Greetings All Country Club Members!

We are pleased to inform you that you will be receiving our monthly Riviera on Vaal Country Club newsletter. This newsletter will contain information on upcoming events, social nights and other important news concerning the Country Club. The aim is to keep you informed of what’s happening at the Club as well as to share interesting news…

The year has already kicked off with a bang! Riviera on Vaal Hotel & Country Club’s 5th Annual Birthday Golf Day, which was held on 4 March, turned out to be a great success. We proudly donated R25,954.59 to the SAVE the Vaal organisation in order to help clean up our river. Our thanks to all the sponsors, players and organisers who participated in this special day - we could not have done it without you. Remember to check out our Gallery for all the action photos on www.rovcountryclub.co.za.

Best wishes,
The Country Club Team

Golf Course News 1. Tribute The Country Club would like to pay tribute to Stefan J. Barnard who passed away in February this year, our condolences to his family and friends. 2. New Committee Members * Chairman: Mike Spies * Captain: Mike Rowswell * Vice Captain: Carl Tempelhoff * Members: Johan Cronje, Pieter Vorster, Mel Harper, Raymond Ives, Willie Gravett, Jack Booth

3. NEWSFLASH! New wetlands declared!
It may seem implausible, but from November to March, the rainfall on the golf course was incessant. Being clay, the ground simply didn’t have time to dry out before the next downpour descended. The result was that large areas of the course remained wet and waterlogged. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of global warming and what it is doing to the weather patterns, when one looks at what happened this summer. In the past, all our summer rain came from the South West and it usually took the form of a brief, ferocious late afternoon thundershower, followed by bright sunshine soon afterwards. This summer saw dark, brooding, angry fronts, preceded by cold winds, bringing in huge amounts of rain in a very short space of time and at any time of the day. The little sunshine we got was soon blotted out by still more clouds and the normal evaporation simply didn’t have time to take place.

We had severe flooding along the ditch which runs from the 12th dam across the 11th, 3rd and 17th fairways to the Vaal River. This was the main obstacle in making the course unplayable. As a result we have enlisted a team of workers under the guidance of member Tony Dos Santos to rebuild this ditch, ensuring the water flows easily. This will prevent future flooding as low lying areas are also being filled in. It has proved to be a mammoth task, but Tony and Mike Butler have done wonders and things are progressing very well.

The result was a 50% drop in rounds of golf played and even greater losses on golf cart hire as the water damages the carts very quickly. The entire golf industry in Gauteng is reeling as a result and a recent visit to the Central Gauteng Golf Union highlighted this fact, with a few courses close to closing their doors.

Despite all the doom and gloom caused by the bad weather, we at the club remain upbeat and motivated. The rain caused problems with the greens certainly, but the growth of grass on previously bare patches of land was phenomenal, especially where the invasive Bluegum trees have been removed. The course is truly a beautiful place to be and the autumn colours have been spectacular this year.

We are busy looking at upgrading machinery as funds allow and have also begun planning for new greens on 8 and 14. This will only be in the new season and will not disrupt play. More detail next time.

The golf day "season" has also begun in earnest, with virtually all Fridays until November already fully booked and many other days already snapped up too. Membership is over the 1000 mark thanks to Play More Golf members joining Riviera on Vaal Country Club and we are privileged to be able to welcome many new visitors here, as Johannesburg based players make the short trip to the Riviera on Vaal Country Club. The feedback we get is universally positive, with the quality of the course and the friendly people and great offerings being praised.

In these tough economic times, great value for money also remains the order of the day, as management realizes the importance of maintaining a balance between balancing the books and keeping golf affordable for the average golfer, who is being forced to tighten his belt.

The golf industry may be facing some tough challenges, but at the Riviera on Vaal Country Club, we relish the opportunity to provide a truly memorable golfing experience to all our members and visitors alike, with the net result that people keep coming back. Join us for a round and see why this is the case.

Future Events Calendar

Watch out for these future events taking place at Riviera on Vaal Country Club:

DATE	DAY	EVENT / GOLF DAY
12 June 2009	Friday	Riviera on Vaal Hotel & Country Club’s Charity Golf Day in aid of Vereeniging Child Welfare
24 June 2009	Wednesday	Members’ Social Night
26 June 2009	Friday	Burger & Beer Night – Castle Promotion
31 July 2009	Friday	‘Give Me a Chance’ Charity Golf Day
8 August 2009	Saturday	Ladies 9 Hole Mashie at Riviera on Vaal Country Club – Cloud9 Golf & Savanna Light

* Ladies Pitch & Putt:
Join us every last Saturday of the month for Ladies Pitch & Putt and receive a gift pack on arrival.

* Members’ Social Nights:
Members’ Social Night takes place every last Wednesday of the month at the Country Club. This is a fun, social get-together and a great opportunity to meet the committee and other members. All welcome!

When: 24 June 2009
Time: 17:00
Where: Riviera on Vaal Country Club

Ladies Golf

Dear Lady Golfer

In our effort to promote ladies golf, we have brought in the following:

• Ladies' Golf Score Card (which is pink too!)
• New change rooms being planned
• Ladies only coaching clinics
• Fun events planned for 2009
  • Cloud 9 Golf weekend to Swaziland (visit the Cloud 9 Golf website for more information).
  • Champagne Ladies' weekend with Tee 2 Green (contact Yvette on yvette@rivieraonvaal.co.za).

Visit www.cloud9golf.co.za for more information.

• Access to five star facilities
• Constant upgrading of the golf course
• New function room coming soon
• Discount on beverages at the Country Club bar
• Discount on selected menu items at Inyama Grill House
• Access to squash courts, tennis courts & full size snooker tables
• Discounted members' rates for a round of golf
• Safe child minding facilities while you enjoy a game of golf.

Feel free to ask our ladies captain, Lenie Cronjé for an application form or anything else you may require. Her contact details are below. We hope to see you again soon!

Tel: 083 959 0374 E-mail: yolandi@rivieraonvaal.co.za for more information.

A letter from the Ladies Captain
Lady Members:
All lady members are requested to play in the SANLAM CANCER CHALLENGE GOLF DAY on 20 June 2009. There are categories to accommodate all handicaps. The more players we can get – the more prizes are available. Please book with Lenie 083 959 0374 ASAP.

Good luck to the ladies chosen for the Ladies League team. Let’s give our best to win this league!

Medal days:
Ladies competition is separate from the men on medal days. Tee-off times will be booked for the ladies at 11h30. You are required to play with other ladies to qualify for the ladies only prizes!

Golf Tip

The perfect grip
Your grip plays a crucial role in determining the quality of the shot. It is very common that most golfers grip the club too tightly. In order to get the correct feeling, imagine that you are holding an open tube of toothpaste - If you apply too much pressure you will squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube. Gripping the club too tightly results in tense arms and shoulders causing your wrists not to hinge properly. A lighter grip enhances wrist hinge, which is vital for adding power to your swing.

Blanket Project

Riviera on Vaal Hotel & Country Club is hard at work with their annual blanket project. The Project aims to raise as many blankets as possible for the poor and needy in the Vaal Triangle. Partners such as Pick ‘n Pay and Lewis stores are already on board. Possible benefactors can contact Hanlie Smuts on 016 455 6100 to contribute to this worthy cause.

Image Gallery

Click here to view our gallery

Contact Us

Country Club: +27 (0)16 430 1380
Pro Shop: +27 (0)16 420 1347
Fax Number: 086 605 7150
David Smith: (General Manager): david@rivieraonvaal.co.za
Bookings & Enquiries: yolandi@rivieraonvaal.co.za
Address: Mario Milano Drive Vereeniging South Africa 1930

Special menu prices for members at Inyama Grill House