WW09 round 19 - Wearside Finals Day

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WW09 round 18 - Boldon, match report provided by John Ford

Boldon's a funny course. It seems to take ages to get moving.  Two short par 4 to start with and two par 3s followed by a driveable par 4 means that we had to stand around for quite along time. Fortunately, it was a really nice day, with some great views from up on the 5th tee.  The course itself was in very good condition, although the greens were quite firm and it proved very difficult to stop the ball on them. It meant that the course was almost playing like a links course. It was a bit unfortunate that the date coincided with a number of members being away in Leeds on a 40th birthday celebration, which meant we only had 9 players for the day, but on the plus side we were blessed with the presence of our Chairman.

The round was won by me with 39 points, Paul Marshall came 2nd with 37 points and Derek Griffiths came 3rd with 36 points. With the other leaders away Derek managed to pull back another 5 points, which means that going into the final day at Wearside there is only 3 points between the top 3 in the league. Should make for a nervous and exciting end to the season. There were a couple of other notable achievements that are worthy of a mention. Derek was very close to having a hole in one. He hit a really good shot that finished 27cm short of the hole. I thought it was going in! He did hole the putt , which means he is in contention for the 2's pot at the end of the season (only if he gets at least another 2 twos at Wearside! --- I.G.). The longest drive was won by Paul Baker, with a massive drive which left him just short of the green. So finals day is looking good. The overall championship is still up for grabs. There is only 3 points between the top 3 (Jim, Tim and Derek) but even Paul Marshall (9 behind) and Paul Baker (12 behind) are still in with a shout. The longest drive competition is still in the balance with Rico, Davey and Tim all with 3 wins each.  All this should make for a good day at Wearside. I look forward to seeing you all there.

WW09 round 17 - Matfen Hall, match report provided by Tim Aberdeen

Matfen hall I believe is the best all round venue on the event list which was probably mirrored by the how many played on the day. All who I spoke too on the day really enjoyed the two club challenge especially John Ford who won with a very good score of 44 strokes which I think was only 5 stokes over gross for the 13 holes played. The weather although not perfect was a tad better than Bellingham, I think and the course was in excellent condition including the new 9 holes which most would agree have bedded in very well. It is nice to see that the championship is not going to be decided until Finals day at Wearside, due to the return of el Gringo putting in a reasonable score and the other family member ("members bounce" Rooks) not pulling away from the field. Well done to John for securing the first trophy of the year for the nearest to the pin competition.

As Tim has mentioned in his report, we now have our first Championship category winners. John Ford has been on the brink of winning the Nearest the Pin category for a a couple of months now. At Bellingham he went Dormie, with five wins and his nearest opponent having only two, then at Matfen Jim got nearest the pin handing the Championship to John. The other category decided this weekend was the 2009 Borders (North Tyne) Championship that comprised of the five rounds played on the north side of the river Tyne. After careful scrutiny I can confirm Paul Baker is the new Champion with 173 points and will be the proud custodian of "Thing" for the next year. The runner up was Tim with 158 points, John took third on 154 points, just ahead of Davey Sanders who scored the same but John had won a round. We had originally intended to combine the Borders Championship and the Weekend Away trips, but decided to separate them to acknowledge the achievements of both groups. The winner of the Awayday weekend trips was Jim Rooks, ahead of Derek and Rico.

WW09 round 16 - Bellingham, match report provided by Brian Sykes

Bellingham Golf for a tenner was too good an opportunity to miss on Bank Holiday Monday. It was also an opportunity for society's townies to enjoy the Northumberland countryside. As I arrived at the clubhouse, I was greeted by Ian and Paul who were both enjoying the good food on offer at the club. I remarked upon the disappointment of missing the Bellingham country show on Saturday and had we known in advance, the society may have had extended a weekend break in Bellingham. My disappointment was not shared by Ian G and Paul B who carried on eating, happy to get on to business.

Some concern was expressed from the first hole on the electric charge on the Golf buggy, only 50%. However, not to make tee off time later than planned, Ian and myself pressed on. We were surprised at the ground conditions as the fairways were ok. However the amount of surface water was evident. The lack of sand in the bunkers was also an issue. By the time we reached hole 17 the buggy battery was almost flat so we returned to clubhouse to exchange buggies, the weather was already taking a turn for the worse. However, there was only one available unfortunately without a front screen. We then returned to the 17th tee and then the heavens opened. We played the 17th and I just missed a par then as the golf buggy was practically floating down the Tyne valley, we decided to leave the course seeking refuge in the clubhouse, hoping the remaining society members would decide to do the same. As we had hoped, all did and we were rewarded with free soup and other food, as a goodwill gesture by the club.

The weather and conditions of the course overall was good. I'd like to offer congratulations to John for his good shot on the 14th hole- 2.3m; and good beating to Ian G! Once again Davey Sanders was the longest drive and I was surprised to win in round 16. However, the disappointment is that I lost 4 shots at this stage of the season. Hopefully all members enjoyed the day as thoroughly as I, and returned to town in good health.The drive home with the torrential rainfall, surface water, thunder and lightning, resembled the setting of ‘Sleepy Hollow'. The cry of ‘Bellingham for a tenner' was in the back of my mind as I battled the conditions to return home safely. Images of John Ford trying to retrieve golf bags and clubs from the submerged shed at the clubhouse crossed my mind. Hopefully the photos will be issued with the Match Report (see 2009 Photos page). It was an eventful golfing day out. Well done to everyone.

WW09 round 15 - Mount Oswald, match report provided by Eddie Harrison

After returning from my summer break and not being able to attended the last few society events it was nice to catch up with lads. The weather was very cold compared with my last game of golf at pirates cove crazy golf complex Orlando Florida with Mr Grant and our daughters Millie, Ella and Eve. (is that a new event and location on the USPGA tour? IG). Being paired with Tim A. and Paul D. there was no way it going to be anything but fun. The course was in good nick after a heavy summers use, Paul started very well on the front nine, with Tim and myself going along steady. Then the big man set off on fire with nine pars out off the last eleven holes, luckily I hung onto his coat tails and was very pleased to come back with 22 points back nine. Once in the clubhouse the banter started with all the boys and over a couple of drinks and a nice meal I found out the results and was over the moon to find out I had won.

WW09 round 14 - Bedale, match report provided by Derek Griffiths

The WWGS weekend visits to Catterick [Saturday] and Bedale, were unfortunately not very well attended due presumably to holiday commitments and the like [i.e. Catterick 5 players and Bedale 7 players, by far the worst turnout this season]. This was a pity because they are two fine, mature courses and the weather on both days was excellent as were the course conditions. Bedale was won by yours truly, my 4th round win of the season with a surprisingly low score of 34 points and a nett three over par 75 [the best nett round of the day]. In second place was Mick Pinfold with 32 points and in third place on a countback was Rico with 31 points. Tim Aberdeen, who also scored 31 points had the best gross round of the day with an 88. The Longest drive winner was Ian Gunn and the Nearest the pin winner was Rico with 2.07m, the leaders in both categories remain the same. With Jim not playing at Bedale his lead in the overall championship has reduced slightly after round 14 he is still well ahead after his 40 points winning total at Catterick. Tim and myself are tied in second place some 12 points behind. Bring on Mount Oswald and will somebody slip some sleeping tablets into Jim's coffee before we start.

WW09 round 13 - Catterick, match report provided by Jim Rooks

After collecting Davey Sanders en route we set out for the short trip to Catterick for this prestigious event in the Society calendar expecting a large turnout Dave and I thought we best arrive in good time. We arrived at the clubhouse only to find Ian, Derek and a strange Scotsman (Rico) giving away free sandwiches (See what you missed out on Tim ----- FREE FOOD! - IG.). The draw was made and we headed for the first tee in glorious sunshine, the first hole was a reasonably straight forward par 4 (or so we thought!). From then on we seemed to tackle dog leg after dog leg with the usual heavy rough for those who strayed off line. 4 hours later and with a little help from the odd fairway tree I managed to record a score of 40points Rico finished second with a very respectable 36pts (carding a gross 86 along the way) with Derek coming home in third with 28pts. The nearest the pin was Dave with 12.5 meters and Derek hit a scorching longest drive to take the honours. Overall the course was in excellent condition and definitely worth a return next year. The result leaves me as championship leader with Tim and Derek in close pursuit.

WW09 round 12 - South Moor, match report provided by Brian Sykes

As a former member of 'The Moor', it was good to return on Sunday and play a Tom Watson style Golf course - if you hit the ball straight and keep out of the heather it offers you a chance against the society's big hitters. To win was not in the game plan and having left the 18th green, I assumed my chance had gone only to be informed on Monday evening by Mr Secretary that I had won on a back nine hole countback beating John by one point. What a turnaround from Washington when I partnered John and Jim and was out with the washing on that long night, teeing off in the last group and not finishing until 9.50pm, when I have normally retired for the night (sitting in your jimmy-jams drinking your cocoa Brian?).

On to business - the moor was in good nick, the greens were excellent, the wind was strong and the course played long (extracts from Golf Monthly) no surprise to see no one hit the green on the 11th hole apart from Steve Merritt though his 20m did not count for reasons unknown (Steve was playing as a guest and is not Championship registered this year - though his efforts were recognised and appreciated after the match. IG). I consider this a good choice of course and worth retaining on the fixture list although green fees were on the high side. This may be my last report for some time as all the big hitters will be back for the next round, and it was a good feeling to win one again after so long and also to beat John F. along the way. The relatively low scoring and low turnout means there is no change at the top of the leaderboard with Jim still leading from Tim and Derek respectively.

WW09 round 11 - George Washington, match report provided by Derek Griffiths

Washington golf course had had to endure some heavy rain over the preceeding days leading upto the most recent round of this years championship making it very soft going and in some places distinctly soggy, but fortunately the rain held off during  play. The best score on the day was recorded by Derek Griffiths on 42points with Davey Sanders in second on 40 and Tim Aberdeen third on 37 [Tim also carded the best gross score with an excellent 83. Davey Sanders rounded off a great evenings play with a longest drive and nearest the pin double. The ovarall championship is getting very tight at the top with Jim Rooks on 345, Tim on 342 and Derek Griffiths on 341, but ther is still an awfully long way to go and a lot can change over the coming weeks and months with still 8 rounds to go. Hope to see you all at Catterick.

WW09 round 10 - Stocksfield, match report provided by Paul Marshall

A surprisingly lower than usual turn out had the benefit of a great afternoon at Stocksfield, it got off to a tasty start with a Stocksfield Bacon Butty, then we enjoyed a fantastic summer afternoon with the course in great condition. Having hosted the pro's annual comp the day before it was set up to be at it's toughest with some interesting pin positions making approach shots and putting a real challenge. With the temperature in the mid twenties and the sun beating down on our backs, the tree lined fairways reminded me of the Old Course in Vilamoura. I knew I was a little closer to home though with the constant clattering of trees and shout's of ‘fore' which normally accompany a visit from the Wearside Wanderers!

I personally had the pleasure of playing with Derek (swing like Zoro) Griffiths for the afternoon. After a real ding dong battle for the honour on the tee box for the front nine, where we both scored an excellent 22 points, Derek fell away a little on the back nine but still finished with a very respectable 34 points which secured 3rd place on the day. 2nd place went to John also with 34 points but with a slightly better back nine and yours truly ended up sneaking the day with 44 points, with not one shank!!. After suffering the depths of frustration throughout last season, it's great to be enjoying golf again and returning the odd good score. I'm sure the handicap committee (at the end of the bar in Fitzies) will get the red pen out now though!! (Already done, docked four strokes - IG) The main championship is now headed by Jim Rooks on 339 points, in second is Tim Aberdeen with 332 points and in third is Derek Griffiths on 329 points.

People commented afterwards how tight the front 9 was, with the narrow tree lined fairways and it was interesting to note that a few wise people where trying to concentrate on accuracy by keeping their drivers in the bag. These included John who took the honours for the longest drive using his 3 wood from the elevated 9th tee box. My good day wasn't quite finished as I also managed to get the nearest the pin on the 18th with a shot to 3' 9” and then proceeded to miss the putt for the 2. There were no 2's on the day so ‘Tim's pot' is getting bigger (helped no doubt by the burger and chips after the game!!).

Rico found that reading the greens became a bit easier when he started using a bent putter following a slight accident, in fact his putting improved so much he intends to use it for the next match at Washington! (There was a friendly discussion after the match as to whether Rico should have been excluded for altering the condition of his club during the round, but I decided against this course of action after he kindly offered to place the aforementioned putter "where the sun don't shine" - IG). Final mention goes to Joe Hammal who finally got the pleasure of playing the course at the 3rd attempt as the dry conditions meant the buggies where allowed on, lets hope for more of the same at Washington on the 15th.

WW09 round 9 - Houghton, match report provided by Tim Aberdeen

What can I say other than we were blessed with a fine evening without the usual Houghton wind. Quite a good turnout for a midweek evening event 15 in total and I believe all enjoyed playing the course which is in excellent condition. The scores on the day were mixed though there were 4 scores above 35 points and 2 bandits in the forties. The food, although it was late, seemed to go down well with the ravishing hoard and I hardly got a sniff at the extra meals plus it was good value for money. I would to thank Paul Marshall for organising the event and bartering the deal plus getting his golf back on track and coming third with a refreshing 38 points beating Gringo Rooks on the count back. Also would like to congratulate Kevin Hall coming in 2nd with a fantastic 43 points which would normally would win most events if not for a past ‘BANDIT OF THE YEAR' (me) having a round which can only be described as memorable as I have been told is the best Gross and net score this season. Also congratulations go to John Ford for nearest to the pin & Mick Pinfold for the longest drive and finally thanks to our grumpy secretary for all his hard work checking the cards etc.

WW09 round 8 - Castle Eden

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WW09 round 7 - Wynyard, match report provided by Ian Gunn

As Saturday dawned, the weather looked distinctly iffy with heavy overnight rain and a stiff breeze, the forecast did promise some improvement and for once they got it right as the weather conditions improved, though it was still rather chilly. Wynyard is a peculiar course being set in amongst some very posh houses (sorry, mansion's) and it is improving with each visit we make. Personally I still think they have delusions of grandeur and there is still room for improvement if it wants to be ranked alongside the likes of Slaley Hall and other "Championship" courses. The overnight rain had highlighted a well documented weakness, in that the bunkers have VERY poor drainage. Many could almost have been classed as water hazards and that was after only one nights heavy rain, God knows what they must have been like last summer!

Right, that's the bitching over, now for the golf. We have waited all season for a 40+ point score and then, just like buses, two come at once. The winner on the day was Rico with a fantastic 45 points (gross 81, nett 63). In second was Paul Baker with 40 points and in third was Jim Rooks with 39 points. This has had a major effect on the main Championship, we have a new overall leader in the form of Paul Baker on 239 points, followed by Rico & Jim on 235 points (Rico takes second by virtue of his round win at Wynyard). In the Longest Drive category we finally have an overall leader, Rico now has two round wins and takes the lead. The Nearest the Pin category was won by myself with 4.58m, the first time I have had a round win for many a year though the category is still lead by John Ford with three round wins. Strangely, given that there are four par 3's no one managed to card a gross two so the pot grows yet again, Kevin Hall and John Ford are sitting pretty at present, being the only players to have managed a two so far this season.

WW09 round 6 - Beamish Park, match report provided by Ian Gunn

Beamish is a well established and scenic course with some long and demanding holes interspersed with some short but challenging par 3's. The evening's weather was almost perfect with the temperature just dropping towards the end of the round. The greens were among the best we have ever played (not that I saw many, more about that later) and everyone commented on the condition of the course. The scoring on the evening was rather varied ranging from the sublime (35 points) to the ridiculous (12 points). The winner with 35 points was Mick Pinfold taking his second round win of the season. Second place went to Paul Baker with 34 points and third place went to Joe Hammal with 34 points. In the overall championship Derek Griffiths regained his lead on 202 points with Paul Baker close behind on 199 points. The Longest Drive competition produced yet another different round winner in the shape of Tim Aberdeen, there was no winner in the Nearest the Pin category. As for the Wazzok of the Day award, that must go to me for my frankly abysmal 12 points and I must apologise to Joe and Paul M. my playing partners on the day.

WW09 round 5/Borders 2 - Eyemouth, match report provided by Paul Baker

After the rain-hit round at the Hirsel it was a pleasant surprise to arrive at Eyemouth on Sunday morning with the sun shining and no rain clouds in sight. As expected, there was a stiff breeze blowing but the WW veterans confirmed this to be relatively benign when compared to their last visit 6 years ago. The Eyemouth club house was fantastic, with great views over the course and out to sea. The sight of the front nine clinging to the cliff tops with the North Sea in the back ground left me wondering if the dozen balls I'd packed into my bag would be sufficient. With the exception of John Daley, most professional golfers prepare for 18 holes with a good nights sleep, followed by a healthy breakfast, then an hour or so warming up on the practice range. In the true WW sprit we prepared with a night on the beer, playing pool and watching the Eurovision song contest till midnight. So, rather than heading to the practice range on Sunday morning I sat with a cup of coffee trying (unsuccessfully) to hold down my breakfast.

Having heard good reports about the course we were expecting some classic links golf at Eyemouth. This is in contrast to our previous links experiences at Seaton Carew and Wigtownshire, which suffered from horizontal rain and widespread GUR respectively. However, the course didn't disappoint, with good fairways, fast greens and ball-grabbing rough (ooerr Matron!). Of particular note was the signature 5 th hole over the cliffs with the North Sea churning below. Anyone who hit the green in one deserves a pat on the back.

The longest drive was played on 590 yard ‘Hawk Ness Monster' which presented us with a blind tee shot over the crest of a hill onto a sloping dog-leg fairway. Not surprisingly none of the Wanderers hit the fairway so the longest drive accolades went unclaimed though one of our guests, Mark Gibbons, did manage to keep the ball on the fairway an would have won if he was Championship registered. The nearest the pin completion was played on the 138 yard 17th hole, with John Ford the closest Wanderer. Once again our guest, Mark, did get closer, although it does not count in the nearest the pin competition. Well done to both John and Mark Gibbons. There were no ‘twos' during the round, so there are no additional claims for a share of Tim's Two's pot. The scores on the day were inevitably constrained by the challenging course and the stiff breeze blowing off the North Sea . Third place was taken by Davey Sanders with 31 points, who was only beaten on a count back by John Ford who takes second place. To everyone's surprise the winner was me (Paul B) with a score of 39 points. The Championship continues to be a close run thing with Derek Griffiths lead on 170 points, closely followed by Jim Rooks in second place with 167 points. In third place is me (Paul B) with 165 points.

On the way home from Eyemouth, Ian and I theorised how I managed to win given my alcoholic indulgence the night before. I think the answer can be found in conversation I had with Jim standing in the pouring rain on Saturday. Jim reckons that; “golf is 30% physical and 70% mental”. As my mental faculties had evaporated thanks to the booze, only the physical side of my game remained. Anyone for a couple of pints before Beamish?

WW09 round 4/Borders 1 - The Hirsel, match report provided by John Ford

It was nice to go back to an old friend. From the very early days of the society we have been regular visitors to this course in the borders. The last time we played here, about 3 years ago, the course was in terrible condition, due to the fact that it hadn't rained for 6 weeks. It was very bare and brown and the tee boxes were rough and rutted. However, on Saturday the course was in excellent condition, and as always the people at the club were very kind and hospitable. It was also nice to see Dennis Williams who came along as a guest and he brought his friend Mark Gibbons (not a bad bloke for a mag!). Fortunately for us the course wasn't very busy and we were able to tee off earlier than anticipated. The only things to spoil the day were the unmarked police car on the A697 and the rain that lasted about half an hour mid way through the round. Towards the end off the round we learned that Newcastle had lost to Fulham and that made everything alright again.

The Nearest the Pin competition was on the very short 10th hole, only 104 yards. The winner was Paul Marshall who got it to 6.04m. The Longest Drive competition was on the 12th hole and the winner was Davey Sanders. Congratulations to both of them. The overall round proved to be very close and the actual result was somewhat controversial. It was originally announced that both Paul Marshall and John Ford had both scored 34 points with Paul winning on count back. Paul Baker came in 3rd with 33 points. However, after the cards had been scrutinized by the secretary, an error was found on Paul Marshall's card. This meant that Paul had the win snatched away from him and John was declared the winner, with Paul Marshall relegated to 2nd place (please see below).

Here is a post script from Paul M.

I don't believe it I've endured 18 months of misery hitting balls around the undergrowth and other parts of golf courses that no one has ever visited before and just when you think you are about to once again savor the sweet taste of success it's snatched away from you – I feel like a Mag on a Saturday night, absolutely gutted!!!!! It was Tim who marked my card and whilst we confirmed the overall points scored at the end we didn't exchange cards, I think Tim gave it straight to Ian so that you he could update the scores whilst I was waiting for Derek (who had the car keys), so you will probably note that I haven't signed it (so hopefully I'll be spared the disciplinary hearing in front of the R&A in Fitzies!!!). Having looked at the cards it seems to be a fair cop, I'll have to get me ‘tenner' back off Tim. Never mind, seems I'll have to wait a little longer for that ‘cream to rise back to the top'.

WW09 round 3 - Tyneside, match report provided by Derek Griffiths

Although the weather forecast for the day was for wind and rain and competitors came armed with their brollies and waterproofs, the weather stayed fine and mostly dry if a little windy at times. The course as usual was in very good condition and produced some excellent scoring on the day from the 14 man field. On the day third spot (on countback) was taken by John Ford with 37 points, he also carded the best gross round of the day with an impressive 85. Second position was taken by Jim Rooks with 38 points. The winner at Tyneside was myself with 39 points also carding the best nett score of 67. This makes quite a difference to the early Championship leader board taking me to the top on 110 points and two round wins, ahead of Jim, also on 110 points. In third place comes the previous leader Rico with 108 points. The nearest the pin was won by John Ford with 1.13m giving him the outright lead in this category with two round wins. John also carded a two putting him in joint first in the race to the end of season "Money Pot" (Don't forget the winner gets the beers in Fordy, did we not mention that before? [ I.G.]). The longest drive category was won by big hitting Kevin Hall with an absolute monster!! of a drive of around 325 yards at the 377 yard 18th.

WW09 round 2 - Longhirst Hall, match report provided by Mick Pinfold

After an excellent bank holiday weekend of weather, we all took to the road and headed up the A1 to Longhirst Hall, just north of Morpeth where a challenging course awaited us. With trepidation 14 off us took to the Dawson course at 11.00am, like a duck to water (how apt). Our Glorious Leader Brian Sikes and the Secretary Ian G were paired together and after a quick coaching session on the buggies Sat Nav system they took to the first tee. Ian's fear of water was easily apparent with a drive that John Daley would have been proud of (what water was the cry!). Brian also drove off with aplomb. Jim Rooks, who appeared bleary-eyed, sporting a fine line in designer sunglasses (even though it was overcast to begin with, happy birthday mate) took to the tee box soon after.

One player after the other drove off at the first without any major trouble, then it was my turn, my tee shot just cleared the water (a sign of what lays ahead?). The next few holes went without too much hassle, everyone settling into a grove until the 5th, a par 4 with an island green which I'm lead to believe caused much commotion. Onwards we played until the 11th hole where the longest drive was held. Paul Baker overcame Chairman Brian's initial "marker" and Paul held this honour until the last drive on the hole when along came from Rico (the apeman) Liverani and boy did he spank it at least 3” passed Paul's effort. Next came the 12th chosen as the Nearest the Pin hole, many players had difficulty keeping the ball on the green but Paul Baker managed it and took the honour at a distance of 3.95m, a worthy winner.

Now we are playing the old course with a few more puddles about and Ian liked the 17th so much he hit 3 balls into the pond. Tommy Dawson has apparently has tried to sell them on ebay but with Ian's name and address on them, this has proved difficult. Everyone played very well, not too many balls were lost and with the lowest score at 29 points and three players tying for first place on 38 points it proved how even and tight the competition was. Sadly no one managed a "Two" so Kevin Hall still has his hands on the money at the moment. By the way, I've already booked “The Lakes Course” for next year (BRING PLENTY OF BALLS)!!

Finaly I must apologize to Anth Hall for not giving him credit for his excellent performance at Ramside when he carded an fantastic 43 points, I am afraid I overlooked his score as he was playing as a guest. We also had another guest playing, Ian Hindley who scored a very creditable 24 points and finally I forgot to mention our newest (and youngest) member Paul Donkin who had a bit of a baptism of fire at Ramside but I am sure he will soon get into the swing of things (no pun intended). Once again sorry to all the above for my oversite.

WW09 round 1 - Ramside Hall, match report provided by Ian Gunn

What a difference a year makes, Ramside 2008 was almost cancelled due to a blizzard but this season the weather could not have been better. Ramside was in excellent condition for the time of year, sadly my golf was not up to the same standard but thankfully I was the exception to the rule. Considering the season is still young the scoring on Sunday was excellent, the winner on the day and early Championship leader was Derek Griffiths who took full advantage of his Senior handicap increase scoring a very impressive 39 points. Second was decided by a back nine tie break, Rico and Tim both scored 37 points with Rico taking the honours. The Longest Drive category was won by Mick Pinfold and the Nearest the Pin by John Ford. There was only one Two carded at Ramside so Kevin Hall has taken an early lead in the category.