This month's golf news and features

Aussies Beaten Again

Not only did they lose the Rugby World Cup but now the youthful society golf team, led by Peter Goudby, easily beat the best from the Melbourne cricket ground by 6 1/2pts - 1/2 pt.
KanchanAburi Trip
On Sunday 18th April 42 players and supporters left for our annual family trip, a full report in the June edition with all the results.
Springfield Tournament
On 30th March after our tournament in which 55 golfers took part we were hosted to a barbecue by The Smor Spa Village (manager Sam Sheriff), and they donated many of the prizes. This will be a regular event.
Recent Results
19th March at Palm Hills, 40 players (20 teams of 2) format greensomes. 1st Karl Westholm/Luciano 40ts 16hcp, 2nd Bill Battell/Walter Sroka 39pts 18hcp, 3rd Roger Smith/Guest Hakan 38pts 10hcp.
23rd March at Lake View, 27 players (6 x 4 and 1 x 3) format 4 ball scramble. 1st John Walker/Sam Sheriff/Toby/Al Reed 53.5 net 5.5 hcp. 2nd Bill Battell, John Anstee/Walter Sroka, Barbara Anstee 58.2 net hcp
26th March at Sawang resort, 18 players one group Stableford 1st Michael Christensen 36pts 24hcp, 2nd Boom 35pts 19hcp.
30th March at Springfield, 55 players A group 37 players, 1st Soloman 68 ret 16hcp, 2nd Sam Sheriff 69 net 17hcp, 3rd Fiona Zimmerman 70 net 10hcp. B group 1st Claus Borgwall 38 pts 31hcp, 2nd Olle Dahl 35pts 20hcp.
2nd April at Lake View, 30 players one group, 1st Hans UD 41pts 29 hcp, 2nd Fritz 38pts 10hcp, 3rd Tomas Palsson 37pts 18hcp.
9th April at Springfield, 36 players, A group 1st Ulf Persson 72 net 15hcp, 2nd Tomas Palsson 72pts 18hcp, B group 1st Alan Rawson 35pts 26hcp, 2nd Jane 33pts 30hcp.
16th April at Pam Hills, 45 players, A group 1st Peter Gouldby 40pts 8hcp, 2nd Tomas Ericsson 39pts 14hcp, B group 1st Dao Glynn 37pts 30 hcp, 2nd Peter Glynn 34pts 19hcp.

DON’T FORGET Forthcoming Event

Sunday 4th - Thursday 8th July
Gentlemans trip to Pattaya – Bus 12.00hrs

MAY FIXTURES

Tuesday 4th Lake View
Friday 7th Public Holiday
Tuesday 11th Palm Hills
Friday 14th Springfield
Tuesday 18th Kaeng Krachan
Friday 21st Lake View
Tuesday 25th Palm Hills
Friday 28th Springfield

Rule by Rule

Rule 6. The Player

What it’s About: Details the various responsibilities of the player.

Rule 6 covers a lot of ground in its eight subsections, which take up more than three pages in the Rule book. The common denominator in this wide-ranging Rule is that all of it concerns things for which the player must consider himself responsible.

Probably the most important – and sometimes controversial – aspect of this Rule is the section on scoring in stroke play (Rule 6-6). This section states that the player is responsible for making sure that the scores recorded on each hole by his marker – the person appointed by the Committee in charge of the competition to keep his card – are correct. If the player signs a scorecard with a score for any hole lower than he actually made, he is disqualified. He must take the score on the card for any hole where the score is higher than he actually made.

To some, the penalty seems unduly harsh, particularly in situations such as Roberto de Vicenzo’s in the 1968 Masters, where the world saw him make a birdie three on the 17th hole of the final round, but his signed scorecard showed a four. The extra stroke left him one behind. Other situations have occurred where a player unknowingly committed a violation that was not discovered until after he signed his card, resulting in a penalty of disqualification for an incorrect scorecard.

The reasoning behind this principle of the Rules was well stated by former USGA President Grant Spaeth, who said that the scorecard is a player’s written warranty to the rest of the field that he negotiated the course in a specific score and did so under the Rules of Golf. There are no referees and no official scorers in golf. Just as a player is bound to call penalties on himself, he is bound to attest that his official score is correct.

The Rule does give the player one break: The Committee is responsible for the addition of the scores and application of the handicap recorded on the card, so if you are not confident in your math skills, you can leave the total blank.

It should be noted that there is no subsection in Rule 6 titled “Scoring in Match Play.” Contrary to popular belief, a scorecard has no standing in match play and is not required.

Rule 6-2 is the first mention in the Rules of handicaps, which are used in many local competitions. If the player uses a handicap higher than what he is entitled to, he is disqualified. If the handicap recorded is lower, it shall stand.

A few other basic concepts of Rule 6 are that the player must know the conditions of the competition (Rule 6-1), start on time (Rule 6-3), and be responsible for his caddie (Rule 6-4) and for playing the correct ball (Rule 6-5). The best way to ensure playing the correct ball is to put an identification mark on the ball.

Rule 6-7 on slow play says the player must play without undue delay. This clause is intentionally vague with respect to specific pace-of-play policies, which are up to each Committee to establish and enforce.

Finally, the last subsection of Rule 6 addresses discontinuance and resumption of play. An important aspect of Rule 6-8 is that a player may discontinue play if he believes there is danger from lightning.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

Rule 6-4 states that a player is allowed only one caddie at any one time. But can a player have another helper? Picture a player competing on a rainy day. His caddie is fumbling while carrying the clubs, giving advice to his player, keeping the clubs dry, and battling the rain. He has enough to worry about without the extra responsibility of keeping his player dry – or the impossible task of keeping two players dry, if he’s carrying double. Would the player be allowed to employ a second person to carry an umbrella and hold it over the player’s head up until the moment he makes a stroke? (Rule 14-2 prohibits accepting protection from the elements while making a stroke.) The answer, as provided in Decision 6-4/5, is yes. The umbrella carrier could not, of course, advise the player or perform any other duties of a caddie, such as carrying or handling the player’s clubs. And the Committee may prohibit the employment of an umbrella carrier in the conditions of the competition.

For the complete Rules of Golf and Decisions on the Rules, visit the USGA's site.

Golf Funnies

I’ve been reading a great new golf book. If you would like to borrow it just let me know. It’s called the “The Most Useful Golf Cook Book”.

It contains some really good articles such as:

How to Line Up Your Fourth Putt;

How to hit a Nike from the rough when you hit a Titleist from the tee;

How to avoid the water when you lie 8 in the bunker;

How to get more distance off the shank;

Using your shadow on the greens to maximize earnings;

Proper etiquette when you are playing with a complete jerk;

Crying and how to handle it;

How to rationalize a 7 hour round;

How to find that ball that everyone else saw go in the water;

Why your wife no longer cares that you birdied the 4th;

How to let a foursome play through your 2-some without getting embarrassed;

How to relax when you're hitting five off the tee;

God and the meaning of the double bogey.

Now working on the book’s sequel, “When to Re-grip Your Ball Retriever”.
Thanks to David Mann

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