Extracts from the President's acceptance speech AGM 2019

"Look around the membership, what is the one thing we all have in common? As we are all members hopefully it is a love of golf and in particular a love of Hallowes Golf Club, WE ARE ALL MEMBERS TOGETHER. While it is appreciated that many members don’t want the hassle of Board or Administration, or haven’t the time, everybody can help in their own way and in particular to help with improving the course.

I have been amazed over the last six years that I have been on the Board how much time is taken up with d/w trivia and problems caused by members. Have you when you have been playing witnessed any of these things;

- -Buggies and trolleys being pushed or parked right next to greens, causing damage to the fringes and surrounds
- Buggies and trolleys being deliberately taken under ropes
- Members playing off fairways without using mats as requested
- Members playing off unauthorised grass tees in the winter, particularly the ladies tees causing divots which are obviously difficult to repair in winter
- Members pushing trolleys across teeing areas, both in summer and winter
- Members not repairing pitchmarks
- Members chipping onto the practice green at non-designated areas

It’s your course, help the greenkeepers look after it. If you see other members doing any of the above, please have a quiet word and ask them to help look after OUR course, you can’t expect Board members to act as policemen for 300 people - there has to be a bit of self-help. If all 300 members decided to do as they liked, we may as well all go home. Luckily this isn’t the case, and there is only an isolated few who think that they are more important than the rest of the members.

I can assure you that myself as President and the Board will do our best, within the constraints of our own family and working lives to push Hallowes further in the right direction. If you look back six years, our club has made great strides in some directions and while we cannot please everyone all the time, please remember that there are 300 other opinions to listen to as well as yours. We are entering a new era for all of us with the appointment of Phil Joynes, our new Commercial Manager; I’m sure you will all give him and the rest of the Board your full support.

There are several members who are quietly doing work for the club behind the scenes and the whole club should be very grateful to them. Two who spring to mind are Pauline and Richard Danson who do a fantastic job of keeping our gardens immaculate; on behalf of all the members, thank you both.

Finally, in my year of office I would like to see from all members, respect. Respect for the game of golf,
respect for Hallowes Golf Club and respect for each other as members of this great golf club".

Bob Heaven
President 2019