I’m delighted to report that the work of replacing the 6th and the 16th greens has now been completed – on time and within budget.

The rather wonderful – well, almost exotic – 6th yellow tee is in place, as are 6th white/10th yellow tees. Martin Smith and his team have already started the bedding in process and the greens have been treated for fusarium, rolled and cut. I think it fair to say they already look a treat in waiting.

Neil Coles was prominent throughout, doing much “tweaking”. Members will notice, for example, that the large right-hand bunker on the 6th is now two bunkers. The STRI were also regularly present, testing the root zone before it was laid, in order to try to ensure consistency with the rest of the course. This was our intention from the beginning. The contractors, Abbotts, declared at the outset that they would take a month. Helped by a dry spell, they completed the job in precisely this time. Both Neil Coles and Martin Smith are impressed with the quality of the work and the speed with which it was carried out. Thanks to the dry weather, damage to the course was minimal. I think we shall obtain several important, long-term benefits from this investment.

Perhaps the greatest will be felt by the many members using the 6th yellow tee. This is now 5-6ft higher and the front bunker has been filled in – a great help if you are among those hitting a wood to this hole.

It can be seen that the two greens have a wide variety of “pinnable” areas, the previous lack of which had become a major problem. The 6th also will play a club longer, perhaps two, from the medal tees to the back of the green – another gain.

The 16th will play generally as it has done down the years, but again with a very much tougher medal pin position – back right and the stream beckoning.

Subsidence was slowly forcing out of the ground the pipe carrying the stream under the 16th fairway. This has also been addressed and the lines running into this green now look much more natural.

Standing back a yard, the work we’ve done over the past three years has given us one of the most testing medal finishes on any golf course. Yet Neil Coles’s skilful advice has meant that these same four holes will not present any greater degree of difficulty to the club member playing at other times.

Our anticipated date of opening is May 1, 2008. Neil Coles has indicated that he expects to be available for some form of play-in, and I suggest that it falls to the incoming Captain, Lionel Cooper, to come up with a suggestion to make the day rather special.

This will probably be my last report to you as Chairman of the Green as my three years are up. So I’ll end of with a big vote of thanks to the members, whose endless cheerful support and delight at the course improvement has made the time so very enjoyable.

Alan Pountney - Chair of Green

Carol evening: In the interest of fairness, table reservations for the annual carol evening and supper, to be held on Friday, December 14, are being organised differently this year.

The list will go up in mid-November for table requests of no more than 10 per table, although bookings for increased table size may be accepted nearer the date.

A draw will then take place on Friday, November 30 for 12 tables in the lounge and a further 10 tables in the dining room.

The two tables auctioned on Charity Day are of course already reserved.

The final sum raised for Aspire Charity Day this year was £26,050.

Congratulations to all concerned.

Members are reminded that from January 1, 2008, a rule of golf will be introduced limiting the “spring-like” effect of driving clubs and that as a result many drivers will become illegal. A list of those clubs affected by the new restriction is being posted on notice boards and will be available in the pro’s shop. Please check on yours.

Full details are available on the R & A website www.randa.org

The annual prize presentation, to be held at 7pm on Friday, November 16, will be followed immediately by the Captain’s Indian culture and cuisine evening. Winners of those trophies to be presented on the night will receive personal invitations to attend. Meanwhile all winners during the 2006/07 season are asked to return their trophies for engraving in preparation for the presentation.

The junior AGM and prize presentations will now take place at 4pm on Saturday, December 1, and not on Saturday, November 17 as in the diary. All juniors and parents are welcome.

As from December 1, ladies’ competition charges will be increased to £1.50 for stablefords and £2 for medals. This brings ladies more in line with the men, helps to cover costs and will also mean a larger prize if more people play.

At an EGM last month, the English Ladies’ Golf Association voted in the most important changes to women’s golf in 50 years.

ELGA will now be incorporated as a company limited by guarantee and known as the English Women’s Golf Association. There will be a management board and an operations board, with the latter responsible for all golfing activities.

Counties will be organised into six regions each of which will be represented on the Operations Board. There will be more direct communication between clubs, counties and the association.

Voting procedures have been simplified and will now be one vote per county regardless of the size of the county.

For more information and a full report, go to www.hclga.co.uk then click on ELGA on the drop down menu.

Nominations for club office, due for ballot at the AGM on Sunday, December 9, closed on October 15. They are as follows:

Captain: Lionel Cooper

Lionel is a chartered accountant who retired in 2000 after a long and varied career with Allied Domecq.He joined Porters Park in 1988 from West Herts and has served on the committee for the last four years – three as treasurer and the past year as vice captain. During this period he is particularly pleased to have been involved in both the successful improvement of the course and the development of membership structure and recruitment. Lionel is married to Gill and they have three sons and four grandchildren. Away from family and golf, they enjoy travel, theatre, the arts and sports of most kinds. Lionel welcomes the opportunity to serve as your captain for the next year, which will allow him to continue to work with the committee in the development of the club and to give something back to a sport and social activity, as many others have done for him - and Gill - over the years.

Vice Captain: Kevin O’Donnell

Kevin was born in 1951. During his early years with ICI, he was a member at Welwyn Garden City GC. Golf, however, was an early casualty in Kevin’s pursuit of his musical career. He became an Associate of the Royal College of Music in 1978 and has since enjoyed a full and varied career, including regular BBC radio broadcasts, concert work at major UK venues and cruise engagements with his wife, Cynthia. Kevin has been a member of Porters Park GC since 1999, has served on the general committee, chaired the social committee and sat on the house committee. He and his social team have put on a wide variety of events which have attracted a wide crosssection of members. He takes a keen interest in the workings of the club and the new developments on the course. He is looking forward to his new role and getting to know even more members. Above all, he wants to continue to play his part in making sure that all members have a good time at this fine club

Committee member: George Copley

George has been an active member of Porters Park since 1967, a Radlett resident for most of his life and a committee member for the last three years. He has also served on the committees of Tabard Rugby Club, Radlett Cricket Club and Radlett Men’s Club and, through his employment in banking and insurance, has sat on many crossfunctional business groups. If re-elected, he will to continue to represent effectively the views and requirements of our membership in all aspects of club life and to maintain and develop on both the golf and social fronts the high standards that Porters Park members expect and deserve. He will make every effort to encourage two-way communication and to listen formally and informally to members' concerns and to bring these to the attention of the general committee. Above all, he is determined that Porters Park will retain its reputation as both a superb golf course and a club that is a pleasure to visit and be a member of.

Committee member: Ron Culnane

Ron is married with a son and daughter and has lived in Radlett since 1968. He was an active member of the Radlett Tennis and Squash Club, where he served on the committee with responsibility for the squash section. He joined Porters Park in 1993 and both he and his wife have been very supportive of the club’s social events. For the last few years he has been closely associated with the organisation and administration of Commando activities as Commando secretary. Ron spent his working life in the chemical industry and occupied various senior positions, ultimately retiring as managing director of a business unit within a large international company. If elected, he looks forward to making a contribution to the ongoing management of the club in the interests of all the members.

Committee member: Rowena Hemmings

Rowena joined Porters Park in 1990 and was a member of the county committee from 1993 to 1996 with responsibility for running the league. She joined the ladies’ committee in 1995, served on the front-of-house committee and became ladies’ captain in 1998. She has played for the 2nd league team and captained the winning Pearson Trophy team of 1997. From 2000 to 2005 she was junior area manager for the English Ladies Golf Association with responsibility for recruiting girls and developing junior girls’ golf in the South East. From 2005 she was County Captain and County 1st team captain during which time Herts 1st team reached the national finals in 2006. She has served as Chair of Golf for the past three years.

Committee member: Martin Jeens

Martin was born in Radlett at the end of 1942 and has lived in the village all his life. He joined Porters Park in 1990. On his retirement next month from a fairly hectic career in the oil and gas industry, which has taken him to most parts of the world, he will have the time to give back something to the club from which he has derived so much enjoyment over the years. Early in 2007, Martin was co-opted on to the club’s social committee and has assisted in organising this year’s events. He has also recently been appointed club archivist. He is married to fellow member Diane who is on the ladies’ committee. Their son William is also a member. If elected, Martin looks forward to the challenge of serving as a committee member.

Committee member: Mike Keith

Although a relatively new member – he joined in 2001 – Mike has enjoyed both the playing and the social side of this fine club. He is 61 years old, semi-retired and has lived in this area of Hertfordshire most of his life, apart from a few spells working overseas. H e has had a long career working within multi-national environments, where he has learned to operate in many diverse cultures and understands how to participate effectively to achieve team results. He has previous relevant experience of chairing various football clubs and has served on several local football league committees. If elected, he is keen to contribute to maintaining and improving the course and facilities, and to put back something into a club he continues to enjoy so much as a member.

Committee member: Jan Kilsby

Jan has lived in Radlett since 1980, where she finally settled after leaving her native Bristol to study French at UCL. She joined Porters Park in 1997 as a newcomer to the game of golf and was determined not to have the highest handicap in the ladies’ section for too long.Three days a week, Jan teaches French and is Head of Careers at Queenswood School. For the last three years she has worked hard on the ladies’ committee as well as organising the club’s mixed social matches. If elected, she looks forward to putting her undoubted organisational skills to good use on the main committee.

Committee member: Linda Lambert

Linda has lived in Radlett for over 30 years and has been a member of PPGC for some 20 years. During this time she has enjoyed serving on the ladies’ committee for four years and is currently captain of the ladies’ section. She has been a member of the club’s social committee for the last four years and has helped to organise the highly successful charity day for the past 12 years.Before golf, she was a buyer with Marks & Spencer, which was where she met Alan. They have two grown-up children – Richard, who is a policeman, and Laura, an accountant. Family and golf apart, her main interests are fashion, theatre, music and, latterly, bridge.If elected, she looks forward to serving the interests of all members both on and off the course.

Committee member: Ian Lovatt

Ian, who is 40 years old, served for five years in the Grenadier Guards in London, Belize and Northern Ireland. Earlier, for 19 years, he worked as a plasterer. He joined Porters Park in 1999 after four years at Bridgedown Golf Club, in Barnet, where he achieved a handicap of seven, played for the scratch team and served on the committee. A year after joining Porters Park he was asked to play for the midweek scratch team until it was disbanded in 2001. The following year he was asked to play for the Tigers and in 2005 became their vice-captain. Last year, he became the team’s captain and Porters Park went on to win the West Herts league for the first time. This year, Ian has again captained the Tigers and now has a handicap of 5.6. He lives in Shenley with his wife Amanda and son Ethan.

Committee member: Colin Murray

Colin was born in Scotland and started playing golf at the age of nine. He moved to Hertfordshire when he was 17 to join the Hertfordshire Constabulary. Although he retired from the police as a senior investigator, his business experience allowed him to work closely with police partnership groups, at local, county and national levels. He is married to Stephanie and they have one daughter, Fiona. Before moving to St Albans 12 years ago, he lived in Letchworth where he was a member of Letchworth Golf Club for over 20 years. Since joining Porters Park, he has assisted Gerri Warnes with the junior groups. Colin believes that Porters Park is one of the best golf clubs in Hertfordshire. If elected, he would work enthusiastically, representing and communicating with all groups within the club.

Committee member: Gerri Warnes

Gerri joined PPGC ten years ago and plays off a handicap of 12. As an active member of the ladies’ section, she has managed its knockout competitions for three years. She has also served as the section’s county representative, but will retire from the ladies’ committee this year. Gerri also helped to start the very successful ladies’ academy, which has persuaded several new golfers to join the club. Gerri is married to Howard, a past captain of the club, and is mother to Stephanie and Padraig, who is also a member of Porters Park. As Chair of Junior Golf for the past three years, she has derived much satisfaction from this thriving section and in particular from the progress made by pre-juniors whose bi-monthly fun sessions do much to encourage a steady flow of juniors into the club. She feels she has a balanced view of club matters.

Trustee: Ken Brown

Ken has been playing golf for well over 50 years and, as his work took him around the country, he has been a member of several golf clubs. In this time he has been a scratch team player, a keen golfer both in competitions and friendly games, and a committee member. He joined Porters Park in 1987 and has served on the general committee, the centenary committee and latterly as club Chairman for three years. He is passionate about golf and the maintenance of proper standards, and is keen to see Porters Park maintain its position as a premier club in Hertfordshire.

Trustee: Robin Leach

Robin, who was born in 1933, worked for Barclays Bank for 40 years, retiring in 1993 as a risk management director with responsibility for corporate lending in London. Within his career he spent a number of years working around the country with internal audit and fraud investigation teams. Robin joined Porters Park in 1971. A keen sportsman, he turned to golf after concentrating on hockey and cricket in his younger days. He is a past winner of the Oxhey Salver and the over-70s’ cup and recently enjoyed a successful season as Commando captain. As a trustee, he is keen to safeguard the long-term interests of the club, the course and the facilities to ensure that members of all ages can continue to enjoy a mixture of social and competitive golf.

All the reconstruction work has now finished and is bedding in nicely.

Both greens are being rolled on a daily basis and have been over-seeded and top-dressed. This will continue while the weather stays mild.

The tyre tracks left by the contractors are disappearing quickly and should be gone within the month. The greens have been scarified and seeded. Aprons, tees and fairways will be done shortly.

Last month I reported that a drainage ditch would be dug at the 17th practice ground. Unfortunately, due to contractor commitments, this has been delayed.

The pest control company have now started their contract to eradicate the moles. This is already showing the benefits and several moles have been trapped.

I would like to thank the artisan section for all their help with divoting and ditching during the summer months. Their work will continue over the winter, with fencing along the 18th and re-edging four paths before the greenkeeping staff lay matting.

Martin Smith - Course Manager

Course closures this year have regularly resulted in the offer of courtesy rounds at other clubs. To give everyone a fairer chance of taking advantage of these, the procedure for booking these courtesy rounds has been changed.

From now on, when there is a course closure, members may phone the office one week in advance to book a courtesy round if they have been made available by another club. Lists will no longer be displayed in the Palm Court.

A new winter competition for men will start next month. This will be a fourball better ball league and the format will be matchplay. To enter what promises to be a popular competition, gentlemen should please sign up in the pro’s shop as soon as possible. As from January 1, in singles matchplay competitions, the full difference in handicap must now be given. This is a CONGU ruling and is mandatory.

On the 16th hole, the new temporary green on the left hand side is now playable and will be used mainly at the weekend and for competitions. The yardage on the temporary card is to the left hand green. The ladies’ tee will be moved back to its original position when this green is in play.

To enable as many players as possible to get on the course during these short winter days it has been decided that two days of every month will be allocated to fourball play. Please watch the notice board or the website to find out when these days are. Two balls may play on these days but should be prepared for a slow round.

Rowena Hemmings - Chair of Golf

Everyone was looking forward to our evening with The Kinks, which has become one of the most popular in the club’s social calendar. No one was disappointed. Once the dancing started (rock ‘n’ roll, the twist and many others) the floor was packed.

We were pleased to welcome the Scarifiers and also the Artisans to this event, swelling attendance to more than 150.An excellent buffet meal with an Italian theme was prepared and served by Tim and his team, with liquid refreshments provided by Jill, Adrian and the bar staff. A marvellous evening.

Coming shortly:

Friday, November 23 - Fun quiz with prizes, coupled with a Greek night and two-course buffet. 7pm for 7.30pm. Cost £12.50. Smart casual dress.

Norman Cameron who, teamed with fellow Scot Donald Longmuir of Verulam, won the Sam Ryder Trophy, commemorating Verulam’s famous donor of the Ryder Cup, with foursome and fourball rounds respectively of 76 and 67

Mike Mealey who won the Herts County Seniors’ Challenge Trophy at Brickendon Grange with 41pts (gross 72). The last Porters Park winner of this event was Humphrey Harlow in 1992

Michael Gallimore who won the September medal (Div I) with 79 - 12 = 67 from Simon Kowalski with 72 - 3 = 69. Leon Sultan won Div II with 80 - 13 = 67 from Neil Ring with 88 - 19 = 69

Manjeev Arora and Peter Robinson who beat Ben Toettcher and Ben McMenemy by 5&4 to win the Rumsey Goblets. Simon Peck who triumphed over Nick Painter at the 19th to claim the Humble Salver

John Freeman who won the October midweek stableford with 38pts (last nine) from Michael Hanson and Stephen Cook with 37pts

Proby Cautley who beat Brian Buckman 5&4 to win the 5-day matchplay knockout

William Cooper who won the Roberts Cup with 40pts from Michael Gallimore with 38pts

Juliette Anthony and Meera Patel who won the National Playing Fields foursomes stableford with 40pts from Fiona Crampton-Smith and Juliet Talbot with 38pts

Anita Prosser and Sheila Johns who won the high-low stableford from Jenny Gelson and Pauline Beck

Fiona Holden who won the silver division of the AD ladies’ stableford with 37pts from Sue Hawkey with 35pts. Karen Finn won the bronze division with 36pts from Madeleine Olausson with 31pts

Judy Williams and Dave Jolly who won the Lorraine Beardwell Trophy in the artisans and ladies game

Pam Cohen and Margaret Nelson who won the ladies’ Maltby

Our junior Alex Dubowitz, aged 12, who reached this month’s semi-final of the British Junior Golf Tour held at Lea Valley Golf Club after playing in four events over the summer. Well done, Alex.