![]() The Australia Day event was a big success with some 44 people competing in the 12 hole medley event. The 33 deg temp at 12 o'clock, when most of us finished, made the air-conditioned club and refreshments all the more welcome. Fifty patrons enjoyed the BBQ lunch cooked by our affable assistant manager Tim Davis. It was a shotgun start played on holes 1 to 7 then 10 to 12 and then home on 17 and 18. We had a very pleasant game, unremarkable but enjoyable. Fran Dubiez provided small Australian Flags to our group to celebrate the day. We teed off as the second group on Number 1 tee (1B) - it was pointed out by others we were selected to be in the 'B' team - our golf supports this assertion. At the presentation of the prizes I had the pleasure of introducing from the pro shop Nick Reinhard who has just joined us. Nick is taking over from Stu is also a keen golfer. New Rules. Here is a link to those that want to test themselves on the new rules. Please click the link https://www.randa.org/rog/2019/pages/quiz ![]() Lucky to be alive ![]() Here is a contributed story involving member Chris Kunz about an incident. " Australia’s Longest Ever Hitter Australia’s longest ever driver of a golf ball (as Bowral member Chris Kunz can attest), is reportedly George Bell from Sydney club St Michael’s. In 1975, and backed by a howling gale, he nearly drove the green on the then 528m par 5 6th. His ball finished at the 503m mark - and he 3-putted for a birdie! In 1976, a 19 year-old Kunz, was taken by his next-door neighbour bank manager to watch the $15,000 Queanbeyan Open. They were sitting above the par 3 12th, when George Bell teed off the blind par 4, 344m 11th. The ball rocketed off line right of the fairway, striking Kunz on the full in the right temple. The ball rebounded about 70m back up the fairway! Unsurprisingly, Kunz was slightly unwell. It was a very hot day, but the bank manager ran back to the clubhouse to get the club secretary and his car, driving back through the professional field. Those who know Chris, know he is no dwarf, and he travelled to Queanbeyan Hospital laid out across the back seat of a Datsun 1600 with his feet out a side window! The Australian newspaper reported the next day that Kunz was in a stable condition (and a little better after a visit from a most apologetic Bell, whose round fell apart after the incident). If you find Chris waiting for the green to clear on the 4th, before teeing off, or being conservative on other holes, it is because he knows what it is like to be struck by a golf ball! Click here for a photo of George Bell wearing the fashion of the time. A serious note by me. This sort of thing can happen easily if we are not careful to ensure that the way is clear before taking our shot. Of course golfers must always give away to ground staff. | Adrian is based in New York and has established himself as a sought after musician. Recently he has appeared in the North Carolina Jazz Festival, Central Illinois Jazz festival, Newport, and also concerts at the famous Gennett studios (Richmond, Indiana). International festival credits include Montreux Jazz Festival (3 times!!) Johannesburg, Japan, London, Tokyo and Sopot Molo (Poland). We at the club are delighted to welcome Adrian to Bowral. ![]() The 2018 preliminary results are in. The unaudited results are on the notice board - as required under the Registered Clubs act. The auditors are at the club this week - there may be some adjustment to the results. The year's results were up from 2017, showing a cash profit of $110,681 before depreciation and $42,869 after depreciation has been added back in. As reported previously this is the 5th cash profit in a row and contributes to build the club's financial reserves as well as funding replacements and improvements. It is very early days but so far this year we are about 8% up on results but as we know the weather can play a big part in the trading for any golf club. Membership 622 total membership comprising Playing /Non playing 74%/26% Men/Ladies 68%/32% New members since the last blog follow (see below) - please introduce yourself if you see a new face. Tim Copes, Alexandra Springett, Jintae Park, Joon Byun, Eugene O'Sullivan, Kylie Stubley, Richard Stubley, Nikolas Potter, Warwick Heeson, Scott Calcraft John Browne, Fraser McDonald, Nick Reinhard, Nick Penhall, Jenny McCreadie Tony Springett, Oliver O'Malley, Mark Coles, Don Morris, Michael Thompson, Suzanne Thomas, Robert Brennan ![]() New Director Rob Humphreys has accepted the appointment following a resolution put to the directors at the January 2019 board meeting that he join the Board filling a casual vacancy. Rob comes with much experience of a golf club, he has been a member now for two years and expressed an interest in joining the Board and participating in the continued development of the club. He had ten years on the Board of Roseville Golf Club, acting as Director - 2 years; Vice President in charge of House matters 4 years; and as Treasurer, 4 years, from 1985 to 1994. Rob has accounting and legal qualifications, much experience, and a keen golfer. We welcome Rob to the board. Rob responded to the last blog were intending directors were invited to contact the chairman. Two gentlemen responded, Rob being one. We had a discussion prior to his appointment. If there are other intending directors please contact the chairman of the Board to discuss their candidacy as to what the role involves. Please click here to send me a message if you are interested. NOT A MANLY GAME 6 June 1914 "Sir, The sooner it is realized that golf is merely a pleasant recreation and inducement to indolent people to take exercise the better. Golf has none of the essentials of a great game. It destroys rather than builds up character, and tends to selfishness and ill-temper. It calls for none of the essential qualities of a great game, such as pluck, endurance, physical fitness and agility, unselfishness and esprit de corps, or quickness of eye and judgment. Games which develop these qualities are of assistance for the more serious pursuits of life. Golf is of the greatest value to thousands, and brings health and relief from the cares of business to many, but to contend that a game is great which is readily mastered by every youth who goes into a professional’s shop as assistant (generally a scratch player within a year!) and by the majority of caddies is childish. No one is more grateful to golf for many a pleasant day’s exercise than the writer, or more fully recognizes the difficulties and charm of the game, but there is charm and there are difficulties in (for instance) lawn tennis and croquet. It certainly seems to the writer that no game which does not demand a certain amount of pluck and physical courage from its exponents can be called great, or can be really beneficial to boys or men. The present tendency is undoubtedly towards the more effeminate and less exacting pastimes, but the day that sees the youth of England given up to lawn tennis and golf in preference to the old manly games (cricket, football, polo, &c.) will be of sad omen for the future of the race. I am, yours, &c., B. J. T. BOSANQUET ![]() Bernard James Tindal Bosanquet was an English cricketer best known for inventing the googly, a delivery designed to deceive the batsman. When bowled, it appears to be a leg break, but after pitching the ball turns in the opposite direction to that which is expected, behaving as an off break instead. Wikipedia |
| Member photos Here are some photo of members, most taken recently. Click on the thumbnails below the main picture to select. As our club expands its membership sometimes not everyone knows each other. The photos provide some sort of introduction. | |