Captaincy

First topic message reminder :

No nothing to do with the next Ryder cup but a lot to do with 2014.

I've been asked and very proudly accepted the opportunity to be vice captain at my home club next year which means (all being well) that I'll be Captain in 2014.

So...who else has done it and how did you find it? Did you take any particular focus I.e. building up the membership, Captains charity, general promotion of the Club.
What are the pitfalls to watch out for?

bizarrely the photo of the safety net on that link you posted has been taken at my away club - i worked with those guys for a couple of summers!

Ah - so you stop working with them and they no longer need the safety net?

Sorry - I get you.

Thought you meant the safety net had now been taken away from your club rather than the photo was taken at your away club.

Must pay more attention...

no probs, i was just trying to work out what you meant before posting with a suitable comeback including a !

i've never seen it used, certainly not while i worked there. but they are quite active in keeping up bunker maintenance over the winter - all 57 bunkers on the course have been completely rebuilt at least 4 times since i joined in 1999. my home club is the opposite - rarely see a bunker raked let alone rebuilt!

anyway - i'm off up there for a long weekend tomorrow - looking forward to a couple of games on Friday and Saturday (Open Texas Scramble).

Hi Jas and congratulations
I have been captain of my club and have mixed feelings about it. It IS an honour and as I have been a member for over 40 years I felt I had earned my stripes as they say. The biggest drawback is the drain on your time. I was never away from the club doing one thing or other. My game suffered for sure and I began to not enjoy visiting the club as much as I used to which was strange. You know that feeling as you drive away from the house and you get that thrill of what is going to happen well that went because I knew that the minute I stepped out of my car in THAT parking space I was going to get some eeejit moaning to me about one thing or another. Every member is your boss or so he thinks and every club has a hard core of about 10-12 serial moaners who seem to substitute a satisfactory sex life for writing letters to the Management Committee. Add in all the bother of trying to keep your committee onside and voting in a way that seems logical and you will be tearing your hair out.

You will need the wisdom of Solomon and the patience of Job and the skin of a rhino

But hey good luck

HG

Well...after almost a year and a half of anticipation I slipped on the Captains blazer at the annual dinner dance last night.

Today was the drive and despite the mental scar tissue of hacking it round in 88 shots yesterday (where the hell has my game gone??) and the hangover from last night, I stood on the tee today for the drive in and with a crowd of about 100 watching smacked it over 260yards right down the middle...Phew!!

 JAS

Give up the running and stick to golf! (yes I know you have reasons for your marathon attempt)

Well done and enjoy your year. (Although it seems you have enjoyed it somewhat already)

If I break 4 hours it'll probably be my last Davie but if I don't I'll probably have another go. Whether I do another marathon or not I wouldn't give up running completely. Light running & golf are not mutually incompatible.

Good stuff JAS. Whatever else happens, enjoy the year  .

Just go steady JAS
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/mar/22/marathon-almost-killed-me-experience
Although soops would probably say he was some sort of wimp or something....

MontysMerkin wrote:Just go steady JAS
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/mar/22/marathon-almost-killed-me-experience
Although soops would probably say he was some sort of wimp or something....

Not a wimp, just stupid.

My best time is 2.45.

McLaren wrote:My best time is 2.45.

No chance Mac, that's the time of your bus, not a marathon time.

Isn't it 2 miles in 45 minutes?

I once started to train by running when I finally got into our hockey first team. Managed about 30 yards, got a stitch, thought bollox to this and went for a pint. I'm fine if I've got a ball to chase about but my god running about for 'no reason' has got to be the most boring activity known to man. And that includes fishing.

Super

Sorry, I don't know much about marathon running, just did it for a bit of fun. Didn't realise that was such a crappy time. Should I have been aiming for closer to 2 hours?

MontysMerkin wrote:I once started to train by running when I finally got into our hockey first team. Managed about 30 yards, got a stitch, thought bollox to this and went for a pint. I'm fine if I've got a ball to chase about but my god running about for 'no reason' has got to be the most boring activity known to man. And that includes fishing.

Depends where you do it Monty, I see why certain people find it boring though.

Yeah, it's weird. Really tried as well, I'm fine training in groups, shuttles and all that bollox but just pounding pavements is the pits (man).

MontysMerkin wrote:Yeah, it's weird. Really tried as well, I'm fine training in groups, shuttles and all that bollox but just pounding pavements is the pits (man).

Going in a straight line is very boring, a decent route with lots of variety isn't too bad.
I usually just let my mind wander.

super_realist wrote:

MontysMerkin wrote:Just go steady JAS
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/mar/22/marathon-almost-killed-me-experience
Although soops would probably say he was some sort of wimp or something....

Not a wimp, just stupid.

Yep, scary story and it underlines the importance of listening to your body. The parallels are worrying...going for sub 4, 2nd London, managed 2 x 20 milers beforehand...um...that's me!

JAS wrote:

super_realist wrote:

MontysMerkin wrote:Just go steady JAS
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/mar/22/marathon-almost-killed-me-experience
Although soops would probably say he was some sort of wimp or something....

Not a wimp, just stupid.

Yep, scary story and it underlines the importance of listening to your body. The parallels are worrying...going for sub 4, 2nd London, managed 2 x 20 milers beforehand...um...that's me!

You're pretty experienced aren't you though Jas? Sub 3 in the past?

Jas

Do you have in goals in your year as captain in terms of changing club regulation or the course?

McLaren wrote:Jas

Do you have in goals in your year as captain in terms of changing club regulation or the course?

What sort of regulation changes Mac?

No Mac, there are big changes going on. The golf courses and complex are council owned and operated, however for financial reasons (the council being skint) they are hiving off their leisure facilities. The Club is a separate entity, we are not changing in any way but a lot of effort will have to go in to working with the new operators to ensure a smooth transition for the members.

super_realist wrote:

McLaren wrote:Jas

Do you have in goals in your year as captain in terms of changing club regulation or the course?

What sort of regulation changes Mac?

Maybe making the club more LGBT friendly and ensuring that there are vegetarian options on the menu.

McLaren wrote:

super_realist wrote:

McLaren wrote:Jas

Do you have in goals in your year as captain in terms of changing club regulation or the course?

What sort of regulation changes Mac?

Maybe making the club more LGBT friendly and ensuring that there are vegetarian options on the menu.

          

McLaren wrote:

super_realist wrote:

McLaren wrote:Jas

Do you have in goals in your year as captain in terms of changing club regulation or the course?

What sort of regulation changes Mac?

Maybe making the club more LGBT friendly and ensuring that there are vegetarian options on the menu.

WHAT?????

How many clubs do you know that have the LGBT community clamouring for equality or where said community feels they can't join a club because it is not LGBT friendly?

Also, why would it be the Captain's responsibility anyway? That's a Council/Committee issue as well as the Menu being a House Convener issue.

Did you miss the bus this morning and decide to have a day off full of wummery instead Mac??

I know a significant proportion of the membership and by the end of my year I'll hopefully know a lot more. Their sexual orientation is absolutely none of my business.

You clearly never read my other post either, the club and complex are separate entities. The club therefore cannot dictate the menu. They don't need to anyway as being a council facility, the council have enough lentil eating, sandal wearing, Guardian reading hippies to ensure that there are Veggie options on the menu.

We do get to choose the menu for Club events & Dinners and there is always a veggie option....

Next!!

Yeah mac you idiot.   

Mac.. proving that comedy is best left to comedians since 1035.

Good luck JAS - no way would I want to be Captain, but the role can have a major impact on a club.

Jas

I read your post, just felt like winding sups up a bit.

I was not sure of the influence the captain might have over club affairs so just wondered if you had a cause to fight for. But seems it is out of your hands.

I think Mac would make an hilarious captain of a Golf Club.

Or Russian foreign minister.

Mac has a point. It's clearly sexist that golf is played with a stick in the hand.

Forgot to mention but as the dust begins to settle...I'm now a Past Captain :-) Delivered the big farewell speech Saturday. Thoroughly enjoyed my year, managed to raise £4762 for the BHF in the end. Membership is up and the Club successfully negotiated it's way through the Council offloading the management of the course to an alternative operator. The only downside during my year was the increased belligerence of the "something for nothing" faction within the Senior Section
Am I glad I did it ? YES. Would I do it again? Probably not, I enjoyed most of it (especially the Away Courtesy Rounds) but there is stress attached to it too.

If anyone does get asked, I'd say take the opportunity, it might never present itself again. Anyone who does step up to the plate feel free to PM me if you need/want any advice/ideas.

Already 3 months into doing it.

One drive - 260 arrow straight
One speech - pretty good
One declining of free membership fee - went down very well
One dinner - mildly entertaining
One whinge - quite amusing
One green keeper quitting - jury's out

Forgot to add, thanks for the offer, may take you up on it (or may just wing it...)