CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP, ROUND 7

 

The final round of the Club Championship, to determine the prestigious honours that will be revealed at the Annual Dinner, Gala Celebration or Yearly Piss-Up, depending on your perspective on the event.

Here is a reminder of the rules for the Club Championship. Members must have played at least 11 games during the winter season, including at least 5 championship days.

A member can only receive one of the following championship trophies per year, which trophies are listed in order of priority:

MEN’S CHAMPION Perpetual and Personal Trophy.	OPEN to MEN	5 Best Gross.
LADIES’ CHAMPION Perpetual and Personal Trophy.	OPEN to LADIES	5 Best Gross.
CLUB HANDICAP CHAMPION Perpetual and Personal Trophy.	OPEN	5 Best Nett
A GRADE CLUB CHAMPION Perpetual and Personal Trophy.	HANDICAP 17 - 24	5 Best Gross.
B GRADE CLUB CHAMPION Perpetual and Personal Trophy.	HANDICAP 25 - UP	5 Best Gross.

The Club Captain has the discretion at any time prior to the 6th Club Championship fixture to adjust the handicap ranges of the above Club Champion Grades to ensure that the groups are reasonably balanced.

(As far as I’m aware, this didn't and hasn’t happened.)

The day started bright, but cold.

But not for long. After freezing on the first tee, it was time to get out the sunscreen on the second, and we enjoyed a delightful day of winter golf, with blue skies and 22 degrees the forecast.

We understand this wasn't Earle teeing off on the ladies' tees, 
but taking his second shot on the first.

Not a huge field, with members spread far and wide as often is the case during a northern hemisphere summer. Karl sends greetings from Finland, which is about the furthest north from which we have received reporting.

Meanwhile Gerry is still languishing in Murdoch Hospital. We need you back, sir, so we wish you the speediest of recoveries.

David either admiring the fungus or
cursing the ball

Scores were evenly spread, with few excuses. That’s golf, as we know. 

Anyone for beef wellington tonight?

The usual crop of “spots of bovver”, but a couple of very good rounds that may well have a bearing on the final calculations for the Championship.

Didn't they do well..

The novelties were indeed novel this week, with our Vice-Captain giving us some unusual challenges.

On hole 7, it was the nearest in three that saw Dave Millar looking good, until Gary came along.

Number 10 was looking for nearest to the 100m mark, which meant a pretty long hit. Here we had Gardy in good shape, beaten by Dave Millar, edged by Keith but monstered by Coops.

Steph's umbrella flies off into the clear blue yonder

The longest putt on the 12^th had Fran in good shape (after Paul had holed out from off the green and birdies, but off the green doesn’t count), then Coops, but Tom was further out still.

Nearest the bunker on the 14^th, always a favourite as anyone has a chance here, had Fran, then Earle, Boris better but Tom closest of all.

There were birdies:

Shelley on the fourth

Paul on the twelfth, and

Boris on the fifteenth.

After the game, we decamped to Perry Lakes for the reading of the scores and a celebratory sausage sizzle, always a popular event.

We found ourselves somewhat leaderless, missing not only our Captain and President, but losing our Vice-Captain too (who was heading for the theatre, no less!)

Andrea and Shelley filled in, and Carol and Faye joined us for the celebration.

There were, as ever, a number of people who contributed to the smooth running of the show, co-ordinated by Frances and supported by Earle, Keith and Boris on drinks, Shelley on onions, Faye and Gim on cooking and cleaning up, Derek on running to the Forum to get fresh rolls and Peter reimbursing all those paper receipts.

A big thank you from the rest of us.

If you're playing in the Country Cup, you can now pay into the 

 

Next week, it’s the first round of the Spring Cup, a stroke competition on the Old Course at 9:08, and if you ever struggle to get out of bunkers, take a lesson from the master here: