Welcome to Friday 13!

Welcome to our new members who have joined during this week: Penny Dunkerly (9 hole introductory), Liam Humm (Under 18), Max McArthur (Under 18), Mila Stanton (Under 13) and Fengkun You (Summer).

This week we have also welcomed Royal Wellington Golf Club  members who's course is closed for the Woman's Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship being held from 12 February to 15 February. Several of our members have volunteered to help out for this event. Those following the event will have been impressed by the very low scoring on the opening day yesterday.

On Saturday 14 February (Valentines Day) our Division 4 team are having a catch up match  at Wainuiomata. Captain Russell Turner is impressed that he had no difficulty in putting together a team on the day irrespective. He would not be drawn though on whether the prize for player of the day would be Chocolates & Roses! Go well Div 4!

If the weather behaves, on Sunday our Term 1 Junior programme commences.  Tee times have been booked but members are still able to commence play at the 10th hole while tee number 1 is in use. (Please book on line.) Once again the junior academy is fully subscribed.  A big thank you to Stephen Wood (golf professional) for his organissation around this.

This week, Club Day (first iteration) continues for all members, eclectics continue (Grant Pollard has broken the 60 gross barrier) and our men play a Monthly Medal & the Grant Keats Trophy. 

I want to give a shout out to the "Gaskies" who tee off on Sundays at just on 9am.  

This is an allcomers group.  It takes its name from former life member the late Keith Gaskin and is designed so that anyone may join in.  The group meets at the picnic table outside the clubhouse at 8.45 for a "card draw" to determine the playing fours.  This encourages players to team up with someone new each week.  It is a great way to get to know members at the course and a gentle way to become involved in the clubs events, particularly for new and beginning golfers.  Come along.  You will be made most welcome.

Other things happening around the club:

Firewood is for sale.  Details in the flyer in Friday Flash.

Volunteers meet at 9am on Tuesdays to tackle the days chores.  Lunch is provided by the golf club and often golf happens in the afternoon.  We can always use more volunteers so if you have some free time feel free to come along.  Wear sturdy footwear and bring a pair of gloves.  Full training is given before tasks are undertaken.

We still need course  marshalls to catch freeloaders and monitor the pace of play.  Contact Deane Milne (clubcaptain@karorigolf.co.nz)  if you can help. Once again training and logistical support is available.

And, "Adopt A Hole"

Adopt a hole that you would be prepared to look after (divots, plug marks on greens, debris and the like).  You may take this on yourself or a group of you may team up.  This is not an onerous chore and can be done at times that suit your own busy lifestyles.  Every little bit helps.

Finally, I hope you are all enjoying summer golf.  Get out as much as you can and have a bunch of fun while the golden weather continues.

Women

On Tuesday we finally got to play our competition. It was LGU and Putting. We welcomed Raewyn from Milton who has moved to Karori and Joined us. There was a tie for first place but Helga who hadn't played in four and a half months won on countback with a net 70. Second was Liz and third Raewyn. Only Rose entered the competition on Sunday. The next competition will be the Ayers Cup on February 17 and 22. This is a Stableford competition for women over 50 years of age. The Sunday comp is the same day as the men's Nes beard over 50 years Stableford so members can compete together for separate trophies. Please enter so we can have a truly competitive event.

Cheers Denise
Womens Club Captain

9 Hole Women 

Wednesday Club

Great weather on Wednesday enjoyed by 17 golfers in a Stableford competition. Ian Bates had a great round to take the wine (42 pts) from Michael Cox (39 pts). Balls down to 33 pts. Luke Underwood was NTP and there were no twos. Alex Lim won the raffle with Martin Leung second.

Remember that all members (and visitors) are welcome at the Wednesday competition. You can play off white, red, or yellow tees and irrespective of how you play, everyone gets a chocolate!

Wednesday Twilight

Thirty golfers turned up for  Round 18 of Twilight this week, and Makara turned on another sublime summer evening for us all.

On the podium this week: Phil Apperley took out first place with 22 stableford points, closely followed by Brigitte Boenisch-Brednich, Sam Gardner and David Eley  with 21 points, and another threesome collected third place: Russell Dickson, Sam Julian and Tim Brosnahan on 19 points.

Not satisfied with just winning, Phil Apperley also took out the NTP (and added an 'eagle' into the mix) and  Graeme Couper got the only 'two’ of the evening, on hole #6.

A big thanks this week to Phil on the BBQ, to Brigitte and Karen Simcox for their lovely salads and to Isaac in the kitchen.

See you all next week for another fun evening of golf and dinner!

Care for our Course

With the weather being so good lately its easy to forget that the course needs care and attention.

It is pleasing to see the number of sand buckets being used around the course.  Fixing your own divot and one more is a great help.  Sometimes the best way to fix a divot when the ground is so hard is to knock down the edges.  Unless a fresh divot is replaced immediately it is not likely to survive. 

Please repair divots in the rough. A drop from a sanded divot in the rough is allowed.

And repairing plug marks on the green is a great help in keeping the quality of our greens so good.

On Thursday all the penalty pegs were replaced.  Please remember these pegs are "immovable objects".  They must not be removed to play a shot.  If a peg interferes with your shot you may drop clear of it without penalty unless in a penalty area where you the have the option of taking a penalty drop, or playing away,  so as not to disturb the red stake.

Film Production Crew & Vehicles Notice

This letter is to advise that Te Po Films Ltd plans to use the KGC car park and clubrooms as a unit base and crew parking area to assist the filming of a feature film at a property on South Makara Road. 

There will be a security guard present 24 hours a day during this time.

On the far side of the car park approximately 40 crew cars will be parked during our filming days. The timings and remaining dates are as follows:

• Monday 9 February until 10.30am
• Monday 23 February from 7.30am

Additionally, on Monday 23 February Te Po Films has hired the use of the clubrooms as an Extras Holding and Processing site.

During all days of our filming, you will still be able to access the golf club at the regular open hours. Te Po Films is working closely with Club Management to reduce disruption.  If you have any concerns or questions regarding this filming, please contact Club Management. Te Po Films thank you for your support and appreciate your co-operation in helping to make Wellington the ‘film friendly’ capital of New Zealand.

Course Marshalls

As mentioned earlier, we are on the lookout for course marshalls.

Sadly there are some out there who think its ok to play for nothing.  As well as that, bad behaviour creeps in (sharing one set of clubs, playing in groups of more than four, disrespecting the course and the like).

Marshalls can assist all golfer to enjoy their game more by ensuring that they hav paid and are well equiped to play and not inconvenience others on the course.

If you have some time availble to give a back a little to our unique club, please let our Club Captain Deane Milne know (clubcaptain@karori golf.co.nz).  There will be training before you are called in to service.

Those who have marshalled in the past report that one of the best spin offs from catching the "no payers" is that many of them end up joining the club as that is by far the cheaper option to paying green fees over time. So it is beneficial and helpful to the club.

We thank and acknowledge the support of the following valued sponsors and ask members to consider them in their purchasing decisions: