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PIN HI Spring 2012

PRESIDENT’S NOTES

This will be the last Pin Hi through which I communicate with the Members of RQGC. It is not my intention to attempt a recap of activities over the past two years. I do however wish to address some of the major challenges I see facing our Club in the future. Firstly, membership. Along with most other Clubs in southeast Queensland, around Australia, and abroad, we face a shrinking number of persons wishing to play golf through membership of a private Club. In our case, we have seen the membership waiting list reduced to only those persons who have deferred their opportunity to take up membership. We do however manage to keep up a continuing stream of new Members to replace resignations and maintain target levels of membership. Associates have an ever more

challenging task as an ever-increasing percentage of women join the workforce and are not able to play mid-week, leading to a drop in membership. The challenge faced in membership is twofold, being both maintaining numbers (or possibly increasing numbers in the event of a new nine) and secondly, the possible introduction of a new class of Lady Members. It is important that we maintain the character, composition and nature of the membership we have today. We should not engage in any form of recruitment of Members, but rely on the quality attributes of RQ, being: course, service, and ambience, to have current Members invite their friends to join, and to have other persons seek to be a Member of the premier Club in the Brisbane area, all the time retaining our current membership joining requirements of sponsorship by Members and letters of support, etc. The second membership challenge is Lady Members; that is female Members who are in the workforce and wish to play under the same arrangements as our Ordinary Members. A critical mass of female Members would be 30 plus, and we would not wish to halt entry of Members to gain these numbers. An additional new nine holes would give us the opportunity to address this issue. I must make it clear that these thoughts are mine and do not, as yet, have Board endorsement. The second challenge I see lies in the area of infrastructure to support our golf play and membership. There is a strong need to increase water storage at our course, as the current effluent supply is subject to inconvenient interruption and will, some years out when our current negotiated arrangement runs out, become a costly item. Completion of the water storage project on the Eastern Land will be an important development. Another infrastructure challenge will be car parking, which is presently approaching its limit and we will need to plan for dual storey covered parking to meet our future needs. Finally, I mention for consideration, widening our range of facilities for Members, and this could include a gym facility, as suggested by a number of Members. The next challenge I mention is course, and although I appreciate that many Members are content with the ‘New Course’ that we play today, I believe we should take advantage of the land we have today, all part of our Perpetual Lease, and construct a Championship nine holes with holes returning to the Clubhouse. This is a subject the Board is presently engaged with, and I will not take it any further in Pin Hi.

(cont. page 2)INSIDE THIS ISSUE: ● Captain’s Communiqué…P2 ● Clubhouse Upgrade Project…P3 ● JDP…P5 ● Associates’ News…P6 ● Course Management Report…P7 ● Forthcoming Events…P9 ● Rules are Rules…P13

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PRESIDENT’S NOTES (cont.) The final challenge I see is the full integration of our new facilities constructed in the Clubhouse Upgrade Project, into our Club culture. Already we can see the new Balcony is a fine addition to Members’ and Associates’ service facilities. The bar in the Members’ Bar has converted to a dual food and beverage serving area which will fully cater for the Club Lounge and Balcony. I am personally looking forward to this development, and to sharing the facility with all Members of the Club. I thank all Members of Royal Queensland Golf Club for their friendship and support during the term of my Presidency. Thank you.

Kerry Wark

COMMUNIQUÉ FROM THE CAPTAIN We are entering probably the busiest time of the golfing calendar, with Club Championships, Melbourne Cup, Graham Duus fundraiser for Junior Golf, the Australian Open, Masters and PGA events, all mingled with two greens renovations in November and December. Course The course has come through the winter in great shape and careful nurturing by Marcus Price and his staff has seen the greens in great shape, with little build up of grain that we had come to expect at this time of year and before our annual renovations. We do have regular agronomy reports that allow us to assess the condition of the greens and fairways

from a scientific point of view. These reports go into some detail and help guide the various applications of fertilisers and nutrients necessary for strong growth and healthy grass. The latest report coming out of winter shows that apart from a build up of some salt due to the use of our recycled water over winter, the profiles and plant condition are excellent. We have also seen that green speeds have been able to be maintained around a challenging 11 feet on the stimp meter without reducing mowing heights which are inclined to put the greens at some risk in this period. Recent Events We were very pleased to welcome and host 48 Members representing 14 of our Reciprocal Clubs from around Australia and New Zealand over the weekend of 5th to 7th October. This Reciprocal Clubs Weekend is a biannual event which gives us the opportunity to show off our course and facilities (albeit under construction this time around) and to say a thank you to those Clubs who welcome over 600 visits from RQ Members every year. Of course, we also get the chance to meet old friends and make new ones which all helps to maintain the camaraderie that we enjoy as a coterie of private Members’ Clubs. Last year we played in the Holden Scramble event after an absence of 20 years and our two qualifying teams played in the Regional Final, unfortunately without success. This year we again had two qualifying teams in the Regionals and the team of KC Willis, James Nash, Paul Bayne and Sam Sargood, aided and abetted by Club Professional Richard Gompels was successful in winning the Regional Finals with a 16 under round off the stick. They will compete in the Finals to be held at Twin Waters in December with a forced change of personnel due to Sam Sargood’s unavailability, he being replaced by Phillip Dowling. As was the case last year, the two top teams from the Australian Final will get to travel to China in April to play the China Golf Club League in a match at Guangzhou after playing a two day tournament at home in March. So, good luck in December to our team. A Time for Reflection As this is my last commentary for Pin Hi with my term as Captain coming to an end in December, I have reflected on the journey. The highlight no doubt was the six years involved in running the Junior Development Programme and now seeing the products of that effort maturing into capable golfers at Club, State and Australian representative levels. The weekly communication to Members through Captain’s Tee has been a thoroughly enjoyable challenge and one that has brought many favourable comments from those who are constantly in the mix of Club events, and for those who perhaps do not have the time to engage regularly at the Club. One of the little known benefits has been the communication from absent Members, who are interstate or overseas, who have gained a sense of reconnection or continuing connection with their Club despite the tyranny of distance. The programme to improve our pace of play was approached with much zeal and early results had high hopes for continued incremental improvement. Alas, not so. While some claim to overall improvement can be made, we remain a slow Club by standards of other Clubs from where we receive Visitors, and by comparing the expectations other Clubs have in terms of optimum time for a round. To change behaviour is difficult without reward or consequences,

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COMMUNIQUÉ FROM THE CAPTAIN (cont.) and the culture of RQ is such that any draconian-like consequences implemented to make radical change are unlikely to succeed and be severely disruptive to what should be a calm and enjoyable pastime played in possibly one of the nicest parts of this Earth. Perhaps a future Captain may find the formula and I look forward to that day. I do thank the Members for their cooperation and efforts to combat what some see as a scourge on our modern game. The challenge of continuing the efforts of improving our first class golf Club and course to make it an even better one is immense, and I would like to thank all the staff involved, from Administration, House, Golf Service Centre, Course, and Pro Shop, for the great job they do for our Members and guests. The feedback we received from the Reciprocal Club guests was that they felt right at home and were impressed by the standard of hospitality and golf delivered. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve both on the Board and as Captain of this fine Club, and I thank the Members for that opportunity and wish all Members, Associates and staff a great festive season coming up.

John Greenhalgh

CLUBHOUSE UPGRADE PROJECT – OCTOBER 2012 Since the last Pin Hi the Clubhouse construction site has been a hive of activity. A recent development for those visiting the Club is that you can now see the completed Balcony structure and the new Balcony roof. Over the next

few weeks fans, heaters and electronic leader boards will be fitted to the ceiling area, and the Balcony tiling and glass handrails will be installed. Whilst the Bar has been out of action, the new glass doors have been installed and the bar extended to include hot and cold food servery areas. The new Club Lounge has a new entry from the corridor side, and various works in the corridor have been completed to relocate Honour Boards and move feature sections of the ceiling. Shortly, works will commence in the main entry lobby to skim coat the off form concrete ceiling and cut in the entry to the new lift. The extra office space on the first floor is also taking shape. Downstairs, the Locker Rooms are currently being fitted out. Air conditioning installation is complete and work is progressing on tiling and joinery in the wet areas. The Members’

stair and entry structure will be next in line and some walls will be removed at the stair entrance from the first floor. The new staff stair steel work is in place in the service yard, and the external brickwork will reach completion shortly. The service yard still has plenty of work to come, as a variety of services require relocation to allow for increased capacity and new equipment. This also includes the new dumb waiter, and we are awaiting its arrival along with components for the new passenger lift. Pathways and paving will be the next area to receive attention, with the paving under the new Balcony being a significant part of this. The pathways and kerbing adjacent to the main Clubhouse entry will soon be demolished to accommodate new “at grade” pathways around the full perimeter of the Clubhouse, and also to meet compliance with full disabled access. At this stage we are predicting a mid to late November completion, providing our planning falls into place. As with any project of this nature, and working within a 25 year old building, many unforeseen factors have been encountered. Our contractors Watpac have worked very well with us in coming up with practical solutions to the various day to day obstacles we have been faced with. We thank everyone for their patience and look forward to enjoying our new facilities in the very near future.

Ralph Heading

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Newlyweds: Assistant Course Manager Adam Mills

and his Bride Natalya

NOTES FROM THE GM Golf Australia recently released some national data on male membership and we have subsequently combined it with some RQ information. The results are encouraging. Please see below a brief summary of this data with statistics relating to RQ in purple, alongside data relating to the city of Brisbane, State of Queensland, and Australian averages. The most notable variance is the high percentage of “young Members” at RQ in the 18 – 34 category. Interestingly, despite the high percentage of recent new Members in the 35 – 54 category, we are still below the average for Brisbane and Queensland Golf Clubs. However, considering the average length of membership and low turnover rate this is to be expected.

Avondale Trip Cancelled The planned trip to Avondale Golf Club on 9th – 11th November was cancelled due to a lack of interest. Some feedback was that everyone needed a chance to rest and recover after an eventful three days hosting and entertaining our guests at the Reciprocal Clubs Weekend. Discussions with Avondale GC are currently ongoing regarding a revised format and schedule, and I welcome all feedback from you. One option being considered is meeting with Avondale GC Members every second year on the off year from our Reciprocal Clubs Weekend. Hence we would go to Avondale GC once every four years, rather than every second year. Stay tuned. Wedding Bells Congratulations to Assistant Course Manager Adam Mills who married his sweetheart Natalya in late September. The happy couple enjoyed a relaxing honeymoon for a few weeks after celebrating their big day with family and friends at Coolibah Downs, in the Gold Coast hinterland. Adam’s brother Jamie is also a valued member of our Course Team and enjoyed the wedding so much he may also be considering following in his brother’s footsteps and settling down…

Andrew W Kirkman

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ADAM SCOTT RQ JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME With the warmer weather now upon us, many of the Juniors have been enjoying some lovely Sunday mornings at their clinics. The last three months has seen four new JDP Members join our ranks, and two Members have moved up a level to a higher skill group. Obviously the practising is showing its worth. Recent Activities Congratulations to those who were able to play either the 18 or 9 hole competitions on the Mondays and Fridays of the recent school holidays. This quarter we also had the Gold group JDP Members assisting the Pros in mentoring some of our younger Members. This went down well, with both groups both taking various positives from the session. On 9th September our special guest for the day was our very own Christina Mew. Christina spent

the morning assisting our Professionals and also provided plenty of question and answer time relaying her practice traits and playing experiences which have elevated her to one of the elite female amateurs in Australia. We have recently been assisting Golf Queensland in their preparation of some case studies into Junior Golf in Queensland. In particular we have provided background on our JDP programme and the challenges we face in delivering the high quality programme that we set out to achieve. The Brisbane Junior Championships were played at RQ on 2nd September, with our highest placed Juniors being Josh Pedder placing 8th in the nett, and Ben Ryan finishing 11th in the Gross. The MyGolf programme has been progressing well and the Bronze group in particular has shown some great results since we purchased a new playing kit. This kit has been tailor made for their ages instead of using the usual cut-down golf clubs, which tend to be a tad too heavy. Date Changes As with last year we have a date change for Parent Day and JDP Championship Day. Parent Day will now be 2nd December, and Championship Day 9th December. Thanks A big thankyou again to all the parents and supporters for regularly lending a hand, particularly on the MyGolf days. Please be reminded that within the JDP fees for Gold and Silver groups are two free lessons from our Professionals. If you have not used these to date please contact Andrew, James or Richard in the Pro Shop to arrange a time. If anyone knows someone interested in joining the JDP programme please feel free to contact Marion, Jo or myself with any questions.

Ralph Heading, Programme Coordinator

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Congratulations to 21 new Members who have joined RQ in recent months: Melissa Bacon Mitchell Ingram Katrina Barnes Janelle DeSouza Elise Bryant Kate Duffield Stephen Bizzell Samantha Psaros Greg Jackson Peter Dighton Tim Beirne David Lindeberg Richard Millard Stephen Rider Christopher Thomson Malcolm White Jenny Kleimeyer Maurice Kluge Lesley Ingram John McEvoy Nathan Winders We hope you will enjoy the wonderful facilities available, and make many new friendships.

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RQ Associates and Reciprocal Visitors Visited the

Prado Exhibition

2012 Associate Club Champion, Christina Mew

ASSOCIATES’ NEWS 2012 Competition Results As 2012 comes to a close, all of our major golfing events have concluded and we have enjoyed a long stretch of fine weather, ensuring that no postponements were necessary, other than for the final of the Foundation Cup. We congratulate the following winners: Williams Mayflower Cup................................................. Mrs S King Scott

Runner Up........................................................... Mrs E Bush Williams Mayflower Cup (Div 2)..................................... Mrs G Green

Runner Up........................................................... Mrs P Thring Isabel Conwell Trophy.................................................... Mrs S Cox Div 2.................................................................................. Mrs D Larkin Foursomes Championship (Lady Douglas Salver) .... Mrs S King-Scott and Mrs J Ford Foundation Cup ............................................................. Dr J Leggett and Mrs E Bush

Runner Up .......................................................... Mrs J Lyons and Mrs R Wilson Charles Earp Cup............................................................ Mrs E Bush Our paramount golfing event, the Club Championship, was keenly contested during the month of August, and we had an enjoyable presentation and celebration after the finals on Sunday 19 August for the participants as well as the Associates who followed the matches during the day. We congratulate the following winners: 2012 Associate Club Champion .................................... Miss C Mew

Runner Up........................................................... Mrs S King Scott Beth Macdonald Trophy (Second eight Division 1)..... Mrs M Waller

Runner Up........................................................... Mrs G Madders Bronze Cup Division 2.................................................... Mrs D Larkin

Runner Up .......................................................... Mrs G Green Margaret Bergin Trophy Division 3 ............................... Mrs B McGuire

Runner Up........................................................... Mrs T Carter

Christine Thomas scored a hole-in-one on the 11th hole on 20th September. Jennifer Vickers won the 25+ years membership trophy. Nine Associates achieved 25 years of membership, which was celebrated at a lunch in September. Elspeth Macdonald entertained with some interesting stories of the old days at RQ, and photos of the Clubhouse opening 30 years ago were displayed. We now look forward to the Clubhouse Upgrade Project being completed by the end of November.

2012 Event Highlights and Upcoming Events The Governor, Her Excellency Ms. Penelope Wensley AC, attended our Heritage day on 12th August, being the exact day the Club was founded in 1921. As Patron of the charity “Dress for Success” she is very pleased that we are supporting it as our charity on Grand Finale Day. Once again, we look forward to the support of all Members, as we will be selling raffle tickets prior to 13th November and collecting donations of clothes and accessories. Queensland Rugby League’s donation of a signed Queensland State of Origin Rugby League jersey for auction will also help the cause considerably. On our Reciprocal Clubs Weekend in October, the Committee enjoyed escorting Visitors from interstate and New Zealand on a day out at South Bank, including a visit to the Prado exhibition at QAG, GOMA, and the Museum to see the Gwen Gillam exhibition.

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Objects Recently Found on the Course by Fairway Units

ASSOCIATES’ NEWS (cont.) All Members and guests are invited to attend Melbourne Cup day. This year we will be celebrating the great achievements of the horse of the year, Black Caviar. We are repeating the 2011 Trip Away to Parkwood International GC after their fine hospitality last year. Mixed Closing Day on 9th December will be a great occasion as we will be trialling our newly upgraded Clubhouse with the grand new Balcony. We look forward to a refreshing shower after golf too!

Judy Street and Stephanie Cumming

COURSE MANAGEMENT REPORT Course Talk We move into the Open Cub Championship period and the Greens staff endeavour to provide the best possible conditioning for the course. Warmer weather has brought with it unseasonal growth and maintenance regimes are changing as we manipulate procedures to deal with the growing season. Transplanting of Jacarandas to the left of the 11th hole has been completed, and will tie into existing tree lines in coming years. The two saplings were removed from their existing area on the right of the green, as they would encroach on green surrounds and the green in the future, and were under the canopy of existing trees. They have been positioned to tie in with existing plantings at the rear of the 11th/13th greens and also replace a tree which was lost in a storm in December 2010. They have been planted in anticipation of the loss of the large Jacaranda near the 14th tee area, and by planting now it is hoped they may reach some maturity so that loss may not be so evident when it occurs.

Maintenance Matters

Maintenance can often be hampered by dull and blunt mowing equipment. It is a crucial part of our maintenance and is one reason we have a dedicated mechanic in Peter Hamilton, who ensures that machinery is correctly set and fully operational. Dull and blunt cutting equipment will cause injury to the plant and leaves the plant susceptible to pathogen attack. Rough and high mow areas are mown with rotary mowers which rely on a blade rotating at up to 270km/h to slash through and cut with a scythe-like action. These mowers are sharpened periodically or when needed. All low mow areas (11mm and under) are mown with cylinder or reel mowers. These rely on contact between a set bottom blade and a rotating cylinder of blades (between 5 and 11 blades – more blades increases clip rate), which through a scissor action cut the leaf of the plant. Adjustments to the cutting unit are made by lowering the cylinder or reel onto the bottom blade for a consistent smooth contact between the two surfaces Cylinders are sharpened using a backlapping method and are done weekly, with greens cylinders requiring extra care and attention.

Some mowers are more susceptible to picking up objects in these cutting units than others. Very rarely do we have problems with the greens mowers, as the surface is so tight that objects will most often sit on the surface and be easily seen. Fairway mowers on the other hand, find quite a lot of objects as these will often sit down a bit in the canopy. This makes it very difficult to see a ball marker or such across a 3m width when you are following the outside cutter to ensure you have correct overlap. Mowing in autumn, winter, and spring is often done in the early hours when there is less light and sometimes heavy dew which can further hinder the operator’s visual capacity for identifying these objects. Pictured are some of the objects which have been found by the fairway units over the last couple of months. Each time one of these passes through a unit the machine is pulled out of action and Peter

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COURSE MANAGEMENT REPORT (cont.) performs ‘surgery’, so to speak, as he tries to lap the unit back into a useable state. However, some repairs are too big and the unit is taken to Toro for grinding and resetting - depending on the seriousness of the repair it may cost anywhere from $200 - $500 per unit affected. More serious damage to reels can cost up to $2500 for replacement. Accidents happen and things fall out of pockets, off bags, and out of buggies. However, we ask any Member who sees any object to please pick it up, no matter how small. Staff are always on watch for these items but cannot cover the entire course in the way a full field of players can.

Congratulations

Best wishes go to Adam Mills and his new wife Natalya, who were recently married and honeymooned in Mauritius. Congratulations also go to Mick Todd and Chris Coop who have been selected in the Queensland Indoor Cricket team to play in the Australian Championships.

Marcus Price, Course Manager

PRO SHOP PRONOUNCEMENTS The last month has been quite a month for the golfing world. Firstly, the final of the FEDEX Cup and then the Ryder Cup. And who would have thought that after the first two days of the Ryder Cup the Europeans would win? The Chicago crowd definitely didn’t. This was a perfect example of “It is not over until it is over”. I am not sure what the odds were for a European win on the morning of the last day, but I don’t think you would have had any difficulty finding a bookmaker to take your money if you wanted to back the Europeans. “It is not over until it is over”. How many times have you started a round poorly, particularly a Stroke round, and thought, “I might as well go home”. By having these thoughts you are suggesting that either you are going to play the remaining holes in a similar fashion as the previous, or you have given the field too much start. One of the peculiarities of the game of golf is that you can have up to 240 fellow competitors and other than the three you are playing with you cannot influence anything the other 237 are doing. You have no idea how the other players are performing and no idea of your position in the field. If you get off to a bad start, the best advice I can give is to get back into your “Shot by Shot” routine. Your focus should be on this shot, and this shot only, not influenced by the collective result of previous shots. Don’t allow the result of a previous shot to influence a future shot in a negative way. Performance Golf Growing the Game The next instalment of our Performance Golf Growing the Game clinics will take place in Kalbarri, Western Australia on Wednesday 31st October. We have 150 excited schoolchildren looking forward to the day. I will have some pictures for you in the November edition of the Performance Golf newsletter. If you do not currently receive the monthly newsletter please contact the Pro Shop to have your email address added to the database. What’s New? We have a number of new products available now in the Pro Shop. The new range of ladies’ and men’s Footjoy shoes has just arrived. There are some new styles, particularly in the ladies’ range that look fantastic. Be sure to look for the Graffiti model. Ping Golf has released two new additions to their range of already fantastic clubs. The new ladies’ SERENE series is a new lightweight ladies’ club and the ANSER is the new men’s addition, offering for the first time with Ping an adjustable driver. Both clubs are available for fitting in the Pro Shop. Titleist Golf Ball Promotion The annual Titleist golf ball promotion commences on 27th October. With the purchase of one dozen Titleist golf balls you will go into the draw to win a trip to Barnbougle Dunes. One lucky person who purchases from Royal Queensland will win the limited edition Titleist golf bag on display in the Pro Shop. The new 913 range of Titleist Drivers will be available for fitting from the first week of November. Having viewed these Drivers I can report that they look similar to the 910 but have an improved face design/construction that is lowering spin rates to produce more penetrating ball flights. There is a new range of shafts available, as well as the tried and true from the 910 series.

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For the Pool Room!

Bid Now on this Signed Queensland State of Origin Jersey

PRO SHOP PRONOUNCEMENTS (cont.) Lesson and Gift Vouchers Just a reminder that Christmas is looming and if you’re looking for a gift for the golfer who has everything (except the scores they want!), give them a gift voucher for lessons to fill in the missing link. Over the summer period we are offering the opportunity for Members to bring a friend or family member who is interested in playing, or is already playing golf, but who is not an RQ Member, to share a one hour golf lesson with you at a special rate. Enquiries are through the Pro Shop. Fitting Days Mizuno Fitting Day – Wednesday 31st October, 10am – 1pm Ping Fitting Day – Thursday 15th November, 1 – 5 pm MacGregor Fitting Day – Friday 16th November ,10am – 6pm Odyssey Putter Fitting Day – Wednesday 14th November, 10am – 2pm The timetables and booking sheets for these events are on the Club website.

Chris Rutherford

FORTHCOMING EVENTS As the end of the season approaches, some very enjoyable events will be staged for Members and Associates to enjoy.

Associates’ Grand Finale Day and Luncheon – Tuesday 13th November

This year’s theme for Grand Finale Day is “Dress for Success”, as the Associates’ Committee has decided to support the charity organisation Dress for Success on this day. Associates are asked to donate clothing and accessories in good condition for the charity – please go to Associates’ News on the Club website for details of items required and how and when you can donate.

Additionally, a signed Queensland State of Origin Rugby League jersey on display in the Pro Shop is up for grabs - bids are being taken now and close on Tuesday 13th November 2012 at 10am. You may sign the register in the Pro Shop or contact Marion Geddes on 3633 6510 with your bid. All funds raised from this auction are being donated to “Dress for Success”.

Associates’ Annual General Meeting – Tuesday 20th November

Charles Earp Presentation Function – Wednesday 21st November

Monthly Medal Final. Summer Cup 1st Qualifying Round – Saturday 24th November

Graham Duus Memorial Trophy - Golf followed by Lunch and Fundraising Auction – Sunday 18th November

The annual fundraiser for our Junior Golf programme is a fun day capped off with a great lunch, prize giving, and auction. We are seeking donations of items for prizes or that can be auctioned on the day. Please contact Captain John Greenhalgh or the office if you can assist.

Closing Day – President’s v Captain’s Team Match. Annual General Meeting /Presentation Dinner – Saturday 1st December

Summer Cup – 2nd Qualifying Round – Saturday 8th December

Mixed Closing Day. Mixed Canadian Foursomes followed by Dinner – Sunday 9th December

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RQ Reciprocal Clubs Weekend 2012

2012 RECIPROCAL CLUBS WEEKEND We recently enjoyed a wonderful weekend with representatives of 14 of our Reciprocal Clubs and over 150 attendees throughout the weekend of golf and social activities. Our Members, Associates and their partners enjoyed meeting with a very fine group of like-minded persons with common interests and similar backgrounds. The 2012 Royal Queensland Golf Club Reciprocal Clubs Weekend commenced with a relaxing social game of golf on the RQ links. Guests were paired with RQ Members to provide a friendly introduction to the course. Golf concluded with a chilled glass of champagne which led into a delightful Welcome Cocktail Party. On Saturday morning 6th October the Associates’ Committee escorted 20 female Reciprocal Guests by boat to visit Brisbane’s Cultural Centre on the South Bank. They visited the Queensland Art Gallery to view the “Portrait of Spain: Masterpieces from the Prado” exhibition, the first from their collection ever to be shown in the Southern Hemisphere. An Italian lunch was enjoyed at Popolo Restaurant on the river, followed by a quick look at Jessica Watson’s Pink Lady yacht, with guests marvelling at how small it was for such a grand achievement. A walk over the Goodwill Bridge then on through the Botanical Gardens to the return ferry terminal completed a most enjoyable day out in Brisbane. Whilst the ladies were relaxing in and around South Bank, the gentlemen spent the day relaxing on the course. The 6,304 metre golf course played, whilst not right off the back tees, definitely lived up to its reputation of a challenging test with only one of the 48 Reciprocal Guests and RQ Members playing to their handicap. Word certainly got around that RQ was hosting some special high profile interstate and international guests, with photographers clamouring to gain a view of the private Club via any means possible including plane, car and even ship. On Saturday night guests were treated to a sumptuous array of fresh Queensland produce that satisfied the culinary requirements of the 100 attendees at the dinner, with the Kingaroy Lamb Rack and Moreton Bay Bug the highlight. Kerry Wark, on behalf of RQ Members, explained to the Reciprocal Guests the importance of the Reciprocal Clubs Weekend and the relationships with their Clubs. The fellowship of golf and quality of persons represented ensured an enjoyable weekend that would further develop these friendships. The evening drew to a close around 10:30pm when some guests with strange accents asked “when does the bus leave?”, as they wanted a good sleep before the all important Sunday match. Sunday morning 7th October started with an early breakfast at the Club just after 6:30am. A strong field of over 100 golfers played in the morning Mixed 4BBB Stableford event, with some players taking longer than others to “warm up”. Royal Wellington guests continued the strong golf with Lyn Lindsay carrying her husband Ian around the course to post a winning guest score of 45 points. The RQ Members revelled in the balmy Queensland weather, with Jennifer Vickers and David White posting a fantastic score of 47 points, closely followed by Nols and Mike Pelly on 46 points. The Closing Lunch on Sunday afternoon continued the relaxed, convivial atmosphere of the weekend. Ray Young, President of Royal Canberra Golf Club, did a fine job as closing speaker on behalf of the 14 Reciprocal Clubs in attendance, thanking the RQ Members in particular for the fine hospitality displayed throughout the event.

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RQ Professional Andrew Marchbank

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Andrew Marchbank is one of RQ’s AAA Rated PGA Professionals and works both in the service and retail section of the Pro Shop, along with providing Professional tuition on the Driving Range and the golf course. Andrew originally started his employment at Royal Queensland Golf Club in May 2007 and left in July 2009 when his wife took an employment opportunity in Perth. Following the birth of their first child, and with a desire to be closer to his and his wife’s family network in Brisbane, we are fortunate that Andrew returned to the Club late in 2011. What do you enjoy most about working at RQ? Interacting with the diverse membership and also my involvement with the Junior Development Programme. Are you a golfer? Yes, I started playing golf at age 10 when my parents relocated to a house that backed onto Ashgrove Golf Club. Ever since I have been addicted; mainly because of the constant mental challenges the game provides. How do you like to spend your leisure time? At the beach as much as possible. Cycling. Generally being outdoors with my family. Best meal you’ve ever eaten? A 16 course degustation menu at the Buffalo Club in Fortitude Valley. What type of music do you like? Lots. Alternative style music such as Xavier Rudd and John Butler Trio. If you could invite three people to play a round of golf, who would they be? Lee Trevino, Old Tom Morris, and Bobby Jones. Describe your dream holiday? Somewhere where I could surf, play golf with a view of the ocean, and have a beer at a microbrewery on the same day, all within walking distance. What is one thing on your ‘bucket list’? Drive around Australia with Katina and Ben with the surfboards on the roof. Who makes you laugh? My wife and son, among others. One thing people might not know about you? My favourite topic to read about is philosophy. Also, I am a beer enthusiast and have a list of every different beer I have tasted since September 2005. The list is over 800 long, and growing…

STAY INFORMED WITH GOLF AUSTRALIA Sign up for the Golf Australia Family newsletter and stay in the know: Golf Australia is keen to keep golfers informed about what is happening in golf in this country. From handicapping modifications, Australian Opens, rules, programmes, and golf news, the Golf Australia Family newsletter will keep you up to speed. To sign up, simply go to http://www.golfaustralia.org.au/default.aspx?s=newslettersignup and you will go into the draw to win a $500 Drummond Golf voucher. To view an example of the Golf Australia Family newsletter, go to: http://www.golfaustralia.org.au/site/_content/document/00012770-source.pdf

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2012 NORRIS MOTOR GROUP ROYAL QUEENSLAND CUP PRO AM

The 2012 Norris Motor Group Royal Queensland Cup had a classy line-up this year, with numerous Professionals having played in some top events including three Pros who had played in the 2012 British Open. The Professionals played for $60,000 in prize money, with David McKendrick and Nick Russell sharing in over $17,000 for equal first with 69 off the stick. A full field of 84 Professionals and 140 amateurs in the AM and PM fields played in the RQ Pro Am on Friday. Joint winner David McKendrick was actually the last player accepted into the field. David had been working in the rain at his golf Club in Melbourne on the Thursday when he received a call from the PGA office asking him if he wanted to play the following day at Royal Queensland Golf Club, as there had been a cancellation. David, having never been to RQ, accepted immediately and jumped on a plane that night so he could make the Friday morning 6:45am shotgun start!

There were many prizes on offer, with the team prize comprising three amateurs and a Professional won with 131 points by Vice-President Des Knight, Ross Bishop, Rob King-Scott, and Professional Ben Bloomfield. The after dinner entertainment was an interview by Captain John Greenhalgh and Vice-Captain Ralph Heading, of RQ Member and former bass player and founding member of the iconic band Powderfinger, John Collins, who toured Australia and the World for over 20 years. The audience was given an insight into the behind-the-scenes life of a rock and roll star and the early days before the band became a household name. Thank you to all sponsors as listed below who continue to support our premier event: Mr Scott Wood of Action Formwork (Aust)

Pty Ltd Mr Alan Millhouse and Mr Ren Niemann of

Allens Mr David McNamee of Coca-Cola Mr Barry Howard of NUTURF Mr Darren Bleach of QBE LMI Mr Tim Crommelin and Mr Peter Evans of

RBS Morgans Mr Mike Mason of RPS Australia Mr Ross Sarow and Mr Ben Cavanagh of Toro

Australia Mr Paul Norris of the Norris Motor Group Paul Norris and the Norris Motor Group continue to raise the bar, and 2012 was the first time that we mere amateurs had the opportunity to win a $70,000 vehicle with a hole in one on the 11th hole. Unfortunately, the VW Passat did not go off, but the talk is some Members have been practising hard from the 11th tee in recent months!

RQ Cup Winner David McKendrick with Captain John Greenhalgh

13.

RULES ARE RULES It is not uncommon when playing golf that a player has interference from artificial objects or structures which are not integral parts of the course. Rule 24 deals with the issues involved in dealing with obstructions. An “obstruction” is anything artificial, including the artificial surfaces and sides of roads and paths, except:

a. Objects defining out of bounds, such as walls, fences, stakes and railings;

b. Any part of an immovable artificial object that is out of bounds; and

c. Any construction declared by the Committee to be an integral part of the course.

An obstruction is a movable obstruction if it may be moved without unreasonable effort without unduly delaying play and without causing damage. Otherwise it is an immovable obstruction. This distinction is important as the Rules dealing with each form of obstruction differ. Movable obstructions - A player may take relief, without penalty, from a movable obstruction as follows:

a. If the ball does not lie in or on the obstruction, the obstruction may be removed. If the ball moves, it must be replaced, and there is no penalty, provided that the movement of the ball is directly attributable to the removal of the obstruction.

b. If the ball lies in or on the obstruction, the ball may be lifted and the obstruction removed. The ball must through the green or in a hazard be dropped, or on the putting green be placed, as near as possible to the spot directly under the place where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole. The ball may be cleaned when lifted under this Rule. However, when a ball is in motion, an obstruction that might influence the movement of the ball, other than equipment of any player or the flagstick when attended, removed, or held up, must not be moved.

It is advisable to mark your ball before proceeding. This will retain the reference point, especially if moving a movable obstruction may influence the ball to move. Immovable obstructions

a. Interference - Interference by an immovable obstruction occurs when a ball lies in or on the obstruction, or when the obstruction interferes with player’s stance or the area of his intended swing. If the ball lies on the putting green, interference also occurs if an immovable on the putting green intervenes on his line of putt. Otherwise, intervention on the line of play is not interference under this Rule.

b. Relief - Except when the ball is in a water hazard or lateral water hazard, a player may take relief from

interference by an immovable obstruction as follows:

(i) Through the Green: If the ball lies through the green, the player must lift and drop it, without penalty, within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief which must not be in a hazard or on a putting green, and when dropped the ball must strike a part of the course that avoids interference by the immovable obstruction.

(ii) In a Bunker: If the ball is in a bunker, the player must lift and drop it either:

(a) Without penalty, in accordance with Clause (i) above, except that the nearest point of relief must be in the bunker and the ball must be dropped in the bunker; or

(b) Under the penalty of one stroke, outside the bunker keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped.

14.

Illustration 1

Illustration 2

RULES ARE RULES (cont.)

(iii) On the Putting Green: If the ball lies on the putting green, the player must lift the ball and place it, without penalty, at the nearest point of relief that is not in a hazard. The nearest point of relief may be off the putting green.

(iv) On the Teeing Ground: If the ball lies on the teeing ground, the player must lift the ball and drop it, without

penalty, in accordance with Clause (i) above.

The ball may be cleaned when lifted under this Rule. Exception: A player may not take relief under this Rule if (a) interference with anything apart from an immovable obstruction makes the stroke clearly impracticable or (b) interference with an immovable obstruction would occur only through use of a clearly unreasonable stroke or an unnecessarily abnormal stance, swing, or direction of play.

It must be emphasised that relief is not obtained from an immovable obstruction when the ball lies in a water hazard or a lateral water hazard. The ball must be played as it lies or proceed under Rule 26-1. The following examples should illustrate more clearly how this Rule is applied. Question 1 - When playing the first hole, your ball comes to rest against a rake lying outside the greenside bunker. When you remove the rake, your ball rolls into the bunker. What is the correct procedure? (See Illustration 1) Answer 1 - The rake is a movable obstruction. You may remove it without penalty. If your ball moves when removing the obstruction, it must be replaced (without penalty). If the ball does not remain on the spot, the ball

should be placed on the nearest spot where it can be placed at rest that is not nearer the hole and not in a hazard. This illustrates the rationale behind marking the ball before moving the rake. Question 2 - Your approach shot to the 18th green finishes on the fringe of the green with a sprinkler head on your line of play to the hole. Do you get relief from this obstruction? (See Illustration 2) Answer 2 - Yes. Although line of play is not deemed interference from an immovable obstruction while off the green, Royal Queensland has a Local Rule allowing relief from immovable obstructions within two club-lengths of the green and within two club-lengths of the ball, if the immovable obstruction intervenes on the line of play between the ball and the hole. Question 3 - You hit your tee shot into the water hazard at the 8th hole and find it adjacent to the retaining wall supporting the bridge. The ball is behind a loose brick which has fallen off this wall. Can you move this brick to play your shot out of the hazard? (See Illustration 3) Answer 3 - Yes. The retaining wall is an immovable obstruction from which the player is not entitled to relief without penalty in a water hazard. The loose brick, as long as it is easily moved, is a movable obstruction which can be removed without penalty (Decision 24/6).

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Illustration 4

Illustration 3

RULES ARE RULES (cont.) Note: This situation emphasises that a player does not get relief from immovable obstructions in water hazards as one does in bunkers, whereas a player is able to move a movable obstruction anywhere on the course. Question 4 - A player’s ball comes to rest on the road on the right side of the 5th hole. (See Illustration 4)

a. Can he get relief from this road without penalty?

b. The nearest point of relief is on bare earth behind the water fountain. Can he get relief from this as it is in his line of play?

Answer 4 

a. Yes. As the surface of the road is artificial (crushed granite), it is an immovable obstruction (Decision 24/9). Those “roads” on the course without artificial surfacing are not immovable obstructions but integral parts of the course from which there is no relief without penalty (Local Rules).

b. No. The player must choose the nearest point of relief so that the road does not interfere with his stance or position of his ball. Because this is on bare ground, and as line of play is not interference from an immovable obstruction, a better option would be to play the ball as it lies on the road, as relief from an immovable obstruction is optional. It is wise to establish where the ball will need to be dropped before touching the ball to obtain relief, for if a player marks his ball and picks it up prior to getting relief and then finds that he would be worse off by dropping the ball in a less favourable position, if he then decides to play the ball from its original position, he incurs a penalty under Rule 18-2 for touching or lifting a ball in play.

Question 5 - When playing the 5th hole from the Members’ tee, your ball ends up on the Associates’ tee. What are your options? (See Illustration 5)

a. You may move the tee marker to play your shot.

b. You may not move the tee marker and are not permitted to take relief without penalty, so you must play the ball as it lies.

c. In the Rules of Golf the status of a tee marker is “fixed”, so you may drop way from it without penalty.

d. Buy a bottle of red wine for your playing partners for failing to get past the Associates’ tee.

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Illustration 6

Illustration 5

Illustration 7

RULES ARE RULES (cont.) Answer 5  - (a).You may move the tee marker to make the stroke. Under Rule 11-2, tee-markers are deemed to be fixed when playing the first stroke with any ball from the teeing ground, after which they are obstructions (Decision 11-2/1). As the tee marker is easily moved, it is

a movable obstruction, but should be replaced after playing the stroke. Option (d) is not a Rule of golf, but often invoked as a penalty at RQ!

Question 6 - When playing the 16th hole, a player’s ball lies between two exposed tree roots beside the road between the 10th green and the tree on the left side of the 16th fairway. The ball is clearly unplayable due to the roots. When addressing the ball the player is standing on the road which has an artificial surface. (See Illustration 6)

The player claims he is entitled to relief, without penalty, under Rule 24-2b(i). Is the player correct? Answer 6 - No. See Exception under Rule 24-2b. The player must invoke Rule 28 (ball unplayable). Hopefully these examples illustrate clearly the interpretation and implementation of Rule 24 dealing with obstructions. I appreciate the assistance of Peter Monks in reviewing this article. Question 7 - You are playing a 4-ball stoke play competition and your approach shot to the 17th green ends in the swale on the left of the green. As you play your shot up the bank to the green, it is heading towards the nearest-the-pin card on the edge of the green. While your ball is in motion, our partner lifts the metal card holder to prevent your ball striking it. What, if any, is the penalty? (See Illustration 7)

a. You are penalised 2 strokes.

b. Your partner is penalised 2 strokes.

c. Both you and your partner are penalised 2 strokes.

d. There is no penalty.

Answer 7 - (c). When a ball is in motion, an obstruction that might influence the movement of the ball other than the equipment of any player or the flagstick when attended, removed or held up, must not be moved. Your partner is penalised 2 strokes in stroke play (or loss of hole in match play). As the lifting of the obstruction assisted you, you are also penalised 2 strokes (under Rule 31-8). Hopefully these examples illustrate clearly the interpretation and implementation of Rule 24 dealing with obstructions. I appreciate the assistance of Peter Monks in reviewing this article.

Neville Sandford