CAPTAIN'S DAY
The weather conditions were wet and blustery making the scoring perhaps more difficult than any other competition day this season. With a full field of members supporting Club Captain Dave Gallimore it was hoped that everyone would not only survive the arduous conditions but also be able to hold a good score together when one of the frequent showers descended up on them.
At the halfway house there were few good scores to talk about although Liam Hancock and Steve Matthews had amassed 20 points at this stage. With the more difficult closing holes to contend with the winners of the Divisional prizes and the Overall winner were still unknown.
The Captain and his wife Jackie had provided a variety of pies, pasties and oatcakes as well as the traditional choice of beverages. These were served by the lovely Marilyn Boulton, Jean Eccleston and her daughter Kirsty with a smile on their faces as the "banter" with our gentlemen members continued throughout the day.
With the conditions getting better for those who had the later tee times it was probable that the Divisional Winners would be completing their rounds late in the day and that proved to be the case.
The Captain says "I would like to thank everyone who has played in this event today and particularly those people who have supported me in putting this day together. From Dave Brookhouse who has sorted the hole in one prizes for me, The President John Carr for taking photographs at the presentation, the ladies in the halfway house, Jen Flavell and her team, Greens Staff who have done a great job all year and of course Greg, Jake& Liam in the shop in providing a worthy table of prizes. A very special mention must go to my Vice Captain Trevor Eccleston for combating the elements on the 1st tee ensuring that you all set off on time with a smile on your face. Today has been memorable for so many reasons and I will put those memories alongside the other ones that you have all given to me during my year as your Club Captain".
RESULTS
Overall winner of the Captain's Prize
Ken Ratcliffe 37 Points (20 Points - Back 9)
Winner
Division 1 - Liam Hancock 37 Points (17 Points - Back 9)
Division 2 - Steve Matthews 36 Points
Division 3 - Alex Bamford 35 Points
Division 4 - Brian Smith 35 Points
2nd Place
Division 1 - Rich Cordon 36 Points
Division 2 - Neil Adams 35 Points
Division 3 - Keith Hemmings 35 Points
Division 4 - Brian Townsend 34 Points
3rd Place
Division 1 - Geoff Lawrence 35 Points
Division 2 - Steve Hunt 33 Points
Division 3 - Mick Laverick 33 Points
Division 4 - Mike Brown 30 Points
Nearest the Pins
4th - Steve Matthews
7th - Mark Alcock
9th - Dan Smart
11th - Mark Rushton Captain & Ken Ratcliffe
13th - Rob Furmston
Captain & Liam Hancock Captain & Steve Matthews
Captain & Alex Bamford Captain & Brian Smith
HOLIDAY DRAW
Congratulations to Matt Lancaster (Bomber) on winning a 5 night holiday in Spain including 3 rounds of golf at Novo Sancti Petri Golf Club, courtesy of Iberostar Hotels in conjunction with Quality Golf Destination.
Dave Gallimore, Matt Lancaster & Neil Adams
PRO/CAPTAIN CHALLENGE MATCH
This week's challengers were two of the most successful Seniors in Leek Golf Club with Brian Tooth (16 h'cap) and Mick Austerberry (19 h'cap). The Captain, Dave Gallimore, would again partner our Club's Professional and would receive his customary 3 shots.
The weather conditions and the course were perfect for low scoring and the Professional had recently shown some good form so the Captain was once again looking for a relaxing days golf in pleasant company with nothing much to worry about. Unfortunately Brian and Mick had failed to read the script and provided a very tough test for the Pro /Captain Partnership to overcome.
A birdie on the 1st from the Captain put them 1 up after a 15 foot putt dropped in from the side of the hole (the Captain never uses the middle of the hole). The 2nd saw Brian get a 4 nett 3 to leave Greg having to hole from 15 feet for the half. He knocked it in dead centre to keep the lead going into the 3rd where the Captain was to receive one of his precious shots. A 4 nett 3 following a "gritter" from the right hand bunker put the Pro's team 2 up and looking good.
Giving shots to their opponents on the 4th proved difficult especially when Mick played a low, left to right cutting thinned shot into the centre of the green. A shot that the Pro remarked was "always capable of with those new clubs that I sold to you". After Brian had chipped on and holed his putt from 10 feet the deficit was reduced to one. With the 5th hole halved in 4s the long par 5 provided an opportunity for the Pro to get a birdie and extend the lead over the challengers. His drive and 7 iron earned him a 4 whilst the Captain matched his team mate's score but after hitting an "accidental smash" with a 4 wood onto the front edge of the green. 2 up and again looking good.
With the 7th halved when Mick earned a 4 nett 3 we moved onto the 8th. Mick was put under some pressure when asked to hole out from 5 feet for the half. He knocked it in and punched the air in delight. "That is a sign how much our opponents want it" said the Captain to Greg. At this point Greg was battling a bit of a back injury (remember the finger earlier in the year) so he wanted the match over as soon as possible so he could get some physio treatment. This all went "t....up" when Brian won the 9th with a 3 nett 2 to make it 1 up at the turn for the Pro/Captain team.
Greg, Dave and Mick all had opportunities for birdies on the 10th but none of the putts dropped and when Mick played one of the "Shots of the Day" (a deft chip over the bunker to 2 feet) on the 11th for a 3 nett 2 the challengers were level for the first time since they started.
With Greg whinging about his back he scabbed his tee shot on the 12th hole onto the right hand side of the 14th fairway (not pictured on a sky caddie screen) whilst Brian played 2 great shots to leave it 10 feet from the pin. The Captain got his par and Greg managed to hit the green and then hole an unbelievable putt for a birdie 3 and a win. Brian and Mick were tutting away walking to the next tee. Could that be the turning point that the Pro/Captain team were after?
The 13th saw the Captain hit the green with a solid 5 iron and Brian in the right hand bunker whilst Mick was in deep s...t in the heavy rough due to a dumped tee shot. A moment later Mick had smashed it out to 4 feet and Brian had played a bunker shot that was even closer. Mick holed out for a 3 nett 2 to level the scores again. Would the challengers ever go away?
This was now crunch time for the Captain as he had shots on the next two holes. Good drives were the order of the day and a 6 iron into the centre of the green ensured that the Captain's 4 nett 3 would regain the lead for him and Greg. The 15th was halved with nett pars but not before Mick was asked to 2 putt from the back of the green. He rolled it to 6 feet but still above the hole. He finished it off like a Pro - firm and dead centre to remain 1 down and 3 to play.
The par 5 16th hole was another opportunity for the bigger hitters and when the Captain knocked his 4 wood to 6 feet from 226 yards the writing was on the wall. Or was it? Mick played it very well leaving himself a chance of a par 5 (nett 4) from 10 feet. Greg was 10 feet from the pin in 2 following a great punched 4 iron. Greg missed the eagle putt but had the birdie putt conceded. Mick then raced his putt 4 feet past the hole to leave himself a tricky one back. The Captain narrowly missed his eagle attempt and the stage was set for Mick to halve the hole and keep the match within their grasp. He missed his first one of the day when it failed to hold its line due to lack of pace and the Pro/ Captain moved to 2 up with 2 to play.
The match finished on the 17th with a par 4 from both teams. "The overall result of 2 & 1 for the Pro/Captain team doesn't do our opponents justice to how well they have played. We finished 7 under nett and is one of the best performances that we have come up with. "They were very worthy challengers and could have won it" said a relieved Captain. Brian thought the turning point was Greg's outrageous birdie on the 12th whilst Mick was feeling guilty after 3 putting the 16th.
During these matches we have to select a "Shot of the Day" and today's match provided several great 
shots such as;
Greg's 4 iron shot out of the trees on the 8th which finished 12 feet from the hole.
Mick's deft chip over the bunker on 11 to 2 feet
Greg's putt for birdie on the 12th hole
Mick's smash out of the s...t on 13th hole to 4 feet
Captain's 4 wood into 16th hole
After much discussion and consultation (in the bar) it was decided that the winner of the "Shot of the Day" was Mick's smash out of the s...t on the 13th hole. WELL DONE MICK!!!!
"All you have to do to take part in one of these matches is to arrange a time and a date with Jake. All of these matches have been very close and played in a very friendly atmosphere, I am sure that win or lose it will be enjoyed by everyone. The proceeds go to the Captain's Charity which so far this year has raised over £5000. The pairing that beats us by the biggest margin will receive a courtesy 4 ball voucher to play the well renowned Whittington Heath and the runners up will receive a courtesy 4 ball voucher to play Chappel-en-le-Frith golf course. These Challenge matches will end on November 1st so get in the Pro shop now and see if you can "Beat the Pro" using your quota of shots from your handicap. Good luck."
THIS IS YOUR NEWSLETTER
The Newsletter has now been available to members for almost 6 months and I am sure that most of you have found the information, about what's going on at Leek Golf Club, both interesting and informative. It does however take a considerable amount of time and effort to produce and unless we have a few more members that are prepared to write in and contribute to the articles, we feel that the Newsletter will become unsustainable and it will cease to exist.
This is not a formal production and members are encouraged to exchange stories and write in about anything that you feel others may enjoy. Contributions are encouraged from all sections of the Club and if you wish your voice to be heard this is an excellent opportunity for you to have your say. What did you think of the recent Pro-Am event? How do you feel about the Club's Professional? Are you satisfied with the House facilities? You may even wish to ask the Club's Management Committee questions concerning the course, Clubhouse or competitions. These questions may prompt more discussion amongst members and may receive an answer from the Hon Secretary if it is appropriate to do so.
I would really like the Newsletter to continue but it is up to you to support this latest initiative.
All you need to do is email Greg at grogula1@talktalk.net
The Captain
Do not worry if your spelling or grammar is not to high standard we do have every article looked over by an editor before going to print.
CHANGES TO COMPETITION DATES
To all members - due to Greens work that needs completing we have rescheduled 2 competitions which are as follows.
October Medal has been moved from 5th October 2014 to 21st September 2014 and the competition now becomes a combined October Medal/ Medal Final.
Mid-Week Medal/Stableford for Men and Ladies has been moved from 2nd October 2014 to the 25th September 2014.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause but it is necessary to allow the Greens Staff to carry out vital work that keeps your course in such fantastic condition all year round.
JUNIORS V TRENTHAM - COUNTY SINGLES LEAGUE
In the juniors' first singles league game they came up against a very strong Trentham team. The match was very even with the overall result coming down to the last putt in 2 matches. Unfortunately Leek suffered a narrow defeat 3-2.
Greg Lilley - Lost 5&4
Josh Smith - Lost 5&4
Zarak Curley - Halved
Leann Nixon - Won 1up
Cory Wentworth - Halved
1st TEAM vs NEWCASTLE
After a slight hiccup away at Astbury in the last match played, the 1st team had 2 weeks rest and came back to winning ways with a superb 12-0 win at home against Newcastle.
The team gelled excellently with a huge 8&6 win from Ian Curley and Club Captain Dave Gallimore.
Other results in were
Rob Thompson & Rich Cordon - 5&3
Dan Smart & Chris Flavell - 4&3
Rob Furmston & Ross Salmon - 3&2 Liam Hancock & Dan Bourne - 2&1
Dennis Vincent & Rob Taylor - 1 up
This puts the team back to 2nd in the League with a run of 5 games on the trot left in the season.
Good Luck in the next match.
MIXED OPEN Monday 25th August 2014
There are still some places available for the popular August Bank Holiday Mixed Open.
It has been well supported yet again, but there are slots at 2.30pm and 11.50am for a four ball, as well as from 10.50am onwards to 11.20am.
There are some fabulous high-value vouchers to win (first prize £100 each down to 5th position offering £40 each), as well as nearest the pin and a very generous 2 x sleeves of balls for a two. The two's prize is even included in the entrance fee of £34 per pair!
Contact your friends (members and non-members alike) and come along for a fun day. The weather forecast looks promising at least.
Leek Golf Club offer good value for money at these events, and certainly bucks the trend in terms of healthy support from competitors.
A lot of hard work goes into making these types of days the success they are-please come along and experience the day!
The office or Pro Shop will help if you inquire about a tee time.
Monday 25th August - Course Open to Member's social golf until 11am.
Click here to get in touch.
