Mcleans Island Golf Club

August 2026 Newsletter

President's Report

Winter has arrived in this past week with wet cold, frosty and at times snowing conditions. On the weekends this can make starting difficult for staff as they juggle a delayed start to ensure everyone gets a game underway as soon as possible as the frost lifts. Please be patient, check in when you arrive, if all of your booked group have not arrived you may be required to play in another group to make up 4’s which helps to clear No1 tee as fast as possible. At the end of the day the “starter/duty manager” has the final say of who goes where and when to tee off. Please do not pressure them with your “special request”.

Thursday and Saturday golf continues to see good numbers of members out playing along with good numbers of visitors playing in the Thursday Tournament. Green fee players have certainly been very supportive through winter and we hope to see these numbers pick up as the days stretch out with warmer weather.

New Season membership invoices will be sent out soon with a note from George following advice from the Executive Committee to re-establish a set criteria for people who wish to make progress payments on their Subs. As outlined within your invoice email for existing Club Members (not available to new members) we will be setting a fixed approved system for progress payments with 2-months worth upfront then 10 monthly payments. Please note if we cannot achieve this structure we will have to add in an increased administration fees. We do not wish to do that so please ensure you revise your bank payments to meet the new criteria for payments.

On Course:

Please ensure your group maintains the correct pace of play and you keep up with the leading group – everyone should now be playing “Ready Golf”.

Of late there has been a noticeable increase in unrepaired ground. We don’t have staff or volunteers to do this as it is the responsibility of each playing group to manage ground and green repairs as you play the course. Therefore please do as much as you can to replace, repair and lightly sand the damaged areas.

Please help out on course by carrying sand, replace large divots/sand smaller ones and repair pitch marks on all greens. If we all contribute a little it means the course will be in much better condition for your next game.

If using the practice range – Please ensure to “sand and repair” your area before you leave and return ball buckets to the Pro Shop.

Get out and enjoy your golf

Chris Collins, President

Our New Practice Green is underway!

Captain's Comment

Hello and welcome to August, days are getting longer, but seems the chilly weather is here for a couple more weeks at least.

This Saturday is a fun format to look forward to. Four person ambrose, five clubs each - no sharing and yellow tees for all. Four tee shots each including one each on the par threes, 1/8th of total playing handicap. Monty will have cards on his counter for you, but you will need to know what your playing handicap is off the Yellows. Have fun.

Saturday the 15 and 22nd is the Rushton trophy. Mens trophy, sorry ladies, you can of course play in match of the day, just not eligible for the cup. Stroke rounds where a senior and junior pair up and all four scores count for the winners. If you cannot play both rounds then leave your name out. You do not necessarily have to play with your partner and the split is about 18 hdc, but Monty will finalise that on day one.

Saturday 29 is all irons off Red tees. For some of you who have a bag full of hybrids, perhaps we could say no drivers or three woods. In the book it says 9:00 start, however because we have the New Zealand secondary schools practicing that afternoon, we will tee off at 8:30. Speaking of schools, they will be on course Sunday 30th so see Monty about recips if you normally play then. Monday 31st as well. It would be good to showcase the course as well as we can when the schools are here. We can have a real good go at a working bee on the Tuesday before. Have a group sanding divots, fixing ball marks on greens and general pick up sticks and tidy up. Please volunteer if you can.

It was unfortunate to have the American foursomes rained out a couple of weeks ago. While there is no trophy, it seems many golfers were looking forward to the format. We have decided to hold it now on the Saturday of Labour weekend. I know some people are away on holiday weekends, but there are no spare Saturdays between now and then.

Thursday golf is still a winner, big fields coming out, especially when the weather behaves. We are now back to 9:30 starts, look forward to seeing you there.

Speed of play is back in the headlines. Perhaps "Be more like Foxy" could be our mantra! Some groups have picked up the pace, which is good to see, but others are struggling. It should be quite simple. Be ready. In other words, don't muck about, when someone else is hitting, you should be at your ball, shooting distances, cleaning ball and choosing club, so that when it is your turn you can simply pull the trigger. Give it a try!

Well done to Wayne Bond, winning the Head Shield last weekend. Good one to get your name on. Simon has played once, with a loss against Avondale.

Pressies kick off in two weeks and Metro in October.

Keep enjoying your golf, and I'll see you out there

Captain Warren.

29th August MOD Update

Due to McLeans Island Golf Club hosting the New Zealand Secondary Schools Competition, the Saturday MOD on 29 August will now begin at 8:30am, rather than the previously scheduled 9:00am multi-tee start.

The earlier start will give Golf New Zealand enough time to prepare the students for their practice round later that day.

Thank you for your understanding.

Rule of the Month

Common Breaches of Rules

Even experienced golfers occasionally break the Rules of Golf without knowing it. Often, neither the player, their marker, nor fellow competitors notice the breach. Here are some of the most common ones:

• Don't improve your lie. You may remove loose impediments such as leaves, twigs and loose stones, but you cannot pull out growing grass or weeds, or push grass down behind your ball to improve your lie.
• Check you're teeing off from the correct place. Make sure your ball is played from between, and no more than two club-lengths behind, the tee markers. Occasionally, tee markers may not be perfectly aligned.
• Clean and place means once only. If preferred lies are in play, you may only lift, clean and place your ball once. Lifting it again to improve alignment or position is not permitted.
• Always mark your ball before lifting it. Whether you're identifying it, checking for damage, or lining it up on the green, the ball's position must be marked first.
• Say "provisional". If you're playing a second ball because your first may be lost or out of bounds, clearly announce that it's a provisional ball. If you don't, the second ball automatically becomes the ball in play under stroke and distance.
• Aeration holes aren't Ground Under Repair. Unless a Local Rule says otherwise, aeration holes on the green are part of the course. However, you may remove the small piles of sand around the holes before putting.

A little knowledge of the Rules can save you unnecessary penalty strokes. When in doubt, ask before you play!

New Merchandise Available!

A fresh shipment of McLeans Island Golf Club hats has just arrived, and they're only $20.

For the price of a few coffees, you can show your club pride with a quality hat that's perfect on and off the course.

Stocks are limited, so don't wait—visit the Golf Shop and grab yours before they're all gone!

Clubhouse news

Trundlers Needed for NZ Secondary Schools Teams Finals

McLeans Island Golf Club is proud to be hosting the National Secondary Schools Teams Finals at the end of this month, and we're looking to borrow as many trundlers as possible for the event. If you're happy to lend yours for Saturday 29 (afternoon), Sunday 30 (morning), and Monday 31 August (morning), please let the Golf Shop staff know. The club can also securely store your trundler and/or clubs during this time.

We value your feedback

At McLeans Island Golf Club, we take pride in looking after both our course and everyone who visits The Island. We always appreciate feedback from members and visitors, whether it's about the course, facilities, or your experience.

If you notice golfers not following the etiquette we expect and don't feel comfortable approaching them, please let the Golf Shop know. We're happy to step in and help ensure everyone can enjoy their round while keeping our course in great condition.

Help Wanted

We are looking for one more person to join our awesome clubhouse team to help out in the golf shop on a casual basis. If you are interested or know someone who might be, please get in touch with George.

New Members - July

Only a handful of new members for the month of July. If you do see them out on the course, be sure to give them a warm Mcleans welcome!

Dina Hinton - Midweek Membership

David Fleming - Midweek Membership

Uinisoni Saafi - Full Membership

Volunteers' Dinner

A big thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers who joined us for our annual Volunteers' Dinner on 28 July. It was a fantastic evening and a great opportunity to recognize the countless hours our volunteers contribute to keeping McLeans Island Golf Club running so smoothly throughout the year.

A special thank you goes to Jan for preparing such a delicious meal. It was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone and was the perfect way to celebrate and thank those who generously give their time to our club.

We truly appreciate everything our volunteers do – McLeans Island Golf Club wouldn't be the same without you!

Hole 2 Upgrade Nears Completion

Get to know your McLeans Island staff - George Williams

Coming up in August

With winter almost behind us, bookings are starting to pick up as we head towards spring. Best of luck to our Interclub teams representing The Island this season. Please also note the following course bookings throughout August:

Upcoming Bookings

• Sunday, 9 August – Burnside RFC (100 players), Time TBC
• Sunday, 16 August – Simon Cup (80 players), 9:30am–1:30pm
• Sunday, 23 August – Amigos Golf (30 players), 8.30am
• Sunday, 23 August – Presidents vs Harewood (16 players), 10:00am
• Saturday, 29 August – NZSSC Practice Round (72 players), 12:00pm–5:00pm
• Sunday, 30 August – NZSSC Round 1 (72 players), 8:00am–12:30pm
• Monday, 31 August – NZSSC Round 2 (72 players), 8:00am–12:30pm

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

We have recieved Reciprocal Rounds for the 16th, 29th, 30th and 31st.

Please phone the shop to find out more and book a time. Must be a minimum of 3 golfers

New Zealand Golf News

Foxy is a Major Champion!!

Ryan Fox has made history, winning his first major championship at The Open and becoming the first New Zealander since Sir Bob Charles in 1963 to lift the Claret Jug. His tournament was highlighted by a sensational third-round 8-under 62, matching the lowest round ever recorded in a men's major, before a composed final-round 68 secured a memorable one-shot victory.

McLeans Island to Host NZ Secondary Schools Championship 

McLeans Island Golf Club is proud to host the 2026 New Zealand Secondary Schools Championship Finals from 30–31 August, with a practice round on 29 August. The event will see more than 20 of the country's top secondary school teams compete over 36 holes, showcasing some of New Zealand's best young golfing talent. We look forward to welcoming the players, officials, and supporters to The Island for what promises to be a fantastic championship.