🏌️‍♂️ The Golf Collective Weekly Update from Ruben

Monday, 27th October 2025

It’s been a massive few weeks across TGC — more members, more events, more competition… and yep, more rain than we’d like. We’re powering toward the end of the season, with big things happening on and off the course. Here’s everything you need to know 👇

🌟 500 MEMBERS STRONG + WILSON IRONS GIVEAWAY

We’ve officially welcomed our 500th member into The Golf Collective! 🎉

To celebrate, we’re giving away a brand-new set of Wilson Dynapwr irons this November.

Every active member is automatically in the draw, but if you want extra free entries, keep your eyes peeled — we’ll be announcing some quick and easy ways to grab bonus entries soon.

It’s been incredible to see how far this community has come in just a few years. From a handful of mates playing social rounds to a network of hundreds of golfers across WA — this milestone belongs to everyone who’s been part of the journey so far.

⛳ WAITLISTS FILLING FASTER THAN EVER

If you’ve been trying to register for events lately, you’ve probably noticed the waitlists filling up earlier than usual. That’s because our membership has grown faster than expected this year — which is awesome, but it does mean space is tighter.

Most of our back-end-of-season bookings were made last year, before we knew what our numbers would look like in 2025.

✅ Platinum Members: Remember, you can register early without payment — just cancel at least 48 hours before the event if you can’t make it. This helps us give courses accurate numbers early and, in many cases, allows us to negotiate for more spots.

We’ve already increased our course bookings for 2026 to help make sure fewer people miss out next season.

👥 PLAYING PARTNER PREFERENCES

We’ve had a few questions come through lately about playing partner preferences, so here’s a quick reminder of how it works.

At TGC, we’re all about creating an environment where members can build new friendships, expand networks, and play with different golfers.
We know everyone loves playing with their mates (we do too!) — that’s why you can nominate a playing partner preference when you register.

Just note: it’s a preference, not a guarantee. We still do our best to accommodate everyone, and in 99% of cases, you’ll get your preferred partner. But sometimes we’ll mix pairings up to:

• Keep pace of play balanced,
• Pair experienced players with newer members, and
• Help connect people with shared interests or similar playing styles.

There’s always a reason behind how pairings are sorted. And truthfully, some of the best friendships (and rivalries) in TGC started from random pairings — so roll with it, enjoy the variety, and trust the process.

📣 CUP RACE UPDATE – IT’S GETTING SPICY

The Cup Race is well and truly alive. After some huge recent rounds, Blair Robinson and Peta Brown have stormed into contention, both finding form at the perfect time. Meanwhile, Drew Daley and Liam Duffield remain steady near the top — but with two individual events left and double points on offer at the TWD 4×4 Cup Race Final at Gosnells, things could change fast.

The top 10 contenders are all lining up to make one last push — and anything can happen from here.

👉 View the full leaderboard here

🎮 SIM SERIES ROUND 2 – BACK TO THE LAB

Alright, I’ll be honest — Round 1 of the Sim Series was a bit of a disaster 😅. But that’s exactly what it was designed to be — a test run to see what works (and what doesn’t). We’ve taken the lessons onboard, reworked the setup, and we’ve now got two more events lined up this year to fine-tune everything before we launch the full 2026 season.

For Round 2, we’re introducing something completely new — a 3-hole match play knockout format.

Here’s how it’ll work:

• Every match is a head-to-head knockout played over three simulator holes.
• Winners continue in the format until only one player remains on the night.
• If you’re knocked out, you’ll move to a separate bay for a Nearest-to-Pin challenge.
• The top two closest-to-the-pin will go head-to-head in a final shootout at the end of the night.
• Team points will be up for grabs across both competitions.

It’s a unique format that’s fast, competitive, and a lot of fun. I know it’s a bit different, but trust me on this one — this setup has serious potential. Even if you’re not competing, come down and hang out — it’s a great social night, with plenty of laughs, banter, and a chance to meet people off the course.

🏆 MATCH PLAY SHOWDOWN – ROYALS VS SPARTANS

The long-awaited match play clash is finally here! Drew Daley (Royals) will face Craig Gardiner (Spartans) at Sun City tomorrow — a matchup that could decide second place on the Teams Leaderboard. A Spartans win could see them leapfrog into second, but the Royals aren’t going down without a fight. This one’s going to be tight — good luck, gents!

🌧 ROYAL FREMANTLE RESULTS

It almost didn’t happen — heavy rain nearly washed us out — but thankfully the skies cleared and we got it done.

Top Performers:
1️⃣ Blair Robinson – 42 pts
2️⃣ Ruben Martins – 41 pts
3️⃣ James Foster-Reed – 40 pts (CB)
4️⃣ Rob Cropper – 40 pts (CB)
5️⃣ Peta Brown – 39 pts

An incredible round from Blair in tough conditions.

👉 View the full results here

📲 GA SYSTEM & HANDICAP UPDATE

Let’s be real — this one’s been brutal. Between Golf Australia, DotGolf, Golf Genius, and MiClub, there have been plenty of hiccups with scores and handicaps syncing correctly. We’re working through a long list of affected members and chasing GA daily. They’ve advised it could take 4–6 weeks to completely resolve. If you see something off in your handicap record, please email us so we can add it to our list. We know it’s frustrating — believe me, it’s been the bane of my existence lately — but we’ll get there.

💆‍♂️ MEMBER OFFER – THE CHIROPRACTIC HUB

Don’t forget, TGC members get their first session for just $49 until the end of the year! Dr Andrew and the team at The Chiropractic Hub are miracle workers — they’ve done wonders for my spine (and my golf swing).

👉 Book your session now

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 COMMUNITY MATTERS

We’ve recently hit a new stage of growth — and with that comes an even broader mix of personalities, backgrounds, and beliefs. That’s what makes TGC so special. We’re all here for the same reason: to play golf, enjoy ourselves, and leave the course happier than when we arrived.

A quick reminder for everyone:

• Treat your fellow members with respect and kindness, even when competition gets heated.
• If there’s ever a disagreement, come directly to me or the club president, Jimmy.
  
  No whispering, no tension — we’ll sort it out properly.

I’m a conflict resolution specialist (except when dealing with my wife 😅), so trust that any issues will be handled fairly. You don’t have to be best friends with everyone — just decent humans. That’s all we ask.

👥 MEET YOUR TGC TEAM

We often get asked, “Who should I contact for what?” Here’s your quick guide:

Leadership Team: Ruben | Roland | Aleisha
Committee: Jimmy Walters | Ben Hart | Susie Morris

Who to contact:

• Tee sheet – Roland (primary), Jimmy (backup)
• Payments – Aleisha (primary), Ruben (backup)
• Membership – Aleisha (primary), Ruben (backup)
• Rules – Jimmy (primary), Ruben (backup)
• Scoring & Handicaps – Ruben
• Event-specific – Aleisha

I won’t bombard you with everyone’s e-mail addresses so if you ever need anything, simply e-mail admin@thegolfcollective.com.au and we will make sure the right person receives it. 

We’ve also had a great response from members keen to join the 2026 committee. We’ll be in touch over the next few weeks to chat through those roles.

📘 RULE OF THE WEEK – MODEL LOCAL RULE E-5

A quick one that could save you a stroke (and a long walk). Under Model Local Rule E-5, if you lose your ball or hit it out of bounds, you can drop a new ball in a relief area between where it was lost and the edge of the fairway — for two penalty strokes. It’s an alternative to stroke-and-distance and a great way to keep pace of play moving.

📹 Watch the short USGA explainer here

📅 UPCOMING EVENTS

Here’s how the next few weeks are shaping up — and spots are going fast!

• Sun 2 Nov – Hartfield: 28/28 (10 waitlisted)
• Sat 8 Nov – Sim Series R2: 11/20
• Sun 9 Nov – Hamersley: 23/28
• Fri 14 Nov – Wembley Tuart: 28/28 (waitlisted)
• Sun 16 Nov – The Cut: 28/28 (waitlisted)
• Fri 21 Nov – Wilson Par & Paella: 6/40
• Sun 23 Nov – Links Kennedy Bay: 13/36
• Sat 6 Dec – Sim Series R3: 11/20
• Sun 30 Nov – TWD 4×4 Cup Race Final (Gosnells): 34/60
• Fri 12 Dec – TWD Pro Pin Shootout

👉 Register now

Got a friend who’s been thinking of joining? Use the code TENOFF for 10% off their first-year membership.

💬 FINAL NOTE

There’s plenty happening behind the scenes for 2026 — bigger bookings, new systems, and some exciting perks in the pipeline. We’re also excited to announce that we’ll soon be welcoming a PGA Professional to the TGC team, offering every member a free online swing analysis through the Skillest app. This will be a permanent inclusion for new members in 2026, but all current members get it too.

A massive thank you to Aleisha, Roland, and the entire committee for everything they do — and to every member who continues to make TGC the most enjoyable golf community in Australia.

See you out on the course,
Ruben
The Golf Collective