Dear Guest,

We've been fortunate with the weather this year—winter tee times have now begun, and aside from one wet Wednesday last week, conditions have held up well.

In the latest Membership Matters, we included details about the club’s frost policy. If you haven’t read it yet, please take a moment to do so. It’s especially important if you’re booking early tee times, as frost delays may impact your round.

Our newsletters are the primary way we communicate updates and changes. Occasionally, I hear members say, “I wasn’t aware of that,” or “No one told us.” If you ever feel out of the loop, chances are the information has already been shared—please don’t hesitate to contact me by email or phone or check with the Pro Shop. We're always happy to help. Life is busy and it’s easy to miss things, but open communication will go a long way toward maintaining a positive and enjoyable club environment.

Earlier this year, in preparation for the PGA event, we had to move to a one-tee start for 2 weeks, which resulted on Wednesday 9-hole club day being fully booked. Some 9-hole ladies requested more tee times, but it was decided by the Golf Committee not to add anymore as Wednesday mornings are popular, and it was important to ensure other membership categories had the opportunity to play. Since resuming normal scheduling, we have been monitoring attendance, and the average booking percentage has been 82%.

Some players have also shown interest in 9-hole rounds on Tuesdays and wanted 9-hole dedicated tee times. In response, the Golf Committee and Golf Operations investigated how this could work. On two-tee start days, there’s a specific time block where only 9-hole rounds can be played and as a result, we've created 8 tee times between 10:03 am to 10:24 am. If you’re a 9-hole player looking to connect with others, this could be a great way to build a community while still mixing with the 18-hole ladies. Across the rest of the week, morning tee times are more limited, and winter daylight means the last 18-hole groups must finish earlier due to fading light. If your schedule allows, and you want to play 9 holes it would be great if you could take advantage of these tee times.

Last week was Round 1 of the Nancy McCormick Foursomes. 9 pairs entered, and currently tied in the lead with a net 76 are:

- Patsy White & Emma Mouat
- Jane Howie & Andrea Percival
- Karen Major & Christine Bird

Well done, ladies! That said, I received a lot of feedback on the difficulty of the pin placements — holes 16 and 17 gave off serious "Greenkeeper’s Revenge" energy. Whoever set the pins on Monday must have thought we were on the LPGA Tour!

I’ve since spoken with Ben, our Head Greenkeeper, and asked when he cuts the holes on Monday if the pin placements could be more forgiving, in line with our actual playing abilities. For context, the average handicap for our 18-hole women is 26 and 9-hole is 36.

Please keep in mind that pin and tee placements are also influenced by course wear and tear. You would have noticed an increase in divots on the tee boxes where the white and yellow tees are combined. This is due to the men requesting to play it forward on Thursday and Saturday club days adding more pressure on these shared spaces. This will remain a challenge unless we physically separate the yellow and white tee areas. The greenkeeping team are doing their best under these circumstances.

Congratulations

Every year Hawke's Bay and Poverty Bay compete in the Lucy May and Bay Bronze Challenge. This year, the event will be held on 19th May at the Poverty Bay Golf Club in Gisborne. The format includes 18 holes of individual match play, and 9 holes of combined Stableford—both played on the same day.

We’re thrilled to announce that two of our own members have been selected for the Lucy May Team: Karen Major and Rosemary Burns. Congratulations to both of you! Full teams below.

National Team Qualifying Final Results

On 5th May, we hosted this event at Hastings. Representing our club were Martha Manaena, Caroline Young, Andrea Percival, and Christine Bird.

The format was 18 hole four-ball stroke play. Martha and Andrea teamed up to shoot a net 69, while Christine and Caroline carded a net 68. Their combined net score of 137 won the event! This tournament is held across districts nationwide, and the top score from all regions takes the national title. Fabulous work ladies and good luck!

A fundraising raffle in conjunction with the tournament raised $1,225 for the Hawke's Bay Golf Association. Thank you to everyone who supported the cause!

May Results

Campbell Cup: Congratulations to Martha Manaena, who edged out Emma Mouat on the 18th to win one up.

9-Hole Sue Bunt Salver Homelinks: 15 ladies participated. Leading the field is Vicki Sutcliffe with a net 33, followed by Jill Marshall and Nicola Waterworth with net 35. Two rounds to go played over the next two Wednesdays.

Rules Refresher

Rules, rules, rules—golf is governed by them! If you're entering a competition, it's your responsibility to understand the rules of golf and the format you are playing. If you're unsure, ask someone in your group or speak with the Pro Shop—there’s always a pro nearby who’s happy to help.

The two main formats we play at Hastings are:
- Net Medal – Used in LGU and Homelinks competitions.
- Stableford – Used in Baker Cup and Sutcliffe Cup

These formats haven’t changed in years, so familiarity is key to fair and fun play. There are many resources online, but if you prefer in-person learning, we’re lucky to have two excellent women referees: Jenny Scotland and Elizabeth Bell.

I’ve contacted them about running a group session to cover the basics and have scheduled this for Wednesday 21^st May at 11.30 am upstairs in the clubhouse. A sign-up sheet will be posted on the noticeboard this week with details, or you can register your interest through the Pro Shop or by speaking with me.

What’s Coming Up

13th May – Nancy McCormick Foursomes Rd 2 
20th & 24th May – Baker Cup Rd 5 + LGU Rd 3 & Audrey Kelly
25th May – Grieve Salver (Mixed pairs, also used as Tattersall Dixon qualifier) 
27th May – Hutchinsons One Day Stableford (Open to 9 and 18 holes) 
14th & 21st May – 9-Hole Sue Bunt Salver Homelinks Rds 2 & 3 
28th May – 9-Hole LGU Rd 5 
20th May – Proffitt Fourball entries close

We are not short of competitions! If you would like to donate anything for individual prizes, please get in touch with Jill or myself. Baker Cup this month has a prize donated for highest Stableford and on the Tuesday has a nearest to the pin on 16. Open to anyone playing on the day with a $2 entry fee. Money raised goes to our ladies representative fund to help support our representative golfers.

Have fun and happy golfing.

Emma Mouat

Women’s Club Captain

0210429133

emmamouathgc@outlook.com