Q1 There seems little to show for the money spent on the 16th green. Why was the green not moved further to the right to give a challenging pin position near the stream?

Improvements to the subsoil and drainage cannot be seen. Members will appreciate the two-tier green when they are permitted to walk on it. With the pin in the back right hand corner,
The stream is very much in play and will offer a challenge to all.

Q2 Why was the 17th white tee not moved much further to the right to produce a proper dog leg?

The Committee’s view, endorsed by Neil Coles, is that the average club golfer, who has a tendency to slice the ball, would find it difficult to reach the fairway from such a tee.

Furthermore, from that position, golfers would be aiming directly at fellow players coming down the 16th fairway – an obvious safety hazard.

Q3 Are there any plans to rebuild other greens?

A combination of subsidence over the years and a consequent shortage of “pinnable” positions in dry conditions on steeply sloping greens is likely to lead to work being required to the 11th, 14th and 15th greens in the medium term.

Q4 On how many days throughout next year will the course be closed all day for society golf? For how many days was it closed this year?

The course is not expected to be closed for societies for more than three full days throughout the coming year. It was closed for three full days for societies this year. Although there will be day closures next year for such established events as the KGV and the Herts Mid Am, there will be no day closures, as there were this year, for county events such as the Reid Trophy or the Ladies’ County Championship.

Q5 What is the average profit made by the club from the societies that close the course all day?

£5,000 per society from green fees and bar surpluses.

Q6 Why don’t you permit members for a trial period to start from the 1st tee in any golfing format on society days, so that members will not beheld up by societies teeing off from the 10th?

We are to try this with immediate effect for a period of two months. When the club hosts any society of 28 players or more, members will be allowed to tee off from the 1st in any format they choose.

The position will then be reviewed.

Q7 Why do you permit the Commando section to play all their social fixtures in the mornings, restricting members’ social golf, when all other social golf fixtures are played in the afternoons?

This question, while addressed to the Commando section, could equally well be posed to the organisers of a number of friendly team and social matches that take place in the mornings. Increased pressure on casual morning social golf also comes from societies and from members who play more frequently than others. The Commandos have reduced the numbers playing in their matches from 16 to 12 per side. The possibility of playing some of their matches in the afternoon has been raised from time to time but their opponents have always rejected this idea.

The drainage trench on the 17th practice ground is now complete. This will serve as the main outlet drain for the practice ground and top left-hand side of 17th, two of our wettest areas on the course.

Mole-ploughing of these areas will take place over the next two weeks.

Drainage of the lower area of the 16th fairway is also complete, along with gravel banding of the rough in front of the 18th tees. Other drainage jobs over the winter include a new carrier pipe along the side of the 15th walkway short of the fairway, and bunkers at 1st green and 7th fairway.

Worms are extremely active after the wet summer, causing muddy areas on some slopes. Worm suppression is high on my agenda; a mixture of fungicide and insecticide is being sprayed. We are also spraying sulphur-based products to acidify the soil to make conditions less hospitable for the worms. Verti-draining of the whole course is underway, starting with the greens. This will cause some disturbance to the putting surface but we hope to minimise this by vibro-rolling afterwards.

The blowing and sweeping of leaves is taking up a lot of staff time and there is still a long way to go before the course is tidy again.

M J Smith - Course Manager

Represented by the veteran bridge pairing of Ernie and Constance Marriott and by Elliot Black and his wife Beverly, playing in her first match since she joined the club as a social member last month, Porters Park has won the Hertfordshire round of the Golfprint Trophy for the first time for several years.

Our team won the competition, which was contested by ten Hertfordshire teams, with 102imps, well ahead of their nearest rivals and now go forward with the second-placed team of Dyrham Park, who scored 32imps, to the regional finals. Ashridge, who should have joined Porters Park in the regional finals, were disqualified for breaking the rule which allows teams to field only one bridge master.

Matthew is available to make up your social fourballs or join you on the course in whatever format you choose to play. In the case of fourballs, for as little as £20 per player per round he will be on hand throughout to advise you on all aspects of on-course play.

Pondering what to give for Christmas? One of the easiest and most welcome gifts you can buy a golfer is tuition to help improve their game.

From December 1, golf tuition vouchers will be available from the pro’s shop. For just £30 you can buy a loved one a ¾-hour lesson. Or you can really splash out and buy them a few!

The first of the two experimental Saturdays on which three and fourball matches will have equal priority with singles off the 1st tee, will take place on Saturday, December 1, replacing the men’s stableford. On this day all social golf off the 1st tee may be played at any time of day in any format members choose, order of play to be determined by signing a book in the Palm Court when all players in a group are ready to play.

It follows that those opting for singles should be prepared for a slow round, though it is expected that members will observe course etiquette should they fall well behind the players ahead.

Members starting their play at the 10th will be restricted to nine holes.

For our final fixture of the season, the scratch team travelled to Letchworth with everything to play for. It was a vital last match for our opponents, too: they had to beat us to stay up in the league.

We were two points behind both Welwyn Garden City and West Herts. Even though we had beaten Welwyn earlier in the season, under the league rules we would not go up if we only collected two points from this encounter. We needed 2½ points both for promotion and to win the league.

With our hotshots back in the States, we were unable to field our strongest side and the morning foursomes started badly. Our first three groups lost, and Russell Lewis and Geoff W Kirby could only manage to draw when earlier a win seemed certain. The singles did not look good for most of the afternoon. Nick Pateman was having a great battle, Gordon Forster was comfortably ahead and, as far as we could see, everyone else was losing. Three out of the first four lost heavily, and then Pateman lost up the last. Forster continued his fine play to win 4&3.

Captain G Kirby, three down through 10 holes, then found his form. An eagle, a gimme, three birdies and a 20ft putt sealed his victory and the points for the league. Phil Devlin, bringing up the rear and at one stage four up, held on for a one-hole win.
Result: 8½ - 3½, meaning Letchworth stayed up and Porters won the league.

Callum Shinkwin and Geoff Kirby represented Porters in the London Amateur Foursomes at The Berkshire. Five birdies saw them through against Chislehurst. The afternoon pitted them against local rivals Moor Park, a close game eventually going to Moor Park 2&1.

I am now stepping down as captain and Gordon Forster will be taking over. I thank everyone for their help during my three years as captain and hope Gordon will enjoy his time as much as I have.

Geoff Kirby

Pay by phone: Members are reminded that the facility now exists to take payment by debit/credit card over the telephone. For bar card top-ups and payment of bar bills, please call the bar during opening hours. For payment of subscriptions and club invoices, please ring the office, 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday.

If you make a direct payment into the club’s bank account, please let the office know, preferably in writing or by email. Too often payments arrive with no notification, and are either not seen until much later or are difficult to identify.

Members should note that the phased movement to Barclays is now completed and the club’s longstanding account at Allied Irish has been closed.

The Commandos’ dinner will take place on Thursday, January 10.

Club diaries: As the new committee members will not be known until voting has taken place at the AGM on December 9, club diaries for 2008 will not be available that evening but a week later.

The New Year’s Eve party will start at 7pm and finish at 1am. For £40 a head you can enjoy a superb gala buffet, a funky disco and the playing of a cocktail pianist. Dress: black tie and posh frocks. Further details will appear on the Palm Court notice board and the club website.

Carol evening: The list to be signed by those wishing to reserve a table for 10 for the carol evening and supper on Friday, December 14, has been posted in the Palm Court. Please note that at the time you apply for a table the office will require the names of all those who are to occupy it.

The club regrets to record the death of Jean Lewarne.

Luke Gutteridge who won the Order of Merit with 143pts, ahead of Derek Fotheringham with 82pts, Willam Cooper with 82pts and Michael Gallimore with 78.5pts

Michael Gallimore who won the President’s Cup with 77 - 11 = 66 from Christopher Grimston with 83 - 16 = 67 and Howard Warnes with 74 - 6 = 68

Bill Tweddle and Richard Nicklin who won the men’s Maltby 2007

Peter Chisholm who won the November midweek stableford with 42pts from Malcolm Menzies with 37pts and Michael Hanson (last 9) and John Cox with 34pts

Janet Kilsby & Brian Smith who beat Fiona & David Holden to win the Married Couples League

Jane Bellis who won the ladies’ club championship from Hilary Skinner

Fiona Crampton-Smith and Myra Wilson who won the 4BBB with 44pts from Mary Wilson and Yvonne Frankland with 42pts

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

Sandra Mackenzie who won the Westmacott Plate

Anita Prosser who won the Dixon Plate from Anita Healy

Myra Wilson who won the Summer League, wth Linda Lambert runner-up

Judy Williams and Lucy Glyn who won the Barnes Cup from Carole Sharp and Anita Prosser

Anita Prosser who won Golfer of the Year, with Rena Delaney runner-up

Anita Prosser who won the silver division of the October stableford with 34pts from Judy Williams with 33pts. Madeleine Olausson won the bronze division with 36pts (last 9) from Meera Patel Schelleken

Judy Williams who won the Erica de Courcy Salver, with Anita Healy runner-up

Susan Lawrence who won the Dorothy Johnson Cup with 93-17 = 76 from Anita Prosser with 87-10 = 77

Anita Prosser who won the silver division of the November stableford with 37pts from Judy Williams (last 3) and Margaret Nelson both with 35pts. Meera Patel-Schelleken won the bronze division with 38pts from Carole Bamford with 36