CAPTAIN'S BLOG - NEWS

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New Rules Effective 1st January 2019. Course Remarking .
Late in November we were visited be Graeme Phillipson, General Manager of Golf NSW. His visit was to advise the M&G committee on the changes required , for our course marking of penalty areas to conform with the implementation of the new rules.
​Alec Dietsch and I toured the course with him to show him the changes we had made prior to his visit with which he generally agreed. Alec has done the bulk of the work in this area and has prepared the following list of the changes  you will have to play to as from January 1st 2019.
​Alec has done an extraordinary amount of work in this vital part of the changes required so our course is ready to go come the new year.

​The Golf Course has been Re-Marked
Members will notice that the marking of hazards on the course has changed recently in anticipation of the commencement of the New Rules of Golf on 1 January 2019.  The New Rules include a range of guidelines for Committees to allow rationalisation of the markings of Penalty Areas (new name for Hazards).
The main changes that members will notice are;

1. All Penalty Area (formerly Hazards) markings are now RED, making it easier for Members to learn the allowable methods of play from within a Penalty Area.  All of the previous YELLOW Hazards are now RED.
2. Removal of Penalty Area markings on a range of former hazards which only have water in them occasionally.  After 1st January 2019, if a Member in in these areas and there is water present, then a free drop will be allowable for Temporary Water, as it is on any other area of the course at present. The most noticeable areas may be;
   1.  The area left of the pond on Hole No 2
   2. The shallow drainage ditches between the 5th and 6th fairways and the rear of the 11th green
   3. The long drainage ditch on Hole No 10 at the rear of “The Majors”
   4. The area at the foot of the dam wall on Hole No 15
3. There are two extended Penalty Areas where the area beyond an existing RED Penalty Area is considered that it is unfair to expect Members to play from.  These are;
   1. The wooded area below the Telecom tower beyond the existing RED Drainage ditch.  The new Penalty Area goes from the edge of the Penalty Area marking to the course boundary, from the 9th  Tee area down to Burradoo Road fence.
   2. The area beyond the drainage ditch on the west side of the 16th fairway.  This storage and maintenance area between 3rd, 4th and 16th fairways will soon be fully marked around, so that it becomes a Penalty Area on each of those holes.
4. The drainage depressions across the 16th fairway will have the Penalty Area markings removed when the drainage piping around the willow tree is repaired and water drainage across that area is minimal and occasional.

                                                               SEASONS GREETINGS             
A quick note to wish you all and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. 
Thank you for your ongoing support to our club during the past year. 
Damian and his crew continue to present your course in a condition that is the envy of many of our visiting golfers. We have plans to continually improve the course for your golfing pleasure. I apologise for any inconvenience the work in progress, the mounding between the 1st and 18th and behind the 6th green may cause, but I can assure you the end results will be worth the wait. We had hoped to be further advanced with these improvements however the recent inclement weather has slowed the work down a little. The 12th hole is back in play and will be fully operational in the near future. The decoy birds have kept the Corellas at bay but have to be continually relocated to remain a successful deterrent.
A new short game practice area including a bunker is to be built in the New Year, on and around the old croquet green to help hone that area of our game that is so important.
Dad’s Army under the command of Anton Sanger continue their behind the scenes work in maintaining areas of the course under Damian’s direction and the work they do is invaluable.  They are always looking for new recruits, so if you have an hour or so to spare on a Thursday morning please give Anton a call.
There are still quite a few sweaters and vests in the pro shop waiting to be picked up for those who ordered them from the recent special offer. If they could be collected before the New Year it would make our treasurer a very happy man. Most of you would know by now Stuart is leaving us towards the end of February, heading north to Port Macquarie. His bright breezy personality will be sorely missed but we wish him well for the future. Darryl will still be with us when he is not seeking his fortune on the seniors pro circuit. Nick will be the new face in the shop so please make him welcome and give him every assistance you can to help him settle into his new position.
KK our GM continues to drive our club onwards and upwards and we owe him a big debt of thanks.
Our Clubhouse is always a welcome haven after a round of golf or at any time for that matter, Tim and his crew give first class service with a smile and there is not a better place in the Highlands to relax over a cup of coffee or sample one of Regina’s’ gourmet meals or snacks and certainly with the best view in town.
It’s your club right in the centre of Bowral so please use it and enjoy all it has to offer, and, almost without exception you can always get a park. How good is that!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and looking forward to bright and better 2019.
Good Golfing.
Don’t  forget the new rules that come into effect on the 1st January 2019, make sure you have a working knowledge of them. 

These photos show the renovation of the 12th Hole from start to finish which was completed in record time by our own ground staff. Well done Damian and your crew.

This is a heads up for all our golfers to remind you that the most comprehensive changes to the rules of golf for many years take effect on the 1st January 2019. It is important that we are all familiar with these changes for ignorance could cost a coveted medal, trophy or weekly competition round. Golf is one of the very few sports where compliance of the rules relies solely with the individual player. The new Rules have been adopted in an endeavor to speed up a round of golf and make it more enjoyable to all players and to attract new players to the Sport.
​Every player should by now have a copy of “The Players Edition of the Rules of Golf” effective January 2019. If not call into the pro shop or office to obtain your free copy. To help in understanding the 20 most significant changes to the rules please click on the following link to bring
up a video showing how simple they are.
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As from the 14th December the format for the Friday ball competition has been changed as follows;

THE PETER TAIT TROPHY
This trophy was inaugurated in 1950. Peter Tait was a grazier who joined the club in 1920, later when the club purchased the land surrounding the present dam he made a donation of 400 pounds, a considerable sum inthose days, to meet the balance of the purchase price. The club wished to make Mr & Mrs Tait Honorary Members but they declined wishing to remain ordinary members. The trophy is a silver rose bowl. The competition played over two days is a 36 hole nett Stroke Event.
This years winner is Ashley Southon (14) with rounds of 73 and 67 for a total of 140 to edge out Piero Dal Bianco (17) rounds of 70 and 71 total 141.
Congratulations to Ashley who on his day is capable of anything.

TED BOX MEDAL of MEDALS
Ted Box was born in Northumberland and served in the Durham Light Infantry during WW1.
In 1933 he was sent by his firm Alliance Assurance Co. to New Zealand where he became General Manager. WW2 arrived and he served in the New Zealand Army as a training officer with the rank of Major.  After the war he was transferred to Australia in 1948 as
General Manager Australian Alliance.
He was a member of Royal Sydney and joined Bowral Golf Club in 1961, residing in Bowral after his retirement in1962.He served as Treasurer 1964 and 1965,President 1966 to 1968. Elected to Honorary Life Membership at the 1980 AGM
On his death his widow presented his Monthly Medals (silver spoons) to the Club.
The second Honour Board was presented to the club by the winners listed on the first Honour Board.
Purchase of the Jug and mounting of the Medal Spoons was arranged by our current Patron Brian Lamb.
The first winner was J B Dickson in 1985.                   
2018 Ted Box trophy  – Medal of Medals
Winner – Jim Phillips (11) net 66
Runner up – Phillip Jeffrey (8) net 68 c/b

 WRIGHT CAVAYE TROPHY
We have many trophies in our cabinets and perhaps one of the least known is the N H Wright - F L Cavaye Trophy inaugurated in 1964. The clubs 1956 debentures owned by N.H Wright and Commander F.L Cavaye RN had been drawn by ballot for redemption at the AGM in 1966. They each donated 50 pounds to the club for an annual trophy - the best average eight-nett stroke rounds by a member each year.The funds were invested in AGC debentures. N.H Wright had joined the club in 1924. Freddie Cavaye a member since 1956, was a sub lieutenant on HMAS Sydney when she sank the German raider Emden in 1914 .
2018 Wright - Cavaye Trophy Winner  
Tony Rourke 69.25
Runner Up 
Jim Phillips 69.50

STOP PRESS
The 12th hole will be back in play on Wednesday 12th December.(tomorrow)
HOWEVER PLEASE NOTE ANY BALLS LANDING IN THE NEWLY LAID AREA MUST BE TEED UP.
please make sure you comply with these instructions.
It is NOT preferred lies balls must be teed up.