W.W.G.S.
WW2023 - Season Report
Season overview -
Back in 2020 & 2021 the Wanderers seasons were disrupted by the COVID19 Pandemic. Jump forward two years and this year was disrupted by another outside influence we have no control over, this time the weather! At the start of the season following a lot of hard work by Derek Griffiths, Mark Wilson & myself we had planned to run a 16 round season. This included a Weekend Away trip to Northumberland but as the saying goes “the best laid plans of mice and men” usually go astray and this season was no exception.
Things started to go awry even before we had played our first match. We were due to play Morpeth but the very wet winter and more heavy rain in the days before our visit meant the course was waterlogged. After some phoning around we managed to relocate the match to Newbiggin, being a costal course it's rarely closed, the downside was the strong cold wind coming straight off the North Sea. A few weeks later we had our annual Weekend Away trip, this year just a nice short drive up the Northumberland coast to play Dunstanbrough and Alnmouth golf clubs, staying in Foxton Hall hotel. The Saturday at Dunstanbrough went well with a lovely sunny, warm & calm day. Sadly the same could not be said about the Sunday as when we rose for breakfast the course was totally fog bound and it was obvious we would not be playing there. Thankfully the staff at Foxton had an agreement with Burgham Park 15 miles down the A1 so at least we got a game in.
You would have thought that summer would give us a break and the weather would improve, but we should have known better. Our early summer match at Whitburn had to be abandoned after seven holes when a severe thunderstorm and half inch hailstones closed the course on safety grounds. We did manage to reschedule Whitburn for the following weekend. Sadly the same couldn't be said about our visit to Stocksfield later in the year. After starting off in glorious sunshine dark clouds quickly gathered with some ominous distant rumbles of thunder. By the time we had all played the ninth hole the heavens had opened and thunder & lightning once again caused the course to be closed on safety grounds. There was no time left to rearrange Stocksfield so, as all players had reached the half way point, I decided to declare a result by multiplying all players front nine scores by two.
It wasn't all plain sailing (pun intended!) from then either, the rounds at Tyneside and Bedlington had to be rearranged due to waterlogged courses. Thankfully they could both be rescheduled but we finally ran out of luck at Houghton Finals Day, sadly the course was closed thanks to three days of torrential rain caused by Storm Babet. At such a late stage in the season there was no time left to rearrange so we called it a day declaring the season results final after round fifteen at Bedlington.
Membership –
For 2023 we had 26 full paid up Members and had an average attendance of just over 16 members and/or guests playing each round. As usual we welcomed the odd guest player at some events throughout the season.
Courses –
After 21 seasons it is becoming increasingly difficult to find new local courses the Society haven't visited yet. This year we had planned to visit two new courses, Alnmouth & Gosforth Park (or Parklands as it used to be known). As previously mentioned Alnmouth had to be called off due to the foggy conditions on our Weekend Away trip so Gosforth Park was our only new course this year. We did manage to include a few courses that we hadn't visited for a good few years along with some regulars we play almost every year. At his point I must say a big thank you to Derek Griffiths and Mark Wilson for all their hard work in contacting and arranging the courses at the start of the season.
Rules & handicaps –
Following the introduction of the R&A World Handicap System a couple of years ago I looked into ways we could incorporate it in our Society structure without upsetting the balance too much. The system we adopted involved using our individual Society handicaps as the Player Index then using a website to calculate individual WHS handicaps based on the course slope and rating. We still kept our maximum 28 H/C rule and I adjusted individual Players handicaps before each round. For most of our higher handicap players their playing handicap increased but for the lower handicap players they sometimes dropped. This didn't seem to affect the overall outcome greatly as the 2023 Society Champion turned out to be the player with the lowest Player handicap, therefore was the best player throughout the season.
Competitions –
For the first time since the COVID Pandemic we were able to run a full schedule of competitions including the Tim Aberdeen Shield knockout competition, Borders Championship, Longest Drive, Nearest the Pin, Two's Pot & Birdie Bowl. We also introduced a new category, the Three Rivers Trophy, a competition comprising of the scores gained at the following “Riverside” courses, Tyneside, Teesside & Wearside .
Two's Pot –
A total of 15 Two's were carded throughout the season who shared a prize pot of £116 (rounded up to £120, making £8 per share). The winner of this season's Two's Pot, with a total of three Two's was Gordon Grant.
Birdie Bowl –
The winner of this season's Birdie Bowl, with a total of thirteen Birdies was Andy Dodd.
Nearest the Pin –
The winner of the Nearest the Pin category for 2023, with three round wins was Andy Dodd.
Longest Drive –
The winner of the Longest Drive category for 2023, with four round wins was Andy Trewick.
Three Rivers Trophy –
We had used this format before to produce a recipient for the Borders Championship during COVID when we were unable to run a Weekend Away trip but this was the first season this category gained its own trophy. Following the matches at Teesside, Tyneside & Wearside the winner and first recipient of the trophy was Steve Grant with a total of 100 points.
Borders Championship –
The first of our three "Majors" this season was the Borders Championship played on the Weekend Away trip to Northumberland in May as mentioned before. After two hard fought games the result was very tight with just xxx points covering the top 3. The Borders Champion and recipient of The Claw for 2023 with a total of 69 points was Gary West, taking his first Society Major win.
Tim Aberdeen Shield –
The second of our "Majors" was the Tim Aberdeen Memorial Shield. As used during the previous season we continued with the League then Knockout format. Following hard fought and very tight League then Knockout phases it all came down to the final between defending Aberdeen Shield Champion Alan Welsh and Dave Coates. The final was due to be played at Houghton Finals Day but had to be cancelled due to the weather, the two finalists agreed to play the match over the winter, before the 2024 season starts.
Main Championship –
Finally, we have the Main Championship and the battle for our Claret Jug. The issues with the weather and cancellation of Finals Day mentioned above meant our season was reduced to 15 rounds (instead of the usual 16). There were five players who lead the Championship at some point throughout the season but by the time we reached round 12 at Tyneside, barring a major upset, it was obvious there was only going to be one winner. After what turned out to be the last round of the 2023 season the final top three were –
In third place on 330 points came Bryan Mountford.
In second place came Gordon Grant with 343 points.
The winner and our Champion Gofer for the 2023 season was Andy Dodd with a total of 351 points.
On behalf of the Society Membership I would like to congratulate our 2023 Champions, Andy Dodd (Main Championship), Gary West (Borders Championship), Steve Grant (Three Rivers Championship). Plus I look forward to being able to add the Aberdeen Shield Champion to this list soon.
And Finally –
Firstly, thanks to everyone who has helped me during what has probably the most difficult season we have ever had. Next a big thank you to the two “Paul's” (Marshall & Baker) along with Kevin Hall of DESCO Ltd for their kind sponsorship of our Wearside match this season. Finally, thank you to all our members and guest players who have supported the Society throughout what has been a very difficult year at times. Let's all look forward to 2024 and hope it's less stressful than this year!
WW 2023/16 - Houghton Finals Day, 21/10/23
After a season that has been dominated by the weather it came as no real surprise that our usual Finals Day celebrations would fall foul. This time it was thanks to Babet, the storm that had been forecast to cause havoc all week. When I visited the course on Tuesday the omens weren't great with wet patches beside the 18th green though at that time the course was still open. That was before the full force of the storm hit. Finally after almost three solid days of torrential rain and no time left to reschedule the game we had to call it a day for 2023. After some discussion the decision was made to continue with the Finals Day meal and prizegiving as all but one of the categories were sorted.
Well that's another Wanderers season over again, lets hope 2024 turns out less eventful.
WW 2023/15 - Bedlington, 14/10/23
It wouldn't be a Wanderers weekend this season if the weather didn't come into play somewhere. We had been due to play Bedlington the previous Sunday but due to heavy rain the course was waterlogged and had been closed in the days leading up to our visit. In one way this turned out to be a blessing in disguise as postponing the game for a week meant we had a pleasant and sunny if quite chilly day for our rescheduled visit. The down side was we only had ten members turn out to play what was a very nice course in good condition given the recent weather issues. The ground was wet under foot in some places and the greens could maybe have done with mowing but on the whole the course was beautiful, backed up by the amount of positive comments after the game.
Now for the important part, the results, given the wet course conditions the scores were very good so following card scrutiny the top four were confirmed as -
In 4th place with 33pts (15pts on back 9) was Bryan Mountford.
In 3rd place with 33pts (1pt on last hole) was Alan Welsh.
In 2nd place with 33pts (3pts on last hole) was Eddie Harrison.
The round winner with a total of 38pts (43 with win/tie bonus) was Andy Trewick.
WW 2023/14 - Beamish, 23/9/23
As has become the norm for this season the weather almost put the mockers on our visit to Beamish as the course was closed for two days earlier in the week. Thankfully the sun had made an appearance before our visit and had dried the course out a bit allowing play to go ahead. Given that I had to change the day of our visit from Sunday to Saturday we still had a healthy turn out of 17 members taking on this tough but scenic parkland course. Even on the way up to the course it was raining quite heavily and I thought the game may have to be called off but thankfully it stopped before we went out and the course remained open.
The heavy rain and wet conditions during the previous week and on Saturday morning had taken their toll on the course, the greens were mostly OK but wet in some places. The fairways and rough were very wet under foot. This caused a few slips and at least one of our members ended up taking a tumble but thankfully there were no major injuries.
Now for the important part, the results, given the wet conditions the scoreswere very good so following card scrutiny the top four were confirmed as -
In 4th place with 36pts (12pts on back 6) was Steve Grant.
In 3rd place with 36pts (13pts on back 6) was Andy Trewick.
In 2nd place with 36pts (19pts on back 9) was Dave Coates.
The round winner with a total of 37pts (42 with win/tie bonus) was Jim Rooks.
The last Aberdeen Shield quarter final match between Dave Sanders & Dave Coates was played at Beamish with Mr Coates coming out on top meaning we now have our four semi-finalists.
The draw was made after the match and here are the pairings -
Semi 1 - Jim Rooks (11 H/C) vs Dave Coates (28 H/C).
Semi 2 - Alan Welsh (16 H/C) vs Bryan Mountford (18 H/C)
WW 2023/13 - Stocksfield, 10/9/23
As we gathered on the patio outside the clubhouse at Stocksfield enjoying a cuppa basking in the glorious late summer sunshine we were totally oblivious to what was to come our way later. Our group was smaller than usual with only 12 members attending this event mainly due to some of our regular players having their own annual weekend away trip to play for the Stryder Cup down in North Yorkshire. The 12 of us who did play started off in beautiful warm sunshine playing a course that was in excellent condition.
Sadly things were to change quite quickly as by the time our first group reached the 6th hole the storm clouds were gathering in the west signaling impending doom. As we teed off on the 9th hole there were a few rumbles of thunder in the distance and it quickly became obvious there was a storm on the way. The first group had just played the 10th hole and then the heavens opened then the alarm was sounded calling everyone off the course as the lightning made playing dangerous.
We returned to the clubhouse and as we watched the course quickly turn into a river it became obvious there would be no chance of any more play that day. The following day I contacted the course and discussed our options with the club Secretary who kindly agreed to let the twelve of us come back next year and play another round for free.
As for this visit after considering all the options and as everyone had completed at least half the course, in order to produce a result I took the individual scores and multiplied them by two. I know this wasn't a greatly satisfactory arrangement but it was the best of a bad job. I mainly did this in order to not mess my score log programme up by missing out a round.
Now for the important part, the results, following card scrutiny and score multiplication here are the top four -
In 4th place with 32pts (16x2) was John Ford.
In joint 2nd place both with 34pts were Steve Grant & Ian Gunn (17x2).
The round winner with a total of 42pts (47 with win/tie bonus) was Mike Bennett (21x2).
There is still one Aberdeen Shield quarter final match to play (Dave Sanders v Dave Coates). Please click HERE for the draw and full results.
WW 2023/12 - Tyneside, 3/9/23
Tyneside is a proper old fashioned parkland course and as such has matured beautifully over the years and as such is usually in great condition, this makes it a regular on our schedule. We were due to play here in the height of the "summer" but at the time the course had been closed for three days due to being waterlogged thanks to the wonderful 2023 summer weather!
Thankfully the delay meant our visit coincided with the course being in the best condition I have ever seen it, the greens especially deserved a mention being fast but fair and true.
For once this season the weather forecast looked favorable for our visit with warm, sunny and dry conditions. There was a nice cooling breeze coming down the Tyne valley but this just provided some relief from the sun making for a very pleasant afternoon for golf.
Tyneside was also the final round of our new competition for 2023 the Three Rivers Challenge, please click HERE for the final results.
Now for the important part, the results, following card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as -
In 3rd place with 33pts was Bryan Mountford.
In 2nd place with 37pts was Steve Grant.
The round winner with an outstanding 42pts (47 with win/tie bonus) was Les West.
Another two of our eight Aberdeen Shield quarter finalists played their ties at Tyneside, that only leaves one quarter final match to play (Dave Sanders v Dave Coates). Please click HERE for the draw and full results.
WW 2023/11 - Wearside, 26/8/23
Our annual visit to the original home of the "Wanderers". Wearside has been a regular on the calendar since we formed in 2002 and is usually in good condition apart from the odd visit where the course was waterlogged and should really have been closed. This time it was in possibly the best condition I have ever seen it, the fairways were well cut, the rough was tough but fair and the greens were beautiful.
The weather forecast did not bode well for our visit with potential thunderstorms combined with heavy rain expected. Luckily the black clouds skirted round us and for the most part it was reasonably calm, sunny, dry and warm.
Wearside was also the second round of our new competition for 2023 the Three Rivers Challenge, please click HERE for the results so far.
Now for the important bit, the results, following card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as -
In 3rd place with 33pts was Andy Dodd (17pts on the back 9 holes).
In 2nd place also with 33pts was Jim Rooks (19pts on the back 9 holes).
The round winner with 34pts (39 with win/tie bonus) was Paul Marshall.
WW 2023/10 - Gosforth Park, 13/8/23
This was our first Society visit to this pleasant parkland course situated just north of Gosforth Park Race course on the outskirts of Newcastle. This venue was called Parklands up until a year or so ago when it was a municipal course. On the whole the course was in good condition but the main negative was the greens had recently been hollow tined, a common occurrence at this time of the season. Some of our members questioned weatherit was worth the £30.00 green fees but personally I thought it was OK and would be happy to returne again.
Given the recent weather conditions it was great to get a game in without some form of disruption due to rain, hail or thunder & lightning! Unfortunately we only had 13 Members turn out for this match due to summer holidays and other clashing events, but at least those who did attend didn't get soaked for a change!
Now for the important bit, the results, following card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as -
In 3rd place with 31pts was Dave Coates.
In 2nd place with 33pts was Gordon Grant.
The round winner with 35pts (40 with win/tie bonus) was Alan Welsh, his second round win this season.
As we have now reached the tenth round of the season this means we have our eight Aberdeen Shield quarter finalists please click HERE for the draw and full results.
Plus from now on we also start to drop your lowest round scores, as always I will indicate your target score on you scorecard at each round.
WW 2023/9 - Whitburn, 29/7/23
This was our second attempt at playing Whitburn, the first was abandoned after seven holes due to thunder and lightning plus a covering of half inch hailstones closing the course. This time the weather was slightly kinder, no thunderstorms but blowing a gale instead! At least it stayed dry and we managed to finish the match this time.
The rearrangement of the game meant a lot more players could attend this event (18 playing instead of 10 originally). The course was in excellent condition especially the greens which were very fast and tough to read which along with the wind made putting very difficult.
Now for the important bit, the results, following card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as -
In 3rd place with 33pts was Dave Coates.
In 2nd place with 34pts was Mike Bennett.
The round winner with 35pts (40 with win/tie bonus) was Andy Dood, his second round win this season.
WW 2023/8 - Teesside, 2/7/23
We usually get a good turnout but due to holidays and illness we struggled a bit with numbers for Teesside this year. As it was those who couldn'tmake it missed what I think was the best course we have played so far this season. Overall the course was in beautiful condition with well trimmed fairways and tough but true greens.
The weather though not bad, could have been better. A strong gusty breeze took the edge off the temperature and a couple of squally showers though only short required the use of the waterproof jacket.
Now for the important bit following card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as -
In 3rd place with 30pts was Jim Rooks.
In 2nd place with 32pts was Steve Grant.
The round winner with 33pts (38 with win/tie bonus) was Eddie Harrison.
WW 2023/7 - High Throston, 17/6/23
This is our third Society visit to High Throston the first was way back in 2013 when the facilities were more spartan. While the clubhouse was built, there was no bar or catering facilities. Since then they have added a bar and kitchen making a visit to Throston far more agreeable.
The course itself, while not exactly Championship standard is still quite a challenge with some rather long par 4's and a couple of tough par 3's. The greens were a bit rough in places but certainly not the worst we have played over the season so far.
After a fantastic week the weather was overcast all day the sun deciding to take a holiday away for the day, but at least it was calm, warm and mostly dry.
Following card scrutiny the top three were confirmed as -
In 3rd place with 39pts was Jim Rooks.
In 2nd place with 41pts was Derek Griffiths.
The round winner with 42pts (47 with win/tie bonus) was Gordon Grant.
WW 2023/6 - Garesfield, 4/6/23
Garesfield is a regular course on the Wanderers calendar, tough but fair and with beautiful scenery. With 21 players this was always going to be a long round which wasn't helped by the long rough bordering almost every hole making it very easy to loose a ball or two (or in Derek's case about 10!).
After starting off overcast the sun quickly burnt through the clouds making it a very pleasant day for a walk (or a drive in a buggy) in the countryside.
Following card scrutiny we had a three way tie at the top, all scoring 34 points, after a back nine countback the top 3 were confirmed as -
In 3rd place with 15pts on the back nine holes was Paul Baker.
In 2nd place with 18pts on the back nine holes was Bryan Mountford.
The round winner with 21pts on the back nine holes was Mark Wilson.
All three above were credited 39 points after the Win/Tie bonus was applied.
WW 2023/5 - South Shields, 21/5/23
For the first time this year we gathered ready to take to the course in glorious sunshine, a bit of a shock to the system following the very poor start to the season. A healthy turnout of 18 members took advantage of the fine weather to play a regular on the Wanderers calendar. South Shields is usually in good condition even early in the year and this visit was no exception. The fairways were good though the daisy's on the first cut of rough caused some difficulty when your ball strayed there. The greens were especially worth a mention being fast and true, the best we have played so far this year.
South Shields usually provides us with a few scores in excess of 40 points but surprisingly given the conditions the scores were quite low with no one even getting close to that target. It must be because we are not used to playing golf without heavy rain or a force 10 gale!
So following card scrutiny the top 3 were confirmed as -
In 3rd place with 32pts (on countback) was Jim Rooks.
In 2nd place with 32pts (on countback) was Mark Wilson.
The round winner with 34pts (39 including win bonus) was Gordon Grant.
Borders Championship
2023 Borders Championship (Weekend Away).
For 2023 we decided to take a trip "Up North" visiting one of the original courses we first played as in our very first season way back in 2002 along with a new course to the Society. A great turnout of 19 of our 26 Members made the short trip up the Northumberland coast to meet up at our first course for the weekend -
Round 1 - Dunstanburgh Castle Golf Club
The Society have visited Dunstanburgh twice before but never has the weather been so kind to us, being dry, calm and for the most part mild. As we gathered in the clubhouse enjoying a bacon sandwich & a cuppa a lot of the conversation centered on football and the upcoming matches on Sunday and Monday for Newcastle & Sunderland. The outcome of each match varied depending on your choice of team. But less about that and more about the main reason for our visit, the battle for the Borders Championship and to decide the custodian of "The Claw" for this season.
Once we were up and running the course provided us with some stunning scenery along the coast towards Dunstanburgh Castle ruins in the distance. Some of the holes were very tough long par 4's and there were only three par 3's and one par 5 on the course. Sadly the course "signature" hole the par 3, hole 13, "Castles" had been spoiled by groundwork's meaning we were playing off a mat on a temporary tee box. Towards the end of the round a chilly breeze came in off the North Sea, an omen of things to come, but more about that later.
Following card scrutiny here are Saturday's results -
Borders Championship round 1, Dunstanburgh, Top 3 -
1) Mark Wilson, on countback with 41 points.
2) Paul Baker with 38 points.
3) Dave Sanders with 35 points.
After a short drive down the coast we reached the venue for our overnight stay, Foxton Hall Hotel. Once we got checked into our rooms and got cleaned up and changed we gathered in the restaurant ready for an excellent three course meal washed down with a few beers. Derek, Rico and myself managed to empty a double size bottle of wine between the three of us. Even after Saturday's exercise and the delicious meal at the hotel some of our party decided to take the trek down into the village to sample all the delights Alnmouth could provide while the rest decided to spend a more sedate evening relaxing at the Hotel bar and playing pool.
Sunday dawned, or rather didn't! as you couldn't see more than 20 yards in front of you due to the thick fog that had rolled in overnight therefore the course was closed. Following a hearty breakfast it became obvious the fog would not lift quickly enough for our game at Alnmouth Golf Club to go ahead. Thankfully the Hotel Manageress had contacts at some of the local courses and she managed to book us into Burgham Park just 20 miles down the road.
Round 2 - Burgham Park Golf Club
When we arrived at Burgham it was a bit of a rush to get the new scorecards marked up and everyone ready for the off but we quickly got into the swing once out on the course. The Society have visited Burgham once before way back in 2012 when the course was very wet in places. Thankfully it was a lot drier this time but sadly the greens were very patchy and poor which detracted from what could be an excellent course if some money was spent on it.
Following card scrutiny here are Sundays results -
Borders Championship round 2, Burgham Park, Top 3 -
1) Gary West (on countback) with 35 points.
2) Andy Trewick also with 35 points.
3) Gordon Grant with 31 points
Now for the Borders Championship itself, following score card checks results were confirmed as -
Borders Championship Final Top 3.
In 3rd place with a total of 65 points (35&30) was defending Borders Champion Dave Sanders.
In 2nd place with a total of 66 points (38&28) was Paul Baker.
The winner and new Borders Champion for 2023, with a total score of 69 points (34&35) was Gary West, taking his first Society "Major" win
Congratulations to Gary and thanks to all involved including our two guest players Neil Marshall & Kevin Blenkinsopp who stepped in at late notice to make the number up. Last but certainly not least thanks to Mark Wilson who did most of the groundwork by contacting the courses and agreeing dates and times.
WW 2023/4 - Burgham Park, 7/5/23
For the second time this season the weather scuppered our plans as the morning dawned with a thick sea fret engulfing Alnmouth closing the course. Thankfully the staff at Foxton Hall managed to arrange a game for us at Burgham Park, just 30 minutes down the A1 so after a short drive we all gathered there ready for the off.
We have played Burgham a couple of times over the years and it has been known to be wet on previous visits but at least it was relatively dry today. The down side were the greens that were patchy to say the least. Still, at least we got a game which didn't look likely at Alnmouth. The weather improved as the game went on and was quite warm when the sun broke through.
Now for the round results, after card scrutiny the top 3 were confirmed as -
In 3rd place with 31pts was Gordon Grant.
In 2nd place, on countback with 35pts (40 including tie bonus) was Andy Trewick.
The round winner, on countback with 35pts (40 including win bonus) was Gary West.
WW 2023/3 - Dunstanbrough, 6/5/23
Round three of the 2023 season we revisited a course we first used in our first year as a Society, Dunstanbrough Castle on the Northumberland coast. This was also the first game of our Weekend Away trip to play for the Borders Championship. For more about that competition click HERE.
Being set on the coast Dunstanburgh can be prone to being wet & windy but the golfing gods smiled upon us for this visit as for the most part the weather was benign with just a light breeze and most importantly NO RAIN! The course was in good condition with only the odd bare patch on the fairways, typical for a links course.
Now for the round results, after card scrutiny the top 3 were confirmed as -
In 3rd place with 35pts was Dave Sanders.
In 2nd place with 38pts was Paul Baker.
The round winner with 41pts (46 including win bonus) was Mark Wilson.
WW 2023/2 - Sharpley Spring, 23/4/23
For the second round of the 2023 season we revisited Sharpley Springs, a regular course on the Wanderers schedule. Once again the poor start to the year caused problems as the course was wet under foot in places and no buggies were allowed.
Other than the previously mentioned wet ground the course was in good condition and the weather was OK for the most part with only the odd squally shower but thankfully they were few & far between.
Now for the round results, after card scrutiny the top 3 were confirmed as -
In 3rd place with 40pts was Derek Griffiths (on countback).
In 2nd place with 41pts was Gordon Grant.
The round winner with 45pts (50 including win bonus) was Andy Dodd.
WW 2023/1 - Newbiggin, 9/4/23
Due to the very wet start to the year the intended course for our first game of the season had to be changed from Morpeth. After a few phone calls Mark managed to arrange a visit to Newbiggin, being a links course it always drains well and was in excellent condition for the time of year.
The weather could have been better with a chilly breeze blowing off the North Sea but thankfully the forecast showers didn't materialise.
Now for the round results, after card scrutiny the top 3 were confirmed as -
In 3rd place with 34pts was Andy Dodd.
In 2nd place with 38pts was Dave Coates.
The round winner with 42pts (47 including win bonus) was Alan Welsh.
