november e-newsletter

Thanks to the outgoing board; welcome to the new

This being my first report, I would like to thank a few people who worked hard to ensure that you had a good 2006 season of golf competition.

President Larry Christiansen guided us through a tough, competitive inter-club series, as well as a variety of our own club battles, and was ably helped out by Club Captain Larry Bachiu, who is continuing this role next year.

We will sorely miss Gordon Irwin’s tireless work on senior inter-club and buttons over the past several years. He has decided to step down from the executive for a well-earned rest and probably more golf. Director Graham Russell also steps down in favour of more golf.

O.K, so what’s next?

Well, in addition to planning a series of club events, your new board of directors is determined to wrestle back some of the missing hardware that wound up in other clubs' trophy cases this year. To do that we need participation from you. So when you see the invitation lists up on the bulletin board for the Willie Park, City Buttons, Senior Inter-club, etc., jump in. Sign up.

I encourage you to seek out executive members if you have questions, comments or concerns. After all there are 550-plus of you and we are here as your representatives.

I would particularly like to welcome new directors Kirk Handrahan, Ian Reid (who takes over from me as rules & handicap chair) and Alistair Urquhart, who is taking on the senior inter-club portfolio.

Keep on golfing!

Men's Club 2007 Executive

President: Keith Boddaert
VP-To Be Announced
Club Captain: Larry Bachiu
Treasurer: Mort Nelson
Secretary: Ralph Dafoe
Directors: Mike Oliver, Aylmer Lineen, Albie Shamess, Ian Reid, Alistair Urquhart, Kirk Handrahan

Golf's most violated rules: Vol. II

By Brian Hann
CPGA Teaching Professional
Henry-Griffitts Master Clubfitter

In my profession, it is my responsibility to know and understand the rules of golf. The challenge is that the grounds on which we play golf, and the myriad of possibilities for occurrences on those grounds, are enormous. Thus, there are very few people who have a full understanding of the rules. Even in professional competitions, there are accidental violations. Following is an example of a rule that gets broken on occasion.

Player ‘A’ strikes his ball toward a water hazard, but no one in the group sees it enter the hazard. All members of the group have a look for the ball, but they do not find it. The player comes to a ‘logical’ conclusion that his ball must be in the hazard, because they did not find it elsewhere, so Player ‘A’ proceeds under the water hazard rule. Sadly, he may have just violated a rule of golf. In order for him to proceed under the water hazard rule, there must be “reasonable evidence” that the ball is, in fact, in the hazard. In the absence of reasonable evidence, the ball must be deemed lost and Player ‘A’ would then proceed under the lost ball rule, which carries a more severe penalty.

What constitutes reasonable evidence, you ask? Well, the term is purposely and necessarily broad, so as to permit sensible judgments on the basis of all relevant circumstances in a particular case. As applied in this context, the person may not proceed under the water hazard rule just because he thinks the ball may be in the hazard. The evidence must be preponderantly in favour of its being in the hazard.

Physical conditions in the area have a great deal to do with it. For example, if a water hazard is surrounded by a fairway on which a ball could hardly be lost, the existence of reasonable evidence that the ball is in the hazard would be more likely than if there was deep rough in the area. Also, observing a ball splash in the water would not necessarily provide reasonable evidence, as splashing balls sometimes skip out of hazards. Each case depends on all of the circumstances.

Finally, who is the judge as to reasonable evidence? Let’s assume that the competition is contested in a stroke-play format, which is what we see each week on television. Each player in the competition is assigned a marker , typically a fellow-competitor. The marker’s duty is to record the score of the player, hole-by-hole, and to attest to its validity at the completion of the round. He carries a duty of care and attention, so as to protect the interests of all other players in the competition. If, at the completion of the round, he has any question as to a rules interpretation as made by the player whose score he is marking, he must bring that question to the attention of the rules committee of the event. The committee assumes the responsibility of gathering all information available from any and all witnesses, then interprets the rule in the given circumstance. The marker is to bring this question to light before he attests the player’s scorecard with his signature.

Claremont Golf Program

Have you seen 10 fine young players blasting balls off the range or flying flops at the Ridge lately? Well, since the start of the school year, we have engaged in a golf program with Claremont Secondary School. This endeavour is the beginning stage of developing an Elite Junior Golf Program in conjunction with the Claremont Sport Institute.

The students practise golf three days a week here at Cordova Bay Golf Course with Jody Jackson, LPGA teaching and club professional, and the other two days are spent at Claremont for fitness and classroom instruction with their teacher, Phil Ohl. So far, students have completed a battery of assessments on all parts of their game, engaged in the AStar Video Analysis, pratised Shaping Shots and dealing with Trouble Shots, and this past week Jody had them parked in front of the big screen to look at Course Management prior to heading out to the first hole to apply what they had learned.

The future looks bright for these young players, as professional programs like these expose our youth to elite coaching and teaching opportunities, enabling them to move closer to achieving their golfing dreams.

(In conjunction with our Audubon Certification, we are pleased to share with you short feature each month on the numerous resident birds or critters you will encounter when golfing here at CBGC.)

Red-Breasted Sapsucker
(Sphyrapicus Ruber)

Length: 8.5 inches
Wing Span: 16 inches
Weight: 1.8 oz.

About a year ago, Nellie Harrington and I were pruning the weeping sequoias at the Ridge putting course garden when we noticed a weird pattern of holes around the trees. We guessed some kind of woodpecker was responsible. Then, just a few weeks ago, we were working at that same garden and noticed a woodpecker on one of the trees. Since I have these guys in my back yard, I knew it was a Red-breasted Sapsucker, thus the mystery of the holes was solved.

Red-breasted Sapsuckers are a very shy, medium-sized woodpecker, smaller than a flicker. They have a very stunning red head, throat and breast, and their bellies are yellow. Their upper-parts are black, barred with white, and a prominent white stripe is located across each black wing. Juveniles are dusky brown with light spots and black and white checkered wings and tail.

Sapsuckers get their names from their foraging practices, and Red-breasted Sapsuckers dwell mostly on the edges of, or within, dense mixed conifer forests, as well as in groves of alders. After drilling neat, small, round horizontal rows of holes into the trunks of trees, they leave for a while and return to these ‘sap wells’ and feed on the running sap and the insects attracted to the sap. Unlike most other woodpeckers, the sapsuckers forage on healthy trees and may cause death to the tree, although this rarely happens.

The Rufous Hummingbird, which makes use of the sapsuckers’ feeding holes and may even come to rely on them, will often nest near a sap well, and may even follow the sapsucker around for the day. The hummingbird drinks the sap and eats the insects. The Red-breasted Sapsucker’s main food is tree sap, but it will also eat some types of insects and fruit.

Red-breasted Sapsuckers form a monogamous pair, with both members excavating the nesting cavity, which is usually built in a deciduous tree. Sometimes, however, nests are found in firs or in a dead tree or branch. No nesting material is added to the nesting cavity. Four to seven white eggs are laid in the nest and both sexes take part in the incubation of 12-13 days. Both parents feed the young a collection of insects. Red-breasted Sapsuckers are known to hybridize with Red-naped Sapsuckers as well.

While practising your putting at the Ridge, keep a eye on the trees in the middle of the island because you may be lucky enough to see one of these spectacular -looking woodpeckers. Be very still and quiet and he may even do some drilling right in front of you. Happy putting and bird watching.

Latin Name
Liriodendron Tulipifera
Common Name
Tulip Tree
Zones: 1-12; 14-23

The Liriodendron is native to the eastern United States and part of the magnolia family.

This tree is not for the small garden, as it grows 15-20 feet in a six-to-eight-year period. In its mature height, it will reach 90 feet high by 40 feet wide, and will also grow quicker with ample water and fertilizer.

The Liriodendron has a straight trunk with spreading branches that form a pyramidal crown. The leaves are unlike any other tree I know of (they’re lyre-shaped; shaped like a harp) and the flowers resemble tulips. The tree must be 10 to 12 years old before it will produce flowers.

Liriodendrons require deep, rich, well-drained neutral soil and is hardy to minus-25F, so it does very well in our climate.

We have several varieties on the course:

The common green variety: Liriodendron Tulipifera
A columnar variety: Liriodendron Fastigratum
A variegated variety: Leriodendron Aurea Marginata

The Liriodendron is a great golf course tree and has great fall colour, turning from a light green to a beautiful yellow.

I hope you enjoy this tree when you are on the course.

Dinner, wine and the Herminnator

There’s nothing better than a good meal after a hard day’s work on the golf course, so come down to say hello and have a great feature dinner from our fresh menu sheet. Chef Walter Gurtner and his staff have come up with a few warm sandwiches and an entire new list of dinner features for golfers and non-golfers alike.

And try a glass of wine with your meal.

I have been searching for new product for our wine lists (all this sampling has got me a little loopy) and our Saturday list is a prime example of the quality we offer: it features an assortment of award-winning wines, all available for just $5 above cost. I challenge you to find a better deal out there.

Christmas parties are in full swing, and there is still plenty of room for your function. Why not book a table for lunch and have a get-together with your friends, family or staff members?

Finally, I just have to mention the return of The Herminnator from Vancouver Island Brewery. This award-winning product, which repeatedly wins international competitions, is available every year at this time for a very limited time, so try it before it sells out. This is a Christmas tradition not to be missed.

We all hope to see you soon.

Now Selling

Priced from $720,000 + GST
(250) 658-4700

5331 Cordova Bay Road, Victoria, BC
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
www.saywardhill.com

Your Comments: We want to hear your comments! Please send us, write us or, even better, e-mail us at info@cordovabaygolf.com

These features will give you the best winter golf shoe you can buy! STAY WARM and DRY when it's WET or COLD!

These features will give you the best winter golf shoe you can buy!
STAY WARM and DRY when it's WET or COLD!