The 2017 golfing year almost upon us and I would like to wish our members all the very best for a successful and enjoyable season.

With the `125` celebration year over, a thank you to all those involved in raising funds and supporting projects over the year, a final figure of £4000 has been raised. Following on from the membership poll, replacement floor covering for the bar/lounge area was the preferred option with the outcome being that new carpeting and wooden flooring have been ordered and we hope to have them fitted in about 6 weeks time. Additional sponsorship, membership donations and support from our members have made this possible, a big thank you to all those who have contributed to this large project. Our telephone/broadband contract was up for renewal and to that end we decided that due to additional wiring having to be installed and rerouted we took the opportunity to move the office upstairs and the golf shop downstairs, this will give the shop visibility of the first teeing area and easier access for visitors. Almost all of the costs involved in this move were met from member donations. The `Lotto` draw we have set up is progressing well, with the top jackpot prize now over £300 and rising, thank you for your support with this. It has been suggested that any monies raised from the draw is to  go towards a programme of replacing the existing lighting in the club with energy efficient LED lighting with its long term benefits and replacing light switches with motion sensors, all with the intention of reducing  our energy consumption. 

With the warmer weather we have started on the plan to reinstate the 4^th hole to the main competition teeing area, involving additional top-soil being placed on the land course side of the temporary fencing, levelled off and reseeded. The temporary fencing will be repositioned slightly to provide additional protection to the general public using the footpath. The move back to the competition teeing area will be closely monitored over the coming weeks to provide us with information on how we proceed long term with protecting any users of the footpath. The 12^th Teeing area has been re-laid and is ready for use and the greens are progressing well after the winter. The ropes have been removed and the ground will quickly repair itself.

A pleasing note with reference to subscription for 2017 is the news that we have 10 new juniors that have joined the club. Membership subscriptions for 2017 should be paid or finance agreements progressed before the 1^st April to ensure entry into club competitions. I would like to wish Nigel Bendelow – Gents Captain, John Haddock – Seniors Captain and Barbara Healy – Ladies Captain all the very best for coming year as captains of their respective sections.

The board are continually looking at ways to provide additional income; one of the ideas brought forward was to look to introduce `Foot Golf` to our club. This idea had the potential to raise substantial income for us, but after feedback from  members and much discussion within the board it was finally decided that we should not proceed with the `Foot Golf` proposal.

We also continue to monitor our financial position with respect to income and expenditure. We have renegotiated a number of our existing contracts that have resulted in a financial benefit to the club. A number of members have been asking whether we have received a well documented refund from HMRC, well we have not received anything at this present time. We are not alone among golf clubs in waiting for this refund and our accountants are dealing with HMRC.

I would like to thank you all for your continued support of Ryton Golf Club.