News from the Green Committee – 1st February 2012.
This winter the green staff have completed a number of tasks in addition to the day to day activities needed to keep the course in good condition, some of which you may have noticed (e.g. turfing and installing irrigation on some tees, resurfacing some pathways, rebuilding some stone walls) and others you may not (e.g. worm treating both courses, aerating all greens and tees, removing dangerous and unhealthy trees, planting new and healthier specimens, cutting long grass and preparing compost for our use throughout the year). One new measure undertaken last autumn was the spraying of fringes around many greens with a new fluid which kills off intrusive meadow grass – the dead yellow patches will be replaced with a finer fescue grass in the spring and the benefits will be noticed throughout the playing season.
Further to the bunker work completed last winter (i.e. Avening 8th, 10th and 13th), the new bunkermat liner fitted last summer in the Cherington 16th front right, and last autumn in Avening 6th front middle and Avening 15th front left greenside bunkers, work will continue this winter on the fairway bunkers on Avening 15th, the greenside bunkers on Avening 11th and the removal of the fairway bunker on Cherington 8th. This work is in the light of the “bunker audit” conducted by Golf Architecture International last autumn, together with the Green Committee’s aim to improve the overall quality and consistency of the bunkers while reducing their maintenance burden, which will continue to be conducted, as much as possible by our own staff within budget, over the next few winters.
The practice putting green has deteriorated over recent years and some specialist deep drilling machinery will be used in late February, subject to weather, to improve drainage and aeration. The condition of the green will be reviewed in the autumn and if no improvement is evident further measures may be necessary (e.g. rearrangement of surrounding shrubs). The Green Committee considers that work like that above should, subject to the club’s financial position, be conducted to maintain the character and condition of the courses, in the same way as actions in the past such as the improved water sourcing through wells, the efficient use of water through fully automated irrigation systems, and the improved condition of the greens throughout the year by moving heavy maintenance from winter to summer.
After examination of the responses to the December trial of a different order of play on Avening (i.e. starting on the 8th and finishing on the 7th), the current order of play appears to be more popular and the Green Committee see no need for any change.
The minutes of Green Committee meetings, with further details of the points above, are available for members to view.
Charlotte Ellis, Ladies European Tour Qualifying
The Club is delighted to report that Charlotte has qualified for her European Tour Card at the Final Qualifying School at La Manga, Spain.
In a gruelling schedule of golf Charlotte took part in 9 rounds of golf over 2 stages:
Stage 1, 4 rounds:
Tied 4th +4 70, 74, 72, 76
14 birdies, 42 pars, 14 bogeys, 2 double bogey/worse
Stage 2, 5 rounds:
Tied 9th +2 73, 72, 71, 72, 75
14 birdies, 61 pars, 14 bogeys, 1 double bogey/worse
CONGRATULATIONS CHARLOTTE!
We hope this is the start of a successful career on the Ladies European Tour
Last Saturday’s 4.5 – 1.5 victory at home over Lilley Brook gave Minchinhampton their 5th consecutive North Gloucestershire Foursomes League Division One Championship - just one short of the record, also set by Minchinhampton from 1958 – 1963. There is one game remaining, away to Cotswold Hills on Saturday 3rd September, but Minchinhampton are already three points clear.
Over the last 5 years the team has benefitted from a hard core of players, augmented by new players who have become a key part of the team. This year 20 players have appeared for the 12 man team in the 9 matches played and the strength has been both in the regular pairings and the ease with which new pairings have been created when needed – the players know all their team mates well and mix in easily. The age span of the team covers some 40 years, from 16 to 57, and there are some very promising and enthusiastic juniors who will be encouraged to increase Minchinhampton’s record of 22 championships in the 55 years of the League.
Further information on the league is available on http://www.ngflgolf.org.uk/ .
The Club’s annual Golf Week proved to be a big hit with both Members and visiting golfers. High on the list of memorable elements were the edible goodies created by Peter Hughes at the half way houses. In response to many requests Peter has provided recipes for these snacks so just download, cook and enjoy! Oh, and don’t forget to enter again for next year’s Golf Week.
Stuart Little makes the Team
Following on from Charlotte Ellis’s tournament successes and selection to represent England and the fine performances of Bob Broad and Stuart Masson respectively in the Welsh and English Seniors Championships, Stuart Little has succeeded in being selected to play in the PGA Cup. This Ryder Cup-style competition played over three days from 16 – 18 September 2011 brings together the finest PGA Professionals from the United States and Great Britain & Ireland. This year it will be played at CordeValle which is one of Northern California's celebrated resort destinations and has been described by renowned golf architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. as perhaps the finest creation of his career. The par-72, 7,169-yard layout will become only the second course on the West Coast to host a PGA Cup, following the competition held in 1977 in Palm Springs, Calif., when the U.S. and Great Britain & Ireland dueled to an 8½ to 8½ draw.
Begun in 1973 at Pinehurst, N.C., The PGA Cup is structured after the Ryder Cup and brings together 10-member teams of The PGA of America's professionals to face a 10-member team from Great Britain & Ireland.
The PGA of America President Jim Remy, who will serve as U.S. Captain in 2011 has said . "The PGA Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a PGA Professional, For more than 36 years, the PGA Cup has attracted players on both sides of the Atlantic in compelling competition which highlights the talents of club professionals. We are very excited about taking the PGA Cup to CordeValle, which is a magnificent setting to match the best players of our Association and those of Great Britain and Ireland."
Great Britain & Ireland PGA Cup captain Russell Weir has played in the biennial contest against the PGA of America a record eight times and is attempting to become the first GB & I Captain to win on United States soil since the inception of the competition back in 1973. The United States holds a 15-5-3 overall record.
Some 1200 professionals sought qualification for the GB & I team and Stuart gained most of his qualifying points at The Oxfordshire last year. Good Luck Stuart – we will follow your progress and that of the team with great interest.
