W.W.G.S.
WW2017 Season match reports
WW2017 - Season Report
For the 2017 season we saw the Wanderers membership level off at 28 full members, as in previous years we lost a few and gained a few. The five new members to our band Andy Dodd, Chris Hewison, Paul Imeson, Steve Taylor and Gary West seem to have settled in very well and appear to have enjoyed the season's events. We were also joined by a few guest players at some events, three of which intend to join the Society next year so the membership levels appear very healthy. As for the choice of courses, after fifteen seasons it is becoming more difficult to find new venues for the society and we are always open to suggestions from the membership. For the 2017 season we did manage three courses we had not played before, Rothbury, Close House (Filly) and the newest in the North East the Ramside Cathedral course. In an attempt to help raise the scoring we tweaked our unique handicap adjustment system, allowing a little more scope to recoup strokes following a bad round. When we started this system in 2016 we knew it would be a work in progress and would require a few years to bed in and it appears to be working though there are still a few issues to iron out.
It wouldn't have been a Wanderers season if the weather hadn't played a part. We almost had the lot, from torrential rain at South Shields to blowing a gale at Seaton Carew and Ramside, the only thing missing was snow. We even had to reschedule the match at Houghton due to heavy rain before the game, but every cloud has a silver lining and a least it was warm & sunny when we played there the following weekend.
The first of the Society's annual events was our Team Challenge day, this year played at Wearside Golf Club towards the end of May. As last year we made this a Seniors versus Juniors event with the wisdom of age coming out on top again as the Seniors won by 10.5 to 6.5 points.
For the first of our society's three “Majors” the Borders Championship, following the success of the 2016 season trip over to the South Lakes we decided to repeat the adventure. Once again Lancaster was the base for the weekend's action, playing Kirby Lonsdale on the Saturday and Bentham on the Sunday. Being only played over two rounds the Borders Championship is usually a very tight run affair and this year was no exception with four points covering the top six players. The winner and custodian of “The Claw” for the next year was Mike Murray, this was also Mike's first society Major win. Many thanks go to John Ford for organising and arranging the weekend trip.
Now for the season long competitions. Firstly the Longest Drive category, to be honest there was really only one player in it, Paul Imeson who had an almost 50% winning ratio having played 9 rounds and won 4 Longest Drives, very impressive stats indeed! The Nearest the Pin competition was a much tighter affair, going down to the final round with three players still in with a shout, Paul Baker, Andy Trewick and Jim Rooks. Paul was unable to play the final round so that left two players, as it turned out the winner of the final round also won the competition outright when Jim took the win at Wearside with a distance of 0.8m.
As for the Two's Pot competition, those of you who have been with us for a while know we are not renowned for our accuracy. So, after a good start when we had 14 Two's in the first 5 games I thought we may have turned the corner and were in for a good season. Sadly it wasn't to last and we reverted to form as all the massed rank's of the Wanderers could manage in the remaining 11 games was a measly 9 Two's! After rounding up the money in the pot each of the 23 Two's were worth £5.50 per share. There was no outright winner of the Pot itself as there was a three way tie with Frank Birch, John Ford and Alan Welch all having amassed 3 Two's each. It was agreed that Frank would be the custodian of the pot for the first four months.
Our second Major, the Aberdeen Shield knockout competition started way back in March at the pre season gathering at Sharpley Springs and ran all the way through to the final in September. This year's finalists were Mark Wilson and Eddie Harrison and following a real ding dong battle in gale force conditions at Whitburn. Eddie came out victorious on the 18th hole when Mark missed a long putt that would have meant a playoff hole would have been needed, so Eddie becomes the fourth recipient of the Tim Aberdeen Memorial Shield. Once again thanks go to John Ford for administering and running this competition.
Now for the big one, the Main Championship and the race for the Claret Jug. On the whole our new handicap system has lowered the overall round scores but this has had the effect of making the Championship even tighter. Going into the final round at Wearside there were no less than seven players in with a good shout of lifting the Claret Jug. On Finals day five of those seven players increased their overall points total. In third place overall, having increased his tally by 2 points came the defending Champion Andy Trewick with 310 points. Even though he increased his total by 7 points once again Derek Griffiths was the runner up for the third time in four years, with a total of 311 points. Always the bridesmaid, never the blushing bride eh Derek? Last but certainly not least, the winner of the Claret Jug and our new Champion Golfer for 2017 is Bryan Mountford with a total of 316 points.
On behalf of the committee and the whole Society I would like to congratulate our new Champion Bryan and all our other category winners. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our Corporate Sponsors Fred Stoddart Ltd, DCS Payroll and DESCO for their support throughout the season, without their financial assistance we would not have been able to deliver the programme we did at the same cost to you all. For further information on all our Corporate Sponsors click HERE.
Finally, a very big thank you to all our members and guest players who have supported the Society this year and made the 2017 season our best yet. Let's hope for more of the same when we next meet up in early 2018 to start all over again.
WW17/16 - Wearside Finals Day, Saturday 21/10/17
Once again we gathered at Wearside Golf Club for our annual end of season bash. As for the previous round at Ramside, in the week leading up to this event I was regularly checking the weather forecast and it was changing every day, going from calm & dry to heavy rain. As it turned out it was it was cool and breezy but dry, the forecast rain only came when we were all safely back in the clubhouse.
When you consider we are playing our Finals Day a fortnight later than our usual early October date the course was in great condition. The greens, though wet in places were really good and true allowing you to fly the ball in confident it would stop dead and not run through.
I will deal with the main Championship results in a separate report so now for the results of round 16, the Course Scratch Score (CSS) for this round was calculated as 28.
Total Score |
Players
|
Average score
|
CSS |
550*
|
20*
|
27.50
|
28
|
*Please remember we remove the lowest points score and scorer from the CSS calculation
Following the post match card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as-
In third place, on countback was Bryan Mountford with 32 points.
In second place with 33 points came John Ford, his second podium finish this season.
And the winner of round 16 was Ian Gunn with 37 points. This was my second round win this season after waiting since 2014 for a win. Just like buses, you wait ages then two come at once!
The Longest Drive category had been wrapped up at the previous round By Paul Imeson but just to keep it in the family the winner on the day was one of our guests Doug Imeson, Paul's Dad! The Nearest the Pin Category was still up for grabs with three players still in with a shout, Paul Baker (who wasn't at Finals Day), Andy Trewick and Jim Rooks. On the day Jim made no no doubt by not just winning the round but with the closest distance carded this season of 0.8m. Though not counting towards the Two's Pot as that competition is already over Jim also converted his Nearest the Pin winner into a Two.
WW17/15 - Ramside Cathedral, Saturday 7/10/17
The Cathedral course at Ramside is one of, if not the newest course in the country, as such I was expecting great things but to be honest I was a little disappointed. On the whole the course was in good condition though wet in places after the rain during the previous week. The biggest let down was the condition of the greens. Though not the worst we have encountered they were certainly not well maintained with patches of moss growing through the turf. My main complaint though, which is common to most corporate style courses was that no one seems to have repaired their pitch marks. I gave up trying to repair all I saw after the 4th or 5th hole, if I had carried on I would still be there now!
In the week leading up to this event I was regularly checking the weather forecast and it was changing every day, going from calm & dry to heavy rain. As it was it was cool and windy but thankfully dry.
On the Monday before Ramside the final of the Tim Aberdeen Shield was played at a wild and windy Whitburn Golf Club between Mark Wilson and Eddie Harrison. Following a hard fought battle Eddie came out on top beating Mark on he final hole. Congratulations go to our new Aberdeen Shield Champion Eddie and commiserations to Mark. A full report will be posted on the Aberdeen Shield page HERE.
Now for the results of round 15, the Course Scratch Score (CSS) for this round was calculated as 25.
Total Score |
Players
|
Average score
|
CSS |
522*
|
21*
|
24.86
|
25
|
*Please remember we remove the lowest points score and scorer from the CSS calculation
Following the post match card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as-
In third place, on countback was Dave Sanders with 28 points.
In second place with 29 points came Paul Imeson.
And the winner of round 15 was Craig English with an excellent score of 30 points on this very tough course. This was Craig's third round win this season.
The Longest Drive category went to Paul Baker, his first category win this season. This means Paul Imeson now has an unassailable lead with four round wins and is confirmed as Longest Drive Champion for 2017. The Nearest the Pin Category was won by Frank Birch with a distance of 3.5m. There was one Two carded at Ramside by Paul Imeson.
WW17/14 - City of Newcastle, Saturday 16/9/17
When you consider the City of Newcastle golf course is located just outside the centre of the second largest City in the North East it is truly an oasis in the urban desert. On past visits we have seen deer roaming the course but given the weather conditions I think they were in hiding this time.
The course was in excellent condition given the heavy rain in the week prior to our visit and on and off during our round. The greens were true and quite quick though some were wet in places. The only downside for me was the lack of pre-match bacon butty! still you can't have everything I suppose. In the clubhouse after the match the general consensus was we should certainly return again soon.
Newcastle also saw the second semi-final of the Tim Aberdeen Shield between Eddie Harrison and John Ford with Eddie coming out victorious winning by 4&3. This gives us our two finalists with Eddie playing Mark Wilson, good luck to both players.
Total Score |
Players
|
Average score
|
CSS |
443*
|
15*
|
29.53
|
30
|
*Please remember we remove the lowest points score and scorer from the CSS calculation
Following the post match card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as-
In third place, on countback was Andy Dodd with 32 points.
In second place with 34 points came Dave Coates.
And the winner of round 14 was Paul Baker with an excellent tally of 37 points, his first round win since Cleveland Links at the start of last season.
Once again the Longest Drive category went to the round winner Paul Baker. Paul went on to take a clean sweep by winning the Nearest the Pin Category with a distance of 3.52m, though our guest on the day Joe Bell was inside this distance by 26cm but isn't Championship registered. There was one Two carded at Newcastle by Dave Sanders.
WW17/13 - Seaton Carew, Monday 28/8/17
Following quickly on from Tyneside the weekend before we made the short trip down the coast to Seaton Carew. Our last visit to this course was way back in 2008, on that day the weather god's weren't exactly good to us with high winds and driving rain. The winner on that day was Eddie Harrison who scored an excellent 38 points in the atrocious conditions. In second place on that visit was Tim Aberdeen who is sadly no longer with us but was certainly here in spirit today, cheers Big Fella & thanks for the weather improvement.
This visit was a total contrast to our last being sunny warm and dry, the only negative weather wise was the strong breeze which caused quite a few problems. The course itself wasn't in the best condition with the usual ruts, animal scrapes and rough ground you expect on a links course. The greens on links courses are usually quick but I found them tough to judge leaving many putts short. As befits a Championship Qualifying standard course the scoring was never going to break any records but with a combination of a below average turnout, a tough course and conditions the Course Scratch Score (CSS) for this round was calculated as 26.
Total Score |
Players
|
Average score
|
CSS |
284*
|
11*
|
25.82
|
26
|
*Please remember we remove the lowest points score and scorer from the CSS calculation
Following the post match card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as-
In third place, on countback was Frank Birch with 30 points.
In second place with 32 points came Derek Griffiths.
And the winner of round 13 (on count back) was Dave Coates also with 32 points but a better back nine hole score.
The Longest Drive category went to the round winner Dave Coates though one of our guests Joe Bell did out drive Dave by about 5 yards. The Nearest the Pin Category was won by Jim Rooks with a distance of 4.75m, once again Joe beat this distance but isn't Championship registered. There was one Two carded at by Frank Birch though yet again Joe manage to card a Two as well, I see a trend developing for next season if Joe joins us!
Seaton Carew also saw the first of the Aberdeen Shield semi-finals played with Mark Wilson coming out on top following a titanic struggle with Frank Birch. At one point Mark was three down but he pulled it back to win one up.
WW17/12 - Tyneside, Sunday 20/8/17
Following the dropping of Matfen Hall from the Wanderers calendar Tyneside Golf Club is now the third most played Wanderers venue behind our home and second courses of Wearside and Houghton. Tyneside has the distinction of being one of the oldest, if not the oldest courses in the North East and as such is a proper mature parkland course.
The course was in very good condition, possibly the best we have ever seen at Tyneside. In the last couple of visits the greens have been average at best having been recently hollow tined but this time they were excellent, fast and true. Even the weather played ball being mild and dry with the odd sunny spell and a light breeze. When you look at the results below you can understand why I would say "can we play here every week?".
Now for the results of round 12, The Course Scratch Score (CSS) for this round was calculated as 29.
Total Score |
Players
|
Average score
|
CSS |
516*
|
18*
|
28.67
|
29
|
*Please remember we remove the lowest points score and scorer from the CSS calculation
Following the post match card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as-
In third place, on countback was Mike Murray with 32 points.
In second place with 34 points came Craig English.
And the winner of round 12 was myself (Ian Gunn) with 37 points, my first round win since 2014.
The Longest Drive category went to "Imo Junior" who is rapidly running away with this category taking his 4th category round win this season. The Nearest the Pin Category was won by Craig English with a distance of 3.00m. There was one Two carded at Tyneside by Jim Rooks though one of our guests on the day (Joe Bell) also carded a two.
WW17/11 - Brancepeth, Sunday 6/8/17
Brancepeth Castle Golf Club is regarded by many as the best course in the North East of England, and rightly so. The course starts off with an innocuous short(ish) par 4 that makes the uninitiated wonder what all the fuss is about. Then the second hole quickly wipes the smirk off the doubters faces! from there all the way through to the 18th there is hardly a hole that could be classed as easy. The signature hole is the 9th, a 197yard par three in the shadow of Brancepeth Castle that Peter Alliss once put in his top 100 golf holes in the UK, high praise indeed.
On our visit the course was in very good condition with the first cut of rough being tough but not impossible to get out of and the greens had recently been spiked but putts still ran true. The weather could have been better with quite a strong, cool breeze and the odd light shower during the game.
Now for the results of round 11, The Course Scratch Score (CSS) for this round was calculated as 27.
Total Score |
Players
|
Average score
|
CSS |
405*
|
15*
|
27.00
|
27
|
*Please remember we remove the lowest points score and scorer from the CSS calculation
Following the post match card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as-
In third place was Gary West with 32 points.
In second place with 33 points came Paul Imeson.
And the winner of round 11, taking his third round win of the season was Derek Griffiths with 34 points.
The Longest Drive category went to Dave Coates and the Nearest the Pin Category was won by Jim Rooks with, well to be honest I don't know, I will let you know when the tape and paperwork are returned! There was one Two carded at Brancepeth by Gary West.
WW17/10 - Wilton, Sunday 16/7/17
As I wasn't at Wilton I can't provide the usual match report but as I caught up with everyone in the clubhouse after the game you all seemed to have enjoyed the day including the two guest players on the day Joe Bell & Scott Paxton. This was our second visit to this pleasant parkland course and unlike the previous visit the weather was almost perfect, sunny with only a light breeze to cool things down. From what I was told the course was in very good condition though the greens were a little spongy.
Now for the results of round 10, The Course Scratch Score (CSS) for this round was calculated as 28.
Total Score |
Players
|
Average score
|
CSS |
454*
|
16*
|
28.38
|
28
|
*Please remember we remove the lowest points score and scorer from the CSS calculation
Following the post match card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as-
In third place (on countback) was Dave Coates with 31 points.
In second place with 32 points came Paul Marshall.
And the winner of round 10 was defending Champion, Andy Trewick with 33 points, his first round win of the season. One of our guests on the day, Scott Paxton also scored 33 points and had a better back nine score so would have won but isn't WW17 Championship registered, sorry Scott.
The Longest Drive category went to Paul Baker and the Nearest the Pin Category was won by Andy Trewick with 3.10m and no one managed to snap my new tape measure this time! There were no Two's carded at Wilton.
2017 Borders Championship, Sat & Sun 24-25/6/17
Following the success of last season's Borders Championship visit to the South Lakes we decided to repeat the adventure. Once again the courses chosen by John Ford for this years trip were Kirby Lonsdale on the Saturday and Bentham on the Sunday with the overnight stay in Lancaster. Sadly we were unable use the same hotel as last year due to the on going refurbishment work so we were lodged in the Premier Inn on the outskirts of the city centre. This year 21 members attended the trip to fight for the honour of being the custodian of "The Claw" and the winner of our first Major of the 2017 season.
Kirby Lonsdale
As we gathered in Kirby Lonsdale club house following a pleasant drive out in the countryside the 21 Members who made the trip across the Pennines gathered in the clubhouse ready for the off. Some prepared by taking on some food while others decided a spot of "re-hydration" was in order by way of a pint of lager or cider! Some even ventured across the road to the driving range for some last minute practice. The course itself was in excellent condition, just as I remembered it from last year. Once again the rough would ensure any wayward shots would be punished.
Following the golf we had the usual post match announcements, then we headed off to our base for the weekend, the Premier Inn on the outskirts of Lancaster. After a quick wash and brush up some of our party set off to sample the delights of Lancaster City Centre while others took the long walk (all of 20yds!) to the Brewers Fayre beside the hotel for food. The main amusementfor the evening was my choice of pineapple rings instead of eggs with the mixed grill, either way I enjoyed it. Once fed some ventures into Lancaster to meet up with the others while a few of us sat in the bar discussing the virtues of various football grounds visited over the years.
Bentham
Sunday morning dawned cloudy and overcast with a threat of rain in the air, following the short drive to the course we tucked into a very nice breakfast to set us up for the day ahead. At 5772 yards Bentham isn't the longest course on the Wanderers calendar but as I pointed out last year there are some very long (and occasionally quite steep) walks between holes, thank heavens for buggies.
Once the golf was over most of the group gathered on the terrace outside the clubhouse to enjoy some food, a drink and some well earned rest in the afternoon sun. At this point I would like to thank John Ford for contacting and booking the courses and hotel plus booking the evening meal and breakfast at Bentham. I am sure you will all appreciate the amount of effort that goes into organising and running this trip, I certainly do.
Once everyone was in all that was left was to announce the results. With only two rounds counting the Borders Championship event is usually a very tight run thing and this year was no exception with four points covering the top three -
In third place with 63 points (30+33) was Paul Marshall.
In second place with 65 points (33+32) was Mark Wilson.
The winner and 2017 Borders Champion with a total of 66 points (37+29) was Mike Murray, his first Society "Major" win.
WW17/9 - Bentham, Sunday 25/6/17
After the short drive from Lancaster to Bentham we all tucked into a hearty breakfast before heading onto the course.
As the previous day it took a little time to remember the course layout though I did remember there were some very long walks from green to tee hence the use of a buggy. The weather didn't look too promising on the drive from Lancaster to Bentham but it quickly improved and the sun came out by the time we finished. As at Kirby Lonsdale the course was generally in excellent condition, the only thing of note was the drainage "tram lines" up & down the 1st & 18th fairways. The greens were excellent running quite fast but true.
Now for the results of round 9, The Course Scratch Score (CSS) for this round was calculated as 27.
Total Score |
Players
|
Average score
|
CSS |
530*
|
20*
|
26.50
|
27
|
*Please remember we remove the lowest points score and scorer from the CSS calculation
Following the post match card scrutiny there was a three way tie so following a "countback" the top three were confirmed as-
In third place was Paul Marshall with 33 points (14 points back).
In second place came Eddie Harrison with 33 points (16 back).
The winner on the day was past Society Champion Frank Birch taking his first round win of the season also with 38 points (17 back).
The Longest Drive category once again went to Paul Imeson and the Nearest the Pin Category was won by Dave Sanders with a distance of 1.74m. There were two Two's carded at Bentham, one each by Paul Baker and Frank Birch.
WW17/8 - Kirby Lonsdale, Saturday 24/6/17
Kirby Lonsdale was also the first round of this season's Borders Championship please see that report HERE. After a pleasant drive out in the countryside the 21 Members who made the trip across the Pennines gathered in the clubhouse ready for the off. Some prepared by taking on some food while others decided a spot of "re-hydration" was in order by way of a pint of lager or cider!
I remembered most of the course once we got underway and I was pleased to see it had lost none of it's charm since we last visited a year ago. In the week leading up to this event there had been record temperatures logged in the south of the country but it had been a little damper up here. At least on the day the weather held fair, not cracking the pavements but pleasant if a bit breezy. As before The course was in excellent condition though once again the rough was very unforgiving!
Now for the results of round 8, The Course Scratch Score (CSS) for this round was calculated as 29.
Total Score |
Players
|
Average score
|
CSS |
580*
|
20*
|
29.00
|
29
|
*Please remember we remove the lowest points score and scorer from the CSS calculation
Following the post match card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as-
In third place (on countback) was Mark Wilson with 33 points.
In second place, also with 33 points came Alan Welch.
And the winner of round 8 was Mike Murray with 37 points, his first round win of the season.
The Longest Drive category went to Paul Imeson and the Nearest the Pin Category was won by Andy Dodd with an estimated distance of 8.00m as someone managed to snap the tape measure! There was one Two were carded at Kirby Lonsdale by Alan Welch.
WW17/7 - Houghton, Saturday 17/6/17
What a difference a week makes, we were due to play Houghton on Saturday 10th June and, as was forecast it was raining and windy, not nice at all unless you are a duck (with the exception of our very own Ed "the duck" Harrison that is). Fast forward seven days and we had perfect conditions, beautiful warm sunshine and a slight breeze to cool things down a little. Houghton-le-Spring is the Wanderers second home and usually produces some impressive scores from the Houghton members using their course knowledge and as it turned out this happened again. Before the game there was a discussion as to whether the games played in the rain and wind last week should count if they couldn't play this weekend. In the end it was agreed they would as long as the scorecards were entered, which they were. This means Rico (33 points) and Bernie's (23 points) scores from last week will count.
As usual at Houghton the course was in excellent condition, the greens though they looked perfect were quite slow causing quite a few short missed putts. The rough, though not as bad as at the US Open at Erin Hill, was quite tough to escape from and as said above the weather was perfect for a nice walk in the countryside.
Now for the results of round 7, The Course Scratch Score (CSS) for this round was calculated as 31.
Total Score |
Players
|
Average score
|
CSS |
375*
|
12*
|
31.25
|
31
|
*Please remember we remove the lowest points score and scorer from the CSS calculation
Following the post match card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as-
In third place (on countback) was Derek Griffiths with 33 points.
In second place came Andy Trewick with 37 points.
The winner on the day was our resident Houghton "Pro" Jim Rooks with 38 points, his first round win of the season.
The Longest Drive category went to Andy Trewick and the Nearest the Pin Category was won by Jim Rooks with a respectable distance of 5.5m. There was one Two were carded at Houghton by Gordon Grant.
WW17/6 - Close House, Sunday 4/6/17
This was our first visit to what has rapidly become the premier golfing venue in the North East. There are two courses at Close House, The Colt, a championship standard layout which is to host the prestigious British Masters event later this year and the course we played The Filly. This was based on what was the original 18 hole course. On arrival you enter the course down a long tree lined drive then you are greeted by a very impressive clubhouse, making the whole experience feel special. Saying that at £15 for two bacon buttys a coffee and a tea I suppose it should feel special. We had an excellent turnout of 24 Society members for this event, our highest number so far this season. Even the weather on the day suited the occasion, mostly sunny, warm and calm with only the odd light shower, all in all a very pleasant day.
Now for the results of round 6, The Course Scratch Score (CSS) for this round was calculated as 29.
Total Score |
Players
|
Average score
|
CSS |
665*
|
23*
|
28.91
|
29
|
*Please remember we remove the lowest points score and scorer from the CSS calculation
The post match scorecard scrutiny took a little longer than usual, I think this was caused by the cards provided by the club being formatted horizontally not the usual vertically. I am putting this down as the reason for the unusually high number of minor errors, nothing serious, it just took a bit of time to decipher some of the scores. Following the card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as-
In third place (on countback) was Dave Sanders with 33 points. Kevin Sirey also scored 33 points but had a weaker back nine score.
In second place came Steve Grant with 34 points.
It would appear that Cocken Lodge's Pro Doug Brolls bag of tricks were still working their magic as the winner taking his second win in succession was Derek Griffiths with 38 points.
The Longest Drive category went to Rico Liverani and the Nearest the Pin Category was also won by Rico with a distance of 57' 9" (17.6m) almost as long as his winning drive! Once again, as at Wearside the previous weekend, no Two's were carded at Close House.
WW17/5 - Wearside 1, Friday 26/5/17
This was our first of two visits to our home course this season, this round also doubled as our Team Challenge day, please see the separate report HERE for the details of that competition.
Thankfully the weather gods were much kinder than recent years for this event, the sun shone brightly all day and the afternoon breeze made the day even better. In the week leading up to the event I was concerned to hear from the club saying they needed to carry out some top dressing and surfacing work on the greens, thankfully they weren't too bad, just a little bobbly in places. We had an excellent turnout of 21 Society members and 2 guest players for this event and I think everyone enjoyed the day.
Now for the results of round 5, the Course Scratch Score (CSS) for this round was calculated as 27.
Total Score |
Players
|
Average score
|
CSS |
548*
|
20*
|
27.40
|
27
|
*Please remember we remove the lowest points score and scorer from the CSS calculation
Following the usual post match card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as-
In third place was Chris Hewison with 33 points.
In second place on countback came John Pringle also with 33 points.
And the winner, taking his first round win since 2015 was the newly retired Derek Griffiths with 35 points. Retirement obviously agrees with Derek as it has given him the opportunity to visit my old "Golf Guru" Doug Brolls at Cocken Lodge for a few lessons and they certainly appear to have done the trick!
The Longest Drive category went to John Pringle on his first Wanderers outing this season. The Nearest the Pin Category was won by Kevin Sirey 10.11m. One of our guest players, former Wearside member Derek Goldsmith both out drove and got closer to the pin but isn't Championship registered but still deserved a mention. After a flurry of Two's in recent games, normal service was resumed at Wearside with none carded.
WW2017 Team Challenge, Wearside, Friday 26/6/17
As most of you know the Wearside Wanderers Team Challenge event is our homage to the Ryder Cup with a pairs match on the morning followed by a singles game that also counts as a round towards our main Championship. In the past Castle Eden and Houghton-le-Spring have hosted this event along with this season's venue, our home course of Wearside. From this season on this event will alternate between Houghton and Wearside.
As last season was such a success we decided to keep the "Senior's versus Junior's" format for another year. The idea was to have players either side of 50 years old on each team, but once again there weren't enough "wrinklies" available on the day so we had to draft a couple of the young-un's into the Senior's team. In total we had 22 players signed up for the morning Pairs session (including two guest players, Scott Paxton and Derek Goldsmith) with another joining us after lunch to play the Championship match only.
The weather was nothing less than spectacular, warm, sunny and calm, the perfect way to spend a Friday, especially when you are away from work. The morning session was led out by the two team captains, Paul Marshall for the Seniors and Andy Trewick for the Juniors. With 6 points up for grabs the morning session was tight with the Seniors team edging it by by 4 points to 2.
Following a light lunch we headed back out into the glorious early summer sunshine for the eleven 18 hole "head to head" singles matches. Unlike last year at Houghton when it rained on the afternoon the weather held, if anything the cooling breeze made it better.
Once the matches were completed we gathered in the clubhouse for a hearty meal and refreshments. When the meal was over all that was left was for me to reveal the results of the afternoon games. The afternoon session results had swung either way with the overall result in the balance until the middle order took control for the Seniors team. Ironically the "honour" of winning the Team Challenge cup went to Steve Grant, one of the under 50's drafted into the Seniors team when he won his match making it 9 points to 5 in favour of the seniors with only 3 points left to play for. In the end the afternoon session finished 6 1/2 to 4 1/2 points in favour of the Seniors, meaning the overall winner with 10 1/2 points was the Seniors team led by Paul Marshall. Congratulations to them and commiserations go to the Juniors team led this year by the reining Society Champion Andy Trewick, who finished 4 points behind with a total of 6 1/2 points.
I hope everyone enjoyed the day and a big thank you to our guest players Derek Goldsmith & Scott Paxton who helped make this one of our best and closest Team Challenge events to date.
WW17/4 - Prudhoe, Sunday 14/5/17
The first time we played Prudhoe was back in 2014, we started off in dry sunny conditions but sadly it wasn't to last. Within an hour the storm clouds gathered and we were subjected to what could only be described as a monsoon with torrential rain, thunder and lightning. We quickly retreated to the club house and even when the thunder and lightning had stopped it was obvious play was over for the day as the greens were flooded so the event was abandoned and rescheduled for later.
Thankfully the weather gods were much kinder to us this visit, as our group of 22 players (21 members plus 1 guest) gathered in the clubhouse ready for the off the sun began to shine and it turned into a beautiful afternoon for a game of golf. The course, as most are at the moment after the unusually dry winter, was very fast and almost playing like a links course. When looking at the practice putting green I was a bit concerned thinking we may have a repeat of the previous round at Rothbury with uneven run but once out on the course they were fine. One of our group certainly had no problems on the short par 4 fifth hole when Bryan carded a two in spectacular fashion by getting an Eagle, surely an early contender for shot of the year?
Now for the results of round 4, the Course Scratch Score (CSS) for this round was calculated as 29.
Total Score |
Players
|
Average score
|
CSS |
584*
|
20*
|
29.20
|
29
|
*Please remember we remove the lowest points score and scorer from the CSS calculation
Following the usual post match card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as-
In third place was Gary West with 36 points.
In second place came Dave Coates with 37 points.
And the winner of the third round of the 2017 Championship, taking back to back wins was Craig English with an excellent total of 38 points.
The Longest Drive category went to Andy Dodd and the Nearest the Pin Category was won by John Ford with 6.57m. 3x Two's were carded, one each for John Ford, Rico Liverani & the excellent Eagle two from Bryan Mountford.
WW17/3 - Rothbury, Sunday 30/4/17
Rothbury is the first of three new courses this season. The course is located on the Coquet valley to the south of the scenic town of Rothbury, famous for the historic Cragside House and more recently for the police standoff with Raoul Moat ably assisted by Gazza and his fishing rod! One of our members even suggested we rename this gathering the "Raoul Moat Invitational Day" where everyone must bring a fishing rod, a chicken and a four pack of Kestrel Super Strength to the event then have a picnic down of the riverside after the game!
Considering the distance traveled we had a very healthy turnout of 18 members plus one guest. The weather was cool and quite windy but at least it stayed dry this time unlike the last round at South Shields. The course could have been in better condition, partly due to the time of year but mainly because the greens had recently been hollow tined making putting a lottery. It's a pity really as the course location was beautiful with the front nine snaking up and down the hillside above the clubhouse and the back nine running parallel to the river below.
Now for the results of round 3, the Course Scratch Score (CSS) for this round was calculated as 31.
Total Score |
Players
|
Average score
|
CSS |
520
|
17*
|
30.59
|
31
|
*Please remember we remove the lowest points score and scorer from the CSS calculation
Following the usual post match card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as-
In third place was Jim Rooks with 34 points.
In second place came Andy Dodd with 36 points.
And the winner of the third round of the 2017 Championship was Craig English with an excellent total of 39 points.
The Longest Drive category went to Paul Imeson and the Nearest the Pin Category was won by Dave Coates with 2.57m. 4x Two's were carded, one each for Frank Birch, Dave Coates, Craig English & John Ford.
WW17/2 - South Shields, Sunday 16/4/17
South Shields has quickly become a regular fixture on the Wanderers calendar as it's always in good condition regardless of the time of year. A healthy turnout of 20 members gathered in the clubhouse and were greeted by some old friends, Chris Smith, Dennis Williams and Mark Gibbons ready to cheer us off. As usual the weather played its part, as we started it was cool but calm and dry but there were ominous dark clouds on the horizon and sure enough within an hour they made their presence known. The rain, though not torrential, was persistent leaving us all wet and for the most part thoroughly miserable.
There are still two first round Aberdeen Shield matches still to play, Paul Marshall vs Mike Murray and John Ford vs John Pringle.
Now for the results of round 1, the Course Scratch Score (CSS) for this round was calculated as 30.
Total Score |
Players
|
Average score
|
CSS |
574
|
20
|
30.21
|
30
|
Following the usual post match card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as-
In third place (on countback) was Bryan Mountford with 35 points.
In second place came Mike Murray with 37 points.
And the winner of the second round of the 2017 Championship was Alan Welch with an excellent total of 39 points given the conditions.
The Longest Drive category went to Dave Sanders and the Nearest the Pin Category was won by Rico Liverani with 1.27m. Two's were carded, one each for Rico Liverani & Alan Welch.
WW17/1 - Cleveland Links, Sunday 2/4/17
In the past our season opener has been greeted with some horrendous weather conditions including gale force winds, heavy rain and even snow! so it was with trepidation I approached this game. Links courses by their geographical nature are susceptible to adverse weather but as it turned out we couldn't have played Cleveland in better conditions, sunny, calm and dry. Given the time of year the course was in excellent condition, especially the greens and we were given a very warm welcome by all in the clubhouse.
As defending Champion the honour of leading the group out went to Andy Trewick and so started the race for the 2017 Wanderers Championship and the honour of holding the Claret Jug.
There was one Aberdeen Shield match played at Cleveland, Jim Rooks was beaten 5&3 by Dave Watts, I bet Jim wished Dave had done the same as last season and went to the wrong course! There are two first round matches still to play, Paul Marshall vs Mike Murray and John Ford vs John Pringle.
Now for the results of round 1, the Course Scratch Score (CSS) for this round was calculated as 29.
Total Score |
Players
|
Average score
|
CSS |
645
|
22
|
29.32
|
29
|
Following the usual post match card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as-
In third place was Eddie Harrison with 37 points.
In second place came John Ford also with 37 points (on countback).
And the winner of the first round of the 2017 Championship was the pre-season bookies favourite Gordon Grant with an excellent score of 38 points. I hear PaddyPower and Coral's have already slashed his odds!
The Longest Drive category went to "Super" Kevin Sirey and the Nearest the Pin Category was won by Andy Trewick with 4.12m. Three Two's were carded, one each for John Ford, Dave Sanders & Alan Welsh.
WW2017 - Sharpley Pre season, Sunday 19/3/17
For this years pre season match we decided to use the gathering to play the first round of the Tim Aberdeen Memorial Shield competition. A healthy 23 members turned out to play including all of this seasons newcomers Andy Dodd, Chris Hewison, Paul Imeson, Steve Taylor and Gary West. We also welcomed back Kevin Sirey who has been a regular guest player over the years but has decided to join us fully this season. I hope all our newcomers enjoyed the day.
Sunday was a bit of a wild and blustery day but thankfully the heavy forecast rain was confined to one light shower so we got of relatively lightly. The course at Sharpley was in good condition for the time of year with the greens being quite fast as usual but a bit bumpy in places. There is quite a bit of work going on to improve the course, especially on the 8th and 16th holes, it will be interesting to see how it changes in the coming years.
Now for the results, combining the Aberdeen Shield (matchplay knockout) with a normal stableford strokeplay game caused quite a few problems. For the result of the eight Aberdeen Shield matches please click HERE. In the past we have used this pre season friendly game to assess the standard of our newcomers to try to ensure they start the season proper on the correct handicap. With this in mind we decided to cary out a handicap adjustment as we would after a normal round, this caused some concern from some members as we only decided to do this after the match was played.
Here are the top 3 -
3rd place - Alan Welsh, 35 points
2nd place - Eddie Harrison, 36 points
1st place - Chris Hewison, 39 points
We also decided to include this match in the season long "Two's Pot" competition, 2 players carded two's, one each for Bernie Fitzsimmon and Jim Rooks.
For the full result please click HERE.
Well that's the pre season game over, when we next meet it will be to start the serious business of finding the 2017 Wanderers Champion Golfer. Over the next seven months we will visit courses from Rothbury in the North East to Bentham in the South West, good luck to you all.
WW2017 - Late, Late Xmas Dinner, Saturday 18/2/17
For this years pre season gathering and Xmas dinner our social secretary Paul Baker chose the Motiraj Indian restaraunt in Sunderland center as the venue. A healthy seventeen members gathered in Fitzgeralds for drinkies before the meal including one of the three new members for 2017. Following feeding time our 2017 Captain Andy Trewick and Treasurer John Ford carried out the draw for the first round of the Aberdeen Shield competition. This will be played at the pre-season game at Sharpley, for the draw and further details please see the link on the left of this page.
Well that's the 2017 Society dinner over, our next meeting will be our pre-season warm up game at Sharpley on March 19th, I hope to see you all there.
