Dear Members,
We trust this e mail finds you safe, thanks to everyone for their patience as we continue to offer what we can given the fact that things are changing on a regular basis.  Read on for full club updates:

Alex Day PGA Professional
As the cooler months fast approach, we wish to notify all our Academy users that our tuition offerings will be reduced somewhat for the winter months December - March. Sadly for us it means that Alex Day our Head PGA Professional will depart Baku at the end of November with a view to securing some winter work through our IMG network.  Like all hospitality and leisure venues the club continues to be impacted by global issues as well as the uncertainty of when boarders will open so we can welcome golfers back.  Any members who have outstanding lessons with Alex are encouraged to book them directly Alex.Day@dreamlandgolfclub.com whilst the autumn weather is still with us! 
Revised Hours of Operation
Please be aware that given the conflict on the boarder we will continue to do what we can within the regulations of Martial Law which currently prohibits the movement of people on the streets from 21.00pm – 06.00am each day. 
Our revised hours of operation for the coming weeks are:
Mon – Friday – First Tee off 10.00am – Last 18 hole tee off 14.00pm (18 holes) 16.00pm (9 holes) – Course Closes 18.30pm – Staff Depart Dreamland 19.00pm
Sat - Sun – First Tee off 8.00am – Last 18 hole tee off 14.00pm (18 holes) 16.00pm (9 holes) – Course Closes 18.30pm – Staff Depart Dreamland 19.00pm
Golf Academy – Daily Operations – Last Balls issued at 18.00pm – Academy Closes 18.30pm – Staff Depart Dreamland 19.00pm
Golf Lessons – Alex.day@Dreamlandgolfclub.com Last lesson 18.00pm daily – contact Alex for availability.
 
Golf Competitions – We are sensitive to staging larger tournaments at this time however we will try to offer some competitive play over the coming weeks. Most probably they will be Tee time format with results posted after the event. 
ACCESS to Dreamland Golf Club has moved to our NEW side entrance next to the Dreamland Shopping Mall. With immediate effect access to the Golf Academy or Golf Hotel from the Clubhouse Car park will mean crossing the first Traffic Barrier control point. To do this smoothly we would ask that you display your Dreamland Golf Club Membership Sticker on your vehicle so that our security team can identify you as a member. Upon approaching the barrier we would ask that you confirm your wish to go to the GOLF ACADEMY / DRIVING RANGE or GOLF HOTEL and access will be granted. See above for directions.

Safety Measures
We have the following safety measures in place at Dreamland, for Golf Members and Employees.
  • Dreamland Access via the MALL New Entrance ONLY – Details above
  • Each guest will have their temperature checked at the GATEHOUSE. Any person (Member or Employee) recording a temperature of 38 degree will not be allowed access to the property. If you are feeling unwell with a temperature we ask that you please STAY HOME.
  • We ask that Members and Employees wear a MASK for SAFETY reasons.
  • Social distancing is a MUST – maintaining a 2 metre distance is crucial AT ALL TIMES.
  • Hand washing and sanitizing is VITAL– we have stations in place for this to happen.
 
Golf - Rules of Play
  • 2 metre Social distancing at ALL TIMES
  • Golf Carts in use / Golfers encouraged to Walk. We will sanitize Golf Carts and Trolleys before play and have removed golf Towels on golf carts.
  • White / Gold / Green Tee boxes in use
  • The Foam protectors have been removed so that the ball can now drop below the level of the cup – Scores may count for qualifying purposes
  • During your game we advise not to touch other peoples clubs, consider picking your own wedges and clubs left at the side of the green
  • No on course Water re-filling stations in use at this time
  • Observe the pace of play. If you are slow, please pick up the ball and advance to the next hole
  • Always follow the hygiene instructions and disinfect or wash your hands before and after the game, avoid touching your face, mouth, eyes.
  • No contact with playing partners (replace 18th-green handshake with shoe bumps, elbow bumps, or Namaste bow….)
The John McGhee Memorial
Thanks to the 24 friends of John McGhee who participated in his Memorial Trophy this past weekend. Excellent playing conditions meant that scoring was high with Alfie Hay winning with 42 points. The runner up was Billy Quinn 40 points and Colton Thomas in Third place - 38 points the final award was given to Bryan Thomas for his fourth place on a respectable 37 points. With players donating their entry fee back to the charity, it was touching in such times to donate 1260 AZN to the families of the martyrs who have tragically lost their lives in the current conflict. Pictured receiving the memorial trophy is Alfie Hay presented by Graham Beattie who organized the gathering.
TaylorMade Summer Eclectic
Our 2020 TaylorMade Summer Eclectic was concluded last week – Congratulations to our “In form” worthy winner Khalil Huseynov with his -20 Eclectic Score. There was a tie for second and third places with Graham Beattie and Evgeniy Epifanov both scoring -19. In order to determine runner up, it required us to look at their back nine scores. Their back nine (25), back 6 (16) and back 3 (9) scores were also tied which meant a count back on the last hole for Graham to take second place with his net 3 on 18th hole against Evgeniy’s net 4.
 
Winner Khalil Huseynov - Taylormade Trolley Luggage
Runner Up Graham Beattie - Taylormade Cap and TP5 Dozen Balls
Third Place – Evgeniy Epifanov - Taylormade Cap and RBZ Dozen Balls 
Saturday 3rd of October 2020 – Super Saturday Roll Up Results
Excellent playing conditions were enjoyed on Saturday, with 42 members using this opportunity to participate in the weekly Saturday Roll Up. Among the 17 players who scored level or better than their handicaps, Philip Johnson and Ian Allan shared top of leader board with fantastic 7 under par 43 points. In order to determine winner, it required us to look at their back nine scores. After countback Phil took first place with better back nine score of 23pts vs. Ian’s inward score of 19pts which were enough for him to take second place. Alfie hay took third place with 6 under par 42 points. Last Saturday only Joong Seon Bae had 2s on his card – he birdied the 5th and 13th holes to win last week's Twos Club prize fund.
Jesus Pantoja - Hole In One
Dreamland member Jesus Pantoja had a round to remember as his purely struck 5 iron on the 13th hole earned the first “Hole in One” of 2020 here in Baku. Receiving certificate 012 from Parviz Muradov alongside playing partner Rajesh Chawla, Jesus’s name will soon join the honors boards at the Golf Academy.  Congratulations!
Course Update!
Many of you will have met our new Course Superintendent Andrew Ikstrums who is enjoying the course and meeting our members. Playing off a +3.7 hcp (+5 from our white tee’s) his lowest round so far is -3, 69 Gross.  Despite teaming up with fellow Australian Wade Droney the pair were unable to beat Andrew Hulston and Brian Lawson on Sunday is what could possibly be a series of matches! Meanwhile back on course and in only in his second week here in Baku we have started to work on our next series of course enhancements and improvements some of which are detailed below:
Bunkers
It is not often Andrew goes in a bunker…. But when he does he is keen to make sure that the bunker face is compacted so that the ball doesn’t plug near the lip rather it has a chance to roll to the base of the bunker giving players a fairer chance to get out with their next shot. As you will see the maintenance team are currently working through each hole to check sand levels and rake smooth the sides of each hazard. 
Run Off’s
You will see some additional roll off area’s have been cut in last week notably on the 12th hole par 5. In general we are widening the mower cut around the green’s to give players the chance to either bump and run or putt their ball from the fringe on to the green. It will take a couple of weeks to establish these new cut lines however once dialed in these surfaces will be slightly easier to play from than before.  
Establishing Tall Fescue Grasses
As we approach the cooler months we will start trials to establish the native fescue grasses around the boundary and outer rough of the course. With 40 hectares of outer rough (from 66 hectares of grass for the entire course) growing up “out of play” Fescue’s will give a stunning contrast to the manicured striped playing surfaces we all enjoy. Pictured above is a trial area on the right hand side of the 15th hole, whilst the below picture shows the goal for next season with the taller fescues growing throw the “base” rough to providing a picture perfect frame to each golf hole. 
Lost & Found
Recently reported to us is the loss of a members PING G Series Pitching Wedge. Due to the current COVID 19 precautions we know that several members are taking their clubs and equipment home to clean after each game – BIG ASK, can those who have clubs at home take a look through your bag and see if you have possibly picked up this club during one of your games. We hope to reunite the club to its owner very soon!
Join Us!
Due to the popularity of our September one month membership we have continued a promotion for October. Be sure to recommend to any friends or colleagues the value in unlimited Golf for the coming weeks. Contact membership@dreamlandgolfclub.com to register an interest!
Online Tee Sheet EZLinks
For those members who wish to register, please refer to the advice notes in the below link as always our team are on hand to help  reservations@dreamlandgolfclub.com
Gratuities
Members and guests are asked to deposit any Tips / Gratuities in the boxes directly which are located at the Golf Service desk (Locker rooms) or the main club reception. Members of staff are NOT allowed to handle cash directly due to the COVID 19 measures in place, therefore we ask that ALL payments are deposited by the guests at their discretion.
ACADEMY NEWS
Trial the latest Taylor Made equipment at Dreamland that is currently played by the 4 of the world’s top 5 ranked golfers - Johnson, Rahm, McIlroy and Morikawa. Free appointments available on Saturday 10th October. To book please contact PGA Head Professional Alex Day on M: +994 55 333 0507  E: alex.day@dreamlandgolfclub.com
 
What does a custom fit entail:
  • Quick consultation to understand experience/expectations
  • Assessment of clubs currently used and set make up
  • Testing of various Taylor Made models
  • Preferences including gapping and grip thickness 
 
Reasons to book a FREE custom fit appointment:
  • To have clubs fit to ‘your’ specific swing characteristics
  • To benefit from the latest technology
  • To better understand your game and ball flight laws
  • To boost your confidence
Junior Roll Up Program
In the safe environment of the Academy, it’s been great to see juniors returning to Dreamland and getting back into the swing of things. Fun structured classes are now available from our Level 1 coaches to assist in juniors learning and enjoyment of the game.
THE DREAMLAND GOLF HOTEL – Wake Up To Golf On Your Doorstep!
We had the pleasure of hosting several golfers last weekend in the hotel, with great weather planned for this weekend why take advantage of joining us for a staycation!
 
Members Voucher
In further recognizing the inconvenience caused, we have awarded each member (1st January – 30th June) with a COMPLIMENTARY overnight stay voucher at the Dreamland Golf Hotel.
*To make your reservation please contact our Hotel Sales Executive Gulnara Asadova Gulnara.Asadova@dreamlandgolfhotel.az - Please quote MEMBERSHIP BOOKING
1 x room stay voucher per registered member (2 room stay vouchers for a couples membership) is valid for a single night stay for 1 person including Bed & Breakfast.

*Note 35AZN is payable for additional guests room stay and breakfast, Child’s accommodation will be charge at our published rates. The voucher is valid from 21st of August – 30th December 2020 for the named membership nominee only and is subject to availability of a Superior Category room. The voucher is NOT awarded for Academy and Junior Membership Categories.
Dreamland Golf Club | +994 (0) 12 404 7 404 | reservations@dreamlandgolfclub.com |