Club Caterer Tim McRea parades the traditional haggis accompanied by a lone piper at the Scots’ Night held at the Club on 26 January.

The traditional Burn’s night fare of cock  a’leekie  soup, haggis, roast beef, desserts was followed by a Toast to the Lassies by Club Captain, Jas Arora.

Later there was some jaunty Scottish dancing led by the East Herts Scottish Dance Group. This event was closely followed on Valentines Night by Its Amore with songs and ballads performed by Kevin and Cynthia O’Donnell.

Three months into the current financial year the new Hon Treasurer, Jeff Cloke, reports that the Club’s financial performance appears to be ‘on course so far’ with the budgets prepared in conjunction with the retiring Treasurer Lionel Cooper.

Jeff, who joined the Porters Park Golf Club just over three years ago, was appointed Hon Treasurer at the AGM in December last year. Prior to joining Porters Park he had served as Treasurer of Arkley Golf Club. He also runs his own accountancy practice that includes several golf club professionals as clients, so he believes he has a good feel for how golf clubs tick.

Jeff was co-opted onto the Club’s Finance and Resources Sub-Committee in the summer of 2006 and has had the benefit of several months overlap with his predecessor. Whilst acknowledging Lionel’s role in ensuring that the Club’s finances at the end of the last financial year were satisfactory, Jeff is currently carrying out Club Chairman, John Liddle’s suggestion and is ‘shining a torch into a number of dark corners’ and looking at the systems currently in place.

For example, he is particularly keen to ensure that the accounts show the true cost of Club and external  functions and Club competitions, and to introduce changes as necessary to help with that aim.

Whilst agreeing that the most important aspect of the Club’s viability is maintaining membership numbers, Jeff is keen to ensure that the Club continues to attract sufficient, good-quality societies to ensure that budgeted income can be maintained, and the Club’s capital expenditure programme financed within the parameters agreed by the members.

Jeff is keen to keep members regularly informed on the state of the Club’s finances and intends to give a more detailed report for publication in Tee Times once the half-year figures have been approved.

All steps leading to tees and bridges have been covered with turf matting to minimise risk of slipping. Matting will also be laid along the centre of the bridges.

Last month’s high winds brought down several trees and branches around the course. Staff have cleared debris with the help of the tree surgeon and have stacked bigger pieces in the woods for the insects and wildlife habitat.

The golf course once again became the local ski resort with some ingenious forms of equipment used to move over the snow. This year for sale board signs and household trays were top of the discarded list along with various clothing etc left for the clean up.

With the snow melting quickly followed by heavy rain this produced very wet surfaces and led to the course having to stay closed until conditions improved

The final Verti-draining of fairways and all walkways is now taking place this will be followed with Verti-draining of the greens by which time temperatures should be on the increase to enable drying out to let us start top-dressing.

Bunkers will shortly be rotovated to soften up the sand after the winter rain. New sand will be added where required.

Martin Smith
Course Manager.

Green’s Chairman, Alan Pountney writes:

Members will have noticed that the Greens' staff have completed the coppicing of the Hawthorns on the 14th; as far as we can ascertain, this has always been done at Porters Park - there is an extant photo of the 14th in the hallway outside the ladies changing room, showing  similar pruning, c 1903.

The Greens' Committee does realise that this has left the 14th looking a little bare. The intention had been to plant suitable trees before the coppicing took place, but this was put back by the very wet weather. Our intention is also to plant trees along the stream at the 5th - but on the bank abutting the 2nd, so as not to interfere with the golf. The intention is to plant mixed trees - similar to those seen on the new coppices on the 10th and the 18th - with the addition of some fruit trees. This should provide not only cover, but food for wildlife as well.

The Captain and the Committee have been very concerned to learn that a Member or Members left anonymous messages of a highly abusive nature on the Head Green keeper’s answer phone apparently in protest at the closure of the course on the Sunday after the recent heavy fall of snow.

As Martin Smith has explained in his Course Corner this closure was deemed necessary in order to protect the course which was saturated after the snow and rain.

The Captain invites the Member or Members concerned to make themselves known to the Managing Secretary who will arrange the termination of their membership and refund their subscriptions for the year if this is their desire, or alternatively initiate disciplinary proceedings in accordance with the Rules.

The Captain and the Committee have been very concerned to learn that a Member or Members left anonymous messages of a highly abusive nature on the Head Green keeper’s answer phone apparently in protest at the closure of the course on the Sunday after the recent heavy fall of snow.

As Martin Smith has explained in his Course Corner this closure was deemed necessary in order to protect the course which was saturated after the snow and rain.

The Captain invites the Member or Members concerned to make themselves known to the Managing Secretary who will arrange the termination of their membership and refund their subscriptions for the year if this is their desire, or alternatively initiate disciplinary proceedings in accordance with the Rules.

The Captain and the Committee have been very concerned to learn that a Member or Members left anonymous messages of a highly abusive nature on the Head Green keeper’s answer phone apparently in protest at the closure of the course on the Sunday after the recent heavy fall of snow.

As Martin Smith has explained in his Course Corner this closure was deemed necessary in order to protect the course which was saturated after the snow and rain.

The Captain invites the Member or Members concerned to make themselves known to the Managing Secretary who will arrange the termination of their membership and refund their subscriptions for the year if this is their desire, or alternatively initiate disciplinary proceedings in accordance with the Rules.

The mild weather and the wonderful condition of the course meant that January was a busy month. Unfortunately we had several instances of members teeing off from the wrong place at the wrong time.  Members are reminded that the 6th tee is not an official starting place. Players who tee off at an unrecognised starting point have no official standing and forfeit their priority on the course

The 4 ball and 2 ball times are displayed clearly on the board near the clubhouse and the 10th tee, so please check the board before you tee off.

I am aware that the 2 ball times at the weekend are not ideal and the golf committee is currently looking at the best way to resolve this problem.

During the men’s Medal and Stableford competitions at the weekend the course will be marshalled at 9.30am and at 11.00am just to make sure that everything is running smoothly. So if you know that you tend to play slowly please sign up towards the back of the field.

Guests are welcome at the weekend, (one guest per member) but please check the diary to see how busy the course is beforehand. With just a little bit of planning it is possible to enjoy a relaxed round of golf.

The recent spring like conditions have lead to some very high stableford scores and several players have been cut under rule 19. Congratulations to these players and for those who play in the swindle it now gives other players a chance to win the money!

After full consultation with Club Captain Jas Arora the Professional, David Gleeson, has appointed another member of staff.  After considering 13 applicants David has appointed Matthew Masters, formerly an Assistant at Ashridge, and Senior Assistant at Brocket Hall and currently Director of Golf at Lamerwood Golf Club.

One major feature that led to Matthew’s appointment was that he expressed a desire to play with Members, and to play with them in the Alliance. He is also keen to be involved with the Ladies and Junior Sections.

The Commando Dinner 2007 was unfortunately called off because of difficult travelling conditions as a result of snow and ice. This meant that the eagerly awaited announcement of the name of the next Commando Captain had to be postponed.

The Dinner has now been arranged for Thursday 1 March, but Tee Times has been authorised to report that the next Captain is former Club Treasurer and Club Captain, Tom Griffin.

Richard Paffley and Michael Collin who won the Winter Greensomes on 14 January with 37 points, and to Club Captain Jas Arora who together with Sandy McCallum came second with 36 points.

David Holden who won the February Stableford (Div 1) with 44 points from Michael Collin (again) with 39 points; and Chris Grimston who won Div 2 with 38 points from Peter Uri with 36 points.

Carole Sharp, Anita Prosser, and janet Hardy who won the February Roll-Up Stableford with 73 points from Christina Lye, Shirley Gudgeon, and Pam Cohen with 69 points.

Tony Smith who won the February Mid-Week Stableford with 36 points on the last nine. Tony was followed by Barry Dytham and Peter Chisholm also with 36 points in a tie that was not resolved.

Judy Williams, Julie Talbot, and Pauline Beck who won the 18 hole Shotgun with 74 points from Rena Delaney, Gail Ralph, and Janet Longhurst with 69 points.

To Fraser Wilson and Andy Frances who have recently joined Porters Park Golf Club.

The Club sends its condolences to Eileen Ridewood whose husband, Peter, died on 8 February. Peter had been a Member of Porters Park for 25 years.

Summer Ball June 23rd 2007 featuring great music by the acclaimed Soul Fish band and a magnificent gala dinner created by Tim McRae (with a subtle Eastern influence).