We start the Winter league on Saturday 2 November 2019 and have been allocated 6 start times from first light, around 8:15am onwards.

No gimme putts allowed.

Mats may be used if your ball lies in the semi rough or on the fairway.
Please remember that if you choose to lift your ball and place it in the semi rough to play it, you must take it to the nearest side from where it lies. If you opt to do this you must play then ball off the grass in semi rough, not from a mat.

Winter League Local Rule for Ball lost towards wet, soft or muddy fairway or semi rough…… If your ball is lost and it is known or virtually certain that your ball came to rest on the fairway or in the semi rough, in an area which is wet, muddy or soft, you may take a free drop at the nearest point of relief from the spot where you and your playing partners agree that the ball was lost.

The rule relies on your playing partners knowing or being virtually certain that your ball landed on the fairway or semi rough, but you do not have to see the ball land which would cover those balls stuck over the horizon on a blind hole.

We must rely on playing partners to ensure that the new rule is applied fairly and is not abused, so playing partners should do their best to spot other players shots to allow them to make a fair assessment of the landing area of the shot. The new rule will apply to both the Saturday and the Wednesday winter leagues.

We will play only 16 holes, cutting out the 10th and 11th holes this year. The 18 hole and 9 hole courses will remain open throughout the winter so no need to play a composite course this year.

We play off yellow tees, as marked by the normal yellow painted wooden markers, some of which will be on the new yellow tees areas created this year to provide a shortened course. If we use the forward tee at the 5th hole will just play it as a normal par 5, not a par 4.

If 18 hole course closed and we must play twice around 9 hole course – Play 16 holes by playing the 1st,2nd,3rd,4th,5th,6th,7th,8th,then cut over onto the 2nd,3rd,4th,5th,6th,7th,8th,9th.

We play singles stableford off of your normal 18 hole handicap which will be subject to revision using the buffer zone system explained below.

Handicap adjustments will be made using a buffer zone.
If you score 33 or more stableford points – handicap cut by 1 shot

If you score between 26 to 32 stableford points – you have scored in the buffer Zone – no change to handicap

If you score less than 26 stableford points – Handicap increased by 1 shot. (Max 2 shots over actual club handicap per annum).

Incomplete rounds do not count for handicap adjustments.

Weekly sweepstake will only be paid out if 6 or more players play. Winners must complete the full 18 holes. Unless the course is closed, all submitted completed scores will count towards your total.

No 3/4 handicap reduction when winter greens in operation. Players play off full or revised handicap in all situations.

Players should make up their 4 ball games as and when they arrive on the day. The last game must ensure that all players are accommodated and no one is left behind.

The cost to enter the league is £10 per head payable to Charlie Paul on or soon after the first days play which will provide a pool of money to be used for a weekly prize fund which will pay out £3 for Best Stableford score, £2 second best stableford score, £1 for third best stableford score.

The remaining funds will be used to buy 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th prizes for the players with the best aggregate of 6 scores over the winter.  In the event of a tie we will identify a winner from the best 7 scores & 8 scores etc. All prizes, including the weekly sweep winnings, will be paid out at a presentation lunch on the last day of the league.

Budget

23 @ £10 = £230

18 Sweepstakes = 18 x 6 = £108

Prizes

1st £25

2nd £20

3rd £15

4th £10

5th £5

Alan Glancy Quaich 2 @ £5

Tom Peddie Trophy for Best Stableford score on final day £10

Engraving 3 @ £10 = £30

Total £233

On the first week, in addition to playing for your individual stableford score in your allotted time slot, we intend to play for the Alan Glancy Quaich which is a memorial trophy in memory of one of our winter league friends who passed away. After the round, Owen Gallagher will conduct a draw to make up pairs of players whose scores will be added together at the end of the day to identify the winners. You do not require to play with your partner in this quaich. Both scores will simply be added together.

We have lost a few players this year, however, we have gained 3 new players, Kenny Parker, Kenny Fraser and John McGill. In addition our old friend Fraser Gray is returning to our league. I know you will make the lads most welcome. This gives us a total of 23 players this year.

The ongoing Prize list and results will be collated and published each week on the results section of the club website

Players have around 18 weeks from Saturday 2 November 2019 to Saturday 29 February 2010 to accumulate their 6 best stableford scores.