Timesheets – Cancellations and new procedures   **Important**
Due to the new lockdown restrictions, the following is now in place for the foreseeable future:

  • All existing open timesheets have been cancelled and a new draw will be held for them all – the schedule of when these draws are taking place is contained in the Covid update on the Club website.
  • The new timesheets will only allow two (2) players per group.
  • Timesheet intervals will be at 5-minutes and play is all from the 1st tee ONLY.
  • No walk-ins – therefore every player MUST be pre-booked into the timesheet before arriving at the Club.
  • Members will only be able to book a group of two (2) players, instead of the normal four.
  • Due to the latest restrictions, only Members who live within 10kms of the club, or who live in the City of Parramatta local government area (LGA), can book and play at Muirfield GC.

Please adhere to the government and NSW Health regulations to help keep everyone safe.

Maybe only Once?
Due to the amount of people wanting to play golf, we ask that if you play during the week, then maybe leave the weekend out to allow other people a chance to play.  Now is not the time to load up on 5 or 6 games per week including the weekend.

Everyone is locked down, but some members are essential workers and can only play on weekends, so we ask you to please help other members.

We thank all the members for their patience during this extended and strict lockdown period, as we try to get everyone a game, but also keep everyone safe.

COVID – Latest Restrictions & Lockdowns – ***Extremely Important***
Stay at Home orders for Greater Sydney. 

  • Outdoor public gatherings limited to two people (excluding members of the same household)
  • People must stay in their Local Government Area or within 10 km of home for exercise and outdoor recreation, with no carpooling between non-household members
  • Browsing in shops is prohibited, plus only one person per household. per day may leave the home for shopping
  • Funerals limited to ten people in total (this will take effect from Sunday, July 11th)

Remember there are only four reasons to leave your home:

  • Shopping for food or other essential goods and services (one person only)
  • Medical care or compassionate needs (only one visitor can enter another residence to fulfil carers’ responsibilities or provide care or assistance, or for compassionate reasons)
  • Exercise with no more than two (unless members of the same household)
  • Essential work, or education, where you cannot work or study from home

Please remember the following items:

  • Register via the QR code before entering the Pro Shop
  • Wear a mask when in the Pro Shop
  • Do not congregate around the outside of the Pro shop – socially distance to 1.5m
  • Ensure you are keeping a 1.5m distance from others, even outside.
  • Players must mark their own scorecard and verbally confirm scores with their marker.

If you experience any signs of COVID-19, please get tested and remain isolated until a negative result is returned.  For the most up to date information on general COVID-19 updates, see the NSW Government or Health Authority websites:  www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19 or www.health.nsw.gov.au.

No Visitors
With the current Covid lockdown and restricted timesheets, we are not allowing any visitors to the Club.  This means no members guests, visitors or public players until further notice.

Mixed Foursomes Championship
The Mixed Foursomes Championship is postponed until a later date.

Premier League
The Premier League competition is postponed until further notice.

David Higgins Trophy – Winners!
Congratulations to Dennis Roy & Glenn Willard for taking out the 2021 David Higgins Trophy.  It has been a rough year for this event with Covid causing some delayed matches, but Dennis and Glenn played well in the final against Graeme Mathews and Richard read, to take the tile. 

James Ruse Junior Matchplay
The Semi-finals are postponed until further notice.
The quarter finals were held last Sunday and the spirit and sportsmanship shown by our young Juniors, is a credit to them and our Junior Club.  Congratulations to the following players on their fine wins, as they progress to the semi-finals.  Andrew Luu (3/2), Justin Hadi (4/3), Mubarak Tajudeen (5/3) and Ivan Lim (4/3).  All the best for the Semi’s when they can be resumed.

Ladies Bronze Pennants
Congratulations to our Bronze l and ll teams both finishing this year’s competition in 3rd place. The Bronze l competition has now been abandoned for this year due to the lockdown and ongoing covid outbreak. 

Annual 2021/22 Membership Subscriptions – now Overdue!
Please note that the annual subscriptions are now overdue.  Booking rights of the unfinancial members have been terminated.  Non-payment by the end of July will mean that your membership has lapsed and you will become un-financial, therefore jeopardising your position within your playing category, or dropping to the bottom of the waiting list.  Members on the waiting list will be moved up to fill the un-financial positions.  The waiting list for Full Playing membership is currently well over 100 and your spot will not be guaranteed.
As the clubhouse is in lockdown, you can ring the club during the week to pay via credit card over the phone, or take up the BPay option as listed on your membership subscription notice.

Warren & Gibson – B & C Grade Men’s Pennants
The B & C Grade Pennants are scheduled to be back on in 2021!  Our team managers, Peter Westwood (Warren – B) and Glen Bowcock (Gibson – C) have got their squads together and are making their selections.  We wish both teams all the best for a great season, when it kicks off, hopefully at the end of July or August.

Course Care
On the website, under the tabs of Golf / Course Care, there are easy to follow instructions (and pictures) on raking bunkers, repairing pitch marks and filling in divots.  Take a few minutes to read the page and be ready to help Care for the Course!

HOW GOOD IS GOLF!
Another great week of golf at Muirfield with some exceptional golf being played by a great majority of our members some of them going straight into the vault for the best shots they have ever hit!

Congratulations to Glenn Willard and Dennis Roy who won the David Higgins K.O. by defeating Richard Read and Graeme Mathews in the Final! Well played everyone! 

Congratulations also to Mark Sherwood for his win in the Scratch on Wednesday! Mark has cut down a Scotty Cameron putter to about 24 inches in the “old scale” and has been using it to devastating effect for the past few months! Well done mate!

Bunker Mentality!
Don’t forget to do your “side shoe shuffle” now that the rakes have been removed again! Try to leave the bunker better than you found it! Please continue to repair your divots and pitch marks and remember we are only 5 weeks away from the greens renovations in August!

Lost Property! 
If you find something on the course that is of any significance then it is your duty as a member to hand it in to either the Pro shop or the office! Remember we are all in this together!

Shots of the Week!
Signage on the course is meant to help players and speed up play! That is not always the case especially if the signs are in English and the driver of the golf cart is Welsh! Wynne Matthews was coming up to the 3rd green when he knew he was supposed to go to the left-hand side of the green as per the signage! Tragically his left rear tyre was impaled by the sign that said clearly (in English) carts this way! His cart made a loud explosion type sound and a replacement cart was summoned from the Pro shop and P.J. came to the rescue in a matter of minutes! How good is English!

Paul Latham had a spectacular birdie on the 6th hole on Wednesday when his tee shot was 40 metres short of the green and he took out his trusty “Texas Wedge” (putter} and proceeded to simply tap it in for a 2 a 4! Apparently, it hit dead centre and never looked like missing! How good is golf!

Ain’t love grand! No names here mentioned but one of our members has to undergo surgery which will put them out of action for several months so he told the surgeon that it would have to be after the Mixed Foursomes! He believed knee surgery was far better and much less painful than the alternative! One small STEP for man one giant leap for mankind!

Jordyn Deen has done it again! Playing off a 20 handicap she won A Grade with +4! How good is golf! Back to school! Please!

The Irish Open was held on a spectacular course in County Kilkenny last week! One of our members, Colm Murphy, comes from Mount Juliet Estate, Thomastown! In fact, his family (and where he grew up} owns a farm which backs onto the course where the Open was played and where Lucas Herbert (an Aussie) won the tournament! The rumour is that Colm had no idea where the Irish Open was being played but I don’t believe for one minute that that would be possible! To be sure! To be sure!

Another young Aussie won on the U.S.P.G.A tour a few hours later and that was Cameron Davis who is from Sydney and is the nephew of one of our members Peter Woods who recently moved to the Sunshine Coast! 

Sasha Uher is still recovering from a major operation and we wish her a full recovery and a return to golf at Muirfield! We miss her more than she misses us! Get well soon! To all of our members who are doing it tough at this time please remember we are here for you and we are all in this together!

Good golfing this week!

Captain Nigel 

Days in White Sand
(Hum to “Nights in White Satin” by the Moody Blues)

Days in white sand
Never reaching the end
Bunker I’ve entered
Never meaning to leave
Putts I’d always missed
With these eyes before
Just what the truth is
I can’t say anymore
‘Cause I love you
Yes I love you
Oh, how I love you

Gazing at people
Some hand in hand
Just what I’m going through
They can’t understand
Some try to tell me
Thoughts they cannot defend
Just what you want to be
You will be in the end
Golf I love you
Yes I love you
Oh, how I love you
Oh, how I love you

Days in white sand
Never reaching the green
Scores I’ve recorded
Never meaning to send
Fairways I’d always missed
With these drives before
Just what the truth is
I can’t say anymore
Yes I love you
Oh, how I love you
Oh, how I love you
Yes I love you
Yes I love you
Golf, how I love you
Golf, how I love you

Breathe deep the gathering gloom
Watch drives fade from every fairway
Partners look back and lament
Another days useless energy spent
Impassioned lovers wrestle as one
Lonely man cries for pars and has none
New mother picks up and misses her putt
Senior citizens wish they were young
Cold hearted orb that rules the day
Removes the colours from our sight
Red is grey and yellow white
But we decide which is right
And which is an illusion

HOW GOOD IS GOLF!