The new club website, "http://www.porterspark.com ", has now been up and running for one month. The development of the site is still work-in-progress with data protection a key area of consideration. The office continues to add to the site and to refine its operation. A very useful addition is the events diary which not only advertises the social events but also the course calendar for the current month. Any useful suggestions would be most welcome. All members are encouraged to visit the website at the above address.

After a keenly fought foursomes contest, at home, the PPGC team now face an uphill struggle in the second leg (Oct 1st) to claw back the 6 hole advantage clinically accumulated by the Artisan pairings. Club Captain Peter Robinson will have to select his away team carefully if he is to avoid another in a long series of club defeats in this fixture.

"The PPGC Captains have not fared well in this match with only one win in recent years", reported Past Captain Alan Lambert!!!!!!

When asked how he had got on, Greens Chairman, Alan Pountney simply replied, "1 played with Kevin O'Donnell!" In spite of this the Pountney - O'Donnell pairing must be assured of future selection winning as they did by 3 holes. Another inspired selection by the Captain appeared in the not inconsiderable shape of Messrs Ralph and Hannah who steamrollered their opponents by 8 holes. Those mathematicians amongst you will be able to calculate that the other PPGC pairings faired less well on this occasion.

The Artisans can now look forward to home advantage in a match where the total number of holes won by each side, after the full 18 holes are played, are added up to identify the overall winner.

Wednesday 25th May - 'Tight for Life" Charity Golf Day and Tuesday 31st May - Social team from 10th tee at 2.30 and practice round for police championship on 1st tee from 1.30-3.30

April saw the start of our scratch season with outstanding individual performances recorded already by Alan Glynn in reaching the last 16 of the West of Ireland Amateur and by Nick Pateman, Michael Moore and Jason Mitchell who all fared well in the County Triangular tournament.

The club scratch team, back in the 1st division, scored a magnificent home win against Harpenden Common to open our account by a surprising margin of 9.5 points to 2.5.

There were too particularly pleasing aspects about the day, apart from the result. First and foremost was the way in which Martin Smith had prepared the course. The greens were cut and the pin positions were well thought out favouring the home side. The scratch team wishes to express its appreciation.
The second pleasing aspect was that none of the PPGC team lost a match each player either winning or halving their games.

We look forward to the next match away at Welwyn Garden City on the 14th May and as always would be pleased to welcome any club supporters.

Rowena Hemmings writes

All bunkers and newly laid turf are back in play and what a pleasure it is to have so much sand in the bunkers!

I would like to thank members for their co-operation over the serving of bacon rolls on non-competition days. After a few hiccups and several modifications to the system everything seemed to run smoothly in the end.

On Good Friday and Easter Monday the course was very crowded in the morning. Those of us who were lucky enough to play in the afternoon had millionaire's golf. There was hardly anyone on the course and it was a pleasure to be out there playing. Perhaps some members would prefer playing in the afternoon to ease the congestion on the course in the morning.

For match play competitions only, the golf committee has agreed to rescind the rule that players need to have put in 3 cards in qualifying competitions to enter. This relaxation also applies to the ladies.

Slow play is still a problem on the weekends and I would ask members to be aware of their place on the course which is just behind the players in front not just ahead of the players behind. Thank you!

Now that the bunkers are in play qualifying competitions are back and I hope that members will support these competitions. And for those struggling to get out of the bunkers you're not alone!

The next social event in a packed calendar will be the Noel Coward evening on the 20th May featuring Michael Paine as Noel Coward with other guest performers. The menu will include Canapes with Thai salmon whilst the dress code will be formal, in the style of the period, (smoking jackets optional).

On the 3rd June a supper and disco follows the PPGC vs Radlett Cricket Club match. All are welcome.

Don't forget the 11th June - Professional's Day. Golf, supper and entertainment. Please keep your diaries free for the big social event of the summer season.

The Summer Ball on Captain's Day on the 25th June. More in the next edition of Tee Times.

The course continues to receive favourable reports from STRl and others. Here is the work programme to ensure continuous improvement. Much of the course work scheduling is however dependent on prevailing weather conditions.

Greens - Deep scarifying, over-seeding and top-dressing will be done as soon as conditions are favourable. The Top-dressing will take place every two weeks throughout the summer whilst the liquid fertiliser programme has already started and will continue every three to four weeks until October.

Tees - Deep scarifying, over-seeding and top-dressing will take place shortly.
The slow release fertiliser was applied in March and this will be repeated once the above has been completed.

Fairways - After fertiliser was applied to all fairways in early April strong growth is now in evidence. Benefits from all the over-seeding from the past three years is now showing through. As a result the programme of over-seeding will be repeated in October. Verti-cutting of all the fairways will take place shortly.

Par 3 course greens on the main practice ground continue to improve with fertiliser and top-dressing. Weed killing will take place shortly.

Autoflow Irrigation have now completed a few alterations, which included the moving of the box at the back of the 12th green which was becoming a safety issue in very wet weather.

Pop-ups have been installed on the 7th fairway (slope only) 18th approach and fairway short of the green. New pop-ups have also been installed around the practice green at the rear of the 9th tees. This green will be relayed and new bunkers constructed in the autumn, (in house)

Finally a plea from the greenstaff regarding the number of discarded bottles lying on the course. It would be greatly appreciated if members would help police the general tidiness of the course by directing visitors and guests to the litter bins provided. Thank you.

The Thursday Eclectic competition, organised jointly by Graham Wright and Barry Plews, has got off to a roaring start. 48 players contested the first of the series followed up by 62 participants in the following week.

The regular sound, if not the sight, of a certain Celtic pairing, David Paton and Mike Gibson, playing the last couple of holes in the gathering gloom, is testament to the popularity of this event.

Contestants will need every ounce of daylight they can muster to beat last year's winning eclectic score of net 45 by Dominic Lobo. Such is the intensity of competition over the eclectic season that even a net 45 was only one shot better than Simon Rowland on net 46.

By a special correspondent

In addition to playing on the course and assisting on the putting green with the juniors section Gerry Warnes has been working with Martin Smith to make the large practice ground behind the 9th tee more "user-friendly" to juniors and members alike. Those who frequent this oasis of tranquillity will have noticed that there have been a number of new tees laid out to from a mini course with mown greens featuring flagsticks and properly cut holes.

A new group of under sevens is appearing on the practice ground regularly at weekends however more teenage girl members to add to the thriving boys contingent would be made most welcome.

Some time age I was asked by the Committee to see if it was possible to alter the date upon which the K.G.V. was played. It was felt that the date of late March did nothing for the tournament itself and that it was much too early for the course to be made ready without it affecting the rest of the season.

Although this early date had been used in recent years to coincide with the date of the Berkhamsted Trophy in order to encourage a better quality field this did not always happen.

To this end 1 approached Moor Park G.C., with whom the KGV event used to be associated, to see whether we could come to an arrangement to enable our respective Tournaments to achieve a higher ranking. From this starting point discussion took place to initiate a separate Tournament over 72 holes which might be recognised by the EGU and the Hertfordshire Golf Union as a counting event. Both the County and EGU were very receptive to the idea and a new 72 hole Tournament called the Hertfordshire Bowl now features on both fixture lists and web sites. This new cumulative event will in no way affect either the K.G.V. or the Herts Stag as individual tournaments in their own right. The new Hertfordshire Bowl will be won by the player returning the lowest scratch medal score over the 72 holes comprising both events.

It is our hope and expectation that this new event will bring an even higher standard of player from around the country and it is hoped will thereby increase the importance and prestige of both participating clubs.

This year the K.G.V. will take place on Saturday the 6th of August followed by the Herts Stag on the Sunday whilst the presentation of the new Trophy this year will be made at the end of play at Moor Park. From then on each club will take it in turn to hold the final day of the 72 hole event and therefore the 72 hole presentation.

Coronation Foursomes - winners Yvonne Franklin and Diana Samuels 39 points

April Stableford - silver division - winner Lorna Nelson 36 points; bronze division – winner Gail Ralph 39 points

April extra Stableford - silver division - winner Jane Belliss 40 points; bronze division - winner Juliet Talbot 36 points

April medal - silver division - winner Sue Hawkey 79 less 6 nett 73; bronze division - winner Hilary Dennes, 94 less 22, nett 72

April Midweek Stableford - winner Graham Wright 37 points

Benevolent Cup - winner Andrew Connell 40 pts; runner up J Arora

Benevolent Cup -best junior scores W Gallimore 44pts; runner up J Raja 41 pts

Humble Salver Qualifiers - congratulations to C Thornton, G Fisher, M Wallace, S McAllister, R Newton, R Nicklin, W Jeens, D Tomlin, R Davis, P Williams, C Robertson, A Pountney, D Jubb, F Fotheringham, D. Ring, S. de Galleani.

It is with regret that the club announce the recent passing of member Paul Collyer and past secretary John Roberts. Our deepest sympathies have been sent to their families.

The Editor very much regrets that it has proved impossible to include in this issue articles on social golf, course design, Bridge and a greensomes match against East Herts. It is hoped to feature these in the next issue.