February 2020 – AGW Bulletin .

1938 – 2020

LAIDLAW QUAICH – ROYAL CINQUE PORTS – APRIL 20^th

The AGW has been very fortunate for the opportunity to conduct the inaugural staging of the Laidlaw Quaich on Monday 20^th April at the Royal Cinque Ports course in Kent.

The AGW has been offered 4 x fourball complimentary tee-times from 1pm.

Lunch will be available from 11am and with much thanks to AGW good friend Helen Heady a food and drinks reception will follow the golf hosted by Kent-based Simpsons Wine Estate offering wine and wine tastings while Shepherd Neame is kindly providing complimentary beer.  In addition, there will be on-course nearest-to-the-pins prizes thanks to both companies.

Those AGW members wishing to tee-up at Royal Cinque Ports should contact AGW Golf Captain, Peter Dixon at email address  email hidden; JavaScript is required">email hidden; JavaScript is required

Deadline for entries – 31^st March, 2020.

The AGW will make some enquires regarding possible ‘discounted’ accommodation for the night Monday 20^th April and advise members.

As previously advised, the Laidlaw Quaich is replacing the Presidents Putter and with the names of all past winners of the of Presidents Putter to appear on the Laidlaw Quaich.

The Laidlaw Quaich, and this opening event of the 2020 ETIQUS Race To Hoylake, is being held in conjunction with the R & As 2020 Open Championship ‘Media Facilitation Day’ taking place at Royal St. Georges on Tuesday, 21^st April.

2020 AGW MEMBERS HANDBOOK – Update

Just to advise members the 2020 AGW Members handbook will be heading to the printers shortly and then hope to get a copy to members in early March.

Thank you to all those who advised of ‘contact’ changes etc.

2020 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP – MEDIA ACCOMMODATION

The R & A reminds members it has arranged accommodation for the accredited media looking to attend this year’s 149^th Open Championship.

Attached is both a pdf file and also word document outlining full accommodation details at the 4-star University of Kent.

Please note a reservation and payment in full must be made no later than Tuesday, 11^th March, 2020.

All reservations should be made to the R & As Mary Flanagan at email address:  email hidden; JavaScript is required

ALTERNATE 2020 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP ACCOMMODATION

John Whitbread has been very good to source B & B accommodation for the week of this year’s Open Championship.

Details include:-

Room with ensuite shower in Kingsdown.  £100 per night.  Valerie and Tony Armitage. Phone + 44 (0)1304 449067.

Room with ensuite in newly renovated house near Dover Castle. £90 per night Simon Lait. Phone  +44 (0) 1832 720292

Room with ensuite in North Deal £120 per night.  Sandra Lee. Phone +44 (0)7891 919355

Room with ensuite in Woodnesborough (next to Sandwich). Dickie Ovenden ( Jill) Phone +44 (0) 1304 812419 (call Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday mornings).

Room with shared bathroom in Deal £100 per night.  Simon Cullingworth Phone + 44 (0) 7776 027624.  He also has a double flat with ensuite at £250 per night.

AGW COMMITTEE MATTERS

The AGW Committee continues to be active in following-up matters of interest with the European Tour.

Members were advised in the December bulletin of matters discussed at the meeting with the Tour in Dubai. Since then Committee members have met with the Tour on two occasions this year, first in Dubai and then the following week in Saudi Arabia.

The matters raised in Dubai continue to be discussed with the Tour however there is two ‘newer’ issues coming out of meetings this year I am bringing to the notice of the membership.

EUROPEAN TOUR MEDIA GUIDE (Hard Copy)

The decision by the European Tour not to print a hard copy of the media guide generated a strong reaction among the majority of members on the Committee.

Members of the Committee subsequently met the Tour’s Steve Todd at last month’s Saudi International where is was further pointed out the AGWs disappointment.

Comments such as ‘it’s a valuable work tool’, ‘ease in having the guide open beside you as opposed to continually having to open web pages’, ‘lack of full information on the new-look website’, ‘a move now to spend more time checking player details on Wikipedia rather than using the Tour website’ and ‘an ability to have the guide beside you in situations such at airports or on flights where there is no access to internet’ were raised with Steve.

The Committee with continue to address this matter with the Tour and PLEASE if any member would like to express their views please email me.

ACCESS TO THE LOCKER ROOM

A submission is currently before the European Tour Tournament Players Committee (Meeting in Spain during week of the Andalucia Masters – April 30^th to May 3^rd) to allow European/AGW season badge holders into the locker room.

There have been scenarios in recent months, including the Abu Dhabi Championship, where access to players was impossible due to the constraints of not being allowed into the locker room.

Access to a locker room is allowed on a PGA Tour (Yes, this is a USA sports thing) along with the four majors, and I have been around long enough to know members of the European media were once afforded access into the locker rooms throughout Europe.

It is not essential in the carrying out of our duties that access to a locker room be afforded and the Tour will argue the players do need an area ‘free of media’ (though they have that in the clubhouse and Player’s Lounge) however the Committee does feel it is worth chasing.

As such, I would also be very pleased to learn from our retired members if I am correct and, if so, how the practice was discontinued.  Your comments will be considered in possibly adding to the AGWs submission.

AGW CHRISTMAS HAMPERS – THANK YOU’S

One of the great Christmas traditions of the AGW is remembering our ‘senior’ colleagues and those colleagues who are no longer with us with the despatch of the ‘famed’ AGW hampers members and/or their families.

We also arranged for a number of hampers to be sent to special friends of the AGW.  Judging by the many ‘thank you’ notes and phone calls received the hampers continue to be a Christmas smash hit and I commend the emails to all members as they not only are simply a welcome ‘thank you’ but also make for delightful reading.

Click on:-  https://www.agwgolf.org/agw-2019-christmas-hampers-thank-yous/

BILL ROBERTSON

And in speaking of hampers, the AGW received the following email from Carolyn Robertson thanking the Association for the outpouring of support for Bill along with a ‘get well’ hamper kindly arranged by AGW Treasurer, Peter Higgs.

I just wanted to email you on behalf of Bill, to thank you for the lovely wine and cheese hamper that you sent on behalf of the AGW.  Bill is still in hospital and has been very poorly following an operation but I visit him every day and will let him know when I see him.  I know he will be very touched.  Please relay our thanks too to the other golf writers who have sent him such lovely messages and good wishes for his recovery.

Let’s hope he is soon able to enjoy his hamper and to thank everyone himself.

Kind regards

Carolyn Robertson

AGW MEMBERSHIP FEES

A gentle reminder to AGW members annual subs are due.

Of course, members have to May 31st to pay at the current rate of £50 for full members and rising to £60 after that date.

Payment please to AGW Treasurer, Peter Higgs with account details below

BANK: LLOYDS TSB

SORT CODE: 309762

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 02796359

ACCOUNT NAME:   Association of Golf Writers

KINGBARNSLINKS  – 20^TH anniversary

I have contacted many of our Scottish-based colleagues directly and this is now to advise all ‘working media’ AGW members if you may be interested in attending a pre- 20^th anniversary media outing at Kingsbarns Links in Scotland.

Kingsbarns Links owner, Art Dunkley along with Kingsbarns CEO, Alan Hogg have extended an invitation to attend the club for an anniversary Q & A session over lunch and to be followed by a round at Kingsbarns Links.

The date is either – Monday 4^th May, Tuesday 5^th May or Wednesday 6^th May and a choice then made on the most popular day, and for those travelling to Scotland needing to arrange their own accommodation.

If you would like to be present and can generate coverage from the Q & A session please email me confirmation along with your preferred date to email hidden; JavaScript is required

MEDIA ACCREDITATION DEADLINES – PGA OF AMERICA

The PGA of America has advised the following window deadlines for the major events that conduct:

PGA Championship: Accreditation opens 24^th February & closes 24^th April

KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship: 25^th March to 1^st May
KPMG Women’s PGA Championship: 15^th April to 5^th June

Ryder Cup: 27^th May to 12^th August.

You will find the application forms by going to www.pgamediacenter.com.

WELCOME TO NEW AGW NEW MEMBER – SILVA AUDISIO

The AGW is delighted to welcome our newest member – Silva Audisio.  Many may already know Silva as she has been working as a journalist since 1986.

Silva proudly advises she has attended nearly 40 Italian Open’s and more than 30 other European Tour events, along with the World Cup of Golf while she has reported on the four Ryder Cup’s including 2018 in France.

She is now working for RCS MEDIAGROUP http://www.rcsmediagroup.it where continues to write about her passion for the game.

Silva can be contacted at email address:  email hidden; JavaScript is required">email hidden; JavaScript is required

A warm welcome Silva to the AGW while those members attending the Masters can also convey their welcome to her.

BILL FIELDS – HONOURED BY PGA OF AMERICA

There will be many AGW members who will be a friend to Bill Fields.

Bill’s versatile storytelling talent was a staple of Golf World magazine for more than two decades and he has been named the recipient of the 2020 PGA of America Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism.

Bill will be honoured on April 8 at the ISPS HANDA 48th Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA) Awards Dinner at Savannah Rapids Pavilion in Augusta, Georgia

Bill, 60, is the 31st recipient of the PGA Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism, which recognizes members of the media for their steadfast promotion of golf.

His work spans 109 men’s major championships, eight Ryder Cups, more than 60 women’s and PGA Tour Champions majors, and more than 800 Golf World issues.

Bill, congratulations from your many friends at the AGW.

PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP, TPC SAWGRASS – NEW INTERVIEW ROOM

Just a note to those members heading to next month’s PGA Tour Players Championship in Florida.  With working space at maximum capacity in the media centre, the previously used interview room has been converted to house PGA Tour employees, which the Tour is saying will alleviate congestion, traffic and noise in the primary media centre work area.

A temporary interview room is being constructed on the lawn between the scoring area and the media centre that will serve as the primary interview room with an attached stage and covered area for the quick quotes/flash interview area. The new setup and location are expected to help increased the number of players in the interview room during competition days.

The Tour also will be looking for media feedback on the new arrangement.

CHAKA TRAVEL – Possible Travel Assistance AGW Members

One of our members has asked the AGW to advise members of Chaka Travel who may be useful if any member is considering long haul golf travel (South Africa, Mauritius, Dubai and beyond) and even short haul golf travel for your own club or yourself.

The company is based in Belfast and clearly very golf dedicated judging by the website and social media accounts.

Also, if anyone wishes to sign-up for the company’s newsletter click on

https://chakatravel.us8.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=63f8e1ecf108688c66b3ae3f9&id=8da41c8d02

IN CONCLUSION …..

As mentioned earlier, reading the many ‘Thank You’ notes from our retired members has been very enjoyable in offering an insight into the well-being and activities they may be involved though it would be good to hear from more of the retired members and not just at Christmas.

If you are celebrating a birthday, an anniversary etc and you would like to share details and/or a photograph with your fellow members please email me.

In the meantime, good golfing,

Bernie.