News from the Course 22 January

Member Accounts as at June 30.

Report authorised by Bob Neilson, Secretary, and David Ransom, Director, on behalf of the Board of Directors of Jamberoo Golf Club

Too many members have Trophy and Ball account balances that the club can no longer afford to cover as they are a large liability. Members are requested to use their trophy accounts and not just keep them unused. The amounts are hard earned and we have no wish to have members forfeit these.

Relating to the use of trophy accounts. The idea is that members’ trophy accounts have to be closed off, basically at the end of the financial year; they cannot carry over into the following year. If a member has more than a year’s subscription fees in their trophy account, the excess will go to the following year’s fees in advance, but must not just carry over. If a member leaves the club and fails to renew their membership, any funds left unused in the trophy account will be forfeited to the Club.

Here are the rules.

Any balance remaining in a member’s trophy account (including their ball account) at the end of each JGC financial year (31st of May) must be redeemed by the end of the following month (30th June). Trophy accounts can be used to purchase items from the golf shop, used for cart hire and competition fees, used at Drummond Golf (if the balance is more than $100) or to pay all or part of annual subscription fees (unless a member chooses to pay monthly). However, unused trophy account balances as at 30th June cannot carry over into the following financial year.

If there are any funds still in a member’s trophy account after 30th June, that balance will be automatically credited toward their subscription fees for the following year(s). If a member chooses to pay monthly for the coming year, unused funds in their trophy account after 30th June will be forfeited to the Club, so please spend these in any of the ways suggested above in this case.

If a member fails to fully renew their membership by the 14th of July, any funds left unused in their trophy account will be forfeited to the Club when the member is subsequently removed from the membership register. 

Trophy vouchers won by visitors must be redeemed at the club within 3 months of issue or will be cancelled at the expiry of the period. 

Those members who would like to arrange the balance of their trophy and ball accounts to be transferred into their members account before the cut-off date should see Marie in the Office who will be happy to assist you.

2024 Mens Pennant Season set to commence.

reports by David Ransom, on behalf of the Match Committee

January 28 sees the opening salvos for the 2024 GolfNSW (Illawarra) Pennant Season.

The B Pennant host at home, The White Horse Cup Section 2 team play Port Kembla at Vincentia starting at 9 am, and the White Horse Cup division 4 team play Moss Vale at the Links Shellcove from 7.45.

Our C Pennant commence at Moss Vale the following Sunday, February 3 against Moss Vale.

When Nature Calls.

With the hot and humid playing conditions being experienced this summer causing players to drink more fluids there may be occasions when some men find that they can no longer hold on! If you can’t wait to get to the on-course toilet then please be aware that our neighbours don’t appreciate the view if you go under a tree. This is especially the case in the trees near the 5th fairway, the 17th tee area, and lets not mention the poor tree on the 12th tee less than 15m from the toilet.

Men, either hang on or go to the designated toilets more regularly. 

Please be circumspect in your choice of tree!

Memorial Day 27-1-2024 Conditions of Play.

4 Person ELIMINATION AMBROSE 

Cost:   $20 per player includes free sausage sandwich at conclusion.

Handicap:   1/8 combined handicaps (Show individual handicaps on card). All women players attract an extra 4 shots to their daily handicap.

Grades:  There will be two grades with the cut-off approximately at a team handicap of 10.5.

Rules:

1. All 4 players tee off and putt on all holes (if necessary).
2. For each shot, select the best ball to play as you walk to the balls so as to keep play flowing. 
3. The chosen ball is marked, and this player is eliminated from playing the next shot. The other three players place their ball within one club length and play their next shot in any order.
4. If the position of the selected ball is in the rough, sand bunker or a penalty area then the other players balls must be placed and played from the rough, sand bunker or penalty area.
5. This process continues until the team has reached the putting surface where all players may take a putt. (10cm from the selected ball (or mark))
6. Two tee shots from each team member must be used and shown on the scorecard.
7. The scorecard must be signed by the marker and one other team member.

After the match a free sausage sizzle will be held and the Mens 2023 Presentation will take place as well as the 2024 Mens Pennant shirt presentation.

Bridges in Penalty Areas.

While most golfers are aware of how to proceed when a ball comes to rest in a penalty area, what do you do when you find your ball at rest on a bridge or walkway within a penalty area?

One thing to remember is that even though your ball may be easily playable, it’s still located within the confines of the penalty area, and needs to be treated as such. So even though the bridge is generally considered an immovable obstruction, you aren’t entitled to free relief.

The good news? You can play the ball as it lies, right off the bridge, you are also allowed to touch or move loose impediments and touch the ground with a hand or club (such as grounding the club right behind the ball) for any reason within a penalty area. The only thing you can’t do is improve conditions for your stroke.

If you aren’t happy with your lie in the penalty area, you can also opt to take a one-stroke penalty and seek relief outside the penalty area. For a red-staked penalty area you have three options: stroke-and-distance relief, in which you would replay your shot from the original spot where your previous stroke was made; back-on-the-line relief, in which you note the reference point of where your ball entered the penalty area, go back on a line that extends straight back from the hole, and drop a ball within two club lengths of that spot; and lateral relief, in which you identify the spot where your ball last crossed the penalty area and drop a ball within two clublengths of that spot, no closer to the hole.