November ENews
STORM DAMAGE ON MELBOURNE CUP DAY
Melbourne Cup Day was again a big day for Cumberland with lots of cheers and excitement for members and visitors alike. BUT then the storm hit with a vengeance.
It’s hard to describe the noise and intensity as mother nature rolled across Greystanes causing damage and power outages. We thank the Lord that no one at the club was injured but it left a trail of damage across the course. We had a tree fall on a car in the carpark and sadly our vintage flagpole was damaged beyond repair.
The following photographs should give you some idea of just how bad it was:
Flagpole 2026
Circa 1939-40
Our Course Staff did a great job the next day to clear fairways so we could reopen but the bigger trees will need to be disposed of by our tree management contractor. I’m sure you’ll be patient and understand that it will take time to get the course back to 100%.
BANNERS GOLF 20TH BIRTHDAY
Congratulations to our Head Professional Joanne Bannerman of the 20th Anniversary of Banners Golf.
I’ll leave the history to Joanne in her very touching message below but on behalf of the Board, Management and Members may I saw how proud and privileged we are to have Joanne as part of our Cumberland Family.
You have done so much and achieved so many goals in the past twenty years so to you Joanne we say a heartfelt Thank You.
DIGGERS DAY
This is one of the most significant events on our calendar where we raise much needed funds for Legacy to support past and serving men and women and their families in time of need.
The event is open to all classes of membership. Please come along and support this worthy cause.
CLUB SPONSORSHIP
Our sponsorship packages are proving very popular with a number of new advertisers coming onboard by taking up various options on offer.
Please support our wonderful sponsors. If you or someone you know is looking to give their business great exposure, please contact the office for full details.
DEVELOPMENT WORKS UPDATE
Civil works for the new sewer infrastructure running under the 12th tee have been delayed. To recap; this will involve installing a new sewer line under the back of the 12th teebox followed by construction of a new teebox, concrete path and turning circle to replace the existing one.
The tee will be moved forward while the works are undertaken. The costs for the civil works and new tee complex are being borne by the Builder.
PUTT FOR PROSTATE
Thank you to all who participated in the Putt for Prostate Men’s health fundraiser. With the support of this years event, Cumberland was able to make a valuable donation of $2,290. to the Cancer Council
This year’s winner is Nirav Pandya with a great score of 43 off a daily h/c of 22.
Denis Clifford
Club President
What an exciting month of golf we have enjoyed at Cumberland, highlighted by the completion of our 2026 Club Championships, a new course record, and some fantastic achievements both on and off the course.
2026 Club Champions
Firstly, I would like to congratulate all members who participated in this year’s Club Championships. Played over four weeks, the Championships once again showcased some excellent golf, competitive spirit and camaraderie amongst our members.
A special congratulations to our 2026 Club Champions:
Club Champion: Bailey Leafe
A Reserve Champion: Martin Smith
B Grade Champion: Grant Hagel
C Grade Champion: Brett Davies
Senior Champion: Sean Moylan
Congratulations to each of our winners on their outstanding achievements. Winning a Club Championship is something to be immensely proud of, and your names will now form part of Cumberland’s golfing history.
I would also like to thank every member who competed throughout the four weeks. Your participation and enthusiasm are what make these events so special.
A sincere thank you to Banners Golf for their generous sponsorship of the Championship prizes and their continued support of our major golfing events.
A New Course Record
One of the standout moments of this year’s Championships came during the opening round, when Josh Russo recorded an incredible round of 64 to establish a new course record at Cumberland.
To achieve this during the Club Championships, on our newly redeveloped course, makes the accomplishment even more remarkable.
Congratulations, Josh, on a fantastic round of golf and on etching your name into the Club’s history books. A tremendous achievement!
Monthly Medal Winners
Congratulations also to our latest Monthly Medal winners:
A Grade: Josh Russo
B Grade: Ryan Joynes
C Grade: Cameron Hensby
Well done to all three players on their excellent performances.
Celebrating 20 Years of Banners Golf at Cumberland
I would like to take this opportunity to recognise and congratulate Banners Golf on celebrating 20 years at Cumberland Country Golf Club.
Two decades is an extraordinary milestone and a testament to the dedication, professionalism and commitment that Joanne has shown to our Club and its members.
Over the past 20 years, Banners Golf has made an enormous contribution to Cumberland, supporting our competitions, major events, junior golf and the broader golfing experience of our membership.
On behalf of all members, I extend our sincere congratulations and appreciation to Joanne and the Banners Golf team. Thank you for everything you have contributed to Cumberland over the years. We look forward to continuing this valued relationship for many years to come.
Encourage Shield Pennants
Our Encourage Shield team is now four rounds into its pennant season, with the final round scheduled for this Sunday at North Ryde against Ryde-Parramatta.
Regardless of results, I am extremely proud of the way our team has represented Cumberland throughout the competition. The players have demonstrated tremendous sportsmanship, enthusiasm and respect for their opponents, embracing the true spirit of representative golf.
It is particularly pleasing to see our developing golfers gaining valuable competitive experience while representing the Club with such pride.
I encourage any members who are available to head out to North Ryde on Sunday and show their support for the team. Your encouragement is always appreciated and can make a real difference to our players.
Good luck to the team in their final round!
Diggers Day
A reminder that our annual Diggers Day will be held on Saturday, 14 November.
Diggers Day is one of the Club’s important annual fundraising events, with all proceeds going towards Legacy, an organisation that provides invaluable support to the families of Australian veterans.
It is always a fantastic day on the Cumberland golfing calendar, bringing members together for a great day of golf, friendship and fundraising in support of a very worthy cause.
I strongly encourage members to get involved, support the fundraising activities and help us make this year’s event another great success.
As we head into the warmer months, I hope everyone is looking forward to enjoying some fantastic summer golf on our redeveloped course. It has been an exciting year for Cumberland, and it is wonderful to see members continuing to embrace and enjoy the course.
As always, I encourage everyone to look after the course, repair pitch marks, fill divots and maintain a good pace of play so that we can all enjoy the best possible golfing experience.
Finally, congratulations once again to all our Championship winners, and thank you to everyone who continues to contribute to the strong golfing culture we enjoy at Cumberland.
I look forward to seeing you all out on the course.
Keep up the Great Play!
Shannon Bridger
Club Captain
As another successful championship season comes to a close, congratulations to all players who have participated in the 2026 Club Championships, with the final round concluding this last weekend. The championships have once again showcased the strength of competition within our club.
The course is looking outstanding and continues to present exceptionally well as we move into the warmer months. Recent weather conditions have been dependable, providing ideal growing conditions and allowing the course team to maintain high quality playing surfaces throughout the course.
Members will also have noticed that greens speeds have increased in recent weeks. The greens are currently running well and true, providing a quality putting surface.
It is also worth remembering that our new course is still very young. While it has matured remarkably well, many areas of the course are only around four months old and remain in their infancy. As the turf, greens, surrounds and infrastructure continue to establish, ongoing maintenance, adjustment and refinement will be required. We appreciate members’ patience and understanding as the course continues its journey from a newly constructed facility to a fully matured golf course.
While conditions have been favourable throughout winter and spring, forecasts suggest the summer ahead may present some challenges. The course team will continue to closely monitor weather conditions and adjust maintenance practices as required to ensure the course remains in the best possible condition.
Course Improvement Works
– A number of projects are being schedule as we continue to finalise works associated with the CGEW project and further improve the quality and resilience of the course. The works are to improve drainageon holes 11, 12, 14 and 17 to improve drainage and overall turf health.
– Flemmings are scheduled to undertake warranty repairs on the 11th green Friday 13th November. On this day, the old temporary green on 14 will be in play with and additional temporary tee setup to play to the current 14th green as a par 3. No competition is being held on this day.
– Members will experience some temporary disruption around the 12th tee while the ILU sewer works are completed. We ask players to follow all signage, barriers and any temporary local rules that may be in place.
We appreciate members’ patience and cooperation while these important projects are carried out. While some short term inconvenience may occur, these works will provide long term benefits to course quality and playability.
As we head into the busy summer period, we ask all members to play your part in maintaining our course.
Please remember to:
– Repair your pitch marks on greens and, where possible, repair an additional pitch mark.
– Replace divots or fill them with sand provided.
– Rake bunkers after use.
– Follow course signage, rope lines and cart restrictions.
These simple actions have a significant impact on course presentation and playing conditions for everyone. Given the course is still in its early establishment phase, repairing damage promptly helps protect turf health and ensures quality playing conditions for all members and guests.
While there is still work to complete as part of the course maturation process, the improvements achieved over the past four months have been remarkable. We look forward to seeing the course continue to develop over summer and thank members for their patience, support and assistance in caring for our greatest asset.
Thank you for your ongoing support of the club and the course team. We look forward to a great summer season and continuing to provide excellent playing conditions as the course continues to mature and develop.
Martin Smith
Vice Captain
LADIES PRESIDENT REPORT
October has been a routine month with, fortunately no rain interference. However, it ended with a most appropriate acknowledgement of, 20 years dedication and commitment to Cumberland and to all things golf by our “Pro” Jo Bannerman.
Congratulations Jo and thank you, especially on behalf of the ladies and especially, the “fossils”, one of whom I have been lucky enough to be included in and enjoy, your numerous “Fossil Cup”. May many more continue.
Thank you to Tracey and Tricia for nominating again, at the A G M, as Captain and Vice Captain. Ladies you do a great job. Thank you also to Maria Golden for accepting the nomination as Vice President. Welcome abroad.
Our next major event will be our combined Cancer Awareness Day and Hams Day on Tuesday 24 November , following which a donation will be made to Pancreatic cancer research. Thank you again to Salus for their financial support of this event.
Our last official comp day for 2026 will be Tuesday 1st December, followed by Christmas lunch on Tuesday 8th December.
Till then ladies enjoy your friendship, golf and clear skies.
Barbara Cocks
Ladies Presidentt.
LADY CAPTAIN’S REPORT
The end of the year is fast approaching and the last major ladies championship has been played and won.
Congratulations to our Matchplay Champions Div 1 Eunmi Pyun and Div 2 Monica Ko.
Well done to the Women’s Club Challenge team who played at Penrith and Dunheved on Tuesday 20/10. The team came in with the 10th best combined Stableford score, and Eunmi Pyun was runner up in the Coronation medal individual Stableford event at Dunheved. Thank you to the Penrith squad of Su Jin Yoo, So Young Lee and Celine Lee and the Dunheved squad of Eunmi Pyun, Eun Kim and Yvonne Choo.
Upcoming events-
Caddies Trophy 17/11
Christmas Open Hams Day 24/11
Christmas luncheon and Presentation day 8/12
I hope to see all our ladies dressed to the max for the Presentation and Christmas party so we can join in celebrating another wonderful year of golf at Cumberland.
We’d like to thank our sponsors for their ongoing support.
!!!!!!!! BANNERS GOLF TURNS 20 !!!!!!!!
Cumberland has been my home for 40 years, ever since I first joined the cadet program under the guidance of Margaret and John Gow. Little did I know back then just how much this club and its people would come to mean to me.
I started working in the Proshop at 17 under Phil Nance. When Phil retired in 2006, I was fortunate enough to be appointed Head Professional. What a wonderful 20 years it has been!
I’ve been incredibly lucky to have fantastic staff along the way. Four now run their own Proshops and six trainees have graduated to become PGA members. Seeing them build their own careers has been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey. Many started here as little 6-10 year olds learning to play golf, and I’ve had the privilege of watching them grow into great golfers and, more importantly, wonderful people. I’m so proud of them all.
To my family, thank you for always being there and supporting me. A special thank you to my sister Kim, my longest-serving employee, who has been beside me since day one. Thank you, Kimmy it means so much to have shared this journey with you.
To the members, so many of you have been here from the very beginning. We’ve shared plenty of fun, laughter and banter and a few of you may have helped corrupt me as a youngster! Thank you for your kindness, loyalty and support over the years. You make coming to work enjoyable, and the friendships we’ve formed will stay with me for life.
I’ve also been fortunate to work with many General Managers and Board members over the years. Thank you for your support and the great working relationships that have helped make Cumberland such a special place to work.
To my current team Kim, Myo, Alex, Matt, Riley, Gabriel, Daniel and Harry, thank you for everything you do for me and our members. Your efforts never go unnoticed, and the lovely feedback I regularly receive is a credit to you all. You make the Proshop a fun and welcoming place, and you really are family, right down to our Saturday KFC family lunches!
I also want to remember someone very special: Phil Nance, who we sadly lost last year. Phil was my mentor growing up, taught me so much and had an enormous influence on my life. His trust in me to take over the reins in 2006 gave me an opportunity I will always be grateful for. I wish he could have been here to celebrate with us. I hope I’ve made you proud Phil. Thank you for everything.
As Cumberland moves into its next chapter, I’m excited about what lies ahead and look forward to many more years here.
Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate our birthday and to everyone who has sent their congratulations and kind wishes.
When I think about these 20 years, it’s the people, the friendships and the memories that mean the most. From a young cadet to Head Professional, Cumberland has been such a huge part of my life, and I’m grateful to everyone who has been part of that journey. Here’s to more golf, more laughter and many more memories together.
Thank you for being part of the Banners Golf family.
The Banners Cumberland Pro Shop Team
www.cumberlandgolf.com.au
We’d like to thank our sponsors for their ongoing support.
