March Medal

19/3/2008 9 entries SSS 73 CSS 73
Scratch Winner Carol Fell 90
Silver Winner Carol Fell (10) 80
Bronze Winner Mary Irving (21) 75
R/UP Linda MacDougall (36) 75

Mail on Sunday

Ranfurly Castle Ladies played Kilmarnock Barassie Ladies in the Mail on Sunday Competition over the very blustery seaside links yesterday. We all tried our best but were unfortunately beaten 3 games to 2.

Bridge Evening

We held our annual bridge evening on Wednesday 13th February.
There were 17 tables and everyone seemed to enjoy the evening, especially 93 year old Walter McLeod who with his partner Gordon Davidson had a small slam in the first hand.
Vicky Martin won 1st prize Mary Irvine was 2nd and Sheona Barclay 3rd
Thank you to all the committee for a lovely supper.

February - 15 Hole Stableford Competition

Silver: R Ogilvie (17) 27 pts, V Howe (17) 26 pts
Bronze: P Wilson (36) 25 pts, J Dickie (36) 20 pts
(Played Wednesday 6th February 2008)

Handicap Seminar at Haggs Castle

Over 250 representatives (both Men and Women) from Golf Clubs in the West of Scotland attended seminars in the rules and regulations regarding maintaining and administering the new 2008 Unified Handicapping System for 2008.
The seminars were held at East Kilbride Golf Club in January and Haggs Castle Golf Club today and both venues had the comprehensive presentation of the new changes incorporated in the new manual.

Ranfurly Castle ladies Section Representatives that attended the Haggs Castle Meeting today were : Vivien Howe, Elizabeth Jessop and Agnes Williamson . The other Ranfurly Castle ladies there were Fiona Roger, Carol Fell (RLCGA) and Pamela MacKenzie (SLGA)

Thanks go to Lynne Terry (SLGA) and Kevin Weir (SGU) for their excellent presentation

Mary Hardie and Sheila Gray are thro' to the County Winter Foursomes Semi Finals

Congratulations go to Mary and Sheila who have progressed to the semi final stages of the Renfrewshire Ladies County Winter Foursomes. To read all about it go to The RLCGA Website

2008 Greenlees Fixtures

Tuesday 27th May: Troon (Away) 12noon
Tuesday 3rd June: Douglas Park (Home) 12noon
Thursday 26th June: Hilton Park (Away) 12noon
Tuesday 15th July: Prestwick St Nicholas (Home) 12 noon
Tuesday 29th July: Cochrane Castle (Away) 1:00pm
Friday 8th August: Kilmacolm (Home) 12noon
Monday 18th August: Kilmarnock Barassie(Home)12noon
Friday 29th August: Cathkin Braes (Away) 1:00pm

Handicap Seminar at Haggs Castle

The SLGA and SGU are running a series of regional handicapping seminars for all those involved at golf clubs in maintaining and administering handicaps. The seminars will include an overview of the CONGU UHS and a comprehensive presentation of the new changes incorporated in the new manual. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions. For a booking form click here

SLGA AGM - Pamela has one more year in office

The SLGA AGM took place yesterday at the Quality Station Hotel Perth and Carol Fell and Fiona Roger represented Ranfurly Castle at the meeting
SLGA's Chairman Margaret McNaughton's informative annual report was followed by the Finance Director Lynne Terry's detailed accounts annual review.
Ethel Jack was elected as President for the second year and Renfrewshire's Wendy Cameron and Rosemary Dykes were both re elected as one of the 13 Vice Presidents.
RLCGA's Past Captain Beth Paterson (Eastwood) was elected on to the board by the SLGA to replace Margaret MacNaughton who retires by expiry of her term of office.
Past Ranfurly Castle Captain and Renfrewshire Ladies County Captain Pamela MacKenzie is the West Division Representative on the Executive Committee of the SLGA for the 4th year and will retire in January 2009
Various resolutions proposed by the Board of directors were duly proposed and approved by the ladies present representing affiliated clubs,counties and societies.
Mrs Pat Wilson was then elected to be the new Chairman of the SLGA.
Carol Fell asked the board in the "any competent business" section, if County Medals were the same as Open Days for the new Congu regulation. The answer was given as yes and she said that this was impossible to administer unless you used the Home Clubs handicap computer where the competition was being played at and not use the county laptop. The SLGA said they would look into the matter and Carol has sent a report to the SLGA as requested by the new Chairman Pat Wilson. This report includes an explanation of the problem and a couple of suggestions on how to solve the problem

Ladies AGM --- Mary Hardie is our new Captain

A very successful AGM and prizegiving was held in the clubhouse on Thursday 17th January.
Mary Hardie was duly elected as our new Lady Captain. She welcomed Helen Abram as Vice Captain and Sheila Gray, Sheila Biggart and Eileen Walker as new committee members.
The AGM was followed by our usual prizegiving.
Carol Fell, our Ladies Champion, thanked the committee for all their work throughout the year.
Click here to see the Prize Winners List

Natasha Quayam is selected for the RLCGA Training Squad

Congratulations go to Natasha Qayum who has been invited to the Renfrewshire Ladies County Golf Association Winter Training Squad. Click on the following link to see all the members of the squad
Full list of the RLCGA Training Squad

SLGA Annual General Meeting

The SLGA AGM will be held on Saturday 19 January 2008 at 11.00 a.m. in the ballroom of the Quality Station Hotel in Perth. All the papers for the meeting were posted to clubs and counties on Wednesday 19 December.

Happy New Year to Everyone

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Merry Christmas to all our readers

Your Captain Mary Craig, Your Vice Captain Mary Harvie, Your Webmaster Carol Fell and all the committee wish all the ladies fom Ranfurly Castle Golf Club plus all of the Ranfurly Castle members who have read these 2007 golf stories a very Merry Christmas --- Click on the photo below to test your Christmas brain !!

Lauren admits she prefers running to golf

SPANISH ISLANDS GIRLS' CHAMPION
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Since publishing the story of Lauren Mackin, a 16-year-old Scottish girl living with her parents on the island of Majorca, winning the Spanish Balearic Islands' girls golf championship recently, it has come to light that golf is by no means her No 1 sport.
Lauren has confessed that running is not her main sport at the moment. She really does not have time to play golf!
The amazing thing about Lauren, who did not take up golf until four or five years ago, is that has improved her handicap from seven to four this year despite giving running her top priority
Last year Lauren played in the St Andrews girls’ open quaich (handicap) tournament and lost to Jessica Scott (Wanstead) by one hole in the final. Lauren was conceding nine strokes to her opponent.
Lauren is a member at Son Muntaner golf course, a newer course than its immediate neighbour, the better-known Son Vida. Both are fairly close to Palma, the capital of Majorca.
“I am also a member at Ranfurly Castle Golf Club in Scotland but I have not played there for a while,” said Lauren.
“Sometimes I go over to Scotland to visit family and friends.
“I’m a very sporty girl. I love all sports and challenges. I lay beach volleyball and I’m in the beach volleyball team here in Majorca. During the week I play tennis with my friends and sometimes I play golf.
“But my main sport at the moment is running. I compete nearly every weekend in races and I’m a member of a running team in Majorca.”
Lauren's mother Jennifer summed up her sporting daughter's prowess:
"I hope you don't think we are playing this (winning the Balearics' girls championship) down but we don't want you to think that our daughter is an up and coming golf star. However she is a very good runner and was the national Scottish Under-13 crosscountry champion, Scottish schools crosscountry champion, national 1,500 metres champion and national road champion - all in the same year: 2003 !
"Lauren is still a member of the Giffnock North Athletic Club in Glasgow. When she is in Glasgow she sees golf coach Karyn Burns at Mearns Golf Academy. She has not had many golf lessons and never had any here in Majora where we have been for the past three years. "She is a very fluent Spanish speaker and is now studying German ."
In short, Lauren Mackin is a talented young lady on and off the golf course.

The Christmas Cracker

32 ladies played in the Christmas Cracker yesterday morning in what can only be described as WET !
Alison Robertson and Pamela Mackenzie were the winners of the 9 hole Greensomes and Lois Brown won a prize for having the best hat.
A glass of mulled wine helped to warm everyone up at the end and there was plenty of chat and much hilarity!
To see enlargements of the photos go to Ranfurly Castle Christmas Cracker Winners

Christmas 9 hole Stableford

The Ladies annual Christmas stableford/lunch will be held on Wednesday 12th December.
Ballot between 9.20am and 10.am with coffee available if desired. Lunch will follow at approximately 12.00 for anyone who cannot make the golf.
Christmas spirit is essential! Looking forward to seeing everyone there.
Mary Craig

LAUREN MACKIN IS BALEARIC ISLAND'S GIRLS CHAMPION

16 years old Lauren Mackin who is now living on the island of Majorca with her parents, has won the Spanish Balearic Islands’ girls championship and the No 1 Under-18 ranking for 2007.
The Balearics consist of Majorca (20 golf courses), Menorca (one course), Ibiza (one course), Cabrera and Formentera. The Islands had close on 800,000 inhabitants at the last census.Lauren, picture left from St Andrews Links Trust website, who did not take up golf until four or five years ago, has improved her handicap from seven to four this year.After a good showing in the Ballearic Islands’ women’s championship – she lost out by one shot to experienced Spanish senior player Vicky Pertierra, Lauren came into her own in the girls’ championship last weekend. At Alcanada Golf Club, rated the most difficult of Majorca’s courses, Lauren won the title with rounds of 75 and 77 for 155. She won by five strokes from Luna Sorbon, a highly-rated Spanish girl and the favourite for this title.Last year Lauren played in the St Andrews girls’ open quaich (handicap) tournament and lost to Jessica Scott (Wanstead) by one hole in the final. Lauren was conceding nine strokes to her opponent.Lauren is a member at Son Muntaner golf course, a newer course than its immediate neighbour, the better-known Son Vida. Both are fairly close to Palma, the capital of Majorca.

The Rules of Golf 2008 - 2011

The R & A and the United States Golf Association have worked closely for more than fifty years to produce a uniform code of rules so that wherever golf is played the same laws apply. Every four years these two governing bodies, after consultation with golf authorities worldwide, agree any changes that they consider will make the Rules of Golf fairer and easier to understand.

New rules come into force on 1st January 2008. Four million copies of the ‘Rules of Golf’, sponsored by Rolex, will be printed in English. The new rules will also be printed, under licence, in twenty-five other languages. Rule books will be distributed free of charge to golf clubs and may be ordered on the R&A Website
‘Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2006 – 2007’ becomes obsolete and is replaced by the new 2008 – 2009 edition. This book is invaluable not only for Rules Officials but also for all those involved in the administration of the game (e.g. club committees). It may be purchased from the above website or from high street or on-line booksellers.

Many members will have read in the press recently that there are to be changes to 28 of the 34 rules but there is no cause for alarm. ‘Rules of Golf 2008 –2011’ contains a new ‘Quick Guide to the Rules of Golf". This is excellent and should certainly make players feel more at ease with their rule books. Many rules have simply been re-worded in order to make them easier to understand. One example is the term ‘reasonable evidence’ that was used previously used in several rules. This was difficult to interpret and has been changed to ‘known or virtually certain’ which is much clearer.

One significant change relates to hazards. Until now the rules did not giver a player the opportunity to lift a ball from a hazard in order to identify it and therefore there was no penalty for playing a wrong ball either from a bunker or from a water hazard. The restriction on identifying a ball in a hazard has been removed (Rule 12 – 2) and the exemption from penalty for playing a wrong ball from a bunker or water hazard has also been removed (Rule 15 – 3). The result is that the penalty for playing a wrong ball anywhere on the course is now loss of hole in match play or a two stroke penalty in stroke play. In stroke play the mistake must of course be corrected in order to avoid disqualification.

Several other changes are to penalties rather than to actual rules and in every case the change favours the player. When a ball in motion is stopped or deflected by the player, her partner, or either of their caddies or equipment the penalty has been reduced from loss of hole in match play and a two stroke penalty in stroke play to one stroke in either form of play (Rule 19 – 2). This is a very welcome change. Many members will have been in the situation where the ball re-bounds off the face of a bunker and it is impossible to move quickly enough to avoid being struck by it!

Until now a flagstick that had been removed and placed on the ground was not allowed to be moved whilst a ball was in motion. This left players in a ‘catch 22’ situation. Moving the flagstick in case a ball in motion struck it incurred a penalty under one rule (Rule 1- 2). Leaving it on the ground to be struck by the ball incurred a penalty under another rule (Rule 17 – 3). This situation has been resolved. A flagstick, whether attended, removed or held up may now be moved when a ball is in motion (Rule 24 – 1).

On the putting green it is sometimes very difficult to avoid standing on another player’s line without standing astride the line of one’s own putt which is of course not allowed (Rule 16 –1e). An ‘exception’ to this rule has been added to allow inadvertent standing astride the line of putt or doing so in order to avoid another player’s line.

The penalty for carrying, but not using, a non-conforming club has been reduced from disqualification to, in stroke play, a penalty of two strokes per hole at which a breach occurred, with a maximum penalty of four strokes per round. In match play the state of the match is adjusted by one hole for each hole at which a breach occurred with a maximum penalty of two holes per round (Rule 4 – 1). This is now the same penalty as that for carrying more than fourteen clubs (Rule 4 – 4).

The penalty for using a non-conforming club remains disqualification. The R & A announced four years ago that from 1st January 2008 all drivers must have a conforming clubhead and ensured that this was well publicised. Sufficient warning was given to allow players plenty of time to check and, if necessary, change their drivers. This rule applies to all golfers of all abilities and in all forms of play. The required specifications are set out in Appendix II, 5c of the new rule book and detailed lists of conforming and non-conforming driver heads may be found on the R & A website. In club golf it is the responsibility of each player to check that her equipment conforms to the Rules of Golf. Players taking part in County or National events should also check as to whether the Conditions of Competition include the Driving Club Condition. If so any driver used must be on the R & A’s ‘List of Conforming Driver Heads’. For more detailed information refer to the R & A website and in particular their ‘Frequently asked questions’ on this topic.

Space does not permit me to mention, let alone explain, every single rule change but I have highlighted those most likely to crop up in the normal course of play. For more detailed information refer to the R & A website and to ‘Principle Changes introduced in the 2008 code’ which you will find on page 6 in your new rule book. Always remember that the Rules of Golf exist to make the game fair for all players. The more familiar you become with the rules the more you will enjoy your golf.

Jenny McGahan
R & A qualified Rules Official
November 2007

CONGU Unified Handicap System 2008 -2011

The Council of National Golf Unions has published the CONGU® UHS (Unified Handicap System) 2008-2011 manual which is the result of substantial voluntary work of the Council Members during the last four years.

The Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU) is the governing body for handicapping matters in Great Britain & Ireland and is comprised of members from the men’s and ladies’ Golf Unions/Associations in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales with additional representatives from The R&A and the LGU.

The UHS 2004-2007 manual included, for the first time, a unified approach for handicapping men and ladies under the same system. The 2008 UHS has built on this success and has been expanded to include a number of new concepts. These include Supplementary Scores, Nine Hole Handicap Competitions, a separate CSS calculation for “Home” and “Away” players in Open Competitions and assistance for handicap committees in carrying out the time consuming Annual Handicap Review (AHR). The manual has been totally revised to make it more user friendly to clubs and their members by placing the clauses in a more logical order and adding explanations to relevant clauses (in a blue shaded area) to clarify the system.

The section on Supplementary Scores has been included to assist golfers who, for whatever reason, play in few or no competitions each year, by allowing them to return cards outside competitions for handicap purposes. At the discretion of affiliated clubs, a limited number of Nine-Hole qualifying competitions may be run and such scores shall be used to adjust handicaps. This option is designed to attract more players into the Unified Handicapping System.


Common sense has always suggested that in Open Competitions, the ‘Away’ player is often at a disadvantage compared to the ‘Home’ player and subsequent statistical analysis showed this to be on average between one and two shots. Since this unfairly affects adjustments of handicaps, there will now be a separate Competition Scratch Score for ‘Home’ and ‘Away’ players to take account of this factor and to provide a more equitable basis for handicap alterations.

The CONGU® website – www.congu.com – is being updated to explain the changes and also to answer many queries about the UHS. The “Myths and Misconceptions” and “Frequently Asked Questions” sections should be of particular interest to the club golfer. All the constituent Unions/Associations websites have links to the CONGU® website.

CONGU believes that the revised manual and the incorporation of the new concepts will assist in meeting the demands of the modern game and the changing needs of club members.