Match Committee Update

Green Resurfacing Program

As part of the Green Resurfacing Program, competitions are currently being played over nine holes twice to complete 18-hole rounds. At present, play is on the back nine of the Chelmer course.

• On the first nine, players are to play to the white flags.
• On the second nine, play is directed to the yellow flags.
• When playing just nine holes (in designated time slots), players are to play to the white flags

Members are reminded to familiarise themselves with the Local Rules Board before commencing play. Please note, if your ball is on the green and the hole that you are not playing to is in your intended line of play, you may place your ball at the nearest point of relief no nearer to the hole. If your ball is not on the green, the ball must be played as it lies. The flagstick may be removed.

Trading Hours

The Golf Shop, Driving Range and the Garden Room now open daily at 5:15am. On Mondays, with the exception of public holidays, opening is from 7:00am.

Timesheets

In order to maximise Member access to the course, timesheets are currently based on an 18-hole round duration of 4 hours and 30 minutes, providing for a total of 148 daily tee times.

An additional 20 tee times have been allocated for nine-hole play, either socially or in competition. Prizes will be awarded on a daily, weekly and monthly basis for the best nine-hole Stableford scores. Overall prizes are to be awarded for the best aggregate 9 hole scores over the GRP period as per previous correspondence.

Please note that members completing their first nine holes in under 2 hours and 15 minutes may experience a wait before commencing their second nine. This arrangement will be monitored over the coming weeks to determine whether adjustments can be made without reducing playing opportunities.

Chipping Area

For the next 3 to 4 weeks, chipping practice will be permitted around the green on Hole 9, provided that all shots are played strictly within the roped area for safety. After this period, chipping will return to the designated East Green area. Please make your way to the 9th green via the rear of the 1st tee.

Golf Australia Connect

Golf Link, the system currently managing handicaps in Australia, will be retired in 2025 and replaced by Connect, a new Golf Australia handicapping and club management platform.

Key details are as follows:

• The Golf Australia App and the updated GOLF.com.au website will go live on 2 October 2025. This will replace the existing GA Handicap App.
• There will be an offline transition period from 28 September to 6 October, during which handicapping functions will be unavailable.
• Club Competitions at BGC will continue during this period but will not be handicapped.
• On Thursday, 2nd  October, no competition will be held, with the day dedicated solely to social play.

The new system will provide golfers with access to:

• GA Handicap information and scoring history.
• The ability to follow friends and monitor progress.
• A lifelong Golf ID, with existing Golf Link numbers retained regardless of club membership changes.
• Members will continue to use the NS Club App and MiScore App in conjunction with the new platform.
• Click here to review the Australian Handicapping Rule Changes effective 2 October 2025.

How to Register

1. Visit GOLF.com.au and go to the Sign up / Login page.
2. Enter your Golf ID – a verification email will be sent to your registered email.
3. Create a new password and confirm your profile details.
4. Download the new Golf Australia Official App from your app store.

Transition Period

During the transition, handicap services will be offline while more than 250 million scores are migrated by Golf Australia. They have provided the following timeline:

• 28 Sept – GOLF Link shuts down permanently.
• 29 Sept–1 Oct – Handicap services offline; handicaps recalculated to align with the World Handicap System.
• 1 Oct – Major cutover day. Expect interruptions and temporary redirects. We recommend avoiding handicap services and websites on this day.
• 2 Oct – New App and GOLF.com.au go live. Recalculated handicaps available to view.
• 2–10 Oct – Clubs (including ours) will transition in phases. Some may take until around 10 October. This is normal.

Competition Golf at BGC

All competitions will proceed as scheduled from Sunday, 28 September to Monday, 6 October, but will not be handicapped. Additionally, there will be no competition on Thursday, 2 October which will be exclusively dedicated to social play.

Local Help – Onboarding Champions

Reece McRae in the Golf Shop will help members register, log in and get started on the new platform.

Additional Support

If you need extra assistance, Golf Australia’s Support Team is available 7 days a week (6.30am – 8.30pm AEST):

• Email: help@golf.com.au
• Web: help.golf.com.au

2025 NVP Shootout

The Club advises that the 2025 Shootout has been cancelled due to the green replacement program.

Safety Notice

Members are reminded not to enter rock areas around creeks in an attempt to retrieve golf balls. These areas are hazardous, and safety must take priority at all times.

Thank you for your ongoing cooperation and understanding as we continue with the Green Resurfacing Program and other key developments around the Club. Your patience and support help ensure a smooth transition through these improvements.

Should you have any questions or require further clarification on any of the above, please don’t hesitate to contact the Golf Shop.

We look forward to seeing you on the course.

Dean Castrisos
Men’s Captain
The Brisbane Golf Club

Julie Brown
Women’s Captain
The Brisbane Golf Club