Introduction I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you as a new member of Longhirst Hall Golf Course. To aid your introduction to the club and the facilities we have available, we have put together the following information pack, which we hope you find informative and helpful in getting the most out of your new membership. Billy, our Assistant Director of Golf, will be on reception to offer a warm welcome when you come to play and assist you with any queries you may have. Reception opening hours are 07:30-15:00 on weekdays and 07:00-15:00 on weekends. If you have any queries outside of these hours, please don’t hesitate to contact us via email and we will get back to you at our first opportunity. Our attached PGA Professional, Paul Fiddes, provides a club fitting service as well as individual and group coaching to help develop your game. Can I ask you to inform us of any changes to your address or contact information so we can keep our records up to date. Many thanks and enjoy your golf. Graham Chambers Director of Golf Useful contact information: Reception telephone: 01670 791562 ext. 1 Bar telephone: 01670 791562 ext. 3 info@longhirstgolf.co.uk billy@longhirstgolf.co.uk Membership Your membership runs for 12 months from the date you join. A subscription invoice will be sent out approximately six weeks prior to your membership being due and a reminder sent approximately two weeks before. The invoice will be due at the end of the given month e.g. if you joined at any point in January, your renewal will be due by the 31st January the following year. We offer 3 payment options for memberships. You can pay the bill upfront, split it across 2 months interest free, or spread the cost across a 10 month period with one of our credit partners. All of our membership options share equal booking rights and give unrestricted access to both courses. Competitions We have a competition every Saturday and Sunday. The entry fee is £5 and includes “twos”. Although tee times are only reserved for a small period of the day, you can play in the competition at any point throughout the day as long as you have another member with you to mark your scorecard. In order to play in competitions, you must have an official handicap through England Golf. If you don’t have a handicap already you will need to submit three valid cards to Billy on reception. The process is: (a) Organise to play with another club member with a handicap to mark your scorecard. If you would like the club to arrange a member to do this for you, please contact Billy on reception. (b) Sign the card, along with your marker, and return the scorecard to reception. Please ensure you identify which tees you played from and make it obvious the card is for handicap purposes. All rounds must be strokeplay with every hole completed. Booking tee times All tee times should be booked via the free BRS Golf app. You will have received a 4-digit membership number which is also your BRS username. Tee times go live at 19:00 15 days in advance. If you have any queries regarding booking a tee time, or don’t have access to a smartphone or computer, you can call reception and they will assist you. Clubhouse opening times The clubhouse is generally open from 07:30 until dusk each day. Dress code Our dress code is fairly relaxed to ensure our members and visitors alike can enjoy golf in comfort. However, we do ask that all clothing worn on the golf course, the driving range and in the clubhouse are clean and presentable. Golf shoes must be worn on the golf course. There are a few clothing items which are not permitted on the course and they are listed below: - Replica sports clothing (football tops, rugby tops etc.) - Heavily branded hoodies (golf hoodies or plain hoodies are allowed) - Jeans - Cargo pants/shorts - Vests - Tracksuits - All shirts must have a collar so t-shirts are not permitted unless being worn under another garment As a member, you are responsible for ensuring that your guests adhere to the dress code too. Buggies Buggy hire is available on a first come first served basis. Member’s get a discounted rate of £15. If you require a buggy due to medical reasons, we can pre-book them for you as long as we have a copy of a doctor’s note informing us that you can’t play without one. Driving range As a member of the golf course, you get academy membership as part of your package. Golf course/academy members get access to a driving range card which you can pre-load with credit. Using this card gives you a 20% discount on your range balls. Good practices Start smart Confirm your tee time in advance and make it a point to arrive at the tee early with your golf equipment in order, ready to play. Remember essentials like extra balls, tees, gloves and appropriate clothing for the day’s weather conditions. Try alternate forms of play to speed up your round Match play, Stableford, best-ball and other formats are easy and fun alternatives to individual stroke play because not every player has to hole out on every hole. There are multiple resources online and in print to learn about the many different golf formats. Try one out. Minimise your time on the tee On the tee it is usually acceptable for players to “hit when ready.” You can also save time by playing a provisional ball if you think your original ball might be lost or out of bounds. Plan your shot before you get to your ball Once you are off the tee, think ahead. Determine your yardage and make your club selection before it is your turn to play. Very often, you can do this while others are playing, without disruption. If you take your glove off between shots, have it back on before it is your turn to play. Even a small step like this saves time. Keep your pre-shot routine short Pick your line of play once and trust yourself. Try to take no more than one practice swing, then set up to the ball and play your shot. Most importantly, be ready to hit when it is your turn. Be efficient after your shot too. Start moving toward your next shot promptly. Aim to play in 20 seconds From club selection to pre-shot routine to execution, strive to hit your shot in 20 seconds when it is your turn to play. Help keep play moving at a brisk pace. Develop an eye for distance You don’t have to pace out yardage for every shot. If you need to determine precise distance, try to find a yardage marker before you reach your ball, then pace out the yardage on the way to your ball or, consider investing in an electronic range-finder or GPS for golf. If others you are playing with are not familiar with the course, the Rules permit players to exchange yardage information without penalty. Be helpful to others in your group Follow the flight of all tee shots, not just your own. Once in the fairway, help others look for their ball if you already know the location of yours. Volunteer to fill in a divot or rake a bunker for another player if needed. Be ready to attend the flagstick for others. Keep up with the group in front of you Your correct position on the course is immediately behind the group in front of you, not immediately in front of the group behind you. Arrive at your next shot just before the group in front leaves the area in front of you. If you are consistently not able to keep up and a gap opens in front of you, invite the group behind you to play through, irrespective of the number of players in the group. Be efficient on the putting green Mark your ball and lift and clean it when you arrive at the putting green so you will be ready to replace it when it is your turn to play. You can usually line up your putt while others are putting, without disturbing them. Leave your clubs on the side of the putting green closest to the next tee, and leave the green promptly after holing out. Wait until the next tee to record your score. If you have the opportunity to repair another pitchmark, other than your own, whilst waiting for your partners to play, this will improve the putting surface for everybody. Remember that picking up your ball is permitted by the WHS Handicap System If not in an individual stroke play competition, it is generally OK to pick up your ball and move on to the next hole if you are “out” of a hole and want to maintain pace of play. This applies in match play and many other forms of play, including Stableford and best-ball play.
