Covid Restrictions

• You will be aware that legal restrictions in relation to the Covid pandemic come into force on Thursday 5^th November.
• Current indications are that golf courses will need to close again, and should this be the case our Club will not be open.
• We are staying alert for all announcements and changes so that the Club remains compliant and ready to react should things change.
• We will continue to keep you updated.

Malcolm and Jane

The Club held a lovely event on Saturday 31^st October to mark Malcolm and Jane’s retirement, and their exceptional contribution to our Club over 40 years. Malcolm was joined by some former Alresford Assistant Professionals, members and guests to play the course in fairly unpleasant conditions. Presentations followed with speeches from Malcolm, Brian Young and John Goodacre reflecting on a remarkable career spanning four decades. Becky added a final speech reflecting on having parents dedicated to both their family and golf business; much credit to her for managing to deliver such an emotional and personal message. It was a highly emotional day all-round!

Presentations were made of flowers, an inscribed Champagne bucket and a cheque for £5,000 from members contributions which Malcolm and Jane will use to fund a ski holiday to Canada.

It was further announced, that; once alterations are completed to the 1^st tee area this winter, as part of the First Impressions Project, the 1^st hole will be renamed ‘Scotts’ in recognition of their many contributions to our Club and course. We will be inviting Malcolm to ‘drive-in’ the new layout as part of a renaming event in the Spring.

We wish Malcolm and Jane a much deserved and happy retirement, and look forward to seeing them at the Club enjoying life as fellow members.

Mark Wood

Our new Head Professional started on November 1^st, and of course faces closure almost immediately on the 5^th November, which must be awful. Mark and his wife Mandy have been busy making arrangements for the Pro Shop and all other aspects of becoming our new Professional Team which will continue to include Terry Gosden.

Mark wasted no time in providing the first golf lesson to Polly Chuch at 11-00am on his first day, as Polly was the recipient of a free lesson resultant from Mark’s recent member’s survey.

We wish Mark and Mandy much success and happy days with us all at Alresford.

AGM & SGM

This month’s AGM will go ahead, but in a format that meets with Covid Restrictions. As you know, further lockdown restrictions are to be imposed starting from the 5^th November, following announcements on October 31^st. We will also need to hold a separate SGM to consider proposals for the Clubhouse Development project. Both the AGM and SGM will be planned to provide opportunities for members to cast their votes as required, in a format that supports our Club rules and is compliant with Covid restrictions.

It does look as if we are in for a difficult month, but let’s hope that we can get back to golf and our Club before the end of the year.

Robert White

Chairman of the Management Committee

When you sign-in for a singles stroke-play competition the system will tell you what your Playing Handicap will be. In a mixed competition, ladies will still receive additional strokes to their playing handicaps to compensate for the difference in Course Rating or ‘play to handicap’ differences in Stableford competitions.

It is recommended that you play with your Course Handicap in mind, at all times, rather than your Playing Handicap, as your Playing Handicap is for competition purposes only.

Note: Supplementary Scores are replaced by pre-registered scores from General Play. The important thing here is that you must pre-register your intent to submit a score for handicap purposes before you start your round as it is essential that all members are able to sign-in and enter their scores electronically on the day of play.

The PSI Terminal
The PSI terminal in the foyer will be brought back into operation. Please use the hand sanitiser before and after using the terminal. I suggest you ‘login’ to the terminal by swiping your bar card. The touch screen display will work well with a gloved hand/finger or a soft stylus. Please do not queue at the terminal.

Mobile sign-in:
Mobile sign-in and score entry will continue to be available using the Members App and the HowDidiDo App.

Important points: –

• You may only sign-in for competitions on the day of the competition – from 06:00. Sign-in the evening before is no longer allowed. We will probably bring this time forward in the summer months.
• You must put your Course Handicap on your scorecard.
• For a Competition, you may put your Playing Handicap in the “Strokes Rec’d” box on your scorecard.
• You must enter your score into the system by 23:00 on the day of the Competition, so that there is time for the data to be shipped to England Golf for processing.
• Scorecards:
  • for Men’s and Mixed Competitions, scorecards should now be left in the Brown Box only.
  • for Ladies’ Competitions, scorecards should be left in the box in the Ladies Changing Room.

Your updated Handicap Index will be available on the day after you played, whether or not the competition has been closed, and the results published.

The Sheep are Coming Back – ‘Ewe’ have been warned!

A reminder that the sheep enclosure is a no-play zone and you should not enter the enclosure to retrieve your ball as the fence is electrified. The enclosure, wherever it might be, is defined as an abnormal course condition – no play zone.

You may claim free relief if your ball is known or virtually certain to be in the enclosure. For the purposes of finding the nearest point of complete relief, if the ball can be seen and identified, the reference point for the relief area will be the spot outside the enclosure, not nearer the hole which gives complete relief from the condition; if the ball cannot be seen and identified then the reference point is the spot outside the enclosure from the estimated point where the ball crossed the edge of the enclosure

Winter Leagues

The Winter Leagues have been, for the first time in living memory, over subscribed by some way. Unfortunately some of those who were later in signing-in will be a bit disappointed. I’ll keep those who just missed out on a reserve list as drop-outs do occur. In the first week of November, everyone will be notified by email of the group they are in or their position on the reserve list.

George Clelland

Question.

A players ball lies on the green with a downhill putt. He notices a rake left between the green and a bunker by a previous playing group and thinking it may stop his ball from going in the bunker, he leaves the rake. He putts and his ball is stopped by the rake just off the green.

Is the player subject to penalty?

We begin the defence of our Wessex Seniors Winter League title on 2^nd November with a home fixture against Corhampton, coincidentally the same day that the new World Handicap System kicks in. Hopefully, the introduction of the new system and any handicap adjustments necessary will pass off smoothly. Keith Turner, the new AGC Coordinator for the Winter League, will be the first person at AGC to have to deal with the new handicaps. Good luck Keith.

As I write, we are of course still subject to COVID restrictions and are close to seeing a major change in the Pro shop as well as in the kitchen. Reflecting on this, I would like to thank a number of people for their help, advice and friendly service to the Vets section during my year as Vets Captain.

Firstly, a huge thank you to David Maskery for his help, guidance and professionalism in overseeing and administering the Club’s activities during a unique and challenging year. David’s efforts in keeping members up to date with the constantly changing COVID rules and restrictions as they affected golf has been crucial in allowing us all to continue playing since March.

Thanks also to Malcolm Scott for his help, advice and support over the last 12 months. My best wishes to Malcolm and to Jane for a long and happy retirement. After 40 years you’ve earned it. I hope to see Malcolm playing in a few Vets events next year!

I would also like to say a big thank you to Chris and Kelly Pullinger, the Club caterers, who will shortly be moving on. Thanks to you both for your friendly service and delicious food eaten during numerous Vets matches and events over the last 5 years. Good luck at the Pots.

And finally, a massive thanks to my Vice Captain this year, Gareth Rees. In what has undoubtedly been a difficult year for golf and golfers, Gareth has always been there to offer advice and guidance, to organise key Vets events and to generally support my captaincy. So, Gareth, thank you for your invaluable support and friendship. I am just sorry we were not able to do more together in a golfing sense over the last year.

I have no doubt Gareth will be a terrific Vets Captain in 2021 and wish him every success in this. The Vets future could not be in better hands.

Enjoy your golf and continue to stay safe.

Ed Tinley

fortunately many of which are relatively small, or in locations that won’t impact the course. Ash Dieback is a “top down” disease, transmitted as an airborne fungus that is likely to affect 80% of the UK’s trees. When Colin Luff recently took out the large one at the back of the 1^st Tee he explained that on a previous job the whole of the top canopy broke off as he started to fell it. This is why we need to take action – to both ensure safety and reduce the airborne fungus.

Eye Opener

Many of you won’t have seen inside the Greenkeepers Accommodation, so here are some pictures (worth a thousand words!) of their ‘workplace’:

• Simons Desk;

• The Crewroom;

• The Workshop Area;

• The New Boiler Room (in a corner of the garage)

Course Treatment

Greens are performing well and will be sprayed with Iron and Turf hardeners through the winter months. A 2nd application of fungicide has been applied to prevent disease.

Weather permitting aeration by solid tining will take place on the greens in the first week of November. Greens height of cut will go up to 5mm in early November.

Tees and Aprons will have a fertiliser application which will provide a ‘trickle feed’ through the winter months.

Fairways are recovering well from the dry summer and the 1st and the 8th fairway have been fertilised with a 5/6 month controlled release fertiliser which will aid recovery on 8th and strengthen the grass on the 1st. Fairways have all been brushed and raked over to remove dead matter and aerate.

Rook damage is ongoing with a local rule in place.

Bird scaring hawk eyes have been placed out on the course along with the scarecrows and rope bangers to try and warn them off.

Turfing areas of rook damage and areas that have lost grass around bunkers is taking place. Smaller areas of damage are being soiled and seeded while we still have some warmth.

Course Changes

• The Academy Course will be worked on and improved as and when possible.
• The new ‘practice swale’ has been constructed and turfed this month.
• 1^st Impressions has started:
  
  • with a chalk base now in situ for the 1^st medal tee and
  • the Ash tree being removed to make way for the tee bank and path.
  • 12^th Tee chalk base also installed.
• Irrigation system has been put to bed for the winter with pumps and pipes drained down.
• New tee plate signs have been put out to show yardage and stroke index changes.We will keep the old ones safe and maybe next year see if we can raise some money for them.
• Leaf clearing is now regularly being carried out as part of the morning routine and the leaf pile area on 12 has been cleared ready for this year’s stock.

New Greens Committee Member?

We were delighted to have four people showing an interest in joining the Greens Committee and welcome David Marshall (subject to Mancom approval).

Bob Moore
Chair of Greens Committee

Answer.

No

As the player did not position the rake there, there is no penalty.

There would be a two shot penalty if the player had placed the rake even if not with the intention of stopping the ball.

See Interpretation 11.2a/1

You may have seen in previous editions of FORE Info that the 100 Club has agreed to fund the new Starters Hut which is part of the 1^st Impressions Project around the 1^st Tee.  This will be a significant contribution and a very visible demonstration of how the 100 Club can provide support to a capital project within our golf club.

So if you would like to be part of the 100 Club and actively contribute towards other such future enhancements to our facilities, and have the chance of winning a cash prize each month, then why not join us.

The monthly draw is for six cash prizes: £100, £50 and four at £32.

Each share cost £1 per month paid for by monthly standing order and there is no limit to the number you can purchase.  Members generally have between 1 and 10 shares with 5 being the most common holding.

For further information about the 100 Club and its history please refer to this section in previous editions of FORE Info.  Application forms can be obtained from the Secretary’s office or from me –  Pat Wallis phone 01420 564417 or email peterpat51@outlook.com

Pat Wallis