MY FUN YEAR’S FLYING ALL TOO FAST

As I write this mid-term report, it’s difficult to believe how fast the months have flown or how true the saying ‘Time flies when you are having fun’. The fun started just over six months ago when Peter Robinson organised an excellent dining-in. Although I vividly remember walking in and leaving the spike bar, let’s just say the rest is a bit of a blur!

Drive-in day was blessed with blue skies, glorious sunshine and a great atmosphere created by the 200 members and guests present. Such special memories of ladies’ Captain, Linda Lambert driving off first, followed by me…two superb drives split the fairway. What an enjoyable Christmas lunch awaited us and the 150 members who joined us.

As the months passed, I gained a pound or two - hardly surprising looking back at all the wonderful social events. I have fond memories of our curry and bingo night, new members’ dinner, St George’s night…the list goes on.

Highlight for me so far has to be Captain’s Day and the Summer Ball. This year the day was a little different. Indian breakfast preceded the 8.30am shotgun start. Then came an Indian brunch followed by a second shotgun start at 1.30pm. In total, 160 played. My role, in which I just succeeded, was to keep the rain away. Howard Warnes scooped the Captain’s Prize with 40pts, just a point better than runner-up Chris Thornton. Sue Lawrence took ladies’ honours with 41pts, with Anita Healy runner-up on 37. Geoff W Kirby and Anita Prosser hit the longest
respective drives, while Peter Waldren (6th) and Gill Cooper (9th) took the nearest-the-pin prizes Top junior was Jordan Lawrence with 40pts and top artisan Dave Hanyours with 39. Congratulations to all.

The Summer Ball was exciting and fun, and attracted a record 320 members and guests. A packed evening kicked off with Indian classical music, tabla and santoor being played by two exceptional musicians. I particularly enjoyed dancing to the band, Soul Fish. The food was to a very high standard. Tim and Flora, you made me feel exceptionally proud. My guests were very impressed, especially with the hog roast, king prawns, steaks and elaborate salads and condiments.

Thanks at this point to social chairman Kevin O’Donnell and his team - Linda Lambert, Diane Jeens, Martin Jeens and Malcolm Field - for giving us all such enjoyable and well organised social events. I am very much looking forward to what’s to come in the remainder of the year.

March 2007 was when the golf season really took off. The Maltby has been great fun and David Gleeson and I have so far enjoyed 12 matches. Scratch team captain Geoff Kirby, Tigers’ captain Ian Lovatt, the Commandos’ captain Tom Griffin, Foxes’ and social captain Roger Morgan, captain of the ladies section Linda Lambert and the juniors’ captain William Gallimore - I wish you all the best for your matches.

Our new chairman John Liddle and our treasurer Jeff Cloke are doing a grand job. The president Rob Reith, now in his second year, is very informative and is always on hand to offer help. My Vice-Captain Lionel Cooper steps in when I can’t represent the club. We work well together. Ladies’ captain Linda Lambert, I am sure, is enjoying her year and makes a great mixed partner. The rest of the committee members - George Copley, Anita Healy, Rowena Hemmings, Alan Pountney, Gerri Warnes and Nigel Weekes - are a great asset to the club and I thank them
for all their support.

Our course is in excellent condition and I have received many compliments from visitors, secretaries and captains of different golf clubs. Martin Smith and the team are doing a great job and a sincere thank you to them. On this note, may I remind all members please to repair pitch marks on the greens. I refer to our course as the Augusta of Hertfordshire. Please look after it.
 
The club’s top-notch bar service is an added attraction of membership. A special thank you to Jill, Adrian and Vanessa for consistently delivering a great service.

Peter Marshall and the office team of Cathy, Denise and Jan have been of much help and support to me and I thank you for such efficient management. My final thanks must go to all the members for making my time thus far as Captain a truly magnificent adventure. What a wonderful golf club we belong to. Enjoy being part of the prestige – I know I am.

Jasminder Singh Arora
Captain

Porters Park’s most prestigious annual open event will take place on Saturday, August 4, when a limited field of 66 Category 1 golfers will compete over 36 holes of medal play for the King George V Coronation Amateur Challenge Cup.

This national tournament, founded in 1911, will be followed next day by the Hertfordshire Stag, played over 36 holes at Moor Park. The two events combine to form the Hertfordshire Bowl and offer an excellent opportunity to see some of the country’s leading amateurs in action.

Last year, the KGV was won by our own Alan Glynn with rounds of 69 and 65, the second round 5 under par and equalling the course record.

Besides the cup, Alan was also rewarded with the Wehner Driver for the best score by a Porters Park member.

Members are invited to volunteer for ball-spotting and other duties.

Alternatively, of course, you will be welcome to walk round and watch some fine golfers take on the challenges presented by our course. Morning play from both 1st and 10th tees commences at 8am and afternoon play from 1.24pm.

Since my last report we have had three league matches and the Herts county championship. Jason Mitchell, Alan Glynn and Michael Moore have also returned from the USA.

In the county championship Michael Moore led the 36-hole medal to qualify for the matchplay stage. He was joined by Nick Pateman and Gordon Forster. Ewen Wilson and Jason Mitchell narrowly missed out. Michael and Nick lost in the early stages, Gordon managed to get through to the semi-final. Well played all of you.

The first of our league matches saw us away to Brocket Hall. We went there with a strong side and players on form. Around a tough Palmerston course, the afternoon singles saw Michael Moore (9 under), Nick Pateman (7 under) and Alan Glynn (6 under) lead the way to a fine 9½ - 2 ½ victory.

Next, we played Mid Herts at home. With, Michael Moore, Alan Glynn and Gordon Forster unavailable, in came Derek Fotheringham, Mike Collin and Geoff P Kirby. Again the team played extremely well and came away with a 10 - 2 win.

Our final match was against Bishops Stortford at home. Nick Pateman, Jason Mitchell and Michael Moore could not play and so Alan Glynn, Gordon Forster and Norman Cameron returned to the side. Once again the team were on top form and recorded another 10 - 2 victory. In this match Geoff P Kirby become the second Kirby to score a hole in one on the 9th in a scratch match, a fitting follow-up to his ace on the 1st six weeks ago.

The course will be closed all day, or as otherwise indicated, on the following dates:

Saturday, August 4 for the King George V Coronation Challenge Cup
Friday, August 10 for the Ladies’ Centenary Scratch Open
Tuesday & Wednesday, August 14 & 15 for the Reid Trophy
Tuesday, August 21 for the Ladies’ Open (a.m. only)

Eclectic date changes: The round originally scheduled for Thursday, August 2, will now be played a day earlier on Wednesday, August 1.

The final round of the eclectic due to be played on Friday, September 14, in conjunction with the Barron Cup and to be followed by the presentation dinner, has also been moved. All three events will now take place on Thursday, September 6. Eclectic competitors should note that as course improvement work will have started by then it will not be possible to improve eclectic scores on the present 6th and 16th holes as these will be out of commission.

With six weeks to go until the arrival of contractors to reconstruct the 6th and 16th greens we are still awaiting the arrival of summer.

As the existing turf on both greens is to be re-laid, I intend to raise the height of the cut on these greens two weeks before the turf is removed.

Members will have noticed that the left-hand 16th winter green has been re-laid with greens quality turf because the original turf had lots of
underlying thatch which made the surface too spongy for putting. This green should be in play by early October.

The heavy downpours and continuous wet weather have caused a lot of bunkers to become compacted. Staff are rotovating the sand on a regular basis to try to deal with this problem.

Martin Smith
Course Manager

Following discussions at both general committee and golf committee meetings, it has been agreed that it would be preferable for all teams representing Porters Park to wear club-endorsed polo shirts and, if necessary, club jumpers. The ladies already have their club colour, which is deep pink.

There will be no change for those teams who already have team clothing provided through sponsorship. For all other teams, the colours will be white shirts and navy jumpers. These items will be available to buy in the pro’s shop from the middle of next month and will enable our teams to
present themselves as smartly as many of our opponents from other clubs.

Our new archivist Martin Jeens is well fitted for the role. Born and brought up in Radlett, and a member of Porters Park since 1990, he is
already the archivist of the local history society and sees his new post as a natural progression. He says: ‘Once I have sifted through the available material, I would like to contribute to Tee Times an occasional “From the Archives” piece. Meanwhile, should any member have interesting facts about the club from bygone years, I would love to hear from them.’

A junior eclectic is played on Tuesday evenings and meets at 3.30 - 4pm

A pre -junior free session will be held on the practice ground on Sunday, August 5 at 10.30am. Kids from five years old and upwards are welcome.

The juniors are through to the semi-finals of the Ver League, having beaten Verulam  7-0 away and 6 - 1 at home. In the Herts League, they beat Knebworth away 3 - 1. The team is also through to the semi-final of the Ver Plate and will meet Moor Park.

Lucy Glyn and Callum Shinkwin were two of a three-strong team from Queens School, Bushey, that won the English Schools Championships held at Hearsall GC, Coventry. They scored 80pts. Lucy is the first girl ever to be part of a winning team.

Benjamin Lawrence has qualified for the Junior Andalucia Open to be held in November.

Juniors Ben Donaghey, Rory Suttie and Rhys Jacob have been distinguishing themselves in a national golf championship in aid of the British Heart Foundation. The first round of this team event, in which the best two scores count, was played at Caddington. Representing both their school, Marlborough in St. Albans, and Porters Park, the boys finished fourth, just outside the three qualification spots. Rory Suttie (42pts) performed exceptionally well, returning the second best score out of the 90 golfers who played. However, the £915 they raised in sponsorship money through the generosity of friends, family and junior organisers Howard and Gerri Warnes was sufficient to see them qualify on that basis for the next round.

This was played earlier this month at Cambridge National Golf Club. Despite solid performances from Ben and Rhys, who both had 36pts, they finished fifth – not quite good enough to make the final at The Belfry. However their sponsorship money could still see them invited to play at The Belfry on a non-competitive basis.

The Captain is pleased to welcome as playing members:
Matthew Parfitt, Paul Jardine and Mrs Gita Patel.

The club regrets to record the death of Alfred Draper.

David Ring who won the July medal (Div 1) with 71-5 = 66 from Nick Pateman with 68-0 = 68

Brian Smith won Div 2 with 89-18 = 71 from Richard Selwyn with 86-15 = 71

Peter Chisholm who won the July midweek stableford with 36pts from David Ring (last 6) and Jason Mitchell (last 3), both with 35pts

Ben Lawrence who won the Dearbergh Cup with 68, 68 = 136 from Bill Tweddle with 74, 66 = 140 and Paul Tomblin with 72, 69 = 141

Keith Jenkin and Margaret Mills who won the Commandos/ ladies foursomes with 31pts

Fionnuala Smith who won the Humble Salver, with Rosemary Watters runner-up

Shirley Gudgeon and Anita Healy who won the Farquharson Cup with 33pts from Gill Cooper and Rena Delaney with 32pts

Jan Kilsby who won the silver division of the July medal with 83-14 = 69 from Rosemary Watters with 77-6 = 71.

Julie Talbot won the bronze division with 93-25 = 68 from Myra Wilson with 97-21 = 76

Shirley Gudgeon won the silver division of the July stableford with 44pts from Gill Cooper with 38pts.

Jean Marrett won the bronze division with 37pts from Gillian Edmonds with 34pts