Although more on the actual event in a moment, we have to top and tail this report with some updates on a couple of friends who aren’t well at this time.
Firstly many thanks to all in the society who turned out for Macca’s charity day on Sunday. Over 150 of his friends managed to raise over 4.5k for good causes. We have been informed that there is to be a charity auction coming up so we will let you know more when we do. The society will be contributing a couple of lots for the auction, as I’m sure you will all agree it is the least we can do for our friend in the circumstances. We hope that some of you can get to the auction and help them raise even more.
The 2 charity 11’s, umpires and Macca before the game. You may spot some familiar society faces in that line-up.
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The home course of England’s Justin Rose welcomed us on what turned out to be a very humid 6 month late Christmas Bash. Snow in December and the closure of the course had delayed our 2017 Christmas event, causing many in the clubhouse to wonder in awe at all the Christmas hats and jumpers on display!
The course was spectacularly turned out and quite rightly boasts as being one of the best in the area. Personally the lack of heather, which had apparently died off a couple of winters ago, made the course more playable and more forgiving for the higher handicappers. The greens, although true, were a little slower than they looked like they should be – maybe we caught them just before a cut rather than just after. It did not detract from the experience though.
But less about the course, what about what happened on it. Captain Healy decided to mix it up a little this time out, so first up came a Putting competition, which will forever now be known as the Putting Conga. After spending a lot of time manufacturing a load of markers, Paul turned up to find that the course had them and would happily provide them for our use. Dutifully Paul set out the markers on the practice green (I’m sure I saw a few people kick them a bit closer to the holes!) and away we went. Well almost – Dave ‘Tom Tom’ Flavell, normally one of the early birds was still not there. A quick call later and it revealed that Dave had decided to follow the Highways Agency diversion advice and had somehow managed to travel from Oxford to Fleet by way of Guildford! Only a 30 mile detour.
So all but Dave did the Putting Conga, and what a sight it must have been. The poor club members tried to butt in but they could not get on the practice green due to all the Bunkers members hogging it.
Luke ‘on fire’ Peters was slamming the long putts in from all over the place, but it was Alan ‘Taps’ Brunton who eventually came out on top with a 1 over par 37 strokes.
Our host starter, Bernhard, was keen to get us off the green and onto the first tee though, so off we trotted with the first group having to wait til last due to Tom Tom’s Guildford holiday.
The dobbing of fellow golfers into the fine pot was as healthy as normal with many a cursing going on.
Alan B was fined for looking like Harry Potter with his thick rimmed black specs.
John F was fined for having hair that he shaved, as opposed to being nearly bald as Beardy thought he was.
Luke for managing to putt off of the 17th green into a bunker.
Dave F for hitting his approach shot into a bunker and then promptly forgetting which bunker it was and going to the one on the wrong side of the green.
Frazer for achieving 3 sandy par’s in a row
Tony for visiting 14 bunkers during his round
John F - making health excuses in the clubhouse before the round
Dave"Tom Tom" Flavell - late due to diversion via Gulidford when in 1st group out
Beardy - late and golf shoes in clubhouse.
Peter C & Luke for 4 putting in the putting competition
Beardy - hitting tee shot and tee flying into air and landing in the broken tee box ( tee in 1 fine )
Ian T, and John F driving through after not checking mirror on pole to make sure fairway was clear.
Ian T lost yellow ball on 2nd hole, with his first shot using it!
Paul H lost yellow ball on 18th after having commented on how rare it was for yellow ball to last all round.
Dave Shorter abuse of lob wedge
Frazer - ballerina pirouette on 7th tee shot
Frazer - nearly hitting train with stray shot
Tony P - wearing hat in clubhouse - even though it was a christmas hat
Ian T - being anti-social to John F - everytime John hit a shot right Ian hit a shot left
Alan B - handicap protection - blobbed the 18th as already had 36 points
Alan B - Captain had Alan B in draw to win. Alan B lost on count back due to blob on 18th.
Luke, Chris T & John F - not wearing Christmas clothes at Christmas Bash dinner
The traditional Yellow Ball team competition, an individual Stableford along with 4 skill prizes were on offer. That on fire Luke won pretty much most of it, bagging Nearest the Pin, Nearest the Pin in 2 shots and being part of the winning team and coming 5th in the individual. Nice one Luke, keep it up. His father, Tony, grabbed one of the other Nearest The Pin’s, and Luke’s teammate Chris T grabbed the last. Captain Healy made up the remainder of the Chris, Luke, Paul team which bagged the team competition by a massive margin.
The final prize went to the Ginger Tom residing on the steps up to one of the tee boxes. When the first group came upon him lazily sitting there he was accompanied by a grey squirrel – an in tact one, albeit dead. By the time the last group got to that tee the squirrel was no more – well most of it wasn’t as just back legs and tail were left. The Tom was busily chomping away and was not put off by his fellow course inhabitants! My guess is he had a happy snooze in the sun and then went off home for his deserts!
Well done to all the winners on what was a fun day, hosted by a lovely course. Captain Healy with winner, Chris who seems to be doing a little irish jig in celebration – actually he was trying to get his xmas socks into the photo and failing!
Quick mention of our missing roving reporter, The Thorpedo, who’s been in hospital for a while. Make sure you recover properly John, and hope to see you back on the course soon.
Stand in rover: Frazer Webb