Chairmans Report - Gary Duke

The past year has been extremely difficult for sports organisations across the board. Any form of recession makes people review their personal circumstances and if money is tight or jobs are lost, sadly the first thing to go is leisure activity.

With sincere thanks to our staff for their hard work and for making savings where ever we could and of course to your management council, together with the wisdom of our Trustee Directors in particular, supporting a very brave move a year ago to reduce fees to new members. We fully realise that this may have been something of a bitter pill for some, but a small reduction in predicted fees was made late last year and this year we are the only club in our region to reduce green fees to members. This is the best indicator of success that we could have wished for.

The club has been successful in not only gaining new members but also in our clubhouse where new and existing evenings of food, drink and entertainment have helped us all enormously. In addition, the clubhouse is now working with new suppliers in a much more efficient manner. Our green staff have worked so very hard to produce a great course for us to enjoy, whilst saving a considerable amount of money.

All of our staff are dedicated and are working smarter for the good of Filton Golf Club. We will all strive to continue with this good work and I wish to thank all of our long standing dedicated members for the tremendous support you have given to your club and our staff and volunteers over the past year. As the sun finally begins to rise over Filton, may I wish you all a great season.

Club Captain - Geoff Endicott

Well the clocks have gone forward and the sun has been shining, we have already had two medals and soon we will be into the real golfing season. Things will get busier Im told.

Since the last newsletter we have had two quizzes, a supper evening for St Valentines Day and an evening of celebration on St Patricks Day. Both were sold out so if you are contemplating celebrating on St Georges Day (April 23rd) then I suggest you book your tickets now or run the risk of being disappointed.

I see that the list is on the board in the Locker room for those of you who wish to put yourselves up for first and second team selection. With the number of low handicappers growing you really do need to get your names on the list in order to be considered.

Fund raising for both charities is now well underway and a number have already signed up for the St Peters Hospice Lotto. The forms are on the bar and you can win £1000 per week for just a £1 per week stake. Payment can be made by cheque or standing order, so it is really easy. Also appearing on the bar soon will be the customary bottle which will willingly accept your loose change and any notes you wish to get rid of. It will also double as the place you need to put your 50p pieces in when Esme and I have nominated the Charity bunkers.

You will soon be seeing entry forms for the Captains Charity Day which will be held on Saturday 16 July. We are unsure of the arrangements as far as tee times are concerned at the moment but we will be looking for as many teams of four as we possibly can. You will be contacted with all the information regarding the day as soon as we have finalised the format. The presentation will take place around 7.00 and there will also be an auction in the evening.

I am sure you will agree that the course is looking good at the moment and with the right weather we can look forward to a great golfing season on a course we can be proud of. Marcus and his team are doing a grand job, but can I remind all of you that everyone of us has a responsibility to keep our course in good condition. I have been a little concerned recently in the number of divots which have not been replaced and also the number of pitchmarks on the greens that have not been repaired.

It takes no time to do both so I urge you to take note, after all its your course.

Dates for your diary: St Georges Day Sat 23rd April, The Royal Wedding Shamble on Fri 29th April, the Mixed Greensomes competitions on Easter Monday, and the May Day Bank Holiday and the themed Supper evening on Fri 27th May (full details will be released soon).

Ladies Section - Esme Mannering

Over the past month the weather has improved so more golf has been played. On Tuesday 15th February I held a St. Valentines Challenge (putting competition). Twenty-nine ladies played on a rather dismal day but enjoyed the format of only recording their putts. On Tuesday 8th March the sun shone for the thirty ladies who played in the Shrove Tuesday Bowmaker.

For some this was the first 18 holes they had played this year but coupled with the weather, the light hearted competition and pancakes served after the game, everyone enjoyed themselves.

The first match of the year against the Seniors was played on Tuesday 15th March. Once again we were blessed with a beautiful sunny day. Twenty-two ladies signed up to play against the Seniors. A most enjoyable match followed by a superb carvery with friendly banter and of course the obligatory jokes. Unfortunately the ladies were beaten and Bill Gray presented us with a wooden duck for coming second. But dont think we are a push-over, because in October I will look forward to presenting Bill Gray with the wooden duck. One thing I would like to add is that the majority of Ladies wore their new section colour and I must say they all looked very smart.

The next few weeks will see the first rounds of our inter-club knock-out matches being played.

Jan Preston and Joy Woodman are playing Tracy Park in the Daily Mail Fours. And as I am writing this I have just heard that they unfortunately lost their match. I know they both played their best but it is always more difficult when the other team have home advantage. My commiserations to them both.

Sue Bindon and Sheila Cottrell are playing The Bristol at Thornbury in the Bristol and District Alliance Handicap Fours and Steph Hewitt and Ollie Simpson are playing Orchardleigh at Lansdown in the Bristol and District Alliance Scratch Fours. I am sure you will all join me in wishing them good luck with their matches.

Next month sees the start of the golfing season with medals, qualifying stablefords, Alliance and Friendly Inter- Club matches on the horizon. I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone, not only the Ladies, good luck and fulfilment for the season ahead.

Next Newsletter: contributions please to aawbarclay@tiscali.co.uk by 25 May. Any member can submit an article/letter of general interest for possible publication

Match & Handicap - Chris Foran

Tee off times (again!): From April 1st tee-times for Monday to Friday are changing to take into account the fact that more people will be out on the course earlier in the day. Notices will be put on all notice boards, on the tee-time board outside the secretarys office, and in the Pro shop.

Please take note of the times and stick to them. If the 1st tee is booked for a match or a competition you may tee-off from the tenth.

Speed of Play: As is to be expected people play at different speeds on the golf course. If you are unable to keep up with the game in front of you please let the group behind you go through. Remember Keep up with the game in front, not ahead of the game behind. Conversely this is a golf course not a race course and provided that the game in front is maintaining its position on the course DO NOT harass them by driving balls up close to, or past them. This is not only bad etiquette but dangerous and should not be done whatever the circumstances.

Repair of Divots: With the recent weather and the soft greens, it is very evident that people are not repairing their pitch marks. Please ensure that you carry a repairer with you and use it to repair your marks as soon as possible. The sooner the mark is repaired the quicker it recovers. We have developed a reputation in the area of having very good greens, please help to keep them that way.

A Thank You: I would like to thank Bob & Audrey Smith and Alan & Maggie Barclay for the time and effort they put in tidying-up the border round the putting green and the flower bed on the island roundabout at the drive in to the club. Thanks must also go to Paul Hillier and Ian Wilde for their work in assisting with the white lining in the car park. It really looks a lot better now, so thank you very much.

Thanks also to all those who put their names forward but could not make it for one reason or another. We have your names on file and may call upon you at another time.

REMINDER: Chairmans Cup - This competition is for 6 medal cards to be taken out during April, May or June. They can also be taken out in conjunction with another medal competition. HOWEVER if you do this please ensure that a separate card is submitted to the Pro Shop for the Chairmans Cup competition as the cards put in the box under the results input screen are not individually checked to see if it is also being submitted for this Cup. If your card is not included in the Chairman’s Cup do not blame anyone but yourself!

Pro Spot - Daryl kelley

The Sun is finally here (hopefully to stay)!

We are expecting flocks of people coming through the shop now as the course starts filling up with people coming out from their winter hibernation.

We have a whole range of new equipment available which is just what is required to get early season bragging rights over your mates! We have a range of Callaway 2011 wedges, in a range of loft and bounce combination, to give you that much needed control around the greens, and at just £80 they are a steal! To complement this green side control, we have a
large range of new Odyssey putters in all shapes and sizes that will no doubt help to improve your scoring.

Our new fitting system has also arrived, which gives you the opportunity to try a range of head and shaft combinations in the latest Callaway drivers, as well as the latest Callaway irons; this is a great way to be sure that what you are buying is in fact the right thing for you, and we will be around to help you try out a range of combinations to see which is best suited to you!

We have a new stock of Filton Logoed golf balls, and they are a great 3 piece golf ball, to ensure length off of the tee, without sacrificing control around the greens! Also at just £20 a dozen we have the Callaway HX Diablo ball, a great ball to take advantage of the ever improving conditions on our golf course!

Pair all of this up with a wonderful range of new Callaway shoes, at £59 for a lovely sporty shoe, or £99 for a classic smart golf shoe, and our range of Callaway clothing, ranging from £25 for a tour logoed shirt, in a range of sizes and colours, and some lovely trousers at £39.99 in both black and beige. This will be the making of a wonderful seasons golfing!

Seniors- Bill Gray

The much delayed match with the staff was held in a great atmosphere of friendship, but with an underlying current of we’re going to win! on both sides. Sadly, we came second, but it was close!

We have played the first of our two matches against the Ladies, which pitted 22 Ladies against 22 Seniors. A great match was followed by the usual lovely carvery. We managed to win and were presented with a new trophy, (the Ladies had a runners-up award,) both donated by one of our members.

Our first match against another club was away at Shirehampton, where we came first - I think for the first time in some while, and thoroughly enjoyed our day!! Unfortunately, in our next match, against Clevedon at Filton, we had a Filton Draw, (3-5), and came a close second!

I am looking forward to my Away Day at the Stranahan Course at the Players and have 60 Seniors joining me. Here s hoping we have a great day.

Juniors - Andy Chivers

Over the last 12 months we have worked hard and pushed for the highest standards that we could achieve. Although there were many forms to complete, this was more than a paper exercise and we had to demonstrate that we had a continuous plan for the development of our junior section. As a Club our philosophy has changed and members now see the junior members as a crucial part of the Club's strategy to increase its membership in the years ahead.

With guidance from Brent Ellis who runs the coaching sessions we were able to form a new Academy membership and without any advertising it was an instant success. We are now in 2011 in a much stronger position to obtain Golf Mark Accreditation, and with this will follow Club Mark Accreditation.

This accreditation is testament to the hard work that the Junior Committee and Golf Club have put into providing a safer, securer and friendlier environment where young golfers and academy members can learn to play golf and have some fun. The Junior Committee feels that Golfmark has helped it to organise itself better and the Golfmark team has, and continues to be a source of good ideas and helpful advice. Parents and members are much more engaged and interested in what is happening with the juniors.

As a result of the development programmes we have a good spread of handicaps coming through into the club and working their way up to second and first team, and even County levels. Our first coaching session will be on Monday 4 April at 5.30pm and will look forward to seeing you all there. If you have any friends or relatives that might be interested in starting golf please let them know and they can come and have a go!

Harry Fream

It is with sadness that I have to report the passing of another of the great names from Filton Golf Clubs history. Harry was a long serving member and supporter of the club and, as Company Secretary of Bristol Aeroplane Company when we leased the land from them, very influential in obtaining our first 14 year lease in 1966, just before the land was passed to Rolls-Royce. This extended lease gave the club security of tenure when Rolls-Royce went to the wall in 1971. Our thoughts go out to Harrys family and friends.

Editors Note! I see that Chris Foran has been thanking various people for helping around the clubhouse gardens and car park, but he seems to have forgotten his own efforts in carrying out the white lining in the car park. Bashful as ever Chris!

Well done to you! There will be opportunities for more volunteers for various tasks in future, so if you feel disappointed at missing out, let Chris or the Office have your name. Its our club, we can all help look after it.

House & Social - Goff Pimm

You will all be aware that there have been some changes behind the bar recently which I hope will see a continued improvement to the service provided to the membership and our visitors. The wine cabinet has been moved to the front of the bar, clearing a space for the Tea/Coffee machine in its place. This allows the bar staff to serve you quicker especially during quieter times and also allows the kitchen staff to concentrate more on the food service they provide. Please have patience while the staff get used to this new system.

Bringing the Tea/Coffee machine into the bar area has allowed us to replace the old dishwasher in the kitchen ( the one replaced was almost 20 years old and on its last legs ). This should be a great help to the kitchen staff and make for a more efficient use of their time.

On the Social front the February quiz was a great success with the clubhouse packed again, our thanks to Bernie Powell, Pete Peachey, Chris Wall and Rod Jones our quiz masters on the night. The Quiz masters for the March Quiz were our Vice Captain Geoff Anderson and his wife, who stepped in at the last minute as the February winners are away on holiday. This was the last quiz of the winter season but we will be back again in the Autumn and we are also planning to hold a quiz during the Christmas/New Year  holiday period, (back by popular demand).

Social Events: The Captains Valentine Dinner was a sell out and enjoyed by all who attended, and the Clubhouse was full again for St Patricks Night, when we were entertained by young dancers from Katie McClennan’s School of (Irish) Dance, and Mo Mac and Me supplied the music and song for a what was an excellent evenings entertainment.

Tickets are now available for the St. Georges Day Dinner on Saturday 23rd April. Details of menu and ticket prices are currently being advertised in the Foyer to the main Bar area, so book early to avoid disappointment.

The 27th May event has been changed to an Eastern evening. Julia will be cooking among other things a number of different curries to whet your taste buds, so look out nearer the date for more details of the final menu.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Regency who are our main Purchasing suppliers, for all their help with the advertising posters and table top boards. The professional posters have certainly helped us get the message to you on which social events are on at the Golf Club and you have given the events your support accordingly. Thank you.

Dons Dilemma - Don Biddle

Question: In a match between A and B; A's ball is lying on the green. To save time, B, without the authority of A, marks and lifts A's ball. Is B subject to a penalty?

Answer: Yes, B incurs a penalty of 1 stroke. Under Rule 20-1 a player's ball may be lifted by his opponent only with the authority of the player. Since B was not entitled to lift the ball of A, he incurred a penalty of 1 stroke. (Rule18-3b)