Results from Saturday 24th May - Singles Medal

This should have been the Coronation Cup, but unfortunately we had to re arrange this due to bad rain in the afternoon stopping play on the greens

1st - Jonathan Irwin 85-16=69 
2nd - Paul Pearse 71-2=69 
3rd - Nish Dodangoda 80-11=69 

The Coronation cup will be re-played on Saturday 26th July.

Sunday 25th May - Mixed Open
 
Hazel Grove held a Mixed Open on Sunday 25th May. The event was really well supported with 39 teams participating on the day. Teams travelled far and wide to compete. From Merseyside, Cheshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, across Greater Manchester, and one team travelled all the way from Ryton Golf Club in Northumbria. 

Everyone really enjoyed the event, the format, the hospitality provided by Hazel Grove, and were very complimentary about the course.

The winning team (pictured) was a real family occasion with a Hazel Grove connection. Steve Wood (4) one of our Greens team, his Mum Patsy, Dad Peter, all from Glossop Golf Club, and sister Rebecca (0) from the Hallamshire in Sheffield won convincingly with a fantastic score of 81 points. 

                           

                         

We also had a hole in one on the 11th from Steve Wilson of Buxton High Peak Golf Club!

Congratulations to all the winners.

And also a big big thank you to all of the Hazel Grove team. To the Greens staff for presenting the course so well, to Martin, Andy and team for the feeding and watering everyone throughout the day.

Most importantly to the volunteers who organised the event, manned the Car Park, registered all the Teams and provided refreshments at the 9th. You know who you are. Thank you so much. We made a difference and presented Hazel Grove as the great golf club we are.

The Whip

The annual Whip event was fiercely contested between the respective Lady Captain's (Hemu Gupta) and the Captain's (Mick Jones) teams on Monday 26th May.

52 players in thirteen fourball-betterball stableford matches took to the course in a 9 30 shotgun start. It was a great day, contested in excellent spirits and with the customary banter between the two teams.

After suffering two very heavy defeats in the past two contests, the Men put in a much improved performance in a closely contested match. The final outcome was the match being honourably halved with 6½ points each.

However, in true Ryder Cup format the Ladies, as the holders, retain the prestigious Whip and the bragging rights for another year.

Congratulations Ladies!

Some new local rules

a. Local Rule Relief for Embedded Ball

"Through the green, a ball that is embedded in its own pitch-mark in the ground may be lifted, without penalty, cleaned and dropped as near as possible to where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green.

Exceptions: 
1. A player may not take relief under this Local Rule if the ball is embedded in sand in an area that is not closely mown. 
2. A player may not take relief under this Local Rule if interference by anything other than the condition covered by this Local Rule makes the stroke clearly impracticable. 
3. A player may not take relief under this Local Rule if the ball is in a hazard. 

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF LOCAL RULE: 
Match play - Loss of hole; Stroke play - Two strokes." 

Additional Local Rule Holes 3 and 18 

"If there is doubt whether a ball is in or is lost in the water hazard (on holes 3 and 18), the player may play another ball provisionally under any of the applicable options in Rule 26-1. 
If the original ball is found outside the water hazard, the player must continue play with it. 
If the original ball is found in the water hazard, the player may either play the original ball as it lies or continue with the ball played provisionally under Rule 26-1. 
If the original ball is not found or identified within the five-minute search period, the player must continue with the ball played provisionally. 

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF LOCAL RULE: 
Match play - Loss of hole; Stroke play - Two strokes." 



Greens Committee 

I would like to thank Mike Davie and his staff for all the hard work achieved during the winter months, enabling the course to look magnificent. There are a couple of areas of concern, 10th fairway drain and other wet areas, all of which have been identified and tasked to be repaired. The greens continue to be our highest priority, and it is our aim to make them the best in the area. Bob Eccles has left the Greens Committee, I would like to thank Bob for his support, and his positive contribution to meetings, I hope he continues to help the Brilliant Working Party.  

Practice Area: 

When I took over Greens, 2 years ago, we formulated a 5 year project plan, to upgrade our golf facilities. Mr Professional kindly took on an improvement prog. for the practise areas. I am sure everyone has noticed the work on the practise area adjacent to main car park. 

5 Scots Pines were felled, by the WP, useable wood was logged and offered to members. The area is being redesigned as a target golf area, with 4 bays, giving a hitting range of 140 yards with range balls supplied by James Rowlands. James and his staff will be responsible for managing the Target Golf Area. There will also be a covered area to enable James to give lessons without getting soaked. 

A new practise bunker has been constructed to enable members to enhance their sand skills. The next stages of construction in this area are:

1. Building a plinth across the area marked by cones. This is scheduled for Tuesday 27th May, with fibre reinforced concrete being supplied by Tarmac on Thursday 29th. Thanks to Duncan Cocker, Dan Moss and Tim Johnson for their help and expertise in helping with this project. 
2. The area in front of bays will be landscaped by Greens-Staff, and the WP. Nick Taylor has project managed the work on the practice area, devoting many hours. Many Thanks
3. Bays will ready for play in June.

HGGC goes GREEN

Bio Mass Boiler arrives at HGGC, Thursday 22nd May

The unit was delivered on a low loader early on 22nd. A 25 ton crane was used to lift the unit of the low-loader and position it in the shale car-park:Stage 1 completed.

On Thursday 29th, the unit will be lifted onto another low loader, located near the Green-keeper rest-room, to be located in the Bio-Mass Boilers final resting place.

Many thanks to Mark Thompson for planning and managing this project. I am sure Mark will answer any queries. The main contractors are very interested in hiring our Club for a Golf Day, to promote their Bio Mass System.

HGGC at Golf Exhibition 2014 

The HGGC Stand generated plenty of interest, from all ranges of golfers, at Event City, The Trafford Centre. 

Many thanks to all who helped man the stand, the feedback was very good.

Bunker Rake Holders

1 - The rake holders have been a success, with less rakes stolen, and bunkers being left as you would like to find them." If your ball is impeded by the rake in its holder, remove rake, play the shot and then replace the rake in its holder.

2 - If a ball is impeded by the metal rake holder, remove the holder, play the shot, then replace holder in the ground and rake into the holder. Many thanks for all your help.

May 2014 Greens Report

April proved very productive with the following tasks completed: 

Greens - scarified, top dressed, soil conditioner applied, spring starter fertiliser applied. 
Tees - slow release fertiliser applied and tees back in play 
Fairways - a great response from the divoting party. Many thanks to all 33 members who turned out. Fairways fertilised and shaped for course definition--continuing 
Over 100 tree stumps ground down below ground level 
Patches repaired on holes 3, 10, 14 and marked GUR. 
LHS 12th bunker reinstated 
General course maintenance ! 

May Works Program 

Priorities are the greens with the following to be undertaken: 

Greens summer feed (applied Thursday 24th April) 
Second top dressing (applied Monday 28th April) 
3rd green--more intensive programme scarification, tininig & heavy top dressing .3rd green was treated on Monday 19th May 
Greens were cut at their winter height--5.5mm, the summer height of 4.5mm was introduced May 8th, followed by a massive rain storm on Friday 9th. 
Tees - to be divot repaired, and redressed. 
Markers on tees to be moved frequently 
Placing of tee blocks as required depending on the competition.
Fairways - shaping to continue 
Rough - to be maintained at a constant height for fair play. 
Weed control to be undertaken during May including paths, Himalayan balsam and broad leaf weeds in play. 
Paths -all paths to be repaired, this is subject to financial constraints' A new material Toptrec is being accessed as a covering to paths. This is half the price of the current Red-track. 

Other News 

Tom Wilkinson has agreed to join the Greens staff. He started on Tuesday May 6th. Tom is taking over from Mike Rowbotham, who is leaving to travel around the World. Mike hopes to return to the UK, to take up a position as a Radiologist. Mike has been a good Green keeper; I am hoping to present him with a small gift from HGGC, to show our appreciation to his dedication through some difficult working conditions. Any contributions, via me, would be gratefully accepted. 

Irrigation has been primed but we had a burst near the first green, which flooded the LHS bunker. The irrigation test also highlighted 3 leaks in the storage tank liner.. This tank was not replaced as part of the new system. Cost of repair and or replacement tba asap! 

Ian Sandels - HGGC Greens Director