House Members

Dear House Member,

Now that Spring has arrived, we felt it timely to send you all a letter welcoming you to a new Social Season.  Our job, as your representatives on the Social Committee, is not only to run House Member golf outings but also to encourage you to make more use of the Club facilities, even if you are not a golfer.  

The following are the dates of the House Member golf outings in 2012:

1. Monday 26th March – Tee times from 13:00 to 15.00
2. Friday 20th April – Member/ House Members Competition and Dinner
3. Monday 28th May- Tee Times from 14:10 to 16:00
4. Monday 25th June- Tee Times from 14:00 to 16:00
5. Monday 10th September- 13:00 to 15:30 (House Member’s Captains Prize)
6. Thursday 18th October – 14:10 to 16:00 (14 holes)


We would like to draw your attention to the second event of the year;

The 2nd event is Friday 20th April.  This is a very important evening for house members who are serious about becoming full members as the management committee will be present and it’s an ideal opportunity to meet them.  It takes place just before the elections.  The competition is for members and house members, no guests.  The format will be finalized nearer the date.  Non golfing members are welcome to attend the dinner.

We will send through details on the events, usually 2 weeks prior to the date of each event.  There will also be at least one singles competition included during the year as this has been specifically requested by a number of you.
The total cost of entry will be advised in advance of each outing. We would like to remind you that the entry fee for the competitions includes dinner, but there is no refund if you cannot attend the dinner.  For those of you who don’t play golf but would like to come up to the dinner that evening, we will have a separate price for dinner only.

Competitions and Official Handicaps
To win a prize in a house member event, each member of that team requires an official GUI handicap.  It is a requirement that competitors must enter the name of their home club where their handicap is managed on their scorecard.  It is not a requirement that you have a GUI handicap to play in a house member event but as a courtesy to players who may book in with you, we ask you to tell Eithne at time of booking that you do not have a GUI handicap.

Social Event
A Social Evening event has been suggested for June however the date will be confirmed nearer the time for House Members.  The purpose of the event is primarily social but this could be a good vehicle to facilitate casual golf between House Members.  We also want to use this event to sound you out on what kind of competitions you would like for the year. 

Cancellations for House Member events
Last year there were large numbers of cancellations at short notice for House Member golf events.  These leave big gaps in tee times which are lost opportunities to the Club for Green Fees and causes problems in the dining room.  There was a proposal at the Committee Meeting to take the booking fee at time of booking, but we have been able to temporarily avoid this provided this does not continue to be a problem.  We understand that there can be unforeseen circumstances which can cause you to cancel but we appeal to you to endeavor to avoid this situation.

Entitlements
You should also be aware that, as a House Member, you are entitled to use both the Practice Ground and Putting Green and you may use the course at any time, when the course is open to Green Fees, on payment of a Discounted Green fee.  Full details including rates are available in the Pro-Shop.
Unlike many other clubs, house members are entitled to attend all social events except the Captains’ dinners, and even these sometimes open up bookings to House Members.  If the event stipulates that guests can be invited this applies to house members too.  We have found that the ordinary members and the staff are very welcoming to house members.  You are encouraged to play a social part in your club.
You are also entitled to 12 Green Fee Vouchers in any calendar year which will allow you to invite 12 guests to play golf at the House Members Discounted rate. The maximum number of guests which may be invited at any one time is 3.  Should you wish to avail of this offer, please contact the Club and ask to be set up on the House Member Voucher List in the Pro-Shop. Finally, please remember to check the notice boards and the club website for details of our forthcoming social events and if the Social and Catering Committee can be of any help during the year, please do not hesitate to contact anyone of us directly.

Kind regards,

Pauline O’Connell, Billy Parker and Laura Reddy

House Members Representatives on the Social and Catering Committee