Blooming heck! It was a morning to stay snuggled up in a warm bed, cuddling the dog or whoever or whatever it is you cuddle on a cold morning. It was a bitterly cold one, with a keen wind straight off the Siberian steppes, or so it felt.
We don't want too many of those days, but at least it tends to kill off some of the bugs and beasties that are pretty evident around a doctor's waiting room!
Jim (Lazarus) Martin, who has now retired from the hotelier business, and can now pick and choose his golfing days, had an horrendous start, but came back strongly at the end with a storming finish.
Most people lose the odd ball or two on the course, but we lost Jim down the 10th. He finally reappeared from the 7th fairway, and promptly slotted a cool putt for a four. This is life, but not as we know it Jim!
Pat Rees, looking very nautical, and Alan Keating, who hasn't been heard of for some time, were vying for the top spot, but Pat had a handicap to contend with, and Spike Evans said "I really enjoyed the game"!
Now Fred Adlam usually does it with aplomb, but the 18th was not a good finishing hole for Fred. He was going really well and was looking for a good finish to his day, but disaster struck. His third shot finished further back than his first! He had difficulty getting over a hump. We know the feeling well, especially on a cold morning.
The old grey Fox, aka Mike, has reappeared on the Chicken scene, or perhaps he's never left it but is keeping a low profile, but his 28 points in such conditions defied belief.
"I was inspired by Peter Williams, who didn't play a wrong ball at all this week," said Mike.
The previous week's winner, Bob Howse, who had had his corns well and truly trimmed by Morran Boot, struggled to an 18-pointer. How the mighty can be brought to their knees by the stroke of a pen!
A likely looking trio of Chickens (pictured above), consisted of Jim Taylor, Dudley Williams and Bart Youll. This happy band were last out and hoped to set a hot pace to counteract the cold wind, but only Jim Taylor could find a reserve to salvage something, if only 70p!
A cold but respectable 26 entries on the day, so it goes to show that there is life in the Chickens still, but the biggest winner on the day was the kitty, as there were no twos and no booby.
Results: 1. Mike Fox 28 pts (£1.80); 2. Peter Williams 26 (£1.10); 3. Pat Rees, Fred Adlam, Alan Keating, Jim Taylor 25 (70p each).
Booby: Tied - none paid. Twos: None. Entries: 26.
J.B.H.
Club report
Saturday was a very cold day, with a northerly wind, creating the perfect weather to provide a good test for the February monthly medal.
The division one winner was J. A. F. Kicinski with a very creditable net 69. Second was R. Morton with a net 71 and joint third were J. S. Rowell, R. E. Johns, D. Cope, A. R. Pouton, J. G. Morris and our captain, R. R. Lusher, with net 72s.
The division two winner was N. R. Ayers with a net 73 and a better back nine. Joint second were H. G. Roberts and D. Blackmore, also with net 73s, while joint fourth were J. Haley, G. Waring and S. D. Harries with 74s.
A total of 113 competitors braved the cold conditions and of those 10 got twos. They were M. P. Anthony, M. G. Brown, C. R. Clarke, B. L. Cramb, S. Davies, C. S. D. Frayne, C. Murphy, J. E. Stevenson, N. A. S. Vincent and R. G. Wilcox.
The lists for the club knock-out cups have been on the notice board for a few weeks. Anyone who wants to compete for one or more of these competitions should put their names down soon.
The match and handicap committee have reviewed the rules for the competitions and have issued an updated set of rules. These address the following issues:
1. Who is entitled to participate in the knock-out cups.
2. Arranging of match dates and times and completion dates.
3. Rules associated with finals matches.
These are displayed on the noticeboard beside the entry sheets.
The Valentine's Day mixed stableford competition was won by the ladies' and gentlemen's vice-captains, Anita Davies and Bob Parsons, with a remarkable 46 points, second were Gillian Roberts and Andrew Morton with 40 points and third were Ann Blackmore and our captain, Bob Lusher.
The dinner-dance in the evening was enjoyed by all. Thanks are due to Liz and Bob Storey for their efforts in organising the day which was a great success.
The next monthly medal is on March 20 and is a Sellar Cup qualifier.
Davies and Lindsay drawn into battle for the spoon!
The Divots resumed their final session of league matches last Sunday following a two-week break. The break gave those in contention for season's honours a chance to study the table and fine tune their game in the hope of gaining success, while the pairings at the bottom knew what had to be done to avoid the wooden spoon. The weather was fine, although a little cold, and a brisk easterly wind added to complexities in determining results.
First away were table-toppers Adam 'Elvis' Joseph and Ron Johns playing against Richard Day and Steve Evans, who not so long ago were also title contenders. Elvis and Ron started where they left off a couple of weeks ago, hitting greens in regulation and looking for the solid pars. Richard and Steve, however, had other ideas, especially on the fourth when, with Elvis and Ron on the green, Steve slotted a 30-footer for a birdie to win the hole.
The big hitting Elvis found the wind of great assistance, especially when he drove level with the flag on the eighth. The word out on the course was that Richard and Steve were three holes up playing the 11th, and unbeknown to the following matches, secured victory on the 14th, together with the bonus point. The game was won on the greens apparently, proving the old adage 'Drive for show, putt for dough'.
Second match away saw David Douglas-Law and Neil Dickinson playing against Scott Davies and John Kicinski, winner of the previous day's medal and standing in for Laurence Lindsay. On Friday, Neil was heard to be moaning about his game, and on discovering that John was subbing on the day, mentioned to Scott that he can pick his subs.
David and Neil started off with fire in the belly. After losing the first, they hit back to be three holes up by the turn, courtesy of winning four holes on the bounce from two to five, with Scott and John struggling to live with them. Neil's lack of scoring was firmly put to bed, with his putter being to hot too touch, and putts going in from everywhere on the green.
A great dovetailing performance, with David's length setting up the scoring opportunities, and despite Scott and John battling manfully, they extended their lead on the 10th and again even further with a nice birdie on the 11th.
A brief fightback by Scott and John on the 12th was soon nullified when David and Neil bounced back by winning the 13th. The end came on the 14th, with a half good enough for victory and a bonus point.
Third game out saw Gareth Rees and Brian Hartley playing against title contenders Allan Morton and Barry Frayne. A good battle this turned out to be on the front nine, with the lead changing hands back and forth until Gareth and Brian managed to win the ninth to go one up at the turn.
The 10th was also won by Gareth and Brian, courtesy of a shot, and when Gareth turned on the pressure by driving to the up slope of the green on the 11th, Allan and Barry began to fear the worst. However, they managed to halve the hole, somehow, but it was only a short respite, as Gareth stuck his iron on 12 to two-foot, to extend the lead to three up.
A half on the 13th was disappointing for Gareth and Brian as they knew that the chance of a bonus point had gone. However, Gareth's approach to two-foot on the next and another hole won meant that victory was virtually assured. Dormie four up, Gareth and Brian looked for an early finish, and after Gareth drove the 15th, victory was assured. Allan and Barry just looked at each other and said: "one of these tee shots must go in then." Game over.
Brian described Gareth's performance as Captain Marvel. With a display like that, who could argue! Allan and Barry struggled in the wind apparently, and are now struggling to keep in contention for the title with a tough finish to come!
Next away saw Stephen Davies and Mike Anthony playing against Kenny Breaker and Ian Thomas. Four games ago, Steve and Mike were on top of the table, but a run of three defeats has seen their title ambitions dented, but their game was in good form apparently, and they were looking to get back to winning ways.
The drives off the first were not very impressive, cold weather apparently, and Kenny joined in, but stopping the ball on the yellow tee with a drive from the white tee, difficult to do with a wedge, let alone a driver! Claudio has asked him to join his trick-shot show, allegedly!
A quickfire start by Kenny and Ian saw them go three up in as many holes, and Steve and Mike were glad for a respite on the fourth with a half. The respite was only brief, however, as a combination of Kenny's approach shots and Ian's putting saw them win the next two holes to go five up after six.
Shell-shocked, Steve and Mike battled back, with Mike sinking two tricky putts for halves on seven and eight. A hole was pulled back on the ninth, courtesy of Steve's tee shot. A shot on the 10th for Kenny and Ian meant that a five would be good enough into the wind, as proved the case.
Both pairings on the green for two on the 11th, a half looked likely, with Mike putting to gimme territory, but a killer blow was Ian sinking his putt for a birdie - no need for that now, was there! A couple of halved holes saw victory come on the 13th for Kenny and Ian, and left Steve and Mike wondering if they were playing against Paul Haley and Johnny Morris in disguise, as a one over performance through 13 is not the usual fare!
Next away saw Loz Phillips and Andrew North playing against Roger Schooling, substituting for Richard Chapman, and Rob Hall. This turned out to be a very close game, with the match all-square until the sixth hole, when Rob again showed his sublime touch with a wedge and put it stiff; this after doing the same on the third.
This must have infuriated Loz and Andrew as they made it to the turn two up thanks to three winning holes on the bounce. The battle was definitely on and this was how the game stayed until the 16th, where Loz and Andrew managed to taste the delights of victory and hopefully make a dash out of wooden spoon territory.
Next away saw Richard Morton and Clive Law, joint table leaders, playing against Chris Hughes and Nigel Ayers, fresh from winning the previous day's medal. Chris and Nigel started off like men on a mission, and after birdies on the third and fourth were looking good. Richard and Clive reminded them not to be complacent with a birdie of their own on the fifth.
Chris and Nigel got to the turn three up, and extended it to four after 10. The battle then really began, as Richard and Clive won the 11th and 14th, while Chris and Nigel won the 13th to go over the line three holes up with four to play.
Richard and Clive can be really determined battlers when they want to be, and this was one of those days, and wins on the next three holes brought the game back to all-square going down the last. With both pairings on the green in three, it boiled down to a putting competition, and with all the eyes of the rest of the Divots watching from the warmth of the clubhouse, both Nigel and then Clive just failed to sink the putt that mattered - matched halved, a fair result one might say!
Last match out, but certainly not the last back in, saw Andrew Morton and Tony Morris playing against Michael Schooling and Gavin Field-Thomas. A great start by Michael and Gavin saw them win the first, courtesy of Gavin's approach from 220 yards to within 10-foot - well it was the shot of a lifetime!
The excitement was all too much as the blood drained from Gav's brain and he had interference with his swing allegedly. Andrew and Tony dovetailed to perfection and Michael and Gavin had no answer to the par golf they were playing.
A short game it turned out to be as the end came on the 12th. Victory for Andrew and Tony at a very important time, and even more important, a bonus point which could well be vital in their battle to avoid the wooden spoon.
A real shocker of a week last weekend, with both bottom pairings winning and seeing the battle for the wooden spoon becoming a three-horse race, while at the top, any one of the top six pairings could emerge as champions, with I suspect the controversial bonus point playing a big part in the outcome.
With two weeks left, there are battles amongst the top six pairings and a battle amongst the wooden spoon contenders next week. Great for the league and even better for the players concerned.
Results were as follows:- A. Joseph and R. Johns lost to R. Day and S. Evans 5 and 4; D. Douglas-Law and N. Dickinson beat S. Davies and J. Kicinski 5 and 4; G. Rees and B. Hartley beat A. Morton and B. Frayne 5 and 3; S. Davies and M. Anthony lost to K. Breaker and I. Thomas 6 and 5; L. Phillips and A. North beat R. Schooling and R. Hall 3 and 1; R. Morton and C. Law halved with C. Hughes and N. Ayers; A. P. Morton and T. Morris beat M. Schooling and G. Field-Thomas 7 and 6.
Wooden spoonists
Tom McLean and Brian Dooley have the unenviable task of picking up the Rabbits League wooden spoon. The final nail in their coffin was their 3 and 1 defeat against Simon Evans and Phillip Watkins, who themselves were also wooden spoon contenders before the match.
With only four points from 14 games, it appears that they have struggled all winter and will benefit from their wooden spoon prize, which will be revealed on the evening of the March 14.
Other results saw Adlam and Beynon keep their unbeaten record intact by beating Dave Morgan and Mike Munroe 6 and 5.
Ron Murphy and Paul James pulled of a surprise win on the 18th hole against third placed Steve Bennett and John Hunt.
The match between Dave Moran and Rees Davies versus Derek Farley and Bud French saw the contest halved and the points shared, also Colin Smith and Paul Greenwood's 1 up win against Steve Watkins and Tony Allen keeps them in contention for a medal position.
This generally keeps things cooking at the top of the table as there are now four teams competing for three medal spots. The question is who will end up the bridesmaids?
Mid-table games saw Ben Blake and Jonathan Broome beat Peter Watkins and Steve Harries 4 and 3. Another closely contested match saw George Pegg and Dorian Thomas beating Richard Caley and Jason Rolfe 1 up. The only other match of the day was between David Lemon and John Murphy against Glyn Price and Chris Smith, the result of which saw the teams sharing the spoils.
Junior Section
Monthly Medal was played on February 15, with Jack Guerriero winning the older category with an outstanding net 63! His handicap has now been reduced to 17. David Webb won the black box, nine-hole, medal with yet another brilliant performance! He recorded a net 34, and has seen his handicap tumble to 31 in recent weeks.
Last Sunday was a stableford competition, with Thomas Headland (31pts) beating Ann-Marie Dassen by just one point!
The nine-hole competition was won by, you've guessed it, David Webb! Six weeks running and now £30 worth of pro-shop vouchers richer! Very well done.
This Sunday sees the start of the spring/summer season with coaching, for those with handicaps, starting at 9.30 prompt. This will be followed straight after by a stableford competition (50p entry).
All beginners and improvers will have a coaching session from 10-11 am. We have bought some colourful, new, Tri Golf equipment and you will be aiming to get your WGU Golf Passport! Cost for non-members will be £10 for five sessions. Please wrap-up warm, wear trainers - but no jeans please! Parents will be encouraged to stay with the younger ones.
FUN BINGO EVENING
Remember to let us know if you are coming to the Bingo Evening tonight (Friday). It starts at 6.30 pm in the clubhouse. Bring the family and remind your friends who want to start playing, to come along too! Remember, teenagers are welcome too, especially if you are considering PE as a GCSE option! Please ring Ann Dassen on (01834) 844957 so she can let Lyn know how many sausage and chips to cook.
Fixture sheets will be given out, along with details of the new Golf Passport. Come along and meet us all!