From the Desk of the General Manager - Golf Director

December 2011

Hi to all Members,

It's Christmas time!! I'm not sure if it is the same for you but the year seems to have flown by much quicker this year, but I guess we say that every year!! Personally, I want to thank each and every member for your support for our Club and for your willingness to take new steps forward in these troubled times. Those of you who know me well will acknowledge that I never see the downside to any situation, but rather like to work on the positives and the opportunities that present themselves. This year, Mowbray has proved that it can withstand adversity and is willing to take positive steps into 2012 and still come out on top.

I have a few items that I would like to share with you before we recap on the exciting year that we have just been through at Mowbray Golf Club.

Course Gardens

Rona Maske and Jo Cheesman, who do an amazing and tireless job to keep our gardens in pristine condition, are looking for volunteers to assist them on a Wednesday morning until such time as the course staff can be freed up from their present tasks on the course. Some members have already offered to "adopt" a flower bed and to keep it tidy and weed-free but they still need more helpers. All it takes is willing hands, some garden tools and a black bag. Please give either Rona or Jo a call if you are available to help.

Prizes

The WPGU has informed us of a little change in the rules on how prizes may be given. A player may, after 01.01.2012, have his club account credited with vouchers won in a golf competition. This may also be used to credit his subs account, bar account, restaurant account or the like. The limit on hole-in-one prizes will be lifted and a player scoring a hole-in-one may accept any prize of any value as well or in cash provided he is not actually playing for prize money. This rule is retained. The maximum value of a prize remains R4,500

Club Championships

The lists for the club championships early next year are on the notice board. Don't forget to put your name on the list and pay your entry fee if you want to play.

2-Club Challenge

I would like to remind you of our 2-Club Challenge in collaboration with Reeds Cape Town. For an entry fee of R10 per 18 holes on competition days, you will be eligible to win a golfing holiday for two at Long Beach in Mauritius as well as many other prizes that are up for grabs. A player with a handicap of 0-9 is eligible for one entry per R10, a player with a handicap above 10 qualifies for two.

Ladies Christmas Charity Competition

Winners of the Ladies Christmas charity competition (also the best dressed!!) were, from left to right: Muriel Thornberry, Sue Boast, Sharon Pryce and Pat Hulse

Message from the Men's Captain, Craig Poulton

"I would like to take this opportunity to tell all our members - the old and new, the experienced and inexperienced, the winners and the losers - that I am just so proud to be a member of Mowbray. Having increased our membership options we are now attracting many more of the better golfers as evidenced by the achievements of our members over the last few weeks. For example:

• Harry Solomon A Team winners of inter-club champs Fresnaye Cup
• Harry Solomon B Team Runners up in Inter-club champs Fresnaye Cup
• Tom McCrorie - individual winner of interclub championships (Fresnaye Cup)
• Carl van Rensburg - best overall nett (Mowbray Open)
• Douglas McFadyen - Mid-Am best gross (Mowbray Open)
• Drew Denyer - best overall gross - (Winner of Mowbray Open).

The Mowbray Open had a shotgun start. Drew Denyer (pictured on the right)made an albatross on his last hole of the tournament - the par 5 sixth - to finish his 36 holes on minus 3. He was in a playoff (18th) and won! What a fantastic effort!! Many other Mowbray members were also in the prizes.

Thanks must go to many of the old timers who have been setting the pace in the weekly club competitions. Without knowing it, you have been grooming our top golfers for these tough inter-club competitions and they have had to raise their games even just to get a mention at prize-giving.

Please note that each member is responsible for entering his/her own scores within a 72 hour window period. Some members are not entering scores on time and penalty scores have been assigned to them by the national handicapping system.

Thanks must go to our staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make the Mowbray experience a reality. We have had full fields these past three weekends. Please remember to smile and to say thank you to them when you notice their extra efforts.

Many more golfers are hearing about the great vibe at Mowbray and the improved conditioning of the golf course. We, the members, are going to have to plan ahead and book our favourite times well in advance. Just make the same effort of booking and do it sooner. Yes, we are aware of the block bookings and we have applied strict procedures in this regard.

In closing, please invite your friends to join you at Mowbray for a game of golf, a lunch or even just a drink. Thank you all for being part of the MOWBRAY EXPERIENCE."

The year that was

Looking back on 2011, I would like to recap on what we have achieved this year:

• We announced that the 2012 SA Men's Amateur would be played on our course.
• We worked hard on cleaning up the Club House and the appearance of our car park.
• Our Golf Course is starting to make us proud and Mowbray is at last showing the true beauty and character that, still to this day, makes it one of the best layouts and a "must play" course in Cape Town.
• The course furniture was realigned and these areas were neatened up.
• We started planting new trees on the course and reshaping fairway lines.

• The halfway house and areas of the Club House were repainted.
• We re-carpeted areas in the Club House.
• There are new carpets at all our entrances and exits, sponsored by Black Bottle.
• The re introduction of the member's discount @ 15% on F+B.
• A new Board and new Men's and Ladies Committees took over the running of the Club.
• 45, 000 rounds were registered over the last financial year and we are trading at +- 6% up on that figure year to date.

• Sillars retired as Caddie Master and Cedric took over.
• The introduction of our new Category 1 membership has brought +- 250 new members into the Club
• More 'new member' days, improved interaction with our new membership and an occasional draw for the members is now taking place
• We have improved communication with our members through our newsletters, the Communicator and emails.
• A mid year raffle brought in additional funds to the Club.
• A new 2 Club promotion has been launched to keep on raising additional funds for MGC.

• Our 2012 Club Diary has a new look and was fully sponsored by our loyal suppliers and advertisers.
• Cell C, Klipdrift, Footprint Wines, Bell's Whisky, City Lodge, Kelvin Grove, Compass Guarding, Vineyard Hotel, Old Mutual, Scottish Leader, Black Bottle, Nestlé, Grapevine, Adidas and TaylorMade, Long Beach Resort in Mauritius, The Graeme Hotel, Mantelli's Biscuits and Mantelli's Direct, Reeds Cape Town, Ciro coffee, STM, Cape Mowers, Smith Turf (Toro), Golf Times SA, Peninsula Beverages, Online Tee Times, Spar Pinelands, David Frost Wines, Napier Village, SAB, Revelstone, Distell, Pick n Pay Observatory and so many more sponsors/advertisers and contributors need to be thanked for their commitment and willingness to get behind our fantastic Club.

• The Staff complement has been streamlined and new creative job opportunities have led to staff becoming multi tasked so as to bring the best returns to Mowbray Golf Club.
• New doors have been opened with constant marketing and visiting of hotels, B+Bs, tourist destinations and information centres.
• Bringing new golfers to our Club has proved rewarding and we are lucky to have JP Du Plessis continually working visitors to Mowbray to see if any of them can convert into members.
• Hard work, negotiation, multiple meetings and persistence on the part of J Plimsoll, Gareth Pike and myself have finally led to the outstanding municipal rates bills being written off on the proviso that the current rates billings are kept up to date.

• "Friendly golf" has been introduced to the staff at Mowbray.
• Our accounting is now up to date and the Board and I are getting accurate figures which can only help us to make correct and informed decisions.
• The introduction of 'Lock up your Mothers', our resident band led by Mark Ziegler (our new Vice Captain), has kept the social spirits up at the Club.
• Our Mid Amateur Men's Team won the league this year and the Harry Solomon team won the Fresnaye Inter Team trophy.

• WP selection went to Sammy Barber and Yvette Du Plessis in the Ladies WP IPT "A" Team and JP Du Plessis and our Captain, Craig Poulton, were selected for the WP Mid Amateur IPT Team.
• The course was handed over to STM to manage and immediately a huge improvement was evident in all areas on the course. Their support and the way in which they rallied behind Mowbray when our greens were vandalised was absolutely awesome. Their professional approach and 'no excuse attitude' has led us to believe that, within the next year, Mowbray Golf Club will be the talk of the town. Our much talked about greens are now being cut with walk-behind mowers and this will surely lead to softer greens with a faster and truer finish. I know STM have something up their sleeves for winter and I personally can't wait to see what magic they produce going forward.

• A new hitting net was erected at the back of the range and, thanks to the help of a few passionate members; our gardens on the course are being adopted and cared for. Bravo and again it shows that together we can go forward.
• Caddy training, caddy caring, caddy supervision, caddy benefits, caddy incentives and a better environment has been implemented in preparation for the coming 2012 and the influx of top golfers and tourists who will be playing at Mowbray. Bad habits are hard to kick, but in the long run a good team of caddies will only lead to more caddy use and more money for these Mowbray locals.

• A strong new relationship between Kelvin Grove and Mowbray has led to new memberships for both Clubs and even a few corporate memberships being sold. An Interclub Sports day was held recently and Mowbray Golf Club ended up the victors over the sports disciplines played. I fear Kelvin will dig deep next year and we might need our A team to defend the Black Bottle Trophy.
• Our membership database has been worked and reworked and now is as current and up to date as it could be. Here we have to thank Ingrid Tait and Lynn Coetzee for their relentless work.

At last our Club is alive with activity, laughter, golfers and, more importantly, happy members. What a pleasure and let's keep this momentum going into 2012.

Conclusion

May I take this opportunity in wishing you, our members, and all the staff at Mowbray a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year? Drive carefully, spend time with your loved ones and remember to spread the positive news about your Golf Club.

I hope to see you all soon down our manicured fairways.

O'Brian Barber

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Deena
011 802 2785