With some members of the Society having already played Weybrook it was good to introduce it as a new experience to most. With the sun shining and a few brave souls in shorts the day proved to be very enjoyable. Much work is ongoing to provide tree patched fairways on the new opening 9 holes, while the back 9 retains the wooded character typical of Surrey courses. The club website forewarned that the greens were recovering from Spring treatment, but the resulting tramlines kept the overall scores lower than they might have been. Fortune favoured those who hit their putts strongly through the breaks. Tony P was particularly pumped up (no pun intended!) and putted valiantly. So excited was he that he even walked off the 3rd without his trolley. Later in the day all was forgiven as the Society members proudly presented him with an engraved tankard to celebrate his 100th event with Bunkers. The fact that Winter rules were in force came as a surprise and Dave F was disappointed that it didn’t apply in the rough. So much for the R&A’s investment in golfer education!. Dave F appeared later in the fines list for implying that Frazer was cottaging, not coppicing when he drove into the woods.
Despite evidence to the contrary, John F was busy calling himself an athlete (I suppose compared to the rest of the population of Leeds he is). John’s day didn’t turn out well....he hit only two fairways and missed, by his own calculations, at least 5 two foot puts. (Does anyone care?). He still scored a creditable 31 points.
Much of the excitement of the day happened on the tees, but before even getting there Colin T and Mike J were fined for chipping on the practice green next to a ‘No Chipping ‘ sign. Although he wasn’t fined for it, Mike even managed to rough the pro up the wrong way before teeing off. The Marcel Marceau impression with a glass entry door completed his successful morning. Paul H, arriving at 12.15, was only slightly late for a planned 10.30 discussion with Frazer. Life in a different (parallel?) time zone perhaps.
Never ones to be out of contact with their stockbrokers, Ian T and Frazer were using their phones in the club house. Ray S entertained on the 1st tee with a vivid description of a romantic encounter with (amongst many others) an Arkela’s daughter. Luke’s facial expression was classic. John T asked whether he had earned a badge.
Living dangerously, the FM came into some heavyweight criticisms. Matt T foolishly asked when he had last seen his manhood. Without blinking an eyelid, the use of a mirror was mentioned. After discussing that John F was carrying, Tony P suggested that the FM was carrying but only around his waist. Dave F had a drive on the 8th that went 10ft high and 10ft forward, whilst Frazer’s 1st tee shot(s)were shocking. The Captain carried out his usual and thorough quality control tests on the bunkers on most holes (where would we be without this invaluable self sacrifice on every course that we play?) This must have been a tiring exercise as he almost abandoned his clubs on the 15th, admittedly after Frazer tried to decapitate him on the short 12th.
Colin and Ian T tried and failed to get birdies.....one was a duck, the other a crow. Ian was not to be denied a fine however and kept bragging how he had used the bridge on the 1st to get nearer the hole. (Yawn!!!). Predictably, Ian and Matt (who once again had Tourette’s all the way round) forgot to bring in the trophies and admitted that they had not been engraved.
Dave S was a shirt short of sartorial elegance (try saying that after a few Guinesses) and James, our newest member, left his cap on on the 18th. Both were fined. Although John T was fined for not getting a hat trick, it was mainly for not letting the Captain win the sweep.
Lastly, Mike J was fined for dobbing almost everybody in. How to be so popular without really trying!.
Hearty congratulations to Luke for a splendid win, seen being congratulated below by Captain Shorter - although it has to be noted, as mentioned above, without the winning Trophy!
Roving reporter: John Thorp
