Membership Renewal
Scores in Non Qualifying Competitons
We have received a directive from England Golf that, as from 1st January 2017, players must return all scores in Non Qualifying Competitions to assist Handicap Committees at the annual handicap review. These scores will not directly affect a player’s handicap, but may be used as ‘supporting evidence of performance’ when it comes to the review.
Scores should be returned in all Singles, Am-Am, 4 Ball Better Ball and team competitions, but not Texas Scrambles, Foursomes and Greensomes competitions. This means that any of our members who play in such a competition at another club must inform our club of their score. England Golf have designed a form for this purpose, which can be obtained from the Manager’s Office.
Clubs are also required to return the scores of the top 5 places in any open competition to the player’s or team’s home club. Therefore, as well as reporting the score yourself, the host club will inform your home club.
We are also told that we should also be aware of regular roll-ups that take place at the club, where players are ‘playing off a measured course under Competition Play Conditions’. To assist in this regard, we ask that groups of members who play regularly in a ‘roll-up’, and keep a record of the scores, make these scores available to the Handicap Committee at the end of the year. Initially it would be useful to know just how many groups keep their scores throughout the year. Would you please advise the office.
I reiterate that this information is designed to assist at the annual review and will not be used during the season to adjust handicaps. I am confident that we have a robust system to deal with handicap adjustments and that none of our members are likely to play in an open competition at another club and submit an unrealistic score, which this process is designed to cut out.
Trevor Mason
Chairman
Rules Handicaps and Competitions Committee
Slow Play – play “Ready Golf”
SLOW PLAY is the thing that bugs us most, especially in competitions, and it is the thing that members complain about most. We have to speed things up. A few things you can do to make sure you are not holding up play: –
- Play ‘Ready Golf’. Etiquette may well say that the person with the lowest score has the honour on the next hole, but it is much more relevant to match play than stroke play. If you are ready to tee off – just get on with it. Similarly if you are closer to the hole than your partner as you approach a green and you are ready to play – just get on with it (provided that it is safe to do so)
- Do you really need to look at your putt from every conceivable angle? We are club players – it’s not the European Tour!
- Have your club ready to play your shot – don’t wait until your partners have played their shots before choosing your club
- Mark your card while your partners are teeing off.
- Leave your bag to the side of the green where you will walk to the next tee
- You have 5 minutes maximum to look for a ball. Play a provisional if there is any chance that it might be lost. Don’t all go to look for each ball that may be lost
- Make every effort to keep up with the group in front – not in front of the group behind
- If you are holding other groups up, consider letting them through
Updated Disciplinary Policy
The club has now updated it’s Disciplinary Policy and a copy can be found at – FFGC Disciplinary Policy.
Club Sweaters & Shirts
The club colours are confirmed as tartan green sweaters and white shirts with gold FFGC logo on left chest. They are available to members from the Pro Shop with standard price for the sweater of £69.95 and tee shirt is £39.95, before members 10% discount. A further 10% discount can be secured if we can put orders in batches of 20.
What a load of Balls…?
For those of a technical mind you may find the following article on the technology behind the modern golf ball of interest – SportsTechGolfBalls.
Fastest hole in golf
Not quite what’s expected from seniors, but the fastest hole in golf was played at the Spanish Open earlier in April 2016 – worth a watch via the following link – Guiness World Record for fastest hole in golf.