CAPTAIN'S BLOG - NEWS

The Captain's Trophy 2019.
Well nobody could say that the Captain does not look after his players. Saturday the 20th July, mid Winter, was just perfect. Warm, no wind, fast greens and some decent run on the fairways. All the ingredients for a great day on the course. However, the course had a say in the outcome, as player after player found scoring difficult. The winner of the 2019 Captain's Trophy was Jim Phillips with an excellent net 69 on a count back from Norris Dudgeon. Congratulations to all the players who took part, and to the excellent turnout at the Presentation which followed.

The J W Draper Trophy Presented
The final of the 2019 J W Draper Trophy for Handicap Foursomes Match Play was contested the previous week in atrocious conditions. The winners, Jim Phillips and Tony Fitzpatrick, were presented with the trophy last Saturday during the Captain's Trophy day presentation. My appreciation to the players who contested the final, Robert Eriksson and Peter Metcalf, runners up, for making themselves available to attend the presentation. It's an important event on the calendar, and the members appreciate the opportunity to applaud their champions.

A Hole In One.
Congratulations to Alec Dietsch for his Ace on the 11th hole during the Captain's Trophy competition. His 6 iron to the bottom of the cup is the first hole in one by a male member for nearly 2 years. Suffice to say he also won the NTP on that hole!!

Recent Results
Wednesday 17th July. The July edition of our popular 4BBB Open Day competition with a single stableford in conjunction. A windy day which saw several trees come down on the course welcomed a field of 68 in the contest. With 43 points the team of Pat Donoghue (20) and Peter Metcalf (22) won the event on a count back from Grant Blanchard (29) and Peter Leon (15). The single event was won by Grant Blanchard (29) with 40 points. The Eagle's nest was again not won and now stands at 9 balls. David McGinnes won the NTP 11th and Paul Carroll the pro-pin. We welcomed visitors from Moss Vale, Qantas Club and Barwon Valley Golf Clubs, the DSR sat at 70.

Saturday 20th July. The Captain's trophy, an annual stroke event was held in magnificent conditions, and 78 players enjoyed the competition. As described earlier Jim Phillips (14) with a net score of 69 was the eventual winner of the trophy. The best individual score on the day was returned by country member David Anderson (22) with a net 68 on a count back from another country member, John Butcher (25). The scratch winner was John Mulholland with 80. Again the Eagle defended her nest and now nestles 9 balls. Alec Dietsch won the NTP 11th courtesy of his hole in one, and Craig Houden won the pro-pin. We welcomed a visitor from Kogarah GC and the DSR was again 70.

The Rules Quiz
Last week I presented a photograph showing the location of a ball with reference to a staked tree (go and look at it now). I questioned whether a player was entitled to free relief - YES, whether that relief was mandatory -YES (at BGC it is on the back of your score card), and where that relief was to be taken - The point nearest the current position of the ball which allows the player full relief (if the player subsequently hits the bush/tree with his/her club a penalty is applied.) How did you go with that one? 

This week we look at the new rule which came into effect on 01 January 2019 and relates to the correct method for dropping a ball when required. If you aren't aware, the change required a ball to be dropped from knee height, straight down (without propelling or spinning it, or any other motion which might effect where the ball comes to rest) and not touch any part of the player's body or equipment before it hits the ground. Okay, that's all fine, but what do you do if you forget to drop with the new method, and realise this after taking a drop via an incorrect technique?

Know Your Course.
Congratulations to Paul Carroll for correctly identifying that the photograph indicated 100m to the 12th green.
This week's is a little harder (perhaps?). We had a little jumpy visitor a few weeks ago, see if you can answer the question shown in the photograph. As usual the first person with the correct answer who emails me at bgcclubcaptain@gmail.com will be awarded a club ball marker. Give it a go!!
​

A Little Humour
A golfer standing on a tee overlooking a river sees a couple of fishermen and says to his partner, "Look at those two idiots fishing in the rain."

NOW GO OUT AND ENJOY A GAME OF GOLF!!!!

J W Draper 
The final of the J W Draper Trophy for Foursomes Handicap stroke match play was held under extremely trying conditions last Sunday 14th of July. The howling wind and cold temperatures (with windchills around minus 5 degrees) provided a harsh backdrop to the last of the Foursomes competitions in this calendar year. The team of Robert Eriksson and Peter Metcalf squared off against Tony Fitzpatrick and Jim Phillips under the ever-watchful eye of referee Don Barker. A tough competition ensued, in which the weather played a major role, and the result was determined on the 14th hole with Tony and Jim emerging victorious with the score of 5 and 4. Congratulations to both teams for the standard of competition and spirit in which they played. Thank you to Don Barker for again putting his hand up to referee. The Trophy will be awarded next Saturday 20th July during the post game presentation.

Winter Whiteout Competition is a success!

The comments received following the playing of the inaugural 'Winter Whiteout' competition showed that the format was widely well received, and will become a regular event in the club calendar in future. 59 players entered the competition on a fine winter's day and in Division 1 (75+) our club president Rob Humphreys (25) with a score of 38 points became the inaugural winner. Alan Turpie (21) with 37 points became the runner-up. In the 'Whippersnapper's' division (74-) Paul Pettiford (14) narrowly held on to first place by count back from Alec Dietsch, both with 41 points. The 'Captain's prize' for the longest drive was won by young Pat Donoghue and a younger Paul Pettiford, while the NTP 11th was won by Brian Lamb (Div 1) and John Mulholland (Div 2). Tony Rourke firing a dart to win the pro-pin. Congratulations to all the players for embracing a new event with enthusiasm.

Bowral Golf Club's Michelle Di Natale was crowned the under 13 NSW Champion following a four-round event held at the Belmont GC in the Hunter Valley. Additionally Michelle ran 31st overall in the 13 - 17 aged competition. Congratulations from everyone at the club.

Recent Results

Saturday 13th of July. Will anyone ever remember the golf on this day?? The wind howled at over 80 kph and dropped the windchill to well below zero. Suffice to say, a reduced field of very hardy souls took to the course to try their luck, with very mixed results. Tom Whitmarsh (23) with 37 points emerged as the winner from Eddie Jones (21) on 36. The Eagle's nest was again not won and now stands at 8 balls. Tony Fitzpatrick won the NTP 11th and Simon Taufel the pro-pin. Visitors on the day from Macarthur Grange and the Australian, and the DSR was unremarkably 72.

The Rules Quiz

Last week I raised the issue of hitting a ball which is in motion (go and read it now). The scenario posed the question of when it is permissible to hit a moving ball without being penalised. There are 4 situations,

• Hitting or lifting a ball which is in running water,
• Hitting a ball twice in one stroke
• Hitting a ball which moves whist in your back swing or downswing (providing the movement was not caused by you)
• Hitting a ball which has/is falling off a tee in the teeing area.

Note, in all the above cases, the ball is subsequently 'in play' following the stroke.

This Week's Quiz.
See the photograph opposite. The white dot indicates the position of your ball after a shot. The questions,

1. Are you entitled to free relief?
2. Must you take that relief if it is allowed?
3. If relief is available, where is it to be taken?

This is a pretty easy one this week, so I'd hope to see a few more offer up their answer at the presentation. Give it a go, don't be shy.

Know Your Course

Email me with your answer at:  bgcclubcaptain@gmail.com

Christmas In July
Last Friday the 5th of July, the Bowral Golf Club celebrated a Winter Christmas in fine style. The 144 guests represented the largest sit-down dinner held within the club's premises in recent memory. Both guests and staff alike, were enthusiastic in their description of the success of the event. Well done to everyone involved, great club spirit, and a true indication of the "Esprit de Corp" which continues to grow within our club. Unfortunately, everyone was having such a good time, I have been unable to locate any photos to post.

The Tom McKay Trophy.
The winners of the recently concluded Club Championships for Foursomes competition were present on Saturday, and were able to receive the Tom McKay trophy at the afternoon's presentation. As detailed in last week's blog, Craig Houden and Phil Jeffery won the event with a score of 4 and 3 after 33 holes of match play golf. The runners-up team was represented at the presentation by John Ferguson, as his partner, John Mellen, is currently unavailable.

Coming Events

• The Winter Whiteout
• The J W Draper Final
• The John Owens Signup closes
• Captain's Trophy

This Wednesday 10th July sees the introduction of a new event in the Club's calendar. The Winter Whiteout is a competition held from the White Tees, and in two 'aged based' divisions (75 and over, 74 and under). It looks to be a fun event, and so far the numbers are looking good on the booking sheet (online). Come along and play the course from locations you've probably never used before. Long drive, and nearest the pin prizes for each division will be presented, along with the usual pro-pin and ball run.

The final of the J W Draper competition will be held next Sunday with a tee time at 09:28. The teams of Peter Metcalf and Robert Eriksson are taking on the team of Tony Fitzpatrick and Jim Phillips. It looks like being a cracker, so come along and give the players your support.

The Signup sheet for the John Owens trophy has now closed. The draw will be on the appropriate notice boards tomorrow (9th July). There are a few byes in the first round, which has to be completed by the 4th of August. See the noticeboards, or look online at the Conditions of Competition, to see the playing conditions please.

The Captains Trophy round is not far away. The event is on the 20th of July. It is a stroke only event. Sign up and try to come to the presentation. I would be greatly honoured to be able to physically present my first 'Captain Award' to the recipient on the afternoon.

Recent Results

Wednesday 3rd July. 60 players enjoyed an afternoon of single Stableford in good conditions. Whilst yours truly was unable to make it past the 3rd hole due to an injury, Paul Carroll kindly made the presentations on my behalf. David Anderson (23) with 38 points was the eventual winner from Robert Eriksson (21) on 37 points on count back. The Eagle's nest is still growing (not won), the NTP 11th went to Kevin Staples and Alec Dietsch winning the pro-pin. Visitors on the day from Wakehurst, Strathfield, Gibraltar and Moss Vale and the DSR was 69.

Saturday 6th July. The July Monthly Medal was well attended with 71 players hitting the fairways (well, maybe some of you hit the fairway!). The 'A' grade medal was won by Frank Eggert (13) with a net 69 from Ray White (14) on 70 with a count back. The 'B' grade medal was won with an excellent net score of 63 by Pat Donoghue, from Craig Houden (18) with net 66. I was very appreciative of the "clubmanship" demonstrated by Pat who returned to the clubhouse for the presentation. The 'C' grade medal was won by Henry Farrell (32) with a net 64 from David Farthing (31) with a net 66. The best scratch score on the day was returned by David Ferguson with 72. Well done to all the winners. The Eagle's nest is going to need to apply for a DA to allow the nest to be enlarged, as there are now 7 balls in residence. The NTP 11th went to Michael Halfhide, and the pro-pin to John Ferguson. Two visitors from the Australian joined the field for the day, and the DSR was 68

The Rules Quiz

Last week I proposed a scenario (go and read it now) that required some knowledge of the difference between an "Outside Influence" and a "Natural Force" when applied to movement caused to your ball. In the scenario, since the ball has been moved by an "Outside Influence", the ball must be replaced without penalty to the position it lay before being moved. We had the first play-off for a winner at the presentation last Saturday, in the form of a 'putt-off'. Ash Southon, John Buchanan and Phil Jeffery contested the final, as each had correctly answered the question (Jim Phillips also provided the correct answer, but unfortunately was unable to remain for the actual quiz). Phil Jeffery emerged as the winner with an excellent lag putt and won the ball marker.

This week. If a player plays a stroke at a ball which is in motion, that player is given a two stroke penalty (Ask Phil Mickelson about this one). Are there any circumstances where a player may play at a ball which is in motion and not be penalised?

Know Your Course.

Congratulations to Leonie Carroll for correctly identifying the 2nd tee sign and the "Fly Corporate" sponsors name. Well done!

This week there is an Owl in this photo. Toward which green is he/she looking? 

A Little Humour

A husband and wife are playing golf one week.

They're on the 9th green when the wife suddenly collapses.

"Help me dear," she groans to her husband.

So the husband gets out his mobile phone, talks for a few minutes, then he picks up his putter and lines up his putt.

His wife uses all her strength to raise her head off the green and stares at him as she gasps, "I'm dying here and you're putting?"

"Don't worry dear," says the husband calmly, "they found a doctor on the second hole and he's coming to help you."

"Well, how long will it take for him to get here?" she asks feebly.

"Oh no time at all," says her husband.
"Everybody's already agreed to let him play through!"

​Now go out and enjoy a game of Golf.

EOFY 
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.

Course Care
​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.

Rules Quiz
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:

1. Your initial tee shot counts as shot 1.
2. 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).
3. 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.

The players at the presentation did come up with the correct score, but unfortunately not the correct procedure of continuing play with the provisional. I'm pleased to see more players taking an interest in this little quiz, and I'm looking forward to this next one.

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.

1. What do you do?
2. Is there a penalty to be applied?

​Good luck, come along to the presentation next Saturday and see if you can win the ball marker.

Know Your Course.

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 little Humour.
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.