Members - News & Events

SPRING NEWSLETTER
MAY 2008

Captain’s Remarks

The golfing season is now well underway and I would wish members and visitors a successful and enjoyable 2008.

The past year has been a very interesting one in my first year as Captain with many enjoyable occasions that I shall remember with great fondness. Our association with the Links with History group of Scotscraig, Crail and Lundin Links golf clubs not only generated valuable visitor income for us but has enabled me through attendance at their club prizegivings, dinners and golf matches to form my own personal golfing friendships with fellow Captains. Long may this association continue.

Here at Ladybank we continue to receive awards and endorsements for the quality of our golf course and the ambience of our clubhouse. We were rated 56th in Golf Monthly’s top 120 golf courses in the UK and 2nd in Bunkered Magazine’s top hidden gems, and of course we are still a final qualifying course for the 2010 Open Championship. It is little wonder that we are a magnet for visitors from all over the world.

Now that our waiting list has been opened up we are attracting significant numbers of local golfers wishing to become members and this of course bodes well for the future of the Club.

I am honoured to be Captain of the Club and in my second year of office I look forward to carrying out the responsibilities of the post with the invaluable assistance of the Vice Captain Danny Cuthbert and the excellent team of Office Bearers and Committee to whom I am grateful for their support.

GREEN COMMITTEE NEWS

The weather during the month of April has been so different from last year in that the cold winds have prevailed and retarded the grass growth.

However, the winter itself was relatively mild and this along with the policy of playing from fairway mats has helped the course to emerge in good condition.

The reshaped second green is in great condition at present and we look forward to playing it towards the end of May.

Our Broom Management Programme continued during the winter and some unsightly areas of dead broom have been removed from the first 9 holes of the course. The broom on the second 9 holes will be tackled this coming autumn. The Green Convener requests everyone’s help to repair pitch marks on the greens during the coming season and so add to our enjoyment of the course.

MATCH AND HANDICAP NEWS

This year both the Rules of Golf and the Unified Handicapping system have been revised. These changes have been introduced to clarify some of the rules and it would be wise for members to become familiar with them. Some of the changes can be found in the Professional’s email newsletter but members are urged to be in possession of a copy of the New Rules of Golf 2008 - 2011 (free from the office).

Dates for your diary include the following
GENTS MATCHES
Drumoig (A) Sunday 8 June
Balbirnie (H) Sunday 13 July
Gleneagles (A) Wednesday 16 July
Montrose (H) Sunday 7 September

Slow play is a common problem on golf courses nowadays, so the Match Secretary will continue to monitor members’ finishing times for competitions. A round of golf at Ladybank should take between 3 ½ and 4 hours – NO LONGER

A ‘B’ club championship will be trialled this year following a request at the Annual General Meeting. Qualification will be on the same days as the Club Championship with the top 16 scores on handicap qualifying after the 16 best scratch places have been allocated.

Knockout stages will be staged on specific dates with the 18 hole final being played on 15 June.

JUNIOR SECTION

Campbell Savage (Junior Convener) presided over the Junior Night that saw a 20% increase in the numbers with 55 juniors and a similar number of family members attending.

Sandy Smith (Professional) and Eric Stark (Match Secretary) gave an interesting talk on golf related topics.

The audience was entertained by Glen Wheelans, Lewis Watt, Patrick Heaton-Armstrong and Iain Ronaldson who acted out a series of sketches on the correct and unacceptable behaviour on and off the golf course. Following the presentation of the fun prizes, an excellent buffet supper was enjoyed.

Junior competitions have so far attracted a fine total of 48 playing in the first two competitions of the year.

JUNIOR OFFICIALS FOR 2008
Junior Captain – Jamie Redpath
Junior Vice Captain – Jamie Bruce
Primary Captain – Gregor Bousie

GOLFING ACHIVEMENTS
Alan Lockhart who is attached to Ladybank Golf Club is currently in 5th position in the PGA Professional Tartan Tour order of merit. This is a tremendous achievement and we wish him every success in 2008.

Jo Carthew our Ladies Club Champion now plays off scratch and Susan Jackson is down to a handicap of 2.

Five of our Lady members, Jo Carthew, Ashleigh Wilton, Susan Jackson, Anne Wilson and Katrina Milne qualified for the last 16 in the Fife County Ladies Match Play Championship. Another of our Lady members Shona McRae had a starring roll on television recently when she was called upon in her capacity as R&A Rules Assistant to give a ruling at the Spanish Open in Seville.

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE