The Vale. Newsletter of Aylesbury Vale Golf Club

Transcription

1 Regd. Charity No Regd. Charity No The Vale Newsletter of Aylesbury Vale Golf Club (This is a private publication for Members of Aylesbury Vale Golf Club and may not be reproduced elsewhere in whole or in part, in any form, without the prior written permission of the Club.) Edition 47, April Comment We extend grateful thanks to our departing Captains, for the fun they have given us and the successful efforts they have made to make AVGC a happy Club to belong to. Naturally, a big welcome goes to our new Section Captains, wishing them all success during their year in post. The logo of Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity, the Club s chosen charity for 2018, appears above. Dave Simons Seniors Captain John Barker Men s Captain Jane Barker Lady Captain Alex Robins Junior Captain

2 News and Updates from the Club Management We would like to pass on our sincere thanks to Andy, Jane and Mark and their respective Committees for many thoroughly enjoyable golf days last year. We wish the very best of luck to John, Jane and Dave - some hard acts to follow! The new handbooks are now available for collection from the downstairs bar. Please help yourselves to a copy. On the course, the project to remove the tree stumps is now complete. The next project is to replace the signage on the tees with new signs. We have had some recent problems with crows. They peck at the greens as well as turning over divots to get at grubs. On the greens we have tried tape blowing in the wind and rotating crow scarers, but neither have succeeded for long. We now have a crow shooter. We always ask anyone teeing off the 10 th tee to check with pro shop staff first and now this is essential, as we could have the back nine holes closed early in the morning whilst the shooter is up by the 14 th green. The crows also flip over replaced divots to eat grubs and worms. You can tell one of these divots as they lie right alongside the divot instead of some yards forward where they would naturally fall. When we replace the old tee signs we will look at using the old frames to add hooks with bags of divot mix hanging from the hooks. The idea will be for members to pick up the bags from one tee, deposit the contents in divot holes on the next fairway or two, and replace the empty divot bag on the next tee frame. In addition, we are ordering some divot anchors. These are used to secure the divot to the ground so that the crows can t flip them over. These are biodegradable and rot in situ. These anchors can also be attached to the old tee frames, hence we are hoping that with the assistance of the members we can eliminate as many divots as possible Chris Wright Rules of Golf Having undertaken its review of Rules during 2017, with discussions taking place nationally and internationally, the R&A has announced a number of fundamental changes that are being made to the Rules of Golf, effective from 1 January These changes are described and explained on the R&A website at Remember though that the existing Rules of Golf apply until 31 December 2018! AVGC Winter Rules The Club is to continue applying Winter Rules during April, although the exact wording will vary during the month according to course conditions. Please check the noticeboard in the changing room entrance lobby to see what the current local rules are. Tip of the Month from your Head PGA Professional, Russell Phillips Often a good swing thought can be swing the handle and not the head. What do I mean by that? The only part of the clubs that your hands attach to is the handle. The handle is in turn connected to the clubhead. If you think about where the handle is in relation to your body you can then really control the centre of strike, the angle of attack and release of the club. Have a try and focus on the handle and see if it helps with that consistency! I am offering a discounted three hour package for any of you looking to improve your game this April. 2

3 Masters Discounted 3 Hour Package! With the golf season now in full flow, Russell Phillips is putting together a 3 x 1 hour pack of lessons to work with your current swing and look for simple improvements that can get you hitting the ball better. Russell will be working with you to improve your game and give you the edge this season. 3 x 1 hour lessons, normally 120 for members and 150 for non-members. Book your first lesson in April and get this pack for 90 members and 120 non-members Contact Russell Phillips: or r.phillips@avgc.co.uk From Play It As It Lies by Thelwell Mixed Doubles Knockout Congratulations to the winners of the Mixed Doubles Knockout winter competition, Anne Bridges and Binzy Bowden, who beat Julie Lea and Matt Lea. A Word from the Departing Men s Captain Men Dear AVGC members, it's time to say goodbye to my Captain's duties, I've had an absolute blast, messing about all year. I would like to thank my Committee for putting my ridiculous ideas into action. Their first reaction was like John McEnroe You cannot be serious, but they carried on regardless. The end of my year was the Presentation Evening. Now I have been to at least 10 of these and I thought it was time to sex it up a bit with walk-on music for the award winners. The ladies came on board and also had walk-on music, but whilst choosing the music for Jean Barnett I was censored. I requested Rabbit by Chas and Dave! The walk-ons were a bit of a mess but we tried, also we ended the presentation with a live rendition of Bring Me Sunshine with thanks to Peter Perkins and Dave Lea returning from his sell out tour. 3

4 I would like to thank my fellow Captains, Mark Leech and Jane Corduroy for being fantastic sports and we all got on really well right from the start. Hopefully we have made our marvellous Club more friendly and inclusive as that was our cunning plan. Good luck to all the new Captains, especially BJB as he has been intensively trained by me over the year. Still keeping it straight. Andrew Bond and a Word from the Incoming Men s Captain Well that was the year that was! I would like to start by congratulating the outgoing Captains and their respective Committees, the final Charity total marks an incredible year s efforts. Any success needs to be supported and at this Golf Club we are lucky to have such generous members who raised an amazing total. I raise my glass to you all and I m honoured to have been asked to be your Captain for the forthcoming year. My year as Vice-Captain was rewarding for many reasons, but how can I not mention the one individual who made it such a memorable one, Bond, Mr Andrew Bond who has constantly kept us on our toes challenging all to think of new ideas (wondering what he would think of next). I will add it s been my pleasure working in the background, along with so many others to support you and the fellow Captains. BJB has a very hard act to follow. I m informed it s not a dictatorship, so to help keep me on the straight and narrow will be my Vice-Captain Steve Chandler; I know you will support him as you did me last year. I m looking forward to the forthcoming year and especially working alongside my fellow Captains David, Alex and of course my favourite lady Jane. Thank you to all who attended our Drive-In and, for those who were sadly unable to, I m pleased to confirm that we all remained within the boundaries of the course, with our Junior leading the way with a drive over 220 yards as for me the 9 th fairway will always remain in play in my book! This year s charity is Florence Nightingale Hospice. I look forward to all your support and seeing you out on the course. Lastly, on the back of the success and a thoroughly enjoyed Christmas Party, we are hoping to host a Summer Party, proposed to be held on 21 July. However, for this to happen we need numbers exceeding 100. Sign-up sheets are on the notice boards, as without enough interest we won t be able to go ahead. Wishing you all the best for keeping it on the short stuff. John Barker Men s Committee The Men s Committee for 2018/19 is: Captain: John Barker Vice-Captain: Steve Chandler Treasurer: Russell Crane Competition Secretary: Dave Lea Admin Secretary: Roger White Handicap Secretary: Neil Garrett 5-Day Representative: Peter Codrai 4

5 Seniors Captain: Dave Simons Member: Adrian Fallon Member: Graham Freshwater Midweek Pairs - Result Congratulations to Larry Goddard and Keith Loxton, winners of the winter Midweek Pairs knockout competition. They pipped Andrew Bond and Adrian Fallon on the 21 st hole! A Word from the Departing Seniors Captain Seniors As the sun sets slowly o er the 18 th green, It s time to become a Captain that has been. When next Monday the clock strikes eight I ll be under a duvet of winter weight. For the past-captain some may pine When Simons arrives at eight twenty-nine. Please give him all the help that he ll need As the Seniors rabble he tries to lead. A huge thank you to each and every member, You ve made this a year for me to remember. and a Word from the Incoming Seniors Captain 5 Thank you, Mark Leech Firstly, I would like to say what an honour it is to have been asked to be the Seniors Captain for 2018; I will do my very best to fulfil this role to the high standard set by my predecessors. I have been both encouraged and grateful for the many words of support I have received from members. Secondly, I want to acknowledge the excellent job done by Mark Leech, as outgoing Captain, for his year s service. Having been very much thrown into the deep end at the start, with his Captaincy, Mark has worked tirelessly on behalf of Senior members during his year and will therefore be a tough act to follow. I consider myself very fortunate to have the knowledge and experience of both Mark and Bob Phillips as past Captains to help support me as well as a very strong team forming the rest of the Seniors Committee. I look forward to working with my fellow Captains - John, Jane and Alex, and wish them well for the coming season. I have decided to follow John and Jane s lead in supporting the Florence Nightingale Hospice as the Captain s Charity for this year. However, for my Captain s Day in July only, I wish to support the Cystic Fibrosis Trust to which I have a personal association. In looking forward to what I would like to achieve this year, I want to continue past Captains efforts to encourage the involvement and inclusion of all eligible Senior members in our regular rollups, Club matches, competitions and AwayDays. So look for news and events in the The Vale and sign-up sheets on notice boards if you wish to take part. My main themes for this year come under the heading of Enjoyment and Fun. These may sound a bit twee, but as Seniors should we not celebrate and enjoy the fact that we can go out and play regularly, get some fresh air, gentle exercise and sometimes get that little round ball to behave itself? Even when the latter aspect does not occur, let us have fun. For me the banter before, during and after the golf is an essential part of my golfing experience and may be the only saving grace when I have performed badly on the course. When you hit a shot that is so truly bad it defies description, sometimes the only sensible response is to laugh

6 at your sheer incompetence. Knowing my fellow Seniors, I expect that you will take every opportunity to remind me of this good intention when playing with me! Friday Unofficial Rollups. On Friday mornings, between 09:00 and 10:00, on days where the Club is free from other bookings (not a Bank Holiday, society or Club competition), the Club has blanked out the tee bookings, whether from members or non-members. This allows for Club members to join together for a fun rollup between 09:00 and 10:00. Over the past year these rollups have presented an excellent opportunity for Ladies to mix in with the Seniors. As such you can all have a little lie in, but I would ask that players get their ball in the hat by 08:40 to avoid disappointment. Can I also ask that, for all rollups, players mark a ball just to put in the rollup draw that enables the organiser to identify to whom it belongs. Match Results Winter League Home vs Chartridge Park: a fantastic 6:0 result for Peter Nightingale s team! See Peter s report below. Away vs Leighton Buzzard: 16 brave if ultimately soggy souls made the trip on Wednesday 28 March. We arrived in the rain, which continued throughout the play before common sense saw us call a halt to proceedings at half way and the respite of a much-needed hot shower. Peter Carmody and Keith Foster recorded our only full point, with halves for Bev Hughes playing with Martyn Gates and Peter Nightingale playing with Dave Simons. The result was therefore 6:2 to the home side, which is perhaps a little flattering as a number of the matches were very close when play was suspended. Thanks to the rest of the team of Andrew Bond, Richard Sutton, Tom Hobbs, Keith Loxton, Hugh Frood, Steve Waters, Terry Neve, Mike Bishop and Larry Goddard. Special thanks to the final team member, Dave Friend, who was in and out of the squad so many times that he must have been doing the hokey cokey! Club Website Information for Seniors 6 Dave Simons Thanks to sterling work by Larry Goddard during the period of snow, and with the agreement of Club management, the Club website Home page will shortly have a new tab for Sections, linking initially to pages specifically for the Seniors. Explore it and realise how informative it is going to be for everyone, especially those playing in competitions or inter-club matches and wishing to know tee times and competition results. Committee Meetings Members are reminded that the Minutes of all Seniors Committee meetings are available to read in the box file on the window ledge in the changing room. Competition Rules The Seniors Committee has reviewed and modified the Competition Rules, including the entry fees and the increased cash prizes to be awarded. The Winter Six Stableford competition introduced last October, consisting of six rounds and which has proved to be very popular is to become a Winter Eight next winter with eight rounds, although still with only three rounds to count. Members who attended the AGM will already have anticipated the increases in prize money, funded by an increase in entry fees for a number of competitions during the year. For full details of the Competition Rules and prize monies, see the Seniors noticeboard in the changing room. Winter League by Peter Nightingale The last match of the Winter League season ended up giving us our best win ever, when we beat Chartridge Park 6:0, with all pairs playing exceptionally well. My hope is that we can start the new season in September with another win against Oakland Park and thus continue our winning streak. I would like to

7 thank all the players that have played for the Seniors in our eight matches. It has been a hard year, even though I have tried to play our best team and our players have given their all, we have lost on occasions by a half point. I am not sure whether it is down purely to handicaps, but we always seem to give away more shots, as with our recent game where we had 45 shots and our opponents 82. The Awards Day for the Winter League is on 23 April at Chartridge Park and a notice is on the Seniors board asking for players. The day includes several teams, each made up of a Chartridge member and three from the other Clubs (Chartridge Park, Oakland Park, Weston Turville, Little Hay and Aylesbury Vale). There are prizes on the day for the best team, nearest the pin and longest drive. It is an enjoyable day. Details of the matches for the new season, starting in September, are as follows: September: home match against Oakland Park 8 October: home match against Little Hay 22 October: home match against Weston Turville 1 November: away match against Weston Turville 7 November: away match against Chartridge Park January: away match against Oakland Park 19 February: away match against Little Hay 5 March: home match against Chartridge Park This season s results as at 27 March are: HOME AWAY TEAM Pl W D L W D L Points Oakland Park Little Hay Chartridge Park Weston Turville Aylesbury Vale Result Chartridge Park vs Little Hay 4.5:1.5 Aylesbury Vale vs Oakland Park 2.5:3.5 Aylesbury Vale vs Little Hay 2:4 Weston Turville vs Chartridge Park 3:3 Oakland Park vs Chartridge Park 3:3 Chartridge Park vs Oakland Park 2.5:3.5 Aylesbury Vale vs Weston Turville 4:2 Weston Turville vs Aylesbury Vale 4.5:1.5 Little Hay vs Chartridge Park 4.5:1.5 Chartridge Park vs Aylesbury Vale 4:2 Oakland Park vs Little Hay 4.5:1.5 Oakland Park vs Weston Turville 5:1 Weston Turville vs Little Hay 3:3 Oakland Park vs Aylesbury Vale 4 :2 Little Hay vs Aylesbury Vale 4.5:1.5 Chartridge Park vs Weston Turville 3.5:2.5 Weston Turville vs Oakland Park 4:2 Little Hay vs Weston Turville 4:2 Aylesbury Vale vs Chartridge Park 6:0 Little Hay vs Oakland Park to be advised 7

8 Winter Six Many congratulations to Mickey Parslow, the Winter Six competition winner for 2017/18. Competition and Match Results (Seniors) Winter League home match vs Chartridge Park 27 March Won 6:0 Away match vs Leighton Buzzard 28 March Lost 2:6 A Word from the Departing Lady Captain Ladies Ladies and Gents, once more no competitions to report on as there have not been any played! However, there is one success to report for AVGC Ladies Section. Julie Hoar and Gail Wickersham won their round in the Daily Mail Foursomes against Bletchley and have therefore qualified for the next round. Well done and good luck for the next round. I have had a fabulous time as your Lady Captain and it s all thanks to you, the members of this great Golf Club. I ve had so much support, fun, laughs and enjoyed some great golf with different people. My amazing Committee have worked hard this year, not just for me but for all of you. I had the pleasure to work with the best Captains I could have hoped for: Andrew Bond and Mark Leech. You have helped to create so many lasting memories of our year together as Captains. It s now time for me to say goodbye and hand over the reins to the very capable hands of Jane Barker and wish her the very best for her year. Once again, thank you all for a great year - and don t forget to BJB! Jane Codrai and a Word from the Incoming Lady Captain My first job as Lady Captain is to thank Jane, our outgoing Captain, on behalf of all the ladies. She has worked tirelessly to keep the Ladies Section running smoothly, as well as forming a close bond with the other Captains, which I think has been of great benefit to the whole Club. She has done such an amazing job and will be a hard act to follow, but I will strive to continue her good works. Lady Captain s day this year is on 12 May, due to a Royal wedding and the FA Cup Final getting in the way! It would be lovely to see as many of you as possible for an enjoyable day and an opportunity to raise some money for the Captains charity, Florence Nightingale Hospice. I will be hoping for some better weather despite it being so early in the season. The Lady Captain s mid-week fun day will be on 23 May and the Ladies Section will once again be holding an Invitation Day on Thursday 7 June. I wasn t able to be there last year, so am looking forward to it. This year I am hoping to be able to play more regularly on Wednesdays as well as at the weekends and look forward to spending time getting to know some of the newer ladies. When I joined AVGC I had no previous experience of a Golf Club. I very quickly realized what a wonderful friendly Club it is and I am proud to be representing the members as Lady Captain. Wishing you all a very happy golfing year. Jane Barker 8

9 Ladies Committee The Ladies Committee for the coming year is: Jane Barker: Captain Julie Lea: Vice-Captain Jean Edwards: Treasurer Natalie Rendle: 7-day Competition Secretary Jackie Boden: 5-day Competition Secretary and 5-day representative Charlotte Simpson: Admin Secretary Jean Barnett: Handicap Secretary Kath Scott: Member Sheila Perkins: Member Jane Codrai: Immediate Past Captain. Juniors Easter Open Days These fun days are designed for all children between 611 of any ability to have a fun day learning how to play golf (even if its for the first time!). This is a special Easter Egg theme where children will have the chance to win some Easter Eggs! Children will be organised into teams and get the opportunity to win team events throughout the day. Registration starts at 10am and the day concludes with a presentation of all the prizes at approximately 4pm. They do not need their own equipment to take part, however if they have any they should bring it along and clothing worn should be smart. The whole day includes lunch (nuggets, chips and beans) and costs just 25 per child! Juniors who are Blue Tee members will get 10% off and Juniors who are full red tee members will get 20% off. The Juniors Open Days run from 10am 4pm and are on: Monday 2 April 2018 and Monday 9 April 2018 You must book your child's place by contacting Russell Phillips on or r.phillips@avgc.co.uk. 9

10 Challenge Start Dates and FREE TASTER! The next set of Junior Challenge dates start just after the Easter holidays. This is the pathway into Junior membership and is a great chance for new or existing Juniors to better their game in golf. For players new to the challenge programme there is a taster session on Saturday 14 April at 3pm. The taster will lead to the challenge start dates on 21 and 22 April. New Grips in the Shop! Did you know that the life span of a grip is 16 months and any worn down grips where dents and tears are present breach the rules! New grips could be the answer to saving you a few shots a round. Pro Shop Golf Pride s new Align ribbed grip is available in standard white, plus four grey and both in midsize. 15 per grip fitted. (Remember you get your member s discount of 10% per grip and save a further 10% if you get more than 10 grips replaced in one go). Deal of the Month As Russell Phillips is changing to Golf Pride, he has a number of Lamkin and Black Widow grips going for half price, whilst stocks last: Lamkin 7.50 per grip are now 3.75 per grip! Available in Standard and Midsize. and in Conclusion the last word is Mother Nature has a funny way of celebrating the coming of spring makes you want to c(ar)ry! and a touch of humour Golfer: Before I hire you, caddie, tell me, are you good at finding lost golf balls? Caddie: Yes sir, I am the best. Golfer: Great! You're hired. Now go out and find us some golf balls so we can get started. Lance Redler cc: Club Professionals, charities Editor 10

11 Men: What s on This Month and Next? (All-Section and Club events are in bold) Saturday 7 April Burcott Trophy Sunday 8 April Medal Monday 9 to Friday 13 April Midweek Medal Sunday 15 April CBL home match vs Chartridge Park Monday 23 to Friday 27 April Midweek Stableford Saturday 28 April Committee Cup Saturday 5 May Medal Sunday 6 May CBL home match vs Hazlemere Monday 7 to Friday 11 May Midweek Medal Sunday 20 May Foursomes Medal Monday 21 to Friday 25 May Midweek Stableford Saturday 26 May CBL home match vs Waterstock Monday 28 May Derek Hall Memorial Trophy Seniors: Wednesday 4 April home match vs Beadlow Manor Monday 9 April Medal (1) Monday 9 to Friday 13 April Midweek Medal Tuesday 10 April away match vs Weston Turville Wednesday 11 April Captain s competition Monday 16 April Summer Six (1) Wednesday 18 April home match vs Mount Pleasant Monday 23 April Captain s competition Monday 23 April Winter League Awards Day, Chartridge Park Tuesday 24 April AwayDay Collingtree Park Wednesday 25 April away match vs Wavendon (Monday 30 April hollow coring on greens) (Wednesday 1 May hollow coring on greens) Monday 7 to Friday 11 May Midweek Medal Wednesday 9 May home match vs Aylesbury Park Monday 14 May Medal (2) Wednesday 16 May Captain s competition Thursday 17 May away match vs Beadlow Manor Monday 21 May Summer Six (2) Monday 21 to Friday 25 May Midweek Stableford Wednesday 23 May Captain s competition Wednesday 23 May away match vs Chalgrave Manor Monday 28 May Derek Hall Memorial Trophy Wednesday 30 May home match vs Weston Turville Ladies: Wednesday 4 April 30+ handicap competition Monday 9 April competition Wednesday 11 April midweek Medal Sunday 15 April Australian Spoons Monday 16 April midweek Australian Spoons Monday 16 April CL away match vs Oakland Park Wednesday 18 April Stableford Saturday 21 April Medal Sunday 22 April Coronation Foursomes Monday 23 April midweek Coronation Foursomes Monday 23 to Friday 27 April Midweek Stableford Wednesday 25 April competition Thursday 26 April away match vs Leighton Buzzard Saturday 28 to Sunday 29 April weekend Stableford Sunday 29 April Mixed Invitation Key Contacts Club Management info@avgc.co.uk Tel: Memberships/Shop/Tee bookings: Chris Wright, Garry Hutchinson, Jason Thornalley Restaurant/Functions: Jason Thornalley, Chris Wright Head Chef: Heinz Simon Head Greenkeeper: Luke Foley Teaching Professionals: Russell Phillips or r.phillips@avgc.co.uk Terry Bunyan or terrygolf1965@gmail.com Men Captain: John Barker Vice-Captain: Steve Chandler Treasurer: Russell Crane Competition Secretary: Dave Lea Admin Secretary: Roger White Handicap Secretary: Neil Garrett 5-Day Representative: Peter Codrai Seniors Captain: Dave Simons Vice-Captain: Larry Goddard Treasurer: Keith Loxton Competition Secretary: Dave Lea Admin Secretary: Lance Redler Social Secretary: Peter Codrai Ladies Captain: Jane Barker Vice-Captain: Julie Lea Treasurer: Jean Edwards Admin Secretary: Charlotte Simpson 7-day Competition Secretary: Natalie Rendle 5-day Competition Secretary: Jackie Boden Handicap Secretary: Jean Barnett Juniors Captain: Alex Robins ---- Editor The Vale: Lance Redler (01296) lanceredler@avgcseniors.co.uk 11

12 Ladies (cont.): Sunday 6 May Spring Stableford Tuesday 8 May CL away match vs Aylesbury PArk Wednesday 9 May midweek Medal Thursday 10 May Chiltern League home match vs Oakland Park Saturday 12 May - Lady Captain s Day Sunday 13 May Spring Stableford Monday 14 May competition Wednesday 16 May 30+ handicap competition Thursday 17 May away match vs Aylesbury Park Saturday 19 May Medal Sunday 20 May Ping 4BBB Stableford Monday 21 May midweek Ping 4BBB Stableford Monday 21 to Friday 25 May Midweek Stableford Wednesday 23 May Fun competition Saturday 26 to Sunday 27 May weekend Stableford Saturday 26 May away scratch match vs Leighton Buzzard Monday 28 May Derek Hall Memorial Trophy Wednesday 30 May Stableford