Victorious Team T&T are all smiles after claiming the Hank James Trophy at the CJAGC in Antigua.
Kneeling (left to right) - Robert Boocock, Alex Charles, Monifa Sealy, Natalia Rahamathula, Aleema Jack,
Kelsey Lou Hing, Anneke Ward
Standing (left to right) - Ambrose Gouthro, Nigel Aqui (manager), Jordan Stephens, Ben Martin and Martine de Gannes
(Captains), Sirron Melville, Kerville Cosie, Timothy Martin, Talin Rajendranath and Chris Harries.

in this issue
tournaments - page 2
highlights in pictures - page 3
profile christopher harries - page 4
st. madeleine's golf development programme - page 4
junior corner - page 5
rules - page 5

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TOURNAMENTS

Mr. Asraph Ali, President, TTGA, sits proudly among the winners of the Open Championships and BMobile's representative. From left to right are: Mr. Edward Grell, Mr. Asraph Ali, Mr. Ben Martin, Mr. Carlos Baynes, Ms Rhonda Lee Yhapp, Manager, Events and Sponsorships, TSTT, Mr. Robert Grell and Jamsheed Ali.

march 1 - 4
moka, maraval

This year was a very special one for golf in Trinidad and Tobago as we proudly celebrated 100 years of the Trinidad ft Tobago Amateur Open Golf Championship (T8tT Open). This historic event was held at St. Andrew's Golf Club in Moka, Maraval, which has been the unofficial home of this event. This year's Open attracted an increased participation of overseas players of close to 75%. The President's Cup, which was introduced last year, also attracted more countries vying for this prize. This Cup is a Caribbean team contest decided on the basis of aggregate 2-man scores in the Open. A gala Opening Ceremony was held on the evening of Wednesday February 28 in the beautifully decorated Clubhouse. Guests were greeted with welcoming steel-band music and a string quartet played classical arrangements of calypso music. The Honourable Prime Minister, Mr. Patrick Manning, honoured this centennial celebration by his attendance and was the featured speaker. The TTGA also took this special opportunity to honour past heroes of the sport. The honorees included: Carlos Baynes, Robert Grell, Cliff Hinds, Edward Grell, Robert Charlett, John Sellier, Peter Hale, Christopher Harries, Brian Grell, Richie Alleyne-Barbados, Cesar Rivera - Puerto Rico, Fred Hamer and Ewart Marcelle.

In appreciation of the support for the TTGA's efforts to develop the sport, the Honourable Prime Minister, Mr. Manning, was presented with a framed photograph of St. Andrew's Golf Course. Mr. Roberto Peon, Chief Executive Officer, TSTT, also received a framed photograph, in appreciation for his company's commitment as the title sponsor of the Open. The tournament came to an exciting end in the Championship division when Ben Martin, who, last year, made history as the youngest player to win the Championship, and Carlos Baynes, a previous multiple winner, were declared joint winners as darkness fell. T & T won the President's Cup, its first hold on the Trophy. Cliff Hinds receives his honorary award from Mr. Gerard Ferreira, Chairman of The Sport Company of Trinidad & Tobago

Neal & Massy Automotive TTGA Closed Championships march 31-april 1, millennium lakes and country club, trincity The beautifully kept 18-Hole course at Millennium Lakes was the venue for the first N & M Automotive TTGA Closed Championships. This young and challenging course provided a good test for competitors who were hoping to secure points in the Order of Merit and to impress selectors in the run-up to the Caribbean Championships (junior and senior). Following on the heels of his showing at the T & T Open, Ben Martin took the top spot with Carlos Baynes having to settle for 2nd place. The Seniors was won by Barry Ferdinand, Pat Suraj claimed the top place for the Super Seniors, and Martine de Cannes led the field in the Ladies Division. Republic Bank 'Right Start' Junior Championships april 2A st. andrews golf club, moka Republic Bank Limited continued to support the development of young golfers in T & T and for the 7th year sponsored the RBL "Right Start" Junior Championships. Golfers, ranging in age from 6 to 17, competed for the top prizes in their categories and, thanks to RBL, all golfers walked away with participating medals. Ben Martin took the top spot in the Boy's 16-18, while Martine de Cannes claimed first place in the Girls 16-18 group. Johnnie Walker Puerto Rico Amateur Open may 31 -June 6, puerto rico Two of our top amateurs were given international exposure at the Johnnie Walker Puerto Rico Amateur Open, May 31 to June 6. Mitchum Jasper and Alderray Downes were the two players selected for this event. Although conditions were difficult, Mitchum shot 74,75,77 and 76 for 302 to finish in third position, while Alderray finished sixth after shooting 76,79,77 and 73 for 305. The creditable performances by both players signals the TTGA's continued commitment to exposing our players to international tournaments. Guardian General •Tobago Open June 8-10, tobago plantations, golf course Situated in Lowlands, Tobago, the Tobago Plantations Golf Course was chosen again as the venue for the Guardian General Tobago Open. The magnificent setting of this course certainly tested the skills of the golfers, particularly at the 3rd Hole, which faces the Atlantic Ocean. At the end of this competitive and enjoyable tournament, Carlos Baynes beat his younger rival, Ben Martin, while Martine de Gannes continued her dominance in the Ladies Category. Edward Grell won the Seniors category while Monty Chapman won the Super Seniors.

Copa de Las Americas june 20-23, beacon hall golf club, aurora, Ontario The prestigious Beacon Hall Golf Club in Aurora, Ontario, Canada, welcomed teams representing 16 countries from North, Central and South America and the Caribbean for the 2007 Copa de las Americas Golf tournament. This 3rd bi-annual event is considered to be one of the most prestigious amateur golf events in the world. Participating teams competed over four rounds of stroke play for both team and individual titles. Team TST was represented by Ben Martin, Carlos Baynes, Martine de Cannes and Monifa Sealy and managed by Christopher Harries, TTGA's Golf Director. In the Individual Men's, Ben placed 19th with a score of +28, while Carlos followed closely, placing 21st with +30. In the Ladies category, Monifa placed 13th with a score of+42, and Martine followed closely placing 14th with a score of +48. Overall, team USA stole the title away from defending champions, Team Canada, who placed third. Team T & T placed 8th. Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship august 7-13, santo domingo Our participation at the 2007 Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship started off under testing circumstances with Martine de Cannes having-to pull out, due to illness, the night before the team flew out to Santo Domingo. Reserve, Kelsey Lou Ring, stepped in with just a few hours to prepare. Kelsey's performance on day 1 is evidence of the benefits of having the Reserves practice with the teams, as she opened the tournament with a 74 equal low score for the Ladies. Teddy Grell and Monty Chapman won the Higgs Trophy in the Super Seniors division. T & T finished second in the Hoerman Cup and George Teale Memorial Trophy, a very noteworthy performance, considering that Carlos Sexy Baynes and Mitchum Jasper were the only players over 21. We finished second in the Ramon Baez Trophy (mid-amateurs), while the Seniors finished fourth for the Francis ft Steele-Perkins Trophy. The Arthur Ziadie Trophy went down to the wire with T & T losing by just one point to the host country, the Dominican Republic. THE TEAMS: HOERMAN CUP - C. Baynes, B. Martin, M. Jasper, A. Downes and T. Martin GEORGE TEALE - T. Clarke, M. Sealy, K. Lou Hing RAMON BAEZ - P. Boocock, W. Baptiste FRANCIS & STEELE PERKINS - R. Roberts, C. Beckles HIGGS & HIGGS - E. Grell, M. Chapman MANAGER/COACH: C. Harries

Stephen Ames Cup   Granite Golf Club, Stouffville, Ontario, August 13 - 17

Ten of our top juniors participated in the 3rd annual Stephen Ames Cup held at Granite Golf Club in Stouffville, Ontario, Canada from August 13th to 17th. Representing T&T at the Ryder Cup Style tourney were: Ben Martin, Kerville Cowie, Jordan Stephens, Sirron Melville, Timothy Martin, Talin Rajendranath, Martine de Cannes, Kelsey Lou Hing, Monifa Sealy and Aleema Jack. While our juniors put in their best victorious by a final score of 13-7. Stephen Ames continued to show his commitment to this event, which was borne out of his desire to promote sportsmanship and goodwill between his resident country and his birth country. to the top

Through his foundation, Stephen assisted financially in the cost of travel and accommodation for both teams. He was also on the course before 8:00am each day to cheer on both teams, signed autographs and also gave demonstrations. The Canadian organizers went all out to ensure that our team enjoyed other activities off the course that included trips to Niagra Falls and Wonderland. In spite of our loss, the experience at this international event will continue to play a significant role for the development of our junior golfers.

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HIGHLIGHTS IN PICTURES

 

 

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Christopher Harries, Golf Director, TTGA • Began golf at age 9 • T&T Junior Champion at age 14 • Won T&T Amateur Championship at age 16 • Attended University of Miami on golf scholarship • Trinidad Open winner 1977 • Low individual Hoerman Cup 1977 • Turned pro in 1978, played Canadian Tour. • Returned to Amateur status in 1980. • Won Tournament of Americas in Dora/, Florida, in 1985 • Third in English Amateur Stroke play Championships in 1987 • English Counties individual medallist in 1988 • Returned to Professional status in 1990. • Won many Leicestershire County Amateur, Matchplay, Open Titles & others 1988-1994 • Qualified as Member of the British PGA in 1994 • Coach to national junior and senior teams 1995 and 1996 • Director of Golf, Caymanas Country and Golf Club, Jamaica, 1997-2000 • Director of Golf, St. Lucia Country and Golf Club, 2000-2006 • Director of Golf, Trinidad and Tobago Golf Association, January 2007 A former national golfer and T&J Amateur Golf champion, Christopher Harries took up the reigns in January as Director of Golf for the TTGA. His vision, he says, is to double the number of people playing the sport, "and to bring back the joy and fun in playing golf". Chris is looking forward to changing the view that golf is an elite sport. With this goal in mind, he kicked off a pilot project in April at Usine St. Madeleine that introduced 17 children from junior secondary schools and adults in the community to the sport. He plans to expand this programme to other communities and hopes to see more women coming out to play. At the junior level, the emphasis will be on fine-tuning the skills of the junior team. "There is a lot of talent in T&T", he says, "but our juniors need to be exposed to more frequent competition at a higher level". Chris believes that the only way the juniors will improve is through competition, and therefore, plans to take them to more regional tournaments and beyond to the US and Canada. With the success of the team at the Caribbean Junior Amateur Golf Championship in Antigua, '. we know that Chris is on the right track. We expect to see great things happening now that I Chris is on board.

St. Madeleine Golf Development Programme
with Christopher Harries

The idea of a development programme for the community of Usine St. Madeleine, whose 9 hole course is one of the oldest golf courses: in the country, was first presented in January by TTGA President Mr. Asraph Ali, to Mr. Zainool Khan and other members of the Usine St Madeleine committee. This idea bore fruit in April when Christopher Harries, TTGA's Golf Director, introduced the game tt 17 kids and 10 adults from the area at the Usine St. Madeleine Gol Club. Participants attended sessions for 1 1/2 to 2 hours for the juniors and 1 hour for the adults. Not only did they have the opportunit to learn the basics of the game from putting to the use of irons, but they were also exposed to the safety, rules, etiquette am historical information about the game in Trinidad and Tobago. Chris was assisted by golf professionals Anthony Gill, Ricki Campbell, and Wayne Basant.   to the top

At the end of the training programme, graduation certificates were presented to all successful participants. This pilot project was so well reseived that the Association plans to host a similar programme in September at Brechin Castle Golf Club. Below: Christopher Harries (right) receives sets of golf dubs from Mr Michael Ames on behalf of the Stephen Ames Foundation

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The Caribbean Junior Amateur Golf Championships, organised by the Caribbean Golf Association and hosted this year by the DECS Golf Association, took place at Cedar Valley Golf Club, Antigua, from 10th-12th July, 2007. Teams from eight countries contested the Hank James Trophy and 85 participants were entered in the individual competitions. There had been very little rain in Antigua this year leaving the golf course very dry and hard, almost resembling links golf at the height of summer. Trinidad and Tobago fielded a very strong team and was in contention for honours in each division. The team comprised of Benjamin Martin, Kerville Cowie, Jordan Stephens, Timothy Martin, Talin Rajendranath, Sirron Melville, Alex Charles, Robert Boocock, Martine de Cannes, Kelsey Lou Hing, Monifa Sealy, Aleema Jack, Anneke Ward and Natalya Rahamatula. The team was co-captained by Benjamin Martin and Martine de Cannes. In their final performance at the Caribbean Championships as Juniors, both Benjamin and Martine put in sterling performances in their respective divisions. They both ensured that they put the team on a firm footing. Ben was a joint winner in the Boys 16-17 division while Martine won the Girls 16 - 17 division. Other notable finishes were Kelsey Lou Hing who finished second to her co-captain every day to finish overall second in the Girl's 16-17 division. Leading the charge in the Boy's 14 -15 was Timothy Martin who copped the first place overall. He saw a serious challenge to this title from his fellow team mate Talin Rajendranath who finished comfortably in second place in this division. The Girl's 14-15 Division saw great performances from both Monifa Sealy and Aleema Jack who finished second and third in this division respectively. to the top

In the Girl's 13 and Under, Anneke Ward completed her sixth year in this division and finished in second position. Trinidad &Tobago demonstrated their strength in depth and won the Hank James Trophy with 148.5 points from their arch rival Puerto Rico, who finished second with 125.5 points and the Dominican Republic finishing third with 123.5 points. The aggregate score of the Boy's 14 - 15 and Boys 16-17 was the lowest which resulted in our qualification for the Regional World Junior Qualifier. CONGRATULATIONS TO TEAM TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO.

 

The Rules of Golf comprise just 34 rules and every player should familiarize himself with them. It is a small rule book and is easily carried in your golf bag. Unfortunately, this rule book does not always provide the answer to those awkward situations that always seem to arise, and you must go to the Decisions on the Rules of Golf. This compendium of decisions is compiled and published by the R&A and the USGA and is essential to any Rules official. Always get the latest version as decisions are constantly being added or revised. It covers almost all of those situations that have stumped your playing partners and you. Here is one decision that may surprise you: On the green, a competitor is attending the flagstick for his fellow competitor. As the putt is made, he removes the flagstick, and in so doing, the flag falls off the flagstick and deflects the fellow competitor's ball. What is the penalty? RULE 17.3 STATES THAT A PLAYER'S BALL MAY NOT STRIKE: a. the flagstick while it is being attended, b. the person attending or holding up the flagstick, or c. the flagstick in the hole, unattended, when the stroke has been made on the putting green. The penalty would be 2 strokes.

However, when the flag became detached from the flagstick, it is considered an outside agency. Decision 17/9 deals with a similar situation, where the knob falls off the flagstick. In both cases, there would be no penalty, the stroke is cancelled and the ball must be replaced.

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