Managing Secretaries Report - Trevor Atkinson

For several years now Filton Golf Club has been losing on average 50 members annually, this was and still is the trend within golf clubs nationally. This then resulted in an increase in subscriptions levies in an attempt to recover the shortfall.

Your Management team (Trustee Directors, Council & Managing Secretary) worked hard to reduce the annual expenditure without compromising the condition and standard of the course, but there comes a time when there is very little meat left on the bone and any further cuts would be detrimental to the playing condition of our greatest asset.

In 2009 we witnessed a significant trading loss and had to work on ideas to generate a greater turnover, one of the ideas was to introduce a new membership drive. This was put into operation during 2010 and proved to be extremely successful. We still lost our 50 members during the renewal stage but managed to enroll 120 new members. As a result of the success we reduced the subscription levy by £20 in September and I have great pleasure in informing you that your subscriptions will be reduced for the 2011/2012 season to the following rates:

Full 7 Day Membership £750.00 5 Day Membership £650.00

We believe that by maintaining our subscription levies to a minimum level we can offer better value for money and whilst our competitors are continuing with their annual increases Filton Golf Club will retain and attract new members.

I would like to thank you for your continued support and wish you all a successful and rewarding season.

Captain's Corner

Club Captain- Geoff Endicott

Well where did January go? anyway a belated Happy New Year to you all. Firstly can I thank all those who were at my installation evening on Friday 7th and those who supported my Drive-in on Saturday 8th . Much to my amazement and that of everyone I play with, I managed to hit the left side of the fairway. Congratulations to Sandy Mullen who listened very carefully to what I was saying about my “new driver” and how the fade had been cured and chose the right distance and the correct area.

It was a last minute decision to hold a competition on the day but it proved to be a good one as, through entry fees and the guess the distance, we managed to raise £365 towards our charities for the year. Congratulations to Chris Wall and Paul Hotchkiss who just managed to pip Daryl and myself with 42 points.

Now on to the Charities, which are the choice of both Esme Mannering (Ladies Captain) and myself . We read everyday of the tragedies that our troops experience in places like Afghanistan and the suffering both they and their families have to put up with. Both Esme and I feel that it is fitting therefore that we should try to do something to raise some funds to help. So we have chosen Help for Heroes .

We also wanted to choose something local that we could support and decided that, given the work that it does for the terminally ill and the support for their families, St Peters Hospice would be the choice.
Can I ask you all to support the events, raffles etc which will raise funds for these causes and both Esme and I will be grateful to receive any donations, raffle prizes etc.

Those of you that were at the Installation evening will remember that I said I wanted to try and improve the Social side of the Club. We held our first event, the Burns Night, on Fri 21 which was greatly enjoyed by everyone who attended. Unfortunately there weren't as many attending as I had hoped, myself included, owing to an operation, but then again a Burns night doesn't appeal to everyone. Maybe the Valentines Supper on Sat 12 Feb will appeal to all, so please support this and other events.

For your diary events coming up are the St Patrick's Day (Thur 17 March) and St Georges Day (Sat 23 April) celebrations plus the popular monthly Quiz nights with Fish and Chip suppers.

Ladies Section

Ladies Report - Esme Mannering

I am now three months into my Captaincy which started with the usual drive-in. Not my best, but what do you expect when you have a crowd of onlookers willing you to either go straight, end up in the trees of even miss the ball completely.

After that the inclement weather set in - rain, snow, and frost so very little golf was played until 14th December when the sun shone on our Christmas Tea Competition and then back came the snow, frost and rain. Since then we have played a Three Club and a Putter competition, whilst a St. Valentine's Challenge putting competition has been arranged in February.

The first round of the Mail on Sunday National Golf Club Classic was played on Sunday 23rd January. Filton were drawn against Clevedon away. A good spirited and tight match, which ended in a sudden death playoff. All the team played well against a strong Clevedon team with home advantage. Unfortunately, Filton lost on the second hole of the sudden death playoff.

Now there is something I would like to mention. After attending the Captain's Installation and hearing all the accolades given to the 1st and 2nd Team, the juniors, etc. etc. I was rather disappointed that no reference was made to the Ladies. After all we are part of the Club!!! We may not be a big section but we have sufficient ladies to field a team in the Bristol and District Lady Golfers Alliance. Our Alliance Team is the equivalent to the men's 1st Team but the big difference is that the ladies field a team of seven players in strict handicap order and play singles match-play off scratch - not foursomes. With only a small pool of ladies who are eligible to play in these matches our Alliance Team gained promotion from the 4th to the 3rd division. Well done ladies.

The Ladies have agreed a new colour for anyone representing the Club in either Alliance, County or Friendly matches. The new colour is "Paradise Blue" and after negotiations with our Club Professional, Daryl, I am delighted to say that he will be supplying all the Ladies clothing requirements. So far around 60% of the Ladies have either ordered or received their "Paradise Blue" items. Our thanks to Daryl for taking care of our needs.

And finally, I would like to mention that the Club Captain, Geoff Endicott and I have agreed to joint Charities for 2011. The Charities are 'Help for Heroes' and 'St Peters Hospice'. May I take this opportunity of thanking you in advance for your support with the nominated Charities.

Greens

Greens Match & Handicap Report - Marcus Phelps & Chris Foran

Greens - Unfortunately the weather is dictating what can and cannot be done on the course. Astroturf pathways were due to be laid over the past two months, but work is now due to start in February. A soil analysis will be done on the greens at the end of January and this will decide our feeding patterns for the rest of the year.

Reserved Tee-Times - This is just a reminder that if the 1st tee is reserved for any reason and your game is such that you have arrived at the 1st tee during the reserved period you cannot feed in, in the usual way. You must wait till the end of the reserved time. The clock on the end of the Pro-shop building will be used to decide the time.

Chairman's Cup - This competition is for 6 medal cards to be taken out during April, May or June. They can also be taken out in conjunction with another medal competition. HOWEVER if you do this please ensure that a separate card is submitted to the Pro Shop for the Chairman's Cup competition as the cards put in the box under the results input screen are not individually checked to see if it is also being submitted for this Cup. If your card is not included in the Chairman's Cup do not blame anyone but yourself!

Volunteer Work Force - We have a course that is a credit to the green keeping staff and they are fully engaged in ensuring that it remains that way. There are number of jobs that need to be carried out in order that the surroundings complement the course. We are looking for volunteers that are willing to do some light gardening around the clubhouse and the first and tenth tees. (see below) We are also intending to repaint the car parking spaces when the weather improves, hopefully in March.

If you are willing to help out please would you tell Trevor so that we can keep a list of names and telephone numbers in order that when the time comes to do the work we can contact you to see if you are available.

The Professional Shop

Pro's Report - Daryl kelley

We have plenty of new stock to talk about this month! We have recently started stocking the 2011 Callaway Diablo Octane driver and 3 woods. These clubs are made with the same material that is to be used in the latest Lamborghini model, making the club heads lighter, the shafts longer, and your distance much greater! Our prices are competitive, as always, so make sure you come and have a look.

We also have a new stock of Ping Tour Wedges, at 60 degrees; with their milled faces these wedges can guarantee you more spin around the greens, and having been reduced to just £70 they are a steal!

We have a growing range of clothing coming into stock week by week, including some Merino Wool Pro-Quip sweaters, and a range of Glenmuir sweaters. With all of these items priced at just £40 there is a great deal to be had! Our Sunice skins are flying out, so don't miss out on those, they are compression shirts that will keep you warm when the weather is far from it!

Over the next few weeks our new stock will be pouring in, so make sure you pop in to have a look at what we have got! As always we will endeavour to price match on equipment for you, so do please give us a chance!
This time of year is the time to look at the grips on your clubs and the studs on your shoes, to get ready for the new season, and we are always willing to have a look at your clubs and suggest anything that may need doing, to make this game a little easier for you! We have a range of stud and grip options available if you want to come in and get yourselves ready.

Thanks to all those people who took us up on our offer of money onto their accounts in turn for discount throughout the year. And to everyone here is hoping for a good few months of weather and a great start to the new year.

Seniors Section

Seniors Report - Trevor Thompson

Its January, its cold and 13 holes is enough when the wind chill brings the temperature to an exhilarating -2C. But we must not be downhearted Spring is just around the corner. Michelin Man clothes will be cast aside and we can start trying to play proper golf again.

The first event will be Colin'ss 4 club on the last Thursday in February (which according to my diary is the 24th), re-arranged from last December due to snow. Perhaps we'll be a bit luckier with the weather this time. Don't forget it's £2 entry, payable on the day in the pro shop, four clubs only, one of which must be a putter.

The seniors season starts on Thursday 3rd March with Captain Bill Gray's Drive In. Please support Bill at this event by sponsoring him and estimating the length of his drive (Should be 10 yards at least) at £1 per entry. Bill's charity for the season is The Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit for premature babies. This is a fantastic charity so please support Bill not only for this event but throughout the season.

Captain's Away Day is on Thursday 31st March on the Stranahan Course at the Players Club. Entries so far are coming in thick and fast, so much so that the sheet is full, but don't let that discourage you. Bill tells me that there's plenty of room for more and an additional sheet will be added to the notice board. I can guarantee you that it will be a great day out.

I must also remind all seniors that the fixture list is on the notice board and that the sheets will be posted up soon. Please enter your name and let us help your Captain with plenty of names to select from. Bill has promised to give everyone a fair crack of the whip, you may not get all your choices but Bill assures me that you will get your fair share.

That's all this newsletter so keep your head down and stay warm. I've just seen my first snowdrop, so Spring is not too far away.

Junior Section

Junior Report- Andrew Chivers

We will be holding a junior roll-up this coming Sunday to get you juniors and Academy members back into the swing of things, and look forward to seeing you all at 12.30. Our official coaching start date will be Monday April 4 at 5.30pm, and then every two weeks.

There are a series of Professional Stableford competitions every Saturday for the full junior members, get your names down and get yourselves ready for the league season ahead.

We hope to see all last year's Academy members back fresh for more golf to take you to the next level!

If you have any questions you can contact me on andrew@filtonjuniors.co.uk or feel free to give me a call on 07887942915.

Competitions

Mixed Competitions - Chris Foran

Each year Filton has 4 mixed competitions for trophies and at least 3 fun mixed competitions as well as 4 mixed friendlies against other clubs. The sheet for the friendlies is put in the ladies foyer at the appropriate time.

Mixed Open - This is a greensome stableford competition, where you choose your own partner, being played on Sunday 5th June 2011. Entry is via Don Biddle and the entry forms can be obtained from him or downloaded from the website. The trophy is the Vie Davis Cup for the best Filton pair.

Harvey Barton Cup - This is a foursome match play knockout. In this competition you choose your own partner. Entry is in the pro-shop and the draw will take place at the end of March to start the 2nd week in April
Maggs-Mickleburgh Trophy - This is a greensome match play knockout. In this competition there is a draw for partners. Entry is in the pro-shop and those who are unlucky not to be drawn to play will have their money refunded. The draw will take place at the end of April to start the 2nd week in May.

Doug Lockyer Memorial Trophy - This is a foursome medal competition, where you choose your own partner, played on the Bank Holiday Monday at the end of May. An entry sheet is posted in the Ladies foyer 4 weeks before hand, to book a tee-time. Pay in the pro shop on the day

Fun Competitions - These are held every Bank Holiday Monday (except the last in May) and are greensome stableford competitions where you choose your own partner. Not too serious, and a way to avoid the Bank Holiday traffic! A meal is available after play and the results announced and the prizes (usually vouchers for the pro-shop) given out during the meal. An entry sheet is posted in the Ladies foyer 4 weeks before hand, to book a tee-time. Pay in the pro shop on the day.

There are a number of new members who may wish to play in these competitions, fun or otherwise, and not have a partner. If you are one of these members please contact the Ladies Captain, Esme Mannering, or the Club Captain, Geoff Endicott, or Don Biddle who will do their best to find a partner for you.

FGC Social

House & Social - Goff Pimm

We have put together a full programme of Social events for 2011 and I hope there is something available for everyone to come along and have a good time.

We made a good start to the New Year with the Captain's Burns Night Supper. All who attended found it very enjoyable and my thanks to Sandy Mullen and Jim Henderson for their contributions.

Our first quiz took place on Friday and the Clubhouse was absolutely packed. These quizzes are as popular as ever. Thank you to all who came and supported it and my thanks to Chris Foran and all his team as Quiz Masters on the Night.

The next Quiz Night is Friday 18th February (not the last Friday this month).

Tickets are now available for the Captain's Valentines Dinner on Saturday 12th February priced at £17. The Menu is on show in the Clubhouse and I would advise all to book early to avoid disappointment.

We will be celebrating St Patrick's Night with Mo Mac and Me on Thursday 17th March and we will also have the company of an Irish School of Dance giving us a display of traditional Irish Dancing during the evening. Tickets are priced at £5 which also includes a dish of Irish Stew. This has to be the bargain of the year and I hope we can fill the Clubhouse for this event. Tickets will be on sale soon so book early to avoid disappointment.

Continuing the theme of Saints' nights there will be a St. George's Day Dinner (for the English amongst you) on Saturday 23rd April. Details of menu and ticket prices will be available soon.
List of other events for your diary for 2011
Hippy Night 27th May, (tbc), Italian Night June 24th, French Night 29th July, Back to School Night August 26th, Monthly Quiz September 23rd, Captain's Supper October 14th, Monthly Quiz October 28th, Monthly Quiz November 18th, Children's Christmas Party December 17th

Menus and ticket prices where appropriate will be available nearer the dates.

Filton Upkeep

Flower Bed Maintenance - Esme Mannering

In a previous Newsletter it was reported the Ladies had agreed to look after the flower beds again. Well that was not strictly true.

We did tidy and tend the flower beds around the Clubhouse for our Bowmaker last year because we were so ashamed of them after all the hard work had we done throughout the Centenary year.

Don't get me wrong, the Ladies are willing to help and I emphasise WILLING TO HELP. Some say "it is the greenkeepers job" but with staff shortages and many acres of course to look after, the flower beds are not a priority.

Now I am sure there are some of you gents who enjoy gardening and would willingly give a hand. If you are prepared to help please contact either the Secretary, Trevor Atkinson or Chris Foran, Chairman of Greens.