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JSGC DHEKELIA NEWSLETTER EDITION 1 SEASON 13/14

A Message from the Club Captain

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen Once again we embark on a journey to compete and take part in season full of competitions and events. It's fantastic to see so many old sweats continuing with their membership renewal and support for the Club, I truly hope it pays dividends in the coming year.

Sadly, we have seen so many friends leave us, but we must continue onwards with our passion, which was ultimately theirs as well. Whilst we are playing day by day, week by week, and throughout the next year, I'm sure their memories will be close to our hearts. And so the Club moves forward into its 50th anniversary year which gives us the more reason to rejoice and celebrate not only this, but for those members that will not be by our side, God bless you all. The enthusiasm within the Club continues to grow with a vibrant new Committee who will work to serve you and give you value for money in Dhekelia's "jewel in the crown", OUR Club. We have been joined by our new Chairman who is also a very keen golfer, Capt Jim Sugrue, and his good lady, Kaz. Please welcome them to this prestigious club of ours and show your support in their efforts to look after our interests. I am sure the Chairman will take us from strength to strength. The course is in its early seasonal condition but once the rains gain more momentum, I am sure the fairways will be transformed. We continue with our grant submission for artificial turf greens and remain hopeful that this request will come to fruition. Please try to remain positive around the course and be supportive of our grounds staff. SHOULD you need to raise an issue, please use the relevant 'book' to express your views rather than discuss it amongst your group. As for myself, I will continue to perform my duty as your Club Captain until such a time that I may have to leave, hopefully later, rather than sooner. I will be attending a course in the UK from mid Nov until mid-Dec but will be continuing with my golf at the weekends, so keep sharp, I will be back. Until then I will be playing as often as I can and I am sure our paths will cross. I have just one last request to ask, and that is for as many of You that are able, please support our Poppy Day competition before Remembrance Sunday. Regards to you all. Tom Watson

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Notes from the Captain of the Ladies Section.

Another season started, already two competitions done...another 48 to go (approx. for those who are counting). Congratulations to Teresa for getting her name on the first of the Board competitions by winning the Chairman's Putter.

I am pleased to see that again this year we have ladies who have volunteered to run some of the competitions, and to buy prizes etc. As a small section, it's good to see all of us pulling our weight so we can all enjoy the golf and the golf club. Thank you to June for volunteering to run Halfway House again and hope we will be able to support her there as well.

Anyone who has any ideas for the fun competitions or indeed any suggestions for the ladies section (Ladies only please), please speak to me. Wishing you all a very successful golfing year as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our golf club. Have fun. Penny Mulligan.

A message from our Chairman

I have the honour, to have recently taken over as Chairman of JSGC [D] and would like to introduce myself. I am Jim Sugrue (or James if in trouble) and currently 2IC Dhekelia Support Unit. I am a keen and improving golfer with the aspiration to reduce my handicap which will only be achieved by getting out on the course more frequently. I am married to  Karen  who  doesn’t  play  but will be keen to join us for social events.

I would like to thank John Henry for taking over TX2 as this is such an important means of distributing information to the Club. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my sincere and heartfelt condolences to all that knew Bob Pickford. I look forward to meeting you all on the course or in the Clubhouse very soon.

Regards Jim Sugrue

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5th Oct. INTERCLUB Round 1 was held at JSGC Episkopi. Epi won and Dhekelia lost with IGCN the runners up and ANGC coming in third. Of the twelve man Dhekelia team Phil Mulligan came in top scoring 33. JSGC (E) 271 IGCN 248 ANGC 245 JSGC (D) 232 The next round will be held at ANGC on 16 November and Korineum GC on the 20 November. SUPPORT IS REQUIRED.

GENTS PRESIDENT’‛S PUTTER. Mike Short [Winner] Jim Surgrue [Chair]

Peter Woodcock [3rd place] and George Clooney [Runner Up]

6th Oct. PRESIDENT’‛S & CHAIRMAN’‛S PUTTER.

LADIES CHAIRMAN’‛S PUTTER. Lesley Hill [3rd place] Teresa Bleach [Winner]

Jim Surgrue [Chair] and Chrissie Hammond [Runner Up].

13th Oct. The LADIES OPEN held at IGCN Saw Alex Brown pick up the 2nd Gross

Winner. Well done to Alex. L – R: Calliope Georgiou [Lady Capt. IGCN] Alex Brown and Maria HadjiJoeseph the

competition sponsors C House Lounge Café

29th Sept THE SEASON’‛S OPENER [Sponsored by Tom Watson Club Capt.] 1st Tony Laslett Dave Barrett Susie Rance: 102 2nd Eifion Jones Leonardo DiCaprio Corinne Calcaducas: 100 3rd Phil Mulligan Pam Jones Angelo Calcaducas: 97 4th Morgan John Keith Bridger Tricia Cooper: 95 This comp saw a couple of new members namely Aaron Prased and Graham B. Thanks to Les Manley for stepping in at the last minute.

13th Oct. GENTS OCTOBER MEDAL. Div 1: Phil Mulligan 67 Div 2: George Savva 66 Div 3: Peter Woodcock70 Div 3: Eighth place John Henry 77

17th Oct. HENS v CHICKS. 5 - 1 to the Chicks.

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22th Oct. PAST MEMBERS MEMORIAL LADIES v GENTS [A charity competition sponsored by Dave Potter and Margot Watt]

24th Oct. LADIES OCTOBER MEDAL Div 1: Randi Steele 69 Div 2: Pauline Davies 71

THE WINNING LADIES Margot and David [Spon] Glenys Livesey with daughter Kate and two of the biggest girls blouses in the club Peter Woodcock and

Les Manning

WINNERS On behalf of the Ladies the Lady Capt. accepts

the winning trophy from Margot and David

THE WINNING GENTS

Margot and David [Spon] Tony Laslett Keith Edmund and

Tony Chapman

OVERALL WINNERS David P with the winners

Randi Steele, Monica Thornstrom, Sharon Woodcock Margot W and the scrumptious

June Lynn

2nd Nov. GENTS NOVEMBER MEDAL. Div 1: Tony Leslett 68 Div 2: Jim Horsman 72 Div 3: Friedrich Vogel 65

Tony Laslett’‛s enthusiastic willingness to teach golf to youngsters is already reaping benefits. He reports that there are lots happening in the Junior golf at the moment with eight children joining

the Club as full members striving towards official handicaps. Furthermore Tony has made arrangements for a number of them to tag on the end of

the gent’s  November  Medal and do a nine hole qualifier to help obtain handicaps. There will be a small prize giving ceremony at the end. Also to this Tony has established a Dhekelia Junior team who are to join up with all the military clubs on the island to play against the four main grass golf clubs. The juniors are all very excited about their first ever competition being held at Minthis Hills on the 1 December. Preparations are currently being carried out to select five children to play and represent all the clubs in this round robin tournament beginning in the New Year.

Tony has taken on the team coach for all the island juniors and asks for volunteers to sponsor their t- shirts, saying please do not be shy in coming forward. Also, if anyone has some free time on Wednesdays (Aya Nic) and Thursdays (Dhekelia) and wishes to help with the Juniors please come forward. Tony is also looking for an Admin Assistant, he needs the help. For more information please call Tony on 97812436.

Finally, Tony asks for your patience if you come across our new members playing on the course, they have to start somewhere and they have been briefed to respect and give way to other golfers on the course.

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BOB PICKFORD RIP

The last time that I put pen to paper for the Golf Club Magazine was during my Captaincy some five years ago.

I could not, even in my wildest dreams have thought that the next time would be to write an obituary in respect of my best friend.

Anthony/Bob/ Uncle Bob Pickford came from a hard working class family and learnt from a very young age how to

take care of himself. Being of small build he had to fight hard to be the bigger man and his tenacity, hard

headedness and good common sense attitude proved invaluable as to how his life was to develop.

As a young soldier, barely eighteen, he found himself in Hong Kong and was doing what all young soldiers did in that exotic country, enjoying life to the max.

His future may well have turned out completely differently had it not been for a young QA nurse stumbling across a rather inebriated Bobby in a storm drain and having rescued him, subsequently married him and gave him two lovely daughters. For the next thirty seven plus years they led the life of an Army family throughout the world and his girls married and ensured that Bob would be a Granddad by presenting him with three girls.

Bob rose through the ranks and achieved success in all his military deployments and appointments culminating in the rank of Lt Col and being awarded the MBE by a grateful Monarch.

All this military achievements did not deter Bob from playing his favourite sport; Golf. He got down to single figures and during his service in Dhekelia became both Captain and Chairman of the JSGC (DHK). He was the AGA Coordinator for Cyprus and led the Army Team to many a victory. One of the greatest accolades afforded to Bob was to have a hole named after him. “Pickford’‛s Pylons" will always serve as an eternal reminder of his presence and influence. He retired in July 2012 and set up home with Angie in Pyla, Cyprus.

After a long holiday with friends in Australia and the award ceremony at Buckingham Palace there then followed the obligatory Thailand Golf Tour.

From Feb 13 until Jun 13 Bob underwent various treatments for cancer and having successfully beaten it off suddenly took ill at the beginning of Jul this year. Following a brave fight he finally succumbed on Tues 24 Sep 2013 and passed peacefully surrounded by his family.

Bob, though not big in stature possessed the heart and soul of a giant and died as he had lived, fighting to the end. Rest in Peace you valiant Soldier, your duty is complete.

Peter Parish

On Tuesday 29 October a memorial service was held at the Dhekelia Leisure Resort where Angie along with daughters Stacey and Jolene and son-in-law Stuart welcomed some two hundred friends and acquaintances to celebrate Bob’‛s life and times.

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MIKE LILLY has asked me to pass on his thanks and appreciation to all those who have helped him sustain the untimely loss of his beloved wife Kate.

JOHN McLAREN sadly passed away 15 October. To celebrate John’s   life   Dian,   his   wife,   invited   all   Golf Club members to the Lithos bar in Oroklini on 21 October for drinks and a bite to eat.

LARNACA OASIS PROJECT FOR REFUGEES

Sometime in early September a very young Sudanese woman with her five day old baby was found abandoned in the Larnaca area with nothing but what she was wearing. Oasis’s immediate plea

for help quickly found the ears of both Brenda Smart and Linda John who, in less than twenty four speedy

hours, provided emergency clothing for them both, including a beautiful wickerwork crib and other baby essentials. Within a short time after, many Club members had donated all manner of clothing and other vital items. John RH

A message to the Club from The Coordinator of the Oasis Project. On behalf of the Oasis Project for asylum seekers and refugees in the Larnaca area, I would like to thank you for the speedy response in gathering emergency clothing and infant essentials,  also  for  the  collection  and  delivery  of  men’s  and  women’s  clothing.  What  a blessing these items have been for all. For me personally, you were a Gods sent. Thank you once again. Heather Lewis

Editor’s  end bits: Astonished that a number of newly appointed committee members had resigned from their posts before the new season had actually started I burst into the club   manager’s   office   telling     him   that   I’ve   no  intention of putting up with any of it, sternly informing him that I too resign. It was at that point of my resignation  he  told  me  that  I  didn’t  actually  hold  a  club  position   to  resign   from.  And  that’s  how  I  was  bum-rushed into taking on the JSGC [D] newsletter. That being as it may and having accepted the task I need to admit that my editorial capabilities will not match that of Denis  with   one   ‘n’   Lawrence  whose   outstanding   journalistic   abilities  were  constantly demonstrated in the monthly Tee Times in his Dandy come Daily Star  fashioned  newsletter.  “Well  done  and  thank  you  Denis”. That now said this version of the Club newsletter will be quarterly-ish, the number of its pages being determined by the input from its members. As explained to the Club officers in a recent email a nerdy friend suggested I rechristen the new look  Tee  Times   to   ‘Tee  Times  Two’   abbreviated   to   ‘TX2’  which   is,  when  all’s  said  and  done,  soooo  naff   it  has   to  work. Thank you to all those who have contributed to this my first edition, and to Morgan John for proof reading my efforts. To those Club members who submitted jokes and humorous anecdotes, and there were quite a few, I strongly suggest you seek professional help and therapy. Stay lucky. John Henry