PRESIDENT'S DAY FOR LADIES - Sunny with the promise of a deluge!
The sun shone on Sunday as Mr President, John Carr, welcomed the ladies section to the tee to play in an individual Stableford competition.
As is usual there was plenty of banter at the start as the ladies posed for photographs taken by Mr Vice President Lincoln Boulton and then were corralled onto the tee box by Mr Starter, Brian Cockersole.
The Greens Staff had set some testing pins on slick greens but we rose to the challenge, with Nel Boulton achieving a splendid '2' on the 11th.
As is customary on such days the ladies were spoiled with an array of wines and cakes at the half way house served by Wendy, Carol and Jackie and Mr President and his band of merry men were on hand to cheer us on.
Lady Captain managed to play to her handicap which proved to be good enough to win the President's Prize and the rest of the spoils were divided between Silver and Bronze in the following order - Silver 1st - Paula Parkes, 2nd Marilyn Boulton, 3rd Ange Broadhurst and Bronze - 1st Andrea Martin, 2nd Gill Damjanovic , 3rd Ann Cockersole.
Mr Captain sportingly volunteered to take the Ice Bucket Challenge if £50 was raised for the Lady Captain's Charity (Lymphoma & Leukemia), so Lady Captain stupidly agreed to join him if the amount was doubled, and then Gill Damjanovic, who is always game for a laugh, agreed to join in the fun if the amount was trebled - which was quickly achieved and surpassed - so a big thank you to everyone who contributed to the £158.
So the two captains sat hand in hand, made their nominations and were duly drenched by Marilyn Boulton, Jenny Cordon, Jayne Baxter and Jake Scragg who were grinning like Cheshire cats as they tipped their buckets!
Gill was duly soaked when she completed her round.
All in all an excellent day - so a big thank you is extended to Mr President and his wife Wendy for their hospitality and generosity.
KAREN GRIFFITHS - LADIES CAPTAIN
Wendy & John Carr Lady Captain Karen Griffiths & President John Carr
Paula Parkes & President John Carr Andrea Martin & President John Carr
PRO/CAPTAIN MATCH V "THE ACADEMY MEMBERS"
"Due to a poor run of form it seems that everyone fancies their chances of giving us a good drubbing and picking up the 1st prize in this series of Challenge matches" says the Captain. "To be challenged by Dave Fowler and Robbie Wooliscroft (who has only recently been interviewed for membership to LGC) it either means that they are supremely confident or that the Pro and I are ready for the golfing scrapheap". Dave was to receive 5 shots and Rob a total of 9. The Captain was getting his customary 3 from the Pro.
Due to Greg's time constraints this match began on the 11th hole and following some decent tee shots it was left up to the Captain to hole from 10 feet to secure a half. The 12th was halved after a good up and down from Mr Fowler ("Mr" shows a sign of respect) and at the 13th hole we saw our 1st birdie of the day. Unfortunately it was golf addict Ralf Harrison who we had been signalled to "play through" and not one of us!!!!! After yet another hard fought half on the 14th we had to wait until Rob thinned a 115 yard wedge to 4 feet (which didn't get above 2 feet high) to break the deadlock and move the challengers 1 up.
The 16th saw the Pro and the Captain produce birdies to win the hole however Greg's involved his hitting the green from 161 yards with a 9 iron whilst the Captain "accidentally smashed" his 4 wood 249 yards (wind assisted I know). Now the scores were level again.
On the 17th Greg managed to hit the centre of the fairway (rare I know) and only needed a small wedge in to secure a victory. Unfortunately (but not surprising) he ended up in the sand which resulted in a half and a bit of banter from the opponents.
Shots had to be given on the 18th so a good drive was imperative. Greg smashed his miles leaving himself a comfortable distance from the green (that means more than 100 yards) and he gently floated on to the putting surface. Rob meanwhile was using his shot wisely and managed to put the Pro under a bit of pressure. Greg's 1st putt was poor, his 2nd put was poor but his 3rd one went straight into the centre of the hole (whoopee!!!). Rob meanwhile gave a suitable demonstration on how to putt under pressure and got a 4 nett 3 to move the challengers in front again.
Now tempers were beginning to get a little frayed and on the 1st tee we were joined by a few interested parties who also fancied their chances of putting the Pro/Captain pairing in their rightful place. This just increased the intensity so Greg demonstrated that he was still a force to be reckoned with by driving it on to the 1st green and leaving himself 2 putts to win the hole. He missed from 2 feet (shock, horror) for his 2nd consecutive 3 putt to leave Dave Fowler brimming like a Cheshire Cat. The Captain had seen it all before and realised that he may have to take matters into his own hands to avoid yet another crushing defeat. With the 2nd hole halved he intended to use his shot up the 3rd to level the scores and impose himself on the game. A very good drive and rescue put him within 15 feet of the flag and it looked difficult for Dave or Rob to match. Dave then hit a good 3 wood to the front edge which he duly holed for a 3 nett 2 which resulted in a win when the Captain failed to convert his own attempt. Challengers 2 up with 7 to play.
"The 4th hole was already over before we got to the green because Dave and Rob left themselves in seemingly impossible positions and Greg was only 10 feet from the pin. Dave then played "the shot of the day" (Greg thought that Dave had duffed his bunker shot whilst the Captain thought it showed great imagination and a delicate touch to leave it 15 feet away). Again Dave holed out for a wonderful 3 whilst Greg could only manage a par. Challengers remain 2 up with 6 to play.
The 5th was halved and it was therefore imperative that the Pro/Captain team managed to birdie the 6th to get back in to the game. A fantastic drive from Greg left him 200 yards into the green which he skilfully managed to do with his trusty rescue. The comeback was on. Unfortunately 3 putts later the Pro was walking off with a half and a bottom lip was dragging along the ground. Challengers 2 up and 4 to play.
The challengers let themselves down on the 7th when they both failed to hit the green. A steady par won the hole to reduce the deficit to 1.
The challengers were to receive their last shot on the 8th hole and we all thought that it would be crucial to the overall match result. When the Captain went through the back of the green in 2 it looked odds on that the challengers would win the hole but a lovely chip to 12 inches forced Rob to hole out from 12 feet move the score to 2 up and 2 to play. Rob nailed the putt right into the centre of the hole and the Pro/Captain were now looking for a miracle to avoid an embarrassing defeat against "The Academy".
The Captain hit a good shot on to the green at the 9th and duly 2 putted for a par. Dave failed to get up and down from the right hand side so the scoreboard changed yet again. 1 up to the challengers with 1 to play.
On the 10th the drives from everyone were average to say the least and to ensure a halved match either the Pro or the Captain had to get up and down from 80 yards. The Captain hit a slight thin to 8 feet whist Greg hit it fat to 20 feet or so (It gets longer the more you talk to Greg about it). Without taking aim our wonderful and very talented Club Professional (who we all greatly admire for his short game skills) raced his putt in to the dead centre of the hole as if he does it all the time.
Handshakes followed and one or two beverages in the 19th hole.
"It was a great game to watch but I never saw that outcome with just 2 holes to play" said the Captain. Greg's comment was "easy, peasy. They did well to get a half out of us Mr Captain". He must have been playing another game!!!!!
If anyone fancies their chances and would like to win a courtesy 4 ball voucher for Whittington Heath just pop in the shop and arrange a date and time with Jake. All you have to do is donate £10 each towards the Captain's Charity appeal. You will enjoy it, I'm sure.
STAFFORDSHIRE SENIORS V LINCOLNSHIRE SENIORS
On Thursday the Club Captain Dave Gallimore and Duncan Stott were again selected to represent the Staffordshire Seniors side at Holme Hall Golf Club near Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire. The morning foursomes resulted in the Lincolnshire team taking a small lead of 3.5 to 2.5 into the afternoon four ball matches. Dave managed to win his game 3 & 2 after being partnered with John Deakin from Sandwell Park whilst Duncan narrowly lost his match 2 & 1 after playing with Steve Leahy from Druids Heath.
The afternoon provided some hope for Staffordshire when Duncan Stott won his game 3 & 2 playing with Colin Woolley from Beau Desert Golf Club but Dave Gallimore and John Deakin failed to show the form that earned them their win earlier in the day when they lost 3 & 2 to a very good Lincolnshire pair.
The overall result was a win for Lincolnshire Seniors by 11.5 to 6.5. Both Dave and Duncan, as well as fellow Leek Golf Club member Ross Martin, have been selected to play for the County Seniors at the North Worcestershire Golf Club on Tuesday.
MEMBER FEEDBACK
Hi Greg,
When a 28 handicapper eagles the 10th it's a special day too.
That's why we keep coming back
It can only be the result of lessons with the pro!
Cheers, Stephen
NEW LEEK SENIOR
As a new member I have now taken part in two Seniors Matches against Newcastle-Under-Lyme Golf Club. The first was a home match in which my partner off 12 managed to make me welcome by leaving his 'A' game at home and playing to my level. We were well beaten, but others in our team played well and won the match. A few beers with our conquerors soon restored the will to play golf ever again, it was evident from the noise from the other tables that the results were forgotten and everybody was having a good time.
The return match at Newcastle turned out to be in a similar vein, my partner another 12 handicapper managed to almost bring his game down to my level and we were well beaten. From the body language and comments on the course of our fellow team members; it appeared that we were not the only ones in trouble. It turned out to quote our captain of the day Jim "NOT SO MUCH A LOSS AS AN ANNIHILATION" but the beer, food and the good company soon restored the proper perspective.
Although we were well beaten on the day, I was cheered by my conversation earlier in the morning with the young pro who had played in our Pro Am. He said he thought our course was hard but although he had not played well he really enjoyed playing it. So at least our course beat their PRO even if we could not overcome their seniors. I hope I have not been too boring but I would just like to say how welcome everybody I have met has made me feel since I joined.
Brian Flynn
1st TEAM vs WESTWOOD - HOME
On Saturday the 1st team only managed a 6-6 draw with Westwood at home, which I think will be a minor blip in a promotion winning season.
As Captain I made the decision to go for blood in a front-to-back attack sending my 2 best pairings (Andy Guy & Dan Bourne and Phil Davies & Liam Hancock) out at the front in hope that we would beat their strongest pairings, but it didn't work out that way as Westwood team captain Martyn Lowe opted for a defensive game by sending his cannon fodder first.
Sure enough my first 2 pairs won comfortably but that left tough games for the rest of the team. An excellent win from John Moss & Jim Willshaw put us 3-0 up but Westwood managed to win the last 3 games.
Final Results
Andy Guy & Dan Bourne won 2&1
Phill Davies & Liam Hancock won 5&4
John Moss & Jim Willshaw won 3&2
Ross Salmon & Rob Furmston lost 3&2
Rob Thompson & Pete Cordon lost 3&2
Ross Martin & Jim Hutchinson lost 1 down
Good Luck next week against Lakeside.
FINALS DAY - 28th SEPTEMBER - UPDATE
Due to several complications (such as two competitors being involved in the finals of two different knockouts), it has been decided that the deadline for official Finals Day is to be amended. It should have taken place on Sunday 28th September 2014, but now is as follows: "any of the Finals may now be played on or before that date, but must be completed before Monday 29th September 2014". The Competitions Committee have introduced this flexibility, due to the potential absence of finalist on the original date, and would like to thank all the competitors for their efforts in the earlier rounds, and ask them to play their remaining matches by the due dates. Good Luck to all finalists.
David Robinson (Competitions Chairman)
'Keeping You Posted'
SATELLITE TV
Your Management Committee has not renewed the club's subscription to show Premiership Football Matches.
For some years there has been an ongoing battle between Sky and Pubs & Clubs in particular who did not want to pay the very substantial fee for the public performance of Premiership matches.
Initially Sky undertook a series of prosecutions on the basis that they had a Licence Agreement and foreign stations were infringing that agreement.
The matter was eventually heard by a European Court which decided that it was not unlawful to show the matches but if the Premiership logo or their copyrighted musical accompaniment was shown that was a breach of copyright. However copyright did not apply to live broadcasts. Consequently, Sky have delayed screening live matches by a matter of seconds which means that they are no longer screening live matches but are screening recorded matches in which they have a copyright interest.
Recently in the High Court a Judge granted the Premier League's request for summary judgment against a licensee who was screening foreign transmissions of Premier League Football. The Licensee's argument that the Premier League's claim infringed European Free Trade Rules was rejected and the Judge made a "Declaration of Infringement" of the Premier League's copyright and issued an injunction barring further unlawful screenings. The licensee was fined £65,000.
Apparently the Premier League is planning to prosecute a further 100 cases across England and Wales this season. Although some members will be disappointed, I am sure you will all agree that your Management Committee has acted in the best interests of the club.
In the meantime alternatives are being explored.
GREENS' INFORMATION NOTICE
This notice is to inform members of the ongoing course improvements due to take place this Autumn.
Weather permitting a major over seeding along with a top dressing of the greens will take place during the week commencing the 8th September. It is not expected to create too much disruption to the greens other than when the actual work is taking place. The recovery will be quite quick at this time of the year.
You will see more work on the greens than is usual during the winter months this is to follow our new Consultant Green Keeper's programme that we are following to the letter. The longer term aim is to create a more Bent Grass coverage on the greens, and will mean that they will be much better earlier in the spring.
Our Consultant Gordon Irvine's latest reports are posted in the members section of our Web Site for your viewing.
Later in the year a contractor will be on site to make changes to the 4th tees, the white tee will be lowered to the level of the yellow tee and widened to create a 30% larger overall tee. This will enable the green's staff to use machinery to maintain the yellow tee, whereas at the moment the tee has to be cut by hand and no machinery can gain access to do any maintenance.
The 17th tee will be lowered slightly and pushed back into the bank of the white tee by around 20 yards this will eliminate most balls carrying onto the practice area, these extra yards will compensate for the loss of a similar no of yards on the 11th tee again to help to prevent balls carrying onto the road. The practice ground will become out of bounds from the 16th, 17th and 18th fairways, all of these measures are recommendations from the H&S committee to eliminate further accidents on our golf course.
The 1st and 8th tees will be changed to allow access for machinery onto these tees, again along with the 4th this will remove the time consuming hand cutting used at the moment.
Greens Chairman
3/09/2014
TITLEIST DEMO DAY - WEDNESDAY 10th SEPTEMBER
Spaces still available for Titleist Demo Day. Please contact the pro-shop to book a slot. Professional Titleist fitting for Woods & Irons. Don't miss out on the chance for professionally fit clubs.
To get in touch click here
