Good day all,

As I write, the rain is tumbling down again and making this weekend’s events unpredictable!  The good news is that our Club has been open pretty much more than any other club in the area, in the main due to the hard work of all the greenkeeping team. Well done Jack and co, please keep it up.

Most regular players will know that March and April are the start of a busy golfing season, and I would ask you to take note of the Club Master Calendars for each month as issued separately by Al Bowyer, but also put up in the changing rooms.

Please click here for Al's full March schedule

February Results - well done to all victors!

Seniors Monthly Stableford - Meron Jacyma with 47 points.

Mixed Club Stableford - Chris Bridger with 43 points (on c/b from Mike Smith).

Club Stableford - Arthur Dobosz with 44 points (on c/b from Brian Sims).

Reminder of Save the Dates for April.

Wednesday 3rd April - WAGs Start Up (Dave MacKenzie) & Mens Trophy Presentation evening afterwards.

Monday 15th April - "On Course Foundation" Charity visit. (Dick Pooley)

Tuesday 23rd April - St. Georges Day Celebration - Captains Three Club Challenge, followed by roast beef lunch. (Dick Pooley)

NEW DATE - Club joint Charity Quiz Night - Friday 7th June at PR GC. (Sue Pomeroy & Dick Pooley).

Mens Away Trip to Staverton Park Hotel & Golf Club 7th/8th/9th May.    There are still one or two places available for this trip: 22 definite so far!  Further details from myself.

Pro Shop.  Please keep in touch with Luke Viney for all your Club clothing and accessories; new stock arriving regularly - it's Mother's Day coming up!

Mother's Day Lunch. If you after an award winning Mothers Day Sunday Lunch - Trish is open until 5pm, but hurry, it's booking up fast!

Coaching.  Bruce Loome has told me he will be back in the UK around the end of April. I know we have several new members, both ladies and gents, who will be looking for some lessons.

Etiquette.  Please rake bunkers, replace divots, and repair pitch marks.

Once again, many thanks for reading and your support.

Dick Pooley, Club Captain.

mob. 07785 996511, land 01494 269615, email "richardpooley5@gmail.com"

Here is the link to Sue's update

LADIES MARCH 2024 NEWSLETTER - Sue Pomeroy

What a great catch for the clubhouse team!  Please welcome Jack Thorne.  Not sure which one you have met - but both are very talented!  Jack is off to University in September but as it is local, the plan is that he will be working for us full time during the summer and part time during term time - perfect!

Oh and in case you spot the likeness - his dad Chris is a bit of a winner too!

New Measured Winter 'Brown' Course, Scorecards & Handicap Tables Working a Treat!

A massive thank you to all of the Committee Members (& of course Barry Woledge) for their support in launching our first ever measured Winter Course.

The great teamwork and hard work paid off and everything went to plan.

We are keen to single out Steve Williams in particular for his leadership and guidance - absolutely invaluable.

A reminder - and in short - From January 1, 2024:

PRGC Course was re-rated as more difficult:

1. The course was remeasured and its difficulty rating adjusted by England Golf
2. Because the course has been rated 'more difficult', you get more shots awarded on your existing handicap index - you were better than you thought!
3. Over time, as you submit cards into the Club V1 system, your handicap will normalise at a new lower  level

...And Coming Soon in Spring 2024 (when the main tees re-open)

Our new courses will become available!  In the old world, in casual or general play, men could use the Yellow Tees to score on.  Ladies could score on their Red Tees and a hybrid Yellow course.

From the Spring, Men and Ladies will, in regular play, be able to choose to play on one of 5 new measured courses

Brown: Mats to Main Greens (winter)

Green: A new short course designed for golfers who have lost a few yards on their drive but their short game and guile keeps them competitive (also good for Juniors)

Bronze: A new short, relatively quick course; a chance for men and ladies to play competitively together on the same course, without distance being a hurdle.

Silver: Longer than the Bronze but still accessible for men and ladies to compete on.  Interesting Tee positions and par 5's for the ladies on longer holes.

Gold: Again, a new course iteration, making PRGC still more versatile and interesting.  Also accessible for men and women to play and score on.

In addition to the above new Casual / General play courses there will of course be additional competition courses, for example the Whites, which will be restricted to certain Club Competitions.  More on those in a future release!

Importantly, there will be no such thing now as a ladies' tee or a men's tee - there are now 5 different Casual / General play courses and you (men and women) simply check the handicap tables, the SI's and the pars and choose from the available courses.

For key competitions, you will as ever, be directed to specific courses.

More information to come ahead of the launch - but just to whet your appetite!! Can't wait!!

How wonderful to welcome so many more visitors to the club this spring.  As you know, at PRGC we are blessed with a sponge like chalk base which creates the most sustainable, natural drainage system possible.  Combine that with Jack's greenkeeping expertise and we have been able to keep our greens and course open when other local clay based courses have been forced to close.

The feedback from our visitors has been fantastic  - particularly for the fairways, greens and and customer service in the clubhouse.  A real buzz for the teams and a lovely reward for all the hard work!

Some quick calendar updates