Responses to our new website and our first online newsletter have been positive so far. Thank you. We will continue to consider any suggestions or criticisms. A few ideas have come in, which we will discuss at the next committee meeting.

The weather has been depressing recently, apart from for members who are enjoying warmer climes: Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and Malaysia, I believe.

It has rained every day so far this year, and the region’s golf courses are sodden. It is hard to imagine that only a few months ago our senior working party and other volunteers from the Senior Section were helping to water greens during a heatwave and drought, while the new irrigation system was being installed. We have every reason to be confident that the course will be superb for the 2023 competition season. Full credit to the green staff and all volunteers!

Match Report for Winter League 1 of 10 – Friday 6th January

Weather was fair, and the necessary first 15 holes were open. The greens were playing remarkably well, despite the frozen conditions through December and the persistent rain since the New Year.

49 cards were submitted. 16 players achieved 30 points or better, and therefore have made it on to the season’s first leaderboard (click here).

1st: Michael John (35 points) – Division 1 Winner
2nd: Mike Pigott (34 points) on count-back over last 6 holes
3rd: Jim Wilson (34 points) – Division 2 Winner

Michael went out with Mike Pigott, and Peter White. Peter himself played well for 33 points (fourth best score of the day). Michael tells me that he was inspired by the three-way competition and the ‘magnificence’ of Mike’s playing to scratch. Well done to all!

Only one 2s prize this week: Bob Mycock, for his 2 on the fifth. (I imagine it was a fluke, having seen the way Bob played the fifth on Monday!)

Happy Mondays – 9th January

After heavy rain overnight and early morning, only 10 holes were open.

A shivering Colin Chisnall turned up with an impressive suntan, mumbling something about “jet lag”, and asking, “are we all mad?”

Five groups played the best-2-out-of-3 format. We all started in squally showers and a fresh (3-club) westerly wind.

Perhaps Colin had a point, and that most us of who turned up – having driven through heavy rain in the pitch black of an early midwinter morning – are are bit nuts. Nevertheless the winning team of three acclimatised natives, Steve Gosling, Bob Mycock and Mark Pickles managed a superb score of 49 Stableford points (9 better than level 2s), well clear of the rest of the field.

Handicap-Sub-Committee Meeting

The handicap sub-committee met immediately after the Monday competition. A few handicaps have been adjusted, mainly upwards, in the hope of keeping everyone in contention this year. Peter Willson and Bob Mycock are working on a new handicap list, which will be on the Senior Section noticeboard by this Friday. Please check your handicap before you play on Friday.

As noted in the previous newsletter, we have created two divisions, around the median handicap for the Senior Section. We anticipated the median to be around 21, but it is in fact significantly higher. We have therefore set the division at 24.

24 handicap and lower is Division 1.
25 handicap and higher is Division 2.

The idea is to make things more competitive, and more fun, keeping more players in contention for a winning place. We will see how these two divisions have worked out at the end of the winter league, and, if necessary, adapt things for the Summer/Autumn league.

Andy Ward Trophy – Winter Pairs Knockout

The next round of the pairs knockout must be played by 10th February.

And Finally

Rob Taylor said he liked the Christmas postcard from the Choy Hing. Quote:

I have had it enlarged and hung on the paddock fence line to frighten the dingoes away. Seems to be working a treat. Missing you all (really??).

Rob returned the compliment, before his setting out on his round of golf at the Nelson Golf Club, “25 deg. C, fluffy clouds”:

Very nice!