Good afternoon golfers

 

I really hope you are all enjoying the good summer conditions at the course right now.  Thank you to TK, the staff and the bevy of volunteers who are keeping the course in great nick.

 

Of most importance right now is to encourage entry in to the Diplomats Day which is being played on Saturday 24 February, tee time 11am (multi tee start - the course will be closed for most of the day for the tournament).  The Diplomats Golfing Society choose Karori as their course of preference for the opening of their seasons' calendar.  It is not unusual for a number of ambassadors and their staff to venture out for this event.  We should honour their presence with a sizeable field. 

 

The diplomats run the day, provide the prize pool, a cup of tea before start time (registration at the clubhouse from 10am).

 

So let's get our entries in. Enter using the website (https://www.karorigolf.co.nz/event-calendar), or email the club (clubhouse@karorigolf.co.nz) or phone the shop and talk to a person (04) 476 7337.

 

Entries close Thursday 22 February at 5pm so that a draw can be done.

 

It was nice to see our new life member Fiona Kearns on the course this Sunday for the first time in a long time.  I think the last time she competed was in November, so welcome back.  Also great to see Keith Gaskin gracing the fairways too. 

 

And a hearty congratulations to Nicholas Mills who broke 80 for the first time.  I am sure for him it will be the first of many.  Well done Nicholas - it's always special breaking 80 for the first time.

 

 

Maurice reports that numbers had swelled at coaching this Sunday.  While he had to get the newcomers up to speed with first principles he was able to deliver some guidance to the 18 people who took advantage of his coaching.

 

This Sunday is going to be a short game clinic and he necesarily will be comandeering most (if not all) of the putting green and surrounds from 10am until 1pm.  We will see what we can leave for those who wish to have a couple of putts before they hit the fairways.  I'll send a reminder out before Sunday to remind people to give space to those who are having lessons.

 

The Sunday following (18 February) the groups will be playing four holes (ambrose format) and their tee times are 10.16am (Juniors); 11.05am (Women) and 11.54am (All Others).  Once again we ask that you be patient for the four hole stretch that these learner golfers will be using to gain skills on the course. 

 

Maurice is doing these clinics voluntarily so please treat him and his students kindly.  We were all learners once.  Thank you Maurice for your efforts.  It is most appreciated.

 

 

Division 2 will be playing Trentham at Karori, tee time 8.06am; Division 5 will be playing BFHGC (away); Division 9 will be playing Te Marua at Karori, Tee time 8.48am; and Division 12 will be playing Titahi Bay (away).

 

All our teams had a really good start to the season and hopefully will build on their good start.  The good news for Div 5 is that when they are done this Saturday they will have completed two away games. 

 

Good luck to all our inter club players.

 

 

For our club golfers, Saturday is round 2 of the Autumn Cup

 

Make up your own fours and enjoy the day.  The current holder from 2023 is Chris Pearce.

 

 

 

As it is Waitangi Day our Women are having a "strategic time out".  I hope as many of you as possible will take advantage of the summer conditions to improve your eclectics.

 

 

Be at the clubhouse by 10.15am for the disc draw for the 10.30am tee time.  $5 pays your entry and buys you a raffle ticket.

 

This is open to everyone and all are welcome including affiliated visitors.  Come along and enjoy the day.

 

 

 

There have been some awesome fields for this twilight event.  The scoring is always hot and the food is of exceptional (so I have been told).

 

Come and join the fun.

 

 

This Sunday our women will be contesting their LGU and Putting, and the men will be playing the first of their Monthly Medals.  These competitions co-incide with Sunday Club Day.  When printing your card select the tees you wish to play from when selecting your game options.

 

The regular groups, Shirties, Matts Mob and the Gaskies support Sunday Club Day.  Come along and get involved.

 

The numbers at Gaskies have dropped off a bit.

 

Gaskies is an allcomers group - everyone welcome and everyone is good enough to play.  Many of our top golfers have come through the Sunday card draw at the picnic table for their Sunday round of golf.  It is a gentle way to meet other members who are there for exactly the same reason as you would be, to enjoy a game of golf with others.  As an example, I played with Nick Mills last Sunday as he had his 79 and I could not have been more delighted for him.  It's the same for everyone.  Come and have some fun.

 

Be at the picnic table by 8.45am for the card draw before we tee off at 9.06am.  Everyone welcome (including affiliated visitors).

 

 

We have a couple of membership deals underway at the moment.  First, any former Karori Golf Club member who has been away from the club for two years or more may rejoin for $995 for a sixteen month period.  You may know people in this category and as our best advertisement, why not encourage them to rejoin.  By introducing them back to the club you also get an extension of two months on your own membership.  Obviously, the more new members you bring in, the longer it will be before you get a membership invoice.

 

As well as that we have an introductory membership for those who have never been a member of our club before and their membership will also be for a period of 16 months.  Encouraging friends or relatives to join will also attract the introduction benefit to the person who brings along the new member. 

 

We have a great course.  Let's promote it and swell our ranks.  We can surely use another hundred members or so, but as the saying goes, one member at a time.  They all count.

 

 

The new local rules I outlined last week are written on the white notice board in the downstairs fower.  Please familiarise yourself with them.

 

To assist you with defining GUR areas we have started installing "blue pegs" to define the line of the GUR.  Free drop outside those peg boundaries.

 

These are obvious in the tree line of hole number 5, and to the left of the fairway on hole number 10.

 

 

For those of you who are wondering what is happening as far as the drainage is concerned we have had a field trip from a contractor and we are waiting for prices and a work schedule to get the work completed.

 

Thank you to Keith Atkinson and Matthew Roche for meeting with these people (with TK in attendance as well). 

 

I'm looking forward to seeing the report and costings so that the work can get completed as soon as possible.

 

 

Please use the website to keep an eye out for upcoming events.  It is really easy to enter club competitions on this site, even if there is an entry fee as you may pay the fee at the clubhouse (Shootout for instance).

 

The next two upcoming events are the Nes Beard (best stableford for golfers over 50) and the Ayers Cup (Women) for our Women golfers (over the age of 50 years).

 

Every month there is at least one competition which may be of interest to our members.  Join in, you may well get honourable mention.

 

 

Keep an eye out for the next couple of these.

 

While not directly related, a group of our members will shortly tackle the debris and timber still evident in the tree line of number 5.  Quite a lot of this was cleared away some time ago and the next effort will finish the job. (As long as no more trees fall over).

 

 

 

Nicholas Mills lead the way with 44 points from Keith Atkinson 41 (shot 74) and Eric McAuley 40.  Best of our Women on the day was Marcosa Santos (38)

 

 

This was a two round event.

 

The winner (on plus 3 was )Eric McAuley from Keith Atkinson on (plus 1) and Grant Pollard (all square).

 

Congratulations Eric.  Your first Trophy for 2024.

 

 

In no particular order the top ten scores (gross less half handicap) with a scoring range from 56 nett to 57.5 nett are Adrian Porter, Grant Pollard, Richard Potter, Russell Turner, Mark Peck, Wayne Cook, Patrick Cordue, Matthew Everett, Marcus Henry, Nicholas Mills, and Kevin Norquay. (If you count that's 11 as there is a tie on 57.5)

 

I can reveal that after his hot round on Sunday that the leader is Nicholas Mills.

 

The last round of eclectic will be on Thursday 29 February.