Well that’s the meteorological summer over but there are forecasts of some great weather later in September so there is still plenty to look forward to in our golfing year. We continue to have to operate under COVID conditions with the locker rooms closed, but whilst the weather holds up we shouldn’t be too inconvenienced by changing our shoes in the car park!
The course has been playing beautifully throughout August and our thanks go to Mark and his team of groundsmen who are keeping it in such good condition, whilst the Clubhouse team under Gary’s guidance are also doing an excellent job.
Competitions during August were hit by extremely hot weather with the Monthly Stableford split into 18 hole and 9 hole options. Overall the 18 hole option was won by Becky Lowry (39 points) who played on Saturday, and the 9 hole option by Melinda Pooley (18 points) who played on Wednesday. The Grannies Cup was played in more temperate conditions with Jill Peppett (32 points) winning on countback from Sue Pomeroy.
Our calendar for September is as follows:
Wednesday 2nd September – we played The Seniors Cup
Saturday 5th/Wednesday 9th September – Monthly Stableford. Please book your own tee times and remember to let Jacqui Taylor and Beryl Austin know about your plans so that the records can be kept up to date.
Saturday 12th/Sunday 13th September – The Barcilon – our club championship competition weekend. Jill is managing ladies entries.
Monday 14th September – Seniors and Ladies Away Day at Oakland Park. Entries for this close on Sunday 6th September. Sue D’Arcy is liaising with Al Bowyer regarding ladies entries.
Wednesday 16th September – Ladies Inaugural Cup. This is being organised by Jacqui and we can expect more information in due course.
Sunday 20th September – The California Cup – it looks like there will be a good turn out of ladies for this Mixed Stableford competition. If you’ve got any questions, please be in touch with Jacqui or Jill.
Wednesday 23rd September – This is the re-arranged day for The Sullivan Cup which is a Stableford competition for pairs. Jacqui will be posting tee times nearer the date.
Thursday 24th September – RAGS Away Day to Three Locks. This is the society group organised by John Stephenson. If you’d like to play please contact him direct at john@jrstephenson.co.uk
Wednesday 30th September – Ladies Informal Morning – remember them? We’re planning a Multiply Magic (socially distanced!) event. More news soon.
And of course many ladies continue to enjoy golf on Mondays, our traditional roll-up morning. If you haven’t had a chance to fix a game, we suggest you use the WhatsApp group to find a partner, or two! Not registered on the WhatsApp group? Then get in touch with Sue who can add you to our network.
Our knockout competitions have reached either semi-final or final stages. Well done to everyone for managing to get matches either played or scheduled, and good luck to those who are still in contention. Don’t forget to let Jacqui know of play dates and results.
We continue to welcome new lady members and are delighted that Sylvia Clark has now become an active member, playing on Wednesdays and in mixed events. We extend a warm welcome to all those who have recently joined. Please don’t be shy – whilst the weather remains favourable there is always an opportunity to meet a wider group of ladies socially distanced on the terrace at lunchtime on Wednesdays. Or if you’d prefer, please get in touch with any member of the Committee – we will all be pleased to make the necessary introductions. If you have a current competitive handicap then you are most welcome to take part in our competitions. If you don’t have a handicap yet or yours is out of date, then we are happy to help you get into the system.
The other major issue continues to be the new World Handicap System (WHS) which will come into force at the beginning of November. The Main Committee is working through the changes and you will hear more anon. Expect to learn about your handicap index and how it will be calculated, the course slope which takes into account the course difficulty, and how you will become responsible for entering your results into a tablet which will be positioned in the Clubhouse or via an app on your smart phone. All change is difficult and some of these terms will seem rather alien to begin with, but we will adjust very quickly and there will be plenty of help available.
As we seem to say each month at the moment, golf isn’t quite the same as it used to be, what with leaving the pins in and not raking the bunkers, but everyone has adjusted well and it really is great to be enjoying our beautiful course. If you haven’t ventured out yet we can assure you that the Club is managing all COVID requirements whether on the course or in the Clubhouse with efficiency and courtesy – we hope to see you again soon.
What we all must remember is the England Golf mantra – PLAY SAFE and STAY SAFE. Enjoy your golf ladies.
5th September 2020
