A very happy New Year to you all and I hope that 2020 lives up to your expectations and that your golf gives you great satisfaction this year. I thought I would start the year off with a communication to you as our valued 9 hole players and to let you know about one or two matters before the season gets under way. Please don’t hesitate to approach your Convenor if you have any issues that you would like brought up.
Firstly, your Tauranga Ladies Golf Committee for 2020 are as follows:-
Lindy Bryant – Club Captain; Adrienne Coad – Vice Captain; Lady Vets Convenor – Chris Carrington; Saturday Ladies Convenor – Wendy Hanna; 9 Hole Ladies Convenor – Marion Guy. This committee will meet at least two monthly to manage all matters relating to women’s golf at our Tauranga Club.
Women’s Programme Booklet
This booklet is about to go to print and should be available to us all by the commencement of the season on 1st February and will cost you $2. A lot of work goes into ensuring that the contents of the booklet are as accurate as possible and I take this opportunity of sincerely thanking our sponsors – Althorp Village, Lynette Baker (Bayleys), Supreme Lock & Hardware, Acorn Foundation (Adrienne Coad), Matua Village. Special thanks to Sharyn Cooke of Kiwi Publications for putting the whole booklet together.
Saturday Play
As many of you are aware and especially those of you who play on a Saturday, this is one of the busiest if not the busiest day of the golfing week at Tauranga Golf Club. The fields are full for both morning and afternoon play and it is imperative that the morning field is through hole #11 before the commencement of afternoon play. Unfortunately there have been a few too many instances where the afternoon field could not tee off at their appointed time until one or more morning tees have gone through from hole #1.
Both the Mens and Ladies Club Captains have been out on the course endeavouring to find out ways of improving on this situation. To this end, the Club Captain in consultation with the Mens Captain and myself, has made the decision to have the 9 hole Saturday ladies tee off 20 minutes later than usual. Please be assured that this move has NOT been made because of any pace of play issues with either the 9 hole ladies or 18 hole ladies. (I am very disappointed to learn that Saturday 9 hole ladies feel they have been accused of slow play – this is absolutely not the case at all and it is mischievous of anyone to assert that!)
Placing the 9 hole Saturday ladies at the end of the morning field, gives a buffer between them finishing at hole #9 and the commencement of afternoon play at hole #11. All morning 18 hole groups should have gone through hole #11 with time to spare before the afternoon field commences and if not “skin and hair will be flying” I am sure ??!! We do ask and would appreciate it if you could bear with us on this one to see if this solves the problem. Naturally if not, then we will have to search for another solution/s. If you are playing on a Saturday, just be mindful of your place in the field and as long as you keep to the times set out on your card and keep up with the players in front, you will be fine.
I look forward to joining you on a Tuesday from time to time, together with Adrienne Coad, to make ourselves known to you all. Your 9 hole group are fortunate to be in the very capable hands of Marion Guy and her deputy Philippa de Vere and who have my full support and that of our Tauranga Women’s Committee. You also have an enthusiastic 9 hole committee by all accounts.
Best wishes and great golfing to you all.
Lindy Bryant – Tauranga Ladies Club Captain