Club News

From David Harris, General Manager: It is always a pleasure to work here at Hampton Court Palace Golf Club but now, after the huge investment from Get Golfing, it makes it even more enjoyable being here. The standard of the course has improved dramatically and an increased staffing level on the course allows more of the smaller but much-needed tasks to be completed. For the future, we are in dialogue with the Palace about a bunker renovation project as well as the deer management programme, and it will be good to see the next phase of the irrigation system will commence soon. 

The Clubhouse and surrounds are now almost complete, with the final snagging work taking place. Our extended patio and glass balustrade make it a stunning spot for morning coffees, brunch, lunch or just a few drinks in the sunshine in the evening. Our main bar and restaurant now have new furniture, as do The Longwater Suite and The Wolsey Room. If you are looking to hold a private event, please speak to Clare.  

It has been fantastic to see so many members involved in the Race to Le Touquet. The tension is really starting to build as we approach the final two events in July and August, with more points on offer, it will be a great finish!  

We hope that you can make use of the beautiful clubhouse and please feel free to invite friends and family. Our clubhouse is part of the community, and we want everyone to feel welcome and enjoy it.

Course News

From Richard Hill, Course Manager: I have never seen the golf course in as a good condition at this time of year as it is now. The weather has certainly played its part, but the groundwork we put in last autumn and through the winter / spring has most certainly paid off.  

Even better is that the quality of equipment and materials available to us — as well as having more staff than we have ever had — means we are going to further enhance the golf course.  

Improved staffing levels means that you will start to see an uplift in all areas, especially the bunkers, presentation and sheer volume of work carried out. Get Golfing has a lot more planned, and things are certainly moving in the right direction from a golfer’s and greenkeeper’s perspective.  

We are now able to focus more on improving all the surfaces in equal measure, and it is great that we can apply a fertiliser and wetting agent regularly to Tees, Approaches and Fairways. We are now working with some more specific products that will directly help the soil profile on the greens in the summer months, as well as help to reduce the thatch levels.  

We are using less water as a direct consequence, especially in the three dry weeks we had prior to the torrential rain when 34mm fell in 10 hours. We will continue to carry out the regular maintenance of aeration, and little-and often top-dressing, along with verti-cutting, in a routine cycle without much disruption to the surface or the playability of the greens.  

We recently purchased a new hole cutter and removed the hole cup inserts. We will monitor this and hope that we won’t need to bring them back. We also purchased some other tools to help keep the holes freshly cut and presentable daily, without the use of the inserts. New flags, hole cups and pins have been purchased and, as soon as we receive these, they will be out on the golf course.  

Some of you will be aware of the Oak Processionary Moths that are now a common occurrence within the park, on many of the oaks. Every year the Palace estates team arranges for all the oak trees to be sprayed and this was carried out twice over the last month.  

In the past the nests have then been removed. If you come across any OPMs please take care not to touch or get to close as the hairs on their backs can cause severe irritation to your skin, eyes, and throat. Normally the nests are high up and on the underside of branches. You will often see a column or procession of caterpillars crawling up the trunk of the tree on their way to make a nest. If you see any OPMs please report it, so that we can inform the Palace estates team.  

Captains’ Update

From Harry McCreanor, Men’s Captain: It’s been a busy time in the Men’s section this June and gradually started to feel like we are all getting back to normal.  

At the beginning of the month, we had a fabulous weekend of weather for our Club Championships played over the Saturday and Sunday with Shane Stewart and Ryan Elliot winning the gross and nett prizes. 

Ryan shot 66, 73 for a total of 139 and Shane won in a 4-hole playoff against yours truly with a birdie on the 13th, after tying on a score of 149 for the two rounds. Congratulations to both and thanks to all those who hung around for the playoff and the presentation. 

We moved on to the third round of the club’s Race to Le Touquet competition which is now in full flow and only has two rounds to go. This was a lower-scoring affair, with the spoils going to Matthew Mcdermott’s 34 points. Well played Matt! 

Following that, last weekend I finally had the pleasure of holding my Captain’s Charity Day at the fourth attempt and couldn’t have wished it to go better. Thanks to all of you who played, bought raffle tickets and generally supported “Children With Special Needs”. The money raised far exceeded my expectations, with the final total still being totted up but looking like somewhere between £5,000-£6,000. A huge thank you to all and to the club and the team for helping me host such a great day. If anyone still wants to donate, please let David or myself know. 

Finally, a quick call out. Our men’s committee is fairly small at the moment and we still don’t have the next Captain and Vice-Captain lined up. If anyone wants to get involved with the club and feels they could help please can you let David, Andy or myself know.  

It doesn’t take up lots of your time, in fact I believe it should be the minimum amount of time possible, but if you feel passionately about the club or think of yourself as a future Captain then please shout out. 

Round 3 saw 

After 3 rounds – Men’s leaderboard 

Ladies

From Aun Rhee, Ladies’ Captain: We have several events in July of interest to lady members including the Lady Captain’s Day on July 6th, please enter via IG, all ladies are welcome and there will be lots of prizes to win as well as an afternoon tea following the golf. 

There is a Mixed Event — Nine & Dine — on Wednesday, July 14th, starting at 4.30pm. The sign-up sheet is in the corridor and the cost is £10 for food. 

Round 4 of the Race to Le Touquet is on July 18th and 20th  

Round 3 saw  

After 3 rounds – Ladies’ leaderboard 

Competitions and Prizes

Well done to everyone in competing in the third round of the Race To Le Touquet. The results are in and congratulations to the winners below: 

• 1st – Matthew McDermott – £75.00 + 55 Points + 3 Sleeve’s Srixon AD333 Balls + Singha Hat 
• 2nd – Will Edmunds – £50.00 + 48 Points + 2 Sleeve’s Srixon AD333 Balls + Singha Hat 
• 3rd – Ryan Elliot – £25.00 + 46 Points + 1 Sleeve Srixon AD333 Balls + Singha Hat 
• 4th – Sheridon Glenn – £15.00 + 44 Points + 1 Sleeve Srixon AD333 Balls 
• 5th – Ian Campbell – £10.00 + 42 Points + 1 Sleeve Srixon AD333 Balls 
• Last Place – Phil Taphouse – Free 30-minute Lesson with Alex Vezey. Please get in touch to book your lesson. 

There were two extra prizes added and well done to the following winners: 

• Nearest The Pin on 8th Hole – Doug McIntyre – Sleeve of Srixon AD333 balls 
• Longest Drive on 14th Hole – Greg Bott – Sleeve of Srixon AD333 balls  

Please collect your prizes from the office. Money will be added to your member’s card automatically and can be spent at our new online Pro Shop https://www.golfshop.live/. If there is something you can’t find on our website, please use the contact us page, and our team will be able to deliver. 

Please remember to enter for Race To Le Touquet Round 4 on July 14th, the entry fee is £5.00. Please note points will increase for each event. 

Thanks to Singha for sponsoring The Race To Le Touquet event, they are providing a huge prize to be won for the winners at Le Touquet! 

Events News

From Clare Twyford, Events manager: Charity coffee morning: Every Monday from July 5th between 9.30am-11.30am and £1.00 of every coffee purchased will be donated to the charity of the day. 

• July 5th – Macmillan Cancer Support – https://www.macmillan.org.uk  
• July 12th – Ronald McDonald House Charities – https://rmhc.org.uk  
• July 19th – Park Lane Stables – https://www.parklanestables.co.uk  
• July 26th – Shooting Star Childrens Hospices – https://www.shootingstar.org.uk 

Staff News

Staff development: At Get Golfing, we have a passion for high quality course conditioning. We invest a lot in machinery and materials to make our golf courses better places to play. We also invest heavily in our staff, with regular on-the-job training and a dedicated head-office manager to support each site’s course manager. 

As part of our commitment to the game of golf, we are also passionate about the career development of our greens staff. We see it as our duty to provide a nursery for great greenkeepers, who can go on to bigger and bigger roles in the industry, thanks in part to their Get Golfing training.  

This month (July 25th) sees the deadline for nominations for Get Golfing’s international green-keeping internship programme. Four greens staff from across the group’s sites will further their careers with work experience at one of Florida’s most prestigious resorts — Pelican’s Nest (www.nestgolf.com).  

Starting in January 2022, the internship programme is not only a way to escape our winter weather but a fantastic opportunity to gain work experience outside of the UK. Get Golfing will be paying for flights, wages, accommodation, and additional spending money while our interns are at Pelican’s Nest.  

In addition to these placements, Get Golfing is also organising a series of seminars and opportunities to work at tournaments for the rest of its green-keeping teams to help them increase their professional expertise. 

Community Outreach Programme

As part of Get Golfing, Hampton Court Palace GC is committed to becoming a positive force in the local community to improve the image of golf, and the facilities we operate, amongst the wider public.  

We are, therefore, preparing to roll out a range of activities aimed at offering local people, who do not perhaps play golf, the opportunity to use our facilities to improve their health and well-being. 

These include: 

• A partnership with the NHS Blood & Transplant service in 2021 to help recruit new and returning blood donors via a fun awareness campaign. We will also be offering our facilities as donor centres in the future. 
• Joining with This Girl Can in 2022 to launch This Girl Can Get Golfing, with the goal of introducing golf to girls and ladies in a fun and free environment. Events will be held throughout the year in a bid to boost female participation in the game. Pictures of our first event in Mill Green can be seen above.
• Rolling out a Get Golfing TAP — Targeted Activity Programme — at the club in 2021. This is a project that gives selected school students an opportunity to access golf and healthy food at our sites through a series of events and camps. Students will be drawn from those who are, for instance, eligible for free school meals, the pupil premium or are young carers, have special educational needs or are eligible for an education healthcare plan. 

• Further to the above, we will be rolling out an Education and Special Educational Needs programme in September through school sports partnerships, school games organisers and school sports coordinators, PE coordinators, headteacher forums, the Local Education Authority and Council Sports Development Officers. 
• Becoming a place that the local community can use to improve individual and community well-being at no impact to our core activity of golf. We will look to make our facilities available to non-traditional users, such as charities and local interest groups, at times when there is low usage by golfers. As a Community Hub, Hampton Court Palace GC will help to combat loneliness and inactivity in all age groups via golf, music, the arts and other sports activities. 
• Creating free social gatherings for members, visitors and local people, such as organised dog or nature walks and bird watching events, that make use of our beautiful landscape and help to bring people together. 

Pro News

From John Powell, PGA Pro: My July FREE member lessons are as follows: 

• July 1st — Control the height of your chips: Learn some simple adjustments to set up and technique to hit it low, medium and high. 
• July 8th — Gain 10 yards in 10 minutes: Learn some ways to improve your club head speed to hit your driver longer. 
• July 15th — How to hit out of the rough: Learn some simple adjustments and thought process to tackle the Hampton Court rough. 
• July 22nd — Hole more birdie putts: Learn and play a simple game to test your ability to putt like a tour pro. 
• July 29th — How to draw and fade the ball: Understand the simplicity of changing some set up variables to hit draws and fades on demand. 

To book please visit: https://johnpowellacademy.setmore.com/bookclass 

From Alex Vezey, PGA Pro: My July FREE member lessons are as follows: 

• Greenside Short Game Help — Wednesday, 7th July, and Saturday, 10th July from 10.00-11.00: Learn how to improve your greenside short game play by understanding the correct shots to play around the green. Learn new types of shorts and improve your current short game. This lesson will take place around the putting green. 
• Full Swing Help — Saturday, 24th July from 10.00-11.00: Struggling with any part of your golf swing? Then come along to this lesson and understand what maybe holding your golf back. Leave with a clear understanding of what is happening in your swing, and how to improve upon it. 

To book any of the classes above please contact Alex at: [email protected] 

From Martin Dunsford, PGA Pro: My free lessons for members are as follows: 

• Saturday, July 3rd, 6pm-7pm 
• Saturday, July 10th, 6pm-7pm 
• Saturday, July 17th, 6pm-7pm 

To book these lessons or for more private lessons please contact me via [email protected]. Private lessons are £35 for 30 mins and £60 for an hour. 

From Chris Moss, PGA Pro: My free lessons for members are as follows: 

• On The Range: Free individual coaching sessions with me and Trackman on Saturday, July 3rd, 10.30am-12.30pm. 
• On The Tee: Trackman and I will be on the 1st tee on Saturday, July 17th, 10.30am-12.30pm. Simply tee off and receive a full Trackman report on your opening shot to include your club path, face angle, swing speed, ball speed, total distance and a high-definition video of your swing. 

On The Course: Learn how to play on the course on Saturday, July 24th, 3.00pm-5.00pm. 

For further information or to book a lesson please call, message or WhatsApp Chris on 07710532853. You can also contact me by email me via [email protected] or  at www.chrismossgolf.co.uk. You can book directly here: https://bookings.chrismossgolf.co.uk/v2/. 

From Billy Irvine, PGA Pro: My July clinics shall be focusing on fundamentals vs variables and are detailed below:

• Thursday July 8th 11am-12pm – Fundamental #1 Good contact off the ground with irons / controlling low point.
• Thursday July 15th 11am-12pm – Fundamental #2 Increasing distance / distance leaks.
• Thursday July 22nd 11am-12pm – Fundamental # 3 Controlling ball flight / Curve on the ball
• Thursday July 29th 11am-12pm – A review of the three fundamentals

Contact Billy to register at [email protected]

Proshop News

We have three great promotions this month from the Pro Shop. Remember all profits go back into your club. 

New equipment: John Rahm’s win at the US Open was EPIC! Keep your eyes posted for the launch of Callaway hardware, bags and accessories on the Get Golfing Pro Shop. Coming soon in July.

With a surge in interest in golf, we have several beginner’s sets for Men, Ladies and Juniors from Fazer & Benross. 

Demo days: Numbers do not lie! Our first Get Golfing demo days at Redlibbets and Mill Green have been a huge success, with many members seeing vast improvements through the latest technology. Keep your eyes peeled for more dates and contact me at [email protected] or 01474 554960 to book with the top brands coming to your club! Dates for Hampton demo days can be found below:

• TaylorMade on July 3nd
• Cobra on July 26th

Top up your card: You can top up your club/levy cards via the Get Golfing Pro Shop without buying anything. Summer is here and beer funds are needed! 

Reviews

We have recently received some fantastic reviews at the club and thought it might be nice for our members to hear what some visitors have said about the club and course over the last few weeks.