A number of subjects for your interest today – please take the time to read to the bottom of this mail. I’ll try to be brief but there’s a lot to cover.

1) Last weekend … a great response to my rallying call, thank you. 12 players at Rigenee, Saturday and 20 at Enghien Sunday.

Congratulations to Richard Ivens, winner at Rigenee with 41 points, and Brighton Watambwa winner at Enghien with a whopping handicap limiting 44 points !

2) Next weekend – a real buzz of excitement around our Stay and Play return to Kent. Look out for all details in mails from Captain Barry.

However, from me …. please allow extra time in your travel itinerary. Its the start of a Bank Holiday week, the Belgians will be heading to the Coast, so expect and anticipate delays on the E40 Friday night and Saturday morning, as well as a busy check in experience at Calais.

As a guide, my journey will start before 08.00 in Tervuren aiming for an 11.20 Eurotunnel departure from Calais.

May sees the real serious business of competition golf commence.

We have the start of the Summer Cup at La Tournette on the 5th.

Captain’s Day sponsored by Captain Barry at Royal Limburg on the 19th

Start of the Royal Trophy at Royal Sart Tilman on the 25th.

The 2018 Opening Cup will be held at Pierpont on Sunday 6th May.

This event will still be an individual Stableford counting towards the Summer Cup, however each flight of 3 will constitute a team competing for the Opening Cup based on aggregate Stableford score.

More details to follow, and more prizes to be revealed on the day.

Please sign up now on Albatross.

On the theme of sponsored events, we are looking for individuals or groups of Members in IGC to sponsor prizes at IGC events.

It could be a Committee Member similar to Captain’s Day or Secretary’s Scramble.

It could be an individual similar to Richard Ginder’s excellent Rinkven event.

It could be in the name of your company or organisation such as the Where2Golf.com sponsorship.

It could be a group of you ….. for example American members sponsoring a monthly medal ( hint ! ) , or our Scottish members wishing to demonstrate the generosity of their culture (even bigger hint) . Dutch ( ??? )

If you would like to support, please speak to myself directly or any member of the Committee. Thank you.

IGC plays every competition as a guest of a host club. If we are to continue as a valued guest then we must be well behaved visitors, especially when it comes to pace of play.

Last year, my feeling is that we had fewer problems than previous years so well done. Lets keep that up in 2018.

The key to ready golf is organisation. Be ready to take your shot immediately after your flight partner.

Don’t worry too much about who has honour, get on with it.

Line up your putt while the others are playing, not afterwards.

Walk quickly, and leave the green without delay, marking your card on the next tee.

And …… its not a shameful act to call the next group through. Do it more often – you will be thanked and receive respect for it.

Lesson over – but please take note.

Most of you will have heard that our friend and IGC Member Arthur suffered a heart attack during an IGC event at Pierpont earlier this month.

Arthur was playing with myself when he was taken ill and his ongoing recovery owes much to the fantastic rapid response of Pierpont staff, and the emergency services when we raised the alarm.

I am pleased to report that Arthur is back home recovering from surgery and in good spirits.

He tells us that as soon as he’s allowed to drive, he’ll also be driving a golf buggy on the course with IGC.

So.. good news to finish this week.

Have a great Stay and Play for those who are going. Respect those links courses and respect your liver on tour !!!

Cheers,