NEWS ARCHIVES





News for 2017


Once again the weather gods were feeling benevolent and on a bright but humid day a bakers dozen of Bunkers stalwarts converged on the Leatherhead course. Somewhat damp under foot, which is normal for this track and , with most shots requiring at least an extra club in the heavy air , scoring was on low side.

Few started the round with much confidence although the name selection for the sweep meant that John T, John F and Ian T all picked their own names out of the hat. John T's confidence was at such a high level that he suggested John F swap names. Of course the totally unexpected happened and John T snagged the win (unfortunately too late for this years Order of Merit). In a massive show of generosity, John F donated his ill gotten gains to the fines pot (good on you John, it won't happen again).

A good day was had by all but there were dark murmurs of revolution when the evening meal was an excellent steak pie with vegetables and sticky toffee pudding with custard and ice cream. "What happened to the chicken and crumble" some were heard to cry. Can't please all of the people all of the time!.

Nearest the Pin in 3 shots - Hole 1 - Ian Turvill
Nearest the Pin - Hole 9 - Tony Peters
Nearest the Pin in 2 - Hole 11 - Ray Steele
Nearest the Pin - Hole 18 - John Thorp
Strongest Man - Colin Turvill - 16 points
Winner: John Thorp - 28 points

Winner John below in photo with Captain Dave .


Congratulations to all who made it .

You can see the full set of results on the results page


At last, having run down the 18th, the roving reporter retrieved his note book. With a late year swing through the letter 'L' in the alphabet (the next course being Leatherhead), the Order of Merit for the year reached its conclusion. With Macca well in front it needed a strong finish from the chasing pack. On a bright day, with the course in good condition, Macca held everyone off to reach the top slot, even though he didn't win the day. Some surprising scores in the mix, with a number of players resurrecting poor rounds with skill prizes that proved once again that, despite rumours to the contrary, they were still classed as golfers. The strongest man winner was delighted to win something, but not the prize he craved.

Nearest the Pin - Hole 7 - Tony Peters
Nearest the Pin in 2 shots - Hole 9 - Ian Turvill
Nearest the Pin in 2 - Hole 15 - Bryan Carter
Nearest the Pin - Hole 17 - John Thorp
Strongest Man - Mark Turvill - 14 points
Winner: Tony Peters - 39 points

Winner Tony below in photo with Captain Dave .


And finally, as this was the last Order Of Merit round, the presentation of the OOM trophy to the overall winner Paul Donlevy. Well played Macca.



Congratulations to all the winners .

You can see the full set of results on the results page

This seasons final Order Of Merit can be seen here


The Burhill course set us up nicely for the day with a semi private area for the morning briefing and excelled themselves in the evening with perfect service and an excellent meal.

As usual the fines for the day came thick and fast. First up was Matt T for practicing before event ( and on the continent to boot). The Captain back to his old ways on the first tee and Hebbo, Ray and Peter mismarked their cards. Peter G was caught for moaning that no-one can count then did the same. Matt mismarked C's card and Peter was fined for signing it.

Although there are few bunkers on the course Prev took 4 in one of them and Colin T took five. Luke took 3 to get past the ladies tee on the 17th while Prev laid up on a par 4 with a sand wedge - He thought he had a 6 iron. Maybe the sparrow hitting the front of his car earlier in the day had dislodged more than his radiator. Ray nearly hit Brian (again) and Paul B. Ray of course couldn't be arsed to shout four on either occasion. Paul Beck was fined for nearly hitting the captain (is this is getting a bit too frequent - is it a plot?).

Finally, Brian had a four putt. Shame on him!

Nearest the Pin in 2 - Hole 4 - Peter Gray
Nearest the Pin - Hole 6 - Ian Turvill
Nearest the Pin in 3 - Hole 14 - Mark Turvill
Nearest the Pin - Hole 16 - Darren Anderson
Strongest Man - Mark Turvill - 14 points
Winner: Ray Steele - 33 points

Winner Ray below in photo with Captain Dave .

And with Bryan sneaking in as bridesmaid again!


And finally the presentation of last months trophy to the winner Tony Peters, because Alan Sutcliffe had forgotten to bring it along last time.

Congratulations to all the winners .

Roving reporter: John Thorp

You can see the full set of results on the results page

The current Order Of Merit can be seen here


The days events started well. Having eaten bacon rolls, sandwiches, crisps, salad and large and small cheesy chips, some members even beat the Captain to the bacon on offer from the club. (Fines were duly noted). In fact those gannets nearly knocked him over getting to the first tray.

On the course which was well turned out, shot making on the day was variable -
  • Frazer W. and group were seen trying to tee off the 17th instead of the 4th. (ahem, Frazer was on the right tee waiting for the others!)

  • Macca on the 1st only just making it passed the ladies .........and the same for Frazer

  • Beardy took 3 to get passed the path next to 3rd tee.

  • Mark T. was hazardous to ones health on the 13th and despite spinning the wheels managed to get the buggy stuck. Fined of course!.

  • On one hole Ray S. tried to hit the Captain off the tee then told him his ball went straight down the middle!.

  • Chris H. was fined for club throwing and Chris T for saying his prayers in the bar.

  • John F. had us all very eager to learn more of his sorting out Thailand (while in the clubhouse and on the course) and was fined for bad language when he couldn't sort out his wayward shots (or Thailand).

  • Luckily for some, this year was only slightly (very) damp, but all welcomed John T. (fairweather Thorp) with a hearty " Wow, why are you here, have you been cloned". Some fellow golfers are so kind.! And understanding!. Although records of Bunkers golf matches do not stretch back into pre-history, it's unlikely that someone else with both ombrophobia (or even pluviophobia) has ever been a regular member of the society.

  • Some members may have other deep phobias (very green shirts for both Tony P. and Luke P. attracted fines, with jeans for Ray S. causing a stir) but rarely do they surface to public scrutiny. However, some reports ago we noted that the drives of the Captain and others off the 1st tee on one course ended up in lakes. Phobia of open water (thalassophobia) is much easier to hide!.

  • Luke P. tried to find MALCOLM for most of the round. This elusive player turned out to be Macca (who is normally not difficult to spot and does respond to most nicknames).


  • Some time ago John F. managed to lose a well loved 8 iron so this short story is very apt-

    Paul and John (names changed to protect the innocent) are playing a spectacular course built into gullies and ravines. They reach the 6th hole, where John slices a ball into a thickly wooded, deep valley, but he is determined not to take a penalty stroke, so he grabs his 8-iron and starts descending in search of his ball. The brush is terribly thick and tears at John's clothes. The sunlight is dimmed by all the overhanging branches but John keeps searching and finally spots something shiny down below. As he nears the object, he realizes it's not a ball, but a golf club. John takes a closer look only to discover that it is an 8-iron - and it's in the hands of a human skeleton laying near an old golf ball!. John yells out for his partner. "Hey Paul, get over here, I got trouble down here!". Paul hurries over to the edge of the ravine and yells down, "What's the matter John?"

    John replies, "Bring me my 7-iron. You can't get out of this stuff with an 8."


    Finally................... Alan S. turned up without the trophy making some thin excuse about dates and names of competitions.

    Nearest the Pin - Hole 14 - Dave Shorter
    Nearest the Pin in 2 - Hole 17 - Paul Donlevy
    Nearest the Pin in 3 - Hole 20 - Nobody
    Nearest the Pin - Hole 25 - Paul Donlevy
    Strongest Man - Alan Sutcliffe - 16 points
    Winner: Tony Peters - 38 points
    Winner Tony below in photo with Captain Dave .


    Congratulations to all the winners .

    Roving reporter: John Thorp

    You can see the full set of results on the results page

    The current Order Of Merit can be seen here


    With the heat of the previous few days easing, the 27 holes were much easier to manage, even without buggies. (East Berks only has 2). Greens and fairways were in great condition but very tricky and difficult to avoid the dreaded three putts, putts, putts!

    A good friendly club and a highly efficient and friendly starter who did his best to get us off as soon as he could for both the morning and afternoon sessions.

    Michael P. of course received a fine for teeing off before the official starter had given his instructions. Chris T arrived on the 1st tee without a ball. What a shower we must have looked!

    The day started well for almost everybody except Alan B who's face was a picture (unfortunately no cameras were allowed in the club house) when he realised that not only had he forgotten his clubs, but had also forgotten his change of clothes. A set of junior borrowed clubs from the pro shop and various items of clothing from Paul H calmed him down somewhat. Later on his playing partners needed danger money playing with him - at least a dozen shanks and he became our junior champion.

    Flip flops (again) in the clubhouse incurred a fine both for Alan B and Matt T. Dave F had no pink or white shirt. Could be something to do with Beardy arranging to pick Dave F up and not reminding him. Coordination was out of the window.

    Frazer W featured high up in the naughty step ranks with taking his driver onto the practice putting green, sitting down before the Captain at lunch (mind you the Cap wasn't even in the building), farting, swearing, playing a practice round at the Drift which was shared by Colin T, John T, John F (I'm hitting the woods just great, but I'm having a terrible time getting out of them), Dave S and Paul H. Dave S for stopping after 14 holes of practice round and having a nice beer. (Well worth the fine I hear).

    Ray S used his powers of persuasion to blag a pair of desserts at lunchtime and got one for the captain as well. So both got fined!

    John F didn't see the gorgeous bird when everyone else did, so got fined! He also managed to fill in the scorecard incorrectly and/or totalled it wrongly....as did Peter C, Chris H. and the Captain.

    Paul H as we all know broke Ian T. at Hindhead, but then missed the next event so was not just fined for the carnage he caused Ian but was fined for avoiding his fine!

    There was a lot of discussion about the individual choices for the 4 club challenge in the afternoon. Some chose wisely while others found themselves in places where any club would not work. The hickory clubs came out on a short par 3 and a longest drive. Congratulations to Matt T. and Paul D. who managed great shots when others floundered. Time to retire the hickories for a while though I think? (Editor: Agreed, especially after my afternoon score!)

    Morning - 18 holes:
    Nearest the Pin in 2 - Hole 4 - Nobody
    Nearest the Pin - Hole 9 - Chris Turvill
    Nearest the Pin in 3 - Hole 16 - Paul Healy
    Nearest the Pin - Hole 18 - Ray Steele
    Strongest Man - Alan (Junior) Brunton - net 87 Strokes
    Winner: Paul Healy - net 70 Strokes
    Team Winners: Team Aardvark - Darren Anderson, Colin Turvill and Dave Flavell

    Afternoon - 9 holes:
    Nearest the Pin - Hole 5 - Matt Turvill
    Longest Drive - Hole 8 - Paul Donlevy
    Strongest Man - Frazer Webb - 8 Points
    Winner: Paul Beard - 19 Points
    Team Winners: Matt Turvill, John Furness and Alan Sutcliffe

    AM Winner Paul Healy below in photo with Captain Dave Shorter.

    PM Winner Paul Beard with Captain Shortie, sorry Shorter!


    Congratulations to all the winners though - a great day was had.

    Given the exploits and high standard of play so far during this season the Bunkers Committee are considering negotiating with the R&A to modify the following Rules of Golf:
  • Rule 2.d.6 (b) A ball hitting a tree shall be deemed not to have hit the tree. This is simply bad luck and luck has no place in a scientific game. The player must estimate the distance the ball would have travelled if it had not hit the tree and play the ball from there.
  • Rule 4.c.7(h) If a putt passes over the hole without dropping, it is deemed to have dropped. The law of gravity supersedes the Rules of Golf.
  • Rule 5 Putts that stop close enough to the cup that they could blow in, may be blown in. This does not apply to balls more than three inches from the hole.
  • Rule 7.g.15(z) There is no penalty for a ball in a water hazard, as golf balls should float. Golfers should not be penalized for manufacturers' shortcomings.
    The committee will provide an update on it's progress with the R&A prior to teeing of at the next event at Sandford Springs!
    Roving reporter: John Thorp

    You can see the full set of results on the results page

    The current Order Of Merit can be seen here


  • Although a relatively young course (built in 1975) it's always great fun to play at the Drift and, for once this summer, the weather was very pleasant. Good food in the clubhouse, although the after dinner coffee was a bit late!. For those of us old enough or strange enough to have read Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, you will recognise that Marvin the paranoid android ("brain the size of a planet and all I do is park cars") has a brother and he serves behind the bar!.

    The course is quite tight but everyone seems to have negotiated the hazards well. But getting past the ladies tee on the 1st proved a challenge for Dave F., The Captain, Darren A. , Ray S., John F. and Michael P.. Although there is very little water on the course, it was skilfully found by Darren A. and Ray S., again on the 1st.

    Dave F. also made the headlines (out trumped Trump?) by doing a wheelie and a handbrake stop at the first tee.

    Ray S. seems to be very reluctant (not!) to show the pictures of his Hole in One celebration to anyone he meets. Despite this, he received a fine as he made the Captain wait two competitions to give him the trophy.

    Frazer W. had an exciting day, with trolley trouble on the 5th & 18th tee's and some flatulence problems to boot. Alan B. hit the news by forgetting his socks (he did remember his feet) and Colin T. not only forgot which day of the week it was, but 4 putted the 16th green. Talking of 'Senior Moments', John F. tried to break into the clubhouse through a locked door and, having eventually got in, then proceeded to fall out of it again.

    Sad to report that Paul H. has turned into a sadist. How could he drag poor Ian T. around Hindhead and then expect him to be fit enough to play golf the next week. (joking aside, we wish Ian a speedy recovery from the torn ACL that he seems to have suffered). A fine awaits Paul at East Berks.

    Standards of decorum once again slipped at dinner, as Dave E. was seen sitting down before the Captain.

    The total raised in fines on the day was £42. Quite a record, so some of the misdemeanors must have escaped the notice of this reporter.


    Nearest the Pin - Hole 3 - Dave Evans
    Nearest the Pin in 2 - Hole 13 - James Dedman
    Nearest the Pin in 2 - Hole 15 - Chris Hebdon
    Nearest the Pin in 3 - Hole 18 - Chris Hebdon
    Strongest Man - Dave Flavell - 17 Points
    Winner John Tugwell - 38 Points

    Winner John Tugwell below in photo with Captain Dave Shorter.

    But as John is a guest, the trophy goes to the first member which was Chris Hebdon.

    And finally, as it was the first event he had played since his hole in 1, Captain Shorter presented Ray Steele with a fine crystal trophy commemorating his achievement.

    Roving reporter: John Thorp

    You can see the full set of results on the results page

    The current Order Of Merit can be seen here


    Sutton Green is Tony P's home course but Bunkers has only played the course four times. Macca certainly made his presence felt during the day (quite unlike him as, as has been said before, he is usually shy and retiring!) ..... going on and on and on..... about the trophy not being back from engravers and that he had added Peter G's engraving to it ..... and on and on and on ....., for being a miserable bast*** before play started (claimed it was because he was tired - Really?) and ..... for offering John W sex with his wife just before John was about to putt. Needless to say he probably had to take out a second mortgage to pay the fines.

    With Macca setting the benchmark, fines came thick and fast during the tasty meal. Ian T, Dave S, Frazer W and Colin T for having a bit of practice 2 days before event (and Ian T and Dave S for playing sh** on the practice round).

    Dave S yet again got a decent drive off the 1st tee which cost him a £ (it was well worth it, mumbled his playing partners).

    Chris Hebdon (who should have known better) joined the water babies at the short par 3 13th. After putting 2 balls straight in the water he just walked off. Very unlike Chris, but it did give him a few extra moments to light up his 24th cigarette of the round. The 13th was a lucrative arena for fines as being the only hole Colin T's group played properly.

    Darren A also came in for some welcome fine attention ..... for winning the first event of the golfing year, then missing the next 2 ....,for attempting duck murder and for mending his trolley with gaffer tape to make the wheels look like they had dreadlocks. I'm sure that was his intention!

    Matt T had his monthly temper tantrum on the 16th green while Beardy and Frazer continued their pre match farting contest on the course. Apparently Frazer won, which is not surprising given the quality of the Full English he'd eaten in the club house just before the round.

    Prev was singled out for smirking at others misdemeanors and Peter C got caught for just being honest and paying a fine even though nothing could be said about his round. Although only fined once (almost as an afterthought), there is a picture doing the rounds of Wags attempting a shot from a small bunker. One can only say that it is good that his right leg is longer than his left.

    This time it was Ian T who was fined for his shirt being too loud. Is it a line or square dancing outfit?

    Sad joke of the day ..... What's the difference between a bad golfer and a bad skydiver?
    A bad golfer goes: WHACK ... Damn!
    A bad Skydiver goes: Damn! ... WHACK.

    And finally, it's good to see that Ray S's Hole -in-One example from Tylney Park rubbed off on Sergio at Sawgrass...way to go Ray! Just shows the global effect that Bunkers has!

    Nearest the Pin - Hole 6 - Dave Shorter
    Nearest the Pin in 2 - Hole 12 - Dave Flavell
    Nearest the Pin - Hole 16 - Paul Donlevy
    Nearest the Pin in 3 - Hole 18 - Matt Turvill
    Strongest Man - John Waghorn - 22 Points
    Winner Chris Turvill - 39 Points

    Winner Chris Turvill below in photo with Captain Dave Shorter, with Vice Captain adding a little extra to the moment.


    Roving reporter: John Thorp

    You can see the full set of results on the results page

    The current Order Of Merit can be seen here


    Bunkers visited Tylney in April for the first time. It's a classic parkland course, beautiful land with mature trees and really peaceful. Not a course for the beginner. The course was a really good test and in excellent condition, especially the difficult greens. The fairways are quite narrow and the rough is rough! This punished those who were anything less than accurate with their strokes. There are an abundance of mature trees which add to the hazards but also add a lot to the ambiance of the course too. Although the clubhouse was poor from the outside it had a nice feel inside and the members were friendly. They have plans to build a new club house that will fit in with its surroundings and "Tylney Hall" which is next to the course.

    The day proved a milestone for Bunkers, the first hole in one for over 11,600 strokes. Well done Ray S.




    The above showing Ray Steele standing on the 17th with the nearest the pin marker in the hole!
    And just in case no one believed his wild stories of achievement, the card was snapped as a momento!



    The nearest pin in 2 was also won in fine style with a chip in for an eagle by a new member on his 1st event, Peter Gray.

    The Captain was so overcome with the amazing events and the surroundings that, although fines were plentiful, he didn't write anything down........ but Luke's shirt featured once again.

    Bunkers will definitely try to add the course to its regular annual schedule!

    Nearest the Pin in 2 - Hole 6 - Chris Hebdon
    Nearest the Pin in 3 - Hole 11 - Paul Donlevy
    Nearest the Pin - Hole 17 - Ray 'hole in 1' Steele
    Nearest the Pin in 2 - Hole 18 - Peter 'Eagle' Gray
    Strongest Man - Luke Peters - 21 Points
    Winner Peter Gray - 35 Points

    Winner Peter Gray below in photo (sorry for the blurred vision!) with Captain Dave Shorter - minus trophy, as last years winner Paul Donlevy forgot to bring it. All that can be said is Macca will be fined heavily for that misdemenaor. Well done Peter on his first outing as a member!


    And we could not pass up the opportunity to congratulate Ray for his hole in 1 over a few glasses of beer/spirits/wine/fruit juice (delete as applicable!).


    Roving reporter: John Thorp

    You can see the full set of results on the results page

    The current Order Of Merit can be seen here


    East Sussex National

    The 'traditional' Bunkers Society annual golf trip was held this year at the ESNC. The course, which was built in 1992 to host major golf competitions has had a chequered history in recent years but still has a fine hotel and golf club on site. The two courses, the East which is set up in the American style with little rough and few bunkers and the West which is designed as a typical English country course with many bunkers, fierce pin placements and lots of trees.

    On the East course on the first day the greens were in a very poor state having been tined and dressed but that didn't deter the longest and strongest in the group. Steve Halfpenny, in particular, came home with a fine 38 points to win the day, but couldn't stay for the second day. Other winners on the first day were Daniel Judge, Andy Vink and Malcomb Nicholas (who frightened everyone with his shorts on both days). The second day and the competition as a whole was won by Mick Tedder who, as well as winning a fine bottle of wine, took home the ugliest trophy in the world that had been sourced by Paul H. Ian T and Daniel Judge came highly respected joint 2nd places. Other winners of the skill prizes were Dave Greenfield, Mark Brogden and, not to be outdone, Paul H.

    The 'very pink' ball team competition was highly competitive with some teams so embarrassed at using the ball they engineered losing it as fast as possible...at least one team on the 1st hole. Some teams managed to hide their feelings and the eventual winners were Alan B, Daniel Judge, Steve Halfpenny and Ray S.

    Although not recorded for posterity, Paul B must have had the hottest putter around, given the price tag on the shaft!

    Damo Urwin played army golf on the first day and managed to wear out his shoes. A quick trip to the pro shop resulted in a fine new pair which slightly improved his golf. In the end he was the strongest man and his prize of 12 golf balls almost replaced those lost in the undergrowth.

    Being the final day of the Masters (great news for Sergio) all those still standing (John F had retired and returned home after feeling unwell during the first round) collected in the bar to enjoy the fun. As everyone will know drinking large quantities of neat Coke can upset the stomach so Rob Ewing did the right thing by diluting it with sufficient measures of rum to enable the making life-long friends into the wee hours. In fact one of these friends was still drunk by the following lunch time and insisted on maintaining the friendship!. Paul B and his guests seem to have increased the bar takings as well, but didn't make any new friends. Breakfast on the second day was a subdued affair.

    Paul H once again did a fine job of organising the event, ably assisted by Alan B who kindly gave John T his driving iron back, thus taking John's club numbers above 14 but not improving his golf. Thanks Alan!

    Next year, Trump willing, the event will be held at Castle Combe on the Masters weekend.

    The Manor House is a true golfing gem - designed by renowned BBC commentator Peter Alliss and his design partner Clive Clarke in 1992 it is now widely regarded as one of the finest golf courses in England. Nestling in 365 acres of spectacular Cotswold parkland and bordering the beautiful village of Castle Combe, the undulating landscape provides a great adventure for any level of golfer, even those from Bunkers.

    Hope to see you there.

    Full Results:
    Day One
    Winner: Steve Halfpenny (38)
    Nearest the Pin: Daniel Judge
    Nearest the Pin in 2 shots: Andy Vink
    Nearest the Pin in 3 shots: Malcomb Nicholas
    Team Comp: Alan B, Daniel J, Steve H and Ray S.
    Strongest Man: Damo Urwin

    Day Two
    Winner: Mick Tedder (36)
    Nearest the Pin: Mark Brogden
    Nearest the Pin in 2 shots: Paul Healy
    Longest Drive: Dave Greenfield


    Roving reporter: John Thorp

    With the famous Masters tournament in Augusta coming up it was interesting to follow the American weather forecasts for this week. They were pretty accurate , unlike the BBC which one week ago was forecasting heavy rain for our day at Burnham. In the end, although the day was slightly overcast, the weather was distinctly un-BBC and the course was turned out well.

    The day started, early for some, in the clubhouse with Alan B and David F arriving just after dawn. Dave F in particular was keen to sample the heavyweight English breakfast available in order to build up his strength. As the results later in the day showed, this paid off as he was not the strongest man on this occasion.

    The extensive list of fines once again showed that getting away with anything is not an option. If your colleagues don't see it, someone will call SKY and you will be shown to the whole world as having moved your ball at least 2.00 mm on the green for an instant penalty and world-wide condemnation.

    The Captain provided inspiration to us all...hitting the bell post on the first hole and managing to find a bunker on just about every other hole. Ian T had a senior moment when he did not seem to know if he was Chris's father or son (does his wife know?). Making nearest the pin in 2 on the first hole, even when you can't see the pin, was remarkable at his advancing age.

    Alan B still objects to being called a "cock", can't understand why. The truth always hurts and finding him on his hands and knees with his head in a bush, supposedly looking for a golf ball, suggests a miss spent youth chasing ferrets, rabbits or girls (just joking Alan).

    Dave F (he of the HUGE breakfast fame) received a well earned fine for hitting the large mound of sleepers protecting the green on the short par 3 and unfortunately sending the golf ball very high wide and handsome.

    For those pink speckled socks and for leaving early (he had a good excuse but never mind, £1 paid) Ray S attracted much attention. Michael P seems to have picked up on the early weather forecasts or was he just trying to emulate John T's past clothing adventures by thinking that we intended to play through an ice age and dressed accordingly. Alan S gained a fine thinking he was an extra on "I'm a Celebrity" with that splendid hat. He obviously ignored the BBC forecasts.

    Bryan C's guests Martin and Phil fell afoul of the first crucial sartorial rule by unfortunately removing their jackets at the dinner table prior to permission from the Captain. Bryan compounded the problem, and crossed the second no go area by wearing jeans in the club house.

    Finally, not only did Macca win the day in great style but disturbed his playing partners by actually behaving himself throughout the round. Well done Macca...and for winning too!

    Nearest the Pin in 2 - Hole 1 - Alan Brunton
    Nearest the Pin - Hole 3 - ian Turvill
    Nearest the Pin in 2 - Hole 15 - John Thorp
    Nearest the Pin in 3 - Hole 16 - Bryan Carter
    Strongest Man - Mark Turvill - 17 Points
    Winner Paul Donlevy - 37 Points

    Winner Paul Donlevy below in photo with Captain Dave Shorter - well done all!


    Roving reporter: John Thorp

    You can see the full set of results on the results page

    The current Order Of Merit can be seen here


    With the winter chills almost at an end, the first bunkers event of the golfing year got off to a fine start.

    Considering the heavy use that this course gets on a constant basis the greens were in reasonable condition, although many three puts were to be found on the cards.

    The hard practising for most Bunkers golfers over the winter, sat at groaning dinner tables no doubt, obviously paid off for some with a few good scores posted by the end of the day.

    Gone is the strange 'club head' trophy for this competition. John T as the last winner, has the dubious honour of retaining this desirable object, possibly in perpetuity. All offers to take it off his hands for a medium sized fee gratefully accepted.

    It has been replaced by a fine silver cup, through the generous donations of a small number of members and congratulations go to Darren for a splendid performance on the day, which now means that the new trophy will be displayed with honour (a rather large shelf will be needed) and polished regularly (or at least in time for the same competition next year).

    The Captains fines system goes from strength to strength, with the possibly unique aspect for Bunkers of being fined for not being fined. A great innovation!

    The usual suspects feature like clockwork in the main fines roll call. For those not mentioned, the Captain still knows where you live.

    Alan B continues to shock, this time for undisguised bribery by trying to give the Captain a sugar rush (donating his coffee biscuit). Alan should know by now that flattery does not work on Paul Beard, but creeping might. More practise in the black arts needed. The front row props of the Bunkers rugby team, Paul H and John F indulged in some bulking up before play as did Ray S. (Did you see how much food they ordered). At least Ray S shared most of his plateful while others only left some lonely chips for the vultures. Ray S also received a special mention for abusive language. Calling a member a w***** when, as we all know, that’s the Captain’s privilege.

    Although John T was known to have had extra practice before the first event (been playing once a week) it didn't have a massive effect on his scoring. Paul B turned up looking like Captain Birdseye and was fined for not bringing any fish fingers, playing wind assisted and I don’t mean the weather.

    Ian T did a splendid job last year arranging the fixtures on good courses while containing the costs and this year looks like being even better. After a hard days golf we all look forward eagerly to our regular chicken and crumble and Pine Ridge did not disappoint! In fact Alan B is running a book with the odds on a different menu, calculated on a monthly basis, Mark T didn't attend the AGM last year but dug a deeper hole by saying “Does that mean I have to eat with those I played with”. Err yes! (even if it is Ch&Cr)

    John F continues to offer great spectator entertainment and the reflections from the Bangkok suntan on his pate illuminated those parts of the course that only the wayward see. On the 2nd hole the ladies tee was just passed by his drive, but the subsequent series of shots took him deeper into the forest . How many shots was that John? Could it be that a return to home for his clothes and range finder, (how often did you go back for your clothes John?), affected his concentration. The fact that he remembered the finder, but left his clothes behind will not be mentioned. With clothes now a topic of this report, Luke P's shirt is unlikely to be forgotten. Good on you Luke, it brightened up the day as did you scoring 7 pts on 2 holes. (Which was also a feat achieved by Ian T)

    Dave F ensured that we had a minimum score to beat but can he be forgiven for confusing a driver for his 3 wood and trying to play it off the fairway. Even the pros have difficulty with that shot!.

    Longest Drive - Hole 5 - Mark Turvill
    Nearest the Pin in 3 - Hole 9 - John Furness
    Nearest the Pin in 2 - Hole 11 - John Thorp
    Nearest the Pin - Hole 17 - Chris Turvill
    Strongest Man - Dave Flavell - 20 Points
    Winner Darren Anderson - 37 Points

    Winner Darren Anderson below in photo with Captain Dave Shorter - well done all!


    Roving reporter: John Thorp

    You can see the full set of results on the results page

    The current Order Of Merit can be seen here