ON THE BRIDGE.....

There was no golf last Friday,  so some of us went for a walk to see the new bridge at the 17th on Rosemount.   What, we wondered, are the rules about the bridge?
The bridge is an  Immoveable Obstruction  (Rules 24-2 and 25-1) so if you  have a slight  duff off the tee and your ball lands on the bridge,  you must play the ball as it lies.  You could find yourself  perched on the top of the bridge,  or  in the middle, trying to swipe the ball to the green. The path on the bridge is quite tight, so you might have a problem with your backswing.

If you believe your ball is unplayable, you may under penalty of one stroke:
•    play a ball from where your last shot was played, or
•    drop a ball any distance behind the point where the ball lay keeping a straight line between the hole, the point where the ball lay and the spot on which the ball is dropped, or
 •   drop a ball within two club-lengths of where the ball lies not nearer the hole.

The ditch  is a Water Hazard (yellow stakes or lines).  It has been cleared of vegetation so if you are unfortunate enough to land in it, you  will be able to fish your ball out and proceed under Rule 26  
You may play the ball as it lies or, under penalty of one stroke:
 •    play a ball from where your last shot was played, or
 •    drop a ball any distance behind the water hazard keeping a straight line between the hole, the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard and the spot on which the ball is dropped.

Great fun!  Of course, nobody will duff the ball off the tee, and nobody will be in the  ditch.....

NO GOLF TODAY....

If it seems ages since we  played Winter League - that's because it is.   The last Winter League was on January 11th,  five weeks ago!   At the beginning of this week we had high  hopes that golf would be possible today, but heavy snowfalls on Wednesday put paid to any chance of a game today.

Some ladies  met for a chat, followed by a walk round the course. The snow is disappearing, so let's hope we get some golf next week.
If you are at the Club, please remember to pop your  levy slip (£3.00 for full members, £2.00 for wee course ladies) in the  box in the Locker Room.

ALMOST THERE.....

Following the refurbishment of the clubhouse, the Ladies Afternoon Bridge resumed today with  four tables in play.   Some ladies had not been to the Club  for several weeks, so this was a chance to see the  new layout  of the entrance hall   and Pro Shop.  The club emblem in the main hall was greatly admired.

Weather conditions have improved and golf was possible today on Rosemount.  Those ladies who played  said the course was in a surprisingly good  state, and that they had a most enjoyable game.  The forecast is mixed for the next few days,  but  here's hoping golf will be possible on Friday.

NO GOLF.....

There were no takers for golf today which was not surprising.  Although Lansdowne was  officially "open" the fairways  remain treacherous underfoot.  The weather outlook for next week is not promising, but the caterers will be back  in action so coffee and a chat will be available.

 

Mail on Sunday Classic

Blairgowrie was given a bye in the first round of the Mail on Sunday Classic and should have been informed of its opponents for the second round by 4th February.

Due to the bad weather, however, there has been an extension to the Round One deadline.  Blairgowrie will not now hear who its opponents are until after 17th February.

KATY CHAPMAN,  Match Secretary

MAYBE.....

Lansdowne is open today ( Thursday 7th February) but conditions are still tricky underfoot, with snow lingering on the fairways.   Due to the refurbishment programme  there is limited access to  some  parts of the clubhouse.  In addition, the caterers are on holiday so only nuts and crisps are on offer from the bar.

We are unsure what the situation  will be  on Friday, but a committee member will be there for anyone wishing to  come to the club, hoping for a game......

The Ladies Bridge  should resume on Tuesday 12th February.  If this is not possible there will be an announcement on the Blog.

LADIES' GOLFING INFORMATION SHEET 2013

The Ladies' Golfing Information Sheet for 2013 is now available on the right hand side. Make sure you read it so that you know what to do when entering and playing in competitions. One new point to note  is that you will have until lunch time on Wednesday to sign up for the Friday competition.

Here's to a super golfing season for everyone.

COMING OUR WAY

Blairgowrie Golf Club  will play host to  The Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Scottish Ladies Open Tour on July 11th. This is a new non-profit tour, which is supported by the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre and by the R&A,  and is designed to raise the games of female professionals to a standard required to get them through the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School.  The prize fund at each event is expected to be £2,500.
The new tour should also give low-handicap girl amateurs the opportunity to measure themselves against the tour professionals and help them decide if and when they themselves are ready to turn pro.  Entries will be limited to 30 players.
The tournament will be played over 14 venues,  local courses include  Downfield (July 2), Carnoustie Burnside (July 3)  and Alyth (July 12)
This will be a wonderful tournament to watch, there will be a reminder nearer the time, but if you would like to read all about it now,  full details are on www.scottishladiestour.co.uk