Captains Update                                                                                                   

                       

Dear SVGR Members,

 

I hope you are all in fine fettle, enjoying your golf and looking after each other? Here’s a wee Captains update if I may:

 

It is great to see so many people out playing and hopefully the warm weather is on its way.

Of course, with the sun being hot, so are some of our members – How many Holes-in-One have we had recently; Ted McMichael, Gail Cattermole, Skip, Vasso Stelinaou, Mike Mason, Willie El-Fakir and just last weekend, Lars Petterrson – Red Hot and very well done to you all!!

 

I also wanted to thank everyone for their support for my Captains Drive In a couple of Saturdays ago.

We had some very generous members donating some cracking raffle prizes and enabling us to raise €630, which when added to the entry fee, gave us a grand total of €1030 for PASYKAF, Cyprus Association of Cancer Patients and Friends. Click on the link if you fancy a read; Home – PASYKAF

A combination of Elaine MacMillan and Susan Sliman continuing to do their best of squeezing money out of everyone, other members kindly selling raffles tickets (Thanks guys), plus some members chucking me the odd Ten/Twenty-and Fifty-Euro notes, all in all, the Captains Charity total so far, stands at €4,545 – thank you all.

 

On the golfing side, we continue to be guided by CGF with no sign of any Competitions yet!

The Committee however continue to do their best for members with “Fun Events” which are proving extremely popular.

Regarding the Pandemic, the Covid situation remains with us and it is heartening to hear that the Vaccine programme in Cyprus is going as well as planned.

The Management and Club however, still require members and guests to produce a Rapid Antigen Test, so please embrace this and help the Pro shop team until changes are made.

 

At this juncture, I would like to address an issue which seems to be rumbling away, and that is playing from the White’s and Blue Tee’s?

Best to give a couple of examples, so to put this in perspective, 88 members played on the “Pairs Shambles Event” on the 20 March and 96 members played on the “Stand Aside Event” on 10 April from said Tee’s.

Interestingly, quite a few of our more Senior players came in the Top 4 Teams on the 10 April and on the 20 March, a Senior Couple won the “Pairs Shambles” which is very encouraging.

The Cmte’s aim is always to accommodate the majority of the members, not the minority and just today, I heard members saying they didn’t want to play from the Yellow and Red Tee’s!!

So do bear with us as the Comp Sec will always try and vary Fun Events to make them a challenge.

 

Over the last 4 weeks we have had 7 Golfing Events with Members and players benefiting from receiving prizes to the equivalent of circa €1630.00. This is in line with our decision to give 90% of the entry fee going back to those playing.

Members are encouraged to enter Qualifying Cards in their MyCGF account, maintain Golf etiquette by shouting “Fore” with wayward golf balls, allow players through if you have slow play.

 

The course is in superb condition for this time of year and to assist Derek and his team, always repair pitch marks …infact, let’s go for “One Plus Two”-by that I mean, repair your own pitch mark and look for another two to repair?

I just received a box today from the Vice-Captain who has purchased 125 new Divot bags as the last 100 seem to have disappeared!

It is the intention to gift these to members for them to keep and use and how these are to be distributed will be outlined soon. Clearly any help repairing divots is always very much appreciated.

 

The knockouts have begun, and the VC has asked for you to arrange your matches in plenty of time before the deadline dates and the best of luck to everyone.

 

Lastly, Communication with the Cmte and members.

The e mail system is working very well with a lot of issues getting dealt with promptly.

Of course the Cmte members want to hear your observations, but definitely after they have enjoyed (or not) their game of golf.

 

That’s all folks, play well, be kind, look out for one another and let’s hope for more positive moves in the near future.

 

Go safe and sane

 

Graham Highet

Captain

Secret Valley Golf Resort

 

[email protected]

Dear Secret Valley Golf Club Member

Based on our review of the latest directives received from the Government, all 4 courses have decided to continue to require members, guests and paying public to show they have undergone and sampled negative, an Antigen Rapid Test within 7 days of playing.

Hopefully this requirement will be reviewed quite soon but, in the meantime, I am sure you agree that despite the mild inconvenience of testing, it does provide us all with a comforting degree of assurance as to our respective health and safety.

With regard to the use of buggies.

A literal interpretation of the directive we have received, suggests that all buggy users are required to wear a mask while playing.

While wishing to respect the rationale behind the directive, Secret Valley has decided this directive will not apply or be enforced when players sharing a buggy fall into one of the following categories:

1.    From the same family

2.    Travel to Secret Valley in the same vehicle

3.    Part of a social bubble allowed by protocols generally

All other players sharing a buggy will until further notice be advised that wearing masks whilst sharing a buggy is strongly recommended as per the advice of government protocols.

Let’s hope there is light ahead and that we can all soon resume a near normal life including a safe and wonderful Spring where we can enjoy golf at its best at Secret Valley.

Regards and stay safe

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Peter Copping

General Manager