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Kevin Sherwin just too hot on the Day

Well it was just so good to get back on the golf course in lovely warm weather wearing polo shirts, consigning our all weather suits to the bottom of the bag and leaving the long cold winter behind for several months. Our minds were thinking about the handicaps our Captain Andrew had dished out, with great relish, a few weeks previously. Were we all going to have a field day and come in with some really high scores or will the laptop win the day - alas, it was the laptop that came out on top and condemned us all to hitting  40 plus stableford points in our dreams,

However, Kevin Sherwin (25 h’cap) turned his dreams into reality and came in with a very good 41 points from 90 strokes to win by 4 points. A good start to the season and Kevin’s first win since he won at Lochgreen on our Society Tour back in 2008 and then went onto winning the Tour Stableford Championship. A steady round of golf that consisted of 5 gross pars and no blobs on the day. Well done Kevin a solid round of golf.

In second place we had a queue - Kevin Abell, (20) John Smith (24) and Phil Stonier (19) - all coming in with 37 points and on  count back it was Kevin, John and then Phil. Kevin shot 89 strokes with 6 gross pars, John 93 strokes with 4 gross pars and then Phil 88 strokes with 5 gross pars.

Kevin wins Spring Cup at a canter

Tough conditions didn’t stop Kevin Abell from romping home with 38 stableford points from second placed Phil (Turtle) Greatbatch on 35 points at our second society day at a rain swept Westwood Golf Club. The course was in excellent condition, fairways lush and the greens in great fettle - fast but true providing you had the nerve to hit it. Fifteen members turned out and most said they had a great day out and would look forward to a return to the course in the future.

Kevin (h’cap 20) showing great form in recent weeks had the delight of being presented with the Spring Cup by the man himself - Lee Westwood - very apt!!! (see photograph on the right). Driving the ball long and accurately was the key to his round. His round gathered momentum from the 7th hole with a run of just 6 dropped shots from the next 11 holes. The round included 7 gross pars from 89 strokes. Lucky for Kevin that the round included 3 blobs otherwise the handicap axe would have felt very sharp to match the cold wind on the hills.

In second place came Phil Greatbatch (27) on 35 points from 97 stokes producing a steady card. It was four or five missed putts from short distances that cost him the chance of winning. Not a long player but down the middle from most tee shots. Well played Turtle (I enjoyed the day).

In joint third position came three players all on 30 points but on count back it was Jon Downs (21) followed by Richard Meadowcroft (21) and then Karl Furniss (18). All having steady rounds but foiled by the unknown course throwing blobs at them during the climbs of the front nine.

Steve Rushton wins the new

“Players Championship”

It was no surprise to see Stephen Rushton with an embarrassed smile as he recorded 44 stableford points on a gloriously hot day at Brookfield Golf Club. It was just a question of when he was going to amass such a score after showing such good form in recent weeks playing at Gorstyhill Golf Club. It was a great day of ball striking by the recipient of our latest  trophy the “Players  Championship ”. The round consisted of 4 gross pars and just one no return on the par 4 17th hole where he recorded an 8. Well done Steve, lets hope we see your handicap tumble to match the golf you are capable of playing.

The course was in very good condition but was badly let down by the greens on the day. They all looked very tired and poor considering the condition of greens on many other courses at this time of the year and enjoying such good growing weather - obviously a problem some where.

Once again some good scores were returned showing that the handicaps are very accurate with 8 players within 2 shots of their target handicap of 37 points.

Enough said about our winner Sevee Rushton.......boring to drone on about his score...so, lets have a look at the rest of us. In second place with yet another good score of 42 points from 90 strokes came Phil Greatbatch (26) another good finish after finishing second at Leek Westwood on our previous outing. Looks as though Turtle is playing the golf we know he is capable of. Great swing and with results to prove it. In third spot came Jon Downs (21) with 38 points from 89 strokes. Again, Jon finished 3rd at Leek Westwood so we have two guys here that are playing some consistent golf. If Jon maintains this handicap before we go to Wales then he is a hot tip to become this years tour Champion!!  Well played top three players - handicap axe means that Sevee drops 3 shots, Turtle 2 shots and Jon 0.4 shots but remains on 21.

Andrew wins the “Twilight Trophy”

It has to be said that this was a very, very good round of golf for a player that had been struggling for most of the year. Scoring 48 points  from 84 strokes is a great achievement and so we must look in more depth at how the round progressed on a day when Andrew smashed the society record for the most Stableford Points in any round of golf.

Andrew had a par on the first after dropping a putt from it is said  “hundreds of feet” - sheer luck we are told! Three points in the bag.

On to the second hole and back to his normal form of the year with an eight and the only blob of the round. In fact there was nothing less than 2 points on every hole from here on in.

The third - didn’t even hit the green - in fact no one did - only 141 yards on this our Society Nearest the Pin hole. We must all do better. Andrew got a bogey 4 here and now I am bored with reliving this round of golf so, I have recorded opposite Andrews score card so that you can all see what our Captain scored on each hole.

Credit where credit is due ....great round of golf Andrew...now who came second? It was Kevin Abell  with 40 points from 87 strokes. This result puts Kev firmly in control of the Order of Merit Competitions as he now sits on top of both tables with everyone hoping he may have a dip in form. Once again a good round of golf and he only slipped up slightly on the 15th and 16th holes where he recorded double bogeys. Good game Kevin and your handicap is down by another shot - more good news!!

In third place came Steve Rushton  40 points from 96 strokes playing off his reduced handicap after his win at Brookfield last time out. Another good game and handicap reduced by a further shot - even more good news.

Cookie serves up a sizzler to win

“Summer Cup”

Graham Cooke (h’cap 20) got off to a flier at Barlaston Golf Club with pars at the opening three holes on his way to a winning score of 41 stableford points from 84 strokes. It was Grahams first Society Day win after finishing second on several occasions. It was the front nine where Graham did all the damage by dropping just 5 shots. A good birdie on the par 4 8th hole was just reward for some great ball striking. He started the day on an handicap of 20.4 and finished with 18.9. Well done Graham .

In second place came John Smith (25) with 37 points from 94 strokes. Playing well recently and coming in with some high stableford scores at his home club Gorstyhill. A real mixed round with some great holes and then a couple of holes with no score - could have been a super round of golf. Playing off this handicap John should do well in Wales on the Society Tour.

In third spot came Russ Howard (35) with one of his best rounds ever totalling 35 points from 105 strokes. Well played Russ, your visits to the driving range are beginning to pay off. A mixed front nine with three holes with no score but included three pars and a more consistent back nine gave the round a good balance.

In fourth place came Barry Brereton (22) playing his own course and returned 35 points from 93 strokes. A nice consistent round but two blobs - one on “Old Swampy” and the par 3 13th hole cost him a good score.   

Kevin wins the “Tour Warmer Trophy”

as we head for Wales

Kevin Abell stamped his mark on the Order of Merit Competitions with this very impressive performance at Peover Golf Club on our last outing before we head off for our Tour in Wales. This really was a great round of golf, not so much for the score tally, but for his ability to overcome a very poor start by losing 6 shots in the first two holes with a quadruple bogey on the first and a double bogey on the second. This was then followed up by a birdie on the third hole and then a nice steady round of golf was to ensue with 37 points from 90 strokes off an handicap of 18. Kevin showed a very good mental strength after many of us may have thrown in the towel after such a poor start - a good lesson for us all. Even more impressive was the fact that Kevin, like many of our members, had not played the course before. The course near Knutsford and in the middle of the Cheshire countryside was a mix of tight tree lined fairways with four par 5 holes and a par 72 over 6339 yards.

This win consolidates Kevin’s position at the top of the Order of Merit Competitions in both the Stableford and Strokeplay Competitions. So, can anyone catch him? Both  Steve Rushton  and our Captain Andrew Abell were both on holiday and so were unable to put a little pressure on Kevin in the Stableford Competition and Jon Downs was also missing  to alter the standings in the Strokeplay Competition - little chance of anyone catching him in this competition. It all comes down to Wales - if Kevin scores well in Wales then there is every likelihood of Kevin doing the double. Well played at Peover Kevin - now just rest up and leave Wales to the rest of us.

In second place came John smith (24) just a point behind with 36 from 97 strokes. Keeps knocking on the door but his first win of the year is becoming very elusive. Third spot came Daz Matthews (22) with 35 points from 95 strokes and claiming that he hates this course but only came to get his handicap “UP” ready for Wales - don’t think so Daz - Captain Andrew may have  different ideas!

Stan wins the “Gorstyhill Classic”

This was just plain sailing for Stan Malpass (25) has he cruised to his first Society win with an incredible 47 points from 86 strokes on a day that had 20 members taking part. Another good day with the weather kind to us and Gorstyhill looking in great condition. Stan just “smacked” every tee shot down the middle with the driver red hot on the day. Six pars and a birdie on the 7th hole paved the way for his best round for several months. Well done Stan, great game of golf and well deserved.

In second place came Steve Rushton (26) with 41 points from 93 strokes. This score ties Steve with Kevin Abell at the top of the Stableford Order of Merit table on 294 points a piece. Steve also won the Nearest the Pin on the 17th hole.

In third place came Russ Howard (33) with 40 points. Another good game of golf from Russ and improving with every outing. Hitting the ball well off the tee. Also on 40 points came Jon Downs (21) who is now becoming more consistent with playing a few more games. This result pushes Jon up the Order of Merit table to joint 4th and now in serious contention.

First win of the year for John Smith

After  two second place finishes and a third this year it was only fitting that John Smith should win the final Society day of the year at Newcastle Golf Club in what has been a very enjoyable golfing year for all of us. It was John’s first  Society win of the year and a  score of 35 points from 97 strokes on a difficult but immaculate course was enough to give John this well deserved win. A really enjoyable day out and a course that we will definitely return to in the future.

In second place came Phil Smith (12) with a good score of  33 points from a low gross score of 87 strokes and easily the lowest of the day. The score included two birdies on the 4th and 16th holes and just one hole with a no score. The greens were fast and tricky to read otherwise this round could have been much better. In third spot came Les Smith (19) also with 33 points from 96 strokes.  Les getting back to playing his normal consistent self and it was just a couple of lapses that caused three no scores that spoiled a really good game.