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Boland Golf Union picks 3 of our senior superstars for upcoming IPT Tournaments
Wednesday, March 1, 2023 - 17:07

Wednesday, March 01, 2023
Greetings, greetings,
And so the second month of 2023 has come to an end...Time waits for no one. Don’t let others use your time with drama, or their ignorance. Let your time be filled with what makes you HAPPY!
February Mix

Happy was definitely the feeling on Sunday when we hosted another smashing Mix Competition sponsored by our friends from Beyerskloof.
Marli Crafford, Andre Crafford, Allison Seymour Mead, and Richard Seymour Mead made 83 stableford points to be crowned the champions on the day.
Sanelle Hobbs, Grant Hobbs, Jackie Lochner, Auret Lochner missed out by one point on 82, securing the runner-up position.
Gerhard spoiled the members and guests with a delicious yellowtail, complimented by some amazing Beyerskloof wines.

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Thank you to everyone who joined us on Sunday and a BIG thank you to Beyerskloof for their continued support. I’m sure everyone is already looking forward to our next event on 26 March 2023 when Stellenbosch Hills will be our sponsor. Don’t delay – BOOK NOW!
Book your spot
Town vs. Country - Stellenbosch ladies doing us proud!

On Monday, 20 February, in foul, wet, windy weather, the annual Town vs. Country Derby between the Western Province and Boland League Teams was played at Durbanville Golf Club. The Boland team was selected from all Boland clubs according to past league performance.
Stellenbosch was proudly represented by 5 players out of a team of 24 players in 3 divisions. Western Province took revenge after losing last year (they won A and B Divisions this year, and halved in the C Division), but matches were close, most decided on the last two holes.
Well done Stellenbosch league players!
Top performers - Bring it on!
The Handicap Committee plays a vital role in the successful administration of a player’s Handicap Index and is equipped with tools to intervene when the calculated Handicap Index is no longer reflective of the player’s demonstrated ability. Used appropriately, these tools are designed to ensure that players are treated fairly and consistently from golf club to golf club.
The above is the Principle of the Rule (Rule 7) in The Rules of Handicapping.
At the back-end of 2022 Chris (our General Manager) sent the following out in his year-end newsletter:
Our Club is fortunate to have some very good golfers participating in the weekly member competitions. As golf can be played competitively by all skill levels due to the ingenious, by enlarge self-regulating, handicap system, the frequency of winning remains a popular discussion point, in clubs world-wide. The Golf Sub-Committee, now “Fair Play Sub-Committee”, commenced on 1 December 2021 with collecting detailed information of all the weekly winners of member club competitions. The assimilation of this information was necessary for two reasons:
1. To fairly execute the Club’s obligation to ensure the integrity of the handicap system is in no way compromised.
2. To collect, over a twelve-month period, the facts in respect of frequent winners.
In respect of #1 above, the information collected confirmed as expected that 99,99% of all participants fairly and accurately comply with the rules of the world handicap system. In the event of the possible exceptions the Club’s Disciplinary Committee will be engaged.
In respect of #2 above, the large amount of team competition formats (better ball, or alliance) ensures that the frequency of being in the prizes is no reflection of any manipulation or unsportsmanlike behaviour. Over the cause of 12 months there were only 10 individuals who were in the prizes on more than 5% of the times they entered a club competition. The general goal of the handicap system is for players not to play to their handicap or better than their handicaps on more than 5% of the rounds they play. As said the team format of most club competitions cause this yardstick to be irrelevant.
However, the handicap manual makes provision for manual intervention in respect of frequent winners and the Fair-play Committee will act in accordance with the guidelines provided in the Handicap manual. There will be two occasions that members may experience a downward change in handicap index:
1. Those members who are fortunate enough to be in the prizes on more than three occasions during any one month may experience a temporary and short-term reduction in their handicap index.
2. Those members who are fortunate to such an extent that during a rolling 12-month period they have been in the prizes on 10% or more of the times they participated, may find their handicaps frozen on their lowest handicap index for the preceding 12-month period. This “frozen” handicap index will remain until such time as the prize-winning frequency subsides to less than 10%.
The above is a brief synopsis of the actions considered by the Committee.
As with everything in life communication is key... So let me highlight a few points:
• The process has been very well received by most of the members.
• A Handicap Committee reviews all members’ handicaps, NOT staff members.
• There are three ways of intervention:
• A player who is in the prizes more than 3 times in one month with no reduction in handicap, may be manually intervened.
• The handicaps of players who are in the prizes on a regular basis and whose name appears on the algorithm of the HNA system may be reduced as per the recommendation of the algorithm.
• Members who are in the prizes more than 15% (this number has increased from 10%) of the time they have participated in a rolling 12-month period, may find their handicaps frozen on their lowest handicap index of the preceding 12 months. This frozen handicap index will remain until such time the prize-winning frequency subsides to less than 15%.
• A member needs to participate in a minimum of 24 competition rounds for the previous point to be considered.
Congratulations to our Senior golfers!
Our senior members are setting the pace with three being selected to represent the Boland Union.


Congratulations to the Stellenbosch GC members selected to represent Boland Golf at the 2023 Senior & Super Senior IPT Tournaments!
Clive Williams will be captaining the Senior IPT Team with Peter van Coller and Etienne Durandt teeing it up in the Super Senior IPT Team.
Both teams will compete in the A Sections at San Lameer Country Club on 17 - 21 April 2023.
Now go make those birdies,
Louis