June Captain’s Shot
Dear Members
Just maybe the weather has settled down and we can return to some sort of normality.
Congratulations and Thank you to our course staff who worked tirelessly through the aftermath of the big wet to get our course back into play. There were decisions to be made that saw the course closed for days and that had implications not only for golfers, but also the operation and profitability of the clubhouse. Unfortunately clubhouse profits turned into operating losses for this period. However setting up a temporary course as we did, allowed us golfers back and gradually, as things improved, we have returned to normal conditions. Your patronage of the clubhouse facilities will help us turn the losses around to profit and have us finish the financial year in a stronger position. Congratulations to Ian and his team for introducing the various menu offerings and promotions in the clubhouse. It is now up to the Members to come along and enjoy what is on offer.
The prolonged wet did show us how many problems with drainage we have throughout the course. The reasonably flat nature of the course, high water table and very old, limited drainage from fairways made moving water through the course very difficult. Add to this the natural blockage that occurs with the old sewer treatment works, it means we must continue to pursue the acquisition of this area of land. Holes 1 and 2 and 10/18/17 have taken the longest to recover due to the heavy red soil and no drainage. This has forced us to consider options moving forward that will better handle similar conditions when they occur. It will not be an easy or quick fix and obviously will have a cost. Where it fits on the priority list will require discussion but something needs to happen because it will definitely rain again.
The rain also impacted the clubhouse. The many roof leaks were mainly due to the age of the roof itself, some poor fixings of the solar panels and various flashing failures due to the many roof penetrations. A patch-up job has occurred to the roof now the rain has stopped but the damage to various areas of the clubhouse is concerning as well as the electrical services that were also affected. It has meant that the gaming room in particular has required an enormous amount of drying and mould treatment. During the rain it was evident that half the roof stormwater system was working. However there are questions regarding how and where the other half of the roof drainage system was working. The rectification of all the water damage and the causes will also not be easy or without cost and it too will need to go onto the priority list for discussion.
Now that we are back playing the course, may I remind players that call-up to all par 3’s is compulsory if the following group is on the tee. It is also a requirement for the group that has been called up not to proceed past the blue line that has been placed on the cart path and fairway, until the green is free. Please abide by this rule as it is an example of golf course etiquette required by PMGC.
The course is drying out nicely but there are areas that Steve is marking with witches hats or that have been roped off. We ask everyone to avoid these areas either walking or driving a cart to assist us in improving the course. Fairway and rough divots all need the players to fill them as well as any others that they see. The bunkers have also been heavily impacted by the rain. The greens staff are working on the bunkers to ensure they present as best they can so please assist by raking each time you visit the bunker. It is not for you but for the next person following.
This time of year we are experiencing shorter daylight hours and with the size of fields we see on Thursdays and Saturday mornings and afternoons, players need to be conscious of slow play. Enough has been written and talked about slow play but it all comes back to showing respect for those that follow. Play ready golf on the tee, walk quickly to your ball and be ready to putt out even if you are not the furthest from the hole. This ensures that everyone finishes in the daylight, not the dark. Again this is nothing more than good golf course etiquette. How do you check if your group/round is too slow… 4 hours 30 minutes is acceptable around Port Macquarie Golf course but any longer is too slow.
Good golfing
Lindsay Verdon
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May Captain’s Shot
I have been waiting for the last two weeks to write this report hoping the weather would improve so I could deliver some good news. Unfortunately the weather worsened last week with approximately 420mm falling from Monday to Friday on top of the earlier rain in the month.
The clubhouse has sprung a few roof leaks that cannot be fixed until the rain stops. The clubhouse is still open for lunch, dinner and bar service and we encourage Members to come out and support the Club. The clubhouse is our only source of income during all the wet weather.
The golf course is extremely wet and we have had little break from the rain each month of this year. This year we have seen 1454mm of rainfall. April had 289mm and so far May has had 663mm. The most damaging fact is the consistency of the rain. April had 10 days only where no rain was recorded. May has had only 9 days to date with no recorded rain. The concern is the lack of sunlight during those dry days. Additionally we have had very little wind so any form of drying out has not occurred. The water table remains very high across the course, so holes that normally drain quickly, are not draining.
Everything is being done to help the course drain however the fairways and rough remain very soft and water is still laying throughout the course. All this weather has required us to close the course for extended periods. That decision is not something we have taken lightly, but the condition of the course made it very difficult to allow golfers on the course. We will keep everyone advised of our decisions on reopening. In the meantime all the practice facilities remain open.
In the meantime, Victoria, South Australia and the Gold Coast are in drought and each state has a plethora of great courses, wineries, restaurants and clear skies. It could be time to take a road trip if you need a game of golf and a holiday.
Bill’s rules are back so please see below. I am going to ask Bill to address some specific wet weather rules for the upcoming months.
Lindsay Verdon
Captain
Bill’s Rules
1.Player A loses his footing when entering a bunker and falls into the sand. Although the ball has not moved, Player A has worsened his area of stance and his line of play.
Ruling: Rule 12.2B (2) and 8.1D
There is no penalty and the ball must be played as it lies. Touching the sand when preventing a fall does not result in a penalty.
However the player is not allowed to restore the conditions affecting the stroke if the conditions are caused by himself.
2.Player A ‘s ball comes to rest near an attached divot, player A presses the divot down and plays his shot.
Ruling: 8.1A
Player A gets the general penalty of 2 shots for pressing down a divot and improving conditions affecting his stroke.
3.Player A makes a stroke with a club that has an impact sticker on the face so as to see where the impact of the ball is.
Ruling: Rule 4.1
Player A is disqualified as by making a stroke with the sticker attached to the face, the player has used a non-conforming club as the sticker is an external attachment.
4.Player A is making practice swings in the general area of the course when he accidently makes contact causing the ball to move.
Ruling: 9.4 Player A gets a 1 stroke penalty and must replace the ball on its original spot before playing the next shot.