With the return of qualifying golf at the weekend, the ability to submit casual scores has also been reinstated on the Golf Ireland app. Please note that if you are signed into a competition, you should not try to submit the same round as a casual play score.
We are pleased to inform Members that work has begun in earnest on the redevelopment of our 10th tee. This is part of our continued commitment to invest €1,000,000 into the course and facilities over the 5 year period 2021-2025.
As you will see from the photos above, this particular job is a large undertaking, however, we have completed the initial stage to remove the existing sod from the surface. Next week will see the re-shaping and levelling of the teeing area and the removal of the shrub bed to the right of the tee. The 10th tee should be back open and ready for play in early May but this is all weather dependent.
In the meantime, a temporary tee has been introduced on the opposite side of the bridge.
We will keep our Members updated on how works are progressing both on our social media channels and through the members’ weekly newsletter.
NOT JUST ON-COURSE IMPROVEMENTS…
While the golf course is the star of the show, membership of a golf club extends beyond 18 quality holes. Here at St. Margaret’s, investments are also being made in the clubhouse, both in the golf shop and also in the locker room /shower facilities.
The Golf Shop will be getting a complete refit and this work will commence over the next few weeks. Members will see a new and improved contemporary design here, enhancing the shopping experience at the Club.
In the locker rooms, the showers will continue to be out of use while necessary upgrade works are being completed. We envisage that this will only be a short-term closure and we should be in a position to re-open this facility before long.
The above are just a few ways we are striving to improve the Members’ experience at the Golf Club and we look forward to sharing further updates with you over the coming weeks and months.
I’m delighted to mark the start of my year as Captain by sponsoring the planting of 3 new semi-mature trees on our golf course. The trees represent my 3 daughters Aoife & Lauren both aged 11 and Sophie aged 10. My girls are constantly learning about the importance of trees and our need to help protect our environment. The trees are of a purple beech variety and will add a splash of colour to our course. Each of them has been planted within a 100-meter radius of the clubhouse. The first one is planted east of the pro shop towards the 4th fairway. The second is in the rough area to the right of the 10th fairway and the third is planted to the right of the 18th fairway on the hill as you look down the fairway from the green. The trees also mark the 3 decades of our club’s establishment as we look forward to celebrating our club’s 30th anniversary in 2022. My girls were delighted to help finish off the planting and they will be keeping a close eye on each of them as they grow and mature over the months and years ahead. I would like to extend a big thank you to Ronan Branigan of Synergy Golf and to our Green Keeping team for arranging the delivery and planting of the trees.
John Ferguson
Captain 2022
In view of the high numbers of COVID-19 cases and the rising levels of concern, it was agreed by the General Committee that an in-person Annual Members Meeting would not be possible.
The Document was due to be sent to members on the 9th December but will now be sent on Thursday 16th December.
QUESTIONS
If Members have any questions or would like to make any suggestions for 2022, they can submit them to the General Committee who will respond to all once they reconvene in January.
Thank you for your continued support.
The General Committee
The Handicap Committee of St Margaret”s Golf & Country Club carried out an Annual Handicap Review (AHR) of the new World Handicap System (WHS).
Golf Ireland made a number of reports available to the committee on the Clubhouse Ireland system used by handicap committees. The reports included a handicap change over the year, compared 9 hole scores to 18 hole scores, compared scoring in Competitions to General Play submissions, and a Handicap Review Report (which highlighted when a player scored high or low outside the expected range). We also considered scores in non-counting events (match play, teams, mixed, and 12 holes).
Players affected by the review received an email informing them of the review. If you have not received an email your handicap index remains the same.
In short, the WHS deals effectively with a player’s Handicap Index. The review mainly dealt with players who on at least two occasions scored above/below their demonstrated ability. Players who on three occasions played outside their demonstrated ability were subjected to a review.
I would like to thank the committee members Anne Ryan, Bernie Walsh, Gary Carty, Liam Power, and Shane O’Rourke for their time and input into the review.
Eddie Hyland
Handicap Secretary
With the introduction of placing in areas cut to higher than fairway length (ie the rough), the course is now in non-qualifying condition for handicap purposes. This means that scores you enter in competitions will not appear on your Golf Ireland record and therefore won’t affect your handicap. General play scores are also not permitted in non-qualifying conditions and consequently, this option has been deactivated in the Golf Ireland app.
Eddie Hyland
Hon. Handicap Secretary.
The fallen leaves on the course are increasing the frequency in which golfers will be searching for balls compared to other times of the year. We would like to remind all members that the time limit is 3 minutes to look for a ball, after which time the ball is deemed lost if not located. The time was reduced from 5 mins to 3 mins in the 2019 update to the rules of golf in order to assist with the pace of play.
When a group arrives at the area in which the ball is expected to be, and it is not obvious where it is, one member of the group should start a timer – using your phone would be one such way to do this.
If the ball is found after 3 minutes is up, the ball may not be played, and the golfer should continue with a provisional ball if one was played.
The pace of play will naturally be that little bit slower at the current time, however, 4 hours still remains the benchmark to complete an 18 hole round.
We are delighted to announce that we will be hosting our PGA Pro-Am for 2021 on Friday 3rd September. As always our pro-am event is a major highlight in our golfing calendar as we get to welcome top professionals from around the country. It is also a great opportunity to showcase our golf course which will be in pristine condition.
A pro-am tournament cannot go ahead without amateur golfers and we are calling on members to get involved and book in individually or with a full team. It is truly a great experience playing with the best pros the country has to offer, and you are sure to pick up a couple of tips during your round.
Prizes will be awarded for the best team score, which includes the pro playing off scratch.
The defending champions are Brian McCormack & Stephen Quinlivan who both recorded 67s in 2019. Our own pro golfer Shane Jenkinson will certainly be keen to put in a good performance at his home pro-am and go a few better than his T4 finish two years ago.
As has been customary over the past number of years, our event partners include the chosen members charity of the year. This year it is Temple Street Children’s Hospital & Alzeihmers Ireland who will be the beneficiaries.
We are expecting a strong level of interest in this year’s event, so if you are interested in participating, we recommend that you book at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment.
Monday last 28th June was not any regular Monday here at St. Margaret’s.
It will be a day written in the Club’s history books as the date on which the Donal Heron shot an incredible 8 under par gross, taking only 65 strokes to get around our Championship Course from the black tees. A birdie at the first set the tone for the day and from there he steadily reached the 8th tee at one-under-par. Donal then proceeded to eagle hole 8, and a par on 9 gave him a score of -3 at the turn.
Recording another birdie on the 10th brought him to minus 4 for the day. A run of 5 straight pars kept his card bogey-free from holes 11 to 15, which included “only” a par at the par 5 12th 😉
Donal’s last 3 holes made what was already a great round into a truly outstanding round of golf.
A three-four-three finish secures his place as the new Course Record holder with an amazing 8 under par total. As one comment on our social media referenced, Donal should be playing in Mount Juliet this week, and certainly going eagle, birdie, birdie to close out a round for 65 is something Mr McIlroy or Mr Lowry would be extremely pleased with.
Congrats again on your phenomenal feat Donal! 👏👏👏
