April 2025 Newsletter
Charity
We are delighted to say that this year the Club Charity the Alzheimer’s Society has already raised £270.00 from the Quiz so a huge thank you to those who donated.
Charlie’s
We are pleased that we are getting good feedback from Members and Visitors about Charlie’s. Also, we are pleased to announce that they are now open at 7.30am to provide breakfast baps etc before you go out to play on a Friday Saturday and Sunday. Please remember that Charlie’s opening hours will be dictated to by the facility being supported!
Greenkeeping
The greenkeepers have been busy moving sand, deep raking and doing the edging. The hole cups have been powder coated and one of our volunteer members has been painting all the posts on the course. We are getting many good comments and feedback from those who are playing here so hopefully the greenkeepers hard work is paying off.
Pace of Play
For the enjoyment of all, as a club, we are currently focusing on and emphasizing the importance of pace of play. We receive numerous complaints both during the week and at the weekends about the speed of a few golfers.
You may have noticed that there are new signs which have been distributed around the golf course which indicate the maximum time that a round should take. This allows for a round of 18 holes to last a maximum of 4 hours. If you are found to be over these times, you will be asked to pick up your pace, skip some holes and in extreme cases to leave the course. Please remember, if you happen to be a lot quicker than 4 hours it does not necessarily mean that others are slow, just that you are quicker! Those who know they are particularly slow, please play at times when the golf course is quieter and just call groups behind through.
Part of the problem is people being late on the tee and also playing from the wrong tee, both of which are causing addition frustration to those they hold up. We are now going to manage this both by the Marshall and also the booking system. Everyone playing on the course must come into the Pro shop to sign in at least twenty minutes before their tee off time. Anyone who does not come in, will be marked on the tee booking sheet as absent and in turn we do intend to get the booking system to automatically prevent that person booking in future. The same will apply to those who book several tee slots but do not use all of them. When the Marshall is here, he is instructed to write down the time people arrive at their starting tee, the time they reach halfway and the time they finish their round.
These issues are of utmost importance to us. We want everyone to enjoy their round of golf at Chilworth and typically it can be just one person or one group that can spoil the experience for many people.
Quiz 30/05/2025
Following on from the great success of the last quiz, we are now starting to organize the next quiz which will be hosted by Charlie’s. This will be held on the 30th of May 2025 with further details to follow in the coming weeks. Please sign up and pay at the counter. This time the food will be chicken and chips. The only change to this menu is if you have specific dietary requirements. This is a Club run event so please do not ask Charlies to make a special exemption because you would just prefer something else.
Club Competitions
Following the most recent Competition Committee Meeting and General Committee Meeting, it has been decided that a change to the club competitions is required. It has been decided that the weekend rolling competitions will run from Saturday to Monday rather than Friday to Monday.
It has also been decided that, due to a lack of participation, we will be stopping the club team competitions indefinitely. Instead, on the third week of each month there will not be a competition. This will also be the case on the fifth week of the month if applicable. This means we will be running three weekend competitions each month.
The decision has been made to both help protect the golf course. It also allows our greenkeeping staff to carry out essential maintenance on the course without interfering with any active competitions.
External Competitions
On the 29th of March we played the first round of the Kindred Cup at home against Gosport and Stokes Bay Golf Club. We are pleased to report that our team came out on top on the day by a score of 3-2 with the deciding match going to extra holes. We have now advanced onto the next round and are awaiting confirmation of our next opponents.
Paul Sheath and Anthony Davie represented Chilworth in this year’s Daily Mail Foursomes. Unfortunately, they were eliminated in the first round after losing by a score of 6&5 at Romsey Golf Club. We would like to thank Paul and Anthony for their participation.
Last weekend, we hosted New Forest Golf Club in the first round of this year’s Hampshire 7’s competition. Unfortunately, we lost by a score of 4 ½ to 2 ½. We would like to thank all our players for their participation.
Knockout Sign-ups
Ladies and Gents - This is your last chance to sign-up for the club knockout competitions. We have extended the deadline for sign-ups to encourage more members to participate. This now closes on the 17th of April so make sure your name is down if you would like to participate.
We are running the following knock out competitions this year:
· Club Singles
· Club Doubles
· Club Mixed Doubles
· Ambassadors Singles
· Ambassadors Doubles
· Ladies Singles (£2 entry fee)
If you have put your name down, please ensure you have paid your £5 entry fee per competition prior to the 17th of April otherwise you will not be included in the draw. If you are unsure whether you have paid, please ask our staff and we can check this for you.
Open Competition
We will be holding two open days this year in a hope to attract as many people to the club as possible. There will be a Ladies and Seniors Open Day held on Friday the 11th of July 2025. Followed by an Open Day on the Saturday 12th of July 2025.
The Ladies and Seniors Open Day is open to all ladies as well as males over the age of 55. The Open Day will be available to everyone. The format for both days will be a 3 Ball Bowmaker with tee times being allocated. All participants must have an official WHS handicap.
Sign-ups would be accepted in teams with each team having no more than one Chilworth member. The cost is £30.00 per person (members £20.00 per person plus green fees if applicable). Sign-up and pay at the counter. This is an excellent opportunity to invite your friends.
Club Clothing
If you would like a club shirt, please put your name on the list on the noticeboard and pay at the counter.