With the days inexorably getting shorter, until 20th December, it was an early start for the day at Puttenham but a great turnout.
The course is unusual in that a driver can be left in the bag for all but 3 of the holes and a good score can still be made.
Those walking wounded expecting to hire a buggy were avidly watching the weather forecasts in the preceding days. The course drains well, buggies were rented and contentment reigned.
The greens were not in the best condition, but with the intense rain recently it was hard for them to recover from an autumn tining.
The first hole is a challenge, with a tree, out of bounds and a graveyard to contend with. The excellent number of golfers meant that the fines total would be HUGE. Paul B as fines master did not disappoint.
Rob E was fined for wearing shorts when it was very cold and Ray S for wearing shorts when it was very cold, then changing into long trouser before teeing off. Phone in the club house and delusions of grandeur, (telling the waitress that he was the vice-captain) cost him dearly.
Paul H: - selecting a scruffy Srixon ball as he wasn’t confident he would keep it for long although this is his home course, promptly hit it into a bush took out a brand new Titleist ProV1 and hit this in exactly the same place as the Srixon. However after a three minute search he could only find the tatty Srixon.
Dave S was bent on attracting the attention of the female starter. First drive straight in to the hedge less than 10 ft away, this might have been due to a wandering eye.?.
Nearest the pin in 2 on the 3rd was well chosen, with the overconfident aiming to reach the green in 1. John T: - who had made the captain jump by sounding his car horn whilst manouvering to the members car park stated that the NP2 on the 3rd is easy, but got nowhere near it. This resulted in two well deserved heavy fines.
Paul B in the first group, managed to hit the 3rd green but could not have been further away from the flag and put his name on the sheet with a smiley face.
Dave F was spotted trying to put his club in a bag on the wrong buggy. Asking how he can score 7 for 1 on a par 3, he was politely told that he was on the 10th par 4 and SI 3. Should have gone to spec savers.
Out on the course, Ian T spent some time telling Paul B where not to hit his drive and then hit his ball to the very spot. Back at the clubhouse, IanT also spent some time blow drying his dwindling supply of hair follicles.
Mike P was fined for parking in the members car park when there were large signs directing him to the visitors parking area. He also failed to remove his headdress when shaking hands on the 18th. Frazer was fined for NOT swearing or throwing any of his clubs. It obviously helped as he won the day in magnificent fashion. His failing to inform the potential first timers of the raffle and fines was an expensive error.
Other fines were: Tony P for answering his phone whilst having dinner, Paul B a childs portion for breakfast.
Colin T phone in the club house and suggesting that Nick played his fairway shot on the 14th, Mark B: - childs portion for breakfast, Nick: - losing the lid from his water bottle on the 4th and refused to empty it and opting to gingerly carry it around the course and Nigel hitting the greenkeepers buggy on the 5th par 3.
Our favourite Yorkshire grouse, John F, openly moaned about getting Frazer in the raffle draw beforehand but shut up quite quickly when he found out he'd won the money. Sitting down before the Captain was noted!.
But Dave S was fined for using his phone in club house and taking excessive time to come to the table and sit down, thus leaving most of the society waiting to sit after a grueling round of golf.
Roving reporter: John Thorp