Mcleans Island Golf Club

July 2026 Newsletter

President's Report

A good turnout of members attended our 57th AGM at the Clubhouse on 27th June. We had a full Agenda to cover off before heading out for a game of golf. There has been only one change to our Executive with Peter Wagstaff elected. The Full Executive is Chris Collins President, Warren Davis Men’s Captain, Neil Cox Men’s Vice Captain, Sue Collins Ladies Captain and Bevan Harden, Steve Pope, Haley Evans, Bryan Easton, Peter Wagstaff and Ken Buchanan. As mentioned at the AGM and in my annual report - thank you to all of the Executive, staff and member volunteers for their work at or on behalf of our Club. Without your support we would not be the Club we are today.

With the high number of golfers on course these days can I please remind you all to ensure you arrive in time to check in, do your warm up and tee off on your booked tee time. Pace of play also needs to be well managed to ensure the field continues to flow.

Club updates and information is also promoted via Facebook. If you are not on it yet it would be great to have you all on there. Log in and click to follow our page, we currently have 981 so let’s see if we can get over 1,000 followers by the end of the membership year. www.facebook.com/McLeansIslandGolfClub

Stay warm and dry – enjoy your golfing

Chris Collins, President

Burn off season on the course. RIP about 30 range balls!

Captain's Comment

Hello and welcome to July, after the record dry May and mostly dry June, we sure are getting the rain in July! Still, it is Winter and the top up to the ground water will be welcome for the irrigation in this upcoming El Nino Summer.

This Month look forward to a stroke round this weekend, another chance to post a good score for shoot out qualifying.  On the 18th the Head shield trophy will be decided, good luck to the finalists. The rest of us play a 2-3-4 team Stableford. On par 3's count your two best, on par 4's the three best and on par 5's all four scores count.

On the 25th is American foursomes. Play as pairs, both drive then each hit your partners ball for your second shot. After that it is alternate shot, the third shot being hit by the owner of whichever ball you choose.  40% of combined playing handicaps, and cards not in for handicapping.

Thursdays are still going as well as can be expected given the weather conditions. Still 10:00 start. On the 23rd we will have a change to the format.

Yellow tees for all, Net and count your putts. So a 70 net with 28 putts =98; you will probably be in the money, 78 net plus 36 putts = 114, you probably will not! Cards still go in for handicapping.

Mens interclub; the first team to begin this season is Simon which starts on 2nd of August at Avondale. We host all the ten teams here on 16th Aug. Go well men. Other grades start as we move further into Spring. Remember to get in touch if you are keen to play. Handicaps up to about 24.

Casual water rule might come into play a bit. You can take free relief if your ball or your feet are in casual water. Drop within one club length of the edge of the water, not nearer the hole of course. In bunkers you must stay in bunker for free relief.

Other than that, enjoy your golf, and I'll see you out there

Rule of the Month

Ball Overhanging the Hole

• You get a reasonable time to walk to the hole, then 10 seconds to see if the ball drops.
• If it drops within 10 seconds, it's holed with your last stroke.
• If it drops after 10 seconds (before you play it), it's holed but you get a 1-stroke penalty.
• If the ball is lifted or moved, the 10-second wait no longer applies.
• If someone else moves the ball within the 10 seconds:
  • Match play: No penalty; the ball is holed.
  • Stroke play: The other player gets a 2-stroke penalty.

Example : Wayne Keates 'Near Ace' Hole 11 on Thursday 25th June

Women's Captain

Congratulations to Haley Evans, our Top Chick for July.   

A pretty quiet couple of weeks, bad weather so no golf on Tuesday this week, but a few of us did catch up for a cuppa at Founders cafe at Papanui Club. This could be a regular thing if we have wet Tuesdays. Stay dry, hope the weather improves soon. See you at golf.

Sue Collins

Clubhouse news

Trundlers needed

McLeans Island is hosting the National Secondary Schools Teams Finals at the end of August and we are asking to borrow as many trundlers as we can for this event. Players will bring their own clubs, but trundlers are a little trickier to travel with. We may need up to 50, so please let the staff know if you're happy to lend yours for the afternoon of Saturday 29 and mornings of Sunday 30 and Monday 31. The club can store your trundler and/or your clubs over this period as required.

Pine Cones $5

We are selling Pine Cones for $5 a bag outside the Shop, come in and see us at any stage to grab some for yourself. If you have bought pine cones already, could we please have the empty bags back to reuse.

Frost Delays

Frost delays are becoming more frequent at this time of year. Please check our Facebook page or website before heading to the course for any delay notifications. Golfers with later tee times should also be aware that frost delays can have a flow-on effect, resulting in tee times running later than scheduled.

Tuesday Working Bees

The club is always looking for more volunteers to join our Tuesday morning working bees. It's a great way to help out, meet fellow members, and enjoy some camaraderie, with morning tea, biscuits, and cakes provided. If this sounds like something you'd enjoy, please contact the Golf Shop.

Kevin Vincent Club Repairs and Grips

We are pleased to have Kevin Vincent from Christchurch Golf Regrips, Shafts & Repairs visiting the club on 29 August from 10.00am–4.00pm to provide his mobile golf club regripping service. Keep an eye on the next newsletter for more information.

All Day Cafe Menu

If you're feeling hungry during your visit to the club, our AnyDay Café Menu is available from 9:00am to 4:00pm each day. Perfect for a quick bite before your round or something to enjoy afterwards. See the menu below for all options, subject to availability. These items may take 5-15 minutes to prepare

Course updates

Number 2 Tee block

This is coming along nicely but won't be ready for regular use until we get a bit of spring growth happening. The hope is to see it in play for closing day.

New practice green

You may have seen the flags and markings on the practice area in front of the cart shed. This is for a new chipping and putting green which we hope to break ground on later in the month. It will take a year or so before it's ready to use but it will provide a great addition to the course

Tree maintenance

Plans are underway to begin a long term program of tree maintenance on the course. Some of our large old pine and gum trees are getting near the end of their life and we need to start clearing these before they become too dangerous. We will let everyone know once we have dates and further details.

Pace of Play

Understanding Ready Golf

"Ready Golf" is a simple approach to improving pace of play. Rather than always waiting for the player furthest from the hole, golfers are encouraged to play when they are ready, provided it is safe to do so.

Ready Golf can include:
• Hitting your tee shot first if you're ready and others are not.
• Playing your shot before helping someone look for a lost ball.
• Putting out when you're ready rather than marking and waiting.
• Walking directly to your own ball and preparing while others play.

Ready Golf is recommended in stroke play and social golf to help keep the game moving and reduce waiting times on the course. It doesn't replace the rules of golf—it simply encourages golfers to use common sense and be considerate of others.

Remember: Play when ready, play safely, and keep the game enjoyable for everyone.

The Old Screens have Blown their Last Breeze!

Coming up in July

With the shorter winter days, the course is a little quieter, but there are still a few bookings to keep in mind. WMC bookings continue on Sundays throughout July, while the Thursday Tournament remains at a 10.00am start, returning to 9.30am in August. The Head Shield Semi-Final (11 July) and Final (18 July) may also result in slightly slower play.

Upcoming Bookings

• Wednesday, 1 July – National Trade Academy (Clubhouse), 55 people (All Day)

• Sunday, 5 July – Richmond Club (WMC), 35 players, 9.00am

• Sunday, 12 July – Hornby Club (WMC), 20 players, 9.30am

Please keep these dates in mind when planning your next round and check DotGolf for the latest tee availability.

New Zealand Golf News

Cooper Moore named for the Presidents Team

Canterbury golfer Cooper Moore has been selected for the Junior Presidents Cup International Team. The 17-year-old Clearwater Golf Club member, currently ranked 245th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), will represent New Zealand in the prestigious event, competing against many of the world's leading junior golfers.

Lydia Ko might be hanging up her Clubs?
Dame Lydia Ko revealed that she is unlikely to continue playing beyond the 2027 LPGA season. The three-time major champion and Olympic gold medallist has said she wants to finish while still competing at a high level rather than extending her career indefinitely.

Kiwi Kazuma Kobori Qualifies for The Open Championship

New Zealand's Kazuma Kobori has earned his place in the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale after an outstanding performance in Final Qualifying. The 24-year-old finished nine-under-par across 36 holes at West Lancashire to secure one of just five qualifying spots. Kobori will now join fellow Kiwis Ryan Fox and Daniel Hillier in golf's oldest and most prestigious major championship. A fantastic achievement and another great moment for New Zealand golf.

Canterbury Golf May Report

Canterbury golfers turned out in force over May, with an estimated 57,559 rounds played across the region – an impressive 17.2% increase on May last year and well above the national growth rate. It's fantastic to see so many people enjoying the game and supporting golf clubs throughout Canterbury.

Canterbury Golf 4BBB Championship

Last month, the Canterbury Golf 4BBB Champsionship was held at Waimairi Beach GC. With over 150 people registering, only the top 44 Mens Pairs and Top 9 Ladies Pairs made the cut. If you wish to view all the results, please follow the link below -
https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/12237770406865417130

Canterbury Premier Interclub Draws Released

The 2026 Canterbury Premier Men's Interclub season is just around the corner, with the draws now released and competition teeing off on 2 August. This year we will be fielding a Simon Cup Team, best of luck to these Lads!