Club News

INFORMATION ON COMPETITIONS AND HANDICAPS, THE CLUB CONSTITUTION, SAFEGUARDING, THE CLUB COMMITTEE AND THE CLUB’S CODE OF CONDUCT CAN ALL BE FOUND ON THE CLUB INFORMATION TAB ON THIS SECTION OF THE WEBSITE.

A HUGE THANK YOU…

…..to all those members who have paid their Club subscriptions for 2021-22.  You have been brilliantly prompt in paying, and the Committee are left with minimal queries to follow up.  Thank you for making our lives so much easier – greatly appreciated!

Your 2021-2022 membership stickers and club fixture lists are now ready for collection from the Clubhouse: they are in envelopes set out in alphabetical order on the desk above the practice ball baskets.

COMPETITION RESULTS

The results of the men’s Memorial Shield were as follows:

1st  Bob Clancy and Ted Stokes 46 points

2nd Adrian Yemm and Gary Powell 45 points

3rd  Simon Glastonbury and Chris Nicholas 45 points

There was a limited turnout for the May medal, which was not surprising given the rain on the day! Congratulations to the overall winner, Nick Mountifield, who shot a net 70, and to the divisional net score winners, who are listed below. They are credited with vouchers at the club shop which they can redeem at any time.

Division 1  1st Phil Gardner  2nd Dave Taylor

Division 2  1st Simon Berry  2nd  Ian Knight

Division 3  1st Nick Mountifield  2nd Bob Clancy  3rd Trevor Warren

The competition also served as the (optional) qualifier for the Gloucestershire Golf Union Gold Medal.  The players going forward are Dave Taylor for handicaps of 12 and under and Nick Mountifield for handicaps above 12. Good luck to them in the county competition that takes place in June.

Remember that if you want to enter any Club competitions, you can do so through the ‘Bookings’ tab on How Did I Do? or contact the Competitions Secretary, Steve Yemm – [email protected]

LOCAL RULES

As we start the playing season in earnest, it will be helpful for you to have a reminder of the Club’s Local Rules. These fall into three categories – those that are always in place, those that are in place under particular conditions (normally of weather) and those that are in place to conform with England Golf’s Covid guidance. Please note especially the continuing rule regarding the touching of flagsticks – in a few words, don’t touch or remove them, but you can centre them with a club.

PERMANENT LOCAL RULES

1. Out of Bounds (A-1)

         1.1     The boundaries of the course, defined by the course-side points at ground level of white stakes and or fence posts.

         1.2     The internal boundaries, to the left of the 6^th, to the right of the 9^th and to the left of the 14^th holes are defined by the course-side points at ground level of white stakes.

         1.3     The internal boundary to the left of the 10^th hole is defined by the course-side edge of the drainage ditch. (that is in the ditch)

         1.4     The internal boundary to the left of the 17^th hole is defined by the course-side edge of the hedge.

         1.5     The white stakes on the 10^th and 17^th holes indicate the out of bounds.

2. Stakes Defining Out of Bounds & Internal Out of Bounds (A-4)

         During play of the 6^th, 9^th and 14^th holes, the white stakes are used to define Out of Bounds, are treated as boundary objects. For all other holes they are immovable obstructions. 

3. Stakes Indicating Internal Out of Bounds (A-5)

         The white stakes indicating Out of Bounds on the 10^th and 17^th holes are immovable obstructions.

4. Movable Obstructions (Rule 15.2)

         Stakes that define penalty areas and yardage markers may be moved without penalty.

5. Immovable Obstructions (Rule 16.1b)

5.1    All artificial constructions, benches, wooden railings and steps, ball cleaners, bins, fixed sprinkler heads and control boxes and artificially surfaced paths.

5.2    The sand/ stone filled drainage ditch between the 12^th and 14^th holes.

6. Immovable Obstructions Close to Putting Greens (F-5)

         Relief from interference by an immovable obstruction may be taken under Rule 16.1

         The player also has these extra options to take relief when such immovable obstructions are close to the putting green and on the line of play:

         Ball in General Area The Player may take relief under Rule 16.1b if an immovable obstruction is on the line of play, and is:

            Within two club-lengths of the putting green, and

            Within two club-lengths of the ball.

         Exception – No Relief If Line of Play Clearly Unreasonable. There is no relief under this Local Rule if the player chooses a line of play that is clearly unreasonable.

         Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a.

TEMPORARY LOCAL RULES

1. Preferred Lies (E-3)

         When a player’s ball lies in a part of the general area cut to fairway height or less, the player may take free relief once by placing the original ball or another ball in and playing it from this relief area:

         Reference Point: Spot of the original ball.

         Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point: 6 inches from the reference point, but with these limits:

         Limits on Location of Relief Area:

       Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point, and

       Must be in the general area.

         In proceeding under this Local Rule, the player must choose a spot to place the Ball and use the procedures for replacing a ball under Rules 14.2b(2) and 14.2e.

         Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a

Note. From time to time, this Local Rule may be expanded to cover a ball lying in any part of the general area. Please consult notice boards or confirm with a committee member before commencement of play.

2. Mushrooms on Putting Green (F-15)

         Mushrooms that are attached on the putting green are ground under repair from which free relief is allowed under Rule 16.1d.

         Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a

3. Bunker Filled with Temporary Water (F-16)

         The flooded bunker on ………………….is ground under repair in the general area. It is not treated as a bunker during the round.

         If the player’s ball lies in or touches this ground under repair or the ground under repair interferes with the player’s stance or area of intended swing, the player may take relief under Rule 16.1b.

         All other bunkers on the course, whether they contain temporary water or not, are still bunkers for all purposes under the Rules.

         Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a

COVID TEMPORARY LOCAL RULES

SCORING

To obviate the necessity of exchanging scorecards, a competitor in stroke play,

may:

enter the date, competition, tees played and fellow competitors details, including handicap, on the scorecard.

enter the hole by hole scores, after checking them with the fellow competitor on completion of each hole.

sign the card on completion of the round before returning it in the prescribed manner.

Penalty for breach of this Local Rule – Disqualification Rule 3.3b

FLAGSTICKS

Flagsticks must not be removed from the hole.

The flagstick may be centred in the hole using a club and may be held in the central position whilst a fellow player is putting. The flagstick must not be held or positioned in a position favouring the player.

Penalty for breach of this Local Rule – General Penalty Rule 13.2

BUNKERS

If a players ball comes to rest in a bunker, the player may lift the ball and place it within 6 inches of the original spot of the ball. The area in which the ball is to be placed may not be smoothed prior to placing the ball.

Penalty for breach of this local Rule – General Penalty Rule 12.2

ALL CHANGE FOR HANDICAPS

Your Handicap Index

Your Handicap Index is calculated as an average of the best 8 of the last 20 scores in your Scoring Record, going back to January 2018. Your Handicap Index will be continue to be recalculated every time a new score is added whether you already have 20 scores there or not.

The more scores you return, the more accurately your Handicap Index will reflect your current form.

Acceptable Scores

England Golf and CONGU have decreed that all individual scores in a stroke play format (includes Stableford, Par/Bogey and Maximum Score) achieved during an organised event must be returned.

Roll-ups, swindles and society events are considered to be organised events, and the return of scores from an acceptable format of play is mandatory, both home and away.

For roll-ups etc., pre-registration of intent to submit a score is not required. Entry into a roll-up etc., in itself is accepted as pre-registering.

Members are encouraged to submit scores from individual friendly rounds in an acceptable format (match play not acceptable). These must however be pre-registered, preferably using the How Did I Do phone App. If you cannot access this, you can sign in in the folder in the Clubhouse (above the competitions box) and place your signed card in the competitions box when you have completed your round.

SAFEGOLF

Safe Golf is England Golf’s important initiative to ensure that players of all ages are safe and protected. Our Club Safeguarding Officer, Rob Clancy, and his Deputy, Bob Preston, have done sterling work to ensure that our processes and procedures on these matters are up to date, and we hope to be able to achieve formal recognition from England Golf in the next few months.

ANNUAL ACCOUNT 2020

The annual account for 2020, together with explanatory notes, is shown below:    

ANNUAL INCOME AND EXPENDITURE 2020 (1/1/20 – 31/12/20)

NOTES ON THE ACCOUNTS FOR 2020

Introduction

The Treasurer and Committee continue to present the accounts in a way that better demonstrates to members how their money has been spent. This is achieved by showing the accounts in four sections:

1. Income from subscriptions and other sources and spending against that income – chiefly affiliation fees.
2. Income from competition entries and spending on prizes and related items, such as signwriting for the honours boards.
3. Charity income
4. Seniors activities – the Club account is used as a holding account for these activities (away trip/s and Christmas dinner) so the income and expenditure must balance.

By providing a sub-total below items 1 and 2, members can better see how their subscriptions have been spent.

Notes on income

• This figure includes £72 donated towards the purchase of the Seniors’ Spring Trophy perpetual cup.

Notes on expenditure

• The major item under this heading is the subscription for How Did I Do? to maintain members’ handicaps, analyse competition results: just over £700 in 2020. In addition, spending of £150 for the annual Christmas gift to ground staff is included here.
• Competition expenditure: the attribution to the different sections is approximate, as the expenditure includes the cost of engraving perpetual trophies across all sections. The Committee also agreed to subsidise Ladies’ costs this year as entry fees were waived.
• Presentation Night costs normally include complementary refreshments for those attending and the cost of signwriting of the Honours Boards. In 2020 no event was held and the signwriting will be completed in 2021.
• Charity – £3034 was donated to the Captains’ charity, the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Notes on balances

• the in-year deficit is explained by the Charity donation, most of which was carried forward from 2019. Excluding this, the in-year expenditure of £7539 was covered by the in-year income of £8098

R.W.Wolfson

Treasurer

January 2021