McLeans Island Golf Club
Newsletter - December 2025

President's Report

As we move from spring into summer the weather remains a little unsettled with windy and very dry warm conditions. The course is looking great and playing well with the irrigation repair areas now growing well to provide grass cover. With the completion of our irrigation replacement we are already seeing the benefit of wider grassed fairway areas being fully irrigated to ensure a fantastic playing surface. We do have a few water holding areas which Jared has identified and is working his way around to open the ground and provide drainage (that is when he can find time off the mower!).  We had very complimentary feedback on our course and Club following a recent Canterbury Golf Finals Day event which is a great credit to Jared, Warren and all of the volunteers, Club staff and Caterer.

Feedback from Canterbury Golf following finals day in November:

I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone at McLeans Island Golf Club for hosting Finals Day it is very much appreciated. The hospitality shown by McLeans Island, along with the excellent presentation of the course, was recognised and valued by all players and supporters. It truly was a great day, and everyone involved thoroughly enjoyed the occasion. THANK YOU

Closing day - Saturday 6 December

This Saturday brings another season of golf to a close. We hope you are all planning to attend as we have a special morning planned with the coffee cart on site, a sausage sizzle for a breakfast snack then a short celebration ceremony for the completion of our full irrigation replacement project before we tee off for golf at 9.30. We (the Executive) and all Club members and staff should be very proud of this achievement. It’s well worth celebrating an investment in excess of eight hundred thousand dollars ($800,000) to complete this project with fundraising over several years to be in a position to pay for the irrigation supply and installation from Club funds. 

Following golf I hope to see a full Clubhouse for the end of year Trophy presentations. Congratulations to those members who will receive Trophy’s at prize giving as we recognise our Club champions. 

There will be some change with Committee and staff roles at the Club over the next month.

Finance Committee - Kevin Cameron is leaving the Finance committee due to other commitments. Thank you Kevin on behalf of the Executive, staff and members I sincerely thank you for your commitment and invaluable advice to the Club over these past years through our busy structural and financial project period. Our systems and processes have certainly come a long way with the improvements.

Des Brocherie - Having completed what seems like a lifetime of bar duty Des has decided it’s time to step back. The bar area has been a Des space for a long time, always well managed and organized. His contribution outside of bar duties with raffles, ordering and delivery of our meat prizes for weekly tournaments and Saturday golf has been a huge benefit to the Club. Thank you Des for your years of service and I wish you well to enjoy full retirement and Happy Birthday!

Andy McGinty - Andy is calling time on his work as a member of our Pro Shop staff. Thank you Andy for the hours and days spent keeping the front Pro Shop open to the public to ensure we operate in a professional and friendly manner. We do receive great feedback from visitors on how you and our other staff complete their Duty Manager role through the Pro Shop.

As we have mentioned in the last couple of months we had ordered new golf carts which have now arrived. We have 3 new Euro Golf Carts, white colour which will be out on display on Saturday morning – check them out they look and drive great.

We also have another surprise coming for the Club Practice area so keep an eye out for what’s new out on the range when you get practice balls in the next week or two.

Enjoy time with family and friends and I wish you all a very merry Christmas and safe travels over the Christmas break if you are heading away.

Remember to keep up to date with what is happening at the Club through our Facebook page for information and photos of events etc. Over 900 members so far, let’s see if we can get it over 1,000.

Enjoy your golf either at McLeans or on your holiday courses.

Chris Collins, President

Captain's Comment

Hello and welcome to December, Summer is here, the course is lovely and green, thanks to a fully functioning irrigation system, and there is a decent amount of run out there, happy golfing indeed.

Opening Party on Closing Day.

Yes, this Saturday we are officially opening the irrigation upgrade - pushing the boat out with free sausages and free coffee before golf. Come early and have a good catch up with people you don't often see because of differing tee times. The coffee truck will be here from 8am and the boys will fire up the BBQ then too. Free range balls of course and we will cut a ribbon to launch the state of the art irrigation. Golf that day is best 3 out of 4 team S/F, put your names up as usual, however the captain will shuffle the cards on Friday night. Remember it is closing day, so expect a few tricky pins!

Saturday 13th is Hamper day. This year $15 entry so we can keep the value of the hampers up. Individual Stableford. Then Saturdays are Summer cup right through until opening day on Jan 18th.

Thursday 11th is the Ham day, which is an extra $5 to enter but that's just to cover the ham prizes. Also the ham raffle will be drawn that day, so perhaps bring a chiller bag! Thursday tournament will not happen on the 25th of course. Come out if you wish, the course will be open, but unmanned. But Thursday will be a happening thing on new years day.

The shootout was held on the 23rd and a really fun day was had by all. Clearly the longer you stay in it the more fun it is, but we do all appreciate the first two to get knocked out who then manned the BBQ for everyone. It took four hours to play the first nine, so it's quite a commitment. There were putt offs and chip offs on some holes to decide who leaves, up to five people, so that kept the entertainment value going. Prize money was paid down to seventh place which was Bevan, 6th Kim Chavez, 5th Al Hooper, 4th Myself- after surviving four chip/putt offs, 3rd was Neil which leaves two left handers playing down the last. Wayne K who had survived 3 chip offs and Stephen Rushton who had not been in one all day. Stephen played very clever golf, using his four iron everywhere, making the most of his handicap and taking 5 net 3 just about everywhere. So on 18 when they both had sixes but Stephen had the shot, he was crowned the winner. Congratulations, and look forward to next year. We will look to hold it on a Saturday next year to try and get more involvement. Make sure and pay your $20 and get your name up early.

Mens comp teams are trucking along. It is great to see some new faces in these teams. It just goes to show, keen golfers are out there, sometimes they are just waiting to be asked. If that is you and you haven't yet been asked, come see me anytime.

Rules reminders

There is some casual water out there from the irrigation in spots. This is always free relief. If your ball goes out of bounds and rolls down the road, you go back to where it crossed the fence to throw it back for the 2 shot penalty, not from where it finished up. 

Slow play (Again!)

When there are empty fairways in front of you and a build up behind, then clearly your group is the slow one. Please make an effort to keep up, be ready as soon as the other person has hit, leave you clubs at the side of the green where you will walk to the next hole, and someone hit before marking the cards.

Keep enjoying your golf, and have a great festive season, I'll see you out there, Warren.

Ladies Captain

Our Club representatives Haley Evans and Janette Benn went to Templeton for the Ringers tournament last week. They came a very credible 4th. 

McLeans hosted a She Loves Golf evening on Monday last week, there were 51 ladies taking part on a very chilly evening. Members of the Executive volunteered to escort them around the course and gave a few hints, which were welcomed.  Jan supplied some lovely finger food for them to have with a drink in the Clubhouse afterwards.  

We had 3 ladies in the Shootout final, all doing well just to get there!  Well done to Kim Chavez for being in the top prize money.

This Saturday I hope to see plenty of ladies enjoying the Closing Day festivities, and don't forget Hamper Day on Saturday the 13th.  After that we are in Summer Cup on Tuesdays and Saturdays until Opening day in January. 

Anyone wishing to know more about our Ladies activities please get in touch with me. Contacts in the programme or on the website. 

From the shop

Safety on the course

Don't be afraid to call "Fore"! Much better to scare a few people than to hit them with a golf ball and not even warn them. Early and loud works best. As we like to say - If in doubt, Yell it out!

Christmas and New Year opening days

The shop will be open every day except Christmas, usually from 8-5 during the week, and from 7.30-5 on weekends.

From all the staff - Happy Christmas and enjoy your golf over the festive season.

Coming up in December

Closing day - Saturday 6 December

$5 entry for Best 3 out of 4 team Stableford - drawn teams

Coffee and suasage sizzle are on the house plus irrigation opening and trophy presentations

Ham day - Thursday 11 December

$13 entry ($22 visitors) for our normal 9.30am multi-tee Stableford competition. 3 divisions of Ham prizes plus drawing of the ham raffle.

Hamper day - Saturday 13 December

$15 entry for fndividual Stableford. 

Summer Cup - Saturday 20 December to Saturday 10 January 2026

Best aggregate nett 3 out of 4 Stableford

Orana Park charity day - Thursday 25 December

The course will be open although the shop and clubrooms will not. All green fees taken will be donated to our neighbours at Orana Park to support the amazing work they do. Spread the work and lets see how much we can give them as a Christmas gift.