News

The Halloween Comp went well, 32 played.

Winners were Rosie and Geoff Hall, Hazel and Bob Suswain

The first five holes were played twice, as a Society out earlier might have made turning at 16 more difficult. All scores counted woth each team allocated a quota for the 10 holes calculated on combined handicaps. Each player had either a trick (a trick shot that could be used either from a green side bunker on the green) or a treat (treat themselves to a free drop anywhere on the course, subject to usual rules) to be used once during the round. The team that exceeded their quota by the most points won. Teams came into the dining room to Sarah’s carrot and corriander or brocolli and stilton soup and a roll.

Small profit to the course loo fund (every little helps!).

Sadly, as I write this month’s Captain’s Bulletin, we have just entered our second National Lockdown. As you are all very well aware, despite intense lobbying at parliamentary level, golf is currently prohibited and, consequently, the course and clubhouse will remain closed. We can only hope that some relaxation in playing safe sports will let us back on the course but I am sure we all respect the difficult position the government is in and, above all, we want to see the spread of this horrible virus diminish soon. I know that our chairman is in constant dialogue with England Golf and, as soon as circumstances change, he will advise us all. Greens Committee Report Trevor and Glenn have asked me to share the following with you: • Trees – removal of the fallen trees on the 12th has now been completed, much of this work done by course volunteers and I must mention Roy Millard in particular for his help! Further tree work has taken place around the course but our on-going program will undoubtedly be interrupted by lockdown. • Volunteers – Those of you that play on a Monday will have witnessed, first hand, our band of course volunteers, conspicuous in their Hi Viz vests. Pruning of trees, hedge trimming, bunker weeding, hole-filling and debris clearing are all fair game and this certainly frees up valuable time for the greens staff to get on with other vital tasks. • 12th Tee -Some of you will be aware that the club have secured, free of charge, a piece of land adjacent to the brook, behind the old white tee on the 12th. Under Neil’s direction, our volunteers have been tasked with establishing a hedged border so that this land becomes an integral part of the course. A boundary membrane has been laid and we are ready to crack on with planting a hawthorn hedge. Unfortunately lockdown has arrived halfway through this operation, preventing us from completing the task! We have thoughts on how this land might be used to extend the 12th hole in the future but, for now we simply want to secure the area. • Drainage – You will know that we closed the course for a day so that further work could be carried out on the greens. This involved hiring a clever “shock wave” machine which was used on all greens, tees and even some other areas, aimed at reducing compaction and aiding drainage. The greens are recovering well and we should all see a benefit in the future. • Worm casts – It is that time of year when we get plagued with worm casts. Neil and the team have treated all the greens with a dosage of sulphate which should help the problem. My thanks go to all the members of the greens committee and, especially to Neil and the team for continuing to provide us with a great course! New Members Our membership continues to grow and, although the rate has slowed with the onset of Winter, we now have some 94 new members. 64 of these are full members with a further 30 Play More Golf members. Great news for the future of the club! Competitions Since my last bulletin, we have more or less completed our season, with the Past Captains, Captain v Vice Captain and Ryder Cup events. All of these were well supported and, despite some wet weather, played out in the normal competitive and good spirited manner. I would like to thank our Ryder Cup Captains, Phil Ackers (Europe) and Jayman Mistry (USA) for all their input and, of course, Vice Captain Paul who hosted the draw! Thanks also to our ladies, especially Mary Mills, for organising the Autumn Frolic which, again was well supported and a great deal of fun! I would like to say how good it is to see some of our new members getting involved in these team events. It is a great way to meet other members and widen your golfing options in the future. Due to lockdown, our competition organisers, Sharren and Ollie, have made it clear that they are keen to reschedule the winter events but, of course, this is totally dependent on how and when we come out of lockdown. Once we know what is possible, they will send out an update. 2021 GOLF DIARY We reintroduced our member’s diary for 2020 and I am pleased to advise that the 2021 edition is currently at the printers. I hope to have these by the end of the month and you will be pleased to know that, thanks to advertising sponsorship, we will be supplying a copy to everyone free of charge! Our plan is to send these out with membership renewal letters plus have a supply that can be picked up from the pro shop or office. The content has been updated and includes the complete club competition and match fixtures, rules and important club information, so please make sure you have a copy. I will advise you all of when these are ready! WHS I am indebted to Vice Captain Paul, who has put an enormous amount of time and effort in getting us fully compliant with the new World Handicap System that came into force on November 2nd. Rather than confuse the issue, I will let Paul communicate everything you need to know and thank him for all the information he has already shared. And finally ………. I do hope that, when I send out my December bulletin, it will be against a background of us enjoying our course again. In the meantime, stay safe and well! Kind regards Alan Mawhinney – Captain RGC 07802 892693

Dear Members,

Please see the following message that has been released today by the CEO of England Golf, Jeremy Tomlinson regarding their efforts to convince government of the sense to allow some golf to be played.

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To: All affiliated golf clubs and facilities

It is with a feeling of deep regret that I must now inform all affiliated golf clubs and driving ranges that they should prepare to close from Thursday 5 November until Wednesday 2 December 2020.

Pending a vote today in the House of Commons, the UK government has confirmed these closures are required as part of increased national lockdown measures designed to suppress the spread of Covid-19, save lives and protect the NHS.

England Golf, as the governing body for the amateur game and alongside our colleagues in the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Golf, respectfully, but vigorously challenged government to argue the case for golf courses to remain open.

As an open-air sport played by limited numbers in a vast outdoor setting which naturally lends itself to social distancing, we lobbied that golf should continue to be played in accordance with our government-approved ‘Play Safe, Stay Safe’ framework.

With the Prime Minister actively encouraging family households and up to two individuals from different households to exercise in the open air without limit, I strongly believe that golf courses should have remained open as an extension to recreation even if it was necessary to close clubhouses and professional shops.

Participants would have been able to enjoy the obvious physical rewards of playing the game, but perhaps more importantly, the benefits to their mental health at a time of disruption to normal life.

The government engaged in detailed conversation, but has decided not to amend its original guidance and, on behalf of England Golf, I would ask all clubs and golfers to respect the legislation that is set to come into force overnight.

England Golf staff remain available to support golfers, clubs and counties throughout this period of temporary closure.

We will signpost to relevant information and government advice where we can and as quickly as possible with the help of our Club Support Officer network.

We will also maintain an open line of communication with government in a bid to allow courses and facilities to re-open at the earliest opportunity.

Please continue to check our social media channels and website for all the latest updates on golf and the Covid-19 situation.

I’m proud of the incredible support golf has received from so many quarters in the last few days – a sure sign of how much our game means to so many people in the country.

We will spend the next four weeks strengthening our network and building on this fantastic momentum to make sure that golf is never again in the position of having to close its doors when it can do so much to help support the country’s route out of the pandemic.

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As more information is released I will send out further updates

Best wishes to all

Richard

Richard Coles
Chairman, Ramsey Golf and Bowls Club

Dear Members,

With the lockdown starting at midnight on Wednesday we are having a “lockdown last supper” themed dining event on Wednesday evening where we are endeavouring to use up some of the food and beer that would otherwise spoil over the lockdown period.

We are having two sittings at 6pm and 8pm and the broad menu will be :

Steak and Ale Pie
Scampi and Chips
Lasagne
Sausage and mash

If any members would like to book a table (maximum 6) please ring me at home on 01487 823542 asap.

With regard to the bonfire night and Greek night that were scheduled to take place during lockdown we are rolling these forward to December 4th and December 11th/12th respectively and if these need to be delayed again should lockdown be extended I will write out.

Also the bar will be open tomorrow evening as well as Wednesday evening until 10pm for socially distanced drinks

Arrangements for the course and clubhouse are still very unclear and, again, I will write out as soon as I have further information.

Best wishes to all

Richard

Richard Coles
Chairman, Ramsey Golf and Bowls Club

Dear fellow golfers, Having digested the Prime Minister’s statement to the nation on Saturday night and read the guidance which followed, there is an element of confusion around the government’s stated intention to close down golf courses and facilities from Thursday 5 November.  As a result of this, and with the health of the nation very much at the heart of my thinking, I would like to make clear England Golf’s intention to respectfully challenge the government’s rationale for closing golf courses.  We will do so utilising all in our network – MPs, colleagues, media and friends – to make sure we are heard by government.  Listening to the Prime Minister, the news that he is actively encouraging safe and responsible outdoor exercise for households or two individuals pointed to our great game of golf being at the heart of this policy.  The guidance which followed stating that golf courses were on a list of venues which should close, therefore, appeared contradictory and came out of the blue.  At no point was England Golf – as the governing body for the amateur game of golf in this country – consulted about this decision.  Of course, we fully recognise and accept the need to suppress the virus to save lives and protect the NHS.  Throughout the pandemic England Golf has endeavoured to act with authority, knowledge, understanding and extreme diligence. At all times we have placed the health and wellbeing of our communities as a priority.  For this and many reasons, it is our sincere belief that it is counter-productive to shut down a healthy pursuit which naturally lends itself to social distancing and is played in a Covid-secure manner in the open air.  Golf returned on 13 May this year following the first national lockdown as an extension of outdoor recreation.  We achieved this after presenting a unified golf industry (All-Party Parliamentary Group for Golf) strategy paper that not only outlined a “return to play” roadmap beyond reproach, but which was heralded as best practice for many other sports to reference!  Our (England Golf’s) ‘Play Safe, Stay Safe’ guidance was endorsed by government, adopted by golf clubs and is now ingrained in the minds of all golfers.  With safe and responsible exercising being encouraged by government during the second period of national lockdown, it seems incongruous to call for golf courses to now close.  Golf is widely acknowledged as a game which is good for the body and soul, with outstanding research reiterating its benefits for the older generation recently shared by The R&A.  But even without a research paper, the physical benefits of exercising in the open air are obvious and known to all.  In the current situation, the psychological gains from being able to enjoy a social and safe form of outdoor activity, enjoying a temporary release from the pressures of everyday life probably outweigh the physical.  I’m aware from the numbers who have signed a national petition that a great many golfers around the country share this belief.  To be clear, I was also very happy to sign this petition.  Alongside our colleagues in the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Golf (APPGG) we will pro-actively continue dialogue with government challenging the current position hard, but with great reason, to allow golf courses to remain open for play (in some format) from Thursday.  I truly believe this would not, in any way, undermine the huge public health efforts that are going on in the country during these times.  Golf, in fact, can help us get through this terrible pandemic and be stronger for it once we emerge on the other side.  I wish good health to you and your families. Please continue to stay safe.  Kind regards

Jeremy TomlinsonChief Executive, England Golf