Wycombe Heights Newsletter - April 2024

A NOTE FROM ...

Jonathan Dove Interim General Manager

Hello everyone!

Thank you for your warm welcome to Wycombe Heights. The first six weeks have been a whirlwind with lots to learn and get my teeth into, and still lots to do.

As expected, it has been a very busy start to my time at Wycombe Heights however, I am enjoying myself and it has been made much easier by the amazing team of staff at the club.

With the weather showing some signs of improvement…I know it’s been a long time coming and the wettest winter I can recall, we will hopefully see some sunshine and warmth.

I would like to start by talking about the golf courses. It’s been a tough winter for the greenkeeping team and although we are only a week or so away from the Masters, we still have not started to see any real growth and the recovery we normally get in March.

The new bunkers have settled in well with Stuart and the course team doing additional work to encourage grass growth and recovery. Unfortunately, without the correct conditions, the full recovery may take longer than we would like.

The bunker project has been a success and although almost everyone hates bunkers, I hope the newly refurbished bunkers will be well received and a great improvement.

Off the course, we have been busy too, with new astro turf carpets fitted on the driving range further enhancing this already excellent facility. Feedback has been extremely positive and made the task of getting ready for the golfing season more pleasurable.

The clubhouse is also having a freshen-up with decorating being completed throughout the building. All being well, this work will be completed by early April ready for the golfing season.

Our main membership renewal period has just been completed, with most members renewing on 1st April 2024. For those of you renewing in this main renewal period, you will have already been sent your renewal information.

The renewal process is very straightforward and you can renew via the Elite Live App. But please make sure you ask one of the team should you have any questions or wish to discuss other membership options.

We couldn’t do what we do without having a brilliant team of people working with us at Wycombe Heights and I will now hand you over to the Head of Departments for updates on their areas of the club.

I hope to see many of you enjoying the club, course and hopefully some brighter weather over the coming weeks.

Regards,

Jonathan

COURSE UPDATE

Stuart Giddings Course Manager

Hello everyone,

As we move ever closer towards spring, I am excited about what lies ahead for Wycombe Heights in 2024. The project work that has been completed, and that is nearing completion, has moved the course forward.

The team has been working hard on the practice bunker next to the range with a newly built green with a high-face riveted bunker. It will still be another month before it will be open but a massive improvement to our practice facilities.

Maintenance

Maintenance week was a great success, what work was carried out might you ask? The work that was carried out was a double scarify on the greens to a depth of -3mm followed by a double solid tine spike allowing the greens to breathe (aeration) and to help with the drainage on the greens and to finish off there were three tonnes of top dressing per green to fill the holes in and to allow for a smoother playing surface. This has given us a massive head start going into the season getting all this work done in February.

Weather

The weather in January and February wasn’t in our favour with all the heavy rain we received. The rainfall we had in January was 95mm and in February was 130mm, although there were some course closures, the course held up well.

I’m hoping now we are almost coming into April that we can put all that horrible weather behind us and look forward to some warmth and sunshine.

Take care everyone!

Stuart

AN UPDATE FROM...

Duncan Purcell Head Professional

Welcome to Spring everyone!

With the season fast approaching, we can already start to see a stretch in the day. Also, fast approaching is the Masters – which happens to be my favourite Major of the year and one of the few golfing events I will watch on TV.

If I was a betting man, I would have put a flutter on Jordan Spieth. I think his game is well suited to the layout of Augusta and he is probably the best scrambler under pressure out on the PGA Tour.

We have two new starters in the Professional Shop. Aidan Kelly joined us at the end of February as a Retail Assistant. Aidan is a local Uni student and is a keen basketball player.

Also joining the team in mid-March was Jamie Amer. Jamie joins us as another Retail Assistant, intending to become one of my Assistant Professionals as soon as he enrols into the PGA Programme. Jamie is a scratch golfer out of Witney Lakes with experience playing mini-tour golf.

Please join me in giving these two team additions a warm Wycombe Heights welcome.

With the start of the golf season comes new stock and gear. Why not pop into the Professional shop to see the latest ranges of clothing and equipment? We have also opened a “Pre-Major” sale event (in recognition of the first major of the year – The Masters) where we have major discounts on clothing, shoes as well as equipment from last year. Who doesn’t like a bargain, right?

It has been a long wait, but our bunkers have finally opened after phase one of the bunker renovation project. Credit to Stuart Giddings and his team for getting these ready for the new golfing season. The feedback from both members and guests here regarding the quality of our greens has been brilliant, despite all the rain we have had since the start of 2024. We have also had the astroturf laid in the driving range. This investment has improved the atmosphere as well as sound acoustics at the driving range. The new practice bunker will hopefully be complete and open by the end of April, adding another area in which to practice an important part of your golf game. Finally, the clubhouse is undergoing a fresh coat of paint and refreshes to some areas of the building in anticipation of a busy 2024 season.

Since my last newsletter, where I stated I would attempt to play more golf this year, I have managed just one round so far. Unfortunately, a broken finger has scuppered those plans, but I hope to be game fit in the coming weeks and to get out onto the course for a few rounds. As well as golf here at the Centre and local courses planned this year, I intend on playing golf in Florida at the end of the summer.

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Bay Hill has always been a favourite of mine, and I was fortunate enough to meet the late great Mr Arnold Palmer some 10 years ago at his course.

In February we hosted a successful TaylorMade custom fitting event with TaylorMade fitting expert, Stuart Gauld. The QI10 products on offer from TaylorMade this year have been exceptional and if any member would like a custom fit, both Matt and I are on hand to provide these at the driving range on our Trackman Launch monitor.

On April 4th, we have PING here conducting a fitting event. For any bookings or enquiries, please contact the Professional Shop as this event is by appointment only. PING have carried on with their most forgiving range to date, the G430’s. They have also added the G430 10K Max driver this year, which is the most forgiving driver ever created. More forgiveness = more fairways hit from the tee. I for one will be investing in a new and megaforgiving driver this year.

What has also inspired me this year is the range of wedges we have in store this season. Vokey has introduced the SM10, TaylorMade the MG4 and PING the S159.

These are the best line-up of wedges I have seen in a long time. I believe in upgrading the “scoring” wedges every year (lob wedge and sand wedge) as these are the clubs used the most, both in terms of playing and practising. New wedges spin at roughly 10,000-12,000rpm (clubhead speed dependant), however the drop off is roughly 40% after 800 shots hit with each wedge. This sounds like a lot of balls hit, however, if you average 50 shots hit each week on the driving range with these clubs, coupled with bunker practice and then use on the golf course you soon see that having fresh grooves is extremely important.

Ask yourself – when was the last time you changed your wedges and how does your usage compare to the numbers above?

Coming soon, we will be implementing quick/ pro’s tip videos. These will be available on our social media so keep an eye out. From how to play a bunker shot, to reading putts and course management, these videos will offer an insight into coaching tips as well as the facility.

A final word from myself: Last May we implemented the policy of all players to check in before their round.

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This applies to both the Main Course as well as the Par 3 Course. This was also a major reason why we embarked on attaining member photos from everyone so that as you check in, a staff member who swipes your member card onto the system, can ensure that the card matches the user. While this has improved, there is still a long way to go.

I would like to kindly remind you all that you must check in personally into the Professional Shop before your round as individuals. We can’t accept that one member of a group signs in for every member in any given group. Whilst this may seem mundane, it forms an essential part of our day-to-day processes and covers you as a member under your insurance (part of your annual fees) should you befall an injury on the course. Please see Section 3 (below) of the T&Cs for play on the courses here at the centre:

3. CHECK-IN - All players should check in at the Golf Shop at least 15 minutes before their tee time and collect a validated receipt/ scorecard. The receipt/scorecard must be retained and made available for inspection by the Golf Services Team at the 1st tee or during your round.

• All members must check in at the golf shop prior to their round.

• All players should be ready to play on the 1st tee 10 minutes prior to your booked tee time.

• The company reserves the right to move bookings to the next available tee time if players fail to arrive on the tee in time.

• No refund will be offered if we are unable to provide an alternative tee time on the same day.

• Players without a valid receipt/scorecard may be asked to leave the course by the Golf Services Team.

Duncan

Jack McDonagh Driving Range Manager

Welcome to peak golfing season! I hope you are all doing well, and that your golf game is where you want it to be! We have had a few projects begin on the driving range over the last few months, all of which will hopefully make an improvement to the experience on the driving range.

We have had astroturf installed across the driving range over the past few weeks, and we have also installed 18 brand-new premium driving range mats into the bays. The flooring being changed gives a whole new, fresher look to the driving range. See below before and after pictures!

On Thursday 11th April, we will be hosting a member-only driving range event for Masters Thursday! The event will run from 7pm – 11pm, it will cost £10 per member, and it will involve unlimited balls all evening, a curry, competitions and games and live coverage shown across the range of the first night coverage of The Masters. We will be supporting the main sections’ charities, the National Autistic Charity and Mind, with some great prizes to be won on the evening, including a 56-degree Vokey wedge, some ‘golfer’s hampers’ and many more smaller prizes! I hope as many of you will be available as possible! Please follow the QR code in the picture below to secure your place! Should you have any questions about the event, please email me at j.mcdonagh@ wycombeheightsgc.co.uk

As we fully enter golfing season, it is time for us to change the operating hours for the driving range to allow for practice for competitions and earlier rounds. I am happy to announce that from Monday 15th April, the opening times for the driving range will be as follows:

Monday: 11am – 10pm (Last balls 9pm)

Tuesday – Friday: 8am – 10pm (Last balls 9pm)

Saturday & Sunday: 7am – 9pm (Last balls 8pm)

We will continue to run member’s nights on a Thursday evening from 7pm – close (the last balls for members evening will be dispensed at 9pm) and we will also continue to run the ‘members warm up basket’ which entitles you to a bucket of 25 range balls for £2, instead of £4.50. Tickets for this can be purchased when you check in for your round in the professional shop. They are limited to one ticket per member per day, and you must have a booked tee time on the day. The tickets can be purchased from when the range opens on that morning, until 12pm every day.

I have also committed to working closely with each section throughout the golfing season, to make sure that if any major competitions are running, we will have the range open as early as the relevant captains see fit.

I wish you all the best of luck for the golfing season, and I look forward to seeing you all around the clubhouse more!

Regards,

Jack

F&B UPDATE

Sophie Owen Food and Beverage Manager

March has come and gone in a flash; it is hard to believe that we are well into 2024. With spring just around the corner, we have some exciting plans coming your way. Firstly, our opening hours will start to change in the coming months, from the 1st of April, the clubhouse will be open 6.30am-8pm Monday to Thursday and 6.30am – 9pm Friday to Sunday. We hope to see as many of you as possible in the evening on our fantastic decking!

We have the best Burgers!

Head Chef Gary has compiled some of his favourite burgers from over the years and has updated the “Burger Menu” that will be available to purchase every day alongside our specials. Enjoy a burger and a beer on the patio. Also, our Spring/Summer seasonal menu will be coming out in early April, it is full of delicious items, so keep an eye out.

We are proud to continue our partnership with Rebellion Beer and introduce another local Ale, Overthrow Pale Ale. Coming very soon, this easy-drinking well-balanced Pale Ale will be a great addition to our drink’s menu!

We will continue to run the discounted cake offer with any hot beverage. We have new cakes such as raspberry & white chocolate cake, apple & ginger, and lots more! We have also extended our sunrise offer for members for our full English breakfasts. Where you can grab a FREE hot beverage when purchasing a full English on your breakfast card.

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Fancy a snack? Or take away a delicious sandwich, made to order in minutes? We have chicken & chorizo, prawn marie rose, and lots more!

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

Sophie

Henry Willett Sales & Marketing Manager

Hello everyone and welcome to the 2024 golf season!

At the time of writing this newsletter, the weather has just started to turn a bit warmer –but it’s still raining, of course. Here’s hoping we have a sunny, warm April that can kick off the golf and function season.

Since the last newsletter, we hosted our Mother’s Day lunch. While we didn’t quite reach the 90 covers from before the pandemic, we hosted 40 guests for a delicious two-course lunch and gave gifts to all the well-deserving mums. A big thank you to our kitchen and F&B team for all their hard work with this event.

With membership renewal season coming to a close I thought it was worth reminding you all that, as members, you receive a £50 bar levy top-up if you refer any new member to a five-day, seven-day or intermediate category so please encourage your friends and family to reach out to us if they would like any more information on our membership categories.

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Later in April, we have another returning favourite – our Tina Turner Tribute Night with returning act, Typically Tina. I won’t repeat all the puns I made in the Instagram post, but tickets are selling fast and “I Don’t Wanna Fight” anyone for the last few…

£49.95 per person includes a welcome drink, a two-course meal and Typically Tina playing until late. Even better, as members of the club, you can take an extra 10% off that price! Looking further forward, to sunny July days, we are hosting two Summer Party events! The first, our Summer Party & BBQ on Friday 12th July, is a chance to enjoy a BBQ and drinks on our patio followed by a night of dancing to our resident DJ!

Tickets to this event are £29.95 for visitors and £26.96 for members.

A few weeks later we are running a School’s Out event targeted specifically at teachers, nursery workers and assistants on Thursday 25th July – just in time for the school holidays! If you, your friends, or your family work in the education industry then spread the word - just £20.00 per person for buffet, DJ and drinks specials!

As a reminder all events can be booked with the Sales team or directly here: https://www. ibookedonline.com/wycombe-heights-golfcentre/events

Henry

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Sustainability:

For the last decade, we have been an industry leader in sustainable golf and climate action. This was first recognised when Wycombe Heights and the other nine BGL sites, became the world’s first multi-site operator to achieve the international sustainability award; GEO Certified.

The GEO certification recognises golf businesses that demonstrate a commitment to providing more and more value to people and nature at the courses they manage.

This year BGL are more ambitious, as we aim to become carbon neutral. To do this the group agreed to seven core commitments. These commitments with guide our decisions to ensure we continue to work towards improving the sustainability of our sites.

These pledges are:

1. Planning, Policies and Procurement

2. Staff and Golfer Engagement

3. Taking Climate Action

4. Conserving Recourses

5. Fostering Nature

6. Strengthening Communities

7. Tracking and Reporting

Over the coming months and years, the team will continue improving our use of natural resources to work toward the carbon-neutral goal. Sustainability is not just about natural resources but the wider community and beyond and will be actively engaging with our members and customers to help support this important commitment.

Handicap Update: CHANGES TO THE WHS…

Just as with the Rules of Golf, the WHS™ Rules of Handicapping are updated every four years. The most recent WHS™ change was made on 1st January 2024, but will not take effect until the 1st April 2024. All golfers must be aware of how this might affect them.

In a nutshell, the changes are:

Introduction of Course Rating™ minus PAR.

The method of calculating a Course Handicap will include an adjustment for the difference between the par for the course and the Course Rating. The charts by the pro-shop and the first tee will be reprinted accordingly.

The new calculation will be: Course Handicap = Handicap Index x (SLOPE/113) + (Course Rating minus PAR). This will be reflected in the new charts near the 1st tee.

Introduction of acceptable scores from 4BBB formats:

Provided that the total pair score is at least 42 points or six under Par, and a player scores on at least nine holes, then that player’s score will be eligible for handicapping purposes. (This only applies in club competitions.)

NB: The method of calculating shots given in 4BBB matchplay will change to 90% of the difference from the lowest player.

Playing Conditions Calculation more frequent:

The adjustment that assesses whether the course is playing harder or easier than usual will come into play more often in handicap maintenance. This has already been implemented.

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Implementation of Expected Scoring:

A revised method of calculating scores for holes not played (e.g; course closure during a round, nine-hole card submitted, etc.) will be used.

Using Un-rounded Course Handicap™ calculation:

During the calculation of a playing handicap, no rounding will be done until the end of the calculation.

Course Rating™ changes:

Rating of shorter courses – 18-hole courses as short as 1,500 yds can be rated. (Previously 3,000yds.) Standardising Par –Course with holes with different pars (e.g; par 4 from white tees and 5 from the reds) can be made the same, ir-respective of length.

Full details can be found on the England Golf website (https://www.englandgolf.org/2024whs-update-resources).