W.W.G.S.
WW2019 Season match reports
WW2019 - Season Report
Membership –
At the end of the 2018 season our Chairman and my fellow Society founder member Paul Marshall decided that due to work & family constraints he had to take a hiatus from the Society for now. This left us with the task of choosing his replacement as Society Chairman, thankfully long term member Jim Rooks stepped up to the plate and agreed to become Chairman. As for the membership itself, for 2019 we had 24 full members including Gary West's dad Les playing his first full season with us. We did have more than our fair share of injuries this year, starting at our first match at Ravensworth when Steve Grant, playing in his first full Society match in over a year, was on the receiving end of a wayward shot requiring a check over at hospital. Sadly this wasn't Steve's only medical problem as a reoccurrence of his long term back problem kept him out for the rest of the season and sadly may well have brought an end to his golfing career. A couple of weeks after Steve's problems Andy Trewick damaged his Achilles tendon ruling him out for three months. Then Tom McDonald had a major health scare, ruling him out for the rest of the season. As we headed towards the end of the season Joe Bell was sidelined after needed life saving surgery while away in Spain. Finally defending Champion Craig English was ruled out for the rest of the season after damaging his quadriceps. After a year like this I am thinking about contacting BUPA to see if we can get some sponsorship for next year!
Courses –
As we have all but exhausted the supply of local courses new to the Society, for the 2019 season we decided to visit some venues used in the past but not for some years. We did manage to squeeze in three new courses, Ravensworth, South Leeds & Woodhall Hills the latter two were part of our Weekend Away trip see below for more details. Weather wise the season was going great with just the odd shower during our events. That was right up until the final three matches when the golfing gods decided to throw us a curve ball. Our first attempt at playing Beamish had to be postponed due to the course being waterlogged, luckily it could be rearranged on the only spare weekend left available. Then the following weekend Durham City was rained off and as there was no time left we had to abandon that round. At least we managed to tee off on the rearranged Beamish match date despite the light drizzle. Sadly that was the best it got as the course had to be closed following a heavy shower after only playing 4 holes meaning the 2019 Championship would be over 14 rounds instead of the planned 16 this season. Even Finals Day was pretty much ruined by the weather as it rained almost all day making the course soggy to say the least, but at least we finished the round meaning the 2019 Championship was decided out on the course instead of in the clubhouse.
Rules & handicaps –
At the start of the 2019 season our sport's governing body, the Royal & Ancient totally revamped the official Rules of Golf. As a private Society we can have our own variations but they do for the most part adhere to the rules. The R&A have even pinched one of our Society rules, the “double drop” for a lost ball; I knew we should have copyrighted it! Our Society handicap system was tweaked slightly but remained basically the same as last year. The only significant change this season was to add a “win points bonus” which seemed popular, especially with the round winners!
Competitions –
The first of this season's Majors was the Weekend Away trip (AKA the Borders Championship). For this season we traveled to Yorkshire and were based in Leeds, playing South Leeds on the Saturday and Woodhall Hills on the Sunday. South Leeds would have been a very good course in the past but really needs an injection of cash to bring it back to its former glory. The greens in particular were very poor, it's the only course we have needed to play preferred lies on the greens! Saturday night in Leeds proved to be a little hectic, the combination of the number of students in the area and the UEFA Champions League final made getting into a local pub very difficult but we did manage it eventually. Following a good night's kip in the hotel overlooking Headingley Cricket Ground we took the short drive to Woodhall Hills Golf Club for our second round. Instantly we knew this was a far better course, with a great welcome and food combining with a very tough and challenging course making for a great day's competition. After two hard fought games the winner and custodian of The Claw for 2019 was Alan Welsh, taking his first Society Major win since joining us in 2014.
For 2019 our Team Challenge event was held at South Shields Golf Club and we used the single game format first adopted last year, it appeared to work well again. The two team captains were Chairman Jim Rooks & the new “pensioner” Eddie Harrison who had retired from the Fire Service the day before. The captains took charge of two teams of eight players with Eddie's team coming out victorious by five points to three.
Longest Drive category, this season there were four players going into the final round with a chance of winning, Andy Dodd, Bryan Mountford, Gary West & Dave Watts. In the end Dave became this year's winner with four round wins.
As usual the Nearest the Pin competition was a very close run thing eventually being decided by a distance of only 9mm! Five players went into the final round with a realistic chance of winning, Andy Dodd, Craig English, Bernie Fitzsimmon, Brian Slack & Gary West. The eventual winner was Brian Slack with 2 round wins and a shortest distance of 0.5m beating Craig English who also had 2 wins but a distance of 0.59m!
In the past the Two's Pot competition has been quite tight, usually being won by just one or two Two's. But this season we had a runaway winner in the shape of Andy Dodd who managed an excellent haul of 9 two's including three at Blyth alone (one on each par 3 hole!). The share value this year worked out at £5.50 per two so Andy put most of his winnings to good use by paying his 2020 Society subs to our Treasurer John!
The Birdie Bowl, as you would expect we had a lot more Birdies than Twos, 74 in total. The outcome was similar to the Two's pot above with Andy Dodd coming out the clear winner with 19 Birdie's. Jim Rooks finished second with 13 Two's, including an Eagle on the par 5 ninth hole at Stocksfield.
For our second Major, the Tim Aberdeen Memorial Shield we decided to continue with the Champions League style format adopted last year. This season we tweaked it slightly by increasing the numbers progressing from the league phase and expanding the knockout phase. On the whole this worked well but a little creative rule twisting was required mid competition that will need some clarification before next season. After all this the final was a hard fought battle between Dave Watts and Brian Slack in atrocious weather conditions at Sharpley Springs Golf Club the day before Finals Day with Dave Watts coming out victorious.
Now for the big one, the Main Championship and the race for the Claret Jug. In recent years there have been as many as seven players going into Finals day with a chance of winning but this season there were only three in with a realistic shot. Alan Welsh went into the final game leading by a single point from long time Championship leader Mark Wilson. Then Andy Dodd made up the top three a further point behind. After battling through the atrocious weather conditions at Wearside and a course that should really have been closed we have our new winner and Champion Golfer for 2019 Mark Wilson who took the title by one point from Alan Welsh with Andy Dodd a further point behind. That's your lot for another year, on behalf of the whole Society I would like to congratulate our new Champion Mark Wilson and all our other category winners.
I would also take this opportunity to thank our Corporate Sponsors Fred Stoddart Ltd, Total Construction (NE) Ltd and Josephs Interiors Ltd their support throughout the season, without their financial assistance we would not have been able to deliver the program did at the same cost to you all. Finally I would like to thank the two “Paul's” (Marshall & Baker) of DESCO Ltd for their kind sponsorship of our Finals Day event. For further information on all our Corporate Sponsors please go to our Sponsors page.
Finally, a very big thank you to all our members and guest players who have supported the Society this year and let's hope for more of the same when we meet up again in early 2020 to start what is our 18th season.
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WW19/16 - DESCO Wearside Finals Day, Sunday 20/10/19
After two wash outs we gathered in the clubhouse at Wearside in hope rather than expectation especially given the heavy rain the day before and the ominous dark clouds gathering above. Thankfully the course remained open and we managed to complete the season out on the course rather than in the clubhouse. Please see above for the full season report.
I have to be honest and say that if this wasn't the final round of our season there is no way I would have played, these were by far the worst conditions I have ever played golf in over 30 years. The usually immaculate course was very wet under foot and quite a few of us, myself included lost our footing and ended up on the deck. The rain continued on and off all match making playing almost impossible but it would appear we have a new rain master in the shape of Eddie Harrison who certainly made the best of the conditions.
As a soggy bunch of Wanderers gathered in the club house the general consensus was the course shouldn't have been open but at least it meant we managed to finish the season the correct way, out on the course!
Now for the results of our final gathering of the season. Following the post match card scrutiny the results were confirmed as follows -
Category |
Player(s) |
Score |
Round winner |
Eddie Harrison |
41pts* |
2nd place |
Dave Sanders |
31pts |
3rd place |
Bryan Mountford (on countback) |
30pts |
Longest Drive |
Dave Watts |
win |
Nearest Pin |
Derek Griffiths |
2.72m |
Two's |
Dave Coates & Mark Wilson |
1x each |
Birdies |
Dave Coates & Mark Wilson |
1x each |
* Including 5 point top or joint top scorers bonus.
If you take a look at the league table HERE you will see just how tight the battle for the Claret Jug was this year with three points covering the top three players. A fitting end to a great season.
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WW19/15 - Beamish Park, Sunday 13/10/19
We had originally planned to play at Beamish two weeks previous but due to heavy overnight rain the course was closed before we got there, hence the re-arranged date. This time we did at lease manage to tee off but what started as light rain quickly turned into a torrential downpour. As our first group reached the 5th green the club Professional had no choice but to close the course as the greens were rapidly flooding. So we gathered in the club house in the vain hope that the rain would stop quickly but it wasn't to be therefore we had no option but to abandon the game.
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WW19/14 - Durham City, Sunday 6/10/19
ROUND CANCELLED AS COURSE WAS CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING.
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WW19/13 - South Shields, Sunday 15/9/19
South Shields is a regular on the Wanderers calendar having played it eight times in the past nine years. Whenever we visit South Shields we always get a warm and friendly welcome off our friend and club stalwart Chris Smith. This year was no exception with Chris seeing our party off on the first tee and also staying to chat after the games were finished.
Weather wise In the past we have seen everything from glorious sunshine to hailstones and gale force winds so it's no surprise this year it played a hand. While the south of the country basked in beautiful sunshine we in the north had to contend with squally showers and a very brisk, cold wind.
You would expect the weather conditions would hold the scores down but not a bit of it with six players breaking the magic 36 point mark including our returning guest Paul Baker who made up the numbers for our Team Challenge event (click HERE for further details and the results).
Now for the main results. Following the post match card scrutiny the results were confirmed as follows -
Category |
Player(s) |
Score |
Round winner |
Andy Dodd |
46pts* |
2nd place |
Jim Rooks |
39pts |
3rd place |
Mark Wilson |
38pts |
Longest Drive |
Andy Dodd |
win |
Nearest Pin |
Andy Dodd |
1.4m |
Two's |
Andy Dodd |
2x |
Birdies |
Andy Dodd Dave Coates & Dave Sanders. |
3x 1x |
* Including 5 point top or joint top scorers bonus.
If you take a look at the league table HERE you will see it's now very tight at the top with three points covering the top three players so it's still all to play for.
WW2019 - Team Challenge Day, South Shields, Sunday 15/9/19
As most of you know the Wearside Wanderers Team Challenge event is our homage to the Ryder Cup. In the past the format was a 9 hole pairs match on the morning followed by a 18 hole singles game on the afternoon. Last year we scaled it down by removing the morning game and as this proved popular we kept things the same this year. This year, the two teams of eight players were decided by where we sat in the clubhouse Team A was captained by Jim Rooks and Team B was captained by the newly retired Eddie Harrison.
Team A comprised of - Jim Rooks (captain), Andy Trewick, Dave Watts, John Ford, Paul Baker, Bryan Mountford, Dave Coates & Ian Gunn.
Team B, comprised of - Eddie Harrison (captain), Mark Wilson, Dave Sanders, Alan Welch, Andy Dodd, Derek Griffiths, Gary West & Bernie Fitzsimmon.
The weather could have been a lot better, but it also could have been an awful lot worse as the forecast was for heavy rain & high winds. as it was it was cool and breezy with a few showers.
Once the matches were completed we gathered in the clubhouse to await the results as they came in. The matches swung either way with Eddie's team taking an early lead by winning the first three points then Jim's team fought back winning the next two points. When Dave Sanders won match 6 for Eddie that made them 4 points to two and the writing was on the wall for Jim's team. When I won match 7 it was still all to play for as the the match could still be drawn. Fittingly the honour of winning the Team Challenge event for 2019 went to captain Eddie who won a very hard fought match against Paul Baker by 1 point.
In the end the competition finished 5 to 3 in favour of Team B meaning the winning captain was Eddie Harrison. Congratulations to them and commiserations go to Team A and their leader Jim. Thanks to all who took part, especially Paul Baker for making up the numbers at short notice.
Singles match results
Match |
Team A |
Points |
Points |
Team B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Dave Coates |
31 |
41 |
Andy Dodd |
2 |
Bryan Mountford |
26 |
36 |
Bernie Fitzsimmon |
3 |
John Ford |
34 |
38 |
Mark Wilson |
4 |
Jim Rooks (C) |
39 |
25 |
Alan Welch |
5 |
Dave Watts |
36 |
29 |
Gary West |
| 6 | Andy Trewick |
30 |
37 |
Dave Sanders |
| 7 | Ian Gunn
|
31 |
25 |
Derek Griffiths |
| 8 | Paul Baker
|
36 |
37 |
Eddie Harrison (C) |
Team A Total |
3 |
5 |
Team B Total |
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WW19/12 - Brancepeth, Saturday 31/8/19
Brancepeth is considered by many to be the best and also one of the toughest courses in the North East. It starts so innocuously with a gentle 330 yard downhill par 4. But that just lulls you into a false sense of security as it really does go down hill from there with a testing par 3 across a gully to a very narrow green. From there it just gets tougher culminating with the 350 yard 18th, driving across a gully then a long hard uphill climb to the green, a real leg wrecker after a long hard round!
The turnout for this round improved significantly with 16 Members making the trip up the Wear valley. We also had a guest on the day with the welcome return of former Champion Paul Baker making a guest appearance. The turnout was surprisingly high given we have lost another 3 members, Tom, Craig and Joe to long term injury or illness over the last few weeks, we wish them all a speedy recovery & hope to see them again soon.
As for the golf, as we have become accustomed to the course at Brancepeth was in excellent condition, especially the greens. We were also lucky with the weather as the rain forecast all week failed to materialise though it was quite breezy at times. We also have another contender for shot of the year when your's truly chipped in a blind shot of about 65 yards from the ditch on the 4th hole. I also managed to card a birdie, my first birdie with the society for a long time!
Now for the results. Following the post match card scrutiny the results were confirmed as follows -
Category |
Player(s) |
Score |
Round winner |
Gary West |
39pts* |
2nd place |
Dave Sanders |
33pts |
3rd place |
Dave Watts |
30pts |
Longest Drive |
Bryan Mountford |
win |
Nearest Pin |
Bernie Fitzsimmon |
12.9m |
Two's |
Gary West |
1x |
Birdies |
Andy Dodd, Ian Gunn, Andy Trewick, Dave Watts & Gary West. |
1x each |
* Including 5 point top or joint top scorers bonus.
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WW19/11 - Stocksfield, Sunday 4/8/19
Stocksfield really is the proverbial "course of two halves". The front nine holes are are tight and technical being well defined by mature trees and the odd stream running across the fairways just to keep you on your toes. The back nine holes are far more open and give the bigger hitters amongst our ranks the chance to really open their shoulders.
The turnout for this round improved significantly with 14 Members making the trip up the Tyne valley including the welcome return of Andy Trewick following a four month lay off with a torn Achilles tendon. At one point it looked like the weather was going to throw a spanner in the works with thunderstorms forecast for the afternoon. Thankfully they stayed away with only the odd rumble of thunder in the distance and we managed to complete the round and get home before the storms arrived in ernest on the evening.
There were a couple of things to note, firstly Jim carding an Eagle 3 on the 465 yard, par 5, 9th hole. Secondly we have a potential contender for shot of the year from Bernie when he chipped in from a bunker, well done to both of them.
Now for the results. Following the post match card scrutiny the results were confirmed as follows -
Category |
Player(s) |
Score |
Round winner |
Derek Griffiths |
47pts* |
2nd place |
Dave Sanders |
36pts |
3rd place |
Dave Coates (on countback) |
31pts |
Longest Drive |
Alan Welsh |
win |
Nearest Pin |
Bernie Fitzsimmon |
4.64m |
Two's |
None Carded |
|
Birdies |
Jim Rooks (Eagle 3) |
1x |
* Including 5 point top or joint top scorers bonus.
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WW19/10 - Whickham, Sunday 21/7/19
As I couldn't play due to illness and can only go on what I was told this report will be a short one.
From memory Whickham is a tricky mature parkland course and looking at the cards it would appear my memory was correct with scores ranging from 22 to 38 points.
For the second round in a row we had a pretty poor turnout with only nine members making the trip, we couldn't blame the weather with warm pleasant sunshine once again. Maybe it was something to do with a little event going on over the Irish Sea?
Now for the results. Following the post match card scrutiny the results were confirmed as follows -
Category |
Player(s) |
Score |
Round winner |
Gordon Grant |
43pts* |
2nd place |
John Ford |
36pts |
3rd place |
Les West |
31pts |
Longest Drive |
Bryan Mountford |
win |
Nearest Pin |
Craig English |
0.59m |
Two's |
Craig English |
1x |
Birdies |
Craig English & Alan Welsh |
1x |
* Including 5 point top or joint top scorers bonus.
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WW19/9 - Blyth, Sunday 14/7/19
The pleasant mature parkland course of Blyth has quickly become a firm favourite on the Wanderers calendar which is why I was surprised at the low turn out. With only 11 Wanderers turning out this is the poorest attendance so far this season. The reason may be it coincided with the Cricket World Cup final, the British Grand Prix as well as the Wimbledon men's final. Quite a day for sport which may explain both the poor turnout and the lack of Sky TV camera's at our event!
The course on the whole was in very good condition though the fairways were in need of some rain with dry bare patches in places. The greens were excellent. In the past Blyth has been quite a high scoring round but for some unexplained reason that wasn't so this visit. We certainly can't blame the weather with warm pleasant sunshine and just nice a cooling breeze at times.
Now for the results. Following the post match card scrutiny the results were confirmed as follows -
Category |
Player(s) |
Score |
Round winner |
Alan Welsh |
38pts* |
2nd place |
Dave Watts |
30pts |
3rd place |
Andy Dodd (on countback) |
28pts |
Longest Drive |
Dave Watts |
win |
Nearest Pin |
Brian Slack |
0.5m |
Two's |
Andy Dodd Brian Slack |
3x 1x |
Birdies |
Andy Dodd Brian Slack |
3x 1x |
* Including 5 point top or joint top scorers bonus.
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WW19/8 - Houghton, Saturday 29/6/19
Houghton is the Wanderers second home with nine of this season's Society members also being members here. Usually the round winner comes from the massed ranks of Houghton members who have an obvious home advantage playing on the tricky undulating Houghton greens but occasionally we get an "outsider" winning as happened this season.
The course was in excellent condition, the greens especially good, though the rough was brutal in places. After talking to Jim Rooks he confirmed the course was being prepared for the Club Championships in a couple of weeks and it showed. Though he also mentioned there had been some comments from the "normal" members about the rough, so it wasn't just me whining! The weather was beautiful warm, dry and almost still though it was very humid meaning those who weren't feeling up to par would struggle towards the end of the round.
Now for the results. Following the post match card scrutiny the results were confirmed as follows -
Category |
Player(s) |
Score |
Round winner |
Mark Wilson |
47pts* |
2nd place |
Craig English |
40pts |
3rd place |
Eddie Harrison (on countback) |
38pts |
Longest Drive |
Andy Dodd |
win |
Nearest Pin |
Craig English |
11.4m |
Two's |
Joe Bell & Andy Dodd |
1x each |
Birdies |
Eddie Harrison & Jim Rooks Joe Bell & Andy Dodd Craig English & Dave Watts |
3x 2x 1x each |
* Including 5 point top or joint top scorers bonus.
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WW19/7 - Tyneside, Sunday 16/6/19
After a year away the Wanderers returned to this beautiful parkland course overlooking the river Tyne. In the past Tyneside has never let us down condition wise and this visit was no exception. Even given the very heavy and persistent rain during the previous week the course was excellent, especially the greens, by far the best we have played on this season so far. A good indicator was the fact I heard nothing but positive comments from the 18 members who turned out for this event.
As mentioned above the weather almost put the mockers on our visit but unlike some other courses we visit Tyneside drains very well so the heavy rain caused us no major problems. On the day there were a couple of very sharp and heavy showers but thankfully they blew over quickly and once over the sun came out to dry us off.
Now for the results. Following the post match card scrutiny the results were confirmed as follows -
Category |
Player(s) |
Score |
Round winner |
Alan Welsh (on countback) |
42pts* |
2nd place |
Dave Coates |
42pts* |
3rd place |
Bryan Mountford |
36pts |
Longest Drive |
Gary West |
win |
Nearest Pin |
Gary West |
2.52m |
Two's |
Dave Coates |
1x |
Birdies |
Joe Bell, Dave Coates, Andy Dodd, Craig English, Derek Griffiths, Bryan Mountford, Jim Rooks, Alan Welsh & Gary West |
1x each |
* Including 5 point top or joint top scorers bonus.
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2019 Borders Championship, Sat & Sun 1-2/6/19
For this years Weekend Away trip we chose the short trip down the A1 to the Leeds area. The courses chosen were South Leeds and Woodhall Hills golf clubs and our base for the trip was the Headingley area of Leeds.
South Leeds
On the Wednesday before the trip I was contacted by the club with some disappointing news about the course. The club Professional had left and there were some major problems with the course itself, especially the greens. That was the downside, the upside was as we gathered in the club house we were treated to some excellent bacon baguettes though to be honest that was the highlight of the visit.
The course layout was very good with some beautiful looking holes and it was obviously an excellent course in it's day. Sadly that was quite a few years ago and it desperately needs a lot of investment to return it to it's former glory.
Following the golf we headed off to the Headingley Lodge Hotel, our base for the weekend and checked in to our suites overlooking the Headingley Cricket Ground. After a quick wash & change we took a walk into Headingley to find somewhere to eat and a nice quiet pub to watch the UEFA Champions League Final. That would turn out to be easier said than done as it appeared the whole population of Leeds especially the students had the same idea! After finding a local Greek restaurant to get something to eat we took a taxi down into the centre of Leeds and finally found a pub showing the game on 10 or more TV screens dotted around the building.
Now I am not implying there was any knobbing of the day 1 leader Gary going on but I did see a certain player who shall remain nameless (OK it was Joe) literally forcing poor Gary to drink Jagerbomb's. To be fair to Joe I didn't see Gary putting up much of a fight. Once the footy was over some went back to the hotel for some well earned kip while others decided to sample one of Leeds legendary curry houses and have another couple of beers.
Woodhall Hills
Sunday morning dawned overcast but mostly dry as we made our way to Woodhall Hills Golf Club for the second and final round of the 2019 Borders Championship. As soon as we arrived we could tell this was a far better organised and maintained club and course. As part of the deal we arranged a full breakfast on arrival and a full breakfast it certainly was with bacon, sausage tomato, egg, mushrooms, beans and toast washed down with as much tea or coffee you wanted (and even the offer of a pint for anyone who wanted one!).
The breakfast was much needed as even from the clubhouse it was obvious this was going to be a tough, hilly course. Originally I had booked two buggies but the Pro only had us down for one. Following some checks and discussions it appeared they had mixed our group with a later party (who had booked one, but then asked for two on the morning) so all was sorted, if a little rushed. There was NO way I would have made it round if I was walking especially the way I was playing but more about that later.
Once our round was over John & Craig were sent out to with the buggies to act as a taxi service for a couple of our members who were struggling a bit fighting off the local mountain goat's on the hill sides. Thankfully they were rescued and once everyone was safely back in the clubhouse we all tucked into an excellent and much needed Sunday dinner which really hit the spot, ready for the drive home.
Borders Champion
Now for the main reason for the trip, the golf and the answer to who will be the recipient of the Claw for 2019. With only two rounds counting the Borders Championship event is usually a very tight run affair and this year was no exception with 5 points covering the top seven places. Click HERE for the full results. Here are the top four -
In fourthplace with 62 points (38+24) was Gary West.
In third place after a tiebreaker, with 63 points (31+32) was Joe Bell.
In second place with 63 points (27+36) was Gordon Grant.
And the winner and 2019 Borders Champion taking the honour of being the guardian of The Claw for this year with a total of 64 points (27+37) was Alan Welsh.
Now for the wooden spoon which this year went to your's truly (Ian) after what could only be described as a truly abysmal performance scoring a paltry 28 points, OK maybe next year!
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WW19/6 - Woodhall Hills, Sunday 2/6/19
Our second course for this years Weekend Away was Woodhall Hills Golf Club and as soon as we arrived it was obviously a far better run and maintained course. The greens were good if difficult to read at times and the layout was challenging but fair as the rough was just deep enough to stop the ball but not so deep that the ball disappears One thing quickly became apparent, it wasn't an easy walking course with some very steep climbs and long walks from green to tee. Thankfully unlike South Leeds there were reasonable signs and directions making navigating the course far easier. As the pervious day the weather was good with a bit of more breeze and couple of very light showers. The sun even broke through a few times making it feel very pleasant when out of the breeze.
Now for the results. Following the post match card scrutiny the results were confirmed as follows -
Category |
Player(s) |
Score |
Round winner |
Alan Welsh |
42pts* |
2nd place |
Gordon Grant |
36pts |
3rd place |
Joe Bell |
22pts |
Longest Drive |
Derek Griffiths |
win |
Nearest Pin |
Alan Welsh |
4.55m |
Two's |
Dave Coates & Alan Welsh |
1x each |
Birdies |
Dave Coates, Gordon Grant, Derek Griffiths & Alan Welsh |
1x each |
* Including 5 point top or joint top scorers bonus.
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WW19/5 - South Leeds, Saturday 1/6/19
Firstly the good parts, the layout of the course at South Leeds was good (apart from having to cross a VERY busy road that is) with some very challenging and scenic holes. That along with the pre match bacon baguette were sadly the only positives. Now for the bad. After 17 years and 97 different venues South Leeds was by far the worst condition course we have ever played. There were no direction signs or arrows leaving those unused to the course to guess where the next tee was. On the tee boxes (when you eventually located it) there was only one indicator block meaning we were open to play the full width of the tee ground. Finally other than for standing water it's the first time we have ever needed to play "preferred Lies" on a green! I am sure there were more things to mention but that will do for now. All I can say is one bad venue in 97 is a reasonable ratio. One final positive, other than the odd quick shower the weather played ball being calm and warm, it would have really capped the day off if it had been chucking it down as well!
Now for the results. Following the post match card scrutiny the results were confirmed as follows -
Category |
Player(s) |
Score |
Round winner |
Gary West |
43pts* |
2nd place |
Joe Bell |
31pts |
3rd place |
Dave Watts (on countback) |
30pts |
Longest Drive |
Jim Rooks |
win |
Nearest Pin |
Jim Rooks |
15.6m |
Two's |
Dave Sanders |
1x |
Birdies |
John Ford, Jim Rooks, Dave Sanders & Gary West |
1x each |
* Including 5 point top or joint top scorers bonus.
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WW19/4 - Tynemouth, Sunday 19/5/19
Tynemouth is a bit of a hidden gem of a course being set just a stones throw from the coast you would expect it to be "links" in nature but it's more of a parkland course. This is our third visit, we came here last year and the previous visit was way back in 2006. The course itself was in excellent condition though the greens were quite slow, overall the comments were positive.
On arrival and while sitting in the clubhouse waiting for our tee slot the weather was beautiful with unbroken warm sunshine. But the moment the Wanderers gathered on the tee the clouds rolled over and the temperature dropped but thankfully it didn't rain.
Now for the all important results. Following the post match card scrutiny the results were confirmed as follows -
Category |
Player(s) |
Score |
Round winner |
Craig English |
42pts* |
2nd place |
Brian Slack (on countback) |
42pts* |
3rd place |
Bernie Fitzsimmon (on countback) |
42pts* |
Longest Drive |
Dave Watts |
win |
Nearest Pin |
Brian Slack |
0.62m |
Two's |
Andy Dodd |
1x |
Birdies |
Andy Dodd Jim Rooks & Brian Slack |
3x 1x |
* Including 5 point top or joint top scorers bonus.
----------
WW19/3 - Woodham, Sunday 5/5/19
This is our second visit to this parkland course set on the outskirts of Newton Aycliffe, our first was way back in 2011 when the course was almost waterlogged. Since then a small fortune has been spent on improving the drainage and the course in general. Given the previous history the course was in very good condition and it would appear the money has been well spent. The only negative comments were about the greens, they were a bit fluffy in places leading to inconsistent putts, I suppose you can't win them all.
The weather could have been better for the 19 members who braved the unseasonably cold afternoon but mercifully it didn't rain. The comment of the day came from one of my playing partners who shall remain nameless - "You know it would be warm if the sun came out" I think I will just leave that little gem there....
Now for the all important results. Following the post match card scrutiny the results were confirmed as follows -
Category |
Player(s) |
Score |
Round winner |
Andy Dodd |
44pts* |
2nd place |
Tom McDonald |
36pts |
3rd place |
Jim Rooks |
35pts |
Longest Drive |
Dave Sanders |
win |
Nearest Pin |
Andy Dodd |
1.95m |
Two's |
Andy Dodd Dave Watts |
2x 1x |
Birdies |
Andy Dodd Jim Rooks Dave Watts |
4x 2x 1x |
* Including 5 point top or joint top scorers bonus.
----------
WW19/2 - Newbiggin, Easter Monday 22/4/19
This is our third visit to this scenic links course set on the Northumberland coastline and 17 members turned out for this Easter Monday match. Thankfully the weather was beautiful with glorious sunshine, pleasant temperatures and only a light breeze making it the perfect day for links golf.
Given the early time of year the course was in very good condition and probably playing at it's easiest as the rough between fairways has not had time to fully grow yet. With the fairways so dry the ball got a lot of run and Joe Bell took full advantage by driving the 320 yard semi blind seventh hole, a more conventional contender for shot of the year following my effort at Ravensworth!
Now for the all important results. Following the post match card scrutiny the results were confirmed as follows -
Category |
Player(s) |
Score |
Round winner |
Andy Dodd |
45pts* |
2nd place |
Alan Welsh (on countback) |
39pts |
3rd place |
Joe Bell |
39pts |
Longest Drive |
Gary West |
win |
Nearest Pin |
Gordon Grant |
5.11m |
Two's |
No winner |
|
Birdies |
Jim Rooks Joe Bell John Ford, Steve Rudd, Dave Sanders, Brian Slack & Andy Trewick |
3x 2x 1x each |
* Including 5 point top or joint top scorers bonus.
----------
WW19/1 - Ravensworth, Sunday 7/4/19
For the first round of the 2019 season we visited the first of 3 new courses to the society this year. Ravensworth is a scenic parkland course set on the hillside high above Team Valley with some beautiful views over the surrounding countryside and the Angel of the North. Sadly the weather didn't play ball with overcast and damp conditions, which, along with recently hollow tined greens meant we didn't see the best of the course.
A healthy 19 out of this season's 24 members and one guest player turned out for the season opener including our new member Les West (Gary's dad) and two returning members (Tom McDonald and Paul Rawlinson). In time honoredtradition we all gathered round ready to cheer off the reining WWGS Champion Craig English who took to the tee first to start the defence of his crown.
I would like to say the round went smoothly but sadly it didn't. Steve Grant, playing his first game for almost two years took a bump on the bonce by a wayward golf ball struck by myself. Of course the ball ricoched out of bounds so no bad deed went unpunished. After a trip to the hospital to get checked over Steve was released with a large lump on the head and a stonking headache but thankfully no major injuries. Needless to say there were quite a few comments passed including "at least it missed his brain by almost 6 foot" and "well that's an early contender for Shot of the Year". No doubt my hand will pay the price the next time Steve shakes it and I will end up looking like Jeremy Beadle!
Now for the all important results. Following the post match card scrutiny the results were confirmed as follows -
Category |
Player(s) |
Score |
Round winner |
Bryan Mountford |
44pts* |
2nd place |
Mark Wilson |
44pts* |
3rd place |
Tom McDonald |
35pts |
Longest Drive |
Dave Watts |
win |
Nearest Pin |
Gary West |
8.33m |
Two's |
Mark Wilson |
1x Two |
Birdies |
Andy Dodd, Jim Rooks & Mark Wilson |
1x each |
* Including 5 point "Win" (or joint top scorers) bonus.
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WW19 - Pre-season gathering, Saturday 23/3/19
For this year's season opener we visited the Wanderers second home, Houghton-le-Spring Golf Club. We were intending to run a Texas Scramble match but due to the low numbers we just had a normal game.
On Arrival at the clubhouse I was greeted by the sight of Joe Bell wearing shorts! Please remember this is Houghton in March not St Tropez in July. Needless to say Joe quickly regretted his choice of attire and decided to call it a day after the 4th hole. This was a sensible choice given he was beginning to suffer from frostbite! With Joe dropping out that left seven hardy souls playing on what turned out to be a pleasant, if chilly Saturday afternoon. In all honesty I have played Houghton in worse weather conditions in the summertime!
As you can see from the scores below it was quite a tight game, if you take Brian "El-Gringo" Slack out of the equation that is, with 2 points covering second to seventh place. Congratulations go to Brian on his six point winning margin. Oh, and no Brian, you can't play off 22 at the start of the season proper at Ravensworth in two weeks time like you wanted to today!
Position |
Player |
Points |
H/C |
Tiebreaker |
1 |
Brian Slack |
40 |
17 |
|
2 |
Derek Griffiths |
34 |
25 |
|
3 |
Dave Watts |
32 |
20 |
1 |
4 |
Jim Rooks |
32 |
8 |
2 |
5 |
John Ford |
32 |
12 |
3 |
6 |
Bernie Fitzsimmon |
32 |
28 |
4 |
7 |
Ian Gunn |
32 |
28 |
5 |
Well that's the fun bit over for another year, from now on it gets serious with round 1 of the 2019 Wanderers season at Ravensworth in a couple of weeks time. Hope to see you all there to begin the season long battle for the Claret Jug once again.
