Thirteen years after its inception the Jack Barclay Golf Society is still going strong and that is entirely down to you, the members. You are a band of a select few, a society whose membership is by invitation only and who share the dual passions of golf and Bentley motor cars.
We are delighted to once again be charged with running the events on your behalf and we believe we have put together four super days at some fine venues.
The first of which is in mid-April and we are lucky enough to have secured a day at Swinley Forest, surely one of the finest society venues in the South of England. This is followed by St George's Hill in May, The Buckinghamshire in June and concludes at The London Club in October.
You will see we have added an extra date compared to last year, extended the season into October and also looked to add a little variety to the schedule by adding three new venues to our rota. We hope you will find these changes favourable.
One of the over-riding features of the society is the friendliness of the members and their guests. Each event is played in a fun and relaxed atmosphere whilst still retaining that competitive element with friendly rivalries and banter abound. Long may this continue.
Nick Lunn
Managing Director
NGL Golf Consultancy
Jack Barclay Golf Society 2008
As in previous years, we are continuing with the pair's format. Each member will be able, and are encouraged, to bring a guest. We took this decision two years ago after canvassing members' opinions and to ensure the golf remained competitive and it has proved extremely successful. The subsidised events represent excellent value for money, making them the ideal opportunity to entertain clients, friends or family and we hope to see as many of you as possible at each event.
We begin our season at Swinley Forest in April, and take in St George's Hill, The Buckinghamshire and the London Club in the following months.
The national tournament, run by Bentley Motors - The Bentley Golf Classic continues to go from strength to strength. In 2008 Jack Barclay will hold their qualifying event at The Buckinghamshire Golf Club with the exciting prospect of the top two players progressing to a National Final.
The Buckinghamshire event will be a Jack Barclay funded event and places are limited. Priority will be given to members that attended previous society events throughout the year and only Jack Barclay customers & owners are eligible to qualify to the Final. Guests will be welcome at a charge of £150 and will compete in a separate competition on the day.
For the first time, this year also sees the introduction of a new on-line system of registration for the events. We would encourage members to identify as soon as they can which events they are able/would like to attend and deposits will be required. We need to do this so we can indicate to the golf clubs the expected levels of guests we anticipate to attend and to tailor the bookings accordingly.
Society Rules
We are introducing a new society ruling this year whereby the winner of each event will have his/her handicap cut by 2 for the remainder of the season. Furthermore, for every 2 points scored above 36, achieved by anyone in the field, will also mean his/her handicap being cut a shot. For Example: Swinley Forest event - The Member/Guest that wins outright will have his/her handicap reduced by 2 shots. If they shoot a score of 40 they will actually be cut 4 shots. Two for winning and a further two for being four shots higher than 36. The Buckinghamshire event is the only exception to this ruling (Bentley Golf Classic qualifier) and members shall play off their official club handicap, though reductions for winning will still apply going into the London Club event.
Membership Criteria
Membership to society has always been by invitation only and is kept exclusively for customers of Jack Barclay. The relatively exclusive band of members is an ideal that we wish to uphold.
For the last two years we have also encouraged members to bring a guest and we will continue with this ethos in 2008. This ensures even numbers, combined with varied and competitive teams. Occasionally some of the events are over subscribed or venues limit our numbers in which case names have to be 'drawn out of a hat'.
There is no membership fee this year.