FORE
June FORE 2017
The Newsletter of the
Goulburn Golf Club Ltd
Blackshaw Road Goulburn 2580
General Manager: Rob Kennedy
Clubhouse ‘Phone: (02)48212454
Professional: Andrew Grove PGA
Pro Shop Phone: (02)48218133
PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
I am still “relearning” matters
relating to where the Golf Club is up
to and the aims and objectives of the
Board.
A slow process but I will be up to
speed soon.
Last weekend I played in the Mixed
Foursomes (sometimes known as the
“Gruesomes”) and it gave me the
opportunity to learn more about the
course and the Club.
Some
observations
and
acknowledgments are required:
1. David Laurie, with his limited
budget, is obviously putting
his stamp on the course and
there are many subtle
improvements over the course
and I thank him on behalf of
Members for that work. He
is, of course, indebted to the
work of a number of Members
(and some husbands of
Members who are not even
golfers) who have put in an
enormous amount of time in
tidying up the course and the
trees generally. I “dips my
lid” to Carole Smith and Gail
Moroney for their energy in
ensuring that this working
group keeps coming back and
getting jobs done. The benefit
to the Club is invaluable and
also to the course and it is
there for all to see and benefit
from.
2. I would also like to
acknowledge the work of the
Golf Club Trust. The Trust
has
been
enormously
proactive and found grants
which have been able to be
employed all over the course
in getting rid of dangerous
and old trees.
Peter
Nightingale, the Chairperson,
and his Trust Committee are
to be congratulated on all of
that work.
3. The Club owes a debt of
gratitude to these volunteers
and all of the other volunteers
who do work in various
capacities for the Club.
Thanks to you all
Morris Owen President
FROM THE COURSE MANAGER
THU
8 Jun
Stableford
SAT
10 Jun
Stableford
THU 15 Jun
Stableford
SAT
2 Man Team Par
Hi all,
Firstly I would like to thank
everyone for the kind words of
support I have received since taking
my new role.
17 Jun
THU 22 Jun
Stableford
SAT
24 Jun
Stableford
SUN
25 Jun
The second and seventh greens are
slowly recovering after a nasty
disease picked up last summer.
THU
29 Jun
Round 2
Handicap
Matchplay
Knockout
Stableford
Thanks to all who use the soil bins
on the par threes.
MONTHLY MEDAL – MAY
My team and I have been making a
few minor changes to the course,
hopefully to make play a bit more
enjoyable for everyone and so far
feedback has been positive.
Unfortunately, there seems to be an
increase in the number of pitch
marks not being repaired. Could I
ask that people repair their pitch
marks and at least one other; that
way we should have no further
issues with pitch marks.
Enjoy.
WINNER NAMES
SCORES
Medal
Winner
67 nett
A Grade Luke
71
Scratch
Humphries
B Grade
Phil Sykes 71 nett
B Grade TBA
Scratch
David Laurie
C Grade
GOLF CALENDAR JUNE 2017
DAY
Adam
Cousins
DATE EVENT
THU
1 Jun
Stableford
SAT
3 Jun
Monthly Medal
Steve
Ridley
C Grade TBA
Scratch
016
67 nett
RULES
field. Football, basketball, baseball,
The
following
articles
we
acknowledge as the writings of
hockey, tennis, bowling, soccer,
volley ball – all of their fields are the
same and are right there in plain
Barry regularly shares his thoughts
on The Rules of Golf with a couple
of our members (who I think prefer
to remain anonymous). I hope Barry
is happy for us to pass his thoughts
on to our members; we should
constantly remind ourselves of the
unique nature of rules in our sport.
We are not only competing with our
playing partners; we are playing
against the field.
view for everyone to see. Also, they
all have one ball. Our fields are all
different and we have 150 balls
flying around over 170 acres of
topography which include hills,
valleys, trees, ponds, all sorts of
crooks and crannies. How is it
possible for referees to “get it
right”?
The Case for Armchair Officials
To assist them the Rules makers
in Golf
early on came up with the concept of
Monopoly is different from chess.
They have different rules. No one
complains. Golf is different from
other sports. It calls for different
rules. People complain. Let’s start
with a principle on which all
sportsmen can agree. Referees are
charged with GETTING IT RIGHT.
We will accept a close call that goes
against our guy, but rail over a bad
call every time. “Come on Ref, get it
right.” Early on golf’s Rules makers
realized our sport was significantly
different from all the rest. First, all
those other sports have the same
“ALL
AVAILABLE
Before
adjudicating
DATA.”
an
issue
officials are instructed to talk to
anyone that can add creditable data,
other players, caddies, spectators,
anyone, and anything to get it right.
They often use TV footage when it’s
available. “Hey Johnny, can you see
from the video where that ball
crossed the hazard line? Yes Rodger,
looks like it crossed near that little
tree about 200 yards from the tee.”
No one complains. I ask, “What’s
the difference between the monitor
in the 18th tower and the monitor in
Cleveland?” Of course logic dictates
the answer – there is no difference.
golfers. So, we have the theory of
lines. When it’s impossible or
A cousin to the ALL AVAILABLE
impractical to draw lines, Rules
DATA principle is the theory of
makers don’t even try. Don’t hit a
lines. When it’s too difficult to make
loose impediment in a hazard –
distinctions, too difficult to draw
period! If you cause your ball to
lines, the Rules makers don’t even
move through the green, you incur a
try. Take the case of Brian Davis
penalty. Move is move. One inch,
tied after regulation with Jim Furyk
one foot or one yard. You can’t play
at the 2010 Verizon Heritage at
from a wrong place, no lines. One
Hilton Head. During play of the first
yard, one foot, one inch. When
playoff hole, Brian’s club during his
Officials are directed to obtain ALL
backswing from a green side hazard
AVAILABLE DATA, all means all.
hit a reed (a loose impediment) and
No commas, no dashes, no semi-
he incurred a penalty resulting in his
colons. If the arm chair guy in
losing the tournament. The grill
Cleveland has data that can help
room crowd went wild. “That’s a
GET IT RIGHT – then bring it on.
dumb Rule. It was only a small
Remember, he is not making any
reed.” I asked what if instead of a
ruling, he is just providing data. It’s
reed there was a log 6 inches in
reported that while the arm chair
diameter right behind his ball and
call-ins are reviewed, most are
Brian could fit his wedge in there
discarded. Also, over the years call-
and on his back swing push that log
ins have helped players as well as
out of the way clearing the area for a
hurt them. Our game is better served
clean chip onto the green? The grill
by the ALL AVAILABLE DATA
crowd responded with “that would
principle.
be a penalty.” Logical folks now see
the issue. Where is the cut off
Jerry
Duffy,
Maryland,
USA
between a reed and a log? Clearly
there isn’t one. Or, if there is, it’s
In my opinion, viewers who think
not obvious to the majority of
that they may have seen a breach of
a Rule on a televised broadcast
should restrain themselves from
getting involved, leaving it to the
Rules officials charged with the
responsibility. However, once any
breach of Rule has come to the
attention of those officials in charge,
notwithstanding its source, they do
then have a duty to impose the
appropriate penalty prescribed by
the Rules of Golf. Officials have a
responsibility to protect the rights of
every other player in the competition
and on a wider scale to the integrity
of the game; they do not have the
right to choose whether to impose a
penalty, or not, for a known breach.
Good golfing,
..... No.19 Rory McIlroy,
Definition of Loose Impediments
Location: 2012 Abu Dhabi HSBC
Championship, Abu Dhabi GC, UAE
“I don’t think that you can brush
sand off the fringe”, these were the
words spoken quietly by Luke
Donald to his fellow competitor,
Rory McIlroy, on the 9th hole of
their second round in the Abu Dhabi
Championship. Rory’s ball was
lying about 6 feet from the putting
surface, with a lot of sand between
his ball and the hole, when he bent
down and swept some sand from his
intended line of play. To his credit
he realised straight away that Luke
was right and that he had therefore
incurred a penalty of two strokes.
The
Definition
of
Loose
Impediments
includes
this
statement;
Sand and loose soil are loose
impediments on the putting green,
but
not
elsewhere.
Recounting the incident, which
came as he was forcing his way back
into the leading positions, McIlroy
said;
“I hit my ball pin-high left on the
fringe. There was so much sand in
my line, I didn’t even think about it.
I just went down and brushed the
sand. It came to me right away. I’ll
definitely not do it again. It was just
a mental error.” Click on this link to
hear a short interview with Rory at
the end of his eventful round.
McIlroy took his infringement on
the chin and characteristically did
not bear any grudge against Luke
Donald;
“I’m sure Luke was put in an
awkward position there, but he had
to say it. If I was in his position, I
would have said the same.”
He will probably not make this
mistake again. In my experience, the
way that most golfers learn the
Rules, and remember them, is when
they commit a breach and it costs
them
a
penalty.
Note that loose soil has the same
status of sand, both on the putting
green and off it. This is reinforced
by Decision 13-2/11, Removing
Sand or Loose Soil from Dropping
Area:
Q. Through the green, may a player
remove or brush away sand or loose
soil from the area in which he is
preparing to drop a ball?
A. No. Rule 13-2 prohibits
improving the area in which a ball is
to be dropped by removing sand or
loose soil. Sand and loose soil are
loose impediments only on the
putting green.
__________
MYTHS EXPLODED
Myth: A player must not hold the
shaft of a putter to make a stroke,
they must have their hands on the
grip.
Fact: There is no restriction in
the Rules as to how a player holds
their club, providing the ball is
struck
with
the
club-head.
CCR:
Starters: