Members Weekly Club News in Association With Friday 3 rd March, 2017 Dear Member, Welcome to our clubs Weekly Update. 2017 Captains Drive-In, Sunday March 12 th Captain Paddy Whelan & Lady Captain Olwyn Hanley Team of 4 Event with max of 36 Teams. Drive In @ 1.00pm. Shotgun Start @ 1.15pm. Course will be cleared at 12.30pm to accommodate Presentation of Prizes with Finger Food circa 5.00pm Casual golf available from 7.00am to 10.54am with Online Booking 7 days in advance of play. Bookings Via Club Office 1 Slot Remaining Full Teams Only in 1 st Instance with Full Payment Taken Upon Booking. Individual golfers looking to play will be accommodated via Waitlist if allocation of times not taken up by full teams. Upcoming Events with David Mortimer Club Pro Mizuno Demo Day TODAY - Friday 3rd March from 1pm-6pm. Try out Mizuno new product for 2017 with their Custom fitting expert David Moore. Advanced Booking required - please contact the Pro Shop. Re-Scheduled PGA Southern Branch Pro-Am The club along with the Club Pro David will host a PGA Southern Branch Pro AM four-ball on Friday March 24 th next with tee times from 10.00am 12.06pm. The format with be 1 pro with 1 amateur betterball stableford and the pro will keep his own stableford points for a separate tournament. The cost is 50.00p/p per person inclusive of a maincourse after the golf. The day is seen as a social occasion and an opportunity to play with and get to know one of the PGA pro s. You can book via the Pro Shop space is limited to 25 teams so space will be allocated on a 1 st come 1 st served basis. Further enquiries to David Mortimer.
Course Works Winter Programme Update The following Course Winter works are now nearing completion / complete: - Remedial Works to Bunkers (following on from the 2016 Members Survey Results) - Irrigation Heads on Tees & Greens Raised - Tree Stump Grinding / Tree Pruning - Tree Planting @ 6 th, 10 th, 13 th & 16 th (scheduled) - Extra Greens Aeration (Completed in January) - 1 st Fairway Remedial Works The Spring Fairway Sanding and Greens Aeration remains scheduled as per the fixtures diary. Timesheet Changes Sundays & Tuesdays Please note that following the agreement of the 2016 men s & ladies clubs the following new arrangements will apply to Sunday & Tuesday timesheets commencing Sunday 19 th March: Sundays: Ladies will be able to book online after the Competition timesheet ends. Tuesdays: Men will be able to book online after the Competition timesheet ends. Bookings can be made in the usual competition booking window i.e. from 3 days out Galway GC Choir Rome Trip At 5.20pm local time, Rome, Pat Lillis raised her baton, called her choir to attention, and the magnificent St.Peter s Basilica fell hushed. The great Organ strained under the expert fingers of Pat s daughter Jackie and moments later the Galway Golf Club Choir brought forth in unison the opening bars of the beautiful Irish lament, Mo Ghrasa Mo Dhia at the start of a Mass concelebrated by Vatican Cardinal Comasstri. The many hours of practice by the dedicated choir members every Monday evening since last September, the musical talents of Pat and Jackie Lillis and the organisational skills of Choir Administrator Anne Grete Gormley were evident throughout the celebration of the Mass as we completed a programme that included Arcadelt s Ave Maria, Mozart s Ave Verum, the Communion reflection Calm Me Lord and final popular hymn, How Great Thou Art. Cardinal Comasstri showed us the great honour of thanking the Galway Golf Club choir from the altar for the beautiful singing. At the conclusion of Mass the congregation showed their appreciation with warm applause. The opportunity to sing in the Vatican was made possible by the efforts of former Club President, Gerry Molloy whose daughter Martha and her Italian husband Bruno both work there. Martha not only secured the Choir s invitation to sing but also organised a weekend in Rome that will long be remembered by the Galway Golf Club Members, their families and friends who participated. A guided tour of the Sistine Chapel and a tour of the tombs of the Popes, excellent Hotel accommodation, evening meals and Coach transfers were all skilfully integrated into the
tour programme. Martha and her sisters Claire and Laura worked tirelessly to ensure that the travelling party enjoyed every moment and all agreed that they were responsible for Ireland s Rugby win over France on the Saturday afternoon. An event enjoyed in the Scholars Irish Bar in downtown Roma. Over the course of the 4 days new friendships were formed and long-standing ones cemented in the best traditions of Galway Golf Club. At all times the travelling party were conscious that they were representing the Club, and were proud to do so. The Club s navy and red tie is now forever etched into the history of the Vatican. Video is now available on the Club Facebook page & General News Section of the Club Website. New Members Update The committees of the men s and ladies clubs and club council are delighted with the response to the recently introduced entry fee offer for applicants aged 45 years or under. Additional new members have been approved this month, subject to the 7 day notice period (commencing today March 3rd) as follows: - New Female Ordinary Members: 02 - New Male Ordinary Members: 19 Previously received new member applications for 17 were: 18 Female 74 Male 113 Total The above should be seen in the context of an overall increase in playing membership of 37 based on the following renewal changes: - Relevant Bereavements: 10 - Leave of Absence: 41 - Relevant Resignations: 25 76 Total 37 Net Increase As per Club Council Membership is now closed for 2017 with the exception of the following: - Student Applicants / Female Applicants / Any Application which delivers the 10,000 Entrance Fee / The replacement of any of the above applicants who do not pay fees in the appropriate time allowed.
Request From Connacht Branch of GUI to host the 2018 AIG Connacht Cups & Shields Provincial Finals. The Club Council this week decided against the hosting of the above tournament provincial finals for dates in August 2018. It was the decision of Club Council that with the Irish Close this year, the Irish Amateur Open in 2020 & 2021 and three GUI events hosted last year that the scale of the event proposed placed too high a burden on the members playing rights when practice requirements etc. were taken into account. Reduced Green Fee Booklet 2017 - Now Available The Club have again decided to make available the reduced green fee booklet for 2017. The same cost will apply for the coming year i.e. 100.00 for which you will receive 5 green fee vouchers. Members can purchase a maximum of 2 books each. Please note the terms and conditions attaching to their use and which are detailed on the back of each voucher. You can continue to use your 2016 vouchers until end of March, 2017. Course Works Course works to replace circa 350m of old / leaking irrigation pipework between the pumphouse and the 5 th tee are on-going (weather permitting). There have been a large number of leaks in this section of pipework in the last number of years and the pipework is laid since the early 60 s. There may be some disruption to play over the course of these works but we will seek to minimise any inconvenience. GUI Target Cheats by Fighting #TheFairWay for Golf Handicaps in 2017 The Golfing Union of Ireland are spearheading the campaign for fair and consistent handicapping by tackling the cheats in an innovative Handicap Awareness Month. Throughout the month of March, the GUI will be running #TheFairWay campaign, which will educate players and clubs alike. Handicapping is a fundamental aspect of the game and as the governing body for men's golf in Ireland, the GUI are raising awareness in response to public concerns about handicap cheating. Unlike most sports, golf is largely played in the absence of a referee. The game and the handicapping system, rely on the integrity of the individual. It is up to every single player to observe the spirit and intent of the handicapping system. Throughout the month-long campaign, the GUI will provide all the information necessary to be handicap aware in 2017. Your first port of call is a dedicated website: www.thefairway.ie There, clubs can access essential information, including a how-to guide for administering and maintaining handicaps. Players will find all the information they need on key topics such as: How to obtain a handicap; How handicaps change; and Player Responsibilities. As well as an index of key definitions, you will also find a list of frequently asked questions. Clubs across all four provinces -- Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster -- will display specially commissioned posters and flyers as part of the campaign. Raising awareness is just one aspect of the campaign -- the GUI are also determined to clamp down on cheating.
"There is a culture of tolerating handicap cheating which isn't the case for other forms of cheating within golf," says Pat Finn, CEO of the GUI. "The finger seems to be pointed at the GUI or the branches of the GUI or indeed to club committees to deal with this problem. I don't think it can be. It is endemic and the only real way of tackling it is at member-tomember level where everybody takes a proactive approach in dealing with the issue and calling out fellow members on their behaviour and saying it is not going to be tolerated anymore." To hammer home the message, the GUI have defined handicap cheating and it is prominently displayed on the Union's website: "Playing in a qualifying competition and setting out with the aim of 'getting 0.1 back' or not trying your best at any point in the round with the aim of manipulating your handicap is CHEATING." The GUI advises and guides Handicap Committees about the application and implementation of the handicapping system. One of most important things for clubs to remember is that Handicap Secretaries should not act on their own, and it is vital that decisions are made as a committee in accordance with the rules. As with the Rules of Golf, the handicapping system relies on the integrity of every golfer playing the game. For club golfers, it is essential that each individual observes the spirit and intent of the handicapping system in order to make the game as fair and equitable as possible. Golf's unique handicapping system provides a means for every player to compete on an equal footing, making the game as inclusive as possible. Not only does it level the playing field, the handicap system makes allowance for beginners, children and adults alike, players of declining ability and golfers with disabilities. It is because of the handicapping system that parents get to compete side-by-side with their children or grandparents get the chance to tee it up alongside a grandchild. The Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU), of which the GUI is a member, developed the rules and regulations of the unified handicapping system (UHS), which is administered in Ireland by the GUI and the Irish Ladies Golf Union. You access a copy of the UHS Manual for free online at Golfnet.ie. Keep up to date with everything that's happening throughout Handicapping Awareness Month on the GUI website and through the GUI's social media channels on Facebook and Twitter. Find out more at www.thefairway.ie or www.golfnet.ie/handicapawareness Salthill Rotary Club Putting Competition Please see attached.
Members Rules Night Tuesday March 7 th Want to brush up on your knowledge of the rules in time for the 2017 season? Join us in the club dining room for a fun interactive session on how to play by the rules. Áine Binchy, ILGU Rules Official, will give a presentation on the rules of golf with tips on how to avoid common mistakes. This will be of interest to players of all ages and playing abilities. 19:30hrs 21:00hrs in Club Dining Room. New Members Information Meeting Friday March 10 th The evening will flow as follows: - Refreshments on Arrival from 7pm - Meet & Greet with the Senior Officers and Incoming Senior Officers - Meet & Greet with the Pro - Words of Welcome from the Captains - Q&A session with Club GM - Tour of the Clubhouse (for those that wish to) We look forward to meeting with our new members on the evening. The Wales V Ireland 6 Nations game will be shown in the bar from 8.00pm that evening. Men s Presentation of Prizes Friday March 10 th A men s presentation of prizes will be held at 9.45pm for the following competitions all of which were kindly sponsored by Frank Byrnes Autobody Oranmore: - Sunday Jan 15 th Sunday Jan 29 th - Sunday Feb 5 th Sunday Feb 12 th Sunday Feb 19 th - Sunday March 5 th Costello Cup 2017 Please see attached re Costello Cup 2017 Format & Tournament Conditions. Ladies Lockers Available A number of ladies lockers are now available for annual rental more details can be had from Olivia in the Club Office. Club Lotto In Association With The Winning Numbers from the Lotto Draw on Friday February 24 th were 16, 19, 22 & 31. There was no winner of the Jackpot of 4,450 There was no Match 3 Winner. Congratulations to Aidan Maloney who won the 50 Lucky Dip prize. This Week s Jackpot is 4,475 Men s Competition March 5 th Change to 9 Holes rather than 14 Holes Please note that the men s club have decided to run the March 5 th Competition over 9 holes rather than 14. This is a trial run in order to accommodate extra times being made available
on the tee sheet and based on its success, or not, the committee may consider running the winter competitions (November onwards) over 9 holes in order to facilitate more members getting onto the competition tee sheet. The entry fee for the 9 hole event will be reduced to 3.00 on this occasion. Feedback on this trial is welcome to all members of the men s / competition committee. Please note for those under the impression that they can only play 9 holes on the day that this is not the case. The competition will be played over holes 1-9 with holes 15, 16 & 17 being closed i.e. the member can play 1-14 + 18 on the way in with scores counting on 1-9 only. Rules Please see attached new local Rule now in force. Please see above and attached re: upcoming Rules Evening. Kind regards, Dave Kelly General Manager