Staff news

We welcome the appointment of a new Golf Operations Manager, Albert Sinfield, to the team at Redlibbets. Albert has 14 years’ experience in golf club management, most recently as Director of Golf at Marriott Tudor Park, as part of a nine-year career with the company. Before moving to Kent in 2016, Albert held positions at Hanbury Manor and Brocket Hall and is excited to meet everyone over the coming months. 

Club news

From Albert Sinfield, Golf Operations Manager: Since reopening, it has been a pleasure to welcome Members and visitors back to the course. For the time being, we are working from a pop-up, check-in desk as the clubhouse remains closed. Unfortunately, this will continue as we head into 2021 but please be mindful that the team is working hard to keep the experience at the club as normal as possible. 

Tee booking: As you are all aware, tee times are in high demand and we would ask anyone who is not able to use their booking to let us know, so that other Members can use it. For everyone’s sake, it is important that times are not wasted while we have reduced daylight at this time of year. We are keeping an eye on regular “no shows” and will be reaching out to them about the issue. 

Pace of play: Reduced daylight also means that we would implore golfers to play as quickly as possible. While we will have a marshal on the first tee, frequent wet weather means that it is not good for the course to send a marshal out in a buggy every day, so it is up to the good sense and courtesy of golfers to make the difference. 

Please keep up with the group in front, put your bags in the correct place to leave the green, mark your card on the next tee and don’t spend more than three minutes looking for your ball — play a provisional if it is a competitive round! If you are getting behind, please allow the golfers behind to play through where practicable. 

Improvements to your club: Those of you who have visited us recently will have noticed several projects taking place. 

• We have started the refurbishment of the clubhouse’s front entrance, which will result in a much smarter entrance hall, toilet facilities and stairwell. The work will be completed in the early 2021. 
• We have a team working to install several paths across the course. These areas have been highlighted as a concern as they hold water during the winter months. We hope that it will not only improve the aesthetics of the course but will also mean you can still  use trolleys and buggies in adverse weather conditions. 

Season’s greetings from Get Golfing

A brief message from Edward Richardson, Get Golfing CEO, to wish all the golfers a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Competition news

Lockdown has meant that we have not been able to play many competitive rounds but congratulations to these two golfers for their wins in early December: 

• David Fowler: winner of the Silver Hares Stableford on December 9th with 39 points; 
• Lynn Craven: winner of the Ladies Stableford on December 9th with 35 points.

Course news

From Damon Kirk, Course Manager: With Christmas so close, we are wrapping up our course redevelopment projects and winding down for the festive period. The current phase of tree thinning and canopy lifting has been completed with great success and the pathway project is continuing at pace with extremely good results. These plans will begin again in the new year, bringing the same high standards that have been achieved this year. 

Much of next year’s course maintenance plan has been formulated and we will be putting much focus on improving playing surfaces. The greens require a thatch layer reduction/aeration programme (thatch is a build-up of dead and living stems, leaves and roots), whereby the mechanical removal of organic matter is undertaken. This process is achieved by hollow coring, scarifying and verti-cutting followed by top dressing (the introduction of new sand into the soil profile).  

There are many benefits to this programme but the main ones that golfers should see will be improved surface performance, greater penetration of water and increased playability all year round. It is the Club’s intention to develop and increase these standards to the level that our Members and guests deserve. 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all Members and players for their support and understanding over this past year and wish all a merry Christmas and prosperous New Year.  

Pro news

From Jerri Sewell, PGA Pro: 

From Olivia Cooke, PGA Pro:

From George Lings, PGA Pro:

WHS news

Submitting a General Play score: General Play scores under the World Handicapping System (WHS) are similar to the Supplementary Scores that were permitted under WHS’s predecessor, the CONGU Unified Handicapping System.

General Play scores, so long as they comply with the requirements of WHS’s “Acceptable Scores”, will be included in the player’s scoring record used for calculation of their Handicap Index.

The following procedure is for General Play scores. If you wish to enter a General Play score at an “away” club, please contact the Club Handicap Committee.

Procedure for General Play Scores at the Club during Covid-19:

Rather than picking up a scorecard from the golf reception desk, you may wish to print your own scorecard. You can find a PDF file for the course on the Club’s webpage.

Play with another Member as your marker, while observing no-contact, social distancing guidelines. Rather than exchange cards, record your gross hole scores on your own card and ask your marker to record your scores separately, so that you can cross-check during and, especially, after the round. Your marker must verbally authorise your gross scores, instead of signing your card physically. It is useful for you and your marker to keep totals, as this can help to identify any discrepancies, during the post-round authorisation check. However, under the Rules of Golf, it is the individual gross hole score, which is authorised by both player and marker, not the totals or points.

You MUST register to submit a General Play round BEFORE you begin playing the round. This can be done via the Intelligent Golf App. When you press “begin scoring”, (found at the bottom of the SETUP screen), your round is then registered, with a timestamp. You can do this at any time on the day of the round, so long as it is before your booked tee time and before you tee off to start the round. The registration time stamp is verified as preceding your tee time booking.

Once you have pressed “begin scoring”, you can enter your gross hole scores on the App, as you play the round. Alternatively, you can just leave the App in that state on your mobile and enter the hole scores after your round. If you make no score on a hole then mark with a zero. If you do not complete the round then mark any holes not played with NS. You must enter your scores before leaving the club. The App will not permit scores to be entered if you are not within the vicinity of the club.

After you have finished the round, ensure that your card has all the essential information, otherwise it will be rejected:
a) The date and time you played your round
b) Your full name, in the header, with your signature at the bottom of the card
c) Indication of which tees you played from
d) Your marker’s full name, written legibly, to indicate who authorised your score
e) In the box for “COMPETITION” write “General Play”
f) The gross scores for each hole.

To avoid physical contact with your marker, or exchanging scorecards, take a photo/scan of the completed card and email it to the handicap secretary. Make sure that the image has the full card, so that no information is cut off. Your card must be emailed, no later than 10pm on the day of the round, even if you did not complete the round or did not hole out at every hole. If a card is not returned by the deadline, a “No Return” will be recorded. Do not put your card in the handicap cards box. Keep it with you for reference, until your score has been confirmed in your handicap record.