As we kick off the new year, don’t forget to sign up your team for the 2025 Business League! The first round will take place on February 5, 2025, with the usual 11:00 AM shotgun start. It’s always a fantastic event, and we’re excited to see the teams come together for a great season of competition and camaraderie.
If you haven’t already, be sure to enter your team soon to secure your spot. Whether you’re returning from last year or a newcomer to the league, it’s a wonderful opportunity to network, have fun, and challenge yourself on the course.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Digital Entry Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHQKDYanceryGAVM16EKAVyBi_VyeiOus-YJF7GaUfolG1Pg/viewform?usp=header
Club Championships 2025
Save the Date: Annual Club Championships – March 14th & 15th, 2025!
We are excited to announce that the Annual Club Championships will take place on March 14th and 15th, 2025.
This prestigious event is a highlight of our golfing calendar, and we encourage all eligible players to take part!
A Division Players: You will compete over two days, playing 18 holes on both March 14th and March 15th. It's sure to be an exciting challenge as you battle it out for the title.
Other Players: The rest of the field will play 18 holes on Saturday, March 15th, with an action-packed day ahead!
To enter, please make sure to fill out the digital entry form. This will ensure your spot in the competition and help us organize the event efficiently.
We look forward to seeing you all compete for the championship!
Digital Entry Form: https://forms.gle/4AudoqMmtGWT1aDe7
Tea to Tee
We would like to inform our members that there was no Tea to Tee event in December 2024.
The first Tea to Tee event of the new year will take place on February 4th, 2025. Going forward, the popular event will be held on the first Tuesday of every month (Excluding January 2025) , we are excited to share the following dates for the upcoming months:
• February 4th, 2025
• March 4th, 2025
• April 1st, 2025
• May 6th, 2025
• June 3rd, 2025
• July 1st, 2025
• August 5th, 2025
• September 2nd, 2025
• October 7th, 2025
• November 4th, 2025
• December 2nd, 2025
We look forward to seeing you at these events for a fun and engaging way to start the month, connect with fellow locals, members, golfers and Clarenites, and enjoy the morning together.
Golf RSA & R&A 9 Hole Challenge
We are excited to announce that Clarens Golf & Leisure Estate has been invited to participate in the Golf RSA 9-Hole Challenge
With the opportunity for our champions to compete at regional and national levels, ultimately earning a chance to play at the prestigious Royal Portrush Golf Club in July 2025.
This is a unique and thrilling opportunity for our members, and we encourage you to participate!
Competition Details:
The competition will run from 22nd of November 2024 through to the end of February 2025, excluding the month of December.
The format is simple and designed to be fun, competitive, and inclusive:
- Fridays 9-Hole Competitions: Every Friday, members will compete in 9-hole rounds. Scores will be recorded, and at the end of the period, the two players with the highest IPS points averages will be declared the champions and will enter the regional draw.
- IPS Points System: For every Friday competition you play in, you will earn an additional half IPS point, which will contribute to your overall average.
- Your total average will be calculated from all your Friday rounds played.
- Lucky Draws: The regional and national winners will be decided based on a lucky draw, with the final draw offering the chance to compete at Royal Portrush.
- Exclusions: If we fail to meet the requirements for a Friday competition, and there is no competition, your score will still contribute to your average score.
- Please note that all rounds need to be captured on the HNA system and scorecards needs to be submitted.
We encourage all our members to support our Friday competitions, not only for a chance to qualify but also to show appreciation for our Friday sponsors who help make these events possible.
Your participation will go a long way in fostering a strong club spirit, and who knows — you could be on your way to Royal Portrush! Important Notes:
T&C's apply.
Please refer to the additional Golf RSA documents being shared within the members' group for full details.
For any questions or clarifications, feel free to reach out to Heindrich at golf@theclarens.co.za or via the landline 058 256 1270
Let's rally together, who knows, one of our very own might be teeing off at Royal Portrush in 2025! We look forward to seeing you on the course.
Weekly Competition Results
Wednesday 04 December 2024 (IPS)
18 Holes Competition
First place: Rob Silcock
Second Place: Wouter De Wet
Friday 06 December 2024 (IPS)
Puma Energy Competition
- No Competition took place
Wednesdy 11 December 2024 (IPS)
18 Holes Competition
First Place: Neil Mann
Second Place: Mike van Niekerk
Friday 13 December 2024 (Bonus Bogey)
Puma Energy Competition
- No Competition took place
Wednesday 18 December 2024 (Medal)
KWV Thirsty Thousand
First Place: Leo Le Roux
Second Place: Steve Oliver
Friday 20 December 2024 (IPS)
Ciglers Meat Competition
First place: Corne Cronje
Second Place: Mike van Niekerk
Most Active Golfing Members for 2024
We are thrilled to congratulate Mr. Louwrens De Jager for achieving an outstanding accomplishment in 2024. Louwrens has recorded the most rounds of golf played this year, with an incredible total of 104 rounds!
His dedication to the game and love for the course are truly remarkable.
Playing over 100 rounds in a single year is no small feat, and Louwrens’ commitment to the sport sets a fantastic example for all of us.
Please join us in celebrating Louwrens’ achievement and wishing him continued success and enjoyment on the course in 2025.
Well done, Louwrens—here’s to many more rounds ahead!
Most Improved Golfing Member 2024
A huge congratulations to Duandré Du Plooy, who has made the greatest improvement to his handicap in 2024! Duandré’s handicap has dropped an impressive 6.5 index points, a clear reflection of his hard work, dedication, and commitment to becoming a better golfer.
This remarkable progress is a result of consistent effort and a true passion for the game.
Duandré’s achievement serves as an inspiring example of what can be accomplished with focus and determination.
Rule of the Month
Purpose of Rule: Rule 8 covers a central principle of the game: “play the course as you find it”. When the player’s ball comes to rest, they normally have to accept the conditions affecting the stroke and not improve them before playing the ball. However, a player may take certain reasonable actions even if they improve those conditions, and there are limited circumstances where conditions may be restored without penalty after they have been improved or worsened.
Rule 8: Course Played as It Is Found
8.1
Player’s Actions That Improve Conditions Affecting the Stroke
To support the principle of “play the course as you find it,” this Rule restricts what a player may do to improve any of these protected “conditions affecting the stroke” (anywhere on or off the course) for the next stroke the player will make:
- The lie of the player’s ball at rest,
- The area of the player’s intended stance,
- The area of the player’s intended swing,
- The player’s line of play, and
- The relief area where the player will drop or place a ball.
This Rule applies to actions taken both during a round and while play is stopped under Rule 5.7a. It does not apply to:
- The removal of loose impediments or movable obstructions, which is allowed to the extent provided in Rule 15, or
- An action taken while a player’s ball is in motion, which is covered by Rule 11.
8.1a
Actions That Are Not Allowed
Except in the limited ways allowed in Rules 8.1b, c and d, a player must not take any of these actions if they improve the conditions affecting the stroke:
(1) Move, bend or break any:
- Growing or attached natural object,
- Immovable obstruction, integral object or boundary object, or
- Tee-marker for the teeing area when playing a ball from that teeing area.
(2) Move a loose impediment or movable obstruction into position (such as to build a stance or to improve the line of play).
(3) Alter the surface of the ground, including by:
- Replacing divots in a divot hole,
- Removing or pressing down divots that have already been replaced or other cut turf that is already in place, or
- Creating or eliminating holes, indentations or uneven surfaces.
(4) Remove or press down sand or loose soil.
(5) Remove dew, frost or water. Penalty for Breach of Rule 8.1a: General Penalty.
8.1b
Actions That Are Allowed
In preparing for or making a stroke, a player may take any of these actions and there is no penalty even if doing so improves the conditions affecting the stroke:
(1) Fairly search for their ball by taking reasonable actions to find and identify it (see Rule 7.1a).
(2) Take reasonable actions to remove loose impediments (see Rule 15.1) and movable obstructions (see Rule 15.2).
(3) Take reasonable actions to mark the spot of a ball and to lift and replace the ball under Rules 14.1 and 14.2.
(4) Ground the club lightly right in front of or right behind the ball. “Ground the club lightly” means allowing the weight of the club to be supported by the grass, soil, sand or other material on or above the ground surface.
But this does not allow:
- Pressing the club on the ground, or
- When a ball is in a bunker, touching the sand right in front of or right behind the ball (see Rule 12.2b(1)).
(5) Firmly place the feet in taking a stance, including a reasonable amount of digging in with the feet in sand or loose soil.
(6) Fairly take a stance by taking reasonable actions to get to the ball and take a stance. But when doing so the player:
- Is not entitled to a normal stance or swing, and
- Must use the least intrusive course of action to deal with the particular situation.
(7) Make a stroke or the backswing for a stroke that is then made. But when the ball is in a bunker, touching the sand in the bunker in taking the backswing is not allowed under Rule 12.2b(1).
(8) In the teeing area:
- Place a tee in or on the ground (see Rule 6.2b(2)),
- Move, bend or break any growing or attached natural object (see Rule 6.2b(3)), and
- Alter the surface of the ground, remove or press down sand and soil, or remove dew, frost or water (see Rule 6.2b(3)).
(9) In a bunker, smooth sand to care for the course after a ball played from the bunker is outside the bunker (see Rule 12.2b(3)).
(10) On the putting green, remove sand and loose soil and repair damage (see Rule 13.1c).
(11) Move a natural object to see if it is loose.
But if the object is found to be growing or attached, it must stay attached and be returned as nearly as possible to its original position.
See Rule 25.4g (modification of Rule 8.1b(5) in taking a stance for players who use an assistive mobility device).
8.1c
Avoiding Penalty by Restoring Conditions Improved in Breach of Rule 8.1a(1) or 8.1a(2)
If a player has improved the conditions affecting the stroke by moving, bending or breaking an object in breach of Rule 8.1a(1) or moving an object into position in breach of Rule 8.1a(2):
- There is no penalty if, before making the next stroke, the player eliminates that improvement by restoring the original conditions in the ways allowed in (1) and (2) below.
- But if the player improves the conditions affecting the stroke by taking any of the other actions covered by Rules 8.1a(3)-(5), they cannot avoid penalty by restoring the original conditions.
(1) How to Restore Conditions Improved by Moving, Bending or Breaking Object. Before making the stroke, the player may avoid penalty for breach of Rule 8.1a(1) by restoring the original object as nearly as possible to its original position so that the improvement created by the breach is eliminated, such as by:
- Replacing a boundary object (such as a boundary stake) that had been removed or moving the boundary object back into its original position after it had been pushed to a different angle, or
- Returning a tree branch or grass, or an immovable obstruction to its original position after it had been moved.
But the player cannot avoid penalty:
- If the improvement is not eliminated (such as when a boundary objector branch has been bent or broken in a significant way so that it cannot be returned to the original position), or
- By using anything other than the original object itself in trying to restore conditions, such as:
- Using a different or additional object (for example, placing a different stake in a hole from which a boundary stake had been removed or tying a moved branch into place), or
- Using other materials to repair the original object (for example, using tape to repair a broken boundary object or branch).
(2) How to Restore Conditions Improved by Moving an Object into Position. Before making the stroke, the player may avoid penalty for breach of Rule 8.1a(2) by removing the object that was moved into position.
8.1d
Restoring Conditions Worsened After Ball Came to Rest
If the conditions affecting the stroke are worsened after a player’s ball came to rest:
(1) When Restoration of Worsened Conditions Is Allowed. If the conditions affecting the stroke are worsened by a person other than the player or by an animal, without penalty under Rule 8.1a the player may:
- Restore the original conditions as nearly as possible.
- Mark the spot of the ball and lift, clean and replace the ball on its original spot (see Rules 14.1 and 14.2), if it is reasonable to do so to restore the original conditions or if material ended up on the ball when the conditions were worsened.
- If the worsened conditions cannot be easily restored, lift and replacethe ball by placing it on the nearest spot (not nearer the hole) that (1) has the most similar conditions affecting the stroke, (2) is within one club-length of its original spot, and (3) is in the same area of the course as that spot.
Exception – Lie of Ball Worsened When or After a Ball Is Lifted or Moved and Before It Is Replaced: This is covered by Rule 14.2d, unless the lie was worsened when play was stopped and the ball was lifted in which case this Rule applies.
(2) When Restoration of Worsened Conditions Is Not Allowed. A player must not improve the conditions affecting the stroke (except as allowed in Rule 8.1c(1), 8.1c(2) and Rule 13.1c) that have been worsened by:
- The player, including the player’s caddie,
- Another person (other than a referee) taking an action authorized by the player, or
- Natural forces such as wind or water.
If the player improves the worsened conditions when not allowed to do so, the player gets the general penalty under Rule 8.1a.Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Rule 8.1d: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a.See Rules 22.2 (in Foursomes, either partner may act for the side and action by the partner is treated as action of the player); 23.5 (in Four-Ball, either partner may act for the side and action by the partner concerning the player’s ball or equipment is treated as action of the player).
8.2
Player’s Deliberate Actions to Alter Other Physical Conditions to Affect the Player’s Own Ball at Rest or Stroke to Be Made
8.2a
When Rule 8.2 Applies
This Rule only covers a player’s deliberate actions to alter other physical conditions to affect their ball at rest or stroke to be made. This Rule does not apply to a player’s actions to:
- Deliberately deflect or stop their own ball or to deliberately alter any physical conditions to affect where the ball might come to rest (which is covered by Rules 11.2 and 11.3), or
- Alter the player’s conditions affecting the stroke (which is covered by Rule 8.1a).
8.2b
Prohibited Actions to Alter Other Physical Conditions
A player must not deliberately take any actions listed in Rule 8.1a (except as allowed in Rule 8.1b, c or d) to alter any such other physical conditions to affect:
- Where the player’s ball might go or come to rest after their next stroke or a later stroke, or
- Where the player’s ball at rest might go or come to rest if it moves before the stroke is made (for example, when the ball is on a steep slope and the player is concerned that it might roll into a bush).
Exception – Actions to Care for the Course: There is no penalty under this Rule if the player alters any such other physical conditions to care for the course (such as smoothing footprints in a bunker or replacing a divot in a divot hole). Penalty for Breach of Rule 8.2: General Penalty. See Rules 22.2 (in Foursomes, either partner may act for the side and action by the partner is treated as action of the player); 23.5 (in Four-Ball, either partner may act for the side and action by the partner concerning the player’s ball or equipment is treated as action of the player).
8.3
Player’s Deliberate Actions to Alter Physical Conditions to Affect Another Player’s Ball at Rest or Stroke to Be Made
8.3a
When Rule 8.3 Applies
This Rule only covers a player’s deliberate actions to alter physical conditions to affect another player’s ball at rest or stroke to be made by that other player.It does not apply to a player’s actions to deliberately deflect or stop another player’s ball in motion or to deliberately alter any physical conditions to affect where the ball might come to rest (which is covered by Rules 11.2 and 11.3).
8.3b
Prohibited Actions to Alter Other Physical Conditions
A player must not deliberately take any of the actions listed in Rule 8.1a(except as allowed in Rules 8.1b, c or d) to:
- Improve or worsen the conditions affecting the stroke of another player, or
- Alter any other physical conditions to affect:
- Where another player’s ball might go or come to rest after that player’s next stroke or a later stroke, or
- Where another player’s ball at rest might go or come to rest if it moves before the stroke is made.
Exception – Actions to Care for the Course: There is no penalty under this Rule if the player alters any such other physical conditions to care for the course (such as smoothing footprints in a bunker or replacing a divot in a divot hole). Penalty for Breach of Rule 8.3: General Penalty. See Rules 22.2 (in Foursomes, either partner may act for the side and action by the partner is treated as action of the player); 23.5 (in Four-Ball, either partner may act for the side and action by the partner concerning the player’s ball or equipment is treated as action of the player).
Quote for the month