Members Newsletter

September 2025

President Pete's Paragraph

Board Update

Your Board of Directors has reluctantly accepted the resignation of David Warder from both the Board and his role as Vice Captain. David has been an active and valuable contributor, particularly in matters relating to golf and course management. We thank him sincerely for his commitment and efforts.

To fill the casual vacancy, the Board approached long-time member Bill Rarity, who has now been endorsed as Vice Captain. Bill previously stood for election as a Director and brings both experience and enthusiasm to the Board. We are confident he will make a strong addition to the team. The position of Captain remains vacant and will be filled during the upcoming election period.

Membership

Membership for men is now close to full. At present, there are only two provisional spots and eight flexi memberships available. On the other hand, we are actively welcoming new lady members, with the added benefit that the usual joining fee does not apply.

 AGM

Please note the following important dates:

15 Oct – Nominations for the Board open

29 Oct – Nominations for the Board close

31 Oct – Notice of AGM, Agenda and Annual Reports available to members

7 Nov – Voting opens (if required)

21 Nov - Voting closes

24 Nov – Annual General Meeting at the club

 

Members Information Sessions

As we prepare for the AGM, we intend to host another series of Members’ Information Sessions toward the end of October and into early November. We encourage members who have not yet attended these sessions to spare an hour of their time and attend. These sessions are very informative, providing members with an overview of the financial challenges ahead and the Board’s reasoning to propose increasing our Annual Subscription Fees at the upcoming AGM. Dates will be confirmed and available for members in the coming weeks.

Green Fee Increases

Our Green Fees for both Social Golfers and Members were scheduled to increase effective 1 October. Due to the course conditions resulting from flooding, our Social Green Fees will increase effective 1 November from $65 to $90. By this time, we envisage having 27 holes open for play. Our Members' Green Fees will be increased after the AGM, effective from 1 December, which will be dependent on the success or otherwise of the proposal to increase our Annual Membership Subscriptions.

Golf Course

Our Golf Course continues to be challenged by weather. Last week we received another 44m of rain bringing our annual rainfall total to 2140mm. Our efforts this week are focused on having 27 holes open and playable by next week. There will be several areas that will have modified holes, such as shortened tees and temporary greens. The holes that are still flooded will have cart and golfer traffic moving around these, with temporary or makeshift paths until the course dries out and becomes accessible. Detailed communications will be provided when the 27 holes open.

Course Renovations

After postponing our Green Renovations in August, we have now rescheduled this to occur on the week commencing 24 November. Green renovations will be completed over 3 days per below:

Monday 24 November – Holes 1 – 9 Closed

Tuesday 25 November – Holes 10-18 Closed

Wednesday 26 November – Holes 19 – 27 Closed

Fairway Renovations will occur in early December; the scheduled dates are noted below:

Thursday 4 December – Holes 1- 9 Closed 

Friday 5 December – Holes 10 – 18 Closed

Monday 8 December – Holes 19 – 27 Closed       

Insurance Claim

Our insurance company has unfortunately declined our Insurance Claim for Flooding of the Golf Course and classified this as Storm Damage. Our Board and Finance Committee are now preparing to appeal this decision, which is expected to be challenging. The damage to the course is substantial, which includes loss of the 16th green, several areas of fairway turf lost, bores failing, several trees down and lost along with business interruption. We will continue to update members on progress here, however, this is likely to have a detrimental impact on this year's financial results.

A reminder on tees for stroke rounds

Black and Blue are the designated tee positions depending on handicap, as outlined in the last newsletter. This is also noted on your scorecard/app and the local rules boards. Even our long-standing members can sometimes slip up—ask Danny Petith. Danny recently turned in a brilliant net 63, only to realise afterwards he had played from the blue tees instead of the blacks. Unfortunately, that meant he had to disqualify himself. 

A tough lesson—golf really can be cruel at times!

Kangaroo Tours

Our Kangaroo Tours have once again been named in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards!! 

Only experiences with consistently strong reviews earn this title. 

A huge thanks to Kangaroo Phil and his team, Annette, Dave, John, Keith, Max, Nigel, Ian and John, for the incredible work they do making these tours so memorable for visitors from all over the world!

Melbourne Cup Day

Melbourne Cup is always a great day on the course and in the Club. We invite members to join us for our Annual Melbourne Cup Golf Day, or if you'd like to have the day off golf, join us in the club for a day of fun with sweeps, live music, TAB Facilities and prizes for best dressed. Don't forget to get your tickets for the Calcutta to be held on Monday, 3 November.

New Members Promotion Escape To The Great Outdoors

Our new member promotion - Escape To The Great Outdoors- starts today, Tuesday, 16 September.

Members will receive an entry ticket when they spend $10 at the bar, $20 at Bluewater Grill, $20 on raffle tickets, or $50 on merchandise in the Golf Shop.

We have six fabulous prizes to be won: 

• YETI  45L Esky
• Pryml Spartan Fire Fishing Kayak
• Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven
• $500 NBGC gift voucher
• $500 BCF gift voucher
• Kings Portable Steel Fire Pit 

The winners will be drawn on Friday, 31 October, and the winner must be at the club at the time of the draw to claim the prize.

Ladies Get Into Golf

New to golf and not sure where to start? Our Ladies Get Into Golf Program is the perfect introduction.

Over five weeks, you will learn the basics, build your skills, and gain confidence under the guidance of PGA Professional Ken Dukes. Each session is relaxed, supportive, and designed to help you enjoy the game while meeting others who are also starting.

The program runs on Mondays from 1pm to 2pm, beginning 6 October, and finishes with a fun on-course session in week five, where you can put your new skills into practice.

Whether you’ve never held a club before or want to brush up on the fundamentals, this program is a great way to get started.

Book Here

Self Improvement Thursday

Looking to sharpen your skills and gain more confidence on the course? Our Self Improvement Thursday program is designed to help golfers of all levels take their game to the next stage.

This three-week program is run in a relaxed and supportive environment, with each session focusing on a different part of the game.

Sessions run on Thursdays from 10.00am to 11.00am, starting 16 October 2025, with a chance to relax and connect afterwards over a complimentary coffee in the clubhouse from 11.00am to 11.30am.

The cost is $75.00 for the full three-week course, including coffee. Book Here

Fitting Events

Join us for our upcoming Golf Equipment Fitting Events and find the clubs that suit you best.

• Professional club fitting tailored to your swing
• Try the latest equipment from leading brands
• Improve accuracy, distance, and consistency
• Expert advice to help you get the most from your game

September 29 – Taylormade

October 20 – Ping

November 3 – Titleist

November 17 – Callaway

Spots are limited, book your fitting session online using the links above!

Blue Stakes - Habitat Areas

The Blue Stakes on the course will be used to visualise these areas for maintenance and habitat regeneration purposes. These bushland areas are located between the 18th, 19th & 20th holes, the 18th tee and 21st tee and the 7th and 23rd holes. If/when a golfer's ball comes to rest in these areas, there is NO relief from these areas - continue playing as normal.

Ladies Captain Update

As this goes to print, we are in the middle of the 2025 Port Stephens Homemaker Nelson Bay Ladies Classic, in fact, it’s the 25th anniversary of the Classic, which comprises a 2-day 36-hole stroke/stableford competition, followed 2 days later by a team event and lunch.  Over 200 women are competing in this event, with almost exactly half of these women being visitors to the Bay.  The superb preparation of the course by the greens staff has been welcomed by everyone, and some fabulous golf is being played.

We couldn’t hope to put on an event of this scale without the wonderful assistance of the office staff, who have handled all the entries, withdrawals, payments and refunds with unfailing courtesy.  As well, the Golf Shop has been outstanding in making everything run smoothly, as have the bar staff.  A special thank you to Seva for making everything possible, even coming in on her day off to ensure that all went smoothly.  And to the Ladies Committee also, everyone has stepped up and contributed to make this event an outstanding success.  Similarly, the ladies who have volunteered to help with course marshalling, starting, spotting and of course, with our morning teas, thank you so much.  Everything has contributed to the success of the event.

With one day left for the team event on Thursday, don’t forget to bring a gold coin for the fundraiser at the 5th tee.  Our charity is the Nelson Bay Cancer Transport Group, and the boys will be at the 5th hole to collect your donations and pay out a fortune if you hit inside the target around the pin!

Looking ahead, we are preparing for the Ladies AGM to be held on Thursday, 6 November 2025.  Most of the committee are staying on, however, we are looking for a new Captain, as Gail Murray prepares to step down.  Nomination forms will be available through Reception and can also be downloaded via the Nelson Bay Golf Club. Nomination forms and any items for discussion must be submitted no later than 2 weeks (14 days) before the AGM.

As the course opens up and the days get longer, the Bay Buddies program will get back into full operation.  If anyone would like to give Ann Turner a hand with mentoring a wonderful group of women and introducing them to the etiquette of the game, please don’t hesitate to contact Ann on 0409 556 949 or afhturner2317@gmail.com. 

Nicky Bethwaite

President, NBGC Ladies Committee