There was a wonderful turnout for the first day of the spring/summer season. A very warm welcome to all our new young golfers who attended our first 'Tri Golf' session. We are following the Golf Foundation 'Passport for Golf' scheme, where youngsters learn certain skills and complete various stages to be awarded their full passport at the end.
The courses are run using colourful, new plastic 'Tri Golf' equipment at first, and are being conducted under the supervision of our golf professional, Mark Hawkey, and his team and Mary Rowell and our wonderful volunteers.
Once you have gained your passport, Mark will then assess your golf over a few holes, and when he feels you are ready, you will be asked to take out junior membership and be allowed to play in our Sunday competitions!
It is not too late to join us! Please be there on Sunday for the lesson between 10 and 11 am. If it is raining, the practice will be held inside. If you need more information, please ring Ann Dassen on (01834) 844957.
SUNDAY COMPETITION
The 18-hole stableford competition last Sunday was won by Ann-Marie Dassen with an excellent 36 points, followed by Jason Ronowitz with 35 points. Both played some wonderful golf and no doubt will soon be seeing their handicaps reduced! Rob Collins has also improved enormously over the last weeks.
The nine-hole competition was won by Huw Thomas with 20 points, followed by Sam Turton with 17. Well done you two - your handicaps have been reduced!
Would all of you please check the 'handicap sheet' in the Junior Room, as Idwal is updating it weekly for you!
Please be there at 9.15 am this Sunday, pay your 50p entry, pick up your card and make your way to the practice ground to start promptly at 9.30 - stableford competitions. The following Sunday will be a medal, and we will be back playing off the fairways!
See you Sunday!
Thank you to everyone who braved the 'Arctic conditions' on Friday evening to attend the bingo evening. Great fun was had by all and the sum of £55 was raised for junior funds. Thank you to all who were kind enough to donate raffle prizes, and an enormous thank you to Ted Martin for his humourous bingo calling!
A.D.
Morton and Law secure Divots title... while Phillips and North win crunch basement battle
Following the recent Arctic conditions, it was touch and go whether the penultimate round of league matches would go ahead last weekend. The Rabbits had already called off their matches the previous day in anticipation of the heavy frost. A frosty but wind free morning greeted the players and the morning long sunshine was most welcome - ideal conditions for golf, bar the frost.
First away saw Richard Morton and Clive Law, the most recent inhabitees of the top of the table spot, hoping to continue their winning ways against Richard Chapman and Rob Hall, who themselves were hoping that victory would take them into silverware position.
The conditions were not conducive for close holes and that was borne out by the fact that on the front nine only two holes were halved, but ended with Richard and Clive holding a slender one hole advantage.
Richard and Rob, though, levelled the match once again at the 10th, and that was how it stayed until Richard and Clive managed to birdie the 14th, to once again take the advantage going over the line.
More twists followed, however, when Richard and Rob again levelled the match on the 16th. On 17, Clive sank a 20-footer for birdie and to once again retake the lead. The last proved very tight, with both pairings on the green, Richard and Rob some eight foot away and Richard and Clive a foot closer. Rob just missed his birdie putt, but it was a safe par, while Clive had a rush of excitement and ran his some three-foot past. With the pressure on Richard to convert for the win, he duly obliged, saving Clive's blushes and securing all three points. A very tight game with nothing in it, that kept the pressure on fellow title contenders.
Second away saw Kenny Breaker and Ian Thomas, who seem to have quietly climbed the table from nowhere, playing against Richard Day and Steve Evans, who were holding third spot following the previous week's exploits.
This game followed a similar pattern to the previous one, with yet again only two halves on the front nine, and seeing Kenny and Ian hold the advantage one hole to the good, this despite Ian's drive on the fifth running up the hill away from the fourth green to greet and confuse the match following behind. I promised that it would be mentioned!
A game of halved holes followed on the back nine until Richard and Steve managed to win the 14th for the match to be all-square going over the line. A shot on the 16th for Kenny and Ian saw them make good use of the advantage and once again retake the lead.
With Richard the only one on the green on the 17th, Kenny played a lovely snaking shot which skirted the contours of the bunker before ending up three-foot from the flag, although in fairness he did apparently call the shot prior to execution. Steve with a putt for the hole saw the ball finish an agonising inch short, much to his disbelief. Ian with nerves of steel slotted home his putt to be assured of at least a share of the points.
The last typified the entire game, with scrappy performances by all four players who were not at their best on the day, and the resulting half was good enough for Kenny and Ian to move into third spot.
Third out saw Adam 'Elvis' Joseph and Ron Johns hoping to return to winning ways to stay in contention at the top, playing against Michael Schooling and Gavin Field-Thomas, who have fallen away following a tremendous start to the league.
A real battle of the big hitters this, but as good as the drives were, the putting once again proved a real problem. There was nothing between the pairings on the front nine, with Michael and Gavin holding a one hole advantage and then Elvis and Ron squaring it again.
Michael and Gavin once more held a slender advantage going over the line, only for Elvis and Ron to once again square the match at the 15th. That was how it stayed until they reached the last, all square and all to play for. The driving advantage was held by Michael and Gavin and they were the first pairing onto the green. Michael's putt just missed, while Ron's lay up short, saw Elvis with a putt to put the pressure back on, although unfortunately for him and Ron it was not to be and a sporting concession saw any hopes of winning the title disappear.
Next away saw Gareth Rees and Brian Hartley playing against Scott Davies and Laurence Lindsay, who had the previous week been drawn into the wooden spoon battle, and were looking to ease their situation.
Another close battle over the first four holes saw Gareth and Brian hold a slight advantage, but as the game went on, Gareth yet again played some wonderful golf and proved to be the difference between the pairings, so much so that he and Brian were four holes to the good after 11.
For the second week running, thoughts of a bonus point entered their minds, but Scott and Laurence rallied and put paid to any such ideas by winning the 14th, and then the 15th. The 16th, where so many medal cards are ruined, saw a winning score of Rabbit-sized proportions - only kidding boys! But thankfully you play the opposition and not the course, as any winning score was good enough to win the match.
More trouble for Scott and Laurence, as both other spoon contenders were playing each other, and a move by one or both of them was likely.
The next match away saw Loz Phillips and Andrew North playing against Andrew Morton and Julian Thomas, both pairings right in the midst of battle for the wooden spoon, with the victors likely to see their fears eased.
A cagey start to this match saw Loz and Andrew hold a slender advantage until the game burst into life from the fifth hole, when Andrew and Julian won four holes on the bounce, reaching the turn in a commanding three-up position.
Loz and Andrew managed to reduce the deficit by one on the 12th, but ended up going over the line two down. Now whether it was the complacency on Andrew and Julian's part or sheer determination by Loz and Andrew, but the match was squared after the 16th hole, setting up a tremendous finish.
On the 17th tee, Loz used his matchplay experience to good effect, and out of concern for the tennis players, informed Andrew, Morton that is, "not to swear when he duffs it." The seed promptly set and, yes, you guessed it, duff it he did!
With only Loz's ball on the green, Andrew, North this time, managed to secure the precious par and he and Loz were in the driving seat down the last. Despite Andrew and Julian pulling out all the stops, Loz kept his nerve and calmly slotted home the crucial putt for the halved hole and the match.
The victory took Loz and Andrew off the bottom, a position they have been occupying since the middle of December, but they are still locked in the battle for the spoon.
Next away saw Stephen Davies and Mike Anthony playing against Allan Morton and Barry Frayne, where both pairings had designs on getting to a top three position, despite suffering recent defeats.
A close match this, with both pairings winning and losing holes, which saw a slight advantage at the turn, with Stephen and Mike holding a one hole lead. The next three holes saw the match turned on its head, with Steve and Mike winning the 10th and 11th. The special moment came on the 12th, when Allan, concerned for direction the game was going, informed Barry that he had better hole his tee-shot if they were going to stop the rot.
Unfortunately for Allan and Barry, Mike overheard his advice and struck his five-iron sweetly and after a couple of bounces saw it disappear into the hole. Steve and Mike now four holes up had the sniff of a bonus point in the air. Allan and Barry, to their credit, battled back valiantly and managed to erase any bonus point ambitions by winning the 14th.
Over the line it was then and, despite Allan and Barry continuing their brave fight by winning 16 and 17, Steve and Mike managed to hold on for a half up the last to secure the win and three points.
Back in the clubhouse, Mike entered to a loud cheer and promptly re-enacted that famous old film 'Whiskey Galore' - now there's a surprise!
Last match out, although it wasn't scheduled to be, saw Neil Dickinson ready to go, but looking like a jilted groom at the altar, as his partner David Douglas-Law failed to show up.
However, after some pleading, into the fray stepped a gallant substitute in the form of current and undefeated Rabbits champion, Fred Adlam. The leap from Rabbit to Divot was seemingly a smooth transition for the experienced Fred and he showed good form on the greens by sinking monster putts on the ninth, 10th and 11th, much to Chris and Nigel's annoyance, although they still held a one hole lead.
Neil and Fred had dovetailed well to that point, but once they had sunk that one putt too many for Chris and Nigel's liking, the A game came out of hiding and Chris and Nigel put on a fine display to win the next four holes on the trot. The bonus point was not to be for Chris and Nigel, as Neil and Fred had battled enough over the front nine, and according to Nigel, Fred had most definitely outstayed his welcome.
So the title has been decided, worthy winners in Richard Morton and Clive Law, but the second and third spots are all to play for on the last day of the season on Sunday. Eight pairings are capable of finishing in the honours spot, while at the bottom the three-horse race will also be decided, when two of the teams play against family members, who are also in the hunt for top positions. No gimme's on Sunday then.
This year's league has surely been one of the most open for many a year and the advent of the controversial bonus point has certainly added an unpredictability that keeps us battling on. However, three placings will be decided on Sunday and with only three pairings not involved in the chance of honours, it is going to be a tremendous finish.
Results were as follows:- R. Morton and C. Law beat R. Chapman and R. Hall 1 up; K. Breaker and I. Thomas beat R. Day and S. Evans 2 up; A. Joseph and R. Johns lost to M. Schooling and G. Field-Thomas 1 up; G. Rees and B. Hartley beat S. Davies and L. Lindsay 3 and 2; L. Phillips and A. North beat A. P. Morton and J. Thomas 1 up; S. Davies and M. Anthony beat A. Morton and B. Frayne 1 up; N. Dickinson and F. Adlam lost to C. Hughes and N. Ayers 5 and 3.