- End of the Financial Year
- Tree Planting
- Course Care
- Coming Events
- Recent Results
- Rules Quiz
- Know Your Course
- A Little Humour
The end of another year of finance, and the start of another round of club subscriptions. Welcome back to our returning members, and a big welcome to the new members who have joined the club recently. Also welcome to those members who's category has changed from 'Provisional' status to 'Full Playing' status. Farewell to those members who have decided to move on to other activities or lifestyles. Thank you for being a part of the Bowral Golf Club "Family", and we wish you the very best for the future.
Tree Planting Last Friday ( 28th June), 6 of our club members joined me to plant 21 'Lipstick Maples'. These trees were kindly donated by one of our members. 13 of the 1.5m saplings were planted on the top of the mounding alongside the 18th fairway, 7 were planted on the right hand side of the 3rd fairway, and the final tree planted next to the ladies 14th tee. Many hands made the job fly, and the entire exercise was completed in about 2 1/2 hours. My heartfelt thanks to Paul Carroll, Brian Lamb, David Stanley, Pat Donoghue, Paul Pettiford and Robert Eriksson. |
A request for all players to please repair the divots you create, or come across, as you play the course. The grass grows very slowly over the Winter months, and we will be left with a very messy and pock-marked course otherwise. There is sand available at each tee. You should find that you need to re-fill your bucket about every 3 holes. Don't overfill the divots, just fill to the existing soil level. Thank you for helping make our course more picturesque.
- The sign-up sheet is still open (until next Wednesday 3rd July) for the John Owens Trophy. The competition is a 4BBB Handicap Stableford Match play event, and there are plenty of slots still available. The first round is to be completed by the 21st of July. Get your team signed up.
- Winter Whiteout. Wednesday 10th of July. A White tee Stableford competition in two divisions for some added fun. Indicate on your card whether you are 75 or over, or 74 and under. There are divisional prizes for the NTP 11th and the longest drive on the 8th. The usual pro-pin competition, and the usual ball run competition. When was the last time you drove the 15th??? This might be the day!!
- The Monthly Medal next Saturday begins the new format of having the day a 'stroke only' competition. There will be no single Stableford competition run in conjunction. Note that medal winners will now receive a voucher in addition to the usual tumbler and pin.
- Wednesday 26th June. A 3 person Stableford Ambrose was played under fabulous conditions with several of the usual tees replaced for the day. The 4th, 10th and 14th holes were played from a different tee to add to the experience. The feedback I've received, has been very supportive towards the occasional use of these different tees. 54 players entered the competition and the team including the club's President claimed a comfortable win. Rob Humphreys (25), Peter Shortle (25) and Peter Cottee (19) with 57 1/2 points from Chris Kunz (16), Roberto Ratalino (22) and Darryl Purchase (+2) on 60 points. The Eagle's nest is still growing, Darryl Purchase won the NTP 11th and John Ferguson the pro-pin.
- Saturday 29th June. Another fine Winter's day and the field of 72 players engaged in a 3 person Stableford Aggregate competition. Visitors on the day from MacArthur Grange and Camden joined a field which saw the team of Langdon Emery (16), Dennis Cooper (25) and Frank Eggert (14, the afternoon ringer player) score 102 points to take out the prize. The best single score on the day went to Frank Eggert with 38 points and the team of Fraser McDonald (24), Tom Whitmarsh (23) and Nick Winstone were the runners up with 100 points. The Eagle's nest was not won again, and now stands at 6 balls. The NTP 11th was won by Terry Downing and Harry Caust won the pro-pin. The DSR was 70.
- Sunday 30th June. The final of the Club Championships for Men's Foursomes was played over 36 holes with a very chilly start. The windchill temperature was below zero as the team of John Mellen and John Ferguson commenced the playoff against Phil Jeffery and Craig Houden. This was set to be an excellent competition and the reality did not disappoint. A good following crowd was kept entertained with some excellent play and some very effective scrambling. The match turned the corner after 18 holes with the 'John's" team two up. A quick fightback by Craig and Phil brought the teams back to level footing in the first two holes and remained that way until perhaps the 'shot of the day' from Phil on the 28th hole left his partner a 3m putt to win the hole. Despite fighting as hard as possible the 'John's team' were unable to hold on and the game was finalised on the 33rd hole with the final score of 4 and 3. Congratulations to Phil Jeffery and Craig Houden for an excellent result, and worthy Club Champions. Congratulations also to the runners up John Mellen and John Ferguson for their fighting spirit, and to both teams for the manner in which the final was played.
The question from last week's blog was to describe the procedure to be followed, and the number of the next stroke to be played. Go and read it now, then come back for the answer.
So, the procedure to be followed is to return to the location of the provisional ball and drop within one club length (no closer to the hole) of that point. You might have to estimate where this point is. The next shot to be played will be the 7th shot. The reasoning for this is as follows:
- Your initial tee shot counts as shot 1.
- The hitting of an incorrect ball results in two extra shots, and the original ball is now considered lost. Since you hit a provisional ball the local rule which would have allowed you to drop onto the fairway is no longer available. So that adds two shots (stroke and distance).
- Your provisional ball is now the ball in play, and unfortunately it was moved, so that adds a penalty, and your current shot score is now 6, and the next shot will be your 7th.
This week's scenario has you playing the 16th hole. Your second shot hits the green and stays on (yep, a bit surprising I know haha), finishing about 2m above the pin. As you are approaching the green the greenskeeper is just finishing watering the green and accidentally sends a spray of water toward your ball. Your ball commences rolling and rolls INTO the hole Yippee!!! or is it?
The questions.
- What do you do?
- Is there a penalty to be applied?
Congratulations to Jim Phillips for being the inaugural winner of this competition. The correct answer was of course the 2nd hole, and the player was none other than John Mulholland.
This week is not so easy (I think), although I'm sure someone out there will have the answer right away and take out the prize. Don't hold back because you may still be the winner right up until the presentation next Saturday.
The tee sign in this picture has an advertising section on it's lower panel. Which company is being advertised?
A young man with a few hours to spare one afternoon figures that if he hurries and plays very fast, he can get in nine holes before he has to head home. As he is about to tee off, on old gentleman shuffles onto the tee and asks if he can join him. Although worried this will slow him up, the younger man says, "Of course."
To his surprise, the old man plays quickly. He doesn't hit the ball very far, but it goes straight. Furthermore, the old man moves along without wasting any time.
When they reach the 9th fairway, the young man is facing a tough shot. A large pine tree sits in front of his ball, directly between it and the green.
After several minutes pondering how to hit the shot, the old man says, "You know, when I was your age, I'd hit the ball right over that tree."
With the challenge before him, the young man swings hard, hits the ball, watches it fly into the branches, rattle around, and land with a thud thirty centimetres from where it had started.
"Of course," says the old man, "when I was your age, that tree was only one metre tall!"
Now Go out and Enjoy a Game of Golf.