Wernddu Golf Club

Horse & Jockey Riders Cup 04/5/08

Simon Davies — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:46:11 +0000

Into May already and the competition is heating up. Playing with full handicap allowance this stableford competition has been well seated in the May competitions for many a year. The day started damp but the club golf stars were not deterred. With a hint on sunshine breaking through the clouds Luke Ralph done it again. Like parred the course playing off a 5 handicap (but not for much longer, newest Category 1 golfer) and romped home to win a head, neck and full body of a horse with 41 points. The nearest rival at 38 points below and 5 players sharing 3rd place on 36 point.

Should this competition be renamed to Luke Ralph does it again !!!!

1. L Ralph - 41 pts

2. ML Randall - 38 pts

3. G Phillips - 36pts

Crown Inn Shield 27/04/08

Simon Davies — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:36:03 +0000

This is a stableford competition with full handicap allowance. This is the last of April’s competitions and had over 50 entries, with only a few tee off times left. With the course playing harder than usual the CSS was 71, the overall winner sneaked home by 1 point was Kevin Powell.

1. K Powell - 39 pts

2. A Powell - 36 pts

3. J Price - 35 pts

Keith Price Cup 20/04/08

Simon Davies — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:21:01 +0000

This is a Stableford competition played with full handicap entitlement. Once again this competition had over 60 entries, with every available tee off time booked. Sunday started out damp but brightened up as the day progressed. The competition was tight and the overall winner managed this by just 1 point. Well done to A Powell for winning, just need to check your handicap before teeing off in next weeks competition.

1. A Powell - 39 pints

2. C Teague - 38 points (on count back)

3. K Buck - 38 points

The Tee Times

Simon Davies — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:45:20 +0000

Issue no. 02 Volume. 01 Date: 01 March 2008

Welcome.

Welcome to March edition of the Wernddu newsletter. This edition focuses on the up and coming Golf season providing information and a time table for the first few months’ competitions. We also celebrate two Holes in One and look at how the club is helping to promoting the game with possible golf stars of the future.

We are currently still playing with Winter Rules and it is important that the course is looked after during this season. The past winter season has been very wet and as a consequence the ground is still very soft and can be easily damaged. During this season, grass does not grow and repair as quick as it does during the spring and summer, this is why we use multimats. When out on the course please ensure that you have your multimat with you at all times and use it on the fairways and semi rough. Thank you.

This just leaves me to say enjoy the newsletter and be aware that the letter is still in its infancy and the invite is still open for you to take part by sharing your golfing stories, ideas and feedback on items that you would like to read about.

Well that’s enough from me; happy Golfing

Graham.

(Club President)

Wernddu Welcomes.

During December, January and February Wernddu has welcomed new members:

Ray Haines Sarah Anderson Gethin Colebrook-Cole Owain Salter

John Hopkins Tommy Ruck Steven Webber Dylan Morgan

Simon Williams Mark Thomas Ian Mitchell Paul Freegard

Gareth Morgan Robert Tranter Roy Nutt Stephen Sandercock

Howard Gilson Andrew Gilson Paul Hadley Julian Fonseca

David Murphy Tyrone Caniff Michael Griffiths

Meet the Member

Name: James Watkins
Age: Late Forties
Position: Chief ‘Cock of the North’ Driver for Team Foulkes / Watkins. Buggy 14
Handicap: 16
Best Round: Scoring 76 at the Herefordshire in 1995
Worst Round: 8 Pints of Reverend James, 6 Pints of Worthy, 2 Gin & Tonics, 2 Lambs & Coke at the Wernddu Club House 2005. Wales just won the Grand Slam.

Advice to Beginners: Watch out for snakes. Don’t tread on rakes and have some lessons with Tina Humorous Golf Story: Any round of golf with Graham Watkins, Stewart Wenham and Geoff Foulkes. The last time I saw a swing like that I was in the Gents Toilet at Kings Cross Station.

News from the Senior Section

Membership

Welcome to the Senior Section which is open to any member over the age of fifty. There is a small membership fee of £10.00 per year.

Senior’s Winter Singles K.O.

This year the competition is being played off Full Handicap Differences in accordance with CONGU recommendations. For some reason this is proving more popular with the higher handicap players!

However with most of the matches played going to the last hole, or even extra holes being played. This proves that if the handicaps are correct everyone entered has an equal chance of winning.

Hole in One

On the 12^th hole, Lyn Turvey got a Hole in One on Wednesday 14^th November 2007 and shortly after on Monday 26^th November Dennis Yemm got a Hole in One on the 5^th.Congratulations to you both.

Do Winter Tees and Multimats make a Difference?

Well, in all Senior Monday and Friday competitions during April to October only nine scores of 40 points or more were scored and that was off the White tees.

On Monday 26^th November out of 22 entered six scores were returned. They were 40, 41, 41, 42, 43 and 45 points.

Who said that winter golf was tough!!!

Senior Competition Look Ahead

There are weekly competitions available to members all year round. The Summer and Winter League competitions are played every Monday. The Summer League are played April to September and Winter League are October to March. The Tee off times for all competitions are between 8.00am and Midday.

The Summer and Winter Leagues are a Stableford competition played off full handicap with an entry fee of £1.50. The total of the best eight cards count for the Summer League Championship.

The Summer League is also an individual competition with prizes for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place and also birdies.

The section also holds a Texas Scramble competition which is open to all club members every Wednesday. The draw for partners is held at 9.00am.

Every Friday a competition that varies in format and the tee off time is between 8.00 am and Midday. The entry fee for the competition is £1.00.

During the summer there are Singles and Doubles matchplay knockout competitions and winter Singles matchplay.

Open to all members is the Denis Kirby Cup, Greensomes.

The section also arranges a full programme of matches against other clubs, awaydays, and very enjoyable Captains Day, usually a competition with two clubs and a putter.

The golf season is rounded of with a presentation dinner and dance.

News from the Junior Section

Junior Section news

Junior clinics for members and non members under the age of 16 are run every Saturday

Intermediate Juniors 11.30 – 12.30 pm.
Advanced juniors 12.45 – 1.45 pm.

Each session costs £3.00 per pupil, equipment is provided. Please call Tina to enrol a junior on either course or to ask about Beginner Junior lessons.

There will be three week break during the Easter period.

Ryder Cup

Golf Development Wales along with Dragon Sports are heavily promoting golf in schools, encouraging as many youngsters to have a go at golf in preparation for the Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor. If any member feels their child or grandchild’s primary school may be interested in fully funded ‘taster’ sessions please call Tina on 01873 890174 or they can contact Tom Rainsbury (Dragon Sports Co-ordinator) on 01633 644555 direct.

Professional Pointers.

Equip yourself for the Weather!

Sounds straight forward enough but many golfers still do not protect themselves from the cold especially the hands. Once you loose the feeling in your fingers and miss hit shots the result is a ‘stinging sensation’ it is difficult to fully commit to future shots.

Do not forget to take your gloves, better still hand warmers. I’ve known a golfer who did forget and suffered with frostbite in his fingers from just 9 holes of golf.

Please keep warm to enjoy our game.

Tina

Wernddu Competitions

April/May Competitions

Three knockout competitions will begin in April and will continue until mid September. The competition duration will depend on the number of entrants. There will also be approximately 5 weeks between rounds and full commitment is required when entering these competitions. All matches need to be played by the dates given.

Members wishing to enter any of these competitions will need to provide their name and entry fee to reception by Saturday 29^th March. Each competition has a £3.00 entry fee per player.

The knockout competitions are:

The Derek Howells Shield – A singles match play competition played off full handicap difference.
Gents Doubles – A doubles match play format with ¾ handicap difference against the lowest player in the match
Gents Foursomes – A doubles match play format alternate tees and alternate shots with 3/8 difference of combined handicaps.

The new golf season is almost upon us and below are listed the forth coming competitions for April and May. Entry details and fees for each competition will be available on the Men’s notice board in the clubhouse in due course.

APRIL
Date	Handicap	Competition	Format	Handicap
6^th	Yes	Wernddu Classic	Stableford	Full
13^th	No	Financial Services Cup	4 Ball Texas Scramble (min 4 drives)	1/8 (comb)
20^th	Yes	Keith Price Cup	Stableford	Full
27^th	Yes	Crown in Shield	Stableford	Full
MAY
Date	Handicap	Competition	Format	Handicap
4^th	Yes	Horse and Jockey Riders Cup	Stableford	Full
11^th	No	Carlsberg Tetley Cup	Teams of 4 (3 scores count)	Full
17^th	Yes	2 Day Championship	Strokeplay	Full
18^th	Yes	2 Day Championship	Strokeplay	Full
25^th	No	Davis Cup	4 Ball Better Ball (medal)	¾

The Welsh Open

The Celtic Manor Welsh Open 2008 is taking part between Thursday 29^th May and Monday 1^st June. The competition this year is being held on the new Ryder Cup course ‘The Twenty Ten’.

There is an offer to all Golf Club Members where they can purchase 2 tickets for the price of 1. This can be done by either telephoning (01633) 410318 or book online at WalesOpen.com. In order to take advantage of this offer please quote GC241 when booking.

Clubhouse News

Work in the Clubhouse

A big thank you to all involved.

It was a wet and windy day in January when Graham left the clubhouse only to return a few hours later to find Martin Powell stood at the bar covered in plaster dust with hammer, chisel and pieces of cable in his hands. He had started redesigning the wood work in the Clubhouse.

The minor renovation went on for a couple of days. This included the relocation of the trophy cabinet to above the bar and a new wall built in the conservatory that houses the competition wall of fame.

Many thanks to all involved including the Demolition man (Martin Powell).

Clubhouse quiz

There are still opportunities to pit your wits in the weekly Wednesday night quiz. There are only a few weeks left to show off your grey matter as the quiz will be taking a seasonal break when the golf season starts.

RBS Six Nations

The RBS Six Nations is well into its competition in March. Why not join us in the clubhouse to watch your team’s progress through the tournament where you will be able to have a pint and food. The fixture list, dates and times are detailed below.

RBS Six Nations Fixtures

DATE Time Home

March 2008

08/03/2008 13.15 Ireland v Wales

08/03/2008 15.15 Scotland v England

09/03/2008 15:00 France v Italy

15/03/2008 15.00 England v Ireland

15/03/2008 13:00 Italy v Scotland

15/03/2008 17.00 Wales v France

Post Bag

If you have any thoughts on what you would like to see in your news letter or you would like to raise a point of interest feel free to write in and contribute.

Email Club

info@wernddu-golf-club.co.uk

Or Post.

Old Ross Road

Abergavenny

Monmouthshire

NP7 8NG

Any Old Iron

This section will come in handy for you to sell all your retired golf equipment.

Wernddu Classic

Simon Davies — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:17:31 +0000

The Wernddu Classic (always the first to be played when Summer Rules start) competiton was delayed by 1 week, due to snow, was well supported with 66 entries, this is a Stableford competiton with full handicap allowed. The Competiton Scratch Score (CSS) for the day was 70, as the course was palying a little harded than usual. The winner was Luke Ralph with 42 points, playing off a handicap of 6 actually parred the course, sorry Luke your handicap has just been dropped.

The top 5 players are as follows :-

1. L. Ralph - 42 points

2. J. Price - 39 points

3. Gav Phillips - 38 points

4. C. Teague - 36 points

5. R. Paxton - 36 points

Winter League 2007 / 08

Simon Davies — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:07:35 +0000

The Winter League Competition ended on 30th April. The competition has been run over a 24 week period being played every other week, with the best 7 score cards counting to the final total. The competition has been well supported and had 69 entries with the top 4 players as follows :-

1. K. Flanagan - 258 points

2. N. Howells - 254 points

3. S. Miles - 252 points

4. G. Newman - 252 points

Well done to Keith Flanagan for topping the league this year.

2008 PGA season starts today at Kapulua

News Editor — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 23:31:00 +0000

The PGA season starts today at Kapulua, one of the most beautiful courses in Mauii. What? Didn't the 2007 season just end? Tiger's not playing, though. Hmmm...does the PGA season really begin if there's no Tiger?

But it's still fun watching the Mercedes Benz Championship, which features all the 2007 winners (except Tiger). The PGA has a new website.

Tiger Woods New Year’s wishes

News Editor — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 17:18:00 +0000

I have so much to be thankful for in 2007. Obviously, my wife and new daughter top the list. I had always heard that fatherhood changes your life and perspective, but until you experience it, there's no way to really understand how much. Every day, Sam does something new that brings a smile to my face. I appreciate the little things, like having her watch me hit balls on the back of the driving range or watch sports with me on TV. She's a wonderful, curious little girl, and Elin and I cherish every moment together.

Golf-wise, I've always said if you win a major, it's a great year. Everything else is gravy. Winning the PGA Championship was the highlight, but I played consistently most of the season and am very pleased with my progress. It was also satisfying to win two World Golf Championship events, and of course, the inaugural FedExCup.

The only disappointments were coming up short at the Masters and U.S. Open. I put myself in position both times, but just couldn't get the job done. I'll think about that during the next few weeks and hopefully come back even stronger in 2008.

It was nice to end the year with a W in the Target World Challenge. Coming off a 10-week break, I wasn't sure how sharp I would be, but I putted great and hit big shots when I needed them. I also accomplished it playing the new Nike ONE Platinum ball. More importantly, we were able to raise a lot of money for the Tiger Woods Foundation, which will enable us to help more kids. My thanks to the players, sponsors, staff, volunteers and of course the fans for making the tournament such a big success.

The Tiger Woods Leaning Center in Anaheim, Ca. has exceeded all expectations, and we are making great progress in our Washington, D.C. efforts. We also have some exciting programs I plan to launch in January 08. More on that later.

I would like to thank my good friend Hank Haney for all his help and support this year. Henry dealt with some family issues and I know it wasn't easy. He didn't attend as many events as he usually does, and rightfully so. But he was there when I needed him. All the countless hours we have put in together are paying off. I have a better understanding of my golf swing than ever before and know how to fix most of my faults. When I don't, Henry will continue to be my extra set of eyes.

I will start the 2008 season next month by defending my title at the Buick Invitational. I want to spend as much time as I can during the holidays with family and friends. Although I've never been much of Christmas guy, things are different now that we have Sam. As a kid, my parents used to give me a left shoe for Christmas and a right shoe for my birthday (Dec. 30). Real funny. I'm not a great shopper, but look forward to picking out a few presents for her.

That's all for now. Elin, Sam and I send our best wishes for the holiday season. Have a safe and healthy New Year.

Tiger

Do you want to star in a Crowne Plaza commercial with Phil Mickelson?

News Editor — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 00:09:00 +0000

Last week, I just learned that Phil Mickelson has the most endorsement money of all athletes except Tiger Woods. More than Lebron, more than Kobe, more than Peyton Manning. Well, Phil will be endorsing Crowne Plaza hotels next.

We just received word about a casting call from the producer of upcoming Crowne Plaza Hotel commercials with Phil Mickelson. The commercials will have "meetings" with Phil -- similar to the commercials already running with Natalie Gulbis, Lee Trevino, Alice Cooper, and others. The topics will be:

Look like Phil

Been hit by Phil's golf ball

Phil's biggest fan

Advice for Phil

Left handed greatness

The next Phil

If you're interested, all you have to do is apply online or by mail. You can make your pitch in a written story or a video. For more info, go here.

LPGA women beat the men in Wendy’s

News Editor — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 13:15:00 +0000

I caught a glimpse of the Wendy's Three Tour challenge, which pit Natalie Gulbis, Cristie Kerr, and Morgan Pressel against men from the PGA and Senior's Tour. The LPGA led most of the back 9, until Morgan Pressel hit her wedge shot into the water down the stretch and made bogey. That pulled the women back into a tie with the Senior's Tour (aka Champions) at -4. Meanwhile, Camillo Vijegas and Bubba Watson were out spraying shots all over the course, proving why hitting the long ball is not always a good thing.

Anyway, the LPGA team picked Cristie Kerr for the playoff and she proceeded to better Fred Funk's amazing approach shot, hitting hers to within 4 feet. After Funk missed his short 8 footer, Kerr made hers. Game over. Way to go, women!