T & T come from behind to lift the Hoerman Cup high once again
Trinidad and Tobago are now the undisputed champions of the Caribbean golf. We successfully defended our title as Junior Champions in the Dominican Republic in July and now we have captured the coveted Hoerman Cup at the recently concluded Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships in St. Kitts.
And it would seem that there must be something special about St. Kitts for our national team. The last time we won the Hoerman Cup away outside of Trinidad and Tobago was in 1992. We then successfully defended the title right here at St. Andrew's in 1993 and did not win again until 2003 in Tobago.
Victory was sweet for Carlos Baynes, Shane Costelloe, Simon Merry , Ben Martin and Mitchum Jasper who stormed back from 10 strokes behind on the last day. It was one of the greatest come from behind victories in the history of the Hoerman Cup, as T&T ended up relatively easy winners by ten strokes.
It was a superb team effort, kicked off on the opening day when veteran Carlos "Sexy" Baynes led the way with an even par 71. This was an inspiring performance for the youngsters who all had difficulties, Merry with a 75 and Costelloe, 76. 22-Year-old Mitchum Jasper, playing in his first Hoerman Cup counted with an 80, in a format where four of the five scores are taken on every day.
15-year-old Martin, playing in his second Hoerman Cup had a disastrous 82 on Day 1, but never looked back, progressively improving his score on all subsequent days by at least three strokes.
When Baynes struggled on Day 2 with 80, Merry and Jasper stepped up big, the former with a 2 under par 68, the latter with his best score of the tournament - 73. Costelloe was again steady but unspectacular on 75, while Martin chipped in with 77.
After two days, Trinidad and Tobago were two strokes behind the leaders the Dominican Republic.
Baynes returned to form on Day 3 with 72 and Martin had 74 but all of the remaining three players shot 76.
T&T Champions look on as Asraph Ali, TTGA President
hoists the Hoerman Cup Trophy at the presentation
On a day when the leaders were in great form, T&T dropped a further eight shots back to be ten behind going into the final day.
Something special was required on Saturday, and the team delivered.
After three scores in the mid 70s, Shane Costelloe finished strong to be the only player under par on the final day with a 69. Merry and Martin both shot 71. Baynes slipped back with 75 and Jasper had a 76, but in the end the damage had been done.
The Dominican Republic wilted under pressure, and Trinidad and Tobago were Hoerman Cup champions for the second time in three years.
Simon Merry finished as the best individual golfer with a four day total of 290, while Shane Costelloe was third best and Sexy Baynes sixth, but all of that pales into comparison in light of the team performance.
This was the first time that T&T have won the Hoerman Cup on foreign soil since 1992. The tournament was also played in St. Kitts on that occasion.
continued on page 2
Mid Year Meeting Reminder The Mid Year General meeting will be held on Monday September 26, 2005 at 5 pm at the Clubhouse.
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T & T come from behind to lift the Hoerman Cup high once again
continued from page 1
With three teenagers and other young talented amateurs like Mitchum Jasper, T&T stands an outstanding chance of many more victories in the next decade. While the Hoerman Cup team tasted success, they were encouraged by the all round success of the other four teams making up the Trinidad and Tobago squad.
Among the Super Seniors (Over 60s), Asraph Ali and Pat Suraj threatened to pull off a major upset, matching defending champions Puerto Rico up until Day 3. But the Puerto Ricans were not going to relinquish the title they had held for eleven years, and fought back strongly to win by three shots. T&T were well clear of the third placed OECS. Ray Roberts and Barry Ferdinand looked all set to grab the Seniors title (Over 50s), taking a four stroke lead into the final day. But there again, Puerto Rico fought back strongly to win by two.
The National Team
The T&T Ladies team, again a group of teenagers, started strongly, but faded into third place, while in the Over-35 category Nazim Hanniff and Arjoon Samlal finished fourth in their debut year. The Overall win was the Mission Statement of the Trinidad and Tobago Team in 2005 and for the first time since the Arthur Ziadie Trophy was introduced in 2000, the Puerto Ricans were running scared in the race for first place. In the end they edged out Trinidad and Tobago by 11 points, 167.5 to 156.5. Team Manager Robert Costelloe , felt that their team was competent at the highest level and could become the dominant team in the Caribbean. The Manager, Robert Costelloe and Coach Chris Richards inspired the team in the weeks prior to the championships with classrooms in nutrition and mental golf.
They both felt that the way to create the best golf team was with a more holistic approach.
THE CARIBBEAN AMATEUR GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships celebrated its 49 th year this year. This tournament started in 1957 when Murray Wilson and John Sellier first thought of the idea of a match between Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica. Horace Ames who was the President of St. Andrew's Golf Club pledged the unequivocal support of St. Andrew's to raise the funds necessary and the first 'unofficial' match was to be played in Jamaica and Dr. Erik Hoerman donated the silver challenge trophy. This tournament was a great success and the Jamaican Golf Association gave reluctant approval to the formation of the Annual Hoerman Cup.
This tournament was expanded in 1969 to accommodate Senior Men golfers (Francis Steele-Perkins Cup) and in the following years the Super Seniors (Higgs & Higgs Trophy) and the Ladies (George Teale Memorial Trophy). The Arthur Ziadie Trophy for the best overall team and the Mid-Amateur division (Ramon Baez Figueroa Trophy), have since been added to the Championships.
The Hoerman Cup remains the signature event within the Caribbean Championships. This division is where the great Caribbean golf tradition started and the players which represent their respective countries are the best in the region. However to the benefit of golf across the Caribbean the Championships have expanded in their scope and other dimensions have gradually grown in prominence. In particular the introduction of the Arthur Ziadie Trophy for the overall winners is a wonderful incentive for it rewards depth in a team and therefore encourages a quest for higher standards throughout.
They taught the team about visualization and imagery. They stressed the need for intuitive golf which they found was mentioned in every chapter in their 'bible' "The 8 Traits of the Champion Golfer". They condensed this book and gave each of the team their own copy and their watchwords became "Trust your process the results will happen". The team all signed contracts committing themselves to the management of the team. They were instructed that they were to drink and eat something small on every tee box to create sugar stability by feeding the neuro system with carbohydrates. They were taught to breathe to control tension and they commented that they felt the improvement in their focus. A lot of work went into the team's overall preparation supervised by Manager Robert Costelloe and Coach Chris Richards, and the results showed. This was Trinidad and Tobago 's best overall performance in many years. Well done!
Important Reminder Caddy Fees - Rainy Day Policy
Now that the rainy season is upon us, please be reminded that our rainy day payment policy for caddies is as follows:
On Tournament Days: If a member starts off to play 18 holes and for any reason whatsoever is unable to complete the entire round the FULL 18 hole caddy fee applies, regardless of how many holes have been played.
On Non-Tournament Days: If a member starts off to play 18 holes and is washed out at any point within the first nine holes, the following fees apply: A - $ 40.00
B - $ 35.00 C - $ 30.00
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BUNKER RENOVATION
By Vedath Sing - Course Superintendent
Since the construction of our bunkers when our course was originally built many changes have taken place with respect to building techniques, construction materials, construction methods, bunker design and specifications. Most of our bunkers can be described as flash up bunkers, where sand is pushed up the sides of the bunkers giving it a concave look.
Nothing is wrong with the way our bunkers were constructed as they have worked well for us up to now. However the disadvantage with these bunkers comes during the rainy season when we suffer severe washing out of sand. Each time the rain falls, run off water cascades down the side of the bunker eroding the sand and soil in its path. Water from the bunker filters through the sand to the drainage lines below leaving behind a layer of mud on top. The best time to clean out this mud is probably a day after the rains when the mud has dried somewhat and caked up. However inevitably not all the mud can be removed and it begins to contaminate the sand, clogging up the pore spaces between the grains of sand. Over the years, this contamination makes it difficult for water to percolate through the sand and thus our bunkers begin to drain poorly and to pool water. As a result maintenance costs go up as water very often has to be pumped out, mud removed and the sand pushed back in place every time the rain falls.
An alternative to this design that tends to eliminate severe wash outs is the flat based bunker, like the one in front of the 3rd green. Having a flat surface means that when we have heavy rainfall the bunker does not suffer from wash outs like our concave bunkers. We still have the accumulation of mud from soil washed down the face of the bunker, however not as much as the concave bunkers. This bunker also has installed a filter cloth at the base of the sand that separates it from the soil and thus reduces contamination. The sand used in this bunker is silica sand ( Guyana sand) which drains better than the original silt sand. These features help improve drainage, reduce sand contamination and extend the life span of the bunker.
I have recently done a survey of the bunkers and prioritized them for renovation base on drainage, severity of wash out and degree of sand contamination. Our most recent renovation is the bunker in front of the 4th green. This bunker has also been re-positioned to bring it more into play. The design has been changed to that of the flat based bunkers including the features outlined above. Similar works will be done on the bunkers around the 5th green and the 13th green as we work to improve the quality of our course.
THE RENOVATION OF OUR PRACTICE PUTTING GREEN
The construction phase of the renovation of our practice putting green is now complete.
Members will have noticed that the area of the putting green currently in use was deeply verticut. The outcome of this process was the procurement of sprigs of Bermuda grass which were then spread extensively across the finished surface of Guyana sand of the renovated area. Within 48 hours evidence of the catching of these sprigs could be seen and it will now take 12 to 15 weeks for these sprigs to grow to the standard of the rest of the green.
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GETTING IT RIGHT PLAYERS COMPETING FROM DIFFERENT TEES MEN AND WOMEN FROM SAME TEES
By Jean de Meillac - Captain
One of the great things about golf is that players of different levels of skill can compete against one another through the proper use of handicaps. Therefore, one of the most important things for a golfer to understand is how the handicap system works.
We realize from the questions regularly asked that there are many misconceptions in relation to how to make adjustments between different tees. Everyone wants to play under fair conditions. We are all familiar with the conversations on the first tee in a friendly game when the number of strokes given is being negotiated. This gets more complicated in a group for example where there are two players who want to use the blue tees, one who always plays from the whites and one from the ladies. How do you get the handicap adjustments right?
No need to create a problem where one doesn't exist: The USGA handicap system which we use explains very clearly how to make the necessary adjustments when golfers want to compete against each other but not play all from the same tee.
Excerpt from the USGA Handicap Manual (which you can read in its entirety online if you are interested at www.usga.org )
1) Different Tees : Men vs. Men; Women vs. Women; Women vs. Men
Different tees usually have different USGA Course Ratings.
Since Course Ratings reflect the probable scores of scratch golfers, the higher-rated course is more difficult, and the player playing from the set of tees with the higher USGA Course Rating receives additional strokes equal to the difference between the Course Ratings, with .5 or more rounded upward.
Example: If men playing from the middle tees at St. Andrew's Golf Club where the men's USGA Course Rating is 70.0 compete against men playing from the back tees where the men's USGA Course Rating is 72.4, the men playing from the back tees will add two strokes (72.4 - 70.0 = 2.4 rounded to 2 strokes) to their Course Handicaps.
Example: If women playing from the forward tees where the women's Course Rating is 72.1 compete against men playing from the middle tees where the men's Course Rating is 70.0, the women will add three strokes (72.1 - 70.0 = 2 strokes) to their Course Handicaps.
2) Same Tees : Men vs. Women
Men and women playing from the same set of tees will have different USGA Course Ratings. Since the women's Course Rating usually will be higher, women receive additional strokes equal to the difference between the USGA Course Ratings, with .5 or greater rounded upward.
Example: If women playing from the middle tees where the women's Course Rating is 76.5 compete against men playing from the same tees where the men's Course Rating is 70.0, the women will add six strokes (76.5 - 70.0 = 6.5 or 7 stokes) to their Course Handicaps.
September Saturday 3
Saturday 10 and Sunday 11
October
Saturday 1
Saturday 8
Sunday 9
Saturday 15 and Sunday 16
Medal
Agostini Ladies Open
Courts
Medal
AMCHAM
Hand Arnold Jr Club Champs.
November Saturday 5
Sunday 6
Sunday 27
December Saturday 3
Saturday 10
Sunday 11
Tuesday 27
Medal Macfoods Jr Classic
Wonderful World Jr. Christmas Hamper
White Hat Medal
Men's Christmas Hamper
Ladies Christmas Hamper
Family Tournament
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JUNIOR CLINIC MOVES TO MONDAY
In September we will be moving our Junior Clinic to Mondays. The Clinic will be starting on September 12th and will run until December 1st, 2005. The cost will remain at $300 per child per term.
The Monday Clinic will run from 4pm to 6pm and is open to all junior golfers who are members of St. Andrew's. To become a member a child must be 7 years or older. All junior member applicants will have to meet with the Junior Committee Chairman of the club.
Teaching Professional Bernard Benny conducting a clinic
This meeting will be set up through the office. This is to facilitate a proper initiation of the parent and the junior golfer into the club. Members are asked to note that from September 12th to December 1st the front nine will be closed on Mondays from 3:30pm to facilitate the junior clinic. The back nine will be reserved for adult members.
A handbook of the rules and policies governing the use of the club by juniors will be distributed to all juniors by September 12 th . Some of these are new rules and policies and it is important that every junior member to read it. A brief excerpt is included here for your attention:
Rules & Policies for Junior Golfers
They are three categories of junior golfers at St. Andrew's Golf Club. They are as follows:
Category A: Boys and Girls with a properly constituted handicap of 9 or better.
Category B: Boys and Girls with a properly constituted handicap of 24 or better.
Category C: Boys and Girls with a handicap of 25 plus.
Club Rules applicable to all Junior Members Knowing proper golf etiquette and the rules of golf is very important. The rules are intended to make golf fair and enjoyable for everyone.
All juniors must register once present on the facilities
Junior golfers using the range must sign in with the Pro Shop
Junior golfers using the putting green, the practice nets, the golf course and the clubhouse facilities must sign in with the Starter.
Juniors 18 years & under are not allowed in the upstairs front bar at any time. The bar is now open all the way around and juniors can access the bar from the back where seating has also been provided.
Juniors are not allowed to tee off in prime time.
Juniors must book tee times before playing.
The practice facilities are not available for juniors on Saturdays unless the junior golfer is entered in a tournament that falls on a Saturday.
Junior Golfers are not allowed on the back nine on Mondays from 3pm onwards
Club Rules applicable to category A & category B juniors
• Driving Range - category A & category B juniors may use any mat on the driving range until 4:30 p.m. after which only two mats will be allocated to junior golfers.
• Putting Green - There are no restrictions to category A junior golfers on the putting green facilities. Category B golfers can use the putting green until 4:30pm on any weekday.
• The handicap for participation in adult club tournaments is 17 off the blue tees for boys and 27 off the red tees for girls.
• Junior Golfers are not eligible to participate in any club tournaments when the prizes are primarily of an alcoholic nature. E.g.: The Moet Chandon.
Club Rules applicable to category C juniors
• To play or practice on the golf course, the category C junior golfer must be supervised by a golfing adult, a professional or an A Class Caddy. This includes the range and the putting green.
• Junior golfers in this category may play in 3 balls on the course before 4:30 pm, with supervision to practice
• Juniors are allowed on the putting green up to 4:30pm on weekdays and after 2pm on Sundays.
• Category C juniors are only allowed the use of the small range.
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
St Andrew's Caddies By Christian de Meillac
At St. Andrew's, we are fortunate enough to be members of a challenging course with fantastic views and friendly, dedicated members. What makes the club so special, however is one of the more important, yet under-appreciated resources that are our caddies. In any group a caddy is an asset, even if he is not on your bag, they often spot balls, hold pins and offer lines. These guys help in rulings, protect us from stray shots and are always willing to offer a joke or lend a hand. Our caddies' influence also extends beyond the members of the club. Many of the foreign pros and visitors have had high praise for our caddies and often when they return they request their old friends.
Some caddies have been here at St Andrew's for decades and have each lent their own particular flavour to the club. Some members have been fortunate enough to know "Boots" who was with
St. Andrew's longer than most of us alive, a great caddy and fine gentleman. Others have been lucky enough to taste "Jack Iron's" mango chow or witness Cornbread's" ability to smell a lost ball. These are just a few examples of the colourful and invaluable contributions our caddies have added to the life of our club.
Caddies have made playing golf here a more enjoyable and memorable experience. The balls that they have found for us, the laughs they have provided, the good cheer and inspirational talk has always been a great help. They have certainly added character to our club and continue to be much more than our caddies; they are our teammates our colleagues and our friends. We must all continue to nurture this partnership so it can continue to be beneficial to us all.
2005 Match Play Champions - Men 1st Flight - Simon Merry
2nd Flight - Roger Grell
3rd Flight
- Ian chin
4th Flight - Mark Assing
Independence Cup Prize Giving
Ladies First Place winner Gillian Quesnel with
Rasheed Ali and Christian Quesnel
Haven Allahar receiving his prize from
Rasheed Ali and Christian Quesnel
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RULES CORNER
With Amoy Chang Fong HOW TO TAKE RELIEF
First, here is a tip that should help us to remember about relief allowed in lifting and dropping:
If we are allowed a free drop, the relief is always one club length.
If we are taking relief, which results in a penalty stroke, the relief is always two club lengths.
The proper procedure is to
a) identify and mark the nearest point of relief (with a tee for example), then b) measure and mark the one or two club lengths from that spot as applicable; always take the head cover off a wood if this is the club used to measure c) drop the ball within those marks.
After the procedure, the player should have taken complete relief from the initial situation.
Now, let us refresh ourselves on a few rules.
Rule 26. Water hazards (including lateral water hazards)
Rule 26-1. Relief for ball in a water hazard.
It is a question of fact whether a ball lost after having been struck toward a water hazard is lost inside or outside the hazard. In order to treat the ball as lost in the hazard, there must be reasonable evidence that the ball lodged in it. In the absence of such evidence, the ball must be treated as a lost ball and Rule 27 applies.
If a ball is in or lost in a water hazard (whether the ball lies in water or not), the player may under penalty of one stroke :
a) play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5);or
b) drop a ball behind the water hazard , keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped; or
c) as additional options available only if the ball last crossed the margin of a lateral water hazard , drop a ball outside the water hazard within two club lengths of and not near the hole than (i) the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard or (ii) a point on the opposite margin of the water hazard equidistant from the hole ( e.g. the 8 th hole before the bridge)
At St. Andrew's: yellow stakes = water hazards; red stakes = lateral water hazards.
It is important when dealing with lateral water hazards, to identify the spot at which your ball last crossed the margin of the hazard. For example, at the 6 th and 16 th hole, many players just take their ball out of the hazard and drop it at the nearest bank, when the drop point may be at the earlier bend in the river.
Rule 26-2 provides for situations where the ball is played from within the water hazard and lands in the same water hazard, lands out of bounds or is lost.
The player may elect to play the ball as it lies in the hazard or, under Rule 26-1a, with a penalty of one stroke , to drop a ball in the hazard from the spot where the last stroke was played.
If the player decides not play the ball from where he has dropped it in the hazard, the player may decide to proceed under Rule 26-1b or 26-1c (if applicable, i.e. lateral) or under Rule 27 (lost ball, out of bounds) and play a ball outside the hazard under an additional penalty of one stroke.
Example - if your second shot is in the hazard in front the 18th green and in attempting to hit the ball out you hit it over the green out of bounds. These are your options:
1. Play your next shot from where you hit your last shot from within the hazard - you will be playing 5 (Rule 27) or
2. Play your next shot from outside the hazard - your next shot will therefore be 6(Rule 27 and Rule 26 apply)
A common mistake made when option 2 is pursued is that golfers often fail to add the penalty for the relief from the hazard on to the penalty for out of bounds.
Rules are there to help you. If you follow them you will gain maximum enjoyment from the game. Any member who does not have a rule book and would like to get one can do so in the office free of charge.
them for renovation base on drainage, severity of wash out and degree of sand contamination. Our most recent renovation is the bunker in front of the 4th green. This bunker has also been re-positioned to bring it more into play. The design has been changed to that of the flat based bunkers including the features outlined above. Similar works will be done on the bunkers around the 5th green and the 13th green as we work to improve the quality of our course.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR 
