9th October 2023 Newsletter

BROCTON HALL GOLF CLUB 

THREE OFF THE TEE 9 OCTOBER '23 NEWSLETTER

Hello there 

It has been a crazy few weeks with golf (still smiling), football, rugby and now we have cricket too (still smiling for those three too) 🙂 Along with all the great sporting talent on show, our own Hannah Golding won the JCB Champion of Champions! You are an inspiration to many Hannah. 

The Past Presidents and Past Captains enjoyed their annual dinner last Friday evening and certainly make for a dapper group. 

As most of you are aware, I went to spend time with my son and grandson in South Africa. The photo below was taken at a river that runs alongside the complex where they live. (Sad to say you have to pass a security guard who gives you an alarm buzzer when you go down to the river)

Not a survey, but a question for members. This is your club and we continue to ask for your ideas and thoughts. If you have any ideas of how we can remember members that we have lost, can you please send me an email to generalmanager@broctonhall.com. We have discussed plaques on new trees, but fledgling trees are often fragile and die or end up being cut down later. One idea was to have a Memorial Board by the Halfway House. Another a Memorial Wall by the Millennium Garden. What are your thoughts? 

PAR FOR THE COURSE

The Greenkeepers have begun to work on the bunkers on the 15th so please be patient. As we will be focusing on getting all the bunkers on the back nine completed before Christmas, you will be able to find out from the Pro Shop each morning which bunkers will be out of play. 

Andy sent in these great photos of the course. How lucky are we? I really do need to get out and play more! 

COMPETITIONS 

The Thurgarlands won the Mixed Competition yesterday. David and Donna won with 61 making Adrian and Helen Tasker just miss out on 62. Amanda Evans and Captain David Parkes were in third with 63. 

Ladies

Congratulations to Sally Wardle-Gray for winning the Ladies 9 hole Stableford sponsored by Miss Designer Golf on Wednesday, 4th October. Kathryn Mann followed closely in second place with Sandra Houghton in third. 

Nicki Bowen took top honours in the Ladies 18 hole Stableford sponsored by Miss Designer Golf competition with 36 points. Kathryn Wilson was second with 31 and coming third on countback, also with 31, was Julia Nichols. Well played everyone. 

Seniors

The Senior Captain's Away Day was a fantastic day out at Great Barr Golf Club with great camaraderie and great competition. The course played tough as you can see with the winning score of 37 Points.

Competition results

• 1st  Paul Dunlavey with 37pts (bb9)
• 2nd Mark Newman with 37pts
• 3rd Neil Francis with 36pts (bb6)
• 4th Ken Bailey with 36pts (bb9)
• 5th David Moodie with 36pts 

Putting competition

• 1st  Simon Wells
• 2nd Steve Treadwell
• 3rd Chris Bulman

Nearest the pins

• Neil Francis 
• Mark Wheatley
• David Thompson
• Jon Brookes

Longest drive 

• Steve Waldron

Random prize winner

• Eddie Bowers

The Seniors Squad  played their last inter club match for this year against Sutton Coldfield 16 aside. Another resounding victory for the Home Team.

This year there have been 15 Home wins and 4 and a half Away wins. A tremendous record out of 32 matches played in total We have a last of the year match against the Seniors Ladies on 16th October, always an exciting event.

Juniors

Congratulations to Jack Harris on winning the 2023 Junior Knockout. Well done also to Alfie Wilby on reaching the final and coming runner up. Well done boys! 

CLUBHOUSE

A reminder of the Clubhouse closing hours as the darker night draw in. These hours will be extended for functions as required.

Please be aware that there will be occasions when the clubhouse will close early due to inclement weather. It is therefore advisable to ensure that nothing is left in the locker rooms which cannot be left overnight. 

My apologies for the delay in the Lottery Draw due to me being away. This will be done tomorrow. Good luck! 

The Wild Shooters. Inglorious Drivers. Long Shot. The Grim Putter.. Have you picked your team name for our much loved Quiz on the 19th October? Reputations are on the line (bad or otherwise) and embarrassing silences and too much wine await. Book your table and/or your Fish and chips (£13 pp) via What's On. There is a table plan up in the bar. 

Our Gin of the Week, the signature classic Burleigh's London Dry, is infused with 11 of the world’s finest botanicals to include silver birch, dandelion, burdock, elderberry. 

MEMBERS QUESTION

You are invited to send any questions in that you would like one of the Management Committee members to answer. Often a committee member is approached on the putting green with a question that might not relate to their area of knowledge. This is a way for you to ask those questions.

Q. When on, or approaching the 6th green from a distance of 100+ yards, a player is in danger of being struck by a wayward ball, boomed from the 11th tee. The achievable driving  distance by some members who lack the associated accuracy, makes the 6th fairway a potential ‘lights out’ location for anyone on the end of such a misdirected drive.

Please consider making the 6th green and the 6th fairway approach to the 6th green, ‘out of bounds’ to those driving off the 11th tee. This would not preclude such a terrific drive distance, but would make those without the skill of accuracy to think twice before endangering other players. The 11th tee and 6th green/approaches are not intervisible; a half hearted shout of ‘fore’ cannot be easily heard over a distance of 300 yards. Under the present arrangement, a ball driven from the 11th tee that ends up on the 6th fairway, provides a relatively easy shot over trees into the 11th green, so presenting no deterrent to wild strikes. I’m sure that this dangerous potential is not a consequence of equipment enhancements that the course can tolerate.

A. This was discussed at the Course Sub Committee. If we start looking at putting internal out of bounds on this hole we will start having to put them on numerous holes around the course. Unfortunately this is the design of the course - we are not blessed with a great amount of space between holes.

 Can members please ensure a loud shout is given when the ball is travelling to areas where golfers are not aware .

NOTICES

A couple of our travelling members 🙂

Matt Wilkes had an amazing experience being the Team Leader on Hole 17 at the Ryder Cup! An easy 1300 mile journey to Macro Simone GC in Rome. 

Alan Williams may have got a little wet playing at Muirfield, but what a course!

All of us at Brocton Hall wish our many members with a birthday this week a very Happy Birthday!  Happy Birthday to John Hawkins, Peter Watkins, Richard Gee, David Carr, John Hunt, Brian Rotchell, David Weals, Harry Beaumont, Bill Mackie, Alan Birch, William Baker, Bon Walker, Steve Gaunt, Colin Sutton, Alexander Holt, Susan Hodgens,  Ian Cairns, Ben Sivyer, Stephen Cartmail, John Cotterill, Matthew Hardiman, Colin Evans, Anne Rees, John Grant and Margaret Miller. Wishing you all the biggest slice of happy on special day! 

HOLE IN ONE

Happy golfing everyone,

Karen

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