Voluntary Course Maintenance

Our appreciation to Alun Davies and members who volunteered to improve the course by cleaning up pathways of autumn leaves, mud and other debris, not only making the course safer but also tidier. Prior to Christmas they worked on the path around the fourteenth tee and last week tackled  the long path from the twelfth green to the thirteenth tee which was an unsightly mess and very slippery from autumn leaves, mud and ice.

Alun would like to thank the following for the work they did; John Hinchliffe; Tony Guest; Peter Sandall; Phil Cassidy; Paul Chapman; Peter Foster and Cyril Jennings. He would also like to thank the green staff for the loan of equipment.

There will be another voluntary work group on the 26th of February to tackle other problems on the course. If anyone would like to devote a couple of hours to help out please let Alun know on 01584 831101, or email him on janetandalun@btinternet.com.

If anyone else is giving their time freely in work that improves our course please let me know so your efforts can be acknowledged on our website. Likewise if anyone has any ideas of how to improve the course without troubling the Treasurer (to much) please let the web site know through the link at the bottom of the page.

Members draw...

A message from the captain. Congratulations to John Callow who won the Free Membership Draw for 2010/2011 which was drawn on New Year’s Eve. Thanks to all those members that participated and good luck next year.

Rule issue...

How often have you taken a practice swing on the tee and accidentally hit the ball. How often has it led to a discussion on whether it is a foul stroke or not. It happened to me twice, the first time I was not penalized, the second time I was. So I asked the pro and the good news is that it is NOT a penalty.

There are two key issues to consider. One is whether you have 'addressed the ball', unlikely on a practice stroke. The second is whether the 'ball is in play'. The rule is that the ball is not in play until the club has hit it from an addressed position on the tee. So, no penalty. (I thihk it is a different rule if it happens on the fairway as the ball is in play from the tee shot)

Course News

I have selected some aspects of the course that members may be interested in knowing about.
Third Hole: The new tee has been completed but needs some time to bed in and for the grass to establish itself. It will be used for some of the bigger fixtures, such as Opens but not for general cup and medals competitions. Despite varying comments from members the tee is flat and was leveled with a laser level.
Tenth Hole: As we know this hole bears the brunt of any flooding. The embedded tank in the middle of the fairway is a “catchments pit” designed to collect water and allow the green staff access to pump it out. There is another “catchments pit” nearby in the rough.
There are limits to what can be done to the tenth fairway as it is an officially designated flood plain, and to complicate the issue a ten meter strip between the river and the fairway is an area of Special Scientific Interest (SSI) which requires special permission to change.

General course maintenance is on target as is the rolling programme of tree lopping over the past few weeks. (strange how they never lop the branches my ball hits).

If you have any views or ideas about the course please use the email facility on the members views page.

Members Offer...get a £50.00 voucher

A great new offer. Introduce a new member to the club between now and the end of March and you will recieve a £50.00 voucher to spend in the clubhouse

Green Staff Appreciation

The GREEN STAFF would like to thank the Leominster Lions Touring side for their cash donation towards the purchase of dummy covers for the holes on the greens. This will help general maintenance and facilitate easier opening of the golf course in wintertime.

Catering Franchise : Jenny Gore

Jenny has been in catering for forty years and qualified through the Hereford Catering College. She has had extensive experiences in a variety of catering situations and brings a wide range of knowledge and expertise to our club.

She is a believer in home made food and in using local produce. She is interested in purchasing surplus vegetables or salad foods that members grow in their own gardens and can provide special diets as required. Her ‘home grown’ philosophy is already demonstrated by the provision of home made cakes and scones on the bar.

Current menu’s will not change but there will be a monthly special’s board to provide for people’s different culinary needs and all this at competitive prices.

Jenny is aware of the need for the club to extend its functions and hospitality and has some ideas on how to do this based on past experiences. So watch this space

We all wish her the best of luck

Vice Captain : Tony Williams

Past Captain : Ashley Morgan

Greens Committee Chairman : Roger Barrington

House Committee Chairman : Richard Francis

Handicap Secretary : Brendon O'Brien

Competition Secretary : Mark Lane

Others
Peter Morris, Julian Morris, Graham Povey, Wendy Lane

Co-Opted Members
Seniors Captain Kaz Rudnicki

Ladies Captain Gillian Sandell

Open competitions - Golf Empire

For those of you who travel our region playing in open comps the 'Golf Empire' site is now providing next year's dates as well as other golf perks in our region. It is a much easier way of booking your open matches than using the book in the clubhouse.

President : Brian Hunt

Captain : Wayne Barton

(Photos not yet available)