newFAIRWAY NEWS … IGC’s periodic journal
(Issue 3 … May 1-21, 2019)

Despite two challenging squalls blowing through ( … and blowing many scores out of the water!), a very successful Opening Cup (May 4, Pierpont) saw Ged Boydell, David Collins and André Husheer run out the winners. Battered by wind, rain and hail, the course was also awash with new IGC members.

Making their debut appearances with IGC we welcomed John “Jack” Hillmeyer (from Missouri), John Johnson (from Seattle), and continuing the alliterative theme, Ryan Romito (from Massachusetts). Volker Timmermann from Germany enjoyed his first outing as a full member. Volker’s partner Elke Wienkamp, as well as Roberto Ghidini and David Collins, also represented IGC’s burgeoning group of 2019 newcomers. Later in May we also saw debut IGC appearances by Phil Rietema (from Michigan), and Jed Royal of NATO. Adding to the “IGC family” concept, it was great to hear the familiar and mellifluous tones of one of “les frères Ducarme” … Thierry joining his illustrious siblings Olivier, Alain and Jean-Paul as an IGC member.

On May 11, at “the end of the world,” IGC scored another memorable “Ryder Cup” configured victory over Empereur. Tension quickly mounted as the four singles matches returned a slender one-point lead in IGC’s favour. The three foursomes came back with nothing separating the teams … “all square”, “all square” and “all square” was telegraphed to the nervous throng. But cometh the hour! … Bernard Donck & Peter Mountain, and then Brighton Watambwa & Alessio Turli (another IGC “rookie”) brought home the bacon in the final two flights … three points to Empereur’s nil in each case was enough to “seal the deal.” Final result: IGC 17 pts; Empereur 13 pts.

WORTHY WINNERS: of recent IGC competitions:

• Sat May 4 (Pierpont) Opening Cup:
  First, with the best combined aggregate stableford score, the team of Ged Boydell, David Collins & André Husheer (91 pts). Two points back was the team of Peter Mountain, Per Aidemark (best gross) & Alvaro Lopez Garcia (best individual stableford).
• Sat May 11 (match vs Empereur): another match play win for a rampant IGC; this one by 17 pts to 13.
• Sun May 12 (Enghien): First: Peter Brown (39 pts) on countback from Ronnie O’Connell; third was Barry McAlpine (32 pts) … Winter Cup winner Peter putting down a marker in the Summer Cup.
• Sat May 18 (Spiegelven): First: Suzanne Butler (35 pts) on countback from André Husheer; third was Thierry Ducarme (34 pts) … congrats also to Colton Bangs who threatened the hole with his approach at the very testing par-5 18th, a shot good enough to win the “nearest-the-pin-in three” prize.
• Sun May 19 (La Tournette-Anglais) Monthly Medal: First: Andrew Budd (net 74); runner-up David Winter (net 75); third Suzanne Butler (net 76). David Collins and Bill Purdue also qualified for the Monthly Medal Final. Andrew collected his second straight monthly medal … but not sure they can be worn on his No.2’s!

UPCOMING EVENTS for your diary: …. plenty more fixtures in addition to these:

• Fri May 24: Royal Sart Tilman … and the start of the 2019 Royal Trophy season ( … at a competitive GF of €75).
• May 30-Jun 2: Côte d’Opale Stay&Play … it’s time to pay-up in full … and indicate to Peter if you require a dinner reservation at La Manoir for Thursday evening (as most will do), and what you’d like to eat at the “Gala Dinner” on Saturday (when our Capt and vice Capt will no doubt wear skirts, “nae skirts bonnie lad, tha’ kilts!” Friday is “free choice” for dinner … usually we all end up at the same fish restaurant on Le Touquet’s Rue de Metz!
• Sun June 9: Pierpont … and the deadline for completion of round 1 of the 2019 IGC Match Play.
  Sat June 15: Rinkven … a long-standing IGC event sponsored by the Ginders. Just a few days after the Belgian (BKO) Open, we’re likely to be playing the course as set up for the European Tour players! … and at a very attractive GF of only €60. [PS: happy 50th to Nick Compton on this day!].
• Sun June 30: you’ll need to wait a bit longer for the eagerly awaited President’s Day at Royal Hainaut on June 30 (sponsored by Rodolphe). We wish Rodolphe well as he goes under the surgeon’s knife in mid-June for a hip operation, and look forward to his speedy recovery and a possible rescheduling of President’s Day.

PARISH NOTICES: what the world’s press is talking about:

• AFG 2019 Snr Spring Challenge: after comfortable progress through the divisional stage, including good wins against Louvain-la-Neuve, Golf du Haras, Brussels Drohme (Boisfort Hippodrome) and Henri Chappelle, Tommy Smith’s IGC/MUGS team now take on Liège-Bernalmont on May 27 at Mont Garni in the quarter-final knockout stage.
• The Royal Trophy: you should have received a circular announcing the start of IGC’s Royal Trophy season (at Royal Sart Tilman on Fri May 24). This year’s ten events include four on Saturdays (two of them “double-header” Summer Cup/Royal Trophy events), and six on Fridays. All the top Royal (and ancient) courses in Belgium are included, although some of the recent “young pretenders” have not made the cut. Check your imaginatively logoed e-flyer for details. Please note, we may push the final Royal Trophy event back to Royal Ostend on Oct 5 (… watch this space!).
• Signing for your score: okay … who doesn’t know Rule 3.3b(3)? … clearly your (acting) Secretary, who discovered that signing for his best round of the year doesn’t provide immunity from disqualification. The lesson learnt: the gross score per hole must be correctly recorded on the scorecard – either the actual number of shots taken (gross), or a “/” (blob) if the hole was not finished. In strokeplay and stableford competitions, the gross score on each holeis the thing to get right. In stableford competitions, the stableford score should also be correctly marked for each hole, but an error here will be corrected by the Committee, and not lead to disqualification.

IGC COMMITTEE MEETING: (May 11)

A full attendance by all eight Committee members, with Bas Ten Holter also joining us to elaborate on “new member” recruitment and possible social media strategies … which Bas initiated for his football club ( … not the Spurs on this occasion).

With 25 new joiners already in 2019, swelling IGC’s total membership to 123, who needs to focus on recruitment, you may ask. But as we know, turnover amongst such a dynamic international club is a fact of life … and attracting new golfers is ever needed. Getting the most out of social media (especially LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter) is important, but we all agreed that “word of mouth” is definitely how most of our new joiners first hear about IGC. So keep up the good work … and keep spreading the word!

We also discussed the finalisation of the 2019 Calendar, optimising the IGC website, the upcoming Stay&Play, compliance with new ASBL regs, first-quarter financial report (we’re still in credit!), and a possible new team event in mid-October to launch the Winter Cup ( … any suggestions in that regard will certainly be listened to!).

PHOTOs of the WEEK

The winning Opening Cup team of Ged Boydell, André Husheer and David Collins receive the victor’s spoils from Opening Cup sponsors Suzanne & Nigel Butler … of Where2Golf.

IGC captain Barry McAlpine receives the winner’s trophy from Empereur captain Federico Burattini after the 2019 playing of this historic IGC-Empereur encounter..