From the Food and Beverage Manager

To all members,

 First and foremost, can I thank you for your continued support in January which historically is a challenging time for food and beverage outlets. However, as we begin to move away from the dark mornings and early evenings, Henry, Przemek, and myself have been planning for the upcoming year and how we can deliver a service that tailors to your needs. 

we have broken our plans down monthly and each month I will be communicating to you all that we have planned for the upcoming month and following month, so you all have enough time to plan any events that you wish to attend. 

Starting with the upcoming month of February we see the start of the six nations rugby tournament.  As communicated previously we will be running our ‘Burger & Beer’ deal for when the 2:15 pm games are being played.  This also includes the option of a soft drink for the non-beer lovers and a 125ml glass of wine. To run alongside this, during the game we will be offering £1 off designated drinks of that country.    

As per the usual, we will continue to run the discounted cake offer with any coffee.  We will also begin our sunrise offer for Full English breakfasts.  For this, we will be offering a Full English breakfast and any hot drink of your choice or juice for £9.50.  This will be running until 9:30am daily.

Behind the scenes, Przemek and I are working towards bringing back roast dinners from March onwards using our locally sourced butcher to supply all meats.  So please keep an eye out for all updates regarding this.  We will also be looking to take bookings for Mother’s Day in March from now on.

As mentioned previously, thank you for your continued support and I hope to see you all soon.

Ben

From the Golf Operations Manager

From the Golf Operations Manager

To all Members,

One to add to your diary in March 2022.

Please Contact Me or Maria Mcnally If you would like to attend this event.

Michael Stephens

Golf Operation Manager

From Nick, Golf Academy Director

Callaway clubs

We will soon be in a position to custom fit for the new range of Callaway clubs. This will include all current models including Odyssey putters.

For more information or to book a fitting please contact the Pro shop on 01454 620000 

Coaching

Ladies

Our ladies academy is available to sign up to in the pro shop and provides the perfect platform for anybody with no or limited golfing experience. The Academy costs £120 per person and consists of 8 x 1.5 hour weekly sessions in groups of 5, covering all aspects of the game of golf in a structured, fun and friendly format. All equipment can be provided where necessary and tea/coffee/soft drink is included during each session.

Juniors

Our junior program will also be starting in early March and we will be holding a junior information evening on 11th February at 6pm. We welcome all junior members and any children looking to join The Bristol or our junior academy to join us for the evening. We request that you notify us of your intention to attend by email to [email protected] and all children must be accompanied by an adult.

Group coaching

We will be holding group coaching sessions weekly on the following days and times:

Monday 5pm-6pm

Wednesday 11am-12 noon

Friday 11am-12 noon

Saturday 12 noon – 1pm

Please book your place in the pro shop. These sessions are open to anybody regardless of ability and cost £12 including all balls and equipment where necessary.

The Men’s Section

We have moved into the 2022 golfing year, with the annual AGM’S. Thank you for those that attended the men’s on the 13^th January, and welcome to the new committee members Adam Sims (Secretary) and Dan Alton (County Rep) who join myself, Tony Crook (outgoing captain), Mike West (Vice-Captain), Mel Ward (Treasurer), Kev Sarney (Junior representative) and Wayne Pearce (Handicap Secretary). If you have any questions, issues, concerns, or ideas please feel free to speak to any of us and we will do our best to support.

Thanks also to all members that attended the Main Club AGM on the 20^th January. After two years of avoiding COVID, to miss the AGM after testing positive for it was extremely frustrating. I will use this opportunity though to say a very big thank you to Mike West for stepping into the breach and delivering my incoming captain speech on my behalf.

I look forward to working with Sue Jarvis and Paul Jarvis (Ladies and Seniors Captains) and the rest of the main committee over the 2022 year.

I would also like to say a final farewell and massive thank you to Tony Crook as outgoing captain. When Tony started in January 2020, I am sure he didn’t think he would only be handing over the captaincy now, having taken the men’s section through a pandemic which brought the world to a standstill and to add to those 3 different club owners and 4 General Managers. Throughout his tenure, he continued to perform the role with Integrity, humility, enthusiasm, and utter commitment, and working with other captains leaves the club and its sections in a fantastic place. Go and enjoy your rest, Tony.

On to specific golfing matters:

For those unable to attend the Men’s AGM I thought it important to mention two key initiatives the men’s committee have implemented and will fund this year, to add your golfing fun and I am sure keep your competitive spirits flowing. These will be:

• Any hole in 1, from white tees in a Saturday competition will be awarded £100, which should help with your bar bill if you be that lucky or skilful!
• We will also introduce the ‘Race to 54’, which will be the opportunity to win £200 and will be based on the 1^st person getting to 54 points based on the best score achieved on each hole over white tee Saturday competitions excluding board and medal events. – This will be no extra fee to compete. Should 2 or more be lucky enough to achieve it on the same day the pot shall be shared.

Whilst I won’t report every competition result in the monthly newsletter, I will endeavour to pull out highlights and significant golfing performances of the month. One of note and worth a mention has to be the recent Men’s Pairs Betterball on Saturday 22^nd January, where Paul Stephens and Wayne Parsons came in as winners with 51 points beating the nearest challengers by 10 points. Well played chaps but beware my handicap secretary is watching you!

It is the Captains Drive-in on Saturday the 5^th February which will be the first event of the year raising funds for our charity’ Springboard Opportunity Group’ and all get together across all sections. We have had a terrific response and the slots are all full. If you have not had a chance to enter and would like to play, please put your name on the list of reserves and should spaces become available, we will be sure to accommodate you.

The format will be a Pairs Texas scramble, and it will be a shotgun start at 08H00 on the day. We look forward to meeting everyone on the day. Please arrive early on the day from 7 am to register, purchase raffle tickets etc and take the opportunity for captains’ introductions and in my case, the dreaded captains drive which I have had many sleepless nights over!

Over the next few weeks, one of the important roles we need to fill is that of Captains for our league teams, wherein certain cases we currently have no one in situ or volunteers. Between Mike West/ I we will approach a number of you to support with these significantly important roles.

To Paul Anderson and Phil Lindo, may I take the chance to say thanks for taking on the Stags again, and already arranging a tremendous number of fixtures for the team to enjoy in a social yet competitive environment.

Finally, as it’s the start of the golfing year, please see some details/ requests from our handicap secretary on key aspects of cards. Competitions and knock outs.

General Play

We have all had a year of the new Handicap System and General Play cards and I can say based on my extensive experience last year, it works! Now that we all know how to submit general play cards, we need to tighten up on the process. Moving forward, general play cards will only be accepted under the following conditions:

1. The time of registration MUST be before your tee time. As per England Golf rules, you must register your intent to submit a card prior to starting your game. For anyone unsure of how to do this, please contact me and I will help out. 
2. Card must be correctly filled in and counter signed by your playing partner. If you are using the IG app, please ensure a card is also posted in the general play box in the reception within 7 days of the score being submitted.
3. If you are playing an ‘away’ course, please bring your card back and post it in the general play box. 

Any scores submitted under general play that do not conform with the above will be rejected on the system. 

Competitions

 Last year we had a surge in competitions entries which is great for the men’s section and the club overall. We have had an influx of new members with lots of new handicaps being allocated this year making them eligible for play in competitions. I would like to encourage you all to enter competitions and if you know someone who is new to the game and nervous about competitive golf, please encourage them to try it out.

Summer Knockouts

 The summer knockout competition will be loaded onto IG over the next couple of weeks, entry is available via the app however, any names in have not paid their entry fee by the time the draw is done will not be included so please ensure that you pay your entry fee at the earliest opportunity as the committee will not be chasing members for payment. 

 Competition Card Standards

 Thank you all again for the improvement in card standards, this really helps when it comes to closing the competitions as it takes less time and brain power to sort them out!

From the men’s section that’s all for now.

May we wish you a happy, healthy golfing 2022, and look forward to seeing you all soon.

James Adcock

Men’s Captain

From the Seniors Captain

Well at last we have had a decent period of dry weather and hopefully more to come- allowing us to play all the course and allowing us seniors to use our trolleys. The course is in excellent shape considering all the rain it had and I’ve not seen the greens any better at this time of year. Much of the untidy rough areas have had some serious encounters with the club’s new equipment.

Thanks to everyone who attended our Seniors AGM and the main AGM and to all the committee members who give of their time so generously. Some serious investment is being made into The Bristol-we should soon for example see 20 new buggies with GPS arriving with the possibility of ordering food and drink from these buggies.

Well done to Ramesh Mistry for winning the first round of our Winter Eclectic with 39 points followed by sterling performances also from Martin Daley with 37 points and Kevin Mortimore with 35.A brace of 2s was achieved by the one and only Tony Edwards.

Well done also to Phil Lloyd for some excellent performances in recent Saturday competitions and for 40 points in 2^nd round of our Winter Eclectic which at the time of writing I don’t have the final result for-but I’m pretty sure he would have won.

It’s good to receive some enquiries from men wanting to join the seniors section. I am conscious that some of our club memberships perhaps unwittingly have unsubscribed from receiving e mails so if there is anyone you know of who might want to join our friendly band of brothers then please let me know.

A big welcome to Peter Millett who has joined the seniors and I had the pleasure of playing with and witnessing him birdieing the 8^th. Also to Jim Rollin and Rob Matthews who I believe are also joining us.

Could I also politely ask in respect of our Wednesday competitions that if you have signed up to play and then decide nearer the time that you cannot play for whatever reason then can you try to let us know even if it is on Wednesday morning itself. It then makes it a lot easier for those running the desk to ensure a smooth-running order is maintained.

A reminder that our March Hare on March 23^rd is to be at The Monmouthshire cost £33 which includes the prize fund, coffee and bacon roll and a meal afterwards. A sign-up sheet is in the changing room. Our Spring Break is going to be an away day on Monday, May 9^th at Cottrell Park cost £43. As we traditionally invite partners to what is normally a 2-day break -I have invited the ladies’ section to join us.

Happy golfing

Paul Jarvis

Ladies Newsletter

And so here we are in 2022.  My thanks to everyone who made it to the AGMs at the beginning of January and once again my apologies for not being able to make the Main Committee AGM due to work commitments.  Sadly, as James has already mentioned, he was also unable to make the event due to COVID.  Thankfully he and the family have all been fine and have made a full recovery.  I’d like to echo my thanks to Mike West for stepping into the breach to read introductions from both of us.  

Of Note from the Ladies AGM, you will see:

1. We voted to move to cashless competitions until we see what enhancements Henry is able to offer on the IG system. In addition to this we raised the discretionary Levy from £5 to £10 for main course members and raised the cost of entry to individual trophy events to £10 while keeping trophy competition team entries at £5 per person.
2. We also voted to keep the Lady Captain’s Cup as a Gross Medal competition but such was the depth of feeling that I will provide a cup for the event to be presented to the best Net Medal Golfer – thus providing a Gross and Net Champion in similar fashion to the Club Championship.
3. Please don’t forget the ‘A Mind For Golf’ presentation on 16^th March at 7pm – an introduction to the mental skills of Golf for all abilities. Please contact Maria if you want more details.
4. We will also look to have ‘fun’ competition every 6 weeks or so – your ideas will be gratefully received – the wackier the better!

Thanks again to Rachael and Nicky for presenting the accounts for us at the AGM in Denise’s enforced absence.  Thanks also to Angie for providing everything that was required within the statutory timescales and keeping the discussion on track on the night. Finally, once again, I’d like to echo James’ words for Tony Crook as well as sending them in kind to Olly Simpson for both keeping us going through 2 very difficult years. Olly even remembered to bring the Lady Captain’s Badge so that we could formally hand over at the AGM – enjoy the rest, you deserve it. 

On the golfing front, the weather has finally settled down and with the drier weather, the course has been noticeably busier and the turnout for ladies competitions has reflected this.  We are mid way through our winter eclectic competitions and most Tuesdays have also incorporated a fun Bowmaker competition to keep everyone’s competitive spirit alive and well. Just a reminder that our first away-day at Farrington is on 3rd April – only just over 10 weeks away.  If you can make it and you haven’t put your name down with Rachael there may still be time. Our away days are great fun and provide a great opportunity to play some competitive golf at a different venue as well as enjoy a meal and drink afterwards.

Denise Barwell is making good progress and regular updates from Rachael Paul have been very much appreciated by the ladies.  Get Well Soon Denise – we’re all missing you!

The section has also been busily booking County and Open competitions for this year and The Bristol should once again have excellent representation throughout the Gloucestershire and Somerset areas. Let’s hope the weather supports these competitions in the same way that we do.

There have been a few teething troubles with the new booking arrangements, not least of which is the continued inability to withdraw from a competition on the day using the IG App.  This is currently with Mike Stephens who is investigating what can be done within IG to allow withdrawal right up to and including the day of competition.  In the meantime please continue to contact Sally or myself and we can remove you and redo the draw.  If the draw changes your tee time, there is a facility to send out the new draw to all subscribers so we’ll be trying that out over the next couple of weeks – your continued feedback is very gratefully received.  As mentioned at the AGM, Henry and Mike are also in discussions with IG about upgrading our systems – more to come as soon as I hear anything.

Having discussed charity events at the AGM, I’m pleased to report that there will be 5 charity events this year (all on Saturdays) and the following dates are for your diaries:

Captain’s Drive In – 5th Feb, Spring Event – 30th April, Charity Day – 11th June, Summer Charity Day – 13th August, Turkey Shoot – 17th December.

James has provided the details for the upcoming Captain’s Drive-In and I was glad to see that I’m not the only one who is losing sleep over that first drive.  I’ve sent out a note to ask for prize donations for the raffle – it’ll be an excellent opportunity to get rid of those ‘unwanted’ Christmas presents ladies. We will also be running a ‘nearest the Captains’ Drive’ competition on the day. Members will have the opportunity to buy sticks (all biodegradable) at £1 each (5 for a fiver) that they can then write their name and the Captain of choice on. They should then stick those sticks in the ground where they think the chosen Captain’s drive will end up (preferably before the captains drive off).  There will be a prize for the nearest stick for each captain…. no sticking them on the putting green for me please ladies.

Take care all and have a happy and healthy 2022.