Final 2010 NNL match

The final league match of the season against Wooler at home had many similarities with the others:

Peter Sanderson had won almost before I arrived;

It was mostly a glorious evening - the course and surrounding scenery looked wonderful;


We had a large group of supporters (who, however, didn't venture much further than the 9th tee and who seemed to gravitate bar-wards when it got a bit cold);

To be fair, the level of support is one thing that distinguishes Bamburgh from the other league clubs, and most only drifted towards the club as the various games finished. But Alex Mackay, fresh from being second in the Junior Championship the day before, was taken to a nearly dark 18th green before he could win: a nasty patch of gorse stopped an earlier win, but a great birdie on the 17th put him one up on the 18th tee. (The near dark finish was another factor in common with many earlier matches).

This win completed a clean sweep so although the overall result for the year (3rd or 4th, depending on the Dunstanburgh/Rothbury result) was not as good as some earlier years it was a very encouraging finish. There have been a number of new team members this year, especially from the juniors, and this bodes well for the future.

Update: a 6-6 draw between Dunstanburgh and Rothbury means we are third in the league this year. Congratulations to those who played in the team this year, which includes the team manager John Cairns.

The league is sponsored by nearby Kaims Country Park, for which thanks, and appropriately one of their partners Robbie Redpath was one of the new - and successful - team members this year.

Friendly vs Royal Burgess

I woke to the sound of Radio 4’s weatherman saying that while most of the country would have showers, the North East would have torrential rain and high winds would make it feel cold*. Just the weather for our friendly against the Royal Burgess Golfing Society. Fortunately, the torrential rain only affected the last two or three groups, those with our carefully selected backloaded bad weather bankers.

The Royal Burgess match is probably the most prestigious of our fixtures given their status as – probably - the oldest club in Great Britain (and therefore the world): this year’s was particularly special as they were celebrating their 275th anniversary.
Our determination to win was typified by John Southern’s gazelle-like stance for his second on the 8th, and our inability to win by my drive on the 8th failing even to reach the downslope. The results were quite close in the end, however, except that they were four wins to them, two to us and a couple of draws.After fortification on the 12th tee, we had as always an excellent lunch, followed by the wit of Derek Haggerstone, Ken Howe, David McAdam and Dick Little. The jokes – on the subjects of tractors, vanilla ice-cream and pig hunting amongst others - are probably best left to the dining room’s memory, although the Burgess Captain tried to add a touch of class with a joke about social interaction in Edinburgh high rise flats.

Meanwhile, next door, Claire Whitfield’s birthday party was waiting to catch those who needed a gradual de-tox from the day’s activities.

*I went to sleep to the sound of radio 4’s weatherman saying that Boulmer had been the wettest place in the UK that day.

The Sport of Kings

Race Night at the club was a great success: Derek Wymes had pushed for an event like this to get the clubhouse used more, to provide an enjoyable evening for members and friends and to raise money for the club. It worked at all three levels and I hope will be repeated in future years.

Over eighty people came along, the race organisation was seamless and expertly introduced by Neil Forsyth, seeking an alternative career from being a torch singer.

My betting policy was as scientific as the format allowed, and was based on amusing names of horses ("Rehabs for Quitters"; Builders "Crack") or on liking the horses' "owners" (people had been asked to sponsor races and to buy and name a horse for the evening). This was pretty effective, as I picked winners in four of the eight races, and I was the winning owner in the second race. (The only trouble was that I had also bet on lots of others that didn't win).

The evening had an added piquancy as there was a quiz handed out in the second part of the evening. A bit Blue-Peter like, I had invited my regular quiz team along (without realising they'd be needed) so we swung into action. But failed to win by two points - I'm sure we'll have a post mortem later.

So overall, success and failure for all the attendees: but an evening everyone enjoyed.

The real winner of course was racing itself.

The Agony and the Ecstasy

The Junior League team has been doing well this year, and I went to watch their final match against Linden Hall, the leaders. We knew a 6-2 win would make us top of the league (we knew because we had been told so by the league secretary).

All four matches were well supported and close. But we became 4-2 up with one match to play, and better handling of the psychology of the 17th tee meant we were the winners. (I say "we": it's interesting how I felt I had done something successful even though all I had done was follow the players.)
We all celebrated and some of us felt a little sorry for Linden Hall.

But then a call came from the league secretary to say that in fact we had needed an 8-0 win, that we were second and Linden Hall had won. Mick Aldred had to break the news to both teams as they were eating.

On the bright side: at least our team knew what winning felt like. And second is actually a great result. But was a cruel way to learn you were second. Sport can be cruel.

The Agony and The Ecstasy: Michaelangelo's story

NNL v Rothbury

No Raoul Moat jokes here*.

Just a short description of how a bunch of sharpshooters came to the river just outside Rothbury and left with the mission accomplished.

Half the matches were over quickly - one sadly against us, with the Rothbury guy being about 2 under - the others going to the final holes, which looked good in the summer evening glow.

Bamburgh won 10-2. Next match: Foxton, at home, next week.

* They're not even raoulmoatly funny.

NNL vs Linden Hall

A murky evening saw the return of John Moffett to the team inspire a clean sheet - although because his opponent just wouldn't be beaten, the others had already finished well before John finally won with a birdie on the 16th.

Bamburgh won 12-0; next match Rothbury away.

Thoughts from the Open

I went to the last practice day at the Open; people had said how much better it was than a competition day, how the players were more relaxed and approachable. There was also to be a four hole match for about 25 past champions.

But then the summer weather came: the wind was up to 50mph and it poured with rain. They cancelled the four hole match (although when it was due to start, things were back to normal) and very few players went out – the only ones I saw were Cink, Havret and a very relaxed Ernie Els strolling down the 16th fairway, hitting the odd shot, as though this was natural S African weather. I wondered what the other players were up to? Post-Tiger’s news, you can have a guess, but I’m sure not all of them. It must be a weird feeling to have travelled to a wind and rain swept small town, to be unable to practice, to know that the next day was the start of one of the most important days of the year and yet to have nothing to do.

It was good to be able to walk the course – because so little was happening they let people onto some of the tees and fairways – and to test my new wet weather gear. But the highlight was the merchandise tent, partly because it was dry (as was the Bollinger tent which surprisingly had seats to spare) but also because of Rhod McEwan’s golf book stand. I bought a fascinating book, “St Andrews: The Evolution of the Old Course” which I’ve just finished. The sub title is the impact on golf of time, tradition and technology and shows how the course, its layout, maintenance, length and design, have been changed over the years to deal with new equipment and the impact both have had on scoring.

Some facts about Opens at St Andrews:
Extra yardage made the average score per hole increase between 2000 and 2005. But the average score for the 10 longest hitters was lower on those holes: lengthening the holes made it easier.
Maintenance costs for the 2005 Open were 7 times those of 1904, after taking account of inflation.
The number of eagles in 2005 was 39, in 2000 29, in 1990 20.

We’re perhaps lucky at Bamburgh that we’ve been able to keep the traditional layout and length because the wind, the terrain and the gorse combine to keep it more than just a test of distance – although just as with St Andrews the course is very different today than 50 years ago - but the balance of providing a proper test and enjoyment is not easy and continued equipment improvement will impact us one day.

Having said that, better equipment doesn’t always mean a better game: Jack Nicklaus is quoted:
“Amateurs can’t make a ball respond. Things that are designed today are designed for the good player to hit. Because spin rates on the golf ball are so low, the golf ball won’t stay in the air when mis-hit (as most amateurs do)., so they have not only lost the yards they gained from equipment improvement they lose 20-30 yards going the other way. How can you improve that? You can’t! The good player hits it in the rear end every time and gets the good result – the extra 50 yards. No wonder they tear apart the golf course. But the average golfer can’t play it...”

How true.

They will have to bring in a competition ball for pros sometime.

Lady Captain's Day

Claire's Captain's Day dawned to sunshine and high winds. Very high. So when I arrived to join her drinks at the 12th tee, I wondered how many would turn up. All credit to her (and to the ladies' section) that all 27 who'd signed up did play. Admittedly the only par we saw on the 11th was by Will Rose, who was following the ladies with Claire's brother, but there was much fine golf: the audience seemed to bring out the best.

And even more impressingly, most players continued after being fortified with Pimms. Those of us who played in the Club Championship the previous day noted how much easier it was to play in the wind rather than the rain. Until the ladies pointed out that none of us had actually gone out to play today.

Club Championship

After a dry spell of many weeks, heavy rain could only mean one thing: the club championship.

Actually, it only rained heavily in the afternoon but it was heavy and intermittent enough to be a real test of changing in and out of wet weather gear.

Twenty five people entered the two round competition; not all of us managed to produce a final result but most did. Garrick Porteus won with rounds of 64 and 65 (that after bogeying the 18th) - the first time he has won, aided no doubt by the support in the afternoon of both his girlfriend and Robin Williamson. He was second in the net competition, with Sean McFaul winning with net rounds of 62 and 66, mainly by dint of chipping in rather than bothering to putt many holes. Mark Dawson was runner-up in the championship, also with an 65 in the afternoon, an impressive score given the weather.

But perhaps the most remarkable thing was that Peter Sanderson (allegedly) lost a ball.

Friendly vs The Northumberland Club

Friendly matches always take a bit of planning. This one took even more as the formal lunch would have clashed with England vs Germany in S Africa. We decided to break new ground - not only watching a TV, but also not insisting on formal dress. The walls didn't fall, and people seemed to have a good time until England's second goal was ignored by the match officials.And what of the match, our version of two fierce and traditional rivals but with a shared heritage? Well, each game (apart from from Phil Holmes and Tony Cawthorne who won easily), was close but we didn't manage to close them out, typified by my missed birdie putt on the 18th which meant we lost rather than halved our game. But the weather was fantastic, the course was in brilliant condition, the food great and the company enjoyable.

Its the taking part that matters, isn't it?