Captains email 15 January 2021

Dear Braids United members,

As promised, an update on plans for the remainder of the winter season. We have taken decisions against the backdrop of the continuing restrictions and pressure on tee times. The Council meeting stopped for 15 minutes at 9.00 while we tried to book times for next Saturday, and it immediately became clear that the opening of the Wee Braids and the change to 7 minute intervals between times has not made a significant difference to the difficulties we already faced.

Due to the change to the main course, we have decided that the most practical way forward is to reset the Winter League and Eclectic competitions which will begin again next weekend; with apologies to those who had made a good start over the first two rounds. Play will be off the yellow tees. For the Winter League, your initial handicap index at the restart of the competition will be exactly what it was on 5^th December, with any changes since then not being taken into account. Because the slope rating of the course is 113 your course handicap will be the same as your handicap index, and your playing handicap will be 95% of the course handicap. The competition will run until the end of February, so that weather permitting there will be six rounds, and the overall winner will be determined by aggregate of the best three scores. Rules will be exactly as before with handicaps varying up and down on a weekly basis depending on your points score. The Eclectic competition will be based on your best net score for each hole, with a handicap allowance of two-thirds of your starting handicap which will not change.

Because of the continuing pressure on tee times, the extended four day window for play will still apply. So each round can be played on any day from Thursday to Sunday inclusive. If you are able to play on Thursday or Friday, please consider doing so in order to relieve pressure on weekend times – and you may find it slightly easier to get a time.

Sign up and score entry

To repeat the advice given last week; sign up with EL first, and then after you have done this put your name on the club sign up at the corresponding time. Club signups for each day will be opened soon after the EL site opens (there is a slight delay for Sat 23^rd because the sign up has to be reconfigured for 7 minute intervals), so that you will have to do this in the correct order. On a Saturday, if you want to have the maximum chance of playing with another BU member, our advice is to go for the traditional BU times of 11.30 onwards, but if there is nothing available within that timeframe you can book any other time that is available. You will then be able to find out from the club signup whether you are paired with a BU member. Of course, you can collaborate with another member in advance and then try to book the same tee time. On other days (Thursday, Friday, Sunday) you can collaborate with another member or just book a time and see who you end up playing with – almost certainly a random member of the public.

The week’s competition will be opened for score entry on the club website on Thursday and will remain open until 8.00 pm on Sunday, and will be regarded as a single competition with respect to sweep prizes. Your intention to play on a particular day will be monitored via the club signup, and you will have to enter your score on that day; if you don’t adhere to this, your score will not be included in the final results. Whether you are playing with another BU member, or a member of one of the other hill clubs, or a member of the public, be sure to verify your score verbally with your partner as you go round the course. We have also agreed that, if your playing partner does not show up, you can post a score after playing on your own. In these exceptional circumstances, we will be relying on everyone to behave in an honest and trustworthy manner.

We are mindful that the weather may continue to interfere with our plans in the coming weeks. Provided that the course is open for a minimum of half the days when members have actually signed up to play (i.e. two days out of three or four, or one day out of two), returned scores will count towards the competitions; otherwise, that weekend will be void. You can see up to date information on the status of the course via the link on the accessory website (https://sites.google.com/view/bugc) or via the EL app (News and Offers/Weather Disruptions to Courses). If you switch on notifications in the app, you will receive updates; but they don’t seem to come every day, so not terribly reliable.

Our aim is to continue to play golf with some purpose if we can. By focussing on the Winter League between now and the end of February, we have left March open for the staging of the Currie Bowl and monthly medals; fingers crossed that restrictions may have eased a bit by then!

Regards,

Wilf

(Captain)