Golf course extension

The Royal Malta Golf Club has still not been contacted by any authority regarding the MEPA proposed extension to its golf course at Marsa. This is seen as somewhat anomalous since it seems that government officials have held meetings with those sports organisations that occupy the area earmarked for extension.

The RMGC has always been in favour of the development of more golf courses. With regard to its own course, the club is continuously striving to eke out extra yardage from its limited acreage, so the prospect of extending the course is very appealing.

However, such a project requires deep thought. The club has invested hundreds of thousands of liri in its facilities, and has a substantial bank loan that is guaranteed by individual members.

There are also other reasons why the RMGC needs to be consulted before any decisions are made.

Out of bounds

The RMGC has decided that the storm water ditch, that runs across the 17th and 18th holes, should be termed as 'out of bounds'.

This means that a player whose ball comes to rest anywhere in the ditch must play a ball, under penalty of one stroke, as near as possible to the spot from which the original ball was last played.

In most cases, this effectively means playing three from the tee. Players are advised to declare the second ball as provisional in order to cater for the event that the original ball may have bounced out.

An unfortunate thing in golf is that lack of knowledge of the rules results in unfair advantage in favour of the offender, and this is what has been happening with balls entering 'the 17th ditch'.

Players claim that it is sufficient to have seen the ball enter the ditch and proceed to drop a ball at the point of entry. Wrong!

In order for the ball to be treated as lost in a water hazard 'there must be reasonable evidence that the ball has lodged in it' (Rule 26.1).

Also, few know the rule that a ball carried out of bounds by the flow of water is in effect out of bounds irrespective of where it entered the ditch.

Fees set to rise

It is an unfortunate fact of life that inflation affects all economic activities including the management of a golf club. RMGC fees are therefore set to rise from April 1, which is the start of the new subscription year. The increase will be limited to the 5% allowed by the club's constitution.

Despite the rise, the RMGC committee feels that the club will not generate the funds required to maintain present facilities as well as cater for its vision for an im-proved clubhouse and course.

A study is currently under way to determine the exact financial requirements of the club and to tailor the club's fee structure to those needs. More expensive full membership is not excluded while economical golf will be available through the creation of a new category of member.

This is in keeping with the club's policy that golf should be accessible to and affordable by all without sacrificing acceptable standards.

Members will also be asked to dig into their pockets to sustain the cost of leasing the club. When ground rent was imposed in 2003 it had been decided that the club would carry the burden from internal funds for the first year and then review the matter when the second payment became due.

The second payment became due last August and has again been settled from internal funds. This means that the ground rent has been draining funds that should have been applied in the development of the golf course.

As it is not desirable that this situation continues, members will be asked to accept a one-time levy when the ground rent becomes due in August. This will apply for 2005/2006. Hence, the rent will be incorporated in the annual fees.

Golf handicaps

For amateurs there is a unique system of handicapping which enables players of different abilities to compete against each other on an equal footing. It is therefore possible for a "hacker" who can only play once a week to have a good game with a "tiger" who practises daily.

Basically, the player is given a number of strokes handicap against the par for the course; which for the Marsa course is 68. A beginner is given a handicap of 28 - allowing him 96 strokes to play 18 holes.

As the player improves his game his handicap is reduced to reflect his new ability. A 28-handicap player who shoots, say, 91, would be said to have scored net 63 (91 less 28).

Eventually, a player settles down at a level that reflects his physical attributes combined with his mental attitude towards the game - and how much he practises.

Did you know...

That a golf ball weighs 1.62 ounces and measures 1.68 inches in diametre?

These specifications form part of the rules of golf and non-conforming balls are not allowed in competition.

Other mandatory specifications regulate spherical symmetry, initial velocity and overall distance standard. The first known manufactured golf balls were made of leather stuffed with goose feathers, the 'featherie'.

This was followed by the 'guttie' made from solid gutta-percha, a natural gum substance, which survived until around 1900.

Dunlop introduced a three-piece ball in 1901. Since then there have been innumerable innovations and variations.

The grip

A good golf swing starts with a good grip. This is a fundamental rule. As you play more and more golf, you will observe that all good players have a good grip and you will hardly see a poor player with a good grip.

Your hands directly affect the clubface at impact, so if your hands are positioned incorrectly, you will find it very difficult to have a nice square clubface at impact.