End of March 2017

A One Governing Body Discussions Group (DG) was established in November 2015 and has four representatives from both the ILGU and GUI. Fifteen meetings of the DG have been held to date and significant progress has been made.
The DG consulted with a number of Golf Club members amongst others, at a workshop in February of this year on the topic of the Organisational Structure of the new joint Governing Body for Golf in Ireland. Feedback was received on the future competition and administrative structure of the OGB, in addition to how the roles, responsibilities and functions of the OGB should be carried out. The DG are progressing with these recommendations and Clubs should expect further updates on this topic by mid-summer 2017.
The DG are hopeful to have a draft proposal presented to Golf Clubs in the autumn of 2017. Additional consultation meetings will take place at this stage with club members on a number of topics essential to the successful establishment of a new Governing Body.
To make progress in a timely manner the DG established eleven Working Groups (WG) in areas of acute importance, such as Organisational Structure, Future Club Formation, Club Services and Game Development, to name but a few. The eleven WG’s will report to the DG in April and May. Recommendations from the WG’s will then feed into the draft proposal for OGB.
The Communications WG recognised the requirement to effectively engage with all interested parties during the ongoing discussions. In this effort, a dedicated One Governing Body for Golf in Ireland website has been created and can be accessed via: http://www.onegoverningbody.com.
The website provides the public with the opportunity to consult on all relevant materials relating to OGB for Golf in Ireland.
General queries from Golf Club and Golf Club members should be directed to onegoverningbody@gmail.com
Sinead Heraty Pat Finn
CEO CEO
Irish Ladies’ Golf Union Golfing Union of Ireland

Clarification of situation with regards to Fallen Trees on the course

• 1. Fallen Tree in Process of Being Removed.
  If a greenkeeper is in the process of sawing up a fallen tree, the tree in its entirety is Ground Under Repair (GUR) as it constitutes “material piled for removal”
• 2. Fallen Tree Attached to Stump.
  The area covered by the tree is GUR
• 3. Fallen Tree not attached to the Stump.
  a. Is a Loose Impediment and can be removed without penalty.
  b. If the tree cannot easily be moved it should be considered as GUR.
• 4. Tree Stumps.
• A tree stump is not GUR unless it is marked as GUR or it is in being unearthed or cut up for removal.

Skerries Golf Club was transformed on Friday 21st April into a pop up shop with plenty of Glitz.   The entrance to the club was set up with a marquee where the audience were treated to a glass of bubbly on arrival.    Guests then had a chance for some retail therapy as several local  businesses showcased their products, these  included Seiodín, Linda Minto Real Life Greeting Cards, called She’s All About Aloe 💚, Hand crafted Jewellery by Alice, Stella & Dot, Designworks Photography & Aileen Boylan Millinery to mention but a few.

The models for the Fashion show were all members of the Golf Club and they strutted their stuff on the catwalk with a selection of clothes from local businesses : Frock Exchange, Chic Boutique, Phillanns & Shankeys from Skerries,  Carraig Donn & Pamela Scotts from the Pavillions and Dorian Black from Balbriggan.

The best dressed lady was kindly sponsored by Frock Exchange and was won by  Cathriona Clinton Duffy.  Wysteria provided the beautiful floral decorations on the night.

The organizing Committee (Lady Captain Nuala MacMahon, Lady Vice Captain, Ciara Boylan, Daire Hassett,  Sheila McGloughlin, Nuala McGrath & Emer Pyke) worked hard to ensure all went smoothly on the night.

A great night was had by all.

Fashion Show

Time, please: GUI lead mission for pace control 

Pace of play is the focus of a new campaign from the Golfing Union of Ireland which aims to get players moving more efficiently around the golf course.

A common complaint among club golfers, the GUI is taking the lead on the thorny issue of slow play. During a week-long awareness campaign, the Union will highlight practical steps that clubs and players can take.

Last year, the GUI lead by example when ‘Ready Golf’ was introduced during round two of the AIG Irish Close Championship at Ballyliffin. Ready Golf – a term to indicate that players should play when they are ready to do so providing it is safe to do so, rather than adhering strictly to the ‘farthest from the hole plays first’ stipulation – saw round-times reduced by an average of 45 minutes.

As well as endorsing Ready Golf, the GUI have made use of forward tees and central hole locations to give players every opportunity to play as quickly as possible at their championships.

Although it seems like slow play is a modern phenomenon, history says otherwise. A report from the South of Ireland Amateur Championship of 1966, published by The Irish Times, reveals that players were taking up to five and a half hours to get around the course.

In response to complaints about pace of play in the modern game, The R&A undertook an extensive international survey of golfers and hosted a special conference at St Andrews entitled: Time for Golf. Professionals and administrators involved in golf at all levels were invited to the conference, which helped to bring about an official manual on the subject.

Research on pace of play has shown that overcrowding is the most common cause of rounds taking longer than necessary. Starting intervals should be as wide as possible – eight minutes for two balls and up to 12 minutes for four balls.

For players, Ready Golf is a common sense approach that will ensure the game flows as smoothly as possible. For example, shorter hitters play first from the tee or fairway if longer hitters have to wait.

The majority of golfers report that they would enjoy the game more if it took less time to play. More to the point, there are few players who enjoy playing slowly. Pace of play affects clubs when it comes to securing repeat business and retention of members.

There are a variety of reasons for wanting to improve pace of play and there are a number of ways of achieving this goal. The GUI’s latest campaign will educate players and clubs alike.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT PACE OF PLAY – See www.golfnet.ie/paceofplay

The Golfing Union of Ireland are spearheading the campaign for fair and consistent handicapping by tackling the cheats in an innovative Handicap Awareness Month.

Throughout the month of March, the GUI will be running #TheFairWay campaign, which will educate players and clubs alike. Handicapping is a fundamental aspect of the game and as the governing body for men’s golf in Ireland, the GUI are raising awareness in response to public concerns about handicap cheating.

Unlike most sports, golf is largely played in the absence of a referee. The game, and the handicapping system, rely on the integrity of the individual. It is up to every single player to observe the spirit and intent of the handicapping system.

Throughout the month-long campaign, the GUI will provide all the information necessary to be handicap aware in 2017. Your first port of call is a dedicated website:

www.thefairway.ie

There, clubs can access essential information, including a how-to guide for administering and maintaining handicaps.

Players will find all the information they need on key topics such as: How to obtain a handicap; How handicaps change; and Player Responsibilities. As well as an index of key definitions, you will also find a list of frequently asked questions.

Clubs across all four provinces — Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster — will display specially commissioned posters and flyers as part of the campaign. Raising awareness is just one aspect of the campaign — the GUI are also determined to clamp down on cheating.

“There is a culture of tolerating handicap cheating which isn’t the case for other forms of cheating within golf,” says Pat Finn, CEO of the GUI. “The finger seems to be pointed at the GUI or the branches of the GUI or indeed to club committees to deal with this problem. I don’t think it can be. It is endemic and the only real way of tackling it is at member-to-member level where everybody takes a proactive approach in dealing with the issue and calling out fellow members on their behaviour and saying it is not going to be tolerated anymore.”

To hammer home the message, the GUI have defined handicap cheating and it is prominently displayed on the Union’s website: “Playing in a qualifying competition and setting out with the aim of ‘getting 0.1 back’ or not trying your best at any point in the round with the aim of manipulating your handicap is CHEATING.”

The GUI advises and guides Handicap Committees about the application and implementation of the handicapping system. One of most important things for clubs to remember is that Handicap Secretaries should not act on their own, and it is vital that decisions are made as a committee in accordance with the rules.

As with the Rules of Golf, the handicapping system relies on the integrity of every golfer playing the game. For club golfers, it is essential that each individual observes the spirit and intent of the handicapping system in order to make the game as fair and equitable as possible.

Golf’s unique handicapping system provides a means for every player to compete on an equal footing, making the game as inclusive as possible. Not only does it level the playing field, the handicap system makes allowance for beginners, children and adults alike, players of declining ability and golfers with disabilities. It is because of the handicapping system that parents get to compete side-by-side with their children or grandparents get the chance to tee it up alongside a grandchild.

The Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU), of which the GUI is a member, developed the rules and regulations of the unified handicapping system (UHS), which is administered in Ireland by the GUI and the Irish Ladies Golf Union.

You access a copy of the UHS Manual for free online at Golfnet.ie. Keep up to date with everything that’s happening throughout Handicapping Awareness Month on the GUI website and through the GUI’s social media channels on Facebook and Twitter.

Find out more at www.thefairway.ie or www.golfnet.ie/HandicapAwareness