On behalf of the Club Management and Board of Directors, I hope all members enjoyed their Christmas festivities and are getting ready for the new year of golf.  This edition is focused almost solely on the new rules that come into play on January 1st.

• Firstly, congratulations to Brian Thorn for his outstanding score last Saturday. A stableford score of 47 as an individual is outstanding at any time, but to shoot even par and come within a whisker of shooting your age - fantastic effort.

• The 46 points by Bob Preston wasn't too shabby last Thursday as well.

• A reminder that our next Thursday Night 'book in' will be on Thursday, 3rd January, booking in for Saturday, 19th January.  The event of this day is a Monthly Medal for Men and Women (and for men, the second qualifying round for the club Match Play Championships). 

We look forward to seeing you there.

 Penalty Areas

• We no longer call a water or any other hazard a hazard.  The new terminology is 'penalty areas'.
  
• If you are taking a drop after visiting a penalty area, you now drop from knee height.  This should result, in most cases, the need for only one drop (less likely to move out of the designated area to drop).

• If you are playing the ball in a penalty area, you may 'ground your club'.

• If you are playing the ball in a penalty area, you may remove obstructions.

• You may putt with the flagstick left in.

• Any ball leaning against the flag stick is deemed to be 'holed' if any part of the ball is below the surface of the green.  (Previously you needed to gently remove the flag to see if it fell in).

• You may repair damage to the green, including spike marks.

• Touching your line of play on the green now allowed.

• When on the wrong green, you must take a drop and ensure the ball and your feet are not on this green.

• Any ball that is moved accidentally or by an outside agent (wind, slope), must be replaced - no penalty.

Lost Ball

You are restricted to a 3 minute search for a lost ball.  We suggest that one member of the group be the timekeeper with regard to this.

• At this stage, we will NOT be introducing any changes to the current lost ball arrangements. Players will be required to return to where their previous shot was played under the penalty of one stroke and distance.  (The Club will continue to investigate the possible introduction of a new local rule.  Members will be advised and consulted with regard to this issue in the future).

The General Area covers the entire area of the course except for:

• 1 The teeing area

• 2 Bunkers

• 3 Penalty areas

• 4 The putting green

Ball Accidentally Moved While Searching  -  Replace with no penalty.

Two-Stroke Penalty Relief Allowed From Bunker  -  Back-on-the-line relief is allowed outside a bunker for two penalty strokes (not to the side).

New Standard for Deciding if your Ball Moved Because of Your Actions  -  The Rules consider you to have moved your ball only if it is known or virtually certain that you were the cause (that is, it is at least 95% likely that you were the cause).

Ball Change Allowed in All Situations When Taking Relief  -  In free-relief situations, as well as in penalty situations, you are entitled to change your ball.

Use of Clubs Damaged During Round  -  A club damaged during a round can continue to be used, even if you damaged it in anger.  You are still not allowed to replace a damaged club during a round if you were responsible for the damage.

Hitting Yourself with the Ball While Playing a Shot or hitting your buggy or your own equipment is no longer a penalty, unless it has been deliberately done.

Double Hit - is no longer a penalty.

Embedded Ball Rule Now Extends to All General Areas of the course.  (Used to be just on the fairway).

This is a start. Good golfing.