WW14 Round 16, DESCO Wearside 2 (Finals Day) - Sunday 12/10/14
The final round of the 2014 Championship was at the Wanderers home course of Wearside and what a way to finish the 2014 season. Beautiful weather, a course in fantastic condition and (here comes the "Statto" bit!) after 3258 holes on 181 courses over 14 years we finally have a Hole in One in the Society courtesy of Paul Rawlinson's fantastic shot on the 14th hole at Wearside.
The day got off to a great start with an excellent bacon butty and a cuppa in the clubhouse while we all gathered, waiting for our 10:30 tee slot. First out were myself and John Ford along with two guest players, Clive & Russell who are playing in this year's Portugal trip in November. They were followed by the rest of our members in reverse Championship order until the final group consisting of Alan, Derek and the Championship leader Dave Sanders teed off. We all know the Wearside course has had its problems in the past but now it's in the best condition I think I have ever seen, this and the great weather made the day even more enjoyable. Once the golf was finished we were joined by Tim's family for the presentation of the inaugural Tim Aberdeen Shield to the worthy winner Paul Baker. I on behalf of the whole Society would like to thank Tim's family for this generous gesture and for providing a fitting tribute to Tim's memory.
Now for the results on the day (please see the Season Review for the main Championship results). The Nearest the Pin category was played on hole 14 and as will have read above Paul Rawlinson got as close as you can possibly get with a distance 0.00m!! The Longest Drive was played on hole 2 and was won by Paul Baker (more on that in the Season Review below). Technically speaking there were no "Two's" carded at Wearside, but Paul's Hole in One was good enough for me and I have classed it as a win, if anyone has a problem with that - TOUGH! Third place on the day went to Rico Liverani with 35 points, in second was Dave Watts with 37 points and the winner with 39 points was Mark Gibbons. Congratulations to all the above.
Well folks that's the 16th and final round of the 2014 season over, I hope you have all enjoyed it and will return to start the battle for the Claret Jug all over again in March or April of 2015.
WW14 - Season Review
As 2014 started we had an early but unwelcome gathering at Durham Crematorium to say goodbye to our good friend and stalwart of our Society, Tim Aberdeen, who sadly lost his battle against cancer just after Christmas 2013. Tim's memory has been a major factor throughout the season from the Weekend Away trip to scattering his ashes on a very emotional day at Houghton in July. As a tribute we renamed our knockout competition the Tim Aberdeen Shield (formerly the Presidents Cup) and we have a new trophy kindly donated by Tim's family, more on that below. Tim may be have been taken from us but I am sure his spirit and enthusiasm for the game and life in general will live on.
This season saw our Society expand to 24 full members as we welcomed Peter Anderson, Dave Coates, Tom McDonald, Alan Welch and Mark Wilson to our band of happy hackers, plus the occasional guest players, this meant we had the highest match turnout's we have ever had. The season started at a cool and misty Tyneside way back in March and came to a climax at our home course Wearside in October, Along the way we took in six new courses, visited North Yorkshire for our weekend away for the first time and returned to a few old friends we have missed for a few years. The first of our annual competitions this year was the popular Ryder Cup style Team Challenge day in June played at Wearside, after a hard fought battle between two teams of 12 players, the winner was Paul Marshall's Chairman's Team by 10 points to 8. Hot on the heals of the Team Challenge day came our weekend away trip to fight for the Borders Championship, following a great weekend at two beautiful courses the winner and recipient of "The Claw" for 2014 was Gordon Grant. This season's Longest Drive Championship was won by Paul Baker though he required a "play-off" hole against Jim Rooks to take the category. The Nearest the Pin Championship was won by Ian Gunn with 2 round wins and the closest distance. In the past the Two's Pot was "administered" (more like demanding money with menaces!) by Tim but with his passing the Grant brothers stepped up to the plate to provide this service (with similar gusto I might add). With the increased membership the "pot" was in the region of £130 and was shared between Jim Rooks and Mark Wilson who both carded 4 two's through the season. The inaugural Tim Aberdeen Shield final was a very tight match on a wet and windy October morning at Houghton Golf Club between Jim Rooks and Paul Baker. In a match where neither player took more than a two hole lead paul Baker came out victorious on the 18th hole and was presented with the Tim Aberdeen Shield by Tim's family at Finals day. Now for the race to the Claret Jug, in third place with 349 points came Alan Welch. Second place went to Derek Griffiths with 352 points. The winner and Society Champion Golfer for 2014 scoring 359 points was Dave Sanders, congratulations and well done to all the above.
Well that's another season over 2014 was our best supported season yet, It has at times been a bit of a logistical nightmare but I wouldn't have missed it for the world. At this point I, on behalf of the membership, would like to thank our corporate sponsors DESCO, BES, DCS Payroll and Fred Stoddart for their financial assistance through the season. Thanks to all involved with our Society and I look forward to meeting up with you all next year, lets hope for more of the same in 2015.
Ian Gunn, WWGS Competition Secretary.
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WW14 Tim Aberdeen Shield
Our annual match play knockout competition took on extra significance this season as it is the first year we have played for the Tim Aberdeen shield. As you will all be aware, the shield has been generously donated to the Wanderers by Tim's family, to mark his passing in December of 2013. With the memory of Tim close at hand Jim Rooks and I met in the near deserted car park of Houghton golf club to contest the final of this year's knock-out competition.
The national press had reported that September 2014 was one of the warmest and driest on record but October of 2014 proved to be typically autumnal with persistent rain and strong winds. Given my general dislike of wet and windy conditions Jim seemed relieved that I turned up at all and we headed straight to the first tee before I could change my mind. What followed was one of the most average rounds of golf both Jim and I had ever played. Jim set the early pace going 2up after the first 3 holes. Hole 4 saw me claw one back before squaring the game on the 5th. After that the game remained tight until the 10th hole. With Jim 1up in the match I was left with a risky 190 second shot into the par 5 green. However a touch of ‘Tim's tree' midway down the fairway inspired my best and luckiest shot of the day, with the ball bounding over the gully and ending up on the green for an eagle putt. With Jim in trouble to the back of the green in 4 shots, the hole was conceded and the momentum swung just a little (to coin an overused Ryder Cup phrase).
Standing on the 18th tee the game remained all square but I hand the advantage of a shot, owing to my higher handicap (thanks for the 5 shots Jim, the result would have been very different without them). The hole was played out in bogey 5's and the game finished with me 1up on 18 with the wind and rain finally subsiding. Credit to Jim for a fiercely contested match and being so gracious in defeat.
I feel very proud to be the first Wanderer to win the Tim Aberdeen Shield. Tim was a good friend and a great golfer and although he is gone he will never be forgotten.
Paul Baker
Tim Aberdeen Shield winner 2014.
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WW14 Round 15, Beamish Park - Sunday 5/10/14
The penultimate round of the 2014 Championship was at another Wanderers favourite, Beamish Park Golf Club, a pleasant if hilly mature parkland course. In the run up to the game the weather forecast was all doom and gloom with heavy rain and high winds expected. As it turned out we had the best day of the weekend and we were treated to a calm, crisp autumn morning. Beamish is not the course to have problems with your trolley and mine decided to have the day off. I had problems from the second hole onwards with the motor cutting out and not pulling uphill, thankfully It didn't spoil my game (more on that below).
Now for the results, as the saying goes "it's tight at the top" and it certainly was today, three players tied for third place with 36 points, Paul Baker, Steve Grant and Dave Coates with Dave taking third spot on a back 6 hole count back. The battle for the win also required a count back to settle, the runner-up slot went to Dave Fletcher with 37 points. Much to the amusement of the crowd in the clubhouse the winner on the day was myself (Ian G.), its a fair cop Guv, I have been slashing handicaps all season so it's only fair that I do the same to myself. Just like buses category win's usually come in two's and I also took the Nearest the Pin category with a distance of 6.43m, by all accounts I was the only player who managed to keep their ball on the green. The Longest Drive category was won by Paul Marshall who informed us it was the only drive he managed to keep on the fairway all day! Needless to say there were no "Two's" carded at Beamish.
Well folks that's fifteen rounds down and only one left to play, our annual Finals day celebrations next Sunday (12/10/14) at Wearside once again sponsored by DESCO. This is the only round we do not have a playing order draw and will go out (with a couple of exceptions) in reverse Championship order. I will post a starting sheet via an Email early next week, please be at the course and ready to play with plenty of time to spare or someone else will eat your bacon butty! See you all there.
WW14 Tim Aberdeen Shield (formerly the Presidents Cup)
The final of the inaugural Tim Aberdeen Shield was between Paul Baker and Jim Rooks and took place at a wet and windy Houghton Golf Club last Saturday (4/10/14). After a hard fought battle Paul Baker came out on top and is the first winner of the Tim Aberdeen Shield. A full report will follow. Many thanks to John Ford who administered this competition. Please visit the Competition Homepage for full details and the draw list.
Final
Paul Baker (10) v Jim Rooks (5)
Winner
Paul Baker (won by 1)
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WW14 Round 14, Hartlepool - Saturday 6/9/14
Hartlepool is our final new course this season and is a true links course being positioned right on the coast. The weather was almost perfect, mostly overcast but dry and calm and the course was in very good condition. Personally I went into this match with some apprehension as Hartlepool has a reputation as a tough course, my fears weren't grounded. I am sure if the weather was less favorable Hartlepool as an exposed links course would be a very different prospect.
Given this course's reputation I did not expect great scoring but I was pleasantly surprised. In third place came myself (Ian Gunn) with 38 points. There was a tie for first position with two players on 40 points, the tie was decided on a back nine hole countback. In second place came Paul Baker and the winner, taking his third round win this season, was Alan Welch. In the Longest Drive category, just like buses you wait ages for one then two come along together and the win was taken by Dave Watts with a monster drive of over 300 yards. The Nearest The Pin category was won by Dave Fletcher with a distance of 5.66m. For the first time in five rounds we had a two, Mark Wilson put his tee shot to within about a meter on the 175 yard 12th hole, so near to a free drink out of Mark!
There is now a four week gap till the next meeting which is the penultimate round of the 2014 season at Beamish Park Golf Club on Sunday 5/10/14, I hope to see you all there.
As I mentioned in the last update, Tim's nephew Nathan (Jim's step son) is running the Great North Run this weekend in aid of Macmillan Nurses, an organisation that greatly helped Tim and his family during his illness and after. If you would like to donate please go to-
www.justgiving.com/Nathan-Dodd
and give whatever you can. Many thanks.
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I am sure you will all join me in congratulating our Chairman Paul on his marriage to Christine last Friday (29/8/14) at Beamish Hall Hotel. May you both have health, wealth and happiness for many years to come.
WW14 Round 13, Garesfield - Sunday 23/8/14
This is our second visit to this scenic parkland course and thankfully the weather played ball for us for the first time this August. As I have said before what this course lacks in length it more than makes up for in natural hazards and well protected greens. The greens need a special mention, last year when we were here the greenkeeper had just been sacked for applying a top dressing then forgetting to water it in causing many bald patches. Thankfully the summer sun has repaired most of the damage and the greens were very fast causing many of us problems.
As for the results, In third place with 36 points, extending his Championship lead by another 10 points came Dave Sanders. In second place with 37 points playing off a handicap of 8 came Jim Rooks, clearly the holiday away must have been spent honing his technique on the golf course. The winner on the day taking his first Society round win was Tom McDonald with a very creditable 39 points. The Longest Drive category was won by Dave Watts, for those who know his ball hitting abilities this is surprisingly his first round win this season. The Nearest the Pin category was won by Paul Baker with a more usual distance for our Society of 10.72m!
Second note to God - thanks for the decent weather, please keep up the good work for Hartlepool next weekend.
As stated above the next meeting is the last of four matches over consecutive weekends for the final new course this season, Hartlepool Golf Club next Saturday, I hope to see you all there.
Finally, for those who don't know, Tim's nephew Nathan (Jim's step son) is running the Great North Run next weekend in aid of Macmillan Nurses, an organisation that greatly helped Tim and his family during his illness and after. If you would like to donate please go to-
www.justgiving.com/Nathan-Dodd
and give whatever you can. Many thanks.
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WW14 Round 12, Prudhoe - Saturday 23/8/14
This was our second attempt to play this new to the Wanderers course, the first having been abandoned due to heavy rain and lightning so you wouldn't have thought the metaphorical lightning couldn't strike the same place twice, well you would be wrong. As on our previous visit when we gathered on the first tee the dark clouds were already building and there were a few rumbles of thunder in the distance and inevitably just as my group teed off the heavens opened. This prompted the first of many "waterproofs on, waterproofs off" moments during the afternoon. I would love to say I enjoyed the course and I am sure I would have on another day but the weather made it total purgatory for me and I apologize to my playing partners Andy & Steve for my grumpiness (everyone who has played with me before knows I HATE playing in the rain). Even given the weather conditions the course was in great condition with true greens (only spoilt by the standing rainwater at times) and forgiving fairways and rough, as you can see by the scoring others made lighter work of the conditions than I did.
Now for the results, as I said above, some reveled in the conditions and others found it more of a struggle. In third place with 37 points came Tom McDonald and second place went to Frank Birch with 39 points. The worthy winner on the day was Paul Marshall with an excellent 40 points given the weather conditions. The longest Drive category was taken by John Ford with a cracking 3 wood down the 10th hole. Given my tribulations throughout the afternoon it was a surprise that I ended up winning the Nearest the Pin category with 2.8m though my tee shot only just missed the 66,000 volt overhead line that runs down this fairway.
Note to God - If we ever come back here PLEASE let us have some decent weather, ta very much!
Prudhoe was the second of four matches over consecutive weekends, the next round is at Garesfield Golf Club next Sunday, I hope to see you all there.
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WW14 Round 11, South Shields - Sunday 17/8/14
If there's one course you don't want it to be windy, its South Shields with the course being exposed high up on a hill overlooking the sea so you can guess what it was like on Sunday .... yup you got it! South Shields is a friendly local course and is always in good condition, especially the greens, but there's one thing the greenkeepers (or us for that matter) can't control, the weather and it certainly played its part this time though at least the forecast thundery showers did not materialise. The club are in the process of a major refurb, that, combined with a private party in the main room meant we were squeezed into a small room along with a few bemused regulars having their Sunday lunch but this didn't detract from the usual welcome provided by the club.
Now for the scoring, needless to say the weather meant a historically high scoring round was reduced somewhat. In third place (on countback) came Dave Fletcher with 31 points, second place went to Mark Wilson with 32 points. The winner on the day (much to his amazement) was John Ford with 33 points. Rico Liverani took the Longest Drive and Nearest the pin categories (4.3m for the Nearest the Pin). No Two's were carded (there's a shock considering the wind). Congratulations to the above for making the best of the conditions.
The only other thing of note is I am pretty certain for the first time in our Society history one group (Paul Marshall, Derek Griffiths and Myself) managed to play two different courses during the same round as we all put our tee shots on the 13th hole over the wall onto Whitburn Golf Club (a feat matched by others by all accounts).
The next round is the re-arranged fixture at Prudhoe Golf Club next Saturday, lets hope for better weather than our first attempt and I hope to see you all there.
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WW14 Round 11, Prudhoe - Saturday 2/8/14 (match abandoned)
Well we have had a canny run of luck with the weather recently, sadly that came to an end at Prudhoe last Saturday. The weather was always going to be a concern with heavy rain and thunder forecast in the week leading up to this game. As we gathered on the first tee it looked as though we would escape the worst and only get the odd shower. By the time my group reached the fourth green the distant rumbling of thunder could be heard and as we carried on it got closer and closer. Our group reached the eighth green then the heavens opened and in a matter of minutes the green turned into a lake! We took shelter hoping it would blow over as fast as it arrived but it quickly became obvious even if the rain stopped the course would be unplayable for the rest of the day so we trudged back to the clubhouse.
In our society's history we have only had to abandon a match twice and it's two years since the last time at Matfen Hall in 2012, that time we had only played one hole so the game was rescheduled for the following weekend. The previous time was at Bellingham in 2009, that time all groups had completed fourteen holes so we calculated everyone's projected score and the result stood. In the clubhouse we discussed the options and agreed that not enough holes had been completed to adopt this option and the club were willing to let us come back later in the year to play again. Finding an available and suitable date has proved a problem and eventually we have settled on Saturday 23 August teeing off at 14:00, apologies to those who find this unsuitable. The 12 players will not have to pay and the event will be open to those members who could not play originally (at the usual green fee of £20).
The next round (now round 11) is at South Shields Golf Club in a couple of weeks, lets hope for better weather and I hope to see you all there.
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WW14 Round 10, Matfen Hall - Saturday 19/7/14
Matfen along with our home course of Wearside is the only ever present course on the Wanderers annual tour of North East golf courses. In recent years at Matfen we have had every kind of weather, gale force wind, lightning, heavy rain, everything except snow (even in England that is unlikely in summertime) and this year was to be no different. In the run up to the match the forecast was for torrential downpours and biblical lightning, I even made provisional enquiries about rescheduling the match. As it turned out it was a game of two half's, front nine reasonably dry and dead calm, back nine still calm but raining, thankfully not torrential so at least we all managed to complete the round. I have to be honest and say I have seen Matfen in better condition, some of the greens were a bit patchy in places.
Now for the competition itself, the scoring was affected by the conditions slightly as Matfen is historically a high scoring round. In third place came Derek Griffiths with 38 points. Second place went to Paul Marshall with 39 points. The winner, taking his first round win of the season, was defending Champion Rico Liverani with 40 points. The Nearest the Pin category was won by Alan Welch with 3.54m, his second win of the season taking the category outright lead in the process. The Longest Drive category went to Paul Baker with a great drive on the 18th hole. No Two's were carded at Matfen.
Finally, for those who question why we have stopped "gimmies" this year please take a look at THIS LINK. It just goes to prove even the best get it wrong some times.
That's 10 rounds down, from now on we start dropping our lowest scores, please remember only your best ten scores count towards your Championship total. If you have played nine rounds or less you will drop one of your zero score rounds until you have ten rounds in. The next round is the fifth of six new courses this season, Prudhoe Golf Club in a couple of weeks, I hope to see you all there.
Slow play and on course etiquette
Slow play is a major problem when it comes to playing golf, there are many official rules to try to combat the problem and we as a society have some unofficial rules in place to try and keep the game flowing. Recently we appear to have taken our eye off the ball with this issue and I think I should reiterate some of the rules, both official and unofficial-
Looking for a lost ball (R&A rule 27) - The MAXIMUM time allowed to look for a lost ball is 5 minutes. The clock starts the moment the player who's ball is lost arrives at the area. At the start of this season we explained that you MUST ensure your own ball is located BEFORE assisting your fellow players locating their ball, then and only then you can help with the search.
WWGS "Double Drop" (Unofficial Society rule) - If you loose a ball in a position where you would be reasonably expected to find it (first cut of rough just off the fairway etc.). To save time walking back to the position of your previous shot you can drop a ball close to where the original was lost taking a TWO shot penalty (this is effectively "stroke and distance"). Please note if your ball goes out of bounds or into a position you could not reasonably expect to find it (thick woods, gorse etc) you MUST declare and play a provisional ball from the point of the original shot (with the exception of a ball lost in a water hazard).
When on the tee please try to limit practice swings and be ready to tee up once the previous player has played and watched his shot. The same goes when on the putting green, try to carry out your preparations, consider your line and prepare for your shot while your playing partner takes their shot so you are ready for yours. Once play on the hole is completed leave the green and walk to the next tee BEFORE marking the cards.
One thing is for certain, we will have to buck our ideas up and speed up before the Portugal trip in November as they have course rangers ensuring a good pace of play over there.
The Royal and Ancient have prepared a short video (about 12 min's) covering the basics please click on the link below and take a look
The other area we seem to have lapsed on is course etiquette, there have been numerous occasions recently when your fellow players have been on the tee or out on the course ready to take a shot only to be disturbed by people talking. I must admit I have been guilty of this heinous offence on many occasions but have tried to limit my volume recently. It's more noticeable on a still day like last Saturday when sounds travel further. Just try to have consideration for other players either local's or your fellow Society members.
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WW14 Round 9, Houghton-le-Spring - Saturday 5/7/14
Round 9 of the 2014 Championship at Houghton-le-Spring was always going to be an emotional day for us all, it was to be the day we said our final farewells to Tim. Overnight it had rained very heavily and the course was even closed on the morning! Thankfully Tim helped us out and blew the clouds away giving us a warm, dry and calm afternoon for his memorial day, thanks mate.
It was a fitting tribute that this round provided us with the best Membership turnout for a normal round so far this season with 21 out of 24 members able to play. Houghton also provided us with some of the highest scores we have seen this year. The top three all scored in excess of 40 points, third place went to Dave Sanders with 42 points. In second came Frank Birch who was in the first group out and with 45 points, must have thought he was in with a chance of the win. The winner, taking his second round win of the season, was Alan Welch with an excellent 46 points. The Nearest the Pin and Longest Drive categories were both won by Jim Rooks. Jim also carded a Two while on his way to an excellent gross six over par round of 78.
Following the match we walked down to the tenth hole to say farewell to Tim as Jim scattered his ashes beside the tree in the centre of the fairway. I am sure he would have appreciated the whole day and would have been overjoyed with the results.
THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES BIG FELLA.
With 9 rounds down we are now approaching the point in the season where we start dropping scores, please remember only your best ten scores count towards your Championship total. The next round is at and old favourite, Matfen Hall in a couple of weeks, I hope to see you all there.
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WW14 Round 7, Flaxby - Saturday 21/6/14
Saturday dawned bright on what is "the longest day of the year" (an odd one that, I thought they all had 24 and a little bit hours .... but I am from Hendon!) as we made our way down the A1M to the deep south for our annual "weekend away trip" to compete for our Borders Championship (more on that below). By the time John & I arrived at Flaxby there were a fair few Wanderers already there sampling the local produce (Yorkshire tea and biscuits). For once the weather was kind enough to allow us to sit outside and take in the ambience of the wonderful clubhouse (well Portacabins) and imagine what it will be like in a few years if the developers plans for a grand hotel and country club come to fruition. Following a very nice bacon butty we headed out onto the course. Flaxby is a relatively new course having only opened 10 years ago and as such still needs to mature, give it another 20 years and it will be fantastic (hopefully I will still be round then).
Given that this course has been built to "championship" standards I didn't expect the scoring to be great but I was pleasantly surprised. There was a three way tie for the top spot, all with 39 points, that took a "back 9" and "back 6" hole countback to resolve. In third place came Mark Wilson (15 points on the back nine holes). In second was Dave Watts (21 points on back nine and 14 points on back 6). The winner was Eddie Harrison (21 points on back nine and 15 points on back 6). Eddie also took the Longest Drive category win. The Nearest the Pin category was won by John Ford with 2.5m). Three players carded Two's, one each for John Ford, Jim Rooks and Dave Sanders.
WW14 Round 8, Forest of Galtres - Sunday 22/6/14
Forest of Galtres is a very nice mature parkland course just off the A19 north of York. The weather was wonderful, even better then the previous day at Flaxby, sunny and calm which was a relief as I think this course would be much different if the wind blew. The course was in excellent condition and appeared more forgiving than Flaxby. The greens have been constructed to USPGA standard and were excellent, fast but true.
Once out on the course we knew Galtres was going to produce a high scoring round and we weren't disappointed. The lowest score (28) would have won at Richmond a couple of years ago and the top three players all scored more than 40 points! In third place with 41 points came the reining Society Champion Rico Liverani. In second place with 42 points came Derek Griffiths and the winner, taking his first ever round win was Gordon Grant with a fantastic 43 points. Gordon also won the Nearest the Pin category with 6.17m and Eddie won his second Longest Drive in two days. There was only one Two carded, by Paul Marshall, who also got a nett "hole in none" with that effort (scoring 5 points which he informed me doubled his points total at that time). Congratulations to all the above.
Well we are now at the half way point of the 2014 season, 8 rounds down and 8 to go. The next round is at Houghton in a couple of weeks for what will be an emotional day for many of us, Tim's memorial day, I hope to see you all there.
WW14 Borders Championship (weekend away trip)
Over the past 12 years The Wanderers have traveled far and wide to compete for the coveted Borders Championship trophy (The Claw as it was christened by Tim a few years ago) but this is the first time we have ventured south. The courses and accommodation (for the majority of us) were once again arranged by Dennis Williams and I would like to thank him on behalf of the Society for his efforts. The courses Dennis arranged were Flaxby (a relatively new, championship standard course) and Forest of Galtres (a more mature parkland course) both provide a different test of your game. Sadly Dennis couldn't play due to a back injury acquired while getting out of his car so he was sent on a reconnaissance mission to book us into the hotel and find a place to eat that night.
While Den was checking into the hotel on the Saturday afternoon the rest of us set about Flaxby Golf Course. This was a tough test if you strayed off the fairway into the wispy rough or, as I did on quit a few occasions, visited the many bunkers on this course (80+ according to the Pro). Eddie took the early lead in the Race for The Claw with his 39 points and a round win closely followed by Dave Watts and Mark Wilson also on 39 points.
The overnight stay (for the majority of the party) was in Wetherby, Mark, Dave Coates and John Pringle had made their own arrangements and were staying on the outskirts of York. After cleaning up and a quick change of clothes we met in the bar to discuss our eating arrangements. John Ford made a few phone calls but the tip Dennis was given (The Red Lion) didn't serve food on Saturdays. It was beginning to look like fish & chips outside the Wetherby Whaler but the manager of the Red Lion suggested a short walk up the road to the Swan and Talbot, John called them and we were in. This turned out to be an excellent suggestion. The food was good, they served real ale, we were given a room to ourselves and got to watch the footy as well. Following the festivities we wandered back to the hotel for a nightcap, served by Mien Host - a gentleman called Bogdan who couldn't speak a word of English (or equally likely just couldn't understand Mackem!). Some of the highlights of the evening included Eddie's usual comedy act and Frank's Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen inspired attire, you will have to see the pictures to believe it (I hope someone took some, I remember a group photo or two in the pub, whoever took them please send me a copy). Oh and last but certainly not least - Frank's "jog" back to his room.
Sunday dawned even brighter than the day before as we made our way from Wetherby to Forest of Galtres to meet up with the rest of our party. As we gathered in the club house for a very welcome and hearty full English breakfast to build up the energy levels for the exertions ahead there didn't appear to be as many sore heads than in previous years "away trips", perhaps we are maturing!
Forest of Galtres is a mature course with many natural hazards including lakes and streams but was also forgiving. Now for the battle for The Claw, three players scored in excess of 40 points at Galtres. Rico scored 41 on the day giving him a total of 72 points (4th place). Eddie added 35 points to yesterday's 39 giving him a total of 74 points (3rd place). The runner up was Derek who scored 42 points on the day giving him a total of 77 points. The round winner at Forest of Galtres was Gordon Grant with 43 points. This combined with Saturday's 34 points also gave him a total of 77 points but Gordon takes the Borders Championship for 2014 by virtue his 43 point round win. Congratulations to the new Borders Champion Gordon Grant and commiserations to the runner up Derek Griffiths.
For the full results of the 2014 Borders Championship please click HERE
I hope you all enjoyed the whole weekend and lets hope for the same again next season.
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WW14 Round 6, Wearside1 - Friday 13/6/14
The Wanderers return to our home course for the first of two visits this year, as last season this first visit doubles as our annual Team Challenge day, more about that below. We had an excellent turn out of 24 players including four guests one of which was a former Society member, Steve Sykes. Steve was chaffered by his dad, former President Brian Sykes who despite his time in exile down in the deep south has not lost any of his wit! It was great to see Brian again and fantastic to see him out and about on a golf course again after a long lay off, next time remember to bring your clubs Brian! In the days running up to this event the weather was gorgeous but as we gathered in the clubhouse for bacon buttys and coffee the clouds were gathering, thankfully the forecast rain didn't materialize and the conditions were almost perfect. Wearside is always a tough course but the semi rough was brutal, the course is being set up for a major competition next weekend and the grass has been left to grow to 3-4" making it difficult to find even a slightly wayward ball.
I will concentrate on the Team Challenge event later but for the main Championship round the scoring was varied to say the least with scores ranging from 17 to 42 points! In third place came Dave Sanders who scored a very impressive 23 points on the back nine holes alone giving him a total of 37 points. In second place was one of this season's new members Peter Anderson with 40 points. The winner on the day with an excellent 42 points playing off a handicap of 12 was Jim Rooks. Jim also took the Longest Drive honours and Paul Marshall made taking the Nearest the Pin category look as easy as Pi by winning with a distance or 3.14m. Three members scored Two's, Rico Liverani, Paul Marshall and Jim Rooks.
Our next gathering is another of our annual events, the Weekend Away trip for our Borders Championship trophy. In the past we have visited The Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Northumberland and Cumbria, this year we are going to North Yorkshre for the first time, lets hope for some decent weather and a good weekend. Entries are now closed for this event as with 20 competitors we have reached the maximum number of players.
WW14 DESCO Team Challenge Day, Wearside - Friday 13/6/14
Our Team Challenge day has quickly became a one of the highlights in the Wanderers calendar, this year was no exception. Once again we must thank DESCO for their sponsorship of this event, this allowed us to provide 1 1/2 rounds of golf and food all for just £20 per player! I would also like to thank our guest players on the day who helped make this years competition into the best supported ever. The four guest players were Chris Archer, Ian Huntley, Paul Imeson and Steve Sykes.
On arrival the two team Captains, Paul Marshall (Chairman's team) and Rico Liverani (Champions team) plus myself set about the task of drawing the two teams and arranging the playing order. Once completed we made our way out onto the course for the mornings "Pairs" matches. As the players returned to the clubhouse there was much joy on behalf of the Chairman's team as they took the morning session by 5 points to 1. Following a hearty lunch we went back out for the 12, 18 hole "Singles" matches and by all accounts there was a bit of a squeaky bum moment for the Chairman Paul as the matches returned to the clubhouse. From being 5-1 up at lunch Rico's Champions team managed to pull it back to 6-6 after the first six singles matches, it looked as though we would have our own version of the "Miracle at Medinah". The next two matches went the way of the Chairman's team making it 8-6, Rico's team won the following match so we went into the final three games at 8-7. The next two matches went one to each side making the match dormie (meaning Paul would retain the trophy for the Chairman's team) but Jim won the final game, beating Wearside member and guest player Ian Huntley by 42 to 33 points. So Paul Marshall's "Chairman's" team won the 2014 Wearside Wanderers Team Challenge event by 10 points to 8.
Congratulations go to Paul's team comprising of - Paul Marshall (captain), Jim Rooks, Paul Baker, Eddie Harrison, Chris Archer, Paul Imeson, Steve Sykes, Mark Wilson, Dennis Williams, Dave Sanders, Andy Trewick and Bernie Fitzsimmon.
Commiserations to Rico's team comprising of - Rico Liverani (captain), Ian Huntley, John Ford, Dave Watts, Peter Anderson, Frank Birch, Dave Coates, Mark Gibbons, Paul Rawlinson, Ian Gunn, Gordon Grant and Derek Griffiths.
For the full results and score cards please click HERE
I hope you all enjoyed the day and lets hope for the same again next season.
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WW14 Round 5, Blyth - Saturday 31/5/14
Blyth is our second successive new course this season. Formed in 1905, it was built on the site of the old Delavel (not a misspelling, that's how it was spelt then) Colliery, clay extraction pits and pottery/brick works* (see below). The course has matured nicely in the intervening 109 years and was in excellent condition for our visit. At 6248 yards it's not the longest course we will ever play but it certainly had many interesting holes including a couple of water hazards. For the second game running the weather was kind to us with warm, sunny and clam conditions.
As this was a new course to all of us (well almost all, Derek did admit he had played it once before ...... in 1979!) I had no idea how the scoring would go, it turned out to be reasonably high. In third place came Dave Sanders with 36 points, Dave also won the Longest Drive category. In Second place with a creditable 38 points came John Ford and the winner on the day was Dave Watts with an excellent 40 points. The Nearest the Pin category was won by Frank Birch with 3.06m. There were 3 two's carded, one each for Eddie Harrison, Paul Marshall and (what a surprise) Mark Wilson. Well done to all the above.
The next round is one of the highlights of the Wanderers calendar, our annual Team Challenge day being held at Wearside again this year. This day takes a lot of organising so as before I would appreciate it if you could let me know your playing intentions (sign up on Society Golfing, Email or text) one way or another as soon as possible to allow time too request extra tee slots if required.
Ian G.
* Source of information - Keys to the past website
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WW14 Round 4, Westerhope - Saturday 17/5/14
Westerhope is our first new course this season, having played here before our occasional guest "Pro" Kevin Sirey said it was quite tight with many tree lined fairways, he was right. At the post match discussion the verdict on the course was on the whole positive with many comments made about the greens being far better than Brancepeth (mostly by me). The weather on the day was beautiful with brilliant sunshine, warm but not hot temperatures and a gentle cooling breeze making it the perfect day for a round of golf.
Before the game and given the ideal conditions we were expecting quite a high scoring round, as it turned out we were all wrong with 13 of the 18 Society members scoring between 30 and 35 points. With the scoring being so tight there were a lot of ties requiring countback's to resolve. Three players tied for third with 34 points, Dave Sanders, Alan Welch & third place went to Mark Wilson. In second place with 35 points came Steve Grant and the winner also with 35 points was Dennis Williams. The Nearest the Pin category was won by Dave Sanders with 5.92m his first category win of the season. No Two's were carded at Westerhope though Mark Wilson missed twice by a matter of inches. Last but not least a special mention to Andy Trewick who took his first Society category win with an excellent Longest Drive of almost 300 yards, well done to all the above.
That's four rounds down and twelve to go, a quarter of the season is over already, the next round is in two weeks time at Blyth Golf Club. The following round is our annual Team Challenge day at Wearside again this year. This day takes a lot of organising so as before I would appreciate it if you could let me know your playing intentions (sign up on Society Golfing, Email or text) one way or another as soon as possible to allow time too request extra tee slots if required.
Ian G.
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WW14 Round 3, Brancepeth Castle - Monday 5/5/14
This is our second visit to this highly regarded course considered by some as the best course in North East England. When we visited last year it was the height of summer and the course was in fantastic condition, sadly this time it wasn't quite as good, the greens in particular were in poor nick. Even without considering the course condition Brancepeth is a tough test of everyone's game. The weather, while not particularly sunny or hot was pleasant and calm. We had an excellent turn out of 19 members and 3 guest players for this round.
Given the difficulty of the course the scoring on the day was excellent with our first 40 point plus scores, in third place came Jim Rooks with 36 points. In second place with 40 points came Dennis Williams who breathed a sigh of relief when Paul Baker came in with 42 points to win (and get the big handicap cut). Paul carded an excellent gross 79 / nett 64 in the process, surely an early contender for Round of the Year. The Longest drive category was won by John Ford, and the Nearest the Pin was won by Eddie Harrison with 2.5m (to be confirmed) their first category wins of the season. John also got a "Two" but it would appear Mark Wilson has heeded the recent warnings and didn't increase his tally.
Well that's round three over and the season is well into the flow now. There are three matches to sign up to on the Society Golfing website including our annual all day Ryder Cup style competition on Friday 13/6/14 at Wearside. As before I would appreciate it if you could let me know your playing intentions one way or another as soon as possible to allow time too request extra tee slots if required.
Ian G.
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WW14 Round 2, Whitley Bay - Sunday 13/4/14
This is the second time we have visited Whitley Bay, the first was way back in 2008, on that day the weather was cool and windy, fast forward six years and things had hardly changed. Whitley Bay was always going to be a tough course with many long and demanding holes (including the second longest hole I have ever played, the 566 yard, par 5, 12th) add to that the "slight breeze" and you have the recipe for disaster.
Given the conditions and the difficulty of the course the scoring on the day was quite respectable. While walking round Derek, Dave Coates and I projected a winning score in the low to mid 30's with very few even making the 30's, we were right. In third place was last seasons Champion Rico Liverani with 30 points. Second place went to Dave Sanders with 33 points and the winner on the day was Frank Birch with 35 points. They were the only three out of eighteen players to make it into the thirty's. In the other categories the Longest Drive was won by Jim Rooks with a whopper of a drive on the 18th hole finishing about 100yds short of the green. The Nearest the Pin category was won by Alan Welsh with a more usual distance for the Wanderers of 55' 10" (17.02m)! There were 2 "Two's" carded, one by Jim Rooks who very nearly had a large bar bill on returning to the clubhouse as he nearly had a hole in one. The other was by Mark Wilson who, despite the warnings, has continued to produce an accuracy level never seen by the Wanderers before. Mark now takes the lead in the race for the big money pot with 2 Two's, as well as retaining the lead in the Nearest the Pin category.
Well done to everyone who braved the elements at Whitley Bay. Our next gathering is in three weeks time at another highly raited and challenging course, Brancepeth. As before I would appreciate it if you could let me know your playing intentions one way or another as soon as possible to allow time too request extra tee slots if required.
Ian G.
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WW14 Round 1, Tyneside - Sunday 30/3/14
This season Tyneside Golf Club hosted the opening round of the 2014 Championship. A healthy group of 18 society members gathered in the clubhouse ready to start the season at what is the oldest inland course in the North East. Tyneside has been a regular fixture on the Wanderers calendar over the years and it returned after a year off the list. The weather could have been better, while the rest of the country was bathed in warm spring sunshine we were shrouded in mist which made the course damp in places but not waterlogged. Walking down to the clubhouse from the car park I noticed that they have cut down the tree at the back of the 16th green that I strategically used a few seasons ago (for those who don't know the story, I thinned my tee shot and it was heading at great speed for the house in the distance until it hit the tree about 20ft up and rebounded back onto the green to finish a few feet from the hole).
We welcomed five of our six new members to the society, Dave Coates, Mark Gibbons (who has played with us as a guest on many occasions before), Tom McDonald, Alan Welsh and Mark Wilson, three of which were to make their mark on the society on their first outing, more on that below. Sadly our sixth new member Peter Anderson was unable to attend, hope to see you at Whitley Bay Peter.
Now for the game itself, the winter break doesn't appear to have caused too many issues with some very creditable scores carded. The Longest Drive category was won by Paul Baker and the Nearest the Pin category was won by one of our newcomers Mark Wilson with a distance of 1' 7" (0.48m). In the clubhouse after the game we had a word with Mark, just to let him know this society is not known for accurate bombing and to pack it in. Just to rub salt into the wound he also got a two along with Dave Coates, we made it known this is just not good enough! Now for the race for the main Championship, in third place (after countback) was Paul "Scouse" Rawlinson with 33 points, we weren't sure if the cheesy grin he had on his face was because of the golf or the fact Liverpool were top of the Premier League. In second place came Derek "Fingers" Griffiths (also after countback) and the winner on the day was another one of our newcomers Alan "Gringo" Welsh with 38 points. Finally I would like to give a mention to Gordon Grant with his excellent score of 31 points, he has made a dramatic improvement over the winter, well done Gordon and keep the good work up.
Well done to all the above and hope to have as healthy a turn out for the second round at Whitley Bay in two weeks time. As before I would appreciate it if you could let me know your playing intentions one way or another as soon as possible to allow time too request extra tee slots if required.
Ian G.
WW14 Tim Aberdeen Shield (formerly the Presidents Cup)
The draw for the preliminary and first rounds of the 2014 Tim Aberdeen Shield was made after the game at Tyneside. As last season John Ford is administrating this competition and we will provide full details and the draw list in the near future.
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WW13 Pre season Texas Scramble - Sunday 16/3/14
Over the past few years we have held a friendly Texas Scramble event as a chance to meet and get to know our newer members. This year it was held at Sharpley Springs Golf Club on a bright and rather breezy early spring Sunday morning. A healthy turnout of 19 players assembled in the clubhouse including three of this seasons five new Society members (Dave Coates, Alan Welsh & Mark Wilson) plus a guest player (John Lovelock). As has become traditional Rico had difficulty finding the course, his typically efficient German sat-nav sending him to Ryhope Golf Course (which has been closed for at least 5 years!).
The course, usually excellent, was showing signs of over use during the winter with the greens in particular in poor condition. The weather could have been better, the week leading up to this match had been calm and sunny, on the day the sun came out for the best part but it was blowing a hoolie! The weather didn't cause too many problems though as all 5 teams carded score's of par or below.
1st place
Group 2 - Paul Baker (Captain), John Lovelock, Andrew Trewick & Steve Grant - gross 66 / nett 61.9
2nd place
Group 5 - Rico Liverani (captain), Dave Coates, Dave Sanders & Dave Watts - gross 69 / nett 65.2
3rd place
Group 1 (threeball) - Eddie Harrison (captain), Frank Birch & Derek Griffiths - gross 71 / nett 65.5
4th place
Group 4 - Jim Rooks (Captain), Bernie Fitzsimmon, Mark Wilson, Paul Marshall - gross 70 / nett 66
5th place
Group 3 - John Ford (Captain), Alan Welsh, Gordon Grant, Ian Gunn - gross 71 / nett 68.8
Well that's the first gathering of the season over, now the competition really starts, beginning with round 1 at Tyneside in a couple of weeks. As we now have 23 full members I would appreciate it if you could confirm your attendance as early as possible to allow time to arrange extra tee times if possible, hope to see you all in a couple of weeks at Tyneside.
Ian G.
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WW13 - Xmas Dinner and Season meeting, Saturday 1/2/14
This year we held our post Christmas dinner and get together at Angelo's restaurant in Sunderland. As we gathered in the William Jameson for an aperitif or two the main topic of conversation was a certain football match that had been played earlier that day. Needless to say our token Newcastle fan Derek took a lot of stick but thankfully no horses were injured during the course of the evening! Once the dinner was over we discussed the rule changes for the season ahead and unveiled the 2014 fixtures list. At this point I would once again like to thank the Two Paul's and their team at DESCO (especially Paula Bewick) for producing an excellent program for the 2014 season.
While on the subject of thanks I would also like to welcome another corporate sponsor, Fred Stoddart Plumbing and Mechanical Ltd. The financial assistance they along with DCS Payroll, BES Consulting Engineers and of course DESCO provide help us reduce the cost of playing with the society so we all gain. Finally I, on behalf of the membership and committee, would like to welcome our three new members to the Society, Peter Anderson, Tom McDonald and Alan Welsh, I am sure you will all quickly fit in and hope you enjoy the season ahead.
Tim Aberdeen
As you all know our great friend and loyal Society supporter Tim Aberdeen sadly lost his battle against cancer late last year. In tribute to him we have dedicated our annual knockout competition (formerly the President's Cup) to his memory. Tim's family are to provide a new trophy later in the year. We are also in the process of compiling a tribute section on this website, including pictures and personal memories of Tim. With this in mind I would like to invite you all to provide your own memories of Tim and his time with us, just drop me an Email to the usual address and I will add your thoughts and/or pictures to the memorial pages.