Sages President Newsletter June 2017
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The “Nationals” have come and gone. Thank you Zululand SAGES for undertaking this huge task. Everyone enjoyed the courses and were grateful that the rain only disrupted part of the last day. Those branches that have hosted a national tournament will know how many hours are involved and how few compliments are received.
At the AGM an ad hoc committee of 4 “wise men” were appointed to advise the National Committee on ways and means of improving the national tournament. It is getting expensive to attend, and it may be a good idea to rethink the duration and the format of the tournament. Our national secretary will help co-ordinate the working of this committee. Should you have brilliant ideas, you are most welcome to forward your pearls of wisdom to Elfie or me.
If SAGES, our stature as a senior golfing organisation grows, we can negotiate better deals for our tournaments. Our goal is to have 3200 SAGES members by 31/12/2020. New members do not walk in the front door – they become members because some SAGE recognised suitable values in their candidate and then invite him or her to join. Look at your golfing friends in your club or in other clubs, invite them to a SAGES game. Use your CANSA golf day to invite a bunch of candidates. I am asking each SAGE to find a new member or two
The rules of golf make it very clear that each golfer is the primary judge of possible breaches of the rules in his play, and that his score, as agreed with his marker, is entered into the handicapping system timeously. It is unacceptable to forget good scores deliberately, to enter incorrect gross scores or incorrect standard tee ratings or to enter fictitious scores. It is unacceptable to deliberately play some holes poorly if your better-ball partner is doing well.
In a round of golf, the idea is to beat your handicap, which should be an accurate reflection of your golfing ability, and not to MANAGE your handicap (to gain an unfair advantage).
A true golfer is offended when markers overlook transgressions of the rules, when golf
clubs do not act firmly against habitual offenders who do not enforce swiping of HNA
cards before the game. I therefore ask:-
1. That each branch ensures that golf clubs swipe our cards before any SAGES tournament. Put pressure on those golf clubs from refraining to swiping the cards as their accounting system does not cater for your negotiated rate.
That branches that organize inter-branch tournaments keep a record of the players, their branch, with their handicaps, HNA numbers and adjusted gross scores. It will assist in monitoring compliance where there is no swiping.
With snow on the mountains of the Cape and KZN, and with only a few drops of water
left in our dams, we are being forced to drink red wine in front of the stove at night. Keep your beanies on and keep your head down if playing in these icy conditions..
Dis verfrissend om met ‘n nuwe lid van SAGES te speel en te ontdek hoe entoesiasties hy of sy is oor die geleentheid om met ‘n verskeidenheid van gawe seniors op ander bane te speel. Moet nooit die voordele van SAGES lidmaatskap onderskat nie.
As seniors raak ons soms slap in die toepassing van die reëls in sosiale rondtes, en daarom is dit lekker om te sien dat die reels wel aandag kry in tak nuusbriewe. Gaan so voort en speel volgens die reëlboek en die gedragskodes van ons spel..
Die “Nationals” het gekom en gegaan. Dankie Zoeloeland dat julle gewillig was om die organisasie daarvan te onderneem. Almal het dit geniet en was dankbaar dat die reën net ‘n deel van die laaste dag ontwrig het. Vorige organiseerders weet hoe min die dankie-sê en komplimente na die toernooi kan wees. Stadige spel - hierdie keer het meer vierballe probeer om by die vierbal voor hulle te hou. Dankie daarvoor.
Gedurende die AJV is ‘n ad hoc komitee van vier “wyse” manne aangestel om te kyk na die formaat en koste van ons nasionale toernooie. Heelwat spelers het die Zoeloeland toernooi nie bygewoon nie aangesien die kostes buite beperkte was. Ons Nasionale Sekretaris sal die komitee met die taak help. Enige briljante idees sal waardeer word, stuur hulle gerus vir Elfie of vir my.
SAGES groei in statuur, en kan beter spel fooie beding as ons ledetal groei. Daarom is ons mikpunt om 3200 lede teen die einde van 2020 te hê. Maar nuwe lede loop nie net sommer by die voordeur in nie – hulle word uitgenooi om SAGES te beproef. Kyk na jou gholfvriende. Nooi hul uit na ‘n SAGES wedstryd. Gebruik jou tak se KANSA gholfdae om ‘n groep potensiële lede te nooi om te kom speel. Ek vra elke lid om een of twee lede te werf.
Uit die gholf reëls is dit duidelik dat die speler hom/haarself ‘n strafhou behoort toe te ken waar ‘n oortreding begaan is, en dat hy betyds sy/haar telling in die voorgee stelsel moet invoer. Dis onaanvaarbaar om die goeie tellings te vergeet, of die verkeerde telling of standaardsyfer of selfs fiktiewe tellings in te voer - of op te hou probeer op ‘n putjie as jou beterbal maat alreeds die punte gemaak het,
Party spelers dink dis slim om jou voorgee te BESTUUR, eerder as om op jou beste teen jou voorgee te speel. Dis oneties. ‘n Ware gholfer raak omgekrap wanneer ‘n merker oortredings ignoreer of gholfklubs nie ferm optree teen gewoonte misdadigers nie, en nie die inlees van kaarte by die betaalpunt afdwing nie.
Ek vra dus
Dat elke tak verseker dat gholfklubs wel die kaarte inlees voor ons toernooie Plaas druk op die takke wat weens hul boekhoustelsel nie ons kaarte wil inlees nie
Dat takke wat inter-tak kompetisies reël moet asseblief ‘n rekord hou van die spelers, hul voorgeë, takke, HNA nommers and aangepaste bruto-tellings. Dit sal help om die invoer van tellings na te gaan indien nodig, veral as die HNA kaarte nie ingelees is nie.
Met sneeu op die Kaapse berge en min water in ons damme, word ons manne van die Suide gedwing om saans rooiwyn by die kaggel te drink. Sterkte, hou jou mus op jou kop en jou kop af as jy in die koue gaan speel.