gyjuly2012
TRANSCRIPT
e are now more than six months into 2012 and it is heartening to see the progress of all our domestic tours W
including the newly introduced sub junior tour being played at regional level.
We owe a lot to our member clubs who, as always have come forward with their full support in providing their course facilities for holding various
tournaments. I am aware that it is not easy to adjust to a large number of IGU categorised tournaments in their otherwise busy calendar.
I must also compliment our Tournament Directors and the Referees who have been on their toes moving from event to event and ensuring a very high standard of conduct of the tournaments. I am happy to share that we now have nine additional Tournament Directors and a panel of 46 qualified Referees in different categories, including some who are qualified to referee in International Tournaments.
Owing to a very positive feedback of the Green Keepers Education Programme which was conducted last year, we will be continuing with the same programme this year also.
The Council spent two days at Srinagar, deliberating various issues and also got to play golf at this most beautiful course, the Royal Springs. At the tournament amongst the Council, Brijinder Singh had the best gross score and Mukesh Sabharwal had the best net. Congratulations to both of them.
Manjit SinghPresident, IGU
President’s MessageIn this issue
President’s Message 1
Editorial 2
Committee Reports- TPI Certification
- Course Rating in India
4
Features- GY Goes Digital 5- IGU’s Rules Roadshow 5- US Open 2012 6- Tournament Director’s Certification Programme 6
Merit List 7
33
- IGU Sub Junior & Feeder Tour 5
Know Your Golf Course 3
Rules & Regulations
THE IGU COUNCIL
FOUNDER CLUB MEMBERS
LADIES COMMITTEE
President - Manjit SinghVice-President - Lt. Gen. A.K.S. Chandele PVSM, AVSM (Retd.)
Lt. Gen. M. Sabharwal PVSM, AVSM**, VSM (Retd.)
Farzan HeerjeeGaurav GhoshJaydeep Chitlangia
C.S. Subramanian
ARMY ZONE
EAST ZONE WEST ZONE
NORTH ZONE SOUTH ZONE
Lt. Gen. Anjan MukherjeeLt. Gen. K.T. Parnaik UYSM, YSMLt. Gen. V.K. Pillai SM
Anil SeolekarBrijinder SinghS. Gaekwad
S.K. Nandal Dilip ThomasPrabhat Chaturvedi Raian F. IraniSanjeev Talwar
Bombay Presidency Golf Club - K.K. RamanDelhi Golf Club - Vijay DhawanMadras Gymkhana Club - Ishwar AchantaRoyal Calcutta Golf Club - Dr. Satbinder SinghTollygunge Club - T.V. RamaswamyWillingdon Sports Club - Pradip Patel
Anupama Singh
Editor: Ishwar AchantaEditorial Board: Anupama Singh, Rita Punwani, Brijinder Singh, Farzan Heerjee, Sanjeev Talwar, Lt. Gen. M. Sabharwal (Retd.), Maj. Gen. A. Parmar, (Retd.)Designed by: Art Works, ChennaiPrinted at: VM Prints Pvt. Ltd., Chennai
CONTACT US AT: The Indian Golf Union, 24, Adchini (1st Floor), New Delhi 110 017, INDIA.Tel: +91 11 26525771 Fax: +91 11 26525770Email: [email protected]
Third Quarter - 2012 Vol.5 Issue No.3
THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INDIAN GOLF UNION
www.indiangolfunion.org
For private circulation only
JUL-SEP 20122 GOLFINGLY YOURS
Secretariat
his issue heralds a new beginning for us! The Council has approved the launch of the GY in its digital form in addition to the print version and we are excited about T
reaching millions of Indians with our application that can be downloaded across all platforms and devices. So, please watch out for the app and tell your friends about it. We will be on FB and Twitter as well.
The U.S. Open 2012 was an eye opener for most people who play golf. If the winning score was +1 for 4 days, it certainly does not reflect on the quality of golf played but emphasizes the difficulty of the course which ordinarily has a slope rating of 140 and a course rating of 74.8. Watching it on TV, it felt that the course played tougher than the numbers reveal and that the skill levels required to compete on that course seemed monumental! Watching Jim Furyk and his snap hook on the 16th to hand it to Webb Simpson was both embarrassing and heart breaking. Nooraine Fazal, the IGU’s Ladies Committee Member from the South Zone, spent that weekend at San Francisco and recounts her experience.
Pace of play is just not a bone of contention at professional events. Section 7, of the IGU’s Technical Handbook deals extensively with this topic. Club golfers are among the worst offenders and given the traffic that many of our courses are seeing, it is imperative for Club administrators to take cognizance of this important though unpleasant issue. Kevin Barker, Asst. Director Rules at The R&A, details the importance of this oft ignored component of enjoyable golf!
In our efforts to standardise the manner in which all our events (37 of them) are set up and conducted, the IGU organised a Tournament Director’s Certification Programme at Chennai on 17th June. The course content was devised in consultation with The R&A and the programme has been supported by them. We now have 9 certified and knowledgeable TDs in India. As our qualified Referees gain valuable experience, we are confident that we will be able to certify more TDs in the near future.
The Council met at Srinagar on June 21-22, 2012. The experience of playing the Royal Springs was exhilarating! The Course is set up very well and the rough is a killer. Forget about playing anywhere else in the world, play this first and you will never regret it. The 2-day deliberations of the Council were very fruitful. The Vision Document is taking shape and our President will announce its intended launch date. For a few of us, it was a momentous, first time visit to Kashmir.
Alan Singh, our NHPM has bid adieu to the IGU. Thank you Alan for all your work, we will miss you. In his place, the IGU has established a slightly different system for 2012 onwards.
The demand for rating our courses is going up every day. The IGU is responding to every request and is forming more teams to rates these courses. We would like to call upon more golfers to join the rating teams. Should we see 40 or 50 sign ups, we will be pleased to hold another rating seminar and certify you.
We are on the very last leg of launching the NCHS, in India; do bear with us as we iterate this very important service. The launch date has again been slightly delayed and we are sure of starting sooner than later.
Do keep writing in to us, we must keep the dialogue going, until then,
Golfingly yours,
Ishwar AchantaEmail: [email protected]
Obiter Dicta...Maj. Gen. A. Parmar, VSM (Retd.)Director GeneralLt. Col. Ajay Singh (Retd.)Secretary & Director, Golf OperationsTusshar MalhotraAssistant Director, Golf OperationsC.S. ShettyTournament Director
Golf professionals can no longer rely on their natural gifts - or even the sweetest of swings - to consistently win. Fitness is now the order of the day, especially over the last decade. But while working toward a general-fitness level will do a player a power of good off the course, if he/she wants to improve their game exponentially, a golf-specific fitness program is essential. The
NGAI is pleased to announce that Dr. Greg Rose, co-founder, Titleist Performance Institute (TPI), will conduct the TPI Certified Golf Fitness Instructor Level 1 Seminar on August 13-14 at New Delhi.
This is the first of the ‘three level’ education courses, designed to teach coaches on how to identify and overcome any physical restrictions that are limiting their student’s potential. Each workshop features the latest in golf-specific health and fitness; from golf swing bio mechanics, to physical screening techniques, to exercise prescriptions, to the most recent research and development in the field of golf swing analysis. This programme has benefitted over 4000 coaches around the world.
The course is being substantially subsidised for NGAI Categorised A, B & C Coaches. Visit www.mytpi.com and for more information contact the NGAI at [email protected] for registration.
3 GOLFINGLY YOURS
Committee Reports
TPI Certification
JUL-SEP 2012
Director General’s MessageIGU’s experiment of starting a sub-junior tour cum feeder tour from January this year has been well received. De-linking the sub- juniors from the National Junior Tour
and localizing it in the four geographical regions has not only opened up more tournaments for this category but has also provided opportunity for larger participation in the A & B categories the National Junior Tour. Restricting the Sub-Junior Tour within the respective Zone has also cut down a lot of travelling for the players and their parents and has give opportunity to many more golf courses within the region to host categorized sub- junior golf events.
IGU also bids adieu to Mr. Alan Singh who has decided to move on. His invaluable contribution as the National High Performance Manager will always be cherished and used as the foundation stone for the National Squad System introduced in 2011. IGU now has three High Performance Managers looking after our National Squads. While Mr. Jesse Grewal looks after the Amateur Squad, Ms. Nonita Lall has taken on the Ladies and Junior girls squad and Mr. Vijay Divecha is now responsible for the Junior squad. The preparations have started for training and selecting the team for the World Amateur Team Champion- ship and Espirito Santo Trophy scheduled to be held in Turkey from 27 Sept to 05th Oct 2012. We wish our teams good luck and a fruitful outing.
We thank the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and The Sports Authority of India for their continued support and guidance to the IGU.
Maj. Gen. A. Parmar, VSM (Retd.)
In view of the number of pending requests for rating from various clubs, it is has become necessary to nominate a few more rating team leaders to speed up the process of responding to rating requests.
The parameters considered for such nominations are as below:
• Theoretical knowledge of the USGA Course Rating System.
• Knowledge and familiarity with USGA’s CRP software programme.
• Experience of serving on Course Rating teams as a team member.
• General golfing knowledge encompassing but not limited to green keeping practices, hole design principles, ability to judge the relative playing abilities of scratch and bogey golfers, etc.
In addition to Ajay Singh and Hari Achanta, the Team Leaders are Prasanth Sakhamuri, C.S. Murali and Jayanan Satagopal.
The IGU requests all those interested in rating golf courses to get in touch with the Secretariat and register themselves. As soon as we have 30 registrations, we will organise a USGA Course Rating seminar and impart such skills that will be sufficient to become a team member. The current remuneration involves a fee of INR 5000 per course rated and all travel, boarding and lodging expenses reimbursed.
Raian IraniChairman-NGAI Committee
Course Rating in India
The Council met at Srinagar on 21st-22nd June, 2012 and its deliberations, in most salubrious surrounds were most fruitful. The Club’s website quotes, ‘The most scenic golf course in a natural environment created against the dramatic backdrop of Zabarwan mountains at Chashma Shahi, the Royal Springs. This legendary garden overlooks the golf course which also contains four of the Royal Springs. Golf at Royal Springs, Srinagar is a truly transcending experience for the golfer and nature lover alike.’
Royal Springs Golf Course, Srinagar
The Hidden Gem in the Heaven
Council Members
Know Your Golf Course
Lt. Gen. K.T. Parnaik, UYSM, YSM, GOC-in-C, Northern Army & Council Member, our perfect host, receives a memento from the President.
JUL-SEP 20122 GOLFINGLY YOURS
Secretariat
his issue heralds a new beginning for us! The Council has approved the launch of the GY in its digital form in addition to the print version and we are excited about T
reaching millions of Indians with our application that can be downloaded across all platforms and devices. So, please watch out for the app and tell your friends about it. We will be on FB and Twitter as well.
The U.S. Open 2012 was an eye opener for most people who play golf. If the winning score was +1 for 4 days, it certainly does not reflect on the quality of golf played but emphasizes the difficulty of the course which ordinarily has a slope rating of 140 and a course rating of 74.8. Watching it on TV, it felt that the course played tougher than the numbers reveal and that the skill levels required to compete on that course seemed monumental! Watching Jim Furyk and his snap hook on the 16th to hand it to Webb Simpson was both embarrassing and heart breaking. Nooraine Fazal, the IGU’s Ladies Committee Member from the South Zone, spent that weekend at San Francisco and recounts her experience.
Pace of play is just not a bone of contention at professional events. Section 7, of the IGU’s Technical Handbook deals extensively with this topic. Club golfers are among the worst offenders and given the traffic that many of our courses are seeing, it is imperative for Club administrators to take cognizance of this important though unpleasant issue. Kevin Barker, Asst. Director Rules at The R&A, details the importance of this oft ignored component of enjoyable golf!
In our efforts to standardise the manner in which all our events (37 of them) are set up and conducted, the IGU organised a Tournament Director’s Certification Programme at Chennai on 17th June. The course content was devised in consultation with The R&A and the programme has been supported by them. We now have 9 certified and knowledgeable TDs in India. As our qualified Referees gain valuable experience, we are confident that we will be able to certify more TDs in the near future.
The Council met at Srinagar on June 21-22, 2012. The experience of playing the Royal Springs was exhilarating! The Course is set up very well and the rough is a killer. Forget about playing anywhere else in the world, play this first and you will never regret it. The 2-day deliberations of the Council were very fruitful. The Vision Document is taking shape and our President will announce its intended launch date. For a few of us, it was a momentous, first time visit to Kashmir.
Alan Singh, our NHPM has bid adieu to the IGU. Thank you Alan for all your work, we will miss you. In his place, the IGU has established a slightly different system for 2012 onwards.
The demand for rating our courses is going up every day. The IGU is responding to every request and is forming more teams to rates these courses. We would like to call upon more golfers to join the rating teams. Should we see 40 or 50 sign ups, we will be pleased to hold another rating seminar and certify you.
We are on the very last leg of launching the NCHS, in India; do bear with us as we iterate this very important service. The launch date has again been slightly delayed and we are sure of starting sooner than later.
Do keep writing in to us, we must keep the dialogue going, until then,
Golfingly yours,
Ishwar AchantaEmail: [email protected]
Obiter Dicta...Maj. Gen. A. Parmar, VSM (Retd.)Director GeneralLt. Col. Ajay Singh (Retd.)Secretary & Director, Golf OperationsTusshar MalhotraAssistant Director, Golf OperationsC.S. ShettyTournament Director
Golf professionals can no longer rely on their natural gifts - or even the sweetest of swings - to consistently win. Fitness is now the order of the day, especially over the last decade. But while working toward a general-fitness level will do a player a power of good off the course, if he/she wants to improve their game exponentially, a golf-specific fitness program is essential. The
NGAI is pleased to announce that Dr. Greg Rose, co-founder, Titleist Performance Institute (TPI), will conduct the TPI Certified Golf Fitness Instructor Level 1 Seminar on August 13-14 at New Delhi.
This is the first of the ‘three level’ education courses, designed to teach coaches on how to identify and overcome any physical restrictions that are limiting their student’s potential. Each workshop features the latest in golf-specific health and fitness; from golf swing bio mechanics, to physical screening techniques, to exercise prescriptions, to the most recent research and development in the field of golf swing analysis. This programme has benefitted over 4000 coaches around the world.
The course is being substantially subsidised for NGAI Categorised A, B & C Coaches. Visit www.mytpi.com and for more information contact the NGAI at [email protected] for registration.
3 GOLFINGLY YOURS
Committee Reports
TPI Certification
JUL-SEP 2012
Director General’s MessageIGU’s experiment of starting a sub-junior tour cum feeder tour from January this year has been well received. De-linking the sub- juniors from the National Junior Tour
and localizing it in the four geographical regions has not only opened up more tournaments for this category but has also provided opportunity for larger participation in the A & B categories the National Junior Tour. Restricting the Sub-Junior Tour within the respective Zone has also cut down a lot of travelling for the players and their parents and has give opportunity to many more golf courses within the region to host categorized sub- junior golf events.
IGU also bids adieu to Mr. Alan Singh who has decided to move on. His invaluable contribution as the National High Performance Manager will always be cherished and used as the foundation stone for the National Squad System introduced in 2011. IGU now has three High Performance Managers looking after our National Squads. While Mr. Jesse Grewal looks after the Amateur Squad, Ms. Nonita Lall has taken on the Ladies and Junior girls squad and Mr. Vijay Divecha is now responsible for the Junior squad. The preparations have started for training and selecting the team for the World Amateur Team Champion- ship and Espirito Santo Trophy scheduled to be held in Turkey from 27 Sept to 05th Oct 2012. We wish our teams good luck and a fruitful outing.
We thank the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and The Sports Authority of India for their continued support and guidance to the IGU.
Maj. Gen. A. Parmar, VSM (Retd.)
In view of the number of pending requests for rating from various clubs, it is has become necessary to nominate a few more rating team leaders to speed up the process of responding to rating requests.
The parameters considered for such nominations are as below:
• Theoretical knowledge of the USGA Course Rating System.
• Knowledge and familiarity with USGA’s CRP software programme.
• Experience of serving on Course Rating teams as a team member.
• General golfing knowledge encompassing but not limited to green keeping practices, hole design principles, ability to judge the relative playing abilities of scratch and bogey golfers, etc.
In addition to Ajay Singh and Hari Achanta, the Team Leaders are Prasanth Sakhamuri, C.S. Murali and Jayanan Satagopal.
The IGU requests all those interested in rating golf courses to get in touch with the Secretariat and register themselves. As soon as we have 30 registrations, we will organise a USGA Course Rating seminar and impart such skills that will be sufficient to become a team member. The current remuneration involves a fee of INR 5000 per course rated and all travel, boarding and lodging expenses reimbursed.
Raian IraniChairman-NGAI Committee
Course Rating in India
The Council met at Srinagar on 21st-22nd June, 2012 and its deliberations, in most salubrious surrounds were most fruitful. The Club’s website quotes, ‘The most scenic golf course in a natural environment created against the dramatic backdrop of Zabarwan mountains at Chashma Shahi, the Royal Springs. This legendary garden overlooks the golf course which also contains four of the Royal Springs. Golf at Royal Springs, Srinagar is a truly transcending experience for the golfer and nature lover alike.’
Royal Springs Golf Course, Srinagar
The Hidden Gem in the Heaven
Council Members
Know Your Golf Course
Lt. Gen. K.T. Parnaik, UYSM, YSM, GOC-in-C, Northern Army & Council Member, our perfect host, receives a memento from the President.
Rules & Regulations
JUL-SEP 20124 GOLFINGLY YOURS 5 GOLFINGLY YOURS JUL-SEP 2012
ecent cases of slow play have once again made this a hot topic of discussion…not R
that it ever fully goes away!
First there were Kevin Na’s problems with his inability to “pull the trigger”. Na’s pre-shot routine had developed into a practice swing, a stretch, two more practice swings, a look at the line of play, and numerous takeaways before hitting the ball. “As ugly as it is and as painful as it is, believe me, it’s really tough for me and I’m trying,” said Na in mitigation.
Then there was Morgan Pressel who was penalised for falling foul of the pace of play policy on the LPGA Tour in her semi-final match with Azahra Munoz in the Sybase Match Play Championship.
Both players were warned about their pace after 9 holes, and then put on the clock after 11 holes. Pressel won the 12th hole to go 3 up in the match, but was promptly told by a LPGA Tour referee that she had incurred a loss of hole penalty. Pressel had taken 2 minutes 9 seconds to play her three shots on the hole, 39 seconds longer than permitted in the LPGA pace of play policy. So 3 up became 1 up and Pressel went on to lose the match 2&1.
And finally, The R&A is not immune from the problems of slow play. We put a great deal of emphasis on pace of play at our recent British Amateur Championship, which resulted in 29 groups being timed over the first two days of stroke play qualifying, 7 bad times and one player being penalised.
So why is there a problem and what can be done?
Clubs, public courses, resorts and competition organisers have differing views on what constitutes an acceptable and unacceptable pace of play, but the fact is that slow play detracts from the enjoyment of the game for many players. Few golfers are heard to complain about play being too quick!
There is a responsibility, therefore, on all players and administrators to ensure that golf is played at a good pace. Players should not have to run round the golf course and it means that play should be conducted at a pace appropriate to the course being played and to the participants involved. Factors that may influence what is considered to be an appropriate pace may be the difficulty of the course, the distances between greens and tees, the climate and also the range of ability of the players on the course.
In addition, it is necessary to make some distinction between golf played as a leisure pursuit and elite golf. At the elite level, there will often be referees on the course who can monitor pace of play and implement a strict policy, which may involve groups keeping to a hole-by-hole schedule, and potentially being subject to timing of individual strokes with the threat of penalties if they fail to keep to
the clock. Most Clubs do not have those kind of resources, so more simple schemes must be devised.
For Club golf, it is still useful for administrators to set targets for round times. There is not a ‘one size fits all’ model for round times, but it is important that the targets are achievable without being too soft or too ambitious – a difficult balance to reach.
How administrators can minimise round times:
• Do not overload the course by using short starting intervals. When play is in two-balls, at least eight minutes should be allowed between groups and in three or four balls, at least 10 minutes should be given.
• If possible, incorporate starter’s gaps throughout the course of the day to allow for clearance of any delays that have arisen.
• Encourage players to play from tees that suit their ability and ask the starter to guide the players in this respect before the round.
• The rough for daily play should be of such a length so as to avoid numerous lost balls.
• Hole locations for daily play should not be too severe and neither should the green speeds.
• Advise players of the time that should be taken to play the course and remind them of their obligations with regards to pace of play, i.e. keep up with the group in front and allow quicker groups to pass through.
How players can minimise round times:
• Be aware of your position with regard to the group in front and keep up with that group.
• If you feel that your group is losing ground, tell the other players in your group.
• If your group is behind, try to catch up.
• If you lose a clear hole and are delaying the group behind, or if there is no group in front of you and you are delaying the group behind, invite the group behind to play through.
• Be ready to play your shot. While exercising due consideration for other players in your group, put your glove on, check your yardage, pick your club and line up your putt while others are playing.
• At the green, speed up your exit by positioning your bags on the way to the next tee.
• Move off the green as soon as all players in your group have holed out and mark score cards at or on the way to the next tee.
• Play a provisional ball if your ball may be lost outside a hazard or out of bounds.
So, if slow play has become an issue at your club, course or resort then take action to resolve the problem. And try to keep up with the group in front!
Keep the Pace or Face the Heat!
Kevin Barker, Assistant Director of Rules, R&A Rules Ltd
Features
n keeping with the times, the Council of the IGU, has agreed to our proposal to launch the GY digitally in the form (Golfingly IYours – Any Time) of a free downloadable application, across
all platforms.
In a world where 27 million Indians, in the age group of 18-24, own or use a hand-held mobile device, representing a staggering 9% ( and
growing exponentially) of the 900 million mobile phone users in India, it has become imperative for us to provide information, the way the consumer prefers – on the move from a personal mobile device.
Be it an iPhone, iPad or Android device, this app will be easily available. Our aim is to:
• Provide a rich content experience any time
• Tailor make services based on profile, preference and demands
• Offer actionable insights for Marketing Programs
• Continuously engage through news feeds and alerts
• Build relationship individually
• Offer a complete view of the consumer
• Facilitate viral expansion of GY user-base through Facebook, Twitter and email recommendations.
So, please look out for our alerts and down load the app for free, we assure you that it will be a unique experience.
Advertisers do get in touch with us and we will be pleased to offer you a platform to showcase your products.
Editorial Board
‘Golfingly Yours’ Goes Digitial!
ith the increased interest across the country in the Rules of Golf, the IGU has embarked on basic rules education Wwhich is hoped, will lead to substantive interest in the
IGU - R&A National Rules Schools.
This is in the form of a “Rules Roadshow” which is directed at the club golfer desiring to improve his basic knowledge of the Rules of Golf. We have devised a 3-hour powerpoint presentation dealing with the basic rules and everyday situations faced on the course.
The topics covered: the IGU, The R&A and the rules process, an introduction to the rules of golf, how to use the rule book, basic principles of the rules, definitions and quick guide to the rules.
The main objectives of the roadshow are to provide the members with an awareness of the important Rules of Golf and to ensure that participants leave this session with a greater knowledge (and lesser fear) of the Rules of Golf and how to use them to advantage.
A hall that can seat 75 people and has an overhead projector arrangement and a good sound system are required. Cost to Club will include reimbursement of the air ticket and boarding and lodging expenses for one of our Internationally Qualified Referees, who will make the presentation. Ideal start time would be 1700 hours, culminating at 2000 hours followed by fellowship, to be hosted by the Club.
Club administrators are requested to write in to our DG.
Technical, Rules & Amateur Status Committee
IGU’s Rules Roadshow IGU Sub Junior & Feeder Tour 2012s per our commitment the IGU Sub- Junior and Feeder Tour got underway in all the four regions. This will help A
decongest the main tour and get more juniors to participate in their local areas without having to travel long distances. It will go a long way towards promoting the sport of Golf and more so Junior Golf.
The Western Zone which has had limited success with producing top level golfers will hopefully be benefitted the most. Evolution Golf launched the West Zone IGU Sub-Junior and Feeder Tour 2012 in May and delivered and completed the first four events within Mumbai and Pune in the first month and a half. The next four events will be held in Baroda and Ahmedabad. Today the strength of the tour stands at 128 junior golfers. All tour related information from all the Zones including the score sheets, results, images, videos from each completed event is on the website and also the updated ‘order of merit’. You will find links to the organizers websites for detailed information.
Brijinder SinghChairmanJunior Committee
Rules & Regulations
JUL-SEP 20124 GOLFINGLY YOURS 5 GOLFINGLY YOURS JUL-SEP 2012
ecent cases of slow play have once again made this a hot topic of discussion…not R
that it ever fully goes away!
First there were Kevin Na’s problems with his inability to “pull the trigger”. Na’s pre-shot routine had developed into a practice swing, a stretch, two more practice swings, a look at the line of play, and numerous takeaways before hitting the ball. “As ugly as it is and as painful as it is, believe me, it’s really tough for me and I’m trying,” said Na in mitigation.
Then there was Morgan Pressel who was penalised for falling foul of the pace of play policy on the LPGA Tour in her semi-final match with Azahra Munoz in the Sybase Match Play Championship.
Both players were warned about their pace after 9 holes, and then put on the clock after 11 holes. Pressel won the 12th hole to go 3 up in the match, but was promptly told by a LPGA Tour referee that she had incurred a loss of hole penalty. Pressel had taken 2 minutes 9 seconds to play her three shots on the hole, 39 seconds longer than permitted in the LPGA pace of play policy. So 3 up became 1 up and Pressel went on to lose the match 2&1.
And finally, The R&A is not immune from the problems of slow play. We put a great deal of emphasis on pace of play at our recent British Amateur Championship, which resulted in 29 groups being timed over the first two days of stroke play qualifying, 7 bad times and one player being penalised.
So why is there a problem and what can be done?
Clubs, public courses, resorts and competition organisers have differing views on what constitutes an acceptable and unacceptable pace of play, but the fact is that slow play detracts from the enjoyment of the game for many players. Few golfers are heard to complain about play being too quick!
There is a responsibility, therefore, on all players and administrators to ensure that golf is played at a good pace. Players should not have to run round the golf course and it means that play should be conducted at a pace appropriate to the course being played and to the participants involved. Factors that may influence what is considered to be an appropriate pace may be the difficulty of the course, the distances between greens and tees, the climate and also the range of ability of the players on the course.
In addition, it is necessary to make some distinction between golf played as a leisure pursuit and elite golf. At the elite level, there will often be referees on the course who can monitor pace of play and implement a strict policy, which may involve groups keeping to a hole-by-hole schedule, and potentially being subject to timing of individual strokes with the threat of penalties if they fail to keep to
the clock. Most Clubs do not have those kind of resources, so more simple schemes must be devised.
For Club golf, it is still useful for administrators to set targets for round times. There is not a ‘one size fits all’ model for round times, but it is important that the targets are achievable without being too soft or too ambitious – a difficult balance to reach.
How administrators can minimise round times:
• Do not overload the course by using short starting intervals. When play is in two-balls, at least eight minutes should be allowed between groups and in three or four balls, at least 10 minutes should be given.
• If possible, incorporate starter’s gaps throughout the course of the day to allow for clearance of any delays that have arisen.
• Encourage players to play from tees that suit their ability and ask the starter to guide the players in this respect before the round.
• The rough for daily play should be of such a length so as to avoid numerous lost balls.
• Hole locations for daily play should not be too severe and neither should the green speeds.
• Advise players of the time that should be taken to play the course and remind them of their obligations with regards to pace of play, i.e. keep up with the group in front and allow quicker groups to pass through.
How players can minimise round times:
• Be aware of your position with regard to the group in front and keep up with that group.
• If you feel that your group is losing ground, tell the other players in your group.
• If your group is behind, try to catch up.
• If you lose a clear hole and are delaying the group behind, or if there is no group in front of you and you are delaying the group behind, invite the group behind to play through.
• Be ready to play your shot. While exercising due consideration for other players in your group, put your glove on, check your yardage, pick your club and line up your putt while others are playing.
• At the green, speed up your exit by positioning your bags on the way to the next tee.
• Move off the green as soon as all players in your group have holed out and mark score cards at or on the way to the next tee.
• Play a provisional ball if your ball may be lost outside a hazard or out of bounds.
So, if slow play has become an issue at your club, course or resort then take action to resolve the problem. And try to keep up with the group in front!
Keep the Pace or Face the Heat!
Kevin Barker, Assistant Director of Rules, R&A Rules Ltd
Features
n keeping with the times, the Council of the IGU, has agreed to our proposal to launch the GY digitally in the form (Golfingly IYours – Any Time) of a free downloadable application, across
all platforms.
In a world where 27 million Indians, in the age group of 18-24, own or use a hand-held mobile device, representing a staggering 9% ( and
growing exponentially) of the 900 million mobile phone users in India, it has become imperative for us to provide information, the way the consumer prefers – on the move from a personal mobile device.
Be it an iPhone, iPad or Android device, this app will be easily available. Our aim is to:
• Provide a rich content experience any time
• Tailor make services based on profile, preference and demands
• Offer actionable insights for Marketing Programs
• Continuously engage through news feeds and alerts
• Build relationship individually
• Offer a complete view of the consumer
• Facilitate viral expansion of GY user-base through Facebook, Twitter and email recommendations.
So, please look out for our alerts and down load the app for free, we assure you that it will be a unique experience.
Advertisers do get in touch with us and we will be pleased to offer you a platform to showcase your products.
Editorial Board
‘Golfingly Yours’ Goes Digitial!
ith the increased interest across the country in the Rules of Golf, the IGU has embarked on basic rules education Wwhich is hoped, will lead to substantive interest in the
IGU - R&A National Rules Schools.
This is in the form of a “Rules Roadshow” which is directed at the club golfer desiring to improve his basic knowledge of the Rules of Golf. We have devised a 3-hour powerpoint presentation dealing with the basic rules and everyday situations faced on the course.
The topics covered: the IGU, The R&A and the rules process, an introduction to the rules of golf, how to use the rule book, basic principles of the rules, definitions and quick guide to the rules.
The main objectives of the roadshow are to provide the members with an awareness of the important Rules of Golf and to ensure that participants leave this session with a greater knowledge (and lesser fear) of the Rules of Golf and how to use them to advantage.
A hall that can seat 75 people and has an overhead projector arrangement and a good sound system are required. Cost to Club will include reimbursement of the air ticket and boarding and lodging expenses for one of our Internationally Qualified Referees, who will make the presentation. Ideal start time would be 1700 hours, culminating at 2000 hours followed by fellowship, to be hosted by the Club.
Club administrators are requested to write in to our DG.
Technical, Rules & Amateur Status Committee
IGU’s Rules Roadshow IGU Sub Junior & Feeder Tour 2012s per our commitment the IGU Sub- Junior and Feeder Tour got underway in all the four regions. This will help A
decongest the main tour and get more juniors to participate in their local areas without having to travel long distances. It will go a long way towards promoting the sport of Golf and more so Junior Golf.
The Western Zone which has had limited success with producing top level golfers will hopefully be benefitted the most. Evolution Golf launched the West Zone IGU Sub-Junior and Feeder Tour 2012 in May and delivered and completed the first four events within Mumbai and Pune in the first month and a half. The next four events will be held in Baroda and Ahmedabad. Today the strength of the tour stands at 128 junior golfers. All tour related information from all the Zones including the score sheets, results, images, videos from each completed event is on the website and also the updated ‘order of merit’. You will find links to the organizers websites for detailed information.
Brijinder SinghChairmanJunior Committee
JUL-SEP 20126 GOLFINGLY YOURS 7 GOLFINGLY YOURS
Merit List
Shubhankar Sharma
1. Shubhankar Sharma2. Manu Gandas3. Aman Raj4. Prakhar Asawa5. Viraj Madappa6. Piyush Sangwan7. Abhishek Kuhar8. Honey9. Yashas Chandra10. Roshan Raj
A & B CategoryJunior Boys
Gentlemen 1 Khalin Joshi2 S Chikkarangappa3. Honey4. Angad Cheema5. Gagan Verma6. Simarjeet Singh7. Syed Saqib Ahmed8. Manav Das9. Trishul Chinnappa10. Vikram Rana
Khalin Joshi
1. Prakhar Asawa2. Viraj Madappa3. Piyush Sangwan4. Mohan Sardar5. Tanvir Kahlon
Prakhar Asawa
JUL-SEP 2012
B Category - Girls1. Aditi Ashok2. Ridhima Dilawari3. Seher Atwal4. Gurjot Badwal5. Ankita Kedlaya6. Siddhi Kapoor7. Dolma Rawat8. Suchitra Ramesh9. Trisha Sunil10. Shruthi Shenoy
Ladies1. Aditi Ashok2. Gurbani Singh3. Vani Kapoor4. Mehar Atwal5. Gursimar Badwal6. Raksha Phadke7. Millie Saroha8. Amandeep Drall9. Anisha Padukone10. Astha Madan
Aditi Ashok
Features
“Graeme and I are tied for the lead, but there’s a bunch of people piled up and close to it,” said Furyk (one time winner, and two time runner up). Clearly, he must have known what he was talking about!
“Obviously I like the position I’m in. The golf course will take its effect on a bunch of people. And the guys that go out there and deal with the conditions and find a way to get through those difficult (opening) holes with par and limit their bogeys and take advantage of some situations where you can
make birdie, those are the guys that are going to have an opportunity to win (over) the last few holes,” he said.
With three past champions among the top seven, including Tiger Woods, just fresh from a recent victory, heading into Sunday’s final round at The Olympic Club, really was anybody’s Championship to win, or lose!
What struck me watching Furyk’s body language after the 16th hole tee shot (later stated that he wasn’t quite prepared to play the hole at about 100 yards shorter than it had been in the previous three rounds!) was that he had already lost it in his mind, and was then going through the motions, at best.
The US Open had it all - sheer magic, including - a hole in one, a 17- year-old amateur, through to a 14-time Open Champion in the lead; to sheer despair.... We have all have had rounds were we just
wanted to get off the course ASAP, seemed like there were several on the last day at the Olympic.
How often do you see a pro tournament where the winner and at least a few other players at this level don’t play under par? How often do you see Phil Mickelson, duff a 3 wood in front of your eyes, or Tiger hit a beautiful shot, short of the green only to see it run off 30 yards past the green, downhill! How often do you see someone lead all day only to put the approach on the 18th into the bunker, and then play a shot which would embarrass... well even me with my game!
Olympic was prepared to test not just the golfing skill of a player (including course management) but their ability to play under tremendous pressure round after round, stroke after stroke. Like the course design was not bad enough (narrow fairways, thick unforgiving rough, big trees in the most in opportune places, small hard greens), there was the weather! San Francisco had seen minimal rain in the lead up to the open, and the USGA probably smarting from Mcllroy’s 16 under par, victory last year, had deliberately starved the course of water. Day three saw bright sunshine, and a relatively hot day, while the final day saw a cold fog descending on the course. This probably marched Furyk’s mood as he was just not able to close out to win the Championship which was ironically won by Simpson who watched the last 40 minutes or so with his family from the club house, knowing that he had given it his all and that there was nothing left for him to do, other than watch, hope and pray!
I enjoyed being at the U.S. Open and must thank my friends at the IGU and Ross Galareneault, Director, GHIN and Handicapping at the USGA, for making it happen.
Keep golfing, they are human too!
This Last Player Country Points average
1 1 Jordan Spieth USA 1492.16
2 2 Chris Williams USA 1369.75
3 3 Patrick Rodgers USA 1360.32
4 4 Hideki Matsuyama JPN 1350.57
5 5 Daan Huizing NED 1331.69
6 6 Corbin Mills USA 1307.14
7 9 Thomas Pieters BEL 1278.60
8 7 Julien Brun FRA 1263.73
9 8 Jake Higginbottom AUS 1248.21
10 12 Marcel Schneider GER 1238.46
The World Amateur Golf Rankings - June 2012
he 9 attendees of the 1st ever, TD’s certification programme, held at Chennai on 17th June 2012, were a knowledgeable Tand experienced lot.
The Indian Golf Union conducts 37 events during the year, spanning Amateurs, Juniors and Ladies. The IGU has taken substantial effort to standardise the way its events are conducted and it is necessary for its officials, running the tournaments to apply similar standards across all events. Importantly, the results of our Amateur events are sent for the World Amateur Golf rankings (WAGR). Furthermore, the PGTI and the WGAI will also be able to draw extensively from this pool of TDs. With the Indian Open now having a Joint TD from the IGU, the significance of training our Rules officials is that much more!
The source document for the programme was the IGU’s Technical Handbook and some of the topics covered were: The Committee, Conditions of Competition & Local Rules, Course Marking, Suspension of Play and Course Evacuation, Starting and Recording, Pace of Play and Guide to Officiating.
During the course, a few lacunas in the present system were identified and several processes initiated.
Sampath Chari, Director of PGTI and a very experienced TD and Rules official, joined the Chairman-Technical in conducting this programme. The 9 officials certified as TDs are Shalini Malik, Neha Majithia, Jayanan Satagopal, CS Murali, KV Dashrathi, Nalin Kant, Hari Achanta, G Suresh and CS Shetty.
The next TD’s certification programme is scheduled for June 2013.
Ishwar AchantaChairman-Technical, Rules & Amateur Status Committee
IGU’s Tournament Director’s Certification Programme
Nooraine Fazal, South Zone Ladies Committee Member
Alan Singh who served the IGU, first as a Council Member and thereafter as its National High Performance Manager (NHPM) has hung up his boots to take up a full time role with the Tata Academy. The IGU is grateful for his contribution and wishes him the very best in his future endeavours. Godspeed and good luck!
Alan Singh bids adieu!
6. Tutul Ali7. Harsh Gangwar8. Aneesh Pandey9. Azad Singh Sandhu10. Varun Parikh
B Category - Boys
JUL-SEP 20126 GOLFINGLY YOURS 7 GOLFINGLY YOURS
Merit List
Shubhankar Sharma
1. Shubhankar Sharma2. Manu Gandas3. Aman Raj4. Prakhar Asawa5. Viraj Madappa6. Piyush Sangwan7. Abhishek Kuhar8. Honey9. Yashas Chandra10. Roshan Raj
A & B CategoryJunior Boys
Gentlemen 1 Khalin Joshi2 S Chikkarangappa3. Honey4. Angad Cheema5. Gagan Verma6. Simarjeet Singh7. Syed Saqib Ahmed8. Manav Das9. Trishul Chinnappa10. Vikram Rana
Khalin Joshi
1. Prakhar Asawa2. Viraj Madappa3. Piyush Sangwan4. Mohan Sardar5. Tanvir Kahlon
Prakhar Asawa
JUL-SEP 2012
B Category - Girls1. Aditi Ashok2. Ridhima Dilawari3. Seher Atwal4. Gurjot Badwal5. Ankita Kedlaya6. Siddhi Kapoor7. Dolma Rawat8. Suchitra Ramesh9. Trisha Sunil10. Shruthi Shenoy
Ladies1. Aditi Ashok2. Gurbani Singh3. Vani Kapoor4. Mehar Atwal5. Gursimar Badwal6. Raksha Phadke7. Millie Saroha8. Amandeep Drall9. Anisha Padukone10. Astha Madan
Aditi Ashok
Features
“Graeme and I are tied for the lead, but there’s a bunch of people piled up and close to it,” said Furyk (one time winner, and two time runner up). Clearly, he must have known what he was talking about!
“Obviously I like the position I’m in. The golf course will take its effect on a bunch of people. And the guys that go out there and deal with the conditions and find a way to get through those difficult (opening) holes with par and limit their bogeys and take advantage of some situations where you can
make birdie, those are the guys that are going to have an opportunity to win (over) the last few holes,” he said.
With three past champions among the top seven, including Tiger Woods, just fresh from a recent victory, heading into Sunday’s final round at The Olympic Club, really was anybody’s Championship to win, or lose!
What struck me watching Furyk’s body language after the 16th hole tee shot (later stated that he wasn’t quite prepared to play the hole at about 100 yards shorter than it had been in the previous three rounds!) was that he had already lost it in his mind, and was then going through the motions, at best.
The US Open had it all - sheer magic, including - a hole in one, a 17- year-old amateur, through to a 14-time Open Champion in the lead; to sheer despair.... We have all have had rounds were we just
wanted to get off the course ASAP, seemed like there were several on the last day at the Olympic.
How often do you see a pro tournament where the winner and at least a few other players at this level don’t play under par? How often do you see Phil Mickelson, duff a 3 wood in front of your eyes, or Tiger hit a beautiful shot, short of the green only to see it run off 30 yards past the green, downhill! How often do you see someone lead all day only to put the approach on the 18th into the bunker, and then play a shot which would embarrass... well even me with my game!
Olympic was prepared to test not just the golfing skill of a player (including course management) but their ability to play under tremendous pressure round after round, stroke after stroke. Like the course design was not bad enough (narrow fairways, thick unforgiving rough, big trees in the most in opportune places, small hard greens), there was the weather! San Francisco had seen minimal rain in the lead up to the open, and the USGA probably smarting from Mcllroy’s 16 under par, victory last year, had deliberately starved the course of water. Day three saw bright sunshine, and a relatively hot day, while the final day saw a cold fog descending on the course. This probably marched Furyk’s mood as he was just not able to close out to win the Championship which was ironically won by Simpson who watched the last 40 minutes or so with his family from the club house, knowing that he had given it his all and that there was nothing left for him to do, other than watch, hope and pray!
I enjoyed being at the U.S. Open and must thank my friends at the IGU and Ross Galareneault, Director, GHIN and Handicapping at the USGA, for making it happen.
Keep golfing, they are human too!
This Last Player Country Points average
1 1 Jordan Spieth USA 1492.16
2 2 Chris Williams USA 1369.75
3 3 Patrick Rodgers USA 1360.32
4 4 Hideki Matsuyama JPN 1350.57
5 5 Daan Huizing NED 1331.69
6 6 Corbin Mills USA 1307.14
7 9 Thomas Pieters BEL 1278.60
8 7 Julien Brun FRA 1263.73
9 8 Jake Higginbottom AUS 1248.21
10 12 Marcel Schneider GER 1238.46
The World Amateur Golf Rankings - June 2012
he 9 attendees of the 1st ever, TD’s certification programme, held at Chennai on 17th June 2012, were a knowledgeable Tand experienced lot.
The Indian Golf Union conducts 37 events during the year, spanning Amateurs, Juniors and Ladies. The IGU has taken substantial effort to standardise the way its events are conducted and it is necessary for its officials, running the tournaments to apply similar standards across all events. Importantly, the results of our Amateur events are sent for the World Amateur Golf rankings (WAGR). Furthermore, the PGTI and the WGAI will also be able to draw extensively from this pool of TDs. With the Indian Open now having a Joint TD from the IGU, the significance of training our Rules officials is that much more!
The source document for the programme was the IGU’s Technical Handbook and some of the topics covered were: The Committee, Conditions of Competition & Local Rules, Course Marking, Suspension of Play and Course Evacuation, Starting and Recording, Pace of Play and Guide to Officiating.
During the course, a few lacunas in the present system were identified and several processes initiated.
Sampath Chari, Director of PGTI and a very experienced TD and Rules official, joined the Chairman-Technical in conducting this programme. The 9 officials certified as TDs are Shalini Malik, Neha Majithia, Jayanan Satagopal, CS Murali, KV Dashrathi, Nalin Kant, Hari Achanta, G Suresh and CS Shetty.
The next TD’s certification programme is scheduled for June 2013.
Ishwar AchantaChairman-Technical, Rules & Amateur Status Committee
IGU’s Tournament Director’s Certification Programme
Nooraine Fazal, South Zone Ladies Committee Member
Alan Singh who served the IGU, first as a Council Member and thereafter as its National High Performance Manager (NHPM) has hung up his boots to take up a full time role with the Tata Academy. The IGU is grateful for his contribution and wishes him the very best in his future endeavours. Godspeed and good luck!
Alan Singh bids adieu!
6. Tutul Ali7. Harsh Gangwar8. Aneesh Pandey9. Azad Singh Sandhu10. Varun Parikh
B Category - Boys
Launch Date 1st September 2012
What is GHIN®?
GHIN (pronounced “jin”) stands for the Golf Handicap and
Information Network®. This department was founded by
the USGA more than 30 years ago to assist state, regional
and international golf associations by providing a high
quality handicap computation service. GHIN believes a
handicap computation service must be dynamic and be
driven by customer desire and changing technology. The
USGA and the IGU have entered into an agreement to
launch the GHIN in India.
The GHIN Handicap Program software provides for scores
to be electronically routed from any club within the GHIN
network. Away scores are re-routed to the home clubs.
The Indian Golf Union’s National Centralised Handicapping System (NCHS) Using the GHIN Handicap Program™
Objectives
• Established and preferred practice worldwide
• Enhances the experience of every golfer in India as standardized handicaps benefit all players
• Recognizes and includes growing number of golfers who cannot obtain golf club memberships and enables them to enjoy and participate as equal players in the game
• Required to cope with the exponential growth
• Encourages junior golfers who cannot obtain proper club member-ships to establish genuine handicaps
• Create a sustained revenue stream
• IGU can plough the money back and develop golf
Club administrators and golfers - do contact the IGU for more information!!
Score Posting Made Easy
Flexibility
Features with Password Restrictions
Simplified Transmissions
Hole-by-Hole Stroke Analysis
Multi-Terminal Option
What does NCHS offer golfers in India?
Non real estate members 'Valid & globally recognized handicap
USGA’s GHIN 'Time tested & established system
Handicaps 'Equitable
Fundamental Element 'Enjoyment by all
Unites 'All golfers with a single voice
Allows all 'Enter global events without prejudice
Club Support Solicited
Communicate 'Benefits of NCHS to members
Permit 'Address by IGU to membership
Establish 'Time frame for mandatory migration; say 12 months
Collect & transfer 'Nominal fee
Data/Cards 'Enter data for a fee or collect cards in drop box
The Indian Golf UnionNew Delhi, INDIA