Greetings from Dean

It is hard to believe another year has past and it has just flown by. It has been a very busy year with all the projects on the go.



The deck and Terrace Bar are looking superb. The food coming out of the kitchen is as good as you will find anywhere in the valley and it is a pity that there are still those members out there who are complaining even though they have not sampled the fare since Pierre and his team have revitalised the menu. I hope that you will come and sample the weekly specials or have a lunch surrounded by our magnificent mountains. Then there is the Playa’s Bar which is supported by a group of regulars on a Friday evening for sundowners. Would be great to see more of you there. A setting you will be hard pressed to find anywhere elase in South Africa.



What more can I say about the magnificent work Greg Leckie and his team have done for us. The course is at its very best and all this with the worst drought in history on us. All too often we become so blaze about the condition of Erinvale and it takes an outsider to make us realise just how priviledged we are. Here is an extract from a recent group of Canadians who travelled the country playing many golf courses.

“As Malcolm Moore says – ranking a golf course is like picking the prettiest girl at a beauty contest – they are ALL fabulous. Forced to make choices and disregarding costs, of all the courses we played, Shirley and I independently chose Fancourt, Pezula and Erinvale as our top 3. Everyone loved our day at Erinvale. Perfect challenging members club where you feel you might put up a decent score but rarely do. In terms of conditions – probably the best we played. Food, service all good. I have absolutely no thoughts on how that day could be improved. I would advise any future travellers that our top 3 are MUST plays for anyone going to the Cape.”

It is reports like this that make me very proud and honoured to be a member and Captain of Erinvale. I am also very proud of the wotk and effort our entire staff puts into making our club the jewel of the Cape.

What a day both on and off the golf course. The day started out with beautiful weather but as usual the South Easter came roaring in for the afternoon field. We had a full field and thanks to all our members who played on the day to make it special seeing it is our last major of the year. It was my pleasure to host a group of our past captains who we owe a huge debt of gratitude to for guiding Erinvale over the last 22 years. Here they are pictured below.



Frank Mc Donogh, Dean Milbank, Chris Hart, Errol Ferriman,
Tom Martin , Keith Colley & Mike Reeves

We had prizegiving upstairs and that was followed by some live entertainment. The three-course meal was fantastic and a good night was had by all.

A huge vote of thanks to Talli De Wet who sponsored a very special prize for the winner, a portrait to be painted by herself. For those of you who saw the “Faces of Erinvale” that she had in the reception area on the day, her work is exceptional. Pictured below is an example of her work for those who were not there.



Keith Colley, Colin Sturgeon & Dean Milbank 

Brad & Taylor Manson

We had our inaugural Chef’s Table on the evening of 21 December. While the number of people attending was disappointing, due to some late cancellations, In the end we had a long table of ten members attending and it was a magnificent evening. The idea behind this is that each of our chefs get to design a course and present it to the table on the night. So, a five-course menu was at the order of the evening. We also recommended wines to go with each course and all decided to try the recommendation.

Following on this success there will be more to come. Please note that to prepare food like this takes time and dedication so the numbers will be limited. The idea is to have no more than thirty people attend on any one night so be sure to book early when the next notice goes out. Congratulations to all our chefs on a superb evening and again, the food will be as good as you will find in any restaurant in Somerset West. Below are photographs of each course to whet your appetite.



1st Course - Guinea Fowl Consommé

2nd Course - Crayfish & Salmon

 
3rd Course - Pork Fillet

4th Course - Beef Fillet
5th Course - Raspberry Mousse

I want to leave you with the following and for those who have been here a long time will have heard Johan Piek say it often.



“Play the course as you find it; play the ball as it lies. If you can’t do either then play fair. In order to play fair, you need to know the rules of golf.”

Golf is probably the last sport with there is some self discipline and etiquette left and the rules are there to guide you through this journey. If in doubt ask or play two balls and confirm later. Let us all protect the standards of this great game so that we all can enjoy it.

On that note all that remains is for me to wish you and your families a happy New Year celebration and look forward to seeing you in the club or on the golf course in 2018.

Happy New Year
Goeie Nuwe Jaar
Gutes Neues Jahr

Dean

Greetings from Frank

Saturday, 11 November 2017

With summer just weeks away it’s very pleasing to see the vibrant atmosphere in the clubhouse as many of our overseas members return – coinciding with the “New look” Terrace Bar & Halfway House. Though not completely finished, the brighter, refreshing look is long overdue. The refurbished deck is looking superb and the newly installed air con is most welcome. However, budgetary constraints prevented us from replacing the flooring in the Terrace Bar – this will be completed during the next financial year. Hand in hand with the new look, is the vast improvement and consistency in the standard of food prepared by our Head Chef, Pierre Fourie, and his team. While the challenges we’ve had in the past have been well documented and discussed, I urge you to try Pierre’s new Clubhouse, Playas Bar & Kiddies menus. The popularity of the Chef’s Specials on Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday is an indication of the quality and value available in the clubhouse. If you are one of the small minority who do not support your “Club” due to previous poor experiences, I strongly encourage you to reconsider and savour the above menus and breathtaking views. I’d be delighted to get your feedback on the email address provided below. Challenges - on and off the golf course You may notice some new faces in the Terrace Bar – casual waiters and waitresses backing up our full  time staff. One of the challenges we face in the Bar & Catering sector is the cost of fixed term employees in relation to the diminishing turnover in the bar (a trend which is common to many golf clubs due to the drink and drive concerns of non-resident members). This issue has been addressed by our General Manager/Director of Golf, Blyth Reid and the club’s Treasurer, Ian Pennel. The approach adopted is to “staff for winter and back up for summer”. The benefits of these changes will be seen in the short to medium term. While the golf course is perhaps in the best condition for many years, one of the many challenges lurking in the back ground is our aging irrigation system. The average life cycle of a golf course irrigation system is 20 years and Head Greenkeeper, Greg Leckie, has excelled in extending the life cycle of our system while simultaneously planning and costing an irrigation upgrade. Based on current Rand/Dollar levels, the upgrade could be in the region of R12-million. How long the present system will last is unpredictable as line breakages are on the increase year after year. What is inevitable is that we plan for this major outlay over the next few years. Annual Subscriptions Needless to say, the annual percentage increase for subscriptions is always a contentious issue. This year’s proposed increase of 9% is significantly influenced by two major factors, wages & salaries (they constitute 55% of the club’s total overheads) and water, electricity, diesel & rates. Last year a three year wage agreement was struck with our Union consisting of annual increases of 7.5% (2016), 8.5% (2017) and 9% (2018). The above issues and others are being scrutinised by Blyth and Ian as well as other members of the main committee who offer expertise in various disciplines. For those who may not know our Treasurer, Ian Pennel – we are exceptionally fortunate to have the benefit of Ian’s extensive financial qualifications and experience. Ian is a Chartered Accountant and former CEO of Fintech. He started his career with Deloitte and after 5 years joined Dorbyl where he held several financial management positions. He became involved in the finance industry through the ship building division of Dorbyl. He joined the Altron Group as Financial Director of Powertech, moved to Lascon Lighting where he was Managing Director before his move to Fintech. Ian was also heavily involved on the Main Committee of Johannesburg Country Club where he held both the office of Chairman of Finance and also Chairman of the Club. One of the many challenges Ian faced as Treasurer was financing of the club’s fleet of golf carts. Some of the carts had deteriorated over the years and it’s the club’s policy to acquire a number of new carts every year. Several carts have been repaired and we have acquired 24 new carts – all of which are fitted with advanced GPS software. We now have 44 carts in pristine condition and another six will be acquired early in the New Year. Ian Pennel, Treasurer, Erinvale GC Lifestyle Centre Earlier this year an announcement was made by the Erinvale Advisory Board(EAB) to explore the possibility of a Lifestyle Centre offering additional and improved facilities to Erinvale residents, golf club members and future buyers. The preliminary concept is to extend the clubhouse to provide much improved facilities independent from the golfing areas, such as a family orientated restaurant, gym area, play area for children, meeting rooms which can be used by residents and other amenities to enhance the Erinvale offering. This may include converting the clubhouse basement to a gym and ladies change room, relocating golf carts to a new storage area adjacent to the maintenance area near the driving range and maximising the underutilized area known as Legend’s. The concept is at a very early stage and we are exploring the financial viability of such a development. We are cognisant of the fact that this should be a self-funded project and that any development must be measured against what benefits it brings to the Erinvale community. Golf Club Constitution Another challenge we face are some extremely outdated aspects of the club’s constitution. The aging profile of our members is no secret, yet we are handcuffed in our efforts to attract junior members as the constitution stipulates that one parent must be a full member of the golf club. This has also restricted us in our efforts to establish a Golf Academy. Other membership categories, such as social membership, whereby the family of a non-resident member may join the club, also needs to be reviewed. In addition, the committee is looking at the anomaly whereby the AGM takes place in December – yet the club’s financial year commences on September 1st. Effectively the club operates for three months, in some instances making significant financial commitments to CAPEX etc, on a budget which is not approved until the AGM. In keeping with many other clubs we are also researching ways to make subscription payment more flexible. Committee Nominations are open for the Main Committee of the golf club. Forms are available from Robynne Payne, membership secretary and nominations close at 17.00 hrs on Friday, 24 November, 2017. In the interest of continuity and in view of the many challenges we face at the golf club, Dean Milbank, Captain, Ian Pennel, Treasurer and I will stand for next year’s committee. The composition of next year’s committee is as follows: President: Frank Mc Donogh (Second term) Captain: Dean Milbank (Standing for re election) Lady Captain: Ruth Hart (Elected by the Ladies Committee) Treasurer: (Ian Pennel) (Second term) Additional Members: Brad Manson (Standing for re election) Johan Mostert (Standing for re election) Karin Hailwax (Standing for re election) Erinvale’s new fleet of golf carts with advanced GPS software Finally, and certainly by no means least, congratulations to Lady Captain Fiona Chandler and her Committee on a most successful Erinvale Ladies Classic. Ladies from all over the Western Cape enjoyed traditional Erinvale hospitality, a superbly organised tournament - the Classic continues to be one of the highlights in the ladies golfing calendar. Seldom have I seen the Legends Restaurant so beautifully decorated. Well done ladies. Frank Mc Donogh President Email: president@erinvale.com

Greetings from Dean

Monday, 02 October 2017


I hope this finds you all well and enjoying this magnificent place we call home. I would like to take this opportunity to catch up on overdue communication with you. I had a welcome sight this weekend with my resident swallows returning to their nests in our house. This will herald the return of our overseas members, a few of which have been seen in the clubhouse recently. Welcome back and there is certainly a new buzz around.

Water, the word that is on everyones mind, is still in very short supply and we were moved to level 5 water restrictions recently. Think about it, you can make do without electricity but you can’t do without water. Water is the very lifeblood of our existence so it needs to be protected at any cost. As far as the golf course goes we are totally reliant on rain and our boreholes.

Thankfully the little rain we have had recently has helped to fill up our main supply dams. We still have a way to go but if we can get to December with full dams we might be able to get through the summer. I hear you say, we have the boreholes, and yes we do but with the low rainfall the underground resources are not being replenished so we need to manage these very carefully. All in all a very precarious position, so I urge you all to be very frugal in your water usage not only at home but in the clubhouse as well. With Level 5 restrictions we have to reduce our consumption by at least 20%. The cost of water is going to skyrocket not to mention the fines and court action that will be implemented on us by the municipality for excessive use.



The golf course has almost fully recovered from the spring hollow-tining and our course is looking superb. We have received many compliments from visitors both foreign and local and we owe a huge vote of thanks to Greg and his team. The bunker renovation on the 8th has been completed and I have only heard good comments. There is still a bit of grass growth around the edges to make it look stunning and back to its original status. With this success we will start looking at the other bunkers that are in need of fixing. This is not something we can do all at once so we will have a master plan and follow this into the future. The whole objective is to get consistency and playability to improve one’s enjoyment while reducing the cost of maintaining our bunkers.

The sluit across the 7th along with the new bridge has been completed and looks great. Next will be the one in front of the 8th that is in need of repair.

Greens & Bunkers:
It seems like our and every other golf courses’ issue of players not fixing pitch marks and raking bunkers is on the rise again. We have the most saught after greens in the region if not the country so please fix your pitch marks and any others you come across. The sooner they are repaired the less damage is caused. Worse, from a playing perspective, is the bunkers that are not raked. This is just pure unethical behaviour and a total disrespect to fellow golfers.

If you leave a footprint and another player’s ball lands in it they have to play it as it lies. Totally unacceptable. At least a pitch mark can be repaired if it interferes with ones ball or line. There is a right and wrong way to rake a bunker so if you are uncertain please ask one of our resident PRO’s to give you a lesson. Then there are those who simply walk out the bunker while dragging the rake behind not taking any notice of how ineffectual it is. I urge you all to take special care of the bunkers and do not walk in or out on the steep sides. If you happen to walk past a bunker and see that it has not been raked please fix it. From now on we will be watching and anyone seen or caught not raking a bunker will face the consequences.

Clubhouse:
We have been very busy aound the clubhouse with the various projects that we had planned for the latter part of this year. Many of you will have seen the new deck that is now open. It is looking great and is now safe with an all new sub-structure and eco friendly top. Following next will be the first phase of the revitalisation of the terrace bar.

Halfway House:
Last week we introduced the new halfway house menu and process. I know it is a change and many people do not like change but we need to improve the speed and flow through the halfway house. It is just not possible to cater for every individual’s wishes, so please be understanding and follow the process so that we can make a success of this initiative. This is a living process and as we go along we will iron out any issues that arise.

Please note that the halfway house kitchen is closed until 09:00 when the first golfers start coming through. This is to enable the kitchen staff to prepare the food for the golfers. For those who want breakfast before the game this is still available as we have now opened the main kitchen to cater for this need. There is also a fantasctic new breakfast menu and of note is my favourite, eggs benedict. It is as good as you will get anywhere in town.



Eggs Benedict




On Sunday 24 September we hosted The Winelands Challenge.

This is an annual round robbin between Arabella, De Zalze, Erinvale, Pearl Valley & Steenberg with each club taking a turn to be the host. Each Estate submits a team of eight men and four women. We play B/B Stableford and then take the best five scores to get a total for the day. Erinvale were in 3rd place at the start but ended the day on top of the league with the entire team playing out of their socks to give us a seven point lead with two rounds to go. This is the best we have done since the competition was started. Well done team. Not only that but the entire operational team under our Head Golf Professional, Morne, did an outstanding job to ensure that the day went off smoothly, truly world class. A special word of thanks to Avontuur who so generously donated the six magnums of wine as prizes. Then it ended with a superb lunch. I received many compliments on the day and since then. With the outstanding course condition it was a memorable day and we certainly raised the bar. Congratulations to all involved, you made me proud to be Captain of Erinvale.



Winelands Prize Table


Desert Classic:
This bi-annual competiton is going in popularity and we had a good turnout for the spring event. Loads of fun and laughter on the course followed by prizegiving and food. Besides the fun it is good support for the club when there is little incentive to play on recently hollow-tined greens. Thanks to all who participated and we look forward to a bumper turnout for the next one in autumn. Congratulations to the winners Loraine Rimmer, Robert Rimmer, Talli de Wet & Jakes de Wet.

Squeagles:
This is a bi-annual match against our neighbours, Somerset West, that was started in 2015 by Frank McDonogh, Gavin Woodroffe & Willem Guy. It has proved to be a very successful event and forges a friendly relationship between the two clubs. The last one held at Erinvale in August was won narrowly by Erinvale. Congratulations team Erinvale, who now lead the series 3:1.


Blyth Reid (General Manager – Erinvale), Dean Milbank (Club Captain – Erinvale), Craig McKenzie (Club Captain – Somerset West),
Frank Mc Donogh (Club President – Erinvale) & William Guy (Head Professional – Somerset West)


Claret Jug:
Winter with summer conditions and the course in superb condition was the order of the day on 22 July. We had a full field with some good scoring but nobody could get close to our eventual winner Sean Coull picture below. To top it off there was a raffle for a designer Callaway Golf Bag that was won by Ruth Hart.


Ruth Hart & Ryno Rudolph
Dean Milbank (Club Captain), Sean Coul & Ryno Rudolph


Ted Perkins Centenary Trophy:
This was held on 15 July and was introduced to mark Ted’s hundredth birthday. The beautiful trophy is a clock made by Ted himself in his workshop at home at that age, truly remarkable. Winners were; Lou Rose, H. Smedsvik, D. Rencken, S. McMeeking.

One Hole Challenge:
After a break last year we rekindled this fun game on late Friday afternoon the 1st of September. It was played as an individual Stableford starting on the 16th Tee and ending on the 6th Green. We worked this out to be a par 11 but added two shots for a level of difficulty.

So after a cocktail pre-drink on the 16th tee off, we went to tackle this monster hole. It was close in the end with two players on 14 with Siggi Konrad winning on a count out. Longest day was Sonja Zuber. I must mention that there were those who were longer but they did not manage to finish. Getting past the 17th tee proved to be tough. Another fun event and we will be doing more such events, so watch this space.



Dean Milbank & Sonja Zuber
Dean Milbank, Phillip Haynes & Siggi Konrad




On Saturday we welcomed our friends from Pymble Golf Club in Sydney for their annual tour to South Africa, this is their fourth visit and is traditionally towards the end of their tour, clearly saving the best towards the end.

The players had nothing but praise for our course and the friendship they received. With the course being in magnificent condition and the wonderful weather, congratulations to Erinvale for winning 3:1.



It was wonderful to see the Playas Bar full and everyone having some fun. We had a New Members Cocktail Party and they were warmly welcomed.

Monthly Club Draw Winners:
1st Draw Fiona Chandler R1 160
2nd Draw Herbie Benetar R1 740
3rd Draw John Arnold R4 400 (Not present – Carried Over)

We thank John Arnold tremendously for leaving 5 minutes before the last draw leaving a R4 400 carry over.



I am sure you are all aware that golf carts can cause significant damage to grass especially around the greens and tees. This is the reason we do not allow carts beyond the blue ropes in front of the greens and around the tee boxes. This also applies to fairways when they are wet.

Unfortunatley we have noticed that there are some players who do not take note of these rules. We do have some members who through injury or illness have limited mobility who need to drive inside these areas. These members will have submitted requests along with supporting documentation from their medical practioner and have been granted permission to drive inside these restricted areas. To make it easier for the marshals to manage as well as for other players to identify with, we have had “medical exemption” signs made and issued to those approved. Nobody other than these designated players with the sign on the cart is permitted inside these areas on golf carts. Please respect your course and the marshals, should you be asked to stay out of these areas.



Medical Exemption Cart






One of our very own, Ivan Roos, will be the next Captain of Boland Nomads. Congratulations Ivan, this is a fantastic achievement and I am sure you will bring your very own personal touch to the Boland Nomads. I am sure they will hear your favourite saying, “one more drink then we will stay”.

To show you how much of a character he is, if you did not know it already, here is a picture of his dress code at a recent game of golf at Erinvale. Like the style Ivan.



Ivan Roos




3 October – Ladies Spring Day Waltz
11 October - Member Competition
12 October – Boland Nomads (Thursday, so our members competition will be moved to Wednesday 11 October)
21 October – Arbor Day competition
29 October – Genesis Mixed Open
31 October – Lady Captain’s Trophy

That’s all from me for now, happy golfing.
Dean

Greetings from Blyth

Wednesday, 27 September 2017

Dear Members, I trust that this finds you well? As summer nears we have been busy preparing! I wanted to give you a  short update on things as we anticipate a fantastic season ahead.  For those of you about to return, we look forward to welcoming you back to the club. I am delighted to confirm that we will be installing our new air-conditioning  system to the main area of the clubhouse shortly. I am sure this will be well  received by all. Obviously with such work there will be some unavoidable  disruption and noise. We will however, do everything we can to limit the impact during the installation period, see below for the dates. As usual we appreciate  your patience during this time. Day 1 - Wednesday 27th September Day 2 - Thursday 28th September Day 3 – Monday 2nd October In October, we will be refurbishing our tables and chairs in the main area of the clubhouse. This will bring a lighter fresher look to this well utilised area.  We also plan a few other modifications that we trust will improve and uplift  the general feel around the club. This will compliment the work that we have done recently to the deck. Golf carts last season was a challenge for us at the club! Not one of our carts is able to make 36 holes; the majority not even 18 holes. We are excited to announce that we will be resolving this by upgrading a  selection of the carts and replacing the older golf carts with the newest model  of club car. We will also be installing the latest & best GPS system. This will allow  us to manage our carts more effectively, which in turn will maximise their profitability. They should all be in place by the beginning of November. In October, we will introduce our new scorecard for our golfers. This will be  a tri-fold card, offering a more user-friendly layout and will have our updated  local rules incorporated. A full list of our local rules will also be posted on the  club noticeboard once implemented. We have recently initiated the SMS booking confirmations system once again and should be activated in the next few days. This is a great benefit  that sends the golf booker a confirmation of the reservation and a reminder before playing. Everyone has the option to opt out of this service if they prefer.  If you previously cancelled the service when it was active, it will not be  reactivated unless you inform us accordingly. As always at this time of year we have the usual influx of weeds popping up around the course. Greg and his team are working hard to control these  areas and repairing where necessary coming out of the winter months. We are happy with the recovery of the green surfaces following the hollowtining early in September, they are starting to roll nicely and the speed is increasing.  With golf rounds starting to increase moving in to summer, we ask all our  golfers to please repair their pitch marks on the green. If everyone could, not only repair their own mark but repair one other, our playing surfaces would improve. When repairing pitch marks, it is important to ensure that the proper method of repair is carried out. Below is a short video that illustrates the correct method of  repairing pitch marks. I hope you find it helpful. Click to watch We would like to introduce our new Retail Manager in the Golf Shop, Teresa Salhab. Teresa will join us mid-October from Arabella, where she is currently the Golf Operations Manager. We wish her all the best in her new role at the  Club and being part of Team Erinvale! It is very important to us to receive all types of feedback as it is an essential way to learn and improve our operations and the services we provide.  Please feel free to either e-mail me directly at gm@erinvale.com or personally pop in for a chat when at the club any time. Yours in golf, Blyth Reid General Manager PGA Director of Golf

Captain's Chat

Greetings from Dean Tuesday, 27 June 2017




Winter seems to have arrived and we were subjected to a hectic storm this last week. There was rain thankfully, but it was not a lot. It was the very high winds that did all the damage. Two big trees along the 6th fence and two big Oak trees on Erinvale Avenue were literally snapped in half. Not to mention many other trees on the course and surrounds that were up-rooted. We have recorded 108mm of rain in June so far which is below par but better than May where we only had 15mm of rain in the whole month against an average of 119mm. This will show how serious this drought is. Western Cape dam levels are extremely low and it has been said that we will need three years of above average winter rains to fill the dams again so level 4 water restrictions have been imposed by the municipality and will stay in place for the foreseeable future. This means that municipal water can only be used for drinking, cooking and bathing. Thankfully our main supply dam on the 15th is still full, mainly due to the timely sinking of the borehole behind the 13th green. Even this good supply is starting to show signs of dropping off though.

There is talk amongst the scientists that this drought cycle could last years and this is of major concern to us as without sufficient water resources we will struggle to maintain the golf course and estate in the magnificent condition it is at present. Please be assured that your committee is giving this serious attention and are looking at all possible solutions to source more and sustainable water supplies.

On the positive side the greens have recovered well from our autumn hollow-tining. We could not do the fairways as the ground was too hard and would have damaged the equipment. Having said that they are still in remarkable condition considering that they are getting very little watering.

Desert Classic:
Playing on greens covered with sand is not much fun and normally members go play other courses. This obviously results in loss of revenue for your club and this was the rationale behind the introduction last year for this fun competition. It is proving to be a success with the field doubling in size to a full field for the shotgun start. This worked well with everyone in at the same time making it an early prizegiving and a wonderful meal was specially prepared by our chef. A great day enjoyed by all.

Monthly Mixed:
After a few years of sponsoring this event Seeff have decided to take a break from it and we thank Keith & David Colley for their generous sponsorship and support of our club. Without sponsors, such as Seeff the club and the game would be much poorer.

I am pleased to announce that a new sponsor has come on board for the rest of the year in the form of Genesis Interior Makeovers. Patricia Arbel, the owner, offers as first prize her expertise and will advise on a complete makeover of the room of your choice in your house. This should prove to be quite an exciting prize.

Last month’s competition was a small field by normal standards but fun was had by all with good golfing weather and superb food prepared by our chefs.

Masters:
We had another very successful Masters weekend starting with the Par 3 nine-hole challenge. Fun was had by all with Greg Todd running out the winner with a score of 24 pts which included a hole-in-one. Unfortunately, this does not count as it was not on an official hole on the golf course.

In the main competition on Saturday with perfect weather and the course in stunning condition our winner of the trophy and Green Jacket was Martin Phillips with a good score of 40pts. Well done to both players.



Ryno Rudolph, Martin Phillips & Morné Oosthuizen



In true Masters Tradition here is the previous year’s winner, James Boustead,
handing over the Green jacket to Martin Phillips.


Leagues:
Unfortunately, the ladies' winning streak came to an end at Clovelly recently but they are still well-placed so good luck in the coming games.

In the men’s Harry Solomon League, we are not doing too well with a draw against Parow and defeats at the hands of Milnerton, King David Mowbray and Atlantis last weekend. The games played at Atlantic Beach were in horrific conditions, wind and rain, losing 3:5 but the games were closer than the points show. Thanks to the entire team for playing in those conditions. Not the end of the world as I am told it is not about the winning but competing. Try telling that to some of our more competitive members. Yes, it is nice to win but the camaraderie is important and we have met some wonderful competitors and those who play at Erinvale have nothing but praise for our golf course and the spirit in the club.

Rules:
There have been some interesting discussions of late about various rules in general as well as local Erinvale rules. Some of these will need clarity and your committee will be putting out a communication regarding those that are open to interpretation. One that I can state now that is abused on a daily basis is concerning the ropes running across the fairway in front of the greens. At Erinvale these are “immovable obstructions” and as such can’t be moved/touched. If your ball, stance or swing is impeded by it you can elect to take a free drop within one club length not nearer the hole. Should you move/touch the rope you will incur a two-shot penalty. This rule is printed on the back of the score card so please in future take note of this as it will be very unfortunate to be penalised for failing to adhere to this simple rule.

Monthly Medal:
Unfortunately, this month’s game had to be cancelled due to the gale force winds that we experienced throughout the day. Well done to those brave members who decided to carry on and the few who went out in the afternoon. At times, you must play this wonderful game in varying weather conditions so Greg Scrace and myself decided to give it a go. Greg shot a gross 79 with dropped shots in the last four holes. Super golf in the wind and needless to say he took my money but not without a fight. I managed to match him on the bottom nine with both of us shooting 39 but that is where it ended and the wind just wore me down to card a 48 on the back nine. Just makes you realise how good the professionals are with their physical and mental toughness.

Talking of physical toughness, the older one gets the more you need to keep your body in shape if you want to enjoy and prolong your golfing days. I have been struggling with minor back discomfort so I have been going to a biokineticist to strengthen my core. The result is that I am more balanced and hitting the ball further and all back pain has gone. There are already several Erinvale members going to the same person so we have discussed that she puts together a proposal designed for golfers. More about this in the coming weeks.

Monthly Draw:
Last month we had a good turnout considering that most our overseas members had already gone back. Good fun and food was enjoyed by all. The winners were:

18:00 Errol Ferriman R640
18:30 Louis Rose R960
19:00 Marianne Tulleners (who was in attendance) R1 600

Old age catches up with the president...
Frank McDonogh celebrated his 60th birthday recently and at his first game at Erinvale last Thursday he took advantage of it by, you guessed it, using the forward tees for the first time in his golfing career. Here is the photographic evidence and he is all smiles. It took him nine holes to get used to the shortened distance and then enjoyed a superb back nine with a 38. Welcome the seniors, Frank.


 

Monthly Members Draw – Friday 30 June
Winter Strokeplay Championships (IM) – Saturday 8 July
Erinvale Claret Jug (IS) – Saturday 15 July
Ted Perkins Centenary Trophy (AS) – Saturday 22 July



That’s all from me for now, happy golfing.
Dean

Captain's Chat

Greetings from Dean Friday, 28 April 2017

CAPTAIN'S CHAT

It has been a while since my last chat so this will be a bit longer. Winter is supposed to be on the way but judging by the weather we have been enjoying it is very late in arriving. This is not good news as the winter rains we so badly need have not materialised. The golf course is still in great condition and we have our fantastic greenkeeper, Greg Leckie, to thank for that. We are managing our water resources as best we can but there is only so much we can do without the rain. Having said this we had a wonderful and welcome rain on Wednesday. Hopefully this will signal the start of our rains.

The only thing that is on time is the departure of our overseas members and this is noticeable by the reduced fields and buzz in the clubhouse. We wish you well, safe travels and look forward to your return in summer.

COMPETITION NEWS

Foursomes Trophy:
After much discussion and confusion this event turned out to be a great success. Yes, there are those who do not like the format but there are many that do and it makes a change from the formats we play all too often. There is lots of talk about making golf more fun and this is certainly one format that is fun. I did not get any feedback of any divorces so everyone must have had fun. The shotgun start for the morning and afternoon sessions was great and that allowed us to have lunch together and share war stories of the mornings game. Chef prepared an outstanding lunch as I saw many going back for seconds. There's been some requests for the recipe, always a good sign. The finish was closely contested and we had to go to a countout to determine the winners. In the end, it was Josephine Greaver and Patrick O’Farrell who walked away with the trophy. Following are some of the interesting places your partner can put you in.



Greg Scrace being directed back to the 1st green by his partner Brad Manson

Dean Milbank trying to get back to 18th green from over the putting green

Commemorative Cup:
This trophy was initiated in 2005 to commemorate our club’s 10th anniversary. It has been played for ever since and now is one of our majors. The day started out with perfect weather and the course is in top condition but then the Cape weather came to spoil the fun with very high winds so the afternoon field had a struggle to keep the ball on the golf course. Be that as it may, it was a very successful day with the winners, pictured below, from the morning field winning with a good score of 90 points. Well done to Sean Coull & Vito Polo.


Sean Coull, Dean Milbank (Captain) & Vito Polo

St Patricks Day:
This was another very successful day with most of the field dressed in green making it festive. The weather was great and the golf course in superb condition. At the end of the day upstairs we all went for the prizegiving and music to dance the night away. The place was beautifully decorated with green and orange balloons. Pictured below are the winners Johan Kapfer, Jutta Kapfer, Siggi Konrad & Sonja Zuber receiving the trophy from Marie Cooney & Dean Milbank (Captain)


Johan Kapfer, Jutta Kapfer, Siggi Konrad, Sonja Zuber, Marie Cooney,
Dean Milbank (Captain)

 

International vs Locals:
This annual competition is held on the day we play an individual competition and all the scores of the international and local members playing are added together and averaged out to decide on the winner. This year it was closely contested with the locals edging out the internationals. Pictured below are the two captains on the day.


Talli de Wet (Locals' Captain), Dean Milbank & Angelique Meijer
(Internationals' Captain)

LADIES GOLF

Ladies League:
Our ladies league is flying high and to date have not lost a match this season. I stand to be corrected but this is the best performance by an Erinvale league side. Well done and keep up the superb performance. We are all very proud of your achievement.



Margot Penstone, Ria Houben, Sue Clarke, Talli de Wet,
Monika Klier & Loraine Rimmer


Regional All-Africa Challenge Trophy:
Sarah Bouch, Zethu Myeki, Lumien Orton and Vicki Traut arrived home buoyed by their combined efforts to promote golf development in Southern Africa while defending South Africa’s proud record in the Regional All-Africa Challenge Trophy (RAACT) in Lesotho two weeks ago. South Africa has won it for twelve consecutive years.

Team captain Traut from Western Province (Erinvale) posted scores of 70, 81 and 79 to finish sixth overall in the Individual Competition. Traut said the team felt that they got more out of the championship than they bargained for.

“Due to three of the top ranked players competing in the Nomads SA Girl’s Rose Bowl, Womens Golf South Africa decided to send Zethu, Sarah, Lumien and I to Lesotho,” said Traut. “We were fired up to defend South Africa’s title, but when the other competitors approached us, we also saw an opportunity to give back.

“Zethu helped some of the girls with their putting, we taught some players how to use stroke savers, Sarah showed the ladies how to write up the team scoreboard and she even helped the lady doing the official photos to set up her camera."

“We are so thankful that we were given this opportunity, because we got so much more out of this experience than simply travelling to Lesotho to defend the title.”

This is what golf is all about and these ladies can be proud of their achievement and contribution. Well done Vicki, you have done Erinvale proud.




COURSE NEWS

Hollowtining:
This very necessary procedure that we do twice a year during May & September, to ensure that our magnificent golf course is kept in pristine condition. This year it will be taking place from 8 – 12 May. Obviously the course will be closed to enable the grounds staff to complete it in the shortest possible time without disruption.

Please note: During this time the clubhouse will be closed for cleaning, maintenance and staff education. Apologies if this causes any inconvenience but is very necessary.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Saturday, 6 May- Harry Solomon League 1st round

Saturday, 13 May – Desert Classic

That’s all from me for now. Happy golfing.
Dean