Saturday 30 July 2011

Captain's Trip

You may wonder what that bright thing in the sky is. It’s the sun. It hasn’t put much of an appearance in for events I’ve organised this year, but after 11 months we had good weather for the Captain’s Trip to Dunbar. It was a lovely seaside course –almost at sea level – and by starting at 3.00 we had a reasonable deal and some enjoyable golf. There were 8 groups of 4: unusually no-one cancelled: the 32 who came were the 32 who’d spotted the notice about the trip and put their names on the list. Despite that, not everyone read the notice on the first tee to see which were the nearest the pin/longest drive holes. There was some comment that there was a ball or two nearer the pin on the 3rd than John Shaw, who won: but there could be no doubt that Scott Priestley’s was the longest drive. Most things went well – except that just as I was about to get on the bus I realised I’d left the prizes at home. Fortunately Dunbar sells little bottles of Dunbar-labelled whisky which did duty as a token. And after all, as I’ve often said when I’ve lost, it’s the taking part that counts.
Our group had a mixed round; I had a par at the first: John Cairns took up the challenge for the other 17 holes, and we won our fourball. But we didn’t trouble the leader board – maintained, with my gratitude, by Keith – and Ian Armstrong won with a very creditable 37 points. Ben Galbraith and Scott had 36, Scott winning best gross with a 74. After a drink or two Travelsure then got us home more or less in a decent state.





Hey, there's almost no pictures of me on this blog. So this one can stay.

Thursday 28 July 2011

NNL Match 11

Dunstanburgh Castle, at home. Just as for the Mail on Sunday match at the start of the season, the Dunstanburgh players were there before the home team (unusually so was I). Delay is often a good tactic but it didn't work in an ultimately disappointing evening: it was a glorious evening in terms of the weather, and the first three games went to us, but the last two were much tighter and although John Moffet and Alex Mackay took their games to the 18th green (Alex coming back after being three down after 14) that wasn't quite enough and we drew 6 - 6.
I don't know what it's like to play week in week out in those sorts of matches, but I know it's both exciting and tense to watch. We finished the night 4 points above Foxton who have a game in hand: next weeks match against them at home should be interesting. Interesting word, interesting.

Tuesday 26 July 2011

NNL Knock-out: Foxton

There's a nice bench by Foxton's 7th tee which also overlooks the 6th green and is a small step to the 9th. It meant I could watch the first part of the league knock-out match in comfort without going far yet seeming to be involved and informed. Especially as I kept getting coded texts from the vice captain keeping me updated on what was happening elsewhere (eg H+1,8; J+2,7).
And the front 9 was positive: we were 3 up at the turn. Unfortunately the rub of the green didn't quite go with us and although we won two games quite quickly (one with a chipped in eagle at the long 16th), and could have won two more, things didn't quite work out that way. A large group watched things at the 13th; a very limited number walked up the hill to see the concluding losses.
The good news is that Foxton were beatable; the bad news is we didn't beat them. Maybe next week.


Co-incidentally I'd played Foxton in the morning and found it in good condition, with strange pin positions and very fast greens. I passed on that bit of news as my first (and probably last) piece of coaching advice of the year.

Sunday 24 July 2011

Couves Goblets

Yet another weekend passed without a full round of golf, but with a very enjoyable alternative: Nicky's matchmaking skills paired me with Gemma Baird in the Couves Goblets, one of the two main mixed competitions, this one a foursomes format. My luck was Gemma's misfortune, but we managed a decent first half - despite the wind - before I started finding obscure gorse bushes with my drives on the back 9.
We did think we were watching the winners: Nicky and Will are a good combination and they put on a good exhibition until a flirtation with the practice ground at the end meant they were in second place. Despite the wind, there were a good number of entries; as I've noted earlier I hope mixed golf continues to develop at the club. Not to take over, but it's a nice complement to the usual stuff.

Alnmouth Village

Alnmouth Village hosted a charity day to raise money for St Oswald's Hospice in memory of Peter Braidford; it was a Texas Scramble No doubt in recognition of the victory in the Texas Scramble the other week (did I mention that? We're wondering if we should have a board in the bar for that competition) by Keith Whitfield and myself (and a couple of others), Steve Clements, a friend of Peter's, asked us to play along with Mike Robinson for added talent.


I hadn't played Alnmouth Village before: I loved it. Some criticised the conditions and the wait as the holes criss-crossed but I thought it was delightfully quirky, and the view from the 7th/16th tee must be one of the best in golf. This is the second oldest links course in Britain (after Royal N Devon) and I think we're lucky to have it in the neighbourhood.
We didn't win: Steve and Mike played well but Keith and I were more like our form at the Northumberland friendly than the Texas Scramble. But we did come 8th and got a bottle of wine at a packed presentation at the clubhouse. The day raised £4,500.

Wednesday 20 July 2011

NNL Match 10

The Magdalene Fields match has always been tough; in the last two away matches we've lost 7 - 5 and 11 - 1. My theory is (putting aside relative skills of the teams) that it resembles Bamburgh (slopes, green, by the sea except there aren't any islands offshore) but plays differently: the greens are a bit slower (though still true) and the rough off the fairway is a lot thicker. But what do I know? I do know the rough is thicker: my first job on arriving was to help find Phil Holmes' first (and provisional ball) on the third, followed by his partner's.



Despite the distance to travel, a good crowd from Bamburgh watched a close match: two games finished quickly but the other four all went to the 18th; the lead game was particularly tight with Peter Sanderson needing to be 4 under par to get a half. The Moffets and Angus Smith all won, giving us a 7 - 5 win leading up to a crucial last two matches. Foxton were apparently beaten 9 - 3 by Goswick; that puts us 6 points ahead although they have a game in hand. Our last match, on 3 August, is against Foxton at home.

The next league event for us is the knock out at Foxton on Monday 25th; the league game next week is against Dunstanburgh at home.





Bunkered...

Wednesday 13 July 2011

NNL Match 9

Vs Goswick A at home..

Another late arrival for me (again meeting Peter as he walked off the course but this time having won on the 18th), another glorious evening and a number of close matches, most finishing on 17 or 18. We won 8 - 4. A couple of other interesting items from the day:
- a well-known Dutch golf course architect, a Colt specialist working for two clubs in the North East, was walking the course. He was very complimentary about how the course fitted into the environment.
- Garrick Porteous came second earlier today in one of UK's world amateur golf ranking events, the Tillman Trophy at Hunstanton.


Next match: Magdalene Fields away.

Sunday 10 July 2011

Northumberland Friendly match

Some have said that I'm not that lucky with weather - strange that - but the friendly at the Northumberland Club was, despite the forecast, played in excellent conditions. And despite rumours earlier in the year about dubious greens, "excellent conditions" also described the course and the greens: there's a lot of work going into making them first class and it's paying off.
I'd like to say Keith Whitfield and I in the lead match set a good example and played well; unfortunately I can't as four down after four (despite good opening drives) isn't a good start. We held our own after that but had obviously put too much of ourselves into Bamburgh's second-most prestigous competition on Saturday (the Texas Scramble which we had won thanks to my handicap, firm direction from Keith, strategic targeting by Alan Patterson and good play from Peter Harrington) to recover.
At least we played quickly, and could sit on the terrace in the sun watching the other groups come in and trying to guess (accurately) their results from their body language. Mike Robinson and Steve Clements retained their unbeaten record, but we also had a couple of draws and a couple of losses. I briefly held the salver we last won in 2007 before handing it back to Giles Smallwood.

I briefly wondered whether the crowds had come to watch us -no, in a weekend of sporting drama (British Grand Prix, Scottish Open) the Park also gave us the final of their Ladies Championship. As we stood on the terrace as the prizegiving took place, one of our members was heard to ask "But who's getting the Sunday lunches in?" I won't say which one.

Wednesday 6 July 2011

NNL Match 8

I arrived late at Rothbury to see Peter Sanderson finishing early - so far, so normal, but abnormally he'd lost. Obviously beating everyone on Saturday had taken its toll.
But on the course all was well: the old part of the course dappled by the slowly setting sun, no wind, midges not yet stirring, most of our players leading with John Moffett having already won.

That theme continued (with some ups and downs) with only Colin Brown going to the 18th and sinking a tricky putt in front of a gallery to halve his match.


So overall, we won 9 - 3.

Sunday 3 July 2011

Non-playing Captain

There's something very relaxing about not playing golf.

It was a fantastic weekend for both the Club Championship and Lady Captain's Day and all I had to do was watch. I usually like to play in the club championship, although I usually increase my handicap by 0.2 as a result, but this time thanks to Goodwood I couldn't. However, I did get back in time to sit in the sun by the 18th and watch the competitors come in - all the way from early clubhouse leader Jonathan Cawthorn to the final group.

One of the winning putts

Watch their approach shots, their demeanour, their putts, the way they handed their cards in. And watch the competition managers deal with them.


It was pretty exciting - at the half way stage, only two shots separated the top five in both the gross and net competitions so the result was wide open. And in the end, only two shots separated the top three in both competions - who were the same, showing I suppose the fairness of the handicapping system.


All three - Graham Forrest, Johnny Moffet and Peter Sanderson - had the same net score and Graham won on countback; gross, Peter was 2 shots clear at 131 to be Club Champion for the 8th time.


Then Sunday also involved sitting in the sun, this time with a Pimms at the 12th tee, with Nicky and her family and friends celebrating Lady Captain's Day, watching some high quality golf taking place in the background.

The Ladies focus on what's important while the Men gossip. Or the other way round.

Yes, there's a lot to be said for not playing golf.

Saturday 2 July 2011

NNL Match 7

I was on the way to the Goodwood Festival of Speed so missed the match - Rothbury v Bamburgh at home; but we won 10 - 2 which puts us in 2nd place in the league, 6 points behind Foxton. Who we play, incidentally, at Foxton on Monday 25 July in the next round of the League knock out cup.
Next match: also against Rothbury, away.