Newsletter October/November 2023
R.H Bennett (Ron) was our 2003 Club Captain having joined in 1984, enjoying many happy years playing within the Vets Section and was a hugely popular figure. Our thoughts and kind wishes go out to Sylvia, his daughters, friends, and wider family. Ian Ferris was Managing Director of Iveagh Trustees Ltd and joined Burhill Golf Club in 1940. He lived in Milton Green on the Burhill Estate and our condolences go out to his wife, Carole and their family.
A note from Nick... Welcome to the latest Burhill Golf Club newsletter. Apologies for the gap between editions – the last newsletter was circulated in August but, as you’ll see below, we have been working on and waiting for news on some key projects and I wanted to provide a clear update once there was proper progress.
Picture below courtesy of Jim Husain: Taken at the Opening of the Halfway House in July 2016 and featuring sadly departed Past Captains – Ron Bennett and John Cox alongside team members – Julie Morley and Damien Fontaine.
My team and I hope you enjoy this latest edition. Obituaries Members have been saddened to learn of the recent passing of Jane Evans, Ron Bennett and Ian Ferris. Jane Evans was the long-time partner of Lt. Col. Douglas Robertson our Club Captain in 2006. Jane had been a non-playing member of the club and was a key reason that the Junior Section awards the annual ‘Burhill Buckle’ to the member who isn’t necessarily the best player but who conducts themselves and upholds the standards and traditions of golf in an exemplary way.
2
In this edition: • A note from Nick... Nick Moran, General Manager • Golf Operations Update Darren Wood, Head of Golf Operations • Golf Courses Update Rob Surgey, Senior Course Manager • Clubhouse Update Stuart Barr, Head of Clubhouse Operations
2nd Reservoir We are expecting a second site visit from an ecologist on Tuesday 24th October. The purpose being to identify areas that could be planted out as grassland to create the required amount of Biodiversity Net Gain and to compensate for the removal of grassland habitats where we intend for the second Reservoir to be located. These areas must be maintained as a grassland habitat and not developed for a minimum of 25 years, so the selection of the area within the estate is crucial for all stakeholders. As members are aware, this is the final piece of the jigsaw needed before planning can be submitted with Elmbridge. 2024 Diary Dates Despite consideration to reduce some club matches or blend a few competitions to provide more access for casual, spontaneous golf, we have agreed to stage 240 friendly home matches, club competitions and events in 2024 – the same number as 2023. Course Maintenance: Spring - Old Course: Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th February 2024 & New Course - Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th February. Summer - Old Course: Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th August & New Course - Monday 22nd and Tuesday 23rd July. Spring Meeting: Men’s - Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th April. Ladies - Tuesday 7th and Wednesday 8th May. Club Championships: Men’s - Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st July. Ladies - Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th July. Juniors – Monday 5th August. Vets Soloman Cup – Wednesday 18th September. Autumn Meeting: Men’s Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd
3
September. Ladies - Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th September. Open Competitions: Junior Open - Monday 15th April. Scratch Open - Wednesday 15th May. Mixed Open Monday 8th July. Family Foursomes - Thursday 15th August. England Golf: We are delighted to host England Golf Captains on Wednesday 1st May and an England Golf Seniors Series event on Thursday 2nd May. R&A: We are not currently scheduled to host Regional Qualifying for The Open but will keep a ‘place holder’ for Monday 24th June for the next few months. Having held six successful RQ’s in the past eight years we will plan to be on standby once again (just in case!). Members Q&A Evening: Our traditional Question and Answer evening will take place on Monday 29th January at 7pm in the Barnes Wallis rooms. The club panel will consist of Nick Moran, Stuart Barr, Rob Surgey and Darren Wood. We will be joined by Directors from BGL and look forward to seeing as many members as possible. A welcome drink and cheese and biscuits will be provided for those who register in advance. We encourage questions to be raised beforehand to enable the panel a few days to consider their responses. Members Bring a Guest Day: This ever popular ‘thank you’ day will take place on Friday 23rd August, prior to the Bank Holiday Weekend. Weddings & Celebrations: There are currently eight dates of note starting on 25th May and currently ending on 7th September. These events are well spaced in the calendar and avoid Board Competitions.
Large Golf Days: In 2024 we are due to welcome some familiar partners including Great Ormond Street, Enterprise, HSBC, Barclays, BMW, and some new organisations including The Royal Bank of Canada. Members wishing to host large charity or commercial days for their own company are encouraged to contact Stacey Richardson in our Sales & Events office to discuss requirements and secure a preferred date. Assuming membership renewal goes to plan we are committed to continue avoiding Fridays for large third party bookings unless there is a very compelling reason to do so. Winter Opening Hours Can I remind members that our winter opening hours will begin to take effect once the clocks change at the end of October. The golf courses will revert to 8.00am start times other than the first two weekends in November, allowing the greenkeeping team to keep up to date with leaf clearance and course presentation. Likewise, the Clubhouse, Pro Shop, Range and Bag/Trolley Stores also have changes in opening and closing times. Please familiarise yourself via the posters on club noticeboards on the Latest News section of IG. Winter Buggies, Trolleys and Hedgehog Wheels From time to time we receive requests and a little pressure from members who need or who prefer to use a buggy to play golf. Weather conditions including rainfall volumes and ground frost will determine if we can permit buggies or ride-ons (one or two-seater e-scooters) and whether ‘winter wheels’ or ‘carry if you can’ messaging is needed. We encourage members to observe the daily IG Course Status email which makes it clear if courses are closed or partially closed or if buggies and trolleys are permitted.
4
The greenkeeping and golf operations teams have a conversation early in the morning each day in which we discuss the ground conditions and options available to us. It is a collaborative process. We suggest that members swap their trolley wheels to ‘Hedgehogs’ from early November to pre-empt any weather-based decisions and leave these in place until mid/late March. Where possible, if we cannot allow buggies (inc medical buggies or single-seat ride-ons) to be used across 18 holes then we always try to enable a 9-hole or shorter loop for medical buggy purposes. This is not perfect but does at least provide some ability for members to play a few holes and enjoy some time with their friends. Please be assured that we do not take decisions to close courses or prevent members from playing lightly. However, we are always mindful of members’ and guests’ safety and the need to ensure that the golf courses and surrounds are protected for all members’ enjoyment. Seasonal Membership Around this time of year, we can begin to receive a few requests regarding ‘Seasonal Membership’ – caused if members prefer not to play over the winter period. To be both fair and consistent to all members we do not invite seasonal requests as they are not covered in the Club Rules given our membership has a finite capacity. Medical Suspension Members may proactively (not retrospectively) contact Helen Firman in the Membership Office to request a medical suspension, where any agreed time spent not playing is credited towards future years.
Non-Playing Membership There is an option for members to step down from a playing capacity and be invited into a Social/Non-Playing arrangement for a full year not part thereof. The advantage is that this retains a membership place and would prevent the need for a member to pay a Re-entrance Fee if that member wishes to return to playing privileges. Members electing to take this route at renewal may play 6 times per annum paying a Guest Fee. Non-playing members must check in at the Pro Shop in advance of play and stick to the Tee Time not Open Play course. Country Membership As a reminder, Country Memberships are invited by the club on an annual basis and members in this category are required to provide a recent utility bill from their primary residence which should be more than 55 miles from Burhill (using Google Maps). Calling For A Tee Time We have been monitoring the number of incoming calls made to the Pro Shop or Reception to book a casual tee time within 7 days of play. May I remind members that the Elite Live App or use of the morning Open Play course are the best ways to either book or arrange a friendly game of golf. If members have queries in using Elite Live, please pop into the Pro Shop as they are happy to help. Governance & Club Rules In 2024 we will be reviewing the Club Rules which have largely not been updated since 2016. The purpose will be to ensure that they are fit for purpose for the future of the golf club, and we will be considering the changing landscape of the club in terms of membership classes, dress code, and links to club polices including course closure (high winds, lightning, fog), illness and injury (among other aspects). A question of evolution not revolution.
5
Changing Landscapes I regularly catch up on golf news via The Golf Business, Golf Business News and other print and online platforms including Green Keeping magazine. One of the more interesting themes of late is that five golf clubs have come onto the market – spread across the UK from Mar Hall in Scotland, Wildwood in Surrey, and Skylark in Fareham. Or, in the example of Dudsbury, near Christchurch, it is to close next year as the lease will not be extended by the owner while the Spa and Hotel will continue to operate. Likewise, a Suffolk Golf Club (Clare Park) plans to remove the clubhouse and convert it into a 4-bed house due to increased energy costs. It would be fair to say that while golf membership and participation have seen a renaissance since the pandemic, there was previously some oversupply of courses caused by a construction boom in the 80s and 90s. It is evident that significant cost pressures felt by clubs, owners and operators are now leading to some tougher decisions being made. At Burhill Golf Club we are all too aware of the costs of managing our club, delivering a product, and providing service levels to which you rightly expect, and to which we aspire. We are seeing some greener shoots from an overall cost pressure point of view, although, like domestic households, our primary costs (utilities, wages and greenkeeping services) are still running more than 10% greater than they were in summer 2022. Naturally, we try to absorb many of these increases through careful management or finding efficiencies. I have recently been working on the club’s financial forecast for 2024 and have elected to increase Golf Day (Corporate/Societies) by 7% and visitor Green Fees by up to 8%.
We will invite members to renew at the end of November 2023 once we have agreed on the club investment, cost projections and subscriptions plan for the year ahead. BGL 7 Sustainability Commitments We recently celebrated Sustainable Golf Week, #betterwithnature across our Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook platforms. We hope you enjoyed the content covering, water consumption, eucalyptus trees, bamboo, wild garlic, and our cricket bat plantation. Additionally, the BGL group of clubs has recently created seven sustainability commitments covering:
• • • • • • •
Policies and Procurement Staff and Member Engagement Climate Action Conserving Resources Fostering Nature Strengthening Communities Tracking/Reporting.
Smart Meter Installations Between 26th October and 6th November, we will be upgrading the electric meters around the club and grounds to Smart Meters. This will help monitor and manage our consumption. There may be some short-term disruption to power while new meters are installed and I apologise in advance for any disruption.
6
Christmas Week ‘Open Play’ If there is some dry and sunny weather, we are conscious that there may be high demand for member and guest play between Christmas and New Year, particularly 27th – 29th December. We will treat these 3 days as weekend days from a tee sheet perspective e.g., Open Play on one course will be from 0800 – 12.50. Tee Bookings will be on the alternate course. Looking ahead, we are not intending to make any other changes to Open Play and Booking Arrangements for 2024. Membership Referral To clarify questions received recently around ‘Introducing Members’. A £300 Levy credit (£150 for Intermediates) is made to members who can reference they have introduced new members to the club. It is important that this features on Application Forms. We are unable to accept retrospective referrals. The levy credit is paid once the new member has paid their fees. Drone Footage We were delighted to have a perfect sunset and dawn light to create new drone images for our website project and social media purposes. We are looking forward to being able to showcase the new site once it’s completed over the winter months.
Levy As a reminder, Levy’s charged at renewal will fall away from 31/12/23. Please ensure that you have spent your levy credit before this date in the Pro Shop or Bar. Reeds School Burhill Golf Club and Reeds School have enjoyed a mutually beneficial partnership since 2011. We have recently revisited this arrangement to tighten up some admin around the number of home matches and regular weekly tee times, plus range and short game use, minibus parking and some wider commercial aspects.
and onsite concierge. They do require a $1,500 NR deposit. For something closer to home, Trump Turnberry are offering a travel by 25th May 2024, 1 in 8 go free offer in their lodge accommodation from £322pp for one night and two rounds (Ailsa and RtB), B&B basis. Given it is a £300 green fee to play the Ailsa Course in the summer this feels like a great offer via YGT.
Below – The 12th Green - Dunaverty
We are incredibly pleased to continue to support James Wallis and the pupils of Reeds School whose alumni include Sasha Crockett, Thomas and Matthew Hawke and current pupils Finlay Fergusson and James Brash.
Golf Travel Inspiration I heard that quite a number of Burhill members journeyed to either Andalusia or Rome to watch European success in the Solheim and Ryder Cups. The Golf Tour Operators are already gearing up for Bethpage Black, Long Island for the 2025 Ryder Cup and US based PremierGolf.com (part of the Your Golf Travel stable) is currently offering packages from $7,295 based on a twin share double room, with 4 nights in The Westin New York at Times Square covering; season ticket pass, opening and closing ceremonies, ground transportation, welcome reception, gift
7
Talking of which, I’m planning a Western Scotland Trip pilgrimage next year down “the long and winding road” of the Kintyre Peninsula via Machrihanish to where Dunaverty Golf Club (£40) awaits. Time allowing, and a boat across from Ardrossan and rounds at Corrie £25, Brodick’s ‘honesty box’ £25, Lamlash £30, Whiting £25 - a 7-day ticket at the 12-hole gem Shishkine is lined up for £155. A trip of a lifetime! See you at Burhill Golf Club soon.
Best wishes,
Nick Moran
Recent members who have enjoyed the experience include Ian Fisher: “ I recently used the golf club fitting service at Burhill with Darren Wood. I found the entire process very easy, customised & informative. I was able to try various shafts and club heads with the swing tracker and Darren guiding me through all my selections. I had custom-fitted clubs once before and found the Burhill service, cost & delivery timeframe vastly superior. I would highly recommend everyone who has the need for new clubs to try the Burhill service, it is exemplary”.
Golf Operations Update Darren Wood, Head of Golf Operations d.wood@burhillgolf-club.co.uk Custom Fit Studio – Powered by Trackman Our state-of-the-art custom fit studio has now been operational for a month, with several members taking advantage of the free fitting service. Whether you are looking for extra yards, straighter tee shots or an upgrade to your current clubs, our friendly PGA Qualified Professionals are available for fitting using Trackman technology.
8
New Professional Shop We have now been in our brand-new Professional Shop for over six months, with some great feedback from members. Our product range now includes clothing brands such as Peter Millar, J Lindeberg, Glenmuir and Footjoy with TaylorMade, PING and Titleist as our hardware suppliers. The Peter Millar Winter Range is in store now, offering a range of autumn-inspired ¼ zip jumpers, gilets and polos.
Titleist Fitting Events We will be hosting Team Titleist fitting events from 1st November, taking place every 2 weeks. Bookings can be made by visiting the Titleist UK website. A Titleist custom fitting expert will be at Burhill with the latest Titleist products, using Trackman technology.
Burhill Shoe Fitting Event Did you know that wearing the proper size golf shoe can increase your swing force by as much as 21% over wearing a poorly fitting shoe? On Tuesday 14th November between 11:00am and 3:00pm there will be a FootJoy shoe expert at Burhill available for you to book an appointment and have a shoe fitting. Click this link to book an appointment - https:// footjoyukshoefittingevents.as.me/BurhillGolfClub The fittings will take place in the Professional Shop.
Hedgehog Wheels
Is your trolley ready for those cold frosty mornings? Hedgehog wheels are now available for you to purchase form the Professional Shop at £89.99 per set. Christmas Vouchers Whether you are looking for new golf products, lessons or to invite someone for a game of golf, visit the Burhill website now to purchase vouchers in time for Christmas - https://www. ibookedonline.com/burhill-golf-club Visit the Professional Shop now to see the latest offers and discuss your golfing needs.
9
Proper fit reduces friction and prevents slipping, which in turn, prevents blistering ensuring your feet remain comfortable throughout your round. When a shoe fits, it holds its shape. Reduced friction reduces wear keeping your shoes looking better longer.
New Bag Store There are 11 remaining cart bag storage lockers available in our new stores. Please contact Paul Williams at the club if you would like to take up this opportunity. Cost: £200 per year.
simply make that maths work, even without the other obvious benefits.” Jane Anderson says. “Having taken out trolley membership on a trial basis, I’m convinced this is the way forward. The Club trolley is better than my own in every way, not least a stable umbrella stand. No need to clean a trolley when I finish playing, no mud and grass in the boot of the car and no need to make sure the battery is charged. Trolleys are always availableand I’ve got my old (inferior!) one to fall back on if I play elsewhere.” Buggy Repairs We have recently had Bradshaws attend the club to service and repair buggies with some accelerator faults. We hope you notice the improvements.
Trolley Membership We still have availability for members to accept a yearly subscription to use our Motocaddy Trolleys. Why not take away the stress of cleaning your own trolley and remembering to charge your battery? Many members have enjoyed this experience in 2023 including Mike Wintle and our current Lady Captain Jane Anderson. Mike Wintle says: “It’s a cracking service. I simply pick my bag up when I arrive, pop it in the fully charged electric trolley provided by the club, have a game of golf and then at the end of the game, pop my bag back into the locker and hand the trolly back. I can then Jump in my clean car and drive off. There is always a trolly readily available so that is not a problem and come the winter when I am not putting wet muddy pieces of kit in the car it will be more valuable. Given the cost of the hire of an electric trolly is £14 a pop it does not take a genius to work out how many times you have to play to
10
Pairing Up Policy – Elite Live App Members are reminded that the default of the Elite Live App is to pair up 2-balls to create 4-ball slots when booked online. There are work arounds – please speak to one of the Pro Shop team for advice. Club Gapping Sessions Do you know how far you hit each club? We have availability in our new fitting studio with our PGA Professional’s to check the distances that you are hitting each club using our Trackman technology. There will also be the opportunity to try the latest technology from Ping, Titleist and TaylorMade. • Every Wednesday – 11:00am – 3:00pm • Every Thursday – 9:00am – 1:00pm • Weekends – Available upon request Cost - £25.00 per half hour session Please contact the Professional Shop for more information
Meet our Team
After many interviews for the position of Retail Manager and not finding the correct person with golf experience we decided to change the role. We opted for a deserved internal promotion for Sammy Haywood to Head Assistant Professional and successfully recruiting Jonathan Bowen from Wentworth to work alongside Sammy. This allows them to support each other on all things retail and custom fitting as well as supporting club members and our Golf Administrator Paul Williams with competitions. Charlotte Rosser will also support the Professional Shop team. For your coaching needs we have Morgan Kennedy and James Winstanley who have collectively worked at Burhill for 25 Years and are available for lessons for all levels of golfer. Our current Marshal team include Chris Willet, Steve Willet, Carlyle Gibbs, Jeff Hunn and Andy Jay. We will be looking to increase this team in time for the 2024 season. We are particularly keen to find mature team members who are happy to work evenings and weekends – if you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Recent Club Results Congratulations to the following members on their victories: Surrey Scratch League We pass on our congratulations to (L-R) Will Harding, Liam Cox, Ryan Gynne, David Prior
11
and Richard Barnes for defeating Wentworth in the final of the Surrey Scratch League at Farnham GC.
Vets Singles Knockout Peter Davies Hugh Dolton Trophy Stephen Dossett & Ian Trim Midweek Knockout Lachie Deuchar Ladies Autumn Meeting Medal Judith Greet – nett 66 Ladies Autumn Meeting Foursomes Margaret Godfrey & M’Liss Wickham – 42 points Men’s Autumn Meeting Marler Bowl David Prior – gross 71 Men’s Autumn Meeting Lewis Kent Cup Adam Granat & William Harding – nett 71 (won on a playoff) Cross Country Fiona Phelps, Lesley Keon, Rhiannon Vallis & Brian Davis – 45.9 Burhill Cup Dominic Bannon & David Lee Anglo-American Cup Mark Ruffell Angora Cup Emile Gill Fletch Salver Nick and Sasha Moss Best wishes,
Darren Wood
This year we decided to hollow core the Old Course instead of using the sand injection ‘Graden’ which cuts channels and backfills with sand. We wanted to go a little deeper into the root zone this year to help with water percolation.
Golf Courses Update Rob Surgey, Senior Course Manager r.surgey@burhillgolf-club.co.uk The weather has been changeable to say the least since our last newsletter. A very dry June followed by a very wet July. The weather really helped us during our summer maintenance on the courses. We managed to get both courses double scarified, hollow cored and sanded. 6070 tonnes of sand were used on each course, and we have seen great recovery. The picture below shows the sand channels into the root zone. The cores that come out remove the thatch and then we backfill with sand. This will help to improve winter playability and plant health. We have also overseeded the greens with Browntop Bent which is a more drought and disease-tolerant grass. The picture on the right below shows the lines of seed after germination.
12
We have continued our fairway overseeding plan which aims to help improve the grass species on both courses. The aim is to overseed with a more drought-tolerant species that performs well during periods of dry weather. The weather in June was very dry this year and this saw the Poa in our fairways die back a little. The rye grass that we overseeded with last year performed very well as you can see from the pictures below. The pictures below show the slits from the overseeding in a particularly poor area. The machine cuts a grove in the soil and lays a seed in the base of the grove. The lines of fresh seed are very prominent, and we are delighted with the high level of germination. We also fertilized all the fairways on both courses to help with the recovery process.
Deep Rough You may well have seen we have started to cut back the deep rough for the winter. We cut this rough back annually to stop it from getting too thick and becoming full of weeds.
Etiquette Unfortunately, etiquette on the golf course continues to disappoint. Bunker raking is at an all-time low and rather soul-destroying not only for golfers who play behind unraked bunkers but also for my team who spend hours every day raking them before play. The new rakes we have purchased move less sand around in the bunkers leaving them in the best condition possible. Rakes are pointless if they are not being used!
We are seeing an increasing number of divots being taken out of the greens on both the golf courses and practice greens. There are also
13
divots next to the greens where golfers are hitting balls towards the next tees from the green.
May I please remind members to make sure trolleys stay off the tee boxes. Also, please keep trolleys and buggies away from the greens. We have had good weather of late and I don’t want to put the post and ropes out until I need to.
Health & Safety We have had a few close calls and one incident where a member of my team was hit by a ball. Can I please remind all members that greenkeepers have priority at all times. The team do their best to stay out of your way but, on busy days, this is not always possible. Before hitting any shot can I ask all members to make sure your path is clear. If there is a greenkeeper in range do not hit until you have got their attention. Most members are very good at giving us a shout before hitting and a simple hand-in-the-air reply helps to make it safe for everyone.
New Rakes We have introduced new rakes on both courses. We feel these new rakes do not move the sand around in the bunkers. We found that the old rakes made poor bunker raking even worse as they drag too much sand and create ridges. These new rakes, if used correctly, will give a great finish as well as keep the sand in the main playing areas of the bunkers. The picture below shows the effect of the two rakes. (Left New, Right Old style).
The weather has been great at the beginning of October but it won’t be long before we get autumn rainfall. Winter rules are now in place and can I ask all trolley users to get the hedgehog wheels on the trolleys. Having these Hedgehog wheels means members and guests can use trolleys all through the winter no matter what the weather. Many courses have trolley bans/carry only policies and some shut when it’s frosty. Having the hedgehog wheels means we have neither. Many Thanks Rob Surgey
Training Damien Perrin and Daniel Mullins are currently coming to the completion of their NVQ 2 in Greenkeeping. They will complete the course by the end of the year having been assessed in December. Hopefully, I can share good news about their progress in the New Year.
14
Since the beginning, LWC has grown to have close to 1,000 members of staff and services over 13,500 on-trade customers across the UK. Originally, LWC was based in an old mill in Greater Manchester; they now work from a support centre in Manchester with 17 depots across the country.
Clubhouse Update Stuart Barr, Head of Clubhouse Operations s.barr@burhillgolf-club.co.uk I do hope you enjoyed your summer in terms of golf and what the clubhouse has had to offer. New Menu and Wine list I am delighted to announce that a new Bar Menu and Wine List is now available. Our Executive Chef, David Hanlon, has worked hard balancing items from ‘Club Classics’ like the Burhill Club Sandwich to more seasonal dishes including Oven Baked Sea Bream, Liver & Bacon or our new Golfer’s Brunch. The Specials will continue to change every week, adding even more choices for members. We have teamed up with a new drink company LWC Drinks, the largest independent wholesaler of beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks in the UK. LWC was started over 40 years ago by Robin Gray and Ebrahim Mukadam, who to this day are still at the helm. The company was born from their experience in the industry, having previously run successful pubs themselves.
15
LWC has taken the wine list and given it a complete re-vamp and I am particularly pleased with the offering. There will be a favourite club red and white, an Alberino from Spain, Rathfinny Cuvée or Rosé Brut from Sussex, a wonderful Cote de Beaune from the worldfamous Louis Latour. Enjoy! The Sunday Carvery Returns! The ever-popular Carvery has now returned, and it has been lovely to welcome so many familiar faces following our summer break. Burhill’s Christmas Carveries will commence on the first Sunday of December. Many members are already booking fast so please do not delay in contacting Reception if you would like a table – Two Course meals are available from £34.95 for adults and £20.95 for Under 12’s. Meanwhile, our famous Boxing Day Carvery Lunch is already filling up fast so to avoid disappointment please get in touch. £60 per adult / £30 for Under 12’s / Under 3’s eat free.
front of house and worked my way up to Food & Beverage Operations Manager. As my career goals are complete, I am now enjoying my retirement journey! In three words describe your job. Challenging, Teamwork, Rewarding
Staff Spotlight Our team are a vital part of Burhill Golf Club. This month I’d like to highlight a back of house team member. May I introduce - Keith Petite. He has very kindly taken time to answer a few questions for us. What’s your current role and how long have you been with BGL? My current role is part time Kitchen Porter / Assistant and I have been at BGL for 2 years What was the journey to where you are now? Previous roles? I started out at the 4-star Ladbroke Dragonara Hotel in Middlesbrough as an Apprentice Commis Chef before moving down to the 4-star Runnymede Hotel in Egham as a Chef de Partie. I then went onto work at the Grotto Bay Hotel in Bermuda as a Chef Tournant. After Bermuda I spent time travelling the Caribbean and America before returning to England and started working at the 4-star Lensbury Hotel in Teddington working my way up to Premier Sous Chef. While working at the Lensbury, I studied part-time at Thames Valley University to achieve my HCIMA Management Qualification. I then moved from back to 16
What is your favourite part about working in the BGL Group? Working alongside the friendly and professional staff who make up the Burhill Team. What’s your typical day like at Burhill? Deliveries and ensuring the back of house and front of house teams have all their equipment to hand ready for busy service. What is your favourite highlight at Burhill? Driving through the beautiful grounds to the clubhouse and communicating with all the Burhill Team Members. What is the best thing you have achieved? Trekking across Jordan to the Dead Sea then onto Petra. Raising money for the Shooting Star Children’s Hospice. What are your hobbies? Running, Cycling and Yoga. What would your death row meal be? Fillet Steak (blue) Cheese Board Glass of Port
Back On the Menu
As autumn gets underway, members will be eagerly anticipating the delights of some fresh soup served in the Honours Bar and Halfway Houses. Flavours this year will include – Broccoli & Stilton, Tomato & Chilli, Pumpkin, Leak & Potato, Spicy Parsnip, Med Veg and Tomato & Basil. Levy Top Up Emails
We have been listening to your feedback and created an automated email that is sent to members when a levy balance falls below £20. We hope this helps prompt members to ‘top up’ and will ensure we can focus on slick service. Half-Way House Food & Beverage App
And Finally; Christmas Jumper Day
Thursday 7th December: Join us in raising funds for the Captains’ Charity RASASC by donating what you can and wearing your Christmas jumper with pride. Burhill Staff Christmas Party
The club will be closed from 5pm on Thursday 23rd November so the team may enjoy an end-of-year social. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. Burhill GC Staff Christmas Lunch
Our traditional team Christmas lunch, served by the club management will be held on 20th December from 12-2 pm. You may hear some bad cracker jokes and general hilarity coming from the Barnes Wallis Room.
We encourage members playing the 8th FOLLOW US / LIKE US / SHARE US or teeing off on 9th on the Old Course or at the 8th tee of the New Course to place orders for the Halfway Houses using the Elite Live App, then selecting the ‘Food & Drink’ button. Please choose the correct course Instagram @burhillgolfclub and place items in the basket before either completing your purchase using your MDC account (so long as it is £ charged) or via a linked Apple Pay debit or credit card. We have placed several more popular lines on the LinkedIn @burhill app to ensure that it is straightforward. Good Luck David
Our popular Executive Chef, David Hanlon will be taking a few weeks out from 18th October to recuperate from a hernia operation. We wish you a speedy recovery David!
Facebook @Burhill Golf Club Best Regards
Stuart Barr
17
Thank you for reading the latest edition of the Burhill Newsletter Please feel free to contact us: 01932 227 345 18
BURHILL GOLF CLUB Burwood Road Walton on Thames Surrey KT12 4BX