to prove that it can meet the outstanding criteria (a score of 85%) in place for any new commercial building in the Borough during the pre-planning process.
This is an ambitious percentage target, but the Club have been working with a consultant who is preparing the pre-planning assessment, which highlights seven key criteria that the Club must meet:
- Life cycle carbon assessment for all materials used in development and construction
- Health and Wellbeing – for staff and Members using the facility (e.g. natural daylight etc.)
- Energy – lighting and heating etc. (BRUKL report)
- Water – flow rates and leak protection
- Reporting process
- Waste – how much site material is recycled versus removal
- Ecological surveys
Our chief designer (Sport Clubhouses) has now accelerated the details on the building design before it goes to planning to provide a comprehensive report to meet these criteria, and although the timing of this BREEAM requirement has come as a bit of an unpleasant surprise, it involves work that would have to have been done later regardless.
Another point that will need to be considered is a pre-digging of the construction area to ensure there are no further unpleasant surprises a few metres underground. I share Michael’s concern that this is the principal risk we face at this point, in that we simply are not certain what lies underneath the intended site. Although this pre-digging has not been signed off, I would support this decision as what we encounter underneath could seriously derail our plans. I will keep you abreast of this, given that this would likely impede the ability of our membership to fully enjoy the practice area, potentially sooner than later.
Michael also relayed his concern around general project delay, particularly how the construction of the IGC is dependent not only on WBC approvals, but also on the time required for the construction tender process as well as on the Board’s plans for other major projects the Club. For example, the Bar and Restaurant renovation project, which itself does not require WBC approvals, is scheduled commence in early 2025 and to last approximately three months. Should we receive WBC approval for the IGC later this summer (for example), it is possible we will need to delay the start of IGC construction until after the Bar / Restaurant project is completed, as the Board frowns on the disturbance that simultaneous construction projects could cause the membership.
So, there have unfortunately been further delays to the IGC project, which have been frustrating but not necessarily fruitless. Frankly they have been unavoidable, but the message from the Club remains clear: We are proceeding with our application on a two-storey structure and expect to now submit our pre-planning documents to WBC later on this month. Final planning approval is expected to finalise in the summer, with construction of our intended design, short of unforeseen unpleasantries underground, most realistically now commencing in the spring of 2025.
Thursday golf
From Thursday 2nd May, each Thursday will continue to have two ball or foursomes golf, however only until 1pm. From 1pm, three and four balls will also be permitted.
If you wish to play Three or Four Ball golf on a Thursday, you must book after 1pm. Please be courteous to other golfers and if there is a gap ahead of you and a faster group behind, please let them through to allow both groups to continue enjoying their game.
Late Cancellations Policy
There recently have been an abundance of cases of late cancellations of tee time bookings. As we are a Club with an extremely large membership, golf tee times are highly coveted, and late cancellations deprive other Members of the ability to make last minute bookings.
As such, the Golf Committee has approved a new late cancellation policy, in line with the policy of other sports sections at Roehampton Club.
From Monday 22nd April, if you have booked a tee time and no longer wish to play, the booking must be cancelled at least 24 hours prior to the tee time. Although there will be exceptions for changes in course status, illness and inclement weather, if the booking is not cancelled with at least 24 hours’ notice, the Lead Booker will receive a strike. Three strikes in a two-month period will result in a two week ban from booking golf and five strikes in a two-month period will lead to a month-long booking ban.
The Golf Committee will be informed of any Member that receives 5 strikes. The Golf Committee’s recommendation will be that the Member shall be put forward to the Board’s Disciplinary Panel for consideration of a suspension from playing golf at the Club for a period of time.
Please take note of this new policy, as the Club and the starters will be actively monitoring and enforcing this new rule going forward.
Final thoughts
Hopefully you have noticed the new pins around the course as well as the new bathroom facilities next to the seventh hole hut. We are of course regrettably limited by a lack of electricity and plumbing in the area, so please always remember to leave the bathroom the way you find it.
As always, I encourage you to keep up to date by reading these Recorder contributions as well as the minutes of the Golf Committee which are available on the Club website under ‘The Club – Committees and Minutes’ and of course feel free to email me with any thoughts or concerns you may have.