OPOTIKI GOLF CLUB

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 268, 6 December 1939, Page 3

OPOTIKI GOLF CLUB

ANNUAL MEETING - VERY SATISFACTORY SEASON The retiring president, Mr. F. J. Short, presided over a, small attendance at the annual mooting of tho •Opotiki Golf Club. The balance-sheet showed a satisfactory financial position. Election of Officers. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year : 'Patron. Air. G. S. Aloody. .President, Mr. 0. S. Morris. Vice-president, Air. H. H. Newell. Captain, Mr. L. Davies. Committee: Messrs. Al. O. Kidd, R. Anderson, G. B. Aim-ray, -.j. I). Clark, F. J. Short and L. D. Duff. Hon. Auditor, Air. T. Braae. Hon. Solicitor, Air. K. A. Bunkall. Subscriptions and competition levy were fixed ns last year. No entrance fee will he charged next season. The question of providing lor summer golf was left to the incoming committee. • It was resolved; that all club members joining the Expeditionary Toree will remain as lull members until demobilisation. \ The meeting concluded with votes of thanks to the retiring president and committee, and to the ladies. ANNUAL REPORT

Tim following annual report was presented by the president, Air. I*. J. Short, on behalf of the committee:— I have pleasure in reporting a success season of golf.

Alcmbership: There was a small increase in membership this year—OS men and Al: ladies compared with Go men and. Ih ladies last season. Finance: The balance sheet will show that the finances of the club are on a sound footing. We started the year with an evertllralt ol €52 and finish Hi) with a credit balance of 042. The revenue was substantially increased through the efforts ol the entertainment committee.

Links: During the season the links have been in good playing order throughout-. The greens and fairways are improving all the time and the rough is being kept under control. Members will appreciate the fact that their losses of balls have been considerably reduced through better conditions. During the season, we received a visit from Air. AY. Al. Horton, greens research - supervisor, who gave ii,s valuable advice as to treatment ol our greens. His advice has been Billowed. and on a subsequent visit a lew weeks ago, Air. Horton congratulated the club on tint great improvement shown in the greens and fairways. New Lay-out: Your committee deemed it inadvisable to proceed further with alterations to the lay-out ol the links until -more funds were available. Now that- the war lias since broken cut. it will not lit l possible to start on the all era tieiix for some time yet. Summer Goll : Tho first f) holes were kept in reasonable order for the playing of summer golf but- the revenue was very disappointing. This summer, your committee lias taken the How Licit expenditure lor keeping the .links in special order for summer play is m t justified and it. recommends to tiio incoming committee that during the ((lining months no special provision be made for summer golf but that ordinal’ v maintenance only be provided for.

Faster: The usual Easter Tournament was held. Entries' were smaller than usual, this being partly due to the fact that Easter occurred at the beginning of April before some of our neighbouring clubs had opened the season. The. tournament was nevertheless enjoyable. The incoming com-, mittoo will have to consider "bethel a tournament can he. held next Easter, as the date will he earlier still, and the war is already affecting other golf tournaments. Inter-Club Matches: Fewer matches than usual were played, and after August further mutches were cancelled as the result of petrol restrictions. A disappointing feature this season was the great difficulty experienced by your match committee in arranging teams lor intor-cluh matches, both home and visiting. Apart from likely restrictions on future matches, the incoming committee should! consider whether the attitude of members justifies the club ill continuing to attempt to take part in inter-dub matches.

Entertainment Committee: A our committee and the cluh is this year deeply indebted to a sub-committee, consisting of Messrs. Simpson, Newell

and Wright, who took charge of entertainment. Those members put a tremendous amount ol work into then job. and besides ordinary activities they conducted an excellent hall, two dances and a large-scale competition. Ladlios: As usual, the ladies of the dull have co-operated in every way, and relationships between the two committees have been as cordial as usual. Tbo committee takes this opportunity of expressing its appreciation of the assistance given by the ladies in catering for inter-club matches, assisting with dance arrangements and generally helping the dub along. The War: Already five of our members have been called up lor active service. ’They are Messrs. Simpson (dub captain), Wright (committeemail), and Messrs. Johnson, .Lambic and Voke.s. Further .members have enlisted, mull by the opening of next season, we will lost more men members. Prospects: With a certain drop in the number of men members next, season, the club Avill have to take every care of its financial position. Savings in. expenses can he made, and recommendations have been prepared in this regard! for the incoming committee. With prudent administration, it will be possible for the club to retain its present satisfactory financial status. Conclusion : Tn conclusion, the committee desires to' thank all members for their co-operation and it extends its best wishes to the incoming committee.