Newsletter | April 2024
Our club championships have come and gone. Our course was in good condition for club champs. One could write 10 books on all the Sad Stories. One would think that their story is the only one. Well just ask me. I had 21 points and 2nd from last on day one. The South Easter had no mercy!
In the worst weather that I can remember, Jack Buchanan blew you all away in the 1st round. Well, done Jack. He must have felt sorry for you all as it looks like he took his foot off the peddle in the last three rounds. Well done to you all.
Another great win for Casey Hattie for her fifth consecutive win in a row. Come on Megan, you must get out there and practice. Grannie can babysit!
I had the great honour to start the Ladies on their way for the final round. I tried my best – if you did not recognise your name when I called it out, it was because of the strong wind – not my pronunciation!
There were 3 small problems :-
- Jill Baccarin lost her special Tee and was not prepared to continue without it. We all searched but to no avail! Sad start.
- Leonard Owen ex Pro Golfer came all the way over from Ireland to caddy for Judy only for Judy to leave him having breakfast. Judy had to make a hasty retreat to collect him after a 200m drive??
- Question just in case they ask me to do the start again next year. Lady on the Tee Box 20 minutes before her Tee time but last-minute nature called. She was supposed to tee off 2nd in her four ball but only got back to tee off last. What’s the penalty remembering that the starter gave her permission to attend to nature not knowing how long it takes a lady, just asking!
I always thought that starting would be an easy job. Well think again! Ladies standing there looking very pretty does not mean that they are ready to play. I realised this quickly. There were questions to be asked. Are you ready? Yes. Have you got your Tee and Ball? Yes. Have you got the club to hit the ball? Yes. These were some of the tasks I had to perform!
Our AGM is on the 16th of April and we hope to see you all. There are some serious decisions to be made. Remember if you are not there to vote then don’t complain on what you get.
Our constitution still needs to be finalised and we hope we can complete this at our next meeting. The Ladies had their AGM on the 19th March and I would like to congratulate Judy Teixeira on becoming the new Lady Captain. Thanks goes to the outgoing Captain, Ntsoti Morojele for all her hard dedicated work she did for the Ladies Section.
Be decisive. Right or wrong make a decision. The road is paved with flat squirrels who couldn’t make a decision. I am not a squirrel.
Happy Golfing
Billy O’Brien
Captain
We welcome the following new members
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Monthly Golf Fixtures & Results
Lady Captain’s Corner
Dear Ladies
As I sit down to write my final newsletter, I’m filled with a mix of emotions – gratitude, nostalgia and a touch of sadness as I bid you farewell. Serving as your Lady Captain for the past two years has been quite a pleasant adventure and an opportunity for immense personal growth. I am truly grateful for the opportunity I had to lead our ladies section.
Reflections on My Term
It feels like just yesterday I was a new face on the tee box, introducing myself to my 4-ball. Fast forward to today, and here I am, bidding farewell as your Lady Captain. Time really does fly when you’re having fun, doesn’t it?
I must confess, when the idea of Lady Captaincy was first brought to me, I was caught off guard. Me? Leading the charge? It seemed as likely as hitting a hole-in-one blindfolded. But as fate would have it, here I am, reflecting on the highs, lows and everything in between.
Going into it, I set some goals. While not all my grand plans came to fruition, I take solace in the fact that we introduced a bit more fun into our Tuesdays and main competitions.
A Heartfelt Thank You
To each and every member, sponsor and staff member who has supported and shaped the ladies section during my tenure as Lady Captain, I offer my sincerest thanks. Your enthusiasm, dedication, and support have made this journey all the more rewarding. Here’s to you, here’s to us!
Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this incredible journey. I have learned a lot about myself in the process. While my time in the Captain’s chair has come to an end, rest assured that my love for golf and our club remains as strong as ever. I look forward to enjoying my retirement. My bucket is filled with more than just golf balls.
So many things to do, so little time.
Welcome to the New Lady Captain
Drumroll, please! We recently held our AGM on March 19, 2024, and I’m delighted to announce that we have a new Lady Captain at the helm. Join me in giving a round of applause to our incoming Lady Captain, Judy Teixeira! Judy, congratulations on stepping into your new role. Wishing you all the best.
Thank You to Committee Members
A heartfelt thank you to my incredible fellow committee members who have poured their time, energy and passion into making our ladies section flourish over the past two years. It has been an absolute pleasure working alongside you. As we usher in a new era, I extend my best wishes to the 2024 Committee.
Celebrating Our Golfing Gurus
Let’s raise our clubs high in honor of this month’s maestros.
- Club Champs – Congratulations to Casey Hattle who clinched the 2024 Lady Champion title. With this win, Casey secures her place as the undisputed 5th-time champion – truly a force to be reckoned with on the greens!
- Western Province Golf Women’s Amateur Championship – Hats off to the remarkable Lorette Hegie, who emerged victorious in the Matchplay competition within the Bronze Division, proudly bringing home the prestigious Stanley Cup. I’m also giving myself a pat on the back for securing second place in the Strokeplay (gross) competition!
Monthly Competitions
Monthly Medal & Putting | 02 Mar (Sat) | Winner (Best nett): Casey Hattle |
Monthly Medal & Putting | 05 Mar (Tue) | 1st place Silver Div (Best nett): Ros Howard |
2nd place Silver Div (Nett): Atella Hefer | ||
1st place Bronze Div (Best nett): Lorette Hegie | ||
2nd place Bronze Div (Nett): Karien van Rooyen | ||
Putting: Tanya Williams | ||
3 Ball Alliance Waltz | 19 Mar (Tue) | Winners: Meryl Muller, Michelle Taylor-Rebel & Heather Steward (visitor Metropolitan GC) |
Single Stableford | 26 Mar (Tue) | Winner: Ntsoti Morojele |
Runner-up: Dawn Blackshaw | ||
3rd place: Pat Hinard |
Here’s to the future, to new beginnings and to brilliant moments ahead!
Warmest regards,
Ntsoti Morojele
Outgoing Lady Captain
Golf Course Report
Hi All Members
If you ever wondered why the committee and myself wanted the bushes cleared from behind the 11th and 12th greens please have a look how the surrounds of the greens are recovering and how stunning the views are now from the 11th Tee.
Gary Player has always said that our views of the ocean should be visible from all our playing areas along the beach front and this committee is inclined to agree with him. We are going to put pampas grass onto the bare areas around the 11th and 12th after we have put a few sprinklers into that area. The green staff are also hoolowtyning the bare patches on our fairways, this with a bit of top dressing will help these areas to recover quicker.
Club champs have come and gone, and we were quite happy that the course was in a reasonable condition but there is still a lot to do as far as our fairways are concerned. We are going to hollow tyne our greens in April, Hollowtyning our greens is a bit of a problem for me as our covering is the best I have seen this year but because of saline being high in our greens it will help getting fresh sand into the greens to combat this. We are just waiting for the hollow tyne plugs to put on the new 2nd green and we will be putting all our efforts into getting that playable.
Thank you all for your patience this year, the green staff have done a lot of work on the course, hopefully it has not affected your golf too much.
Keep swinging and enjoy your golf.
Regards
Shaun Buchanan
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