Club Diaries (3rd Jan)

The Captain wishes to apologise for the slight delay in the diaries being delivered.
The delay is mainly due to the slow response from other clubs to confirm their dates for the Handicap League.

The diary has now been approved, is currently being printed and will be with your shortly.

All the dates have now been added to the website diary.

Again, my sincere apologies.

Bill Jenkins
Club Captain
 

New Pond (03/11)

Works to the new pond are due to commence on the 10^th November and are expected to take 6-8 weeks to complete. Unfortunately this will cause some disruption and will prevent us playing the 9^th and 18^th green.  A temporary tee will be in operation for the 1^st and 10^th which will be other side of the stream such that the 1^st and 10^th should be played as a par 3. You need to play the 8^th, missing out the 9^th and go straight to the 10^th. Your play will need to finish on the 17^th.

A temporary green will be in use at some time for the 3^rd and 12^th whilst drainage works take place at the rear of the green. It is hoped that this will only effect mid week use with the full green put into use at weekends. A new cable is going to be laid alongside the 5^th / 14^th fairway, which is likely to need the closure of that hole. Again it is expected that this will only be a short duration, during mid week. It is expected that this will be the week before Christmas.

We apologise for this inconvenience but with the onset of winter and confidence that the works will be completed well before the start of next season, the disruption has been minimised and we hope you appreciate that this outside of our direct control. We will look to continue to maximise the playing opportunities such that as and when the works progress we will be making changes, so please look at the notices and updates provided on the notice board and website.

Link to document: Attenuation Pond Method Statement

GPC
 

Constitution (03/11)

We are pleased to advise that the constitution has been reviewed and updated. This is currently with the hospital for agreement and a copy of this we will displayed on the notice board and website when the review and approval has been completed.
 

Website (03/11)

Since we re-launched the website it has gone from strength to strength and as of the middle of October it had received some 5500 hits with 15000 pages viewed. Please continue to support this and make comment on what you see or would like to see. It will only achieve what you want, if you let Andi Jenkins know what it is you want to see.

It is updated weekly so if you have not visited it recently remember that you can access it at:

Other useful websites......
www.northantsgolfunion.co.uk
www.randa.org/Rules of Golf   (This links to a 208 page pdf rule book document)
www.congu.com (Unified Handicapping System)
 

Yellow Tees (03/11)

The trial to remove the yellow boxes has been well received and we are pleased that wear on the tees has improved and that the old untidy yellow boxes have not been missed.

It has been noticed that despite our request and notices some members still play from the white tees when not in any competition, so we would remind you all that the white tees are only to be used for official club competitions and team matches and ask you to respect this request.
 

Hospital Patients  (03/11)

We need to remind you that whilst we have the pleasure and privilege of playing the golf course at St Andrews, the course is in the grounds of the hospital and first and foremost we need to remember this. Many patients and their visitors walk through the grounds and we must afford them complete priority and respect.

This message comes from one incident in the summer that was brought to our attention where a member got into an altercation with a family and a patient who were on the course.

It is acknowledged that the membership in general do act responsibly, but we need to ensure that we avoid causing a problem or the potential to cause a complaint.

Where a patient and or their visitors are on the course, please do no more than avoid them, be polite and should anything happen, you should make the GPC aware of what has happened.

Meanwhile the hospital is also taking steps to increase awareness amongst staff and patients that when they use the grounds they are also on a golf course.

Your co-operation is appreciated.

GPC
 

It’s a Girl (01/11)

Jo Pearson gave birth to a baby girl at 8:14am this morning (Saturday 1st November). She’s called Anna and weighed 7lb 9oz. Both mum and daughter are doing well.

Apparently Jo & Andy even made it to the cinema last night to see the new James Bond film.

Congratulations to the Pearsons !


   

Annual Dinner -

The annual dinner had a fantastic attendance this year with 129 people enjoying a great evening. We were really pleased that so many attended and that we had the chance to present the trophies to so many people on the night.

We did not however present all the trophies, because not all winners attended and regrettably we did not manage to have all the trophies engraved and available on the evening. It is to these people that we owe an apology, a special mention and would take this opportunity to offer our congratulations.

Medal Winners Trophy	Bob Maryan
The Anne Neville Salver	Ged Westby
EGU Gold Medal	Stephen Moore
Senior Pairs Matchplay	John Hughes &  Stephen Moore
Andrew Graham Cup	Jackie Rolfe

We think is also worthy to list all the other trophy winners and say a big well done!

Par Bar	Divya Wilson
Ladies Seniors Cup	Chris Gore
Wooden Spoon	The Men!
Esso Cup	Divya Wilson
Bell Trophy	Val Wesson
Gordon Bullock Trophy	Sandra Ball
Audrie Page Trophy	Pauline Frost
4 Club Trophy	Chris Gore
Silver Salver	Jo Pearson
Beryl Lucas Spoon	Divya Wilson
Phil Barratt Trophy	Chris Gore
Medal Winners Trophy	Divya Wilson
Past Captains Trophy	Chris Gore
Godfrey Goal	Jo Pearson
Millennium Cup	Chris Gore & Julia Barron
Singles Knockout	Jo Pearson
Mixed Greensomes	Jill Godfrey & Dave Rolfe
Solpack	Geeta Patel & Joe Litt

Girl Golfer of the Year	Chris Gore
Birdie Tree	Julia Barron
Summer Eclectic	Chris Gore
Ladies Club Champion	Chris Gore
Ladies Net Club Champion	Jo Pearson
Mixed Pairs Knockout	Julia Barron & Dave Rolfe
Family Foursomes	Jill & Phil Godfrey
Ladies Weekend Away	Jo Pearson
Mixed Weekend	Jo Pearson / Dave Rolfe
Lads Weekend	Anthony Atherley
Lads Weekend ‘Pearson Pot’	Vice Captain + 19
David Whitehead Shield	Adrian Fullthorpe & Anthony Atherley
North Bucks Pairs Cup	Alan Smith & Kishor Shah
Bell Amusements Cup	Azim Lakha
Easter Cup	Bob Maryan
Hugh McRoberts Trophy	Dave Bunting
Martin & Partners 3 Club	Jason Brown
Charles Wells Cup	John Nightingale
McEwans Cup	John Nightingale
Lucas Cup	Mike Morrissey
Vic Evans Trophy	Mike Morrissey
Laurie Inwood Trophy	Nigel Cole
Past Captains	Terry Curtis
Jaguar Cup	Ray Holmes
Rabbitts Cup	Steve Forward
EGU Medal	Steve Moore
GOTY Division 3	Steve Moore
GOTY Division 2	Richard Miller
GOTY Division 1	Ged Westby
Birdie Cup	Ged Westby
Speckbrook Cup	Oliver Haywood
Seniors K.O	John Wilcox
Chairman’s Cup	Bill Jenkins
Solpak Cup	Joe Litt & Geeta Patel
Modern Homes Mixed Pairs	Dave Rolfe & Julia Barron
Weller Trophy	Nigel Cole
Club Championship Seniors	Bob Lees
Club Championship Division 2	Richard Towers
Club Championship Division 3	Steve Moore
Club Championship	Ged Westby

Unclaimed Raffle Prizes

The following raffle prizes were unclaimed on the night - The prizes are held in the office -  to collect please contact / see a member of the GPC

• Wind Tuff golf umbrella – Yellow 343
• Mens Footjoy Glove (M) – White 40
• Moet & Chandon Champagne – Green 8
• M&S Boules Set – Green 103
• 1x Sharpies (Marker Pens)- Green 375
• Red Wine – White 38
   

Email Address List
We are collecting all email addresses for our club members - so that we can email out newsletters etc.

If we don’t already have your email address, please could you email Julie Edwards at julieedwards50@aol.com

Subject: “ Please add me to the club members email address list”

10 Ways to Faster Golf (Article in Today’s Golfer Issue 245)

1. Leave your bag on the side of the green nearest to the next tee, not where you just played your chip shot from.

2. Watch where your ball goes. There’s nothing more pointless, for everyone involved, than spending three minutes looking
     in the wrong place.

3. Top players need to think carefully. Normal golfers tie their heads in knots if they think too hard, so don’t.  Just walk
     up and hit it.  You’ll be amazed at how much better, and quicker, your golf goes.

4. If you’re keeping score, jot the numbers down while you’re waiting on the next tee, not while you’re on the green.

5. Practice swings should be a couple of brief swishes, not half-a-dozen full setpup swings.

6. We know you’re out there to enjoy time with your mates as you play, but you really don’t need to finish telling that
     story before you hit the next shot. They’ve probably heard it already anyway.

7. Not a professional golfer? Then leave the back tees alone if you’re not in a competition where you have to play from
     them.

8. If the rough is thick and you don’t find you ball within a minute or so, let the people behind you play through.

9. If you’re stuck behind a slow group, ask politely if you can play through rather than getting steamed up back on the
     tee.  They may be completely oblivious to your presence.

10. That thing when you squat down and hold your putter vertically before you look at our putt?  It’s called plumb-bobbing.
     It doesn’t work. All it does is waste everybody’s time.
 

Slow Play

Always keep up with the group in front; not just ahead of the group behind

Call through the group behind if:

• You’ve not kept up with the group in front
• You’re looking for a lost ball
• You’re playing a friendly game and the group behind are in a match
• The group behind has less players and you appear to be holding them up

If in doubt, offer the group behind the choice of coming through.

Smoking Policy !
Hospital policy for your golf course is: ‘NO SMOKING’.

The only place you can smoke is on the patio.

Please do not bend or break these rules.
 

Men’s new 9 hole handicap competitions
We will be running 9 hole STABLEFORD competitions from Monday to Friday throughout the summer. These are available to ALL MEMBERS and allow those of us who don't have the time to do 18 holes to maintain a club handicap.

Players will start with 18 points which will be added to their 9 hole points tally.  The competitions will be played over holes 10 to 18.

Fee will be £1 per entry; players can enter as many times as they wish but only one score will count towards prizes.
Every card will, however, count towards handicap.

Any member requiring further information please call Ray Draper on 01604 648862.

Membership
Despite a number of new members, the age of our membership is ever increasing and we are in need of some new
members. Membership is available and with a joining fee of just £50 the golf on offer is good quality and great value.
So if you have any friends or colleagues who might be interested in joining please complete an application form
or put a request and address in the Club’s post box and we will post one out to you.
 

Soft Spikes Only!!

In order to ensure that we have the best possible putting surface, only soft spikes will now be permitted to be worn. This rule will operate during summer months only with metal spikes being permitted when the Lift and Place rule is in use.

GPC June 2008
 

Useful Information Extracted from R&A Rules of Golf 1

Forms of Match Play

_{Single: A match in which one player plays against another player.}

_{Threesome: A match in which one player plays against two other players, and each side plays one ball.}

_{Foursome: A match in which two players play against two other players, and each side plays one ball.}

_{Three-Ball:Three players play a match against one another, each playing his own ball. Each player is playing two distinct matches.}

_{Best-Ball: A match in which one player plays against the better ball of two other players or the best ball of three other players.}

_{Four-Ball: A match in which two players play their better ball against the better ball of two other players.}

Forms of Stroke Play

Individual: A competition in which each competitor plays as an individual.

Foursome: A competition in which two competitors play as partners and play one ball.

Four-Ball: A competition in which two competitors play as partners, each playing his own ball. The lower score of the partners is the score for the hole. If one partner fails to complete the play of a hole, there is no penalty.

Note: For bogey, par and Stableford competitions, see Rule 32-1. Four-Ball

Handi

Match Play Singles Foursomes Four-ball (better ball)   Full difference between the handicaps of the players 1/2 difference between aggregate handicaps of each side Back marker to concede strokes to the other 3 players based on 3/4 of the difference between the full handicaps   Stroke Play Singles Foursomes Four-ball (better ball)   Full handicap 1/2 aggregate handicap of partners Each partner received 3/4 of full handicap   Par Singles Foursomes Four-ball (better ball)   Full handicap 1/2 aggregate handicap of partners Each partner received 3/4 of full handicap     Stableford Singles Foursomes Four-ball (better ball)   Full handicap 1/2 aggregate handicap of partners Each partner received 3/4 of full handicap

cap Allowances

 




Greensomes Lower handicap x 0.6 plus higher handicap x 0.4 except where handicaps of the partnerships are equal,
then the Greensome handicap is half the combined.

Pace of Play

Play at Good Pace and Keep Up

Players should play at a good pace. The Committee may establish pace of play guidelines that all players should follow.

It is a group’s responsibility to keep up with the group in front. If it loses a clear hole and it is delaying the group behind, it should invite the group behind to play through, irrespective of the number of players in that group. Where a group has not
lost a clear hole, but it is apparent that the group behind can play faster, it should invite the faster moving group to play through.

Be Ready to Play

Players should be ready to play as soon as it is their turn to play.

(This mean’s not standing behind your playing partner when your ball is ahead of him / her. You should stand forward and to side, so not be in any danger but so that you can move to you ball more quickly after he / she has played their shot)

When playing on or near the putting green, they should leave their bags or carts in such a position as will enable quick movement off the green and towards the next tee. When the play of a hole has been completed, players should immediately leave the putting green.

Lost Ball

If a player believes his ball may be lost outside a water hazard or is out of bounds, to save time, he should play a provisional ball.

Players searching for a ball should signal the players in the group behind them to play through as soon as it becomes apparent that the ball will not easily be found. They should not search for five minutes before doing so. Having allowed the group behind to play through, they should not continue play until that group has passed and is out of range.

Priority on the Course

Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, priority on the course is determined by a group’s pace of play. Any group playing a whole round is entitled to pass a group playing a shorter round. The term “group” includes a single player.

Note: GPC has determined that the single player has no priority on the course.

From 14th June 2008 - New Yellow Tees!

As we continue to try to improve the course and the playing experience for you all, we are pleased to advise that from 14th June 2008 we will be removing the yellow boxes through the spring / summer months.

Yellow Tee markers will now be provided on the proper tees.  These will be combined with the Red Tees, becoming Red / Yellow Tees, where we have Red and Whites on the same tees e.g. 1^st 2^nd etc.  Where there are separate tees e.g. 6^th, 9^th 12^th, the White Tees will become White / Yellow Tees.

We would therefore advise that the WHITE TEES are for official Club COMPETITION USE ONLY

This decision has been taken in order to spread the wear on the tee more evenly and  that for casual play, all members have the benefit of playing on the proper tees. 

Please note that the tees will still be rotated twice a week and this change will be operated for a trial period to satisfy us that undue wear does not take place.

With the Yellow boxes going, all rubbish should be placed in the bins that exist at almost every hole!

GPC June 2008
 

26th May - Reminder re Dress Code
Please note that the standard of dress has deteriorated on the course, and we would like to remind people to adhere to the club dress code.

All members and guests should adhere to the club dress code.

- Shirts must be tucked in at all times
- If wearing shorts they must be tailored
- If wearing shorts and short socks then they should be white sports socks
- No ankle length socks are permitted
- All shirts must have collars
- No jeans or tracksuit bottoms
 

4th May - The Rules of Golf

Link to www.randa.org/Rules of Golf   (This links to a 208 page pdf rule book document)

The basis of this great game as defined by the R&A is:

Play the ball as it lies
Play the course as you find it
And if you can’t do either,
do what is fair
But to do what is fair,
you need to know the
Rules of Golf
 

12th March 2008 - Change to Hospital Age Limits
The Hospital has recently altered its rules regarding minimum age and no longer permits new members or guest under the age of 18.

Although the GPC has obtained special dispensation from the hospital so that the existing juniors may continue to play under adult supervision, no guests under the age of 18 are allowed.

Bag Tags
Those members who have recently changed category should either bring their old bag-tag on the 15th March for exchange for the corect bag-tag or should contact Paul Morris.
 

12th March 2008 - Changes to CONGU Handicap Rules Effective 1st  January 2008
 
There are a number of significant changes that have taken place regarding handicaps which became effective from 1st January. The main points are listed below.

• No general play adjustments. Instead there will be an annual review of handicaps carried out between January and March each year by the Handicap Committee.
• Introduction of 9 hole competitions that qualify for handicap purposes.  These will be played over a designated 9 hole course to be announced shortly.  The purpose of these competitions is to allow those of us who do not always have the time or the energy to participate in 18 hole qualifying competitions to be allocated an up to date handicap and still enjoy an element of competition. This should suit all 5 day members and others who wish to perhaps play only 9 holes in the mid-week. Competitions will be in Stableford format.
• There will be no 'non qualifying' competitions.  All singles stroke play competitions will be qualifying competitions for handicap purposes. The only exception will be when the course is playing shorter than usual, for example when we are playing off temporary tees.
• All scores returned in competitions, whether or not all holes have been completed, will count. This means that the net double bogey rule will apply to no returns.  The effect of this is that handicaps will be adjusted up and down even when no returns are recorded.  So it will be perfectly possible for example in a medal, for someone to be cut, even though they have returned no score on one or more holes.
• Full handicap difference allowed in Singles Match Play.  There are also some changes to fourball and foursomes match play allowances which will be published in the coming few weeks. All match play competitions beginning this year will be played under these rules. Competitions that began last year and run into this year will be played under the old rules.
• All Stableford competitions will be played off Full Handicap.
• If anyone needs further explanation please drop me a line or give me a call.

Ray Draper - Handicap & Competitions Secretary
 

12th March 2008 - Handicap Committee
The current handicap committee (exc. Ladies as they have their own) is made up of the following people:

Handicap & Competitions Secretary  - Ray Draper
Immediate Past Captain -  Tom Hall
Vice Captain -  Bill Jenkins

It is proposed that there should be an opportunity for one other member and it is hoped that a general member of the club will take up this position.  It is a role that will not take up much of your time, but if you would like to get involved or are interested please contact the Captain or any other GPC member.
 

Sat 7th

Stableford

Gents

Sun 8th

Stableford

Gents

Sat 14th

Monthly Medal

Gents

Sun 15th

Monthly Medal

Gents

Wed 18th

Ladies 9 Hole Competition

Ladies

Sat 21st

2 Ball Texas Scramble

Gents

Sun 22nd

2 Ball Texas Scramble

Gents

Sat 28th

Speckbrook Qualifier Medal

Gents