Safeguarding

England Golf has adopted the SafeGolf policy with the primary aim of ensuring that there is a safe and positive environment for everyone involved in the game of golf.

The Club Secretary has published a notice to explain and communicate on the SafeGolf policy and the Club's accreditation. View Notice...

Committee Cup Rd 2

Women

Perhaps it was all those years being toughened up in the army, but unlike the rest of us the wind and rain of today seemed only to enhance Donna's play. Finishing a mere 6 points ahead of Julie with 39 and 33 points respectively. In our game, mud balls and the rough certainly played its part. Results...

With a 10 point difference between her score today and the first week's leader, Donna is the well-deserved winner of the Committee Cup overturning a 5 point deficit with ease. Her total score was 72. Results...

Donna was left to rue her decision not to confirm entry into the UKPCC letting Julie, in 2nd spot, win through to be our qualifier. Others may qualify if scores from other clubs are as low as ours today!!

Men

Report due soon. Results...

Monthly Medal

Women

A bit like last week, the result was a surprise to the winner, especially as it included a tee shot fired into the trees and a re-load (on the 7th for an 8), but it wasn't quite the same resounding win that the men will be reporting on - net 60 versus 71 for Sheena. Results...

Think the weather was also a bit of a surprise, although Donna jinxed it on the 10th tee saying that it hadn't rained. By the 11th we'd donned our rainwear, but overall it was so much better than the forecasters had predicted. But timing is all and I know the later games got a soaking for a few holes.

This time last year we were just coming out of lockdown 1 as we now refer to it, and the grass was very long and lush everywhere with no end of NRs from everyone. After a month of no rain, nature seemed to be going at it with full vigour as the grass was so much longer and more dense off the fairways than it has been - not quite to the level of last year, but then again the greenkeeping staff have been back for a while now.

Men

Report due soon. Results...

Committee Cup Rd 1

Women

That was a bit more like a decent day for golf even if the wind did get rather strong at times, at least it wasn't bitterly cold although several jumpers went on and off at frequent intervals & despite it being a packed field of RP players the games were moving at a better pace.

The 4-ball who joined up when after 2 cancellations didn't seem to have any issues in keeping up with the game in front and was no doubt more enjoyable than being in 2-balls and waiting all the time.

After the first round of the Committee Cup it's tight at the top with over a third of the field within 5 shots of each other. Sheena with 38, tops the group by 1 point from Joan and a further 1 from Caroline. The 2 Ja(y)ne's are next on 34 with Donna & Doreen on 33. Results...

But who knows what will happen in the 2nd round in a couple of weeks - it is all very open.

Men

Report due soon. Results...

Midweek Monthly Medal

The first mixed medal round on Duke's since the introduction of WHS caused a few surprises. With both yellow and white tees in operation, the women received an additional 5.1 shots for their competition handicap (men off white's got 2.1). With slope adjustment as well, both Sheena & Veronica were playing off 23 and they made good use of all those shots to finish 1st and 3rd respectively. Neither had recorded good scores since the return to play until today when 19 or one third of the field recorded No Returns and this before the grass has started to grow with any vigour.

Sheena's net 67 was a card of double bogeys or pars, not total consistency! Also on a 67 is new joiner Mike H, possibly benefiting from a lockdown spent playing golf on the IoM but perhaps ruing the 7 on the 17th to allow Sheena's back 9 to beat his. For Veronica and Russell both on 68s there was a similar situation with Russell's snowman on the 12th giving Veronica the better back 9.

Initial reports were of another eagle sighted in the Park, but unfortunately correct identification provided only a birdie. It would have been very unusual to record eagles in 3 consecutive weeks.

The redeeming feature of the day for those behind the leaders was that neither Sheena nor Veronica were in the sweep, but with 51 people in it payment is down to 9th place (excluding Sheena & Veronica).

The associated Grand Medal table will show the same results as today, so will be included after the next medal. Results...

Spring Stableford Rd 2

Women

Excluding the 2-ball it looks like the teams were pretty evenly matched with just 3 shots between 1st & 5th place, but nipping it by 1 was Elisabeth, Val & Jayne with a net 68 and in 2nd spot was Caroline, Katharina & Julie who's front 9 consisted of 8 5s. The 2-ball was just excited to finish level par. Results...

It wasn't exactly a spring like day although the sun did eventually appear to try & tempt us into removing a layer or two, only for it to then disappear and the cold wind to pick up - but hopefully you all enjoyed your spring scramble.

Some more excitement from Monday with the computer in the clubhouse back in use and being allowed to stay and have a drink afterwards, albeit still outside.

Men

Report due soon. Results...

Midweek Masters Bowl

What a difference a week makes! Last Wednesday shorts and tee-shirts were the order of the day which could be where some of the non-finishers went wrong. To compound things, many of us experienced a wait on many of the tees which is never good but especially when there is a biting wind. A combination no doubt of this and the fact that it was a medal round in the second week back since lockdown gave rise to 18 of the field 'No Returning'.

Of course, none of this affected some people with early starter Ewan posting an unassailable 63 making him the winner of The Master Bowl. John A will be pleased that I checked he hadn't in fact played off the yellow tee (in which case he would have been DQ'd with his HI). The additional shot allowance for the white tee elevated him to the runner-up spot with a better back 9 than Richard S, both on 65s. Alvaro pipped Julie for 4th place with 66s and I made up the top 6 topping the 4 on 68s, no doubt because my back 9 was 11 shots better than the front! Results...

Another week and another eagle - with apologies to Mike S for not spotting that his 2 last week wasn't on a par 3, but the 18th. This week was Alvaro's turn with a 2 on the 15th.

Spring Stableford Rd 1

Women

First Sunday back and it was the first leg of the Spring Meeting and what a weird day weather-wise. It really didn't look as if the sun stood any chance of warming the day up at we teed off on the 1st, but gradually you could see layers being removed by everyone as the clouds cleared and the temperature went up warming the wind as it did so. Sadly there'll be no tea & buns after next week's event and it was a strangely low turnout considering that we had 20 for the last return. For some it was their first round back and for others of us it was just another sub-standard game - or perhaps I'm just talking about my own game rather than anyone else.

But there were 3 birdies out there - early bird Ronnie on the 10th and Gina and Lia on the 17th. I doubt if you'd asked Lia after the front 9 how it was going, she'd have been very upbeat having just made it to double figures, or perhaps she just remembered how to play after that, scoring 21 points on the back 9 ending up 3rd. Gina's score whilst not as good as her 37 midweek, was enough for her to finish in 2nd place with 32, but romping home on 36 points and 1st place was Jane. Results...

Men

Report due soon. Results...

Midweek Inauguration Trophy

The first competition back after lockdown saw the highest turn-out for a midweek comp with 70 entrants and of course with the machine at the Park still on furlough those with what they hoped were good scores, could be biting their fingernails to the quick waiting upon this missive.

Hopefully those at the top were the ones constantly practising their chipping and putting in lockdown, to make the rest of us feel a bit better about our performances and the greenkeepers look to have been feeling sympathetic to you chaps after the 3 month layoff with all those forward tees, although Gina gave most of you a good run for your money, making it into last place in the sweep. Timing her re-entry into the sweep with precision.

If we had been hoping for pristine conditions, we were sadly let down. The best thing was that it was dry underfoot and that there was definition on the edge of most fairways, but they themselves looked like it had been very wet and just dried out. Hopefully now they have all the staff working again things will improve --- but it was a nice day, if not gloriously hot like Tuesday, and good to see lots of 'old' faces again.

So who won - probably just as well for Darren & Charlie that the leaderboard wasn't operational as the final group of the day produced the winner on 41 points. Congratulations to Ben with a very even 20 out and 21 back. Darren's better back 9 of 21 gave him 2nd spot ahead of Charlie who did it the wrong way round with 22 on the front, both finishing on 40. The next 3 all came in on 38, Diego obviously recovering from what we were told by the starter, to be a rather inauspicious start, spraying his first into the bushes on the left followed by one to the right. Results...

As the results are only out now, WHS has done all it's calculations, with no change to the PCC and quite a few changes to Handicap Indexes. Congrats Charlie, looks like you've dropped to single figures for the first time (in this system anyway).

With 61 players in the sweep, payment has been made to 8th place today.

FYI - once the clubhouse is open we will ask you all to sign in before playing and record your scores before leaving the Park.

Annual Subscriptions

Annual subscriptions are due on 1st February. The rate remains unchanged at £50.

Please check this recent Committee Notice for details and payment options.

New Year Stableford Sweep

Cold with a light breeze greeted the 59 competitors for the New Year Stableford Sweep in pairs. A warm welcome to new members Dilip Mailvaganam and Onursal Soyer who were first in RPGC to actually play in the comp on Saturday.

Scores never cease to amaze and this on Dukes in winter with mud where good play is at a premium. Aung Kyaw returned a blistering 44 points to win. Well done again to Aung - this time last year you had UHS handicap 41 but now after the round (one of your best 8 from last 20) your handicap index drops to 26.4.

In form new member Nafeez struck again 42 points , Keith a good'un 40, Ben D 39 with Pete H and Lee M commendable 38s. Best of women was Katharina 33 points - this was after the additional 'Mixed Tee Adjustment' for the red and yellow tee/slope combo of +1. Results...