Captain's Newsletter - 28 April 2019

Apologies for the quality of these pictures, but the sun was actually shining on 11th April when the Jubilee Jug was played and affected the camera shots! The photos may not be great but the golf shots played by Angela H and Marica K were a cut above the rest of the field, coming in with a score of 42 pts, just ahead of Nikki and Nicola on 41 pts and taking the coveted Jubilee Jug.

Taking the best dressed pair crown in the 'Driving out the Blues' competition were Lauren P and Kathy D with their rather dangerous syringes! The 'Blues Brothers' of Linda B and Pat W and 'The Ladies on Patrol' from Di C and Christine S were also brilliant and certainly made the decision a very difficult one!

Back to this last week and an eagerly awaited result for the Ann Warner and Maureen Eastwood Trophy! The weather was not quite as difficult as the weekend 'alternate' day, but nevertheless the weather conditions were not easy with rain never far away. Coming in with the highest score in Division 1 over both days was Jan K with 36 pts, but the Ann Warner Trophy goes to Lauren P with 35 pts. Once Jan K gets all 3 qualifiers under her belt, she will surely be a force to be reckoned with! Well done to both ladies. In Division 2, a similar situation arose with Debbie F coming in with 36 pts, but taking the Maureen Eastwood Trophy with 33 pts was Annabel Scholes. Well done to both Debbie and Annabel for some great golf.

Our Friendly Squad of ladies went off to Pavenham, near Bedford for their first match of the season. Those of you who have played there, will know how very difficult the course and particularly the greens are. As in previous years, the match went to the home team, but our ladies enjoyed their day and the friendship of the Pavenham Ladies.

Going it alone this week, I am really pleased to tell you that Jackie R won her first round of the De Paula Cup. Well done and we look forward to following your progress.

On a cool breezy Sunday morning in the shadow of the Cathedral at St Albans, the Scratch Team - Sarah, Virginia, Pat, Kathy and Olive (who was making her debut) set out to beat the ladies of Verulam...! The matches were close and played in a lovely spirit, with lots of laughs and some good shots!!! Congratulations go to Virginia, Kathy and our debutant Olive for fantastic wins, giving Chesfield another superb 3 and 2 win away from home. Thanks to all the girls for another great performance which continues our great start to the season.

At the Jubilee Jug gathering and in a previous newsletter, I mentioned that the committee is working on ensuring the data we hold on all our members and the way this is stored, complies with the new regulations of GDPR. To this end, you should all have received an email requiring you to confirm your consent to continue on our mailing list. Can I please ask you to take the time to do this. It should only take a few minutes to complete and is really simple to do. In the next week or so, we will be in contact with you again regarding the wider information we hold.

In an effort to ensure that the Miss Designer Golf Day which will be held on Tuesday 2nd July, is open to as many as possible, it will run through til dusk!! This will mean that the normal Ladies Tuesday tee times will be used and if you are unable to play during those times, you will be able to book a tee time later on that day, playing with another lady member and still be eligible for the BIG PRIZE. I am thrilled to be able to tell you that the 1st prize will be a £100 gift voucher from Miss Designer Golf, the 2nd prize a £40 gift voucher and 3rd prize a £20 voucher. All those competing on the day will also receive a £10 gift voucher. Look out for the poster in the Locker Room!

Finally the tee time sheet for the Spring Meeting is now on the Notice board, there is still room for some latecomers, so please let me know if you want to take part. A Raffle in aid of Mind in Mid Herts and Tilehouse Counselling will be held alongside the meal.

Fingers crossed for some warmer weather and good luck to all those playing in the May Medal (Maximum Score) match on Thursday, which will also bring a winner of the Pearson Trophy from all those who have taken part in the Pearson Season of matches during 2018/19.

Keep golfing
Yours
Margaret

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Captain's Newsletter - 21 April 2019

Happy Easter to you and all your families, I hope you have had a wonderful time together enjoying the sunshine and maybe just a little golf along the way!!

Certainly the weekend ladies who have played in the Ann Warner and Maureen Eastwood Trophy competition this last Saturday (the 2nd of our Alternate Days), will have had great weather and fine course conditions. No doubt they will have come in with some great scores! It doesn't look quite so promising for this coming Thursday when the weekday ladies compete in the same competition.

On Thursday of last week, the ladies played in the April Stableford Competition with the winners seem set to have a handicap cut or two! Amelia Fitzgerald, the vice captain of the Junior Section joined us and came in with an impressive 41 points. This is her first qualifying game within the Ladies Section and we look forward to welcoming her again when she has time in the school holidays. Jean P came in with a great score of 38 points to take top place in Division 2 and Lauren P won Division 1 with an equally impressive 37, beating Virginia on count back. Thursday also saw the final match for the Handicap Cup, played out between Rogie and Ann L. After a really tight match and going right down to the 18th hole, Ann was able to sneak a win. Well done to both ladies for such a tight battle played in the very best of spirits.

The Tuesday Club last week saw the second round of the Stableford League being played and once again the weather stayed fine for the ladies.

There were some impressive results in the last few weeks I feel I should mention. Vicky T and Rogie played their second round of the Daily Mail Foursomes at home and were deservedly pleased to beat the two ladies from Letchworth. They now await the 3rd round draw and will keep their fingers crossed for another home match!!

The Scratch Team began their season in fine form with a great win away at Ashridge, beating them 3:2. This was a great result on, what is, a difficult course. Their next match is against Veralum on Sunday 28th, away from home again. Good Luck ladies!!

The Friendly Squad begin their season on Friday 26th with an away game against Pavenham (near Bedford). If you want to know more about these games, their format and how to join the ladies, please contact Kathy Morris or myself. Everyone is welcome!

The committee and I are now well on the way to finalising the arrangements for the Spring Meeting on May 9th. The sign-up sheet is on the board for preferred tee times and the meal choices. So if you haven't put your name down and you want to be part of the day please do so. Rogie and I will be finalising the tee times later this week. Also coming up soon is the Ken Bird Trophy, played on Sunday 12th May against the Mens, Seniors and Juniors. If you are available and keen to take part, please put your name down very soon on the sheet in the Locker Room.

The Captains Charity Day is also not too far away and if you have any opportunities to gain vouchers, raffle prizes or outside sponsors for the day, please do let me know. Mind in Mid Herts and the Tilehouse Counselling are great charities and anything we can do to raise funds for them is very much appreciated.

For the first time, Chesfield Downs Ladies are running an Individual Stableford golf competition on Tuesday July 2nd, which will receive sponsorship from Miss Designer Golf! The three main prizes will be impressive and all those participating will also receive a gift from them! We are keen to ensure that everyone who wants to compete for these prizes, can do so, so please save the day if you can. More details will follow.

Once again, on a personal note I would like to say a big 'THANK YOU' to you all for the support you have given me over these last few weeks. It has been a difficult time for myself and the family and your understanding and kindness has meant a great deal.

Looking forward to some 'improving' golf!!

Your Lady Captain
Margaret Gentle

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Captain's Newsletter - 8 April 2019

Well, we all stayed dry on Saturday's Captains Drive In and here we all are! But where was this photograph taken? An Easter Egg for the first correct answer!! For those who couldn't attend, I managed to not disgrace myself at the critical point of the drive!! Not sure what could be said for the rest of my round, but hey, as we went down the first fairway, we all decided this was just a fun day of golf!! Needless to say, some teams took things very seriously indeed and I am please to say that two weekend ladies, Annabel S and Clare B were in the winning team, so well done to them! Juniors Hannah P and Junior Vice Captain Amelia F came away with the longest drive and the nearest to the pin in 2, great golf girls! It was good to see the nearest the pin on the 9th was taken by Lauren P, well done to her!

Thursday's game for last week was the April Club Medal (Maximum Score) competition. As you will see on HowDidiDo, new girl Olive came out on top in division 1 with a nett score of 75, closely followed by Hazel B who came in with nett 77 sharing 2nd place with Lauren P. The 2nd division was won by Katy Cook with a nett 70 and a much deserved handicap cut for her, snapping at her heels was Anne L, just one point behind (and a handicap cut too). Well done to all those who came in within their buffer zone, made kinder by a CSS of 73!

Tuesday's game of the week was the 1st round of the Stableford League. Several more rounds to go, so lets hope for some good weather on Tuesday 16th, when we get to play round 2!! Fingers crossed.

The Pearson Squad (above) have finished their 2018/19 season and now have to await the results of the outstanding matches within their group. A massive thanks to all the ladies who played and one special big thanks to Megan B for all the rallying, support and organising she has done over this season. Great Job!

It has been decided by the Committee that to assist in managing the competitions and moving people, which at times is necessary, we will be closing the on-line HowDidiDo element of the competition by 7 am on the Wednesdays before the games. If you wish to play after that time, please contact Lin and as always she will assist you in getting onto the list. Thank you.

I am told that the County Cards are now available from the Reception Desk. You will be aware that these cards provide you with a discount if you wish to play away from Chesfield, on most courses across the country! Very worthwhile collecting yours and there is no extra cost!

The season for the Par 3 competition began last month and many of our ladies join in with this, its an ideal opportunity to hone your short game skills! This competition is run by Jo Oliver, so do have a word with her if you are keen to join in. 

Finally, Nikki B has told me that there is a Room-share vacancy for the Away Weekend this year. If you have not yet decided to join us, please do have a word with myself or any of the Committee members. The trip is over the weekend of June 2nd to 4th, arriving Sunday late afternoon and departing after a second round of golf on Tuesday afternoon. This year we are going to Stoke by Nayland, Don't miss out!!

No newsletter next week friends (personal commitments), but I will get down to writing one again Easter Monday! If I don't see you in the meantime, enjoy the golf and the Easter Eggs!!

Yours
Margaret
Ladies Captain 2019

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Captain's Newsletter - 1 April 2019

I bet the ladies playing on Saturday in the Roger Burman Warm Up Trophy and who commented on the great conditions, didn't have to face this monster as it strolled across the green on a course in Georgia, USA last week!! Whatever the hazards at Chesfield Downs, they are nothing compared to watching an alligator walking just feet from you!! On home ground, Chesfield's penalty areas obviously didn't deter Jackie R, who won the competition with a great score of 41pts (6 pars and 1 birdie) beating Megan B by just one point! Brilliant result girls!!!

Earlier in the week, Thursday ladies competed for the Maria Moore Millenium Bowl, which this year was played as a Pairs Betterball competition. The weather was once again kind. Taking top spot were Jackie S and Hazel B with 42 pt. - a great score ladies. Unfortunately for them, Jackie was unable to win the Bowl, due to the lack of qualifiers under her belt, so the winners of the Bowl this time around were Katy Cook and Lin Goodey with just one point less (41 pts). Well done to the winners and all those taking part.

Tuesday of last week saw some last minute to'ing and fro'ing of numbers for various reasons and so the planned format was changed to a Pairs Betterball. Coming in 2nd place were Olive C and Jan K but winners on the day were Anne L and Katy with 44 points between them. Well done to them and all the Tuesday ladies who played.

So with the results all covered, lets move to a few reminders. I think most of the ladies playing in the Captains Drive In have selected their food option, but if you haven't, can I remind you to do so, please.

As you will have observed, the grounds staff have been busy over the last months positioning large boulders into the red penalty areas to ensure the integrity of the ditch is maintained. However, some people are still crossing the ditch particularly on the 14th on foot and with their trolleys, can I please ask that you use the bridges at all times, thank you.

On Saturday 13th April from 12 noon to 4 pm, Chesfield Downs are hosting a Crown Oneshot event which will be like an Open Day with a 40ft Putting Competition, fun activities, a BBQ and lots more. If you are free, please do come along and join in the fun!

There is a sign-up sheet in the locker room for all those ladies who play 9 holes or maybe just like to come up for a chat and a cuppa, to join us for afternoon tea on Jubilee Jug day, Thursday 11th April at 3 pm. We love having you with us, so please see if you can come along and join the fun of seeing the costumes!!!

Jackie R is kindly organising a trip down to the Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday 6th November to see 'The Music of the Night'. If you are interested please take a look at the poster in the locker room and speak to Jackie before 8th April deadline.

Finally, as many of you have been aware, it has been a difficult time for me over the last few weeks. Can I say a huge thank you for all your support and kind words of comfort. Dad had a very long, happy and well-lived life and we, as a family, will take great comfort in that!

Yours
Margaret x
Ladies Captain 2019

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