Friendly Matches 2022 …
The schedule for friendly matches has been confirmed. Please indicate your availability via IntelligentGolf, within the matches section. Please go to IntelligentGolf, Competitions, Matches, Ladies Friendly Team. If you have any issues finding this, please contact Louis Laville – louis.laville@roehamptonclub.co.uk.
In competition news …
Thirty-two weekend Members turned up with carry bags on their shoulders to play in a 15-hole fourball better ball Stableford on Sunday. The ground was very soft underfoot, but the sun was glorious and the temperature mild. The groups were drawn randomly, with many players meeting their partners for the first time. Afterwards, most of us met upstairs for a snack and chance to catch up. A huge vote of thanks to Caroline Nettel for organising the day so wonderfully. There were a lot of very good scores, made better in recognition of the typical winter conditions, but the overall winners were:
Winners – Jo Thesiger and Jenny Gaskin (39 points)
Runners Up – Nicola Pearson and Sian Bayliss (35 points)
Tied Third Place – Elise Gordon and Pippa Riddle (34 points) and Danit Birn and Kathleen Bacon (34 points)
There was another strong field for the first Tuesday competition of the new year on 11th January. As is tradition, Members gathered for coffee and a catch up before 61 players set off in randomly selected groups. The format over nine holes was a gentle two scores from three, with the emphasis on shaking off the cobwebs and easing back into competitive golf! As always, there were some terrific rounds, with congratulations to:
- Danit Birn, Henrietta O’Shea and Sandra Drum (39 points)
- Lydia Charles, Caroline Leslie and Sandy MacCaw (36 points)
- Louise Tierney, Catherine Cooper and Margaret Swaine (35 points)
Winter golf tips …
Please can I ask everyone to ensure that they are wearing winter golf shoes with some sort of studs, as opposed to the fashionable, but slippery, flat soled summer variety! The ground is very wet and can be treacherous. Everyone needs to pay especially careful attention when walking on/off the raised tees and greens. You all may remember we had a man down last winter resulting in a broken bone, and I have already seen one bad skid down a hill that could have resulted in injury as well.
Just a reminder that under the Rules as revised in 2019, embedded (plugged) balls may be lifted from any part of the ‘general area’ of play. This is defined as any part of the golf course, except for the teeing ground or green of the hole you are playing, or any penalty area or bunker. This change from the previous definitions means you may now freely unplug your ball from the fairway or rough. If you are on the green, you may lift your ball as under normal circumstances, fix the damage, and replace the ball. Unfortunately, no relief is given in a bunker!
A ball is deemed plugged if:
- It is in its own pitch-mark made as a result of the player’s previous stroke, and
- Part of the ball is below the level of the ground.
Once it is determined that your ball is embedded, you may lift it, clean it, and drop it one club length not closer to the hole from the spot just behind where the ball was embedded.
The relevant Rules for reference are 16.3 Embedded Ball and 14.1 Marking Lifting and Cleaning Ball
Finally, I have been asked to clarify the details used when calculating the handicap for competitions. The first step is to identify the players Handicap Index. Next, her Course Handicap is determined by referencing the Handicap Index on the Handicap Conversion Tables. This number is reduced by the relevant percentage, yielding her Playing Handicap for that day. Some confusion seems to have arisen because the Course Handicap is not printed on the cards when they are prepared. Instead, the player’s Handicap Index is shown, as this is the one constant that every player carries with her from game to game and course to course. Next to that number is shown PH, which stands for Playing Handicap with a percentage number printed next to it. This is an indication that the handicap the player will use on the day in that competition is 95% or 85%, etc., of her Course Handicap. It does NOT indicate that she is getting the percentage from her Handicap Index. Please familiarise yourself with the different terms:
- Handicap Index (HI): measure of a player’s demonstrated ability (calculated in a complicated way relating to difficulty of the course … a lesson for another day)
- Course Handicap (CH): the number of handicap strokes a player receives on a given golf course, before any allowances; this is the number the player uses in her social games or whenever she is given 100% allowance of her handicap
- Playing Handicap (PH): the Course Handicap adjusted for any allowances (such as 95% for a stableford, 85% for betterball, etc.); this represents the actual number of strokes the player is given for the round being played
One final note is that when a player enters a stroke play competition, the Playing Handicap used (typically 95%) is for prize giving purposes only. The full allowance is given for the round when determining her Handicap Index. This means that in a Stableford competition, players should be mindful of putting out on holes where they would get a shot (or two) with their course handicap, even though it might be a ‘blob’ in the competition with the reduced handicap.
If you have any questions concerning the very complicated explanation above, please message me, Tristan (tristan.mcillroy@roehamptonclub.co.uk) or Louis (louis.laville@roehamptonclub.co.uk).
Patricia Morgan, Ladies’ Golf Captain
