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Tee to Green - Summer 2009/2010 |
Interclub Pennants This week Southport Interclub pennant teams took on Sanctuary Cove at Sanctuary Cove with some great results, A Grade won their match in a close one getting up 3 1/2 to 2 1/2 and B Grade followed suit by winning 4 1/2 to 1 1/2. C Grade were unable to make it 3 from 3 going down 3 1/2 to 2 1/2 in a nail bitter. The finals start next week for interclub pennant with our teams narrowly missing out on making it in to the playoffs. Better luck next year guys.
Aaron Wilkin Wins Gold Coast Open Wynnum's Aaron Wilkin has won the 2010 Gold Coast Open in dramatic fashion by defeating Emerald Lakes' Dillon Hart in a three hole playoff. Both players' scores were locked on one under par 141 for the 36 hole tournament. It took all three holes of the playoff to separate the two players with the Queensland Junior representative Wilkin claiming the title by holing a 4 foot sliding putt on the last for par. Southport once again proved challenging for the top players of Queensland with no player really shooting the lights out. Much thanks to Lexus for their sponsorship and thanks to all of the members who assisted in making this event successful.
HUGE $4,800 MEMBER'S DRAW! This Friday night the 20th August the Member's Draw reaches a massive $4,800! All members have a chance to win this massive cash giveaway, you just have to be in the club from 6:30pm this Friday night to collect the $4,800 if your membership number is the lucky number drawn. Why not make a night of it as there are happy hour prices for all drinks for all members from 5pm and then the restaurant will be serving delicious meals from 7pm. Check out this menu: Entrees: Pumpkin Soup; Oysters - Natural with sweet chilli mango salsa or Mediterranean; Honey Peppered Beef - marinated eye fillet steak on Asian greens; Thai Fish Cakes on a green prawn curry coconut cream; Smoked Salmon Ravioli; Satay Chicken Skewers on cucumber and chilli salad. Mains: Chicken Teriyaki ($20.50) chicken breast poached in a creamy Teriyaki sauce; Veal di Mare ($25.50) pan fried veal with a mussel and prawn cream & Dijon sauce; Atlantic Salmon ($24.50) served with lime and saffron burre blanc; Surf and Turf ($33.00) mini mignon with pepper sauce and ½ lobster mornay; Mustard Crusted Lamb Rack ($24.50) served on mash with a mint jus. Desserts: Sticky Date Pudding served with butterscotch sauce and ice-cream; Chocolate Fondant served with vanilla ice-cream; Crepe Suzette a classic favourite served with ice-cream and fresh fruit. MAKE A BOOKING NOW BY RINGING 5571 1444

Friday Competition Review
The Board of Directors and the Ladies Committee have agreed to amend the structure of Friday competitions. As of Friday 13th August :
6:46am - 8:24am: 1st tee - Ladies Only
6:46am - 8:24am: 10th tee - Men or Ladies
10:53am - 12:31pm: 1st & 10th tees - Men or Ladies (same as before)
There will now also be two nearest the pin markers on each par 3; one for the ladies and one for the men. There will no longer be a "superpin" on Friday competitions. Please feel welcome to see the General Manager Andrew Kirkman or one of the Club Directors if you require any additional information.
HAPPY HOUR EXTENDED!
Due to popular demand and with the ever increasing number of members dining at the club on a Friday night, the Board of Directors have chosen to permanently extend "Happy Hour" to 5pm-10pm each and every Friday night! Therefore all members will receive the special 20% discount off the price of all drinks purchased at the club on a Friday night.
This Friday night 13th August is the famous "LAMB SHANKS NIGHT" with Chef Nigel Leishman preparing one of his finest dishes with members having the choice of either one or two sumptuous lamb shanks for dinner! Other menu options include: Grilled Barramundi with avocado and mango Hollandaise; Chicken Royale chicken breast on braised leek with prawn bisque; Veal Funghi (pan fried veal in a creamy mushroom sauce); Aussie Striploin; Grainfed New York served with chips, grilled onion and fried egg with a side of pepper sauce.
So ring 5591 7334 NOW and make a booking!
Bar Prices Increase
Every six months the Federal Government increases the alcohol tax and this is passed on from suppliers to consumers. As per the standard club practice all bar prices have increased by 2.9% of Tuesday 3rd August.
HO, HO, HO - XMAS IN JULY!
Last Friday night a fantastic crowd of 140 members enjoyed a festive Xmas in July! Tony Stenton was a clear winner in the "best dressed" category for the night and was even happier to get his photo taken with two beautiful women; Ruth White and Nancy Stenton!
Wednesday Ladies Guest Day
Due to excessive rain on Wednesday 28th July the Ladies Guest Day has been cancelled. This event has been re-scheduled for Monday 25th October.

Action Winners!
Pictured above are the winners of the Action Insurance Team of 4 Agg Stableford. From Left Brian Wiig, David Sayer, Roger Marshall and Brian Crowther. The foursome won by a shot and as seen in the photo are very happy to accept the fine bottles of scotch for winning. Well Done!
NEWSLETTER - JULY 2010:
Who is Southport’s Player of the Year?
With 6 rounds completed, the road to Southport's Player of the Year is starting to heat up as Southport's finest start to make their move and post some very impressive scores. Leading the way is John Morrison who stormed into equal first with a scintillating 43 points which moves him alongside the ever consistent Peter Thorne at the top at 213 points. Closely followed are the formidable trio of Ian Brosnan, Guy Hasenkam and Doug Henderson at 211 points and in striking distance is Derek I ‘Anson on 208 points. Good Luck to all players for the rest of the year and may the best player win! The next round is on Saturday 14th August.
Big Finish For Ben

Southport Golf Shop Hardware Specialist/PGA Professional Ben Campbell has burst back on to the playing side of professional golf with a runner up finish at the Queensland Professional Championships held at North Lakes on Tuesday the 29th of June. Ben carded at two over par 74 in tough conditions to finish one shot back from the leader. Ben has now qualified for the Australian Professional Golfers Championships held at Sandhurst Golf Club on the 6th to the 10th of September. We all wish Ben the best of luck!
Member's Guest Green Fee
As of 1st July 2010 the full visitor green fee rate has increased from $60 to $70. The Member's Guest green fee has increased by $5 from $30 to $35. The special Sunday Member's Guest Day green fee has also increased by $5.
Giles & Tony Win 2010 4BBB Matchplay Champs
In answer to a few member's questions: (a) The fake owls that are positioned near some greens to scare off the corellas and other birds are "immovable obstructions"; (b) the new drain in between the 4th and 8th holes is not a hazard, it is "play it as it lies".
Giles & Tony Win 2010 4BBB Matchplay Champs
COURTNEY MASSEY WINS STATE MIXED FOURSOMES!

Star golfer Courtney Massey paired with Cameron Powell from Brisbane Golf Club to win the 2010 Qld Mixed Foursomes Championship with scores of 70 & 74 around Burleigh GC to win by 1 shot.
Course Report
A root barrier has been installed at the back of the 17th green to stop the roots from the large gum tree getting into the green. There are also a number of dead trees on the golf course that members have identified over the past couple of months. As per our legal requirements, we have submitted a formal request to Gold Coast City Council to have these dead trees removed as we are not permitted to just go and cut down any tree, whether it is dead or not. In mid July we expect to have received official approval and organised the tree arborist to remove these dead trees. Although it is noted that some members really dislike our beautiful trees . . . . including member Butch Peers who struggled to make Par when his ball stayed in the tree!
OH WHAT A NIGHT!
Congratulations to all members who helped set a few records at the club on Friday night 11th June 2010. Member John Walters was not in the club to collect his $5,000 but Bev Window and Max Allchurch were very happy to win $500 each (as you can see!). We actually had 286 members in the club on Friday night and with their partners, children and friends there was about 350 people in the club with standing room only.

Congratulations also to Robert Sayers who won the Queensland State of Origin golf bag and Keith Anderson who won the NSW
Origin golf bag in the Origin raffle that was managed by our special guest NSW frontrower Joe Chilcott. I think it is fair to say NSW might be in some trouble this Wednesday night! (and remember you can watch the game and enjoy some great company, a free drink and a delicious barbecue dinner at the club for only $15 - book now in the bar for ORIGIN 2 on Wednesday 16th June).
And the other record set last night was that new chef Nigel Leishman had to unfortunately close off bookings for the restaurant due to overwhelming demand. There were 110 members and friends booked for dinner at 1pm on Friday so to ensure high quality service the restaurant bookings were closed. A delicious ala carte dinner was enjoyed by all and I would encourage all members to ring Head Chef Nigel on 5591 7334 to book in for dinner this coming Friday night to avoid missing out.
The member's draw for this Friday 18th June will be $4,000!
Ian Brosnan takes early lead in PLAYER OF THE YEAR EVENT!
After four rounds of the new Player of the Year event, Ian Brosnan is leading with a combined total of 142 points from the first four qualifying rounds of the year. Ian leads by only one to contenders Steve Davies, Doug Henderson and Mike Sexton. On 140 points is Lance Broughton, on 139 is Peter Purnell-Webb and on 138 is John Morrison.
The Player of the Year for 2010 will be crowned at the annual presentation night on Saturday 20th November. The winner is the player with the best cumulative 10 rounds out of a maximum 12 rounds played throughout the year. The next event is on Saturday 26th June.
Juniors make Qld team!
Juniors Ben Devine and Peter Lyon both recently competed in the Queensland State School Championships. Both Ben and Peter have now been selected to represent Queensland as members of the under 12 Qld State School Team at the 2010 National Championships in November. Congratulations boys and do us proud!
Ladies win Sir Bruce Small Trophy!

Congratulations to the Southport GC Team of Courtney Massey (75), Louise Wolbers (79), Leanne Esteb (73) & Penny McGovern (70) who won the 2010 Sir Bruce Small Trophy by 2 shots from Sanctuary Cove. Awesome!
15 Year Old India Matthews has won the Ladies Southport Club Championships by an incredible 46 shots from fellow competitor Chien Hsieh. India came into the final round with a commanding lead and showcased mental toughness beyond her years by extending her winning margin. Division 2 was taken out by Patsy Monk by 10 shots from Stella Butler and Division 3 was won by Pam Harse From Helen Bennett by 4 shots. The Nett Winner from Division 1 was Maggie Busby, Division 2 was Lyn Roden and Divison 3 was Judith Board.
CLICK HEREFor Full Results of The Ladies Club Championships
CLUB NEWSLETTER - MAY 2010
Daniel Paton & John Fox's Fundraising Raffle Results
3 Series BMW hire for a weekend - Phil Jefferies
Round of Golf at the Glades - Robert Sayers
Basket of Alcohol - Peter Hobart
David McKean 1hr Golf Lesson - Richard Conn
Gary Edwin 1hr Golf Lesson - Ailsa Morrison-Galt
Oakley Golf Bag - Robin Williams
$100 Dinner Voucher For Moo Moo's Restaurant - Jamie Neilson
Ladies Raffle
Silent Auction
Framed Signed 2010 Brisbane Broncos
Framed 5 Pound Note Signed by Jack Nicklaus - Michael Issakidis ($1000)
Daniel & John, would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members for their kind generosity over the past two weeks in buying raffle tickets and biding in their silent auction. They have raised $6000 towards their trip to the World University Games in Spain & Scotland. Congratulations to all the winners, if you would like to follow their progress please click the link below.
http://www.wucgolf2010.com/english/English/Home.html
Jack Fox has played his last event as a Junior and will finish on a winning note! The Southport Junior Classic was held on Sunday and he won by an impressive 5 shots. Other local stars were India Matthews who finished r/up in the girls section, while Joel Lawson and Jay Wall won their divisions. Well Done!


Lee Manning who is the current Club Champion has added the Matchplay Championships to his list of Majors. Lee beat Brett Partridge 3/1. Lee picture right is shaking hands with the Nett Matchplay winner Tyson Johnston-Moir. Tyson beat his other Junior friend Peter Lyon in a tight tussle with Tyson winning on the 37th hole with a par. Congratulations to all winners and all participants in this years Club Championships.
Members Anne Lewis, Shirley Moriarty, Margaret and Don Stock, Judy Bennett and friends proved their supreme knowledge at the Trivia Night on Friday 21st May when they stormed home in the last round to win by 3 points! A wonderful crowd of 140 members and friends tested their brains with trivia master Don Eddie Phelan the only person to get every question right! Mark down Friday 17th September for the next Trivia Night to redeem your team.
Ladies 2010 4BBB Matchplay Honour Board Event
Congratulations to Joyce Skinner and May Warland who beat Brenda Friend and Pam Yarwood 1 up in the final of the Ladies 2010 4BBB Matchplay Honour Board Event!
NEW HANDICAP FOR ALL MEMBERS
All members now have a new handicap that has been re-calculated based on the new Australian Handicapping System that determines the average of your 10 best scores over your past 20 rounds. For more information please see Bernadette or Andrew or go to http://www.agu.org.au/default.aspx?s=rulesandhandicapping
All members MUST hand in their scorecard every time as part of the new system.

Three time champion Lee Manning had to use all his experience to outplay rising player Torey Hensel in the final round of the Club Championships. Lee held off Torey by one shot with a steady par on the last hole. Lee is pictured above 3rd from the left who is congratulated by Beric Lynton from BMW who is the very proud sponsor of the event.
Neil Paton won B Grade by a massive 14 shots to Ken Westaway and a new star was born in the C Grade with 12 year old Peter Lyon winning C Grade by 6 shots to Brian Vincent.
Congratulations to all players!!!
Nigel and Janette Leishman commenced as the new Caterers of our Club on Wednesday 14th April. Nigel and Janette have introduced a new coffee blend as a result of member feedback - MERLO Coffee is now being used in clubhouse! If you would like a cappucino, latte or flat white before or after your round, why not drop in and meet Nigel and Janette and enjoy the smooth texture that the Merlo coffee beans offer!
The menu for this Friday night 30th April is:
Entrees: Greek Dips and Pita Bread $4.00; Boston Clam Chowder $6.90; Oysters; Tempura Prawns $14.50; Classic Caeser Salad $10.50; Funghi Imbotti $12.50; Antipasto Plate $9.50.
Mains: Chicken Parmigiana $20.50; Veal Osso Bucco $22.50; Mustard Crusted Lamb Rack $24.50; Grilled Barramundi $21.50; Ricotta Ravioli $19.90.
Desserts: Death by Chocolate $7.00: New York Baked Cheesecake $7.00; Orange Liqueur Profiteroles $7.00; Cheese Plate $8.00.
On Friday WEEK 7th May the menu will be a carvery.
Congratulations to the Club's Administration Manager Anita Tully who celebrates 20 years of service to our Club this week. Anita was hired in April of 1990 & has been a proud & dedicated contributor to our club over the past twenty years. Please join me in congratulating Anita & thanking her for her loyalty, dedication & valuable contribution to our Club.
Good Luck Jack!
17 year old Club Champion Jack Fox is flying to Launceston to compete in the Australian Junior Amateur Championship from Wednesday 14th to Friday 16th April. To assist Jack with his costs to attend this national event the club raffled a top of the range Titleist Golf Bag that has been donated by Robert Sayers and congratulations to Leanne Esteb who won the bag! Congrats also to Keith Sauer who won the dozen balls and Penny McGovern who won the 3rd prize of a new glove. Thank you to all members who contributed to raising $675 towards Jack's expenses for this national championship. Best of luck to Jack!
PENNANT TEAM WINS FLAG!

Army Jazz Band sooths the soul!

The soothing tunes of the Army Jazz Band entertained over 100 members and their guests on a relaxing afternoon at the club on Sunday. After the excitement and disappointment of a game of golf it was a wonderful way to finish off the weekend.
Course Update
As at Tuesday 9th March 2010, the course has dried out and the greens staff are "catching up" on getting all of the course cut, with particular attention to the rough. The grevillea honeygem native trees on the 8th tee and 6th/11th tees have been replaced with some lily pily plants. As many members have commented, a number of the grevilleas had died again for the second time in two years. Unfortunately these native trees do not enjoy the high amount of water that they receive when adjacent to a tee and the Course Superintendent and the Course Horticulturalist agree that the lily pilys should flourish in the daily irrigation on these tees.
Congratulations to Course Superintendent Stuart Moore
This week marks 15 years since Stuart Moore began his employment at Southport Golf Club. It is also 10 years since he was promoted to the position of Course Superintendent, both of which are outstanding achievements. On behalf of the management, staff, present and past Directors, and all members, we convey our thanks to Stuart for his dedication, loyalty and performance.
Club Update Report
As at Saturday 27th February the course renovations have been completed successfully. All 18 greens have been renovated, including hollow tining and scarifying. This renovation is not as "severe" as the September renovation. On the course the tree on the 11th tee has been removed for safety reasons, and three new trees will be planted on the 11th hole this coming week. Keith Pegler Drive (the road near the 7th tee) has also been re-surfaced. During March members will notice some minor works to the area between the 4th and 8th fairways near the pond as we will be installing some additional drainage to this area.The clubhouse has also received its annual touch up, with the exterior and interior of the clubhouse and golf shop professionally cleaned and some high use areas re-painted. Some of these works are still to be completed on Monday 1st March.
The re-configuration of Cart Shed 1 (beside the 6th green) has been completed and we now have 12 new cart spaces for members. These cart spaces will be offered to those members at the top of the "cart storage waiting list" in writing over the coming months. Thank you for all members patience in this improvement project.
The website has also been updated and does require some further "fine-tuning" over the coming week.
2010 Price Increases
Dear members, for the first time in numerous years the price for range balls has increased by $1. A small bucket will now cost $4, a medium bucket $5.50 and a large bucket $8. A pull buggy has also increased by $0.50 to $4. Over the past few years the cost to purchase range balls has substantially increased and this small $1 increase will assist in covering this increasing cost.
The competition will be sponsored by Titleist with a $400 golf bag as first prize!


The 18th hole was opened by President Phil Ratcliff at 5:00pm Wednesday 25th November with a crowd of 80 members present to share in the celebrations! Club Captain Robert Sayers had the honour of the first tee shot and Course Superintendent was the first person to par the new hole. The opening of the 18th is a significant achievement for the club as it completes the re-development of the back nine as per the course masterplan. Much thanks to all members for their patience over the past 3 months and we hope you enjoy playing your course in peace.

Young female Junior India Matthews has won the Australian Indigenous Championships by a massive 28 strokes!!!!. The championships were held at the Hunter Valley Golf Club. This win now gives her a opportunity to play in the 2010 Ladies Australian Amateur Championships as well as that a chance to qualify for the 2010 Ladies Australian Open. Well Done India!!

(New Captain R. Sayers and new President P. Ratcliff)
Monday 26th October the Annual General Meeting was held. Thank you to all members that attended and congratulations to the new Board of Directors:
President Mr. Phil Ratcliff Elected unopposed
Vice President Mr. Graham Roberts Elected unopposed
Captain Mr. Robert Sayers Elected unopposed
Vice Captain Mr. Norm Thomson Elected unopposed
Treasurer Mr. Ken Window Elected unopposed
Director Mr. Keith Anderson Elected by majority vote
Director Mr. Brad Dowling Elected by majority vote
Director Mr. Tony Irvine Elected by majority vote
Director Mr. Andrew Taylor Elected by majority vote
Shocking Melbourne Cup Function!
A great crowd of over 100 members and guests enjoyed a fantastic Melbourne Cup Function with a delicious lunch, entertaining fashion parade and lots of winners and losers in the numerous sweeps! Anne Lewis (see photo above) won the best outfit award with Brian Oberman a close second!
Empty Water Ponds
As many members have noticed a large number of the water ponds/lakes on the course are very empty. This is a direct result of the lack of rain over the past 4 and half months. Since the 3rd June we have received a total of 37mm of rain (or one and a half inches). Hence the empty water ponds.
Whilst some of the water ponds are tidal, the ponds such as the one in front of the 17th tee is not. And it is against Council regulations to use our supply of recycled water to "top up" these ponds, but thank you nonetheless for the suggestion. Therefore any raindancing in between shots is permitted.
Ashleigh Travers wins $500 voucher!
Congratulations to member Ashleigh Travers who won the regular Friday night 6:00pm draw of a $500 voucher off a set of Callaway irons!
Every Friday night at 6:00pm we draw out one member's number and if that member is present in the clubhouse they receive a voucher worth $500 towards a brand new set of Callaway Irons. The retail price of a set of Callaway Irons starts at $1,650 - all members receive a 10% discount off all golf clubs which reduces the price to $1,500, and then the $500 voucher reduces the total price to only $1000. ALSO - Next Friday night 24th October the Cash Member's Draw will be $3,600! So see you in the clubhouse on Friday night for a double chance to be a winner like Ashleigh!
Yes that is correct, over 1200 square metres of turf was laid this morning Friday 2nd October and the 18th hole re-development has been completed in 5 weeks!
This week the tee shaping has been finalised and turfed; the new concrete cart paths have been poured and completed; the back of the 3rd tee has been slightly extended and turfed; the shaping of the first part of the fairway has been finalised and turfed; and all of the contractors have cleaned up and left.
Next week there will be a little turf placed on the 14th hole and in front of the 18th tee, and the Course Superintendent will be planting a range of native trees and mulching the areas to the left and right of the new 18th tee. A 35 metre long net will also be installed on the left side of the new 18th tee this month. In early November the entire hole will then be top-dressed to smooth out the new fairway.
Whilst we had planned on re-opening the 18th hole in Janurary 2010, if we receive some rain in the coming week we may be able to open the 18th hole in late December when the turf matures. Thanks again to all members for their patience during this construction over the past 5 weeks, and we ask all members to please stay off the new turf on the 18th hole to allow it to mature as quickly as possible.
Congratulations to Daniel Paton who has just won the Australian University Games Championship. The 72 hole event was held over 4 days at Colonial Golf Club and Daniel was victorius by a remarkable 12 shots!
WEEK 4 UPDATE - 18th Hole Project
WOW! How good is the 18th hole starting to look! We have just completed the fourth week of our seven week project and at present we are one week ahead of schedule and on budget for costs.
Week 3 of our 8 week project has been an excellent week of progress with no rain or interruptions. This week's work has included:
The preliminary base of the new tee has been shaped; the second half
Week 2 started well but the club received 25mm of rain on Monday night 7th September and whilst this was great for the course it stopped all work on the second half of the fairway from the 150metre mark to the green. The project plan was quickly amended and this week the focus has been on shaping the first half of the fairway and finishing the greens surrounds area. Hence, this weeks' work has included:
All of the soil for the re-shaping and raising (by 500mm) of the new tee has been transported to the tee; the first half of the fairway has been completely re-shaped and the topsoil re-spread back over the base; all of the main drainage line has been installed (and you can see this down the left hand side of the fairway; the soil for the second half of the fairway has been limed and aerated in preparation for shaping; the pond re-shaping on the left side of the fairway has been completed; the drainage problem in the trees on the left hand side of the green has been fixed with a new drainage line installed; the main supply line for the new irrigation has been installed in front of the green and the new irrigation for the green has been installed.
Ladies Div 1 Pennant Winners!
The ladies Division 1 pennant players have won the flag for the season.! They were too strong for Sanctuary Cove winning 3/2. The win makes it 3 flags in 4 years, and proves the club's dominance in pennant with division 1 Men,Women and Juniors all winners in the one season. Bad Luck to the Ladies div 3, they made the final but unfortunately Coolangatta Tweed were too strong.
New temporary ACR has been introduced (69, down 1 from 70); Rotary hoeing of the entire hole; Stripping of the turf at the greens surrounds area has been almost completed; The green perimeter has had the old turf removed; The bitumen path around the tee area has been removed; Substantial irrigation works have been undertaken to identify and switch off surrounding irrigation and to prepare for the install of the new irrigation over coming weeks; The extension and re-shaping of the pond on the left hand side of the 18th hole is almost completed and one can get a feel for how this major change to the hole actually looks now.
The work to the reshaping of the pond is by far the major achievement of the week and this soil will be limed early next week, prior to its redistribution to the tee area to assist in raising the tee and for shaping the bunkers.
Next week on the 18th hole: the pond re-shaping will be finalised; the greens surrounds will be smoothed and finished in preparation for turfing; the drainage problem in the trees on the left hand side of the green will be fixed; the tee will continue to be built up; the fairway area from the 150 metre marker to the green will continue to be shaped, including the 2 new fairway bunkers.

Sunday the 16th August marked the 51st staging of the Gold Coast Open. The event is always staged at the club and this year we saw a large amount of talent on display. The winner was Gavin Fairfax from Pacific golf club who is a current state player. Gavin shot an impressive 7 under total of 135 for the 36 hole event. Gavin who is seen above showed off the trophy who has past winners such as Wayne Grady and Ossie Moore engraved on there. Local boy John Fox was the best from the club finishing third on 139.
- after over 6 months of research of 4BBB events, the Division 1 will now be for combined handicaps of 36 or less, and the Division 2 will be for combined handicaps of 37 or greater
- the 18th hole re-development project will be proceeding as planned this year, and detailed information will be on display in the foyer of the clubhouse from Tuesday 28th July
- FREE pitch repairers are available for all members from the golf shop - please repair all pitch marks.
Coke Piper- Hall Wins Titans Bag!!!
On Saturday the 25th July the Men's Foursomes championships were played. Defending champions Brad Dowling and Brett Partridge successfully defend their crown. They shot an impressive gross score of 112, which was too good for nearest rivals brothers John & Jack Fox who had 115. This year was the return of the B grade Foursomes Championships. Ed Burnett & Dennis Beck were the winners on 131, while club stalwarts Brian Oberman & Richard Conn were runner's up on 134 c/b. The Nett Winners were Dene West and Ian Elcock on 109 3/4, runner's up were John Morrison & Mike Sexton on 110
Don't be worried if you log onto the Golflink website to find your golflink number is wrong. The club has recently changed all members Golflink numbers to match their membership numbers. Please call the golf shop to check your new golflink number. New Cards have been issued to all members, please contact the office on 07 5571 1444 if you have not received your new card.
PETER SHOWS TOO MUCH HEART!
New Junior Member Peter Lyon has beaten the current club champion Jack Fox in the Intraclub Junior Matchplay Championships. Peter (pictured right) like his name, showed plenty of heart to take on Jack as he was too good on the back nine. The result was 4/3 Well Done Peter!
13th Hole Rating
Naturally this change will also result in changes to the indexes of other holes, with the 15th and 16th hole indexes changing for the men, and the 11th and 15th hole indexes changing for the ladies. Members please note the index on the scorecard is the correct index and any index signs on the course are incorrect. The committee is endeavering to have those signs changed.
These changes will take effect on Wednesday 1st July and will be changed on your scorecard.
"Team Mojsish" crowned Trivia Masters!
On Friday night 3rd July a fantastic crowd of over 100 arrived to test their wits in the Club Trivia Night. Whilst there was some drama with one member being caught cheating, most played in the right "spirit" and congratulations to the champion team of Alex and Sandy Mojsish, Nancy and Tony Stenton, Brenda and Tony Friend, Heather and Gerry Lawrence and Joe and Julie Box!
Young pair Braiden Marlborough & Maighan Brown have won the Mixed Foursomes. In a record number of entries it was always going to be close, they won by one shot to Louise Wolbers & John Fox. The Nett was won by in form Ricky Esteb and his mother Leanne Esteb. Well Done to all!
Congratulations!
Ricky Esteb is the newly crowned 2009 Matchplay Champion after defeating John Fox 6 and 4 on Saturday over 32 holes of golf! Ray Jago beat young superstar Tyson Johnston-Moir the previous week for the Handicap Matchplay Championship.
Courtney Blitzes Field in South Pacific!!!
Courtney Massey has continued her winning way with a Brilliant victory in the Ladies South Pacific Championships. The event was played at Surfers Paradise Golf Club last week. Courtney left the field in her wake as she won by a record margin of 16 shots!!!. Courtney will hope to continue her form into the ladies Club Championships next month. Well done Courtney!!!!
The Ladies have won the Sir Bruce Small Trophy. The trophy is played once a year against all the clubs on the coast. 4 players are selected from each club. This year Jill Millhouse, Louise Wolbers, Petah Harrison and Annie Binks have blitzed the field and won by 5 shots. It has been 5 years since Southport has won this event. The star was Annie Binks who had a nett 65. Well Done!!!!
Congratulations to Courtney Massey who won the Southport Ladies Amateur Open on Thursday 14th May. Courtney led in style to win this 36 hole event and was one of over 100 lady golfers that competed in this year's event. Congrats to all the winners and thanks to Zupps at Southport for the 22nd year of their sponsorship.
Recently a member suggested that when motorised carts are not permitted on the golf course due to wet weather that BOTH a 9 hole competition and an 18 hole competition be offered. The Match and Greens Committee have discussed this suggestion and in future when motorised carts are not permitted on the course members will have the option to select to play in either a 9 hole competition or an a 18 hole competition. The competition fee will remain $7 and prizes will be distributed accordingly.
In times of prolonged wet weather, such as we have had recently, many of our bunkers retain casual water. Some members have suggested that in such circumstances, the Match & Greens Committee should publish a Local Rule that declares bunkers that contain casual water to be "Out of Play" so that players may drop out of the affected bunker without penalty. Such action is contrary to the Rules of Golf.
Casual water in bunkers is nothing new and the question of any abnormal ground conditions (including casual water) within a bunker is covered under Rule 25-1b(ii) (a) and (b). Essentially, a player is never prevented from taking relief from casual water in a bunker, although in some instances where the bunker is covered by casual water, this may involve a penalty stroke.
These points are amplified in the Decisions on the Rules of Golf by Decision 33-8/27, in answer to the following questions:
Q. May a committee make a local rule allowing a player to drop out of any bunker filled with casual water, without penalty, notwithstanding Rule 25-1b (ii)?
A. No. Such a Local Rule is not acceptable as it waives a penalty imposed by the rules of Golf, contrary to Rule 33-8b.
Q. If a player?s ball lies in a bunker completely covered by casual water, what are his options?
A. (See Decision 25-1b/8). The player may play the ball as it lies or:
(1) drop the ball in the bunker without penalty at the nearest point
not nearer the hole, where the depth of the casual water is least-
Rule 24-1b(ii) (a); or
(2) drop the ball behind the bunker under penalty of one stroke-
Rule 25-1b(ii) (b); or
(3) deem the ball unplayable and proceed in accordance with Rule
28.
GREAT SCORES FOR FIRST MIDWEEK MEDAL!!
Please ensure that motorised carts are not driven through the covered area that is directly between the golf shop and the clubhouse. Your cooperation is much appreciated.
Congratulations to club caterers Helen and David White who organised an overwhelmingly successful dinner on Friday 13th March which saw over 140 members and friends enjoy a fantastic evening dinner and entertainment. Most of the crowd was dancing the night away till very late with the band the "Joo Joo Jammers" a big hit.
Members Judy and Brian Gordon won the framed and signed Melbourne Storm Jersey, member Alex Mojsish won the $1,600 members's draw, whilst one other long standing member wore his shoes out dancing and is opening his own dancing school next month! Many thanks to all of the sponsors and members who supported this fundraising event.
Wendy Beats the Boys to be the 9 & Dine Champ Wendy Townley (pictured right) is now the 9 & Dine Winner, the monthly event runs from October through to March. Wendy held off Norm Thomson & Laurie Bourke by 2 shots. Well Done Wendy!!
Juniors Win Pennant Final!!!!!
Friday the 13th proved very dark as 2 inches of rain fell on the course in over 40 minutes, Stuart Moore the Head Superintendant was most dissapointed as he was busy preparing the course after the renovations. This photo was taken at 1pm from the clubhouse balcony. The 18th Fairway is bearly visible. The decision in regards to motorised carts will be made by 6:15am Saturday Morning.
GREENS RENOVATIONS
Yes it is that time of the year again! On Monday 9th February, Tuesday 10th February and Wednesday 11th February the course will be closed to all play for the course renovations. The good news is that this greens renovations will be a relatively mild renovation with all greens only being solid tyned, groomed and dusted. This will result in the greens returning to optimum condition and play much quicker than as has been the case in some previous years.
RAIN DAMPENS GOLF BUT NOT SPIRITS IN AUST DAY CELEBRATIONS
Sunday the 25th January, was the club's Australia Day Golf & Dinner, Unfortunatley the rain came and spoilt the day, however the spirits were there with 100 members enjoying the live band and dinner that night. As seen below Brian & Petah Oberman, Jill Millhouse and Richard Conn had fun winning best dressed!!
The Junior Pennant team had a fantastic win in their pennant match held at the club on Sunday, Jack Fox the number one player had a nail biting finish to beat his opponent and take the team over the line with a 3/2 win over Surfers Paradise.- Well Done Guys!
Sunday the 11th January marks the 1st Round of Junior and Junior Interclub Pennant. Please congratulate the following players who will be representing Southport Golf Club in the 1st Round.
Pennant:Steven Mahoney, Jeffrey Lin, Joel Lawson, Justin Brown & Dylan Lewis.
Interclub Pennant: Mitchell Lewis, Angus Blaikie, James Delaney, Rob Porter, Michael Valitutti & Sammy Rasmussen.
The presentation of the team uniforms will be held at the club on Friday the 9th January at 6:30 pm, we ask all players and parents to come along as well as anyone else wanting to support the juniors.
13TH HOLE FINISHED!!!
Yes at midday on Thursday 18th December the last piece of turf was laid on the new 13th hole! As many members are aware it was imperative that we had this last piece of turf laid by Christmas Eve so that we could benefit from the growing season and this has obviously been achieved. After 11 weeks of construction it is outstanding to be able to take the photo you see below:

In mid January the landscaping of the garden on the left hand side of the tee area will be completed by the Club Greens Staff. The new driving range tee will also be completed in mid to late January.
So when can we play the new 13th hole I hear you ask? We are aiming to be opening the new 13th hole in late February/early March 2009. The actual opening date is obviously subject to the weather conditions over the next month or two. ALL MEMBERS are asked to please stay off the new turf that has been planted on the entire hole to allow it to mature as quickly as possible. When the 13th Hole is re-opened the Match Committee will collect data from all Blue tee events over a sufficient length of time so that the difficulty of the new hole can be accurately determined, should a new stroke index then be required.
RULES REGARDING HAZARDS
Do you know the difference between a red stake and a yellow stake? Click on the link below to view the memo from Golf Queensland explaining the difference between water hazards and lateral water hazards:
Memo - Rule 26 (Water Hazards Lateral Water Hazards
And stay tuned for information regarding our free Rules Information Night in early 2009.
The weather finally cleared for the Members Xmas Dinner and Golf on Sunday the 14th December. Great prizes were given out, and for the second year in a row, Pam & Kerry Harse, David and Tracey Clark (seen above) won best dressed. Well Done!!!!
Due to the popular success of the nine and Dine competition, the committee has decided to commence Friday afternoon competitions. The comp starts from 3:15pm, the cost will be $5. The first one will be held on the 12th December. What a way to start the weekend!!!
This week is the first week in over a month that we have had one week of uninterrupted work - and there has been a massive amount of progress achieved!
This week we have:
- completed the shaping of the entire hole
- installed all of the sprinkler heads for the entire hole, including the tee
- turfed over 2500 square metres with the landing area of the hole almost all turfed
- started the sub surface drainage on the fairway area just short of the ponds
Next week:
- finish the installation of the irrigation mainline
- complete the turfing of the landing area
- commence the concreting of the paths in the tee area
Hence, with a good week of sunshine the 13th hole will be nearing completion by the end of December and it is exciting to see the hole taking shape!
This week the club has received 190mm of rain that has saturated the entire course and resulted in the flooding of some fairways. Whilst the course is open for play today (Friday 21st), no work has been done on the 13th hole the entire week. Substantial sunshine for a lengthy period of time is needed to dry out the hole to allow work to recommence. Best case scenario is that some work MAY start next Monday 24th November should we enjoy no rain over the weekend.
Unfortunately the WETTEST NOVEMBER IN 27 YEARS has resulted in the 13th hole project falling over 2 we
eks behind schedule and the chance of achieving our goal of finishing all works by Christmas Eve is looking very challenging!
As you can see though, the new turf that has been planted around the green collar, green surrounds and the last 120 metres of the fairway is thoroughly enjoying the rain!
After a site inspection earlier today (Friday 14th November) there is unfortunately very little progress to report for the 13th hole development project. This week the continuous rain has softened the ground to the stage where the construction machinery cannot operate and this has stopped the majority of work, the result being we are just over one week behind schedule. The positive effect of the rain has been on the succcessful planting of the turf for the last third of the hole.
This week we have:
Successfully completed the turfing of the green collar, greens surrounds area and the last 120 metres of the fairway; removed the excess soil that has been excavated out of the new right fairway pond to the driving range area; completed the preliminary shaping of the middle 150 metre section of the hole; completed the installation of the main drainage line leading from the start of the new right pond back up the right side of the fairway towards the tee; started the installation of some drainage pits down the right side of the first 200 metres of the fairway; and completed the installation of the main irrigation supply line for the last 200 metres of the hole.
Over the next week we will:
Spend half a day finalising the re-spreading of the top soil over the middle section of the hole; then the irrigation for the middle 150 metres of the hole can be installed and when this is completed the drainage for this landing area can be commenced. The shaping of the first 150 metres of the fairway will also be completed this week. All of the above obviously depends on a week of no rain.
Lastly, on Saturday of the past week we did close the driving range to transport excess fill to continue the construction of the new second tier of the driving range tee and we thank all members patience throughout this inconvenience. Let's all hope for a week of fine weather so that members can enjoy some golf and so that work on the 13th hole can re-commence!
Defending champion Norm Thomson fired 21 points and ever improving Trish Phelan shot a fantastic 20 points on Friday 7th October to win the men's and ladies' sections of the November Nine and Dine.
See you on Friday 5th December at 4:00pm to enjoy the next event.
The Course Steering Committee met this afternoon Friday 7th November to assess the progress of the 13th hole development project. After a very interrupted week of work due to the rain on Wednesday we have fallen approximately 2 days behind schedule. Overall though we are certainly on target to have the entire project completed prior to Christmas. This week we have: Completed the preparation of the green collar and greens surrounds area for turfing; installed the main irrigation line down the last 150 metres of the hole; refilled over the irrigation and drainage trenches and completed the shaping of the last 150 metres of the hole in preparation for turfing; completed the excavation of the new right fairway pond; started the installation of the main drainage line leading from the start of the new right pond back up the right side of the fairway towards the tee. Over the next week we will: Turf the green collar extension, green surrounds and the last 150 metres of the fairway; Continue the installation of the main irrigation supply line for the last 300 metres of the hole; remove the excess soil that has been excavated out of the new right fairway pond; complete the preliminary shaping of the the middle 150 metre section of the hole; possibly start the installation of the irrigation for the middle 150 metres of the fairway; continue the installation of the main drainage line down the right side of the first 200 metres of the fairway. On Tuesday of the past week we did close the driving range to transport excess fill to continue the construction of the new second tier of the driving range tee. Whilst the driving range WILL REMAIN OPEN over the majority of the next few weeks, there will unfortunately be some occasions when additional fill will be transported here. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. MELBOURNE CUP CLASS! A fantastic crowd of just under 100 members and their guests enjoyed a day of glitz and glamour on Tuesday 4th November for the Melbourne Cup! Four stars - John Anning, Nick Geros, Peter Mahoney and Tony Baker won the 4 person ambrose with a fantastic score of 53 3/4. But there was no doubt that the ladies stole the show with Wendy Townley, Penny McGovern and Pat Ratcliff (pictured right) three of the stunning models entertaining the crowd.
Greens Recovery Greens were lowered to 3mm today, Friday 17th October. The greens were being cut at 4mm prior to renovations and have now reached their "summer height" just over three weeks after the renovations were completed. The Course Steering Committee met this afternoon Friday 24th October to assess the progress of the 13th hole development project. Overall we are happy with the progress to this point in time. This week we have: Completed the installation of the new irrigation from the pumps to the 13th green; installed the new irrigation to the green surrounds area; turf cut the old turf from the green surrounds area in preparation for removal; completed the solid drainage to the last 150 metres of the hole; completed 50% of the new irrigation for the last 150 metres of the hole; undertaken substantial earthworks to the shaping of the first 150 metres of the hole; and today started the digging out of the new pond/lake on the right hand side of the fairway; Next week we will: Complete the irirgation install on the last 150 metres of the hole which will then enable us to complete the subsurface drainage on the last 150 metres of the hole; start to prepare the green collar and surrounds area for turfing; commence construction of the newly shaped pond and rock retaining wall on the left hand side of the fairway; continue with the excavation of the new right side pond. This week we have lost one full day of work to weather, as we have the past two weeks. Courtney Massey yesterday won the prestigious Southport Amateur Open by 7 shots. Courtney carded 72 on Wednesday and a brilliant 68 yesterday for a total 140. Runner-up was Joyce Xu from Lakelands with 147. The Southport Amateur Open which is a Queensland ranked event, was first played at Souhport in 1959 and has had many winners who have gone on to represent Australia and/or had successful careers as a professional. Well done Courtney on a great win!
Week 5 Update
of the 13th Hole Development Project!

Week 3 Update
of the 13th Hole Development Project!
COURTNEY WINS SOUTHPORT AMATEUR OPEN
Golf Australia has increased Mens handicaps to a maximum of 36. Those changes came into effect on the 1st of September 2008. Changes to the scorecard have also been implemented. The stroke index has been changed, the scorecard now indicates the stroke index from 1-18, any additional shots to be taken from index 1. Please check with Golf Shop staff if you need assistance.
Courtney Massey, representing Southport, yesterday won the Gold Coast District Champion of Champions. The event was played at Gold Coast Burleigh Golf Club and Courtney had gross score of 73 (Par) in very tough conditions. Well done!
It took a classic score to win this years Southport Classic. Mr Kay Lee from The Colonial shot an impressive 2 over par 73. Kay playing of a 6 handicap and studying golf through the PGA IGI was delighted with his win as it was his first time to Southport. Congratulations also go to new Staff Member Lance Nelson who was runner up with a 76, well Done Lance!!!
It took a par round from Paul Bunyan to win the final of the Intra Club Matchplay. Paul a 5 Handicapper seen on the right gettting congratulated from Runner up Alex Mojsish. Alex was going well after 9 but Paul's experience and a few good putts held off Alex. Congratulations Paul!!

Long standing member and previous club professional Les Wilson won the $3,000 in the member's draw - Les comes to the club every Friday night and it was great to see a strong supporter have a win! As you can see Les was very happy to get the win and Club President Don Phelan was VERY surprised to be giving away another fistful of cash!

The Gold Coast Open was played at the club on the weekend with former club champion and state player Lee Manning proving to strong for the rest of the field. Two Par rounds was enough to secure the win over younger and more competitive players. Lee praised all involved in making the 50th staging of the event very memorable. Congratulations Lee!!
SGC DOMINATE GCDGA INTERCLUB PENNANTS!!!
On Sunday 17th August the A Grade and B Grade Interclub Pennant Teams BOTH won their respective finals to be crowned champions for 2008! Many beverages were shared by the two teams as they celebrated this historic win that is the first time since 1982 that Southport Golf Club has won an Interclub Pennant flag, let alone TWO!
The Junior Development Committee are currently developing a number of innovations to assist the development of our Juniors with the $1,000 of funds raised from the recent Sportsperson's Luncheon.
In addition, the Board of Directors have agreed to assist junior members of the Club with tournament entry fees. So if you are a junior of the Club and considering representing Southport Golf Club in a Junior Event, please feel welcome to forward an application to the General Manager to have the Club assist in the payment of your tournament fees.
The most significant event for the ladies, the Club Championships, was held over the last two weeks. Courtney Massey the club's most prominent lady golfer has blitzed the field winning by a massive 32 shots!!. The 19 year old who is a member of the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS), and ranked 7th in Australia said she was "Delighted" with her win as it was her first Stroke Play Club Championship Title. Courtney's next event is the Queensland Amateur Championships held in July, All the Best and well Done!!!.
Congratulations also go to Jill Millhouse who won BRONZE 1 by 3 shots,
and Robin Williams who won BRONZE 2 by 5 shots.
Click here for Matchplay and Nett Results
The most significant event for the ladies, the Club Championships, was held over the last two weeks. Courtney Massey the club's most prominent lady golfer has blitzed the field winning by a massive 32 shots!!. The 19 year old who is a member of the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS), and ranked 7th in Australia said she was "Delighted" with her win as it was her first Stroke Play Club Championship Title. Courtney's next event is the Queensland Amateur Championships held in July, All the Best and well Done!!!.
Congratulations also go to Jill Millhouse who won BRONZE 1 by 3 shots,
and Robin Williams who won BRONZE 2 by 5 shots.
Click here for Matchplay and Nett Results
After enjoying a game on Friday afternoon member of 16 years Ailsa Morrison-Galt won the Friday night Member's Draw of $4,200! And Ailsa immediately won the friendship of all when she shouted a drink to every one of the 120 members in the Clubhouse at the time! Members couldn't remember the last time the big prize went off with the records suggesting 2006 was the last time. We look forward to seeing you all at your Club this Friday night when the member's draw will be on offer again for a lucky member to take home $2,000!
A strong international field have spent this week contesting the 2008 South Pacific Ladies Open at Surfers Paradise Golf Club. Southport GC star Courtney Massey has just been crowned as the 2008 Champion after chipping in from 30 metres on the 54th hole of the Championship, to beat fellow SGC member Ellie Na by one shot! Congratulations to Courtney on a fabulous performance.
To improve the security of all Member's Motorised Carts the Cart Sheds are now LOCKED each night at approximately 5:45pm and members are not able to access them. Please ensure you return your motorised cart to the storage shed straight after your game.
Would you like to store your golf bag in the golf shop and have your clubs cleaned each week?
We have reorganized the Golf Shop storage area & there are a number of spots now available for only $150 per year. This not only includes storage of your golf club but weekly cleaning of your clubs as well!
Please see the Golf Shop or Admin staff to take up this limited offer.
Congratulations to Brett Partridge who beat Jack Fox 4 & 2 in the 36 hole final of the 2008 Matchplay Championship. Jack was 6 down after the first 18 holes and fought back valiantly to take the match to the fourth nine of the day. But seasoned pennant player Partridge was too experienced and closed out a great victory.
Meanwhile long term member Alan Puchase took Derek I'Anson to the 36th hole in the 2008 Handicap Matchplay Championship with Derek winning on the final hole! Both players performed outstandingly and are now under consideration for the upcoming IntraClub and InterClub Pennant Competitions. Congratulation to Derek on his first major victory at the Southport Golf Club.
22 year old star Nathan Baker won his first Club Championship by making birdie on the fourth playoff hole and the 76th hole of the Championship! Nathan and defending Champion Corey Taylor were tied after 72 holes and proceeded to battle out an enthralling match over holes 1,2, 18 and 1.

The 2008 B Grade Winner was Graham Tickle on 347 and Ray Jago won C Grade. Congratulations to all who competed and congrats to the members that have now qualified for the Matchplay and Handicap Matchplay Events.
Ruth White and Pam Harse won Division 2 of the 2008 Wiliza Park Masters Trophy on Wednesday 30th April with a masterful score of 92 points over the two rounds of the 4BBB Stableford event. And as you can see they were obviously pretty happy about their big win! Over 150 ladies enjoyed the event with a complimentary champagne from Sponsor Elizabeth Fraser after the game. Simone Crowther and Leanne Cowley won Division 1 with a great score of 85 points.
The heavy going from the overnight rain did not stop A Grader Mr Norm Thomson from firing a great round of 43 points to win the Ted Smith Memorial. The event is a Single Stableford which has been played since 1995 and is named after a past devoted club member Mr Ted Smith. Norm's 43 pts breaks his 9 handicap down to 7! He may have a stern word with the handicapper!
Up and coming junior Joel Lawson had a phenomenal weekend shooting 43 and 41 points to win a brand new pair of Oakley sunglasses and a new pair of Footjoy shoes as the Easter Classic Champion! His handicap dropped from 19 to 16 over Easter!
The strong weekend fields contained members from 14 different clubs from throughout South-East Queensland and NSW who shared in the $3,500 worth of prizes for the event. Member John Pietzner secured 2nd place with two great rounds of 41points, whilst Sarah Morgan from Royal Qld won the Ladies Easter Classic with a two day score of 80 points, with local Jenny Stanton finishing second.
In what turned out to be an amazing climax to this year's Queensland Indigenous Championships at Murgon Golf Club, India Matthews came from 8 shots behind to force a playoff in the Women's Championship. In the final round India fired a course record 73 (+1) and then won a three way playoff at the first extra hole to become the 2008 Queensland Women's Indigenous Champion.
The playoff, featuring last year's champion, Kimberley Crawley (Horton Park) and Addi Butorac (Paradise Palms) was a tense affair, however all three girls thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. There had to be one winner however, and it was fitting that Matthews took out the Championship after her unbelievable final round.
Course Superintendent Stuart Moore reports that for the first time in 2008 we have had one week of constant course maintenance completed (as we have had very little rain!). Over the past 3 months we have received OVER 700 millimetres of rain!!!
The first stage of a major weed eradication program has been completed successfuly with all tees and the newer fairways (holes 3, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17) all being treated with a herbicide. Members will notice the brief change in colour of the grass in these areas for the remainder of the month. This is a regular part of our overall maintenance program that we have only just been able to undertake due to the excessive rain this year.
The greens have required a little extra TLC and are currenlty being cut at 4mm. Once again, as a result of the excessive and frequent rain over the past 3 months the greens have been allowed to sit at 4mm (instead of 3mm or 3.5mm) over the past month. Should the sunshine remain the speed of the greens will improve next week. Although, looking at Rodger Keelan's net 62 to win yesterday's competition, some members (such as Rodger) argue that they are perfect as they are!
Drinks are on Ralph after he won the $1,000 member's giveaway at the Club on Friday night. President Don Phelan continued his run of drawing out member's names that are not present at the Club when the $5,000 draw did not go off as member Beth Bates who has been an Associate Member of the Club for 28 years was not present in the Club to claim her $5,000 prize. So the secondary draw was held for the large crowd of members that had come to the Club and Ralph McNally was the lucky member whose name was drawn. Ralph was last seen heading out to celebrate his big win and obviously did so in style as he missed his 8:00am tee time the next morning!
As General Manager of the Southport Golf Club I am pleased to announce that current Teaching Professional David McKean has agreed to a new 3 year agreement as Teaching Professional of the Southport Golf Club. As of 1st March 2008 David's tuition fees will be increasing for the first time in 3 years by $5 per half hour lesson. David will also contribute 10% commission of all tuition fees to the Southport Golf Club. Please join me in congratulating David.
All members please be aware that the Club has an agreement with a private contractor for the "EXCLUSIVE" rights to search for and retrieve lost golf balls. All members should abide by the direction of page 12 of the current Fixture Book that states that members are only permitted to search for your own balls (and obviously your playing partners).
Members can now purchase a range of golf clubs from their own Golf Shop at Southport Golf Club! And this new innovation was marked by our first major Demo Day on Friday 7th December. There were over 350 of the latest Men's and Ladies golf clubs on offer for members to try including CALLAWAY, TITLEIST, KING COBRA, WILSON & HENRY GRIFFITTS. So if you are thinking of getting a new driver, set of irons or a rescue wood, see Daniel Barclay in the Golf Shop.
So how good is your knowledge of the Rules? Are you sure?
Situation 1: You tee off on the 5th hole at Southport Golf Club. You hit it right and think it is out of bounds. You play a "provisional ball" from the tee and hit it onto the fairway. You go and look for your first tee shot and find it! You hit your original ball, but after doing so realise it was out of bounds. Therefore, you must go and play your provisional ball to play out the hole.
What number shot are you hitting from the fairway then with your provisional ball?
ANSWER: Go to the very bottom of this page and look for "RULES ANSWER".
You are playing your 6th shot from the fairway!
Explanation: 1st from the tee; 2nd shot is a penalty for hitting the ball out of bounds; 3rd shot is the shot with the original ball from the out of bounds position; 4th shot is a penalty for hitting a ball that was out of bounds; 5th shot is the provisional from the tee; therefore the 6th shot is from the fairway with your provisional ball.