Captain's blog - NEWS

​The final of the J.W.Draper Handicap Stroke Foursomes Match play was contested last Sunday in very windy and cold conditions. The match hit off at 12.30 pmbetween Tony Fitzpatrick and Jim Phillips who had to give Dennis Neale and John Ferguson four shots. The first three holes were halved and then Dennis & John, with some superb golf, went to the lead on the fourth and were never headed. The match finished on the 16th with a win to Dennis & John 3/2. Tony and Jim were magnanimous in defeat and you couldn’t get the smile off the faces of Dennis & John. Although not a formal presentation, which will be done a later date, our picture shows the winners with their trophy Jug. Well done to all for making the finals and playing the game in such a great spirit during adverse weather conditions.

​Pictured is the Captain presenting the Captains Trophy to David Burgess (13) the 2018 winner. David's round of 76 gave him a nett total of 63, an exceptional round of golf. David was also the gross winner on the day. A worthy winner. This is the second time David has won this major event in our golfing calendar.

DADS ARMY The Changing of The Guard
A lunch was held in the Clubhouse the 28th of June to  thank Peter Hannaford for his years of service  leading Dads Army in the vital work they do around your golf course and to celebrate his passing the baton on to his worthy successor Anton Sanger.
His loyal troops presented Peter with a miniature replica of the chain saw which was his weapon of choice in the field and as rumour has it helped him maintain his iron fisted discipline. Anton has no doubt been taking notes and his troops are waiting with some trepidation for his first exercise of power on the battle field.
On a serious note these gentlemen provide an invaluable service to the club and assist our hard working ground staff in presenting the wonderful course we all so much enjoy. They are always looking for new members to swell their ranks. The camararderie and good humour they go about their duties is well worth giving up a couple of hours each Thursday morning to be part of Dads Army.
Both President Kevin, immediate past Captain Paul and I thank Anton for his invitation to the lunch and to be able to express our appreciation on behalf of all members for the work they do.By the way Peter is still very much a member of Dads Army, he has simply handed over the reins of command.

​Pictured are the troops at the lunch and Peter with the Apple Pie Regina baked in his honour, which after some persuasion he shared with us all. Thank you "Chain Saw Pete" for a job well done.

Par Events
Pictured on the right is a sample scorecard for this event. Scores must be entered for each hole where there is a plus or halved score. Where a hole is wiped no score is necessary. 
​All cards sent to Golflink are translated to Stableford scores to facilitate handicapping. When cards are  not marked correctly it doubles the time at the pro shop making corrections so they can be forwarded in the correct format. Love them or hate them Par events are simply another form of Stableford only much less forgiving for shooting over par on any hole, and, if played correctly are a much quicker competition event. Please take the time to mark your cards as shown above to save time and frustration.

John Owens 4BBB KO Trophy.
A reminder that entries close on 1st August for this popular event. The entry sheet is in the Proshop.
​Please check your Members Handbook for the completion dates 
In 1995 a bequest of $4000 was received from the estate of John A Owens AO a popular and respected member. This was used partly for course beautification and improvement, including the row of camellias sasanqua behind the 8th tee tended for many years by our Patron Brian Lamb, for the garden seat at the 18th green and for a premanent trophy, a silver tray, the John Owens Memorial Trophy.  

​On Sunday May 27th the final round of the Mixed Foursomes and Wotton Trophy was contested on a beautiful Autumn day. Leaders from the first round Michelle Di Natale and Sam Mulholland  were hot favourites with an  eleven shot cushion over their closest rivals Chris Hill and Jim  Phillips. As is often the case in golf Michelle and Sam struggled in the second round managing to hang on and win by three strokes and in doing so created a club record. Michelle whose 12 handicap matches her age became the youngest player to win a major club championship. Paired with Sam, one of our young guns, whose current handicap is 8, proved a formidable team,  hanging on under pressure to become the youngest winners to grace the Mixed Foursomes honour board. Michelle coached by Kevin Kenny is a rare talent for one so young and has a bright future in the game if she maintains her dedication and enthusiasm.  Michelle has a very supportive and close family. We wish her all the best in the future and will be closely watching her progress. Early days but we may have a future champion in our midst.

​THE WOTTON TROPHY​
Played in conjunction with the Mixed Foursomes Championship the Wotton Trophy is a handicap event.
This years winners are Faye and Bryan Frith whose net 149 over the 36 holes held off the runners up. Chris Hill & Jim Phillips net 150 c/b.
​Congratulations to Faye and Bryan for a well deserved hard fought victory.
Pictured are Faye and Brian being presented their trophy by the Captain. 

Repairing Divots.
Here is a video from the USGA on repairing divots. 
Our course is our club, the quality of our course is the reason we are the leading golf course in our area. To maintain this level of excellence it is imperitive we assist our green staff as much as we can. The repair of divots is crucial in this regard. Please watch the above video. Sand should NOT be put in the divot before replacing the turf. Our recommendation is that sand be put on the turf after replacement then tramped down to grass level. If turf replacement is not possible (no grass roots attached) then sand should be used to fill the divot to grass level. Any sand left above ground level plays havoc with our mower blades.

Pitch Marks
Our greens, like all greens,  need a lot of tender loving care to keep them in tiptop condition. Please fix your own any pitch marks you can see without holding up the group following you. I'm sure the green will remember and reward you sometime in the future, (just after you have that putting lesson).
Here's how the repairs should be done.The section on repairing the pitch marks is particulary good. Please click here to see the video from a golf club in the US