Blacklion GC - Newsletter #5 - Sept 2018

Blacklion Golf Club

Newsletter #5 September 2018

www.blackliongolf.com

K E E P I N G O U R M E M B E R S U P TO DAT E C A P TA I N S ’ WO R D S - C O U R S E C O R N E R - L A D I E S C O R N E R - R E S U LT S INTERCLUB COMPETITIONS - COMPETITIONS - HANDICAPS

Est. 1962

Blacklion Golf Club Newsletter #5 The Ryder Cup The first Ryder Cup was contested in June 1927 at Worcester Country Club and won 9 1/2 - 2 1/2 by the USA. Samuel Ryder was an English seed merchant and witnessing a team competition and in the bar afterwards he proclaimed ‘we must do this again’ and the Ryder Cup was born. It continued to be US dominated until GB became Europe in 1979 with Seve Ballesteros and Antonio Garrido becoming the first continental golfers to play in the RC. It’s a much more even contest now with Europe winning 8, losing 7 and tying 1 in the last 16 encounters. This year’s event from Sept. 25th is to be played on ‘Le Golf National’ South of Paris. A purpose built ‘stadium course’ owned and managed by the French Golf Federation. We will celebrate the event by hosting our own Ryder Cup Style Community Spirit Cup N v S on October 6th where two teams of 16 players will battle it out on Blacklion GC for the bargain rights. Some more reading about future Ryder Cup venues can be found here !

Captains’ Words - August Review Another busy month has passed us by and thankfully without too much ado.

The last month seems to have been packed with competitions with our annual Open Week and the two week Fundraiser Classic as well as all the normal competitions. This year’s Open Week was good for the club but still a mixed bag with a couple of very wet washed-out days and while the number of members participating fell compared to last year, we did have a small increase in visitors numbers which we could attribute to our increased efforts to promote our club through various means. We received very good feedback because of the exceptionally good condition of the course which hopefully translates in some repeat visits.

Long may that continue.

We had 33 teams competing in the Fundraising Competition and I was delighted to see a team of visitors scooping the Headfort golf package first prize. I expect that the fundraiser will raise around 3,000 Euros between entry fees and sponsorship which helps us in the latter part of the year. We will also and shortly be introducing a prize draw and details will follow next month.

On behalf of myself, Vera, and I would assume all members, we want to thank Mel for his service as President of our club and

for his invitation to his President’s Day where again the course and general hospitality was excellent. Some of us succumbed to the poor weather but dried out well in the Clubhouse afterwards.

While the course is in good condition and the greens are amongst the best we’ve had in a long time, we still need to carry out some necessary works to prepare for winter and we will commence hollow tining shortly to ensure that next years greens are even better. We also intend to realign some of the fairways to widen some and shorten the distance of rough between tee boxes and fairways. Other course work will be considered where we can draw down funding and we will investigate this over the next few weeks.

Finally I want to thank Seamus Falconer for arranging the flyover and production of a spectacular video which is available on Youtube (open Youtube and type Blacklion Golf Club).

Noel Melanaphy - Club Captain 2018

Club News and Information OSCAR Online Sports Capital Grants Every other year, the Irish government through the guise of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport supports sports clubs along the country with some grants.

This program is called OSCAR. During the last 2017 round, golf clubs received a total of 1.96 million Euros in grants divided amongst 65 clubs. Previously, in 2015, only 332K was divided amongst 12 golf clubs.

Amongst the 2017 recipients, notable clubs were Cruit Island at 11,500, Strandhill 43,000 and Portumna 27,000.

The programme funds several things, many of which could apply to our golf club.

Drainage of pitches, tracks and courts. floodlighting, ball stop netting, refurbishment of dressing rooms and any other capital project that is clearly sporting in nature and that will increase participation or improve performance.

The criteria for assessment are: likelihood of increasing participation, sharing of facilities, level of socio economic disadvantage in the area, level of own funding available and more.

As committee we are identifying areas that need improvement in our club and that fall within the parameters set by the OSCAR programme and we will be applying for some funding.

One Governing Body

Ireland is one of the top three countries in Europe with the highest participation rates for Golf, at approx. 4% participation. The decline in membership numbers in Ireland and elsewhere is a concern and there is a

possibility that with the current downwards trends, Ireland could fall down to less than 1% participation, in line with the European norm.

In general, Golf in Europe is growing due to the modern and family friendly structures that are being put in place. Ireland need to undertake a similar philosophy; to place more emphasis on junior boys/girls and female participation, create innovative ways of playing the game, and implement structures that suit modern families, who cannot commit to the time it takes to play a round of golf.

Since 2004 in Ireland, Golf Club membership has declined by approximately 50,000 and 30 clubs have closed. Over the last decade, both male and female membership has significantly decreased, with Ireland experiencing a 26% decline in male adult membership, 25% in female adult membership, 16% in junior boys and 22% in junior girls. The ILGU and GUI have since November 2015 been discussing the potential establishment of One Governing Body for golf in Ireland.

Both the ILGU and the GUI will hold respective EGM's where affiliated clubs will be invited to attend to vote on the Golf Ireland Proposal. These respective EGM's will both take place on 17th November 2018.

Golf Club Structure going forward As a golfclub we will have to anticipate the acceptance of this initiative and work towards a redefined structure for our own golf club. Our AGM is to be held on December the 12th but we might have to hold an Extraordinary AGM to put some proposals forward to anticipate these changes.

The committee …

Course Corner …

By Francis O’Reilly, Course Convenor.

Winter is unfortunately upon us …

How do we keep our golf members happy in winter when they’re already experiencing fewer hours of daylight, adverse weather conditions and course closures? it’s a case on how to manage expectations, without damaging our club’s winter income.

The aim of our course & turf management is to keep play on the main greens for as near 12 months in the year as possible. With milder winters becoming the ‘norm’ the demand for year-round golf has increased together with the need of many clubs to ‘keep members happy’ faced with the difficult economic environment currently being endured.

However, this need to maximise winter play must be matched with the drainage qualities, soil type, aspect and elevation of the greens in question as well as prevailing weather conditions, particularly as milder winters also tend to be much wetter.

In persistently wet conditions, the soil around the pin is likely to become severely compacted. Fine particles of silt and clay can migrate to the surface, resulting in soil-stained patches round pin positions and other well trafficked routes.

All of these effects weaken the turf and impede surface drainage. The aim of greens management should be to develop firm and dry surfaces to minimise the effects of wet weather. A sound aeration programme will help minimise ill effects on drainage and the sward. In addition, hole changes should be frequent to avoid regular concentration of foot traffic to the same spot, use being made of the outer regions of the greens as far as possible, although keeping towards the front in very wet spells.

Damage caused by play during frosty weather falls into two main categories: When frozen, plant tissues are easily bruised by players’ feet. Following a thaw, it is often possible to see brown footmarks for several weeks, particularly around hole sites. The greater the weight of play in hard frost, obviously the greater becomes the extent of this damage. Affected areas remain thin for long periods, altering the trueness of the putting surface, and are more susceptible to disease in spring.

Long-term damage is caused when play takes place after a sudden thaw. In these conditions the top layer of thatch and soil becomes soft, whilst the underlying soil remains frozen. Root damage occurs from the shearing action as players’ feet move the soft, unfrozen surface across the frozen sub-surface. This disrupts putting surfaces and creates weak areas that may not recover before the height of the competition season.

The best way to overcome these problems is to follow a management programme for greens that develops excellent drainage and firm, dry surfaces. However, even the best draining greens suffer from surface water retention and frost from time to time and the availability of good quality temporary greens will help protect the main surfaces when they might be adversely affected by continued play.

Another issue in greens management is ‘shade’.

Shade from trees will hurt the turf in the winter because grass growing in the shade simply isn’t as healthy as turf grass growing in the sun. Improve sunlight penetration before the winter sets in avoids winter kill. This is particularly important for our 8th and 15th green with the lower winter sun.

We are also looking at some winter projects … fix some drains, look at the fencing around the course and more.

Winter is upon us but we’ll make sure we can continue to play our lovely golf course.

Blacklion GC Club house Winter Opening Hours Mon/Tue: Closed Wed: From 1 pm Thu/Fri: Closed Sat/Sun: From 1 pm Bank Holiday Mondays: depending Can we urge you all to support our club house which is a crucial part of our social golf experience.

What would we be without it?

Upcoming Men’s Fixtures

Ladies Fixtures Sep 13, 15, 16 - Toam Cup Sep 20, 22, 23 - ILGU Pendant Sep 27 - Novelty 3 club comp Sep 29 - End of Year Scramble Oct 6 - N v S Community Spirit Cup

Sept 12, 15, 16 - Sept Monthly Medal Sept 19, 22, 23 - End of Year shoot out Wed 26, 29, 30 - Christmas Hamper #1 Wed 3, 6, 7 - Christmas Hamper #2 Oct 6 - N v S Community Spirit Cup Wed 10th - Start of Winter League

Some Basic Golf Rules (#2) 1. Types of hazards and procedures.

If your ball is in a water hazard (marked Yellow) you have the following options: Play the ball as it lies in the hazard or under penalty of one stroke, play a ball from where your last ball was played, drop a ball any distance between the water hazard keeping a straight line between the hole, the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard and the spot on which the ball is dropped. Ball in lateral water hazard (marked Red), in addition to the options above, you may also drop within 2 (two) club lengths from the point where the ball last crossed the hazard or at a point on the opposite side of the hazard.

2. Ball unplayable If your all is unplayable in a water hazard, you must proceed as above. Elsewhere on the course, if you believe your ball is unplayable, you may under penalty of one stroke ‌ play a ball from your last position, drop a ball any distance behind the point where the ball lay keeping a straight line between the hole, the point where the ball lay and the spot on the which the ball is dropped. Final option is to drop within two (2) club lengths of where the ball lay not nearer to the hole. If your ball is in a bunker, you may proceed as above except when you drop back in line or within two club lengths, you must drop in the bunker.

3. Ball assisting play (Backstopping) Rule 22 deals with the Ball assisting or Interfering with Play. It’s something that seems to happen regularly in our club and is not allowed under the rules. Except when a ball is in motion, if a player considers that a ball might assist

any other player, he may: a) lift the ball if it’s his ball or b) have any other ball lifted. A ball lifted must not be cleaned unless it lies on the putting green. In stroke play, a player required to lift his ball may play first rather than lift the ball (aka hole out) In Stroke Play, if the committee determines that competitors have AGREED NOT TO LIFT A BALL that might assist any competitor, they are DISQUALIFIED !!!!! Remember this next time you ask to have a ball left near the hole!

4. Ball lodged in tree, options?

Declare the ball unplayable, under penalty of one stroke, or treat it as lost and go back to where the last stroke was played from, under penalty of stroke and distance.

In order to declare the ball unplayable, which is usually the most favourable option for the player, they must be able to identify their ball. It is not sufficient to identify that there is a ball stuck in the tree, the player must be able to positively identify it as the ball that he is playing. If the player can identify his ball from the ground then he is permitted to declare it unplayable and may then shake the tree to dislodge it. However, if he moves the ball without having declared it unplayable he is penalised one stroke, under Rule 18-2a, and is required to replace the ball back in the tree where it was, or incur a further penalty stroke in stroke play or loss of hole in match play (see Decision 18-2a/28). The player does not have to recover the ball from the tree once he has positively identified it as Rule 28, Ball Unplayable, says that the player must drop a ball (not the ball) to continue play of the hole. This is a particularly tricky one for our club as our trees make it hard to identify the ball without dislodging it.

Competition Corner …

Handicapping Corner …

By Peter Cumisky, Hon. Competition Secretary

By Kevin McPartland, Handicap Secretary

Although the Open Week was well attended by visitors, members didn’t come out in as big a numbers as in the past. It seemingly is the trend that members play less and less competitions. We are working on revamping the competition calendar for next year to bring some excitement back and hopefully entice members to come out and play as often as possible. It is vital for the future development of our club. We have an exciting event coming up in the first Community Spirit Cup.

Some good results over the past few weeks with some significant handicap changes. Jason McLoughlin has improved his handicap from 16 to 11 in the space of a couple of rounds and will undoubtedly go lower. James McGrath is now in single figures at 9.1 and Gareth (I got a 4 iron for 20 quid on Ebay but can't use it) McGovern went from 18 to 16. We now have 16 Cat I and Cat II players of which 8 of single figures and the good news is that they all play regularly. Our club needs more of them.