Newsletter February / March 2024
AN UPDATE FROM... Sarah Blunden General Manager Hi everyone, Welcome to February! Spring feels like it is starting to push through and with the evening light gradually returning it won’t be long until we’re all enjoying the start of the new golfing season. You can’t beat that first warm sunny day of the year, with freshly cut greens, striped fairways and a cold drink on the patio after a round. Our main membership renewal period is just around the corner, with many of your golf memberships due before 1st April 2024. For those of you renewing in this main renewal period, you will be sent your renewal information before the end of February. The renewal process is very straightforward and you can renew via the Elite Live App. But please make sure you contact me or one of the team should you have any questions or wish to discuss other membership options. I am also looking forward to seeing many of you at our Golf AGM on Tuesday 20th February, where I will be joined by Barry (Course Manager) to give a summary of 2023 and to update you on what is planned for 2024. I want to begin this month’s newsletter with a huge congratulations to our Employee of the Year and Employee of the Last Quarter 2023.
Employee of the Year – Naomi Wye As our Administrator, Naomi works across every department to ensure everything is running smoothly. She is always there to help and support others and has made a huge impact on many of our daily processes. If you ever have a question about your membership, direct debit or event payment then Naomi will be on the end of the phone to help.
Employee of the Q4 2023 – Marine Tabatadze Many of the tasty cakes that we all get to enjoy at Hoebridge are made by Marine. She is a hardworking and dedicated Chef who always ensures her section runs cleanly and smoothly. With a passion for baking, we are always guaranteed some sweet treats when Marine is in the kitchen. Please join me in thanking both Naomi and Marine for all of their hard work and dedication.
Our Sustainability Commitments For the last decade, we have been an industry leader in sustainable golf and climate action. This was first shown back in 2012 when Hoebridge, along with the nine other BGL sites, became the world’s first multi-site operator to achieve the international sustainability award; GEO Certified. GEO certification recognises golf businesses that demonstrate a commitment to providing more and more value to people and nature at the courses they manage.
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Last year we strengthened our focus on sustainable golf and climate action through the commitment of seven core sustainability policies. At Hoebridge, these policies guide our decisions to ensure that we’re always working towards improving sustainable ways of managing our site. We are engaging with experts such as GEO, the Woodland Trust, the Forestry Commission and the Wildlife Trust to offer external specialist advice.
Similarly, we will also soon be changing one of our biggest waste products that we sell on-site each year; our plastic water bottles. Last year we sold over 10,000 water bottles. As such we are excited to soon be partnering with ‘Water in a Box’. These cardboard-packed water containers are sustainably sourced, have plantbased packaging, have a lower carbon footprint and have the lowest environmental impact vs competitors.
A big part of improving our sustainability performance is being able to accurately track and report the results of our actions. For example, last year we spent a lot of time focusing on improving how we recycle and segregate our waste. Through working with our waste company we now have monthly visibility of where our waste has gone and how it has been disposed of. In the last six months of 2023, 68% of our waste was recycled, 22% went to ‘Wasteto-energy’ where it was converted into electricity and 10% was converted via Anarobic Digestion to energy. We’re very proud that during 2023 we were able to work with our waste contractor to ensure that 0% of our waste went to landfill. As we begin a new year, our focus on sustainable ways of working continues, and my commitment to all of you is that I communicate what we are doing and why, and the positive impact that this is having on our climate. One of the small changes you will have already seen is our change of crisps in the bar at the start of the year to the British Crisp Company. As well as being fully made within the UK, the crisp packet is also fully recyclable.
Whilst continuously questioning our suppliers and looking for different ways of working around the Clubhouse are very important. One of the biggest positive impacts we can have is out on the golf course. Over the last few months, I have been approached by a few of our members regarding concern over our reservoir water levels and our woodland management and tree planting. I want to address both of these concerns in this newsletter. Firstly with regards to our reservoir, followed by an update from Barry on the tree work. Continued On The Next Page
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Hoebridge Reservoir We are extremely fortunate to have a large reservoir on site at Hoebridge to store our irrigation water, which as a result means that we do not use any mains water at all to water all three of our golf courses. As an industry, across the country, around 45% of golf clubs are still needing to draw off of mains water. This is not a sustainable way of managing a golf course, and as pressure to save water grows many of these sites will need to look at alternative ways to keep their greens green. To already be in a position where we do not need to draw mains water is extremely beneficial. This is the reservoirs 15th year, and with Barry and I each having two summers under our belt at Hoebridge we have a very good understanding of its strengths and workings. However, we know from conversations with some of you, that there are concerns over how it works and over the level of water that it holds. Barry and I hope that this article helps to answer most of the questions we receive. Question: How is the reservoir filled?
abstract 5,500m³ and at a rate of 30.5m³ per day. Our winter licence allows us to abstract from November to March and we are allowed to abstract 37,850 m³ and at a rate of 251 m³ per day. Together, our annual abstraction allowance totals 43,350 m³ Question: What happens if you can’t abstract water? The main reason we may not be able to abstract water is if we are issued with a HandsOff abstraction notice. The Environment Agency can email us, at any time, to ask us to stop abstracting. This would be due to the flow rates on the River Thames at Kingston or on the Wey at Weybridge being below certain levels. We then cannot take any water from the Hoe stream until we receive an email telling us we are ok to start abstracting again. We were issued a Hands-Off notice in the hot summer of 2022, where we were unable to abstract water through until around December 2022. The trick is to ensure that wherever possible we are abstracting the maximum in winter when the rivers are at their highest so that the reservoir has plenty of supply at the start of the season should we be unable to abstract in the summer months. Question: How much water does the reservoir hold and why is it never full?
As well as benefitting from natural rainfall, our reservoir is filled using two abstraction licences that we hold with the Environment Agency (EA), allowing us to abstract water from the Hoe stream; one is for summer and the other is for winter. Our summer licence allows us to abstract from May to August and we are allowed to abstract 5,500m³ and at a rate of 30.5m³ per
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The reservoir was designed to hold around 47,000 m³. However, the design of the reservoir means that you will never see it filled to the top. We have two overflow pipes that are around 2 metres from the very top, you can see one in the photo, which ensures the reservoir should never fill. The black liner will always be visible, and there will always be a minimum two-metre drop from ground level to water level. This is to mitigate any risk of the reservoir becoming too full and flooding. As part of the licence agreement, we must record how much water we are abstracting each month and submit it to the EA. So, we know exactly how much water has been added to the reservoir levels and we use a depth measuring gauge in the reservoir to allow us a quick guide of how much is in there.
However, in 2022 we saw a very long and dry summer with temperatures reaching 40 degrees, so our irrigation system was in high demand. In 2022 we used around 15,000 m³. Knowing that we currently have 38,000 m³ stored, the reservoir is currently holding over two years’ worth of water. Both Barry and I are very happy with how our reservoir is designed and how it performs. We hope that these answers help to assure those who have had concerns. Thank you, Sarah
We are currently sat around the eightmetre marker which is as much water as we have seen in there over the last couple of years, and we still have two months of abstraction left for this winter. The maximum depth of the reservoir is around nine metres. We currently have around 38,000 m³ of water stored in our reservoir. Question: How much water do we use per year to water the golf courses? Is there enough water in the reservoir? Last year our irrigation usage, across all three courses was less than 10,000 m³. Although we are all very aware of just how wet the year was.
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AN UPDATE FROM... Barry Gardner Course Manager Winter Blues! Generally, people think that the greenkeeping team will be taking it easy during the “quieter” winter period, but this is far from the truth as the winter allows us to work on projects, carry out essential tree maintenance work, machinery servicing, leaf clearance, having to still cut grass when the weather allows, checking the irrigation system in readiness for spring, and for me, catching up on admin. We have a busy winter with the 5th and 10th bunkers on the main course receiving a refurb, looking at trying to improve some bare areas around the green edges, pathway work and plenty of tree maintenance work. Any tree work we carry out normally comes under scrutiny, and we fully understand why. We do not take any decision to cut down or lower a tree lightly, and only do so for the safety of others or the overall health of the trees and habitat around. In September 2023 we had a professional tree survey carried out which contained information and recommendations on the health of all the trees on the site and informed us of trees that required some form of maintenance. The importance of this document and the timeframes in which any of the work needs to be carried out has been highlighted recently when during storm Henk we had two trees which were earmarked for felling later this year, and a couple that were seen as healthy, came
crashing down. One was the Silver Birch to the right of the 5th tee and two very big Poplars behind the 15th green and 16th tee, right next to the public footpath. Thankfully no one was injured as these came crashing down but being in what we call a High Risk Hot Spot it could have been a very different story. From a distance a tree may look healthy, full of vigour and life but on closer inspection faults may be found. Take this very large, very old twin-trunked Sycamore tree to the left-hand side of the 6th hole on the Shey course. With this tree, we were advised to monolith the tree to a height of between 4-6 metres and this was due to 3 faults found low down on the tree. We do not take work of this extreme lightly but we have to think about the position of the tree and any possible risk to human life if any part of the tree were to fall. By monolithing the tree we are removing the majority of weight from the canopy which then takes the pressure of the lower part of the tree where the faults all are. This massively reduces the risk to human life but also will allow the tree to regenerate. The pictures below show the faults, firstly some bracket fungi (meaning that a decaying fungus is present in the tree), secondly a large split on the back side of one of the trunks which went all the way through and thirdly a cavity at the base of the right-hand side trunk which had soft, wet wood going more than halfway through. Continued On The Next Page
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onto the courses. We will also be taking delivery of a tractormounted sprayer which will have a GPS mapping/operating system, allowing us to spray areas with a lot more precision, meaning we will not be overspraying or wasting fertiliser or chemicals on non-target areas. Along with this, we will be purchasing more electric-operated equipment in the form of another backpack blower and strimmer. Any one of these faults could cause the tree to fail in spectacular style taking out anything in its way.
Hoebridge birdies need you! Are you handy with hand tools?
Now that the tree is safe and as time passes any decay will provide habitat for numerous invertebrates and potentially any other animals. We are always conscious of replacing trees whenever we need to remove some. For this period of tree work, we are planting 15 new trees around the course to replace those that have been taken down. These will be staked meaning a local rule can be brought in, if not already in place, to allow you a free drop should your swing, stance, or line of shot potentially hit/damage the tree. In the long term, we are working with the Woodland Trust with the aim for us to provide land, using their expert advice, to plant hundreds of trees. We have earmarked some areas across our site where we could potentially plant many trees and have sent this information off to our external experts to gather which trees will have the best long-term success and positive impact on biodiversity. Finally, we have some new machinery on order which will continue to help us improve the courses and site. We are awaiting delivery of a leaf collecting machine which also has a hose attachment, this will allow us to collect leaves from around the site and take them away to storage areas where they can decompose and not find their way back onto the courses.
Could you make a bird or bat box?
We are looking to increase the amount of bird boxes and bat boxes we have at Hoebridge and would love to get you involved. So, if you are handy with a hammer or saw and have some spare time would you like to help? We can supply the raw materials or if you have some suitable wood kicking around at home then we would love the help! If you can then please contact the admin office and register your interest so we can arrange the logistics. Failing this if you would like to donate a ready-built box then that would be just as great! That’s all for now, Barry and the greens team
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Seeds! I wanted to take a moment to draw your attention to our seed giveaway! We have kindly been donated a vast selection of vegetable seeds from the Windsor Allotment and Home Gardens Association, where I volunteer in my spare time. We wanted to use the opportunity to raise money for a good cause, and any monetary donations for the seeds are encouraged and go directly to The Thames Valley Hospice. You can find the seeds in the Café Bar, with new varieties being added periodically. Happy seed hunting! Connor F&B Manager
RETAIL UPDATE Ian Hayward Head Professional New Product Launch Every day is like Christmas in the Hoebridge Pro Shop now with the new ranges of golf products arriving from leading manufacturers daily! The eagerly anticipated Cobra Darkspeed and Taylormade Qi10 ranges have now arrived in store alongside the recently launched Ping G430 10K Driver. Come and be amongst the first to try these latest products and see if they can make a difference to your game. Our fantastic custom fit facility is available free of charge to our members so there are no excuses, book an appointment today!
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In addition to the new hardware launch, the latest Spring/Summer clothing ranges have now started to arrive in store with collections available from brand leaders such as J Lindeberg, Puma, Footjoy, Ping, Nike, Stuburt and JRB. With better weather hopefully on its way, it could be the perfect time to freshen up your wardrobe for the new season!
HEALTH & FITNESS UPDATE
Cancellation of Tee Times
Welcome to our new Personal Trainer, Millie Kennard. Millie comes with a wealth of experience, particularly with her background in gymnastics which she has turned into a passion for pilates and yoga, our members have already benefited from this in our Supple Strength. She can also turn her hand to spin-fit and box-fit, so she has been busy in the studio already!
Tee time availability is currently at a premium, especially at the weekends and I would just like to take this opportunity to issue a polite reminder about cancelling any unused tee times to enable both members and visitors alike to have access to the golf course. Cancelling or modifying a tee time is very straightforward and can be completed in the following ways: • • •
Through the booking history section of the Elite Live App (24 hours + in advance) By contacting the Pro Shop (01483) 722611 (6am-9pm) By e-mailing the Pro Shop proshop@ hoebridgegc.co.uk at anytime
Millie Kennard Personal Trainer
Strength & Conditioning for Golf Rack Pull ups: This exercise is great for improving upper body strength and is easier to perform than a traditional pull up, making it a great upper body exercise for beginners. Use your arms to pull yourself up and lower with control.
As soon as a tee time is cancelled, the booking availability will show immediately on the Elite Live app. Many thanks for your cooperation in helping to increase tee time availability for everybody. Ian
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Plank reach through: This is a great exercise for building upper body strength with the arms overhead. It also challenges your shoulder mobility, lower body flexibility, and encourages some rotation – all of which can improve your golf performance. Continued On The Next Page
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Stork Press: This is an advanced exercise with a reversed (bottoms up) kettlebell grip, great for shoulder strength and stability. If you want to further challenge your balance, try it on one leg!
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Looking to improve your performance on the golf course? Our expert Personal Training team offer a FREE consultation at The Gym!
Our team can help you develop: STRENGTH STRENGTH || POWER POWER || FLEXIBILITY FLEXIBILITY || POSTURE POSTURE CORRECTION CORRECTION
Call: 01483 722611 Or speak to a member of staff to learn more!
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Thank you for reading the latest Members News. Please feel free to contact us on
01483 722611
HOEBRIDGE GOLF CENTRE Old Woking Road Old Woking Surrey GU22 8JH