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                         TOTT (THREE ON TEE TUESDAY) HISTORY

 

2021 Highlights

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  • March 2021 – After 1 year (St Patrick’s day 2020 was our last 2020 event prior to COVID 19 lock down, restrictions and Golf shutdown) we had a sense of being back but with an underlying belief that normalcy may never again be a formality. Many rules and restrictions still apply but there is still “life” in the TOTT structure.

  • A number of new to TOTTs members, confirmation of the TOTT Sub-committee group, introduction of Nearest The Pins each week, weekly attendance around 64-74 with a peak 80 at February Monthly Medal were features of our start to the year ahead. Losing some aspects of the weekly  Booking Sheet system was one negative feature of the “return” environment. This will be worked on in future months.

  • January, February, March, April and first couple of weeks of May back to near Normalcy. 11 new to TOTTs – numbers returning and the Golf and Presentations were regaining vibrancy.

  • May 27 saw the introduction of a snap 7 day (with an unknown end date) COVID Lockdown commence. All golf put on hold

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2020 Highlights

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  • Attendances during the Christmas Holiday period soared

    • January 7th: 79​          January 14th: 63       January 21st: 72        January 28th: 80        

    • February 4th: 87 (record)       February 11th: 68

  • 8 new members to Sandhurst Golf Club since December and 2 primarily due to TOTTs.​

  • March 2020 – the COVID 19 crisis resulted in the cancellation of the GBA (Gordon Bentley Award) night and the subsequent closure of the Club, Gym and courses. The last TOTT day was March 17 (St Patrick’s Day) and with 83 players & 4 helpers we had one of the best TOTT days ever highlighted with free “green beer”, sausage sizzle and lots of fun at presentations (but abiding by social distancing and “people touching” obligations).

  •  June/July – after months of various COVID19 restrictions (and no golf allowed), TOTTs made a tentative return for 3 weeks with 40 Reserved Mi-Club Booking Sheet spots (great work from Andy Phillips supported by Satish Verma & Peter Maher, our reps on the Golf Committee) on both Tuesday & Wednesday to cater for the anticipated 70-80 regulars. Ron Gascoigne set up a “Registration” sub tab on the web site allowing for team bookings and competitions and this worked well until Stage 3 Restrictions were re-introduced and our interim return was “squashed”. Fortunately some GBA points were awarded thus ensuring that important feature of the year will be retained.

  • The longest COVID 19 lockdown in the world, Melbourne Metro, was finally ended on Tuesday October 27th. TOTTs are planning a “WELCOME BACK” day set down for November 10th. 96 Tee spots RESERVED for TOTTs and our sincere thanks are extended to the Club Management, Pro-Shop and especially the current Golf Committee.

  • The 100 plus day COVID 19 Lockdown was less stress to TOTTs who joined in on the R U OK TOTT zoom site featured every Tuesday around 1p.m. and controlled & hosted by Ron Gascoigne. Attendees congratulated Ron for introducing this stress relieving and constructive mental health feature. Well done to all TOTTs who made use of this aspect of communal interest whether local,  intrastate or interstate.

  • Nov 1 finally saw the lifting of the COVID  “Lock Down” restrictions (minimum rules & regulations in place) and TOTTs was back to some form of normalcy. The Golf Committee allowed TOTTs 96 Reserved Booking spots and registrations recorded through the Web Page. Our first day back (Tues 3 was Melbourne Cup Day) Tues. 10th was “Welcome Back” day and all attendees were given a gift and a Titleist NXT Tour Soft ball purchased from the Pro Shop ($440 sale) for the 84 attendees. On the next 2 Tuesdays we had 83 then 64 and an extra $320 worth of golf ball sales for the Club. The November event days were split into 2 comps and GBA points awarded.

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2019 Highlights

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  • 5th March Prize Draw #50 represented $20,800 received by attendees since our first draw on 3 June 2014. Along with this around $8000 in event prizes, money subsidies for apparel purchase discounts, monies to fundraisers, maintenance day events and other functions highlights the positive evolution of the group as we celebrate our 6th birthday on 16 April.

  • April saw TOTTs supporting the Pennant Hosting day by providing people to man the halfway house BBQ which proved to be a feature of the day.

  • Each year’s Good Friday Appeal day out does the year preceding and TOTTs provided the food and personnel for the popular BBQ as well as managing the Donor/Donation hole, both functions contributing to the success of the day and the raising of over $5000 donation to this very worthwhile cause.

  • We celebrated our 6th birthday on Tuesday April 16 and a great day was had by the record 71 attendees.

  • From mid October 2019, as our field of golfers grew to approximately 70+,  the Golf Committee agreed to allocate us a 18 hole shot gun start from 12 noon onwards.

  •  Special TOTT initiated presentations, firstly “Classic Cars” - Peter Collins Rolls Royce Silver Cloud; Russell Hunters Pontiac Parisienne, Neil Deane’s Plymouth Barracuda, Keith Jones Mercedes Sports in May and then in October “Max Findlay’s collection of Antique Hickory Golf Clubs”, both of which are highlighted in the web page GALLERY tab. Sandhurst Marketing captured both photographically and “Classic Cars” was featured in the August Hub. Feedback indicated that both were well received and viewed by the general golf, PGA and residential populous.

  • Golf Committee formally authorized permanent TOTTs utilization of the Social Course each Tuesday as a full 18 hole shotgun start commencing 12 Noon.

  • Record December event with 85 attendees (21 groups) including 3 new to TOTTs members and 2 other suburban club members (prospective Sandhurst club members).

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2018 Highlights

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  • February

    • Bentley Award Night – Attendance 106. Peter Maher, the 2017 winner presented with the award by Garth van Nierop (2016 winner).

    • Dianne Bentley presented Ken Winsor with the inaugural TOTT achievement award for his work since inception.

    • Rob Amato’s band was a highlight and entertained the crowd until the end.

  • 18 Additions to the TOTT team during the 12 months Feb 2017 to Feb 2018.

  • Two TOTT members (Don Curtain & Paul Ferrari) were elected as Directors of Sandhurst Club & Sandhurst Holdings. Don and Paul, along with Golf Committee Members (including TOTT Satish Verma) & Golf Membership sub committee members (which includes TOTT Mark Shanks) are involved in the formation and promotion of the “New Sandhurst Membership” criteria presented to the resident, lapsed member and wider golfing population.

  • A team from TOTTs, headed by Steve Mathews & Ron Gascoigne helped make this years Senior Pro Am (Sandhurst) a success. This was augmented through balloted sponsorship of 4 playing teams on the day who were joined by a number of other teams in support of Des Arnolda’s involvement with the overall sponsorship.

  • For the 3rd year running, TOTT became heavily involved in ensuring Sandhurst had a meaningful contribution to the “ Good Friday Appeal” golf day (running a sausage sizzle and controlling “nearest the Pin” and “Gambling Holes”.

  • New to TOTT membership continues to grow and weekly numbers in the 50 plus region are constant even with the winter weather circumstances now prevailing. 

  • Volunteer involvement within the Sandhurst Club by TOTT attendees reached new heights this year. TOTT involvement in Golf Committee, Hospitality, Chain Gang, the Marshall programme, Seniors Pro-Am, Senior Pennant, Good Friday  fund raising, fortnightly processing of the Token Board 100 Club, financial support of the Sandhurst Club Pennant team, and importantly the continuation of the annual end of year TOTT/Maintenance team BBQ. All of this under- appreciated involvement assists the overall development of a special Sandhurst Golf Club culture Gordy would have been immensely proud of.

 

2017 Highlights

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  • February -A plaque in memory of our founder, Gordon “Gordy” Bentley, was added to the “Memorial Bench” in Blair Park. This was donated from TOTT Tuesday collections.

  • March -  Bentley Award Night – 93 people attended a dinner where Diane, with Gordy’s grandson Hudson, presented the 2016 award to the winner, Garth van Nierop.

  • April – A low key commemorative service was conducted at the start of Registration at our Tuesday (Anzac Day) event.

  • July – Donated Ken Harris plaque for the Blair Park Memorial Bench. Concept well received by family attending the Memorial Service held in September.

  • August – Monthly Prize draw # 35 represented $15,000 to TOTT members in Prize Draws since June 2014.Added to this is “Ball prizes & Gift vouchers” (approx. $7000 +) taking the total returned to more than $22,000.

  • Ken Doherty (R.I.P.) plaque added to Memorial Bench at Blair Park

 

2016 Highlights

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  • During the 2016 Australia Day ceremony, a warm tribute from Club Captain Maurice Wenn.

  • Inauguration of Bentley Award - presentation to 2015 winner, Julian Bicchierai

  • Presentation of the "Gordon Bentley Award" and its formal inclusion into the Sandhurst Trophy cabinet.

  • The social and golfing culture and direction inherited from Gordy Bentley continued after his passing in August and continued to remain strong, and in fact expanded, and TOTTs will always be indebted to our founder.

  • The 2016 Long Island “Impossible Lie” challenge was won by Sandhurst. A record 77 attendees (72 players) were involved in the event which included a special tribute to Gordy Bentley who had special links with the Long Island golf club.

  • . Attendance numbers continued to grow during 2016 and an average of 40 – 44 each Tuesday resulted.

 

2013 – 2015   Highlights

 

  • BBQ & Golf days with the Course Maintenance team,

  • On course BBQs (Food Handling Certificate holder Steve Mathews in charge),

  • Introduction of a weekly email bulletin (currently 98 regular addressees),

  • TOTT logo printed maroon polo shirt & TOTT beanie introduced ,

  • Self funded TOTT web page developed and introduced,

  • The Long Island Challenge (Impossible Lie trophy) implemented comp between clubs,

  • 50 shades of Green on St Patricks day 2015,

  • Away trips to Flinders/Rosebud and ST Andrews Beach/Cape Schanck,

  • Formal endorsement from the Golf Committee of “Three on Tee Tuesday”.

  • Introduction and use by the Pro Shop of a  “ New Member Induction Document” with reference to TOTT,

  • Recognition from the Club that TOTT assisted new member acquisition growth,

  • A full page spread about the group in an edition of The Hub,

 

2013

  • commenced on 16th April

  • 9 attendees

    • Gordon Bentley, Ken Winsor, Paul Keating, Mike Clugston, Bruce Croaker, Ray Marsland, Keith Jones, Garry Bos and Roger Adkin.​

 

Introduction of a variety of unique team competitions such as

  • Jokers & Aces,

  • Roll the Dice,

  • Jack Queen King,

  • 1 2 3 Waltz,

 

As well as variations on formal events such as

  • Gensome,

  • Ambrose with Twist,

  • Fourmbrose.​​​​​​​​

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