Email us at:    seniors@whetstonegolfclub.co.uk

Seniors Monthly News letter

Reminder that Monday is the 5th round of the Winter Stableford comps - although the weather forecast looks pretty grim

Cheers John Bostock

 

1 CAPTAINS MESSAGE

  • The Seniors Annual Meeting went well. A good turnout with just under ¼ of the Seniors membership attending. Draft Minutes will be posted on the notice board to be approved at next year`s meeting.
  • Your committee for next year is-

Captain Brian Turner,                       Vice Captain Bob Willett, Treasurer Peter Worton,

Secretary Tim Rogerson,               Competitions Brian Arkle,

Committee– Tony Frith, Robert Griffiths, Scott McCartney, Phil Bamford, Dave Spencer.

There is no Past Captain person, and no Fixtures secretary although Brian Turner (with extra help) will arrange matches .

  • Main Club Annual General Meeting outcomes –
    • New Captain is one of “ours” - Jim Hedderwick.
    • More discussions with Dave Raitt about improving the course - and greens in particular (eg routing machine to cut roots around greens to stop roots taking moisture out of green) etc. Possible changes to watering arrangements.
    • The huge loss (over £3k) in 2024 was reduced to almost breakeven last year -despite main club membership being down.

 3  COMPETITIONS

  • Winter Stableford Competitions. 20 people have signed up to be involved in the first 4 comps but additional people can join in any time. Prizes for places 1,2 and 3 in each competition. Cards weren’t being filled in well initially but the latest round (Nov 24) cards were excellent. Winners so far have been Graham Skinner and Neal Oliver (twice each),
  • Pre Annual Meeting Texas Scramble, was made up of own choice teams. Winners were Robert Griffiths, Dan Mercer and John Weekes. 2nd place went to Tony Frith, Malc Wileman, Richard Spence and Stu McCartney. Again, cards were not filled in well.
  • No matches. 

4  UP-COMING COMPS.

  • Winter Stableford competitions. 2 more rounds before Santa Special.- Monday and following monday
  • December 15th - Santa Special, Shotgun start followed by HEAVILY SUBSIDISED FOOD!!! Singles comp. Stableford. Also, a chance to win very good prizes in a free blind draw – Scott McCartney has arranged meat vouchers from 2 local butchers as well as bottles of wine. Only 41 signed up so far.
  • No more competitions until March.

5  OTHER NEWS.

  • Quicker play – there will be a drive next year to improve the speed of play (and courtesy to colleagues being held up behind). Many of us are “booked out” for 5 or 6 hours to enjoy a leisurely round and a pint, but many are fitting in the round between other events such as work, family illness, babysitting or jobs around the house etc, - slow and leisurely “doesn’t cut it.” Be courteous to others and let them through if you can – and don’t “putt out” every hole if you cant score!
  • Handicaps in all events next year will be capped at 28 - passed at the Seniors Annual Meeting having attracted 31 in favour votes of and 10 against (out of the approximately 50 who regularly play in comps, and of 75ish who played in comps at all in 2025).  Members playing with a handicap over 28 will be in a separate division (as medals are currently) with separate prize structure.
  • To win prizes in competitions in 2026 - the policy of needing 5 scorecards on Golf England in the 12 months preceding a competition (as was used in 2025) will continue. Again, ratified at the Annual Committee meeting. If members have health or other reasons why they cant comply having been away from play for a protracted period please discuss with Brian Arkle (Competitions sec 2026).
  • The annual review of handicaps is being carried out by the Club Handicap secretary Peter Seddon Results by Jan 1
  • 2 journalists visited a Scottish club, re-nowned for its quick play, having arranged to play a round with the club captain. He explained that normally 3 balls weren’t allowed but since they were such prestigious journalists an exception had been made. Normally a 3 ball wouldn’t take longer than 2 hours 50 minutes he said. Off they went (somewhat rapidly!) with the journalists scrabbling to keep up and “picking up” when unable to score. After only a couple of holes the mobile phone of one of the journalists rang – it was his wife in labour and he was needed urgently! Many apologies for the poor etiquette of having his phone on! The game continued and the Captain said that now they were only a 2 ball, those games normally only lasted 2 hours 35 minutes - and they had better speed up a bit. After the game - recovering at the 19th hole! – the journalist enquired what the course record was and deadpan the captain said 1 hour 56 minutes.