FLEMPTON GOLF CLUB NEWSLETTER : MAY 2017
FROM THE CAPTAIN
May is here and the days are getting noticeably longer. Judging by the nice
busy weekend we have just enjoyed at Flempton, it has persuaded more of us
to put on our golfing attire and stride down the first fairway. It was lovely to see
so many people at the club on Saturday in particular. It creates such a nice
atmosphere when the weather is kind and the terrace in front of the clubhouse
is full. Let's hope for a long warm summer season. There are few places
better on a summer's evening than to play nine holes and then sit with a cold
drink watching the world go by. The light at that time of year is truly special.
Speaking of the summer, we are now at the start of the busy playing
season. Volunteers from amongst the members put in a lot of time and effort to
organise matches against other clubs so do support them if you can. The
matches are all on the notice boards and on the fixtures card so if you haven't
already put your name down to play in one or more of them then do please as
they are usually most enjoyable occasions. we even win some of them!
SOCIAL CALENDAR
A Social Evening will be held on Friday May 26th. It is the first of this summer's
monthly events and will tee off at an earlier time of 17.30. All members are
very welcome. The format this month will be Scotch Foursomes (playing strictly
every other ball: if player A putts out, player B drives). Future social evenings
are planned for Saturday June 24, July22 and August 26 at 14.00hrs. Any
queries contact Sarah at [email protected] or otherwise please just turn
up on the day.
NEWS IN BRIEF
The Gentlemen's Invitation Day planned for May 6th has been postponed until
later in the year. The low numbers that have signed up for this event have
made this decision inevitable and it is hoped that the deferment of this occasion
until July 29th when it will be subsumed into a charity event for Duchenne's
muscular dystrophy will lead to a significant increase in take-up.
For the first time Flempton entered a team in the Suffolk Junior Championship
and played their inaugural match at Rookery Park on Easter Monday. The
team put up a valiant fight only losing narrowly as home advantage clearly
told. The team of Alfie Halil, Jude Everitt and Fern McCarthy deserve
congratulation and our appreciation for representing the club so well.
To celebrate "Get Into Golf" in June the Ladies Section will be running a series
of coaching sessions through the month of June on Tuesday mornings and
Thursday lunchtime to encourage ladies to take up golf. Attire will be smart
casual with trainers/golf shoes. Golf clubs will be available. If you know of
someone who might be interested please pass on Sarah's contact details
[email protected] .
It is expected that by the end of May we will have added a debit and credit card
terminal behind the bar for all those who find "cash" an inconvenience. It is
primarily intended to facilitate increased spending opportunities for visitors
whose purchases are often restricted by the lack of such a facility. It is also
expected that in the next few weeks - to coincide with the late arrival of spring
- we will have a fully operational and upgraded water fountain back in use.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
He was a touring pro with a decent track record. Then a local amateur golfer
burning up the course at Flempton. Now he's back in the professional ranks as
an affiliated professional based permanently at Flempton. Meet Paul Kent our
new resident pro and make sure you give him your support whenever you can.
As well as providing a full teaching programme Paul has also opened a small
pro shop with a good range of products and all the usual services. Those
members who have already taken advantage of his teaching skills speak
warmly of their quality and it is hoped that with the support of sufficient
members Paul will make a success of this new venture and provide a service
that most clubs take for granted but that we have never had at Flempton. A
golf tuition page has now been added to the website.
TAKE NOTE
The club will be involved in a number of county matches in the next few weeks
which will result in tee closures for a short period of time. The details are:
May 19th Weston Trophy: first tee closed 9.15 - 10.15
fourth tee closed 9.30 - 10.30
May 19th Beaumont Trophy: first tee closed 12.30 - 13.45
fourth tee closed 12.45 -14.00
COMPETITIONS AND FIXTURES
Congratulations are extended once again to
Pippa Beak and Claudia Long who continued to
make progress in the Daily Mail Foursomes with
a timely 2 up win on Easter Sunday.
The Ladies Open Day was a great success with
the winning team from Ufford Park having 97 pts,
then Woodbridge with 95pts followed by BSE in
3rd place with 93 pts. Yet another showpiece
event for Flempton.
This month sees the start of the major summer
competitions with the Centenary Cup on May
21st and the Flempton Challenge Cup on May
28th. Please look on the Competitions Board for
tee closure times.
In the Intercounty Intermediate Scratch League
we played our first match away at Gog
Magog. The match was played on the
Wandlebury course in very windy conditions with
two foursome matches and six singles. The
honours were even in the foursomes but Gog
Magog took the singles with 3 wins to claim an
overall victory. Our juniors again excelled with
Alfie Halil only losing on 18 and Jude Everitt
managing an exceptional half. The next match is
at home to John O 'Gaunt on Sunday at 14.00hrs
and all support would be welcome. Alternatively,
follow our fortunes on twitter and Facebook (look
for ICILS).
A special mention goes to one of our foremost
juniors, Alfie Halil, who distinguished himself at
Thorpeness over the May bank holiday
weekend. Alfie carded a gross 75 in a scratch
competition that attracted 40 of the best Suffolk
juniors and Alfie walked off with prize. It's great
for Alfie and it's also good to see Flempton
having such a young standard bearer.
The smile of a champion
KNOW YOUR RULES
One of the rules of golf that is most frequently broken is Rule 17.1. If a player is chipping or putting from
off the green and someone is standing near the flagstick on the green and is close enough to be able to
touch it then that player is deemed to be attending it while a stroke is being made. If the ball then hits the
flagstick a 2 stroke penalty is incurred even though the approach shot was from off the green.
You now know how to gain a bit of competitive advantage in a tight match, or more importantly, how to
prevent it!.
AND FINALLY
The game is changing and some may not be happy. This coming weekend will see the inaugural Golf
Sixes tournament as the European Tour stages a two day competition at the Centurion Club in St
Albans. It will be a matchplay competition in Greensomes format over six holes. Who would have thought
that it would be serious professional golfers reminding us that golf is a game played for fun - despite the
£1,000,000 purse.
It could be coming to a course near you very soon!