The Christmas holidays and new years public holidays combined with pleasant golfing weather saw a good few golfers turn out on the course. Special mention must be made of Erwin Brunkhorst who arrived to play at his home course before he went back to the sand dunes of Oman , and made a welcome return to the fairways with borrowed clubs. His first comment was how big the trees had got, how lush and green the fairways were and the greens with grass, because in Oman the old type golf courses have “No Trees….No Grass Fairways…No Greens with Grass…”

He took on a supposedly soft target in the form of Klaus but after the game at the nineteenth hole, he had to pay up his skins and with the at 30/1 exchange rate of Rand to Rial, he took out the money with a smile.

The family golf day away at Sakabula golf club, drew sixteen golfers and the winners were Carl and Shane Groenewald, Shane Smith and Dale Michau. Runners up were Mike and Justin Harrison, Steve Nel and Nick Harrison. We would like to mention that in this small field of golfers there were three father and son golfing combinations and making it a truly family golfing outing. Up one Farming supplied the Combi for the transport and would like to thank them for the free use of their vehicle.

Most of our members have renewed their membership and we thank all members for their commitment.

This coming Saturday 21/1/2012, the Farmers Agri- Care Monthly mug is to be played. We are inviting all members to bring along a non- member or golfing friend to be part of our Mug competition, where we will allow all visitors to play in a separate Individual stableford competition, whilst being part of our Farmers Agri -Care Monthly Mug day.

This format will from now on allow any person to be part of our Mug day and indicate before tee- off, if they are in the Medal competition, the Individual Stableford competition or be playing in Both.

Current Negotiations with KZNGU with regards to development golf funding are at an advanced stage, and feedback from the golf union is awaited. We will let the interested parties know the results as soon as we know them.

The club has negotiated a new set of competitions for the year – There are now three Triangular Competitions between St Cathryns, Mandini and Darnall, with the first competition to be held at St Cathryns on Sunday 25 March 2012. The aim is to enjoy the golf and have time to socialise afterwards. As many players as are able to play are welcome to join in for the day and there will be lunch – but please book for catering purposes.

The fishing has been good and some impressive sized bass ( 2,5 – 3,3 kgs ) have been caught and released – this is a closed dam, and fishing is allowed by special arrangement and R 30.00 rod fee. We are waiting for the Blue Gill and Tilapia to be more on the bite.

We look forward to a busy year on the course and wish all members and friends a very Happy and Healthy 2012. To book for golf please phone Piet 083 269 1661.

Supper on Friday 20/1/2012 will be curry and rice – to book please phone 082 555 2661.

The KwaZuluNatal Turf Managers Association (TMA)  held their monthly meeting at St Cathryn’s last week Tuesday with twenty six visitors attending the meeting and sixteen playing golf after the sponsored meeting and talk hosted by Jeff Joubert from Biotechnica.  Turf managers also known as green keepers enjoyed their visit and meeting and after the golf rated certain aspects of the golf course.

Ratings were done on tee boxes, fairways and greens and a typical rating would include the mowed areas , disease control and the general “look” of the course.  Special emphasis is placed on heights of cutting, conditions of the rough and speed of the greens.  On the day of the visit our rough was classed as tough and the greens were running quite true.  Diseases on the greens had a good rating, taking into account that spring treatments had not been done, their over all condition was classed as fair to good.

Many comments were also made by the TMA members  of the “slow and quiet” golfing conditions experienced on their courses and all were hoping that the Christmas holidays  bring golfers in  large numbers out to play.
Special thanks to Vegworx and OK Grocer for the sponsoring of the prizes on the day. The winners were delighted with their vegetable packs and meat hampers won on the day. 
Results of the nine holes played:
Winners : Kevin Searle’s Team, (Royal Durban)
2nd: Paddy Carlisle’s Team (Controlled Irrigation)

The Farmers Agri –Care Monthly Mug was played on Saturday 12 November 2011, and with some members away on tour, a smaller field played and the results are as follows.
1st  : Merwin Rabe Nett 69
2nd :  Barry Oehme Nett 74
3rd :  Klaus Kluver Nett 75 oco
4th :  Zane Padoa.
Nearest to Pin 9/18th  : Zane Padoa
Captains Putter  : Carina Rommelspacher.

Supper on Friday 18/11/2011 will be a Chinese Braai, to book please phone 083 269 1661 or 033 4441945

Over the last few months the word Trophy has been the buzz word around the world.  Firstly the rugby world cup trophy has come and gone and many a South African was very disappointed with the trophy staying in New Zealand. Some bet huge amounts of money that it would be back but lost their bets, Then the Curry Cup Trophy that had a permanent position at Kings Park….never came back and has now found a new place at Coca Cola Ellis Park. Although only for the coming year, but again there were disappointed supporters.

Then there was this trophy dating back to 1927 known as the “Smylie and Kemp Kranztkop Farmers Association” floating trophy for the most points won in the ladies section on the local show. This trophy was found on the South Coast and donated back to the Kranskop Farmers Association and it was for this trophy that the Farmers played on Saturday.

Farmers were paired up with golfers and played over nine holes for the silverware . The format was medal,  Four ball Alliance ,American scramble and the handicaps were added together and divided by four.   The Farmers hacked, The Farmers hit, The Farmers moved the earth and The Farmers played and judging by their comments at the 19th hole ( the one hole they were all able to Par) the Farmers even enjoyed their golf.   In the field were also golfers from the United States – Dr. Kevin Smith and Prof. Brian Steffeson with Prof. Sakkie Pretorius from the university of the Free State.  Visitors from Scottburgh Kevin and Trish Beadsworth had the good luck , when they were visiting friends in the area to find themselves on the golf course among the farmers.
There was Jeff Newlands  who had three” freshies” in one round, not to mention  Rob West with one and Jack Karavaanpark with a pair.
Spectators and supporters of golf were disappointed not to have seen Hugo Ortmann and Thomas Shearing on the course.

Results:

Medical student and St Cathryn’s member, Erik Kloppers was also in the prizes when he and his partner , Helgard Hanson won a golf tournament at Magersfontein Memorial in their Sasko golf day when they came in with 46 Points to win the competition. 

New members to St Cathryns, are a pair of new chicks born to the Crested Cranes  - the  very proud parents guarded their new chicks that were hatched out last week and all members are waiting to see their prances on the fairways.

Farmers Agri-Care Monthly Mug to be held this Saturday 12 November 2011, from 10h30 -  and on Friday 11/11/2011 we will have a bring and braai, to join in with these please phone Cathy this week  082 555 2661.

What a fairy tale weekend it was for sport this weekend, with the Gauteng Lions winning the Currie Cup final.  Many would say that this was against the run of play to beat a mighty Sharks team with all their Springboks back.  It should have been a walk in the park……….and one would think without their previous Captain the Sharks could have pulled it off.
The same could be said about the St Cathryn’s teams from Kranskop………..who would have imagined that they could march  to the Alliance finals on Sunday in the KwaZulu-Natal Inter Club League tournaments played over the weekend down on the South Coast.   What even makes this fairy tale even more exciting was that both their Frog teams managed this amazing feat.
Captain’s Paul Els and Mike Harrison lead their teams with great discipline and determination and that inspired the teams to do well.   What must also be mentioned is that the weather also played a big part in these victories to take the teams to the finals as the most perfect holiday golfing weather was experienced?
Other clubs that went through to the finals are Mt Edgecombe, Umhlali, Margate, Richards Bay and Vryheid to name a few and the final results in the Frog Alliance Finals played at Umdoni on Sunday

Other results in a competition played within a competition are as follows,
Best Player on Tour:
Dieter Meyer on 71 Points
Duggie Rheeder 69 Points
Piet Nel and Piet Coetzee 68
Paul Els 62
Mike Harrison 58 Points.
Frog1 201 Points
Frog2 195 Points
Dads and Lads
1st Mike Harrison Piet Coetzee and Duggie Rheeder
2nd Paul Els Piet Nel and Dieter Meyer.

The players would like to thank their sponsors, TUTA Carriers Kranskop, Supa Quick Greytown, Meyer Motors King Williams Town and Freight Liner Pinetown.
Comments were made on how smart the players looked!!

This weekend the local Farmers’ Association members will be playing their fun Golf Day and the families enjoy the afternoon at St Cathryns too. This is a nine hole competition.

The next Farmers Agri-Care Monthly Mug will be held Saturday 12 November 2011, to play please contact Piet 083 269 1661.

The cold winter rains have now all but disappeared and the projected 37mm of rain last week did not materialise as was projected via an Internet weather station. August winds have re-appeared and irrigation and hand irrigation have become the order of the day....with a large saving on cutting of fairways due  to the reduced spring growth.

A new course record was set at St Cathryn's on Sunday when two Americans and a South African came to play 18 holes of golf.  Their record was not set as a new course record for the least amount of shots for three golfers over eighteen holes,  nor was it for the most birdies,pars and eagles........nor was it for each one of them recording a hole in one............no no no it was for taking five and a half hours to play nine holes of golf........and the course was empty because all other golfers had played in the morning so there was no one to hold them up.  The normal time to play golf over nine hole would be , should be  about two hours at the most.

Their comments afterwards when they had to wake the Barman up "were we that slow....that the sun had set, the bar had closed and we were just short of asking for night vision glasses!!!

Anyway after a good laugh the one golfer commented that next time they ( he ) would come to play on his own!

The current selction criteria for Interclub selection at the end of the month is :

1. Are you available to play for St Cathryn's on the 27th to the 30th of October.
2. Prepared to pay your own accomodation and food and drinks.
3. Be in good form currently
If  your answer is " Yes",  then contact Piet as we have entered two teams into the "FROG" division and so far four of the six places have been taken.  Any private individual or company that would like to come on board with sponsorship of  accomodation,clothing or food and drinks please contact Piet. The team in return will acknowledge you and your company in their clothing logo and the printed media....

The next Farmers Agri-Care Monthly Mug will be played on Saturday 15 October 2011 to enter please contact Piet.

The HMB School golf day played at St Cathryn's over the weekend drew golfers from  many midlands clubs and even as far as from Durban.This very popular golf compitition now in its 17th year of compitition,and for the eight time at St Cathryn's, was played in excellent weather with some of the St Cathryn's regulars even asking where the wind was......with some even commenting that they had bought the latest golfing equipment along wich could handle any amount of wind.

Previous years this golf day was played at other courses and many would remember playing in the early HMB Golf days at St Michaels and Greytown.

Results:
1st Rikus Kloppers and Liekie Steyn 47 Points
2nd Lieb van Rensburg and Johan Marx 46 Points oco
3rd Siggi von Fintel and Gehard von Fintel 46 Points
4th Mike Harrison and Gerald Harrison 45 Points oco
5th Merwin Rabe and Steve Nel 45 Points.
Most Golf Steve Oelerman and Ryan Swart 27 Points.

Longest Drive 10th Ladies Gail Gayner
Longest Drive 10th Mens Trevor Marcovich
Nearest to Pin 2/11th Ladies Paulette Trutter
Nearest to Pin 2/11th Men Peter O' Conner
Nearest to Pin 9/18th Johan Marx
Nearest to Pin for 2 on the 8th Roland Rencken.

A very special welcome was made to a fairly large Ladies contingent and therefore a special prize and hamper was awarded to the best Ladies Golfing pairing and this prize went to Karin Schroder and Paulette Trutter with a whopping 44 Points.A representitive Linda Nell President of the KZNLGU was also in the field a she remarked about the "unfound gem" in the Natal Midlans.
At the post golf day meeting held on Sunday it was suggested that the compitition date for the 2012 would be the 14th and 15th of September and the format would change from a Shotgun Start to a normal ten minute interval tee off time schedule.

St Cathryn's members would like to thank HMB School and the orginizing committee , all players and sponsors for their support of their Golf course.

The next Farmer Agri Care monthly Mug will be played on Saturday 15 October. Book club outing this comming Friday is all about a book called "Out  to Supper" written by Chicken a La King.
To book and to have a copy of the book autographed by the author Chicken a La King, for R40 please book with Cathy Nel 0825551661. This book is a spy thriller full of surprises and .......Guess what ?What is for supper!!!