WW08/17 - Wearside Finals Day match and season report - Sunday 19/10/08 (Ian Gunn)
After six months, playing 288 holes of golf at sixteen different courses, with a combined total of 21,606 shots* it all went down to the last shot on the last hole of the last course on the final day of the 2008 Championship to provide a winner. Tim Aberdeen, the long time Championship leader went into the eighteenth hole at Wearside with a two point lead over Jim Rooks who scored a par five and three points. Tim had a chance to level the scores but could not hole the put handing the title to Jim with a new record score total of 362 points. So congratulations go to our new Society Champion Jim Rooks and commiserations go to runner up Tim Aberdeen. Third place went to Mick Pinfold with 354 points who sadly was unable to attend Finals Day due to other commitments.
This season has been dominated by the weather and the Finals day was to be no different with strong winds and the threat of rain looming all day. We started the 2008 championship race in March by playing Ramside in a blizzard. We had ground conditions that would not have been out of place in the Somme when we played Washington. Bellingham provided us with near gale force winds (and a slight navigation problem for Joe Hammal, I can only assume he was blown off course). We experienced Seaton Carew during the monsoon season in Hartlepool, the worst conditions I have ever played in and to cap it all for the first time in our society history we had to cancel a match (Close House). But even with all of this the competition has been just as fierce as ever.
On the day I played out of my skin producing the Societies highest points score this season winning with 44 points. Second and third places went to Jim and Davey, both scoring 40 points, with Jim winning on countback. In the other categories the competition was just as intense with Longest drive, Nearest the Pin and the Birdie Bowl all decided on the final day. The Longest Drive trophy was won by Dennis Williams winning the category by taking his total to three round wins. On the day Nearest the Pin was won by Paul Baker but the overall category was won by Eddie Harrison with three wins. The Birdie Bowl had been led by our society “Pro” Kevin Sirey but with a great act of generosity he withdrew from the competition allowing a much more open competition among the rest of us mere mortals. In the end Jim won the inaugural Birdie Bowl with five birdies. As there was no Borders Championship this year it was decided we would combine the scores of each round played north of the river Tyne to produce this years champion. After adding the scores from Goswick, Bamburgh, Bellingham and Matfen Hall, the winner and Borders Champion for 2008 was Tim Aberdeen.
The last Major title was the Chairman's Cup the final of which had been contested the previous weekend at Mount Oswald Golf Club. This years final was between the defending champion John Ford and 2008 Captain, Paul Baker. On the day Paul came out on top winning 5&4 so congratulations go to the new champion Paul.
Sadly the post match meal at Wearside did not come up to the standard we had become accustomed to over the last few years, we may have to reconsider the venue for next year. Well that's another season over, the general consensus at the finals gathering was that we should continue along similar lines next year and we, the committee, hope to see you all again next March or April ready to start again.
* Estimated total
WW08/16 - Billingham Golf Club, Sunday 5/10/08 (Brian Sykes)
It was a long drive from Wolsingham to Billingham Golf Club and an early to bed early to rise policy was adopted. The old Daewoo Matrix (Pope Mobile) made good time and covered the forty miles in approximately two hours. Following a bit of round the houses driving I eventually located the club entrance, arriving with plenty of time to spare. The catering left a bit to be desired as there were no bacon rolls available and the coffee machine wasn't the greatest. (Note from Gunny:- Tea / coffee and a bacon sandwich will be provided before the final game at Wearside, so stop moaning!!). Due to the conditions and the fact that two long holes had been replaced with the shortest par three's I have ever seen the green fees had been reduced by £5. Thank heavens for small mercies.
It was a crisp dry and sunny autumn morning as the small band of hardy Society golfers prepared to tee off. My partner in the buggy today and for the first time this season was Davey Sanders. We made excellent progress despite parts of the course being under water and had pulled out a two hole lead by the end. The scoring by all was good on the day (A new society record, 29 points for the lowest score, the previous record was 28). Taking his third round win this season was Mick Pinfold on 37 points, second was Jim Rooks with 36 and third was my partner Davey Sanders on 36 points. Davey also produced a cracking drive on the eighteenth which, despite my misgivings, stayed on the fairway thus winning his second Longest Drive category win in a row. Sadly none of us managed to trouble the Nearest the Pin hole.
With an excellent clubhouse balcony overlooking the final hole and some warm sunny weather Davey and I prepared to watch the drama unfold on the eighteenth green. From the balcony it appeared the green sloped from left to right but judging by the number of players who disappeared into the left hand woods we may have been wrong. Davey and I wondered if there was a weekend barbeque going on in the woods and we had not been invited. But our suspicions were unfounded as one by one our merry gang emerged to take up their place on the balcony for a well deserved Bulmers and ice. The warm weather was most welcome making the dark days like Seaton Carew a dim and distant memory. For my part I enjoyed the course, the game and the company and I look forward to seeing you all for the final lap at Wearside on the 19th . Sadly due to other commitments I am unable to make the match but hope to make it for the free food and awards ceremony.
WW08/15 - Blackwell Grange, 21/9/08 (Brian Sykes)
As the season draws to a close, I feel like I've done 15 rounds with Mike Tyson, especially at the end of my 5 hour round at Blackwell Grange. However, all things considered my opinion of Blackwell Grange was: Parking Poor - General Course Good - Greens Poor - Bacon Sarnies Good - Food/Steak & Kidney Good.
Overall, no rain fell and once again I was accompanied in the buggy by Dennis "it veers to the right and never seen again" Williams. Dennis was excellent company during the 5 hour round, and we were joined at 3rd hole by John & Mick. It was good to note that despite the season closure, no putts under 12" were conceded by Mr J.F (competitive to the end). For my part, double Volterol were required to ease the pain in my right knee, playing/replacing balls on the green. How I missed Joe on putts conceded. Once again, excellent scoring from Eddie Harrison and Tim Aberdeen, both consistent during season. Congratulations to winner Mick Pinfold with excellent 39 points. Let's hope the AA fixed his car and Mick enjoyed a ride up front with a friendly AA officer. A further well done to Davey Sanders – longest drive, and Eddie (it's in the hole) Harrison with nearest the pin. In conclusion, it was a bit expensive on the day by despite my meagre score a good day all round. We all enjoyed the banter after golf and a good meal, looking forward to round 16.
WW08/14 - Close House, Sunday 7/9/08
Round cancelled, course waterlogged.
WW08/13 - Hexham, Friday 15/8/08 (John Ford)
Hexham must rate as one of the best courses we have played as a society. When you consider how much rain had fallen on the three days leading up to our visit, it was amazing how good condition it was in. I can't remember seeing any mud or puddles along the fairways, although there were a number of bunkers flooded and unplayable. The rough proved a little difficult, but when you consider due to the weather the green keepers were unable to carry out any work on the course during the past week the course was in remarkably good condition. At 6000 yards off the yellow tees, Hexham may not be the longest course in the North East but with an interesting mix of difficult par threes and long par fours it certainly proved a challenge to us.
The winner on the day was Dennis Williams with an excellent 38 Points, beating Jim Rooks into second place on a countback. Championship leader Tim Aberdeen kept up his excellent run taking third place with 33 points, this enabled him to extend his Championship total to 351 points, Jim moved into second place on 347 points with Derek holding third spot on 340 points. Dennis took the Longest Drive category with an almighty Taylor Made inspired swipe, outdriving everyone else by a country mile. Dennis now joins Eddie, Paul B, John and Jim leading the category with two wins each. The Nearest the Pin winner on the day was Eddie Harrison with 6.9m, this was Eddie's second category win meaning he and Tim jointly lead the category with two wins each. Emphasizing the difficulty level of the course there were no birdies scored at Hexham so Kevin Sirey still leads the category with eight birdies.
The turn out at Hexham was a little down on the average, partially due to losing both Brian and Joe on the morning of the event because the buggies were off. This was very unfortunate as Brian chose and booked this course. However, the majority of those who made the trip and did play appeared very impressed by both the standard of the course and the stunning scenery (even the weather on the day was quite pleasant).
WW08/12 - Tyneside, 3/8/08 (Ian Gunn)
Tyneside is a very old and mature course (the oldest inland course in the north of England) and was in excellent condition considering the amount of rain there has been over the last week or so. In my opinion the only downside were the bunkers, with all the recent rain they were rock hard and in some cases still flooded (the answer to that criticism is don't go into the bunkers!!). The clubhouse staff and club pro made us very welcome and at £22 for the golf it was excellent value for money.
Once again there was a bit of controversy as one of our groups (match 3, consisting of Anth C, Derek and Davey S.) played a hole from the wrong tee (playing the third hole from the fifth tee, thus reducing the hole length by about 50 yards). A decision was made using the precedent set last year at South Moor when one group played the wrong hole (playing the seventh instead of the eighteenth). In that case we only deleted the score for that hole and did not exclude them from the whole round so for consistency we we applied the same ruling. As it happens this almost had a major effect on the overall result as the eventual winner was in this group. The round winner was Derek who along with John carded 41 points but Derek got the decision on a back nine hole countback. Third place was also decided by a countback, Tim and Tony both scored 37 points but Tim came out on top with a better back nine score. Tim is once again at the head of the main Championship with 345 points, five clear of Derek with Paul Baker a further three points behind.
At last we have a clear leader of the Nearest the Pin category, Tim produced his second round win of the season with a very creditable 1.84m. The same cannot be said for the Longest Drive category as we now have four players all on 2 round wins, the latest winner was Paul Baker who now has two wins joining John, Eddie and Jim, it could make for an interesting finals day!! The Birdie Bowl competition has closed up slightly, Kevin Sirey still leads with eight birdies but Jim is coming up on the rails with five and Tim and Paul Baker follow along with four birdies.
WW08/11 - Boldon, 20/7/08 (Ian Gunn)
I have not received a match report for the previous round at Boldon and as you know I did not play so I will only produce a basic summary. The winner on the day was our glorious leader Brian with his first round win for a long time, scoring 40 points along the way. The Championship was led after Boldon by Eddie Harrison with 335 points. Nearest the Pin was won by Mick Pinfold with 4.35m, the Longest Drive was won by Steve Merritt. After talking to the players in the bar after the game the general consensus was very good greens but too many blind holes and thick rough making local knowledge essential.
WW08/10 - Seaton Carew, Saturday 5/7/08 (Brian Sykes)
Following the glorious summer weather in early July we were all waiting to test our golfing skills at one of the oldest courses in U.K. A day at the beach, fish & chips, a visit to the location of a Hollywood Movie and a round of links golf all beckoned. Instead we encountered totally miserable afternoon with force nine winds and driving rain. It is credit to all who played and suffered on Saturday, the conditions were so bad I nearly regretted not purchasing a ticket for Elton John at Darlo, however my moonboots had been misplaced and instead I ended up washed up in the bunkers at Seaton Carew. On to business the winning total of 38 points was excellent well done Eddie Harrison with all water about Eddie was at home in the conditions,credit also to Tim for 2nd place with 33 points and birthday boy Davey Sanders in 3rd place with 31 points, well done to all.
WW08/9 - Castle Eden, Friday 20/6/08 (Paul Marshall)
Castle Eden is a stunning course and once again we found it in fantastic condition for the inaugural WWGS Ryder Cup (now Team Challenge Day) and Round 9 of the Championship. The greens in particular were immaculate and lightning fast, now we know what it's like to putt at Augusta. On the day the course was also hosting a Ladies County Match, (so some of us were in good company!) pin positions and the rough where testing which combined with a stiff breeze meant a tough challenge awaited us all. The afternoon game also doubled up as round 9 of the Championship and was won in terrific style, particularly given the conditions, by Dennis Williams with a very impressive 43pts; which included an eagle 3 on the par 5 11 th – well done Dennis. In 2nd place on a countback was Joe Hammal with 40pts and in 3rd place also with 40pts was John Ford – well played guys. Nearest the pin was won by Kevin Hall, the distance is still to be confirmed but knowing Kev it will be getting closer all the time! Embarrassingly there was no winner of the Longest Drive as non of the elite crew where able to find the very tight 100ft wide fairway. (Being in the last group I thought I had a chance until Mr Secretary spotted that I had an 8 iron in my hand and reminded me of the society rule meaning that I had to use my normal driving club – I promptly smashed a fantastic drive 50yds into the trees on the right!).
WW08 Ryder Cup (Team Challenge Day)
The WWGS Ryder Cup was very keenly contested by two teams representing the Chairman (Brian Sykes) and the Captain (Paul Baker). Just like the more illustrious event that will take place in Valhalla in a few weeks time the teams where made up of the cream of North East golfing talent gathered from far away places such as Sunderland, Chester le Street, Jarrow, Langley Park, Houghton, Murton, Seaham & Newton Aycliffe. As we waited anxiously on the first tee, practicing swings and limbering up, it was obvious that some of us had been busy studying our videos – as the teams tee 'd off it became clear that they weren't golf videos! After the morning pairs games the match was very evenly poised at 2 ½ - 2 ½ . The ‘tasty' lunchtime soup and sandwiches seemed to have a very positive effect on some as the Captain's team recorded a 6 – 4 victory in the afternoon's singles matches giving them an overall 8 ½ - 6 ½ victory. Unfortunately there weren't enough team members present at the end to allow Paul B to celebrate his victory in the quiet, modest style that he had planned, so he took the open top bus and Seaham Colliery Band back to Seaham and has instead booked himself on this week's Jonathon Ross Show; also watch out for the customary autobiography!
WW08/8 - Matfen Hall, Sunday 15/6/08 (John Ford)
This course is rapidly becoming one of our favourite courses. We as a society have played there each of the last five years, and I think it's fair to say that the quality of the course has improved on each occasion. It was in excellent condition and coupled with the good weather, every one had a good day. This was borne out with the good scores that were achieved.
Matfen has a 9 hole par 3 course at the top end of the main golf course. Believe it or not the greens on that were nearly as good as what we played on in the afternoon. Six of us went round twice and had a great time. We played it as a 2 club challenge (putter and one other club). It proved quite difficult, as some of us only took a wedge and therefore couldn't reach the green with their tee shots and others took a longer club and found it difficult to get out of the bunkers. But it was good fun and an ideal warm up for the afternoon. Whilst we were playing we noticed two ladies playing the par 3 course and had with them a full set of clubs. The longest hole is only 136 yards. On one hole which was only 99 yards long, one of the ladies took her driver and didn't even reach the fairway some 30yards away. We thought it was very funny.
Congratulations go to Tim Aberdeen, who apparently played out of his skin to score a brilliant 41 points. His prize for such a good round is a 4 stroke cut in his handicap which takes him down to 12 (good luck at Castle Eden!). Second place went to Ian Gunn with a very creditable 38 points, and third place went to John Ford with 37 points (on count back-back 9). The Longest drive was won by Kevin (Tiger) Sirey, who won it by an absolute mile. I'm told he hit his tee shot 339 yards. The Nearest the Pin was won by Dennis Williams, whose shot was measured at 1.78m. The longest drive competition is still lead by Jim Rooks and John Ford, both with 2 drives each, and the nearest the pin competition is still lead by Davie Cain. With Tim scoring 41 points, he has moved to the top of the championship on 272 points. In second place is Derek Griffiths with 264 points and in third place is Eddie Harrison with 259 points.
WW08/7 - Houghton, Wednesday 4/6/08 (Paul Marshall)
This was our 1st visit to Houghton and the society's 1st experiment with a midweek evening game. It proved to be very popular with 17 players turning out; we received a very warm and friendly welcome and after some delicate negotiations regarding the cost we all enjoyed a calm, balmy summers evening on a course in excellent condition (however I think it would be a very different course in the wind).
The calm conditions on the course were followed by an enthusiastic debate in the clubhouse as Derek Griffiths and his playing partner Anth Hall came in asking for a ruling on Derek's ‘Lost Ball' on the 18th. As the debate ensued it became apparent that the ruling was going to affect the result of the evening, so the committee members present where asked to sober up and give a ruling. After considering the views of the members (which ranged from ‘hang the Mag B######d' to make them ‘toss off' for it!!!!!!) the committee consulted a copy of the rules of golf and deemed that Rule 27b should apply. The result was therefore announced as: 1st place with 38pts – Derek Griffiths, 2nd place with 37pts – Tim Aberdeen, 3rd place with 36pts – Joe Hammal. The Longest Drive category was won by Jim Rooks and special mention should also go to George Gifford who saved his best (only) shot of the night to win nearest the pin.
After lengthy consultations with the R&A Rules Department, the PGA, Wearside Golf Club Committee, Ivy Leaf Working Man's Club Committee, Fitzies Bar Staff and Customers; the result was ratified by our Secretary, Mr Gunn. Many thanks' Ian for all your hard work and numerous emails. And belated congratulations to Derek.
POSTSCRIPT FROM THE COMPETITION SECRETARY- Golf is the only competitive sport where all players are self regulating (even the pro's) and it is up to each individual player to understand and play within the rules. As a Friendly Society we do have some "local rules" that do not conform to the R&A Rules of Golf ("gimmies" and the lost ball double stroke penalty for example) but even these abide by the spirit of the game and are only used to speed up play. As has been seen on TV even the worlds top professionals occasionally fall foul of the rules and require judgments from the R&A officials. It was for this reason that I took it upon myself in my role as Competition Secretary to pursue this matter and ensure the correct rules were being applied (Rule 27-1 "Proceeding Under Stroke and Distance" if you are interested). If, while investigating this matter, I have offended anyone or come across as being overly "Officious" I apologise but I still strongly believe we should all understand and abide by at least the basic rules of the game.
WW08/6 - Bellingham, Sunday 25/5/08 (Ian Gunn)
When we played at Bellingham last year it was on a cool, cloudy and damp day but most importantly it was calm, last Sunday we saw another side to Bellingham's character. With a very strong wind blowing across the course the margin for error was greatly reduced, any shot with a slight hook or slice ended up causing major problems. However the upside was the sun shone all day so it wasn't all bad.
Needless to say the scoring was down on what we have become used to this season, the winner on the day with an excellent (considering the conditions) 36 points was Dennis Williams, in second was Steve Sykes scoring 34 points on his first championship outing this season. Third place went to former championship leader Mick Pinfold with 33 points. Tony Arkley still leads the championship with a total of 211 points but by a reduced margin from Dennis Williams, Mick Pinfold and Derek Griffiths all on 195 points. For the full table go to the competition results page and follow the link to the 2008 results Excel file. The Longest Drive category was won by John Ford, this was his second round win putting him in the overall lead of this category. Nearest the Pin was won by Eddie Harrison with 4.34m. Only one player managed a birdie, Dennis Williams, on the long par 5 eighth hole. Congratulations to all who braved the elements.
WW08/4&5 and Borders Championship - Goswick & Bamburgh (Derek Griffiths)
First thing to say for those who missed the trip, what an excellent weekend two fantastic courses, well organised as ever by Gunny and the PM. Even the weather was reasonable if not a bit chilly to start with on both days. The views/scenery at Bamburgh on Sunday were stunning – we will not get better than that all season, the surf rolling in on Budle Bay with a back drop of Bamburgh Castle, will stay in the memory for some time. Some fantastic golf was played by certain members of the party with Tony Arkley taking the honours at Goswick with 42 points and Paul Baker 43 points at Bamburgh (with a gross 78 nett 7 under par) he is going to take some beating if he keeps up that form. Longest drive winners were Paul Baker at Goswick and (Steady) Eddie Harrison at Bamburgh. Nearest the pin winners being John Ford (6.74m) and Tony Arkley (6.48m) respectively. Birdie bowl contributors 1 each for Tim Aberdeen, Paul Baker, Eddie Harrison and Paul Marshall.
The Saturday evening entertainment in Berwick consisted of an excellent meal, a few beers, darts and pool with the pool hall bandit Tim Aberdeen (something to do with a mis-spent youth) taking the plaudits with a victory in a strange competition devised by Paul Baker to get the white ball round the triangle without touching the cushions and back into the ‘D' not as easy as it sounds. All members of the party agreed that the inaugural Wearside Wanderers weekend May bash (talking about my golf now) was a resounding success and should become an annual fixture in the calendar.
WW08/3 - Beamish, Monday 5/5/08 (Ian Gunn)
Beamish is one of the most scenic courses in the area and we saw it at close to its best last week. It was nice to be able to play a round of golf in nice weather without having to resort to waterproofs (or in the case of Ramside, snow shoes!). Everyone appeared to survive the rigors of the eighteenth hole up the hill without too many problems. As for the competition, the winner on the day was Jim Rooks with an excellent 43 points, the highest score recorded so far this season. Second place went to Mick Pinfold, he and Steve Merritt both scored 39 points but Mick came out on top after a back nine countback, this was Steve's first outing this season. The longest drive category went to Jim Rooks while the nearest the pin category was won by Tim Aberdeen with a distance of 2.73m. Two players recorded birdies, Jim Rooks and Derek Griffiths, Derek actually scored a nett hole in zero scoring 5 points in the process. At this early point in the season after three rounds the main Championship is now tied between Mick and Jim, both on 114 points with Tony a further four points benind on 110.
WW08/2 - George Washington Hotel, Sunday 13/4/08 (Brian Sykes)
There was an uneasy feeling as I approached the Bates George Washington Hotel on Sunday 13 April, with so much construction work ongoing it appeared the club had closed for the winter break. My uneasiness was compounded when I bumped into Tony Arkley. My initial reaction was “I'd missed the cut” and the rest of the society was heading off to the second hole. Tony advised that he has adopted a new policy for the 2008 season i.e. arriving on time. This new approach resulted in an excellent 2nd place in Sunday's round - Well Done Tony.
Commiserations to Paul Marshall who finished on an excellent 38 points obviously the indirect route via shrubs and trees paid off. Congratulations to John Ford for an excellent 39 points scored to recover from the first hole ditch shot is a remarkable recovery. Also, longest drive and two birdies on the 10th and 12th holes. John was confident from the off, as I remarked the group gathering was a small but selected band of golfers and even I fancied my chances. A wry smile appeared on John's face, was it an air of confidence or was it just John counting money? Well Done John.
For my efforts, despite appeals to the Royal and Ancient, I ended up with same score as Trench Foot Gunn. In conclusion, we were fortunate the match was not postponed as the course was in parts unplayable. However, the scoring and food were excellent. John, Tony & Paul all carding a nett 2 under par 71 - Well Done.
PS. On a personal note, I would like to thank Mr Secretary for loan of his trouser belt which helped secure my golf bag to the trolley. Hopefully, he was not too inconvenienced by this generous act of charity.
PPS. My recently purchased Ashworth two tone golf shoes took a bit of a hammering in the Washington mud. If anyone has a disguarded set please contact me prior to the next fixture. Soft spikes only. Size 10 wide fitting.
WW08/1 - Ramside Hall, Monday 24/3/08 (Paul Marshall)
Well it was great to see some old friends and welcome some new faces as the Wearside Wanderers season got off to a record start: • 21 members for the season opener which is our best start yet. • Rico finding the course without getting lost ( being a member helps I suppose!!) • Tony Arkley arriving on time!! • And our first (and hopefully last) snow shower/storm on the 1st tee!! Thankfully the showers where very short and whilst it was cold, the day was predominantly sunny. Everyone seemed to agree that the course was good value for money and in excellent condition, particularly given the time of year. Overall the scores where very respectable and confirmed suspicions that a few people have been getting in some sneaky practice over the winter.
The results on the day were: • 1st with 42pts, Mick Pinfold (who also won the 1st round last year) • 2nd with 38pts, Dennis Williams • 3rd with 37pts, Jim Rooks, • Longest Drive, Dennis Williams • Nearest the Pin, Davie Cain with a very creditable 2ft (making his reappearance after an 18 month absence Davie confirmed that he was very relieved that after the ball hit the pin it didn't drop in the hole as it was a 21 pint round!).
The new season long ‘Birdie Trophy' also got off to a good start; 2 for Kevin Sirey (who also had the lowest gross score of the day with an 81) and 1 each for Davie Cain, Ian Gunn, Anth Hall and Kevin Hall (who also got 5 points on the hole – birdie 3 for a nett hole in one – he had to dash off before buying the drinks though!!).
WW08/Pre-season gathering, Wearside Golf Club.
I trust all of you have recovered from Saturdays exercise, I know I found it hard going at times, especially into the gale force wind and sleet. It was nice to see old friends again and also to meet some new ones, sadly I did not have the time to talk to many of the newest members but I am sure I will catch up with you all soon.
Our pre-season gathering at Wearside attracted a very healthy entry with 25 players including two guests I hope the turnout for the main competition rounds is as impressive. Sadly the weather was not very Texas like but at least the competition was hot enough. The winners this year were team captain Dennis Williams, playing with Davey Sanders, Kevin Hall and guest star "Chopper". This is the second year running that Dennis and Kevin have won the opening Texas Scramble, their score was an impressive gross one under par 70, net 63. The winning 3 ball team was captain Paul Baker with Andrew Teasdale and Joe Hammal scoring a gross 74, net 66.9, well done to both teams. Once again thanks to DESCO for their generous gesture of sponsoring the game.