Friday evening the weather forecast was for a dry and sunny day, bit cold to start with but warming up nicely. Opening the curtains on Saturday morning, it was peeing down!
Luckily that was Worcester/Pershore, in Cirencester it proved to dry and warm, not before time, given our last two outings.
Around 30 turned up for the Founders Trophy, most of the usual suspects, a few not often seen and some guests. One no show was Alan Hadley, who was apparently licking his wounds having lost in the singles earlier in the week.
Our first tee was not until 12.30 which gave plenty of time for the obligatory bacon roll and coffee, to shoot the shit and for Robbie and Bish to have a pint to settle the nerves, which certainly worked for the latter.
Due to the warm weather there were some fine trousers on display. Ray Izod sporting a pair of Hi-Vis orange trousers, which would not have looked out of place on the hard shoulder of the M5 and could be seen from all corners of the course. Although the first outing unlike Keith at Ludlow, he did manage to get the creases in the right place.
John (Keegan) Vincent, needs no encouragement to get the shorts on and so it was, although it’s about time the pair left over from when he was in the Sea Scouts were sent into retirement.
If there was a prize for the loudest dressed 4 ball, in the trouser department, it would “almost” have been awarded to my group. Me with my shocking pink, yes, to match my shocking golf. Robbie, with a blue checked pair and Mark (Robbo) Roberts, wearing a pattern last seen on my old Mum’s shower curtain. It was only Vics insistence on dressing like a pint of Guinness, complete with white head, which would have stopped us winning.
Captain Ron’s brief was perfect, he covered all the points, sweep, fines, long drive, nearest pin, etc., but he appeared to have gone to Mothercare, rather than American Golf to purchase his new 4 wheel golf trolley. He then proceeded to hit his drive like a pregnant woman, all of 50 yards.
Out on the course a few incidents were reported or witnessed.
Matt managed to shank his second shot into the wall on the edge of the course and back onto the fairway 20 yards ahead.
Andy Watkins hitting his tee shot from 14 onto 13th tee, where we were waiting to play, he was only fined because he missed me.
Dave A deciding to play into 9 while we were on the green and it was only the fact that he hit a bag, parked at the front of the green that saved us.
Robin Eaton took it upon himself to pick up a 1 inch putt, even though there are no gimmes in a medal.
Jolley P and Roy both cited for club abuse.
Two incidents witnessed on 16, a short downhill par 4, are worth a mention.
Robbo hit a cracking drive and was level with the green, about 30 yards away. Having been at rest for at least 5 minutes, as he was preparing to chip, the ball started rolling and ended up a further 30 yards down the hill.
We were then on the green when a ball, from the group behind, rolled past the green and ended up on the 17th tee. It was Bish, who we had witnessed driving huge distances all day, and was the eventual winner of the long drive.
And lastly, on the 17th and Vic Guinness, got himself in the trees, with his second shot and then, trying to get out hit a tree and went backwards, hitting a gate. He tried again and hit another tree, tried again this time not only hitting another tree but putting it over said gate into the field. He decided then to take the 12 and move on.
At the end of what was a very pleasant afternoon the results were as follows.
Longest drive – Gary Bishop.
Nearest Pin – Gary Bishop
B/S outside top 3 – Gary Bishop
3rd – John Whitehead
2nd – John Vincent
1st – Mark Roberts
Killer had Robbo in the sweep and true to his banker’s past, gave a pittance to the charity, conveniently forgetting what he did to Andy Owen, a few years ago!
Robbo wasn’t moaning travelling home this time, but it was akin to being in a milk float with the chinking of all his booty!
Next one is Stourbridge later this month.
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