Family Greensomes and Bogey Cup - July 24th & 25th

 

 

Family Greensomes July 24th.
 
Astbury hosted another Open event this weekend  The Astbury Family Greensomes. Playing in teams of 2, with pairings adjudicated by Vice Captain Bill Arthur , family in this context is a very flexible term. With a wide combination of pairings allowed from husband, wife, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, brothers, sisters, cousins, in-laws, partners and significant others - it seemed that only domestic animals were excluded from entry - although the entry from Fluffy and Fido Jackson did raise some eyebrows. Greensomes format is where, at each hole, players both hit a ball from the Tee but thereafter the better placed of the 2 balls is played out with alternate shots from the team until it is in the hole. {Ed: why do I feel the need to explain this ? } 
 
With Astbury in its best condition for many a year, and on a fine day, a large entry of teams from far and wide filled the golf course. Handicapping is a little creative with teams of Mens, Ladies, Mixed and Juniors all playing against each other but there was no escaping the fact that everyone was enjoying themselves.

Scoring was very strong with many scores being under the par for the pairings. A good mixture of pairings in the prizes illustrated how well the event worked and how unifying and durable golf is across all ages and genders - it was terrific to see granddads playing with their grandsons and so on..

 
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Craig and Tom Andrews 42 pts
The presentation event in the evening was well supported with both Astbury Captain's Peter Bozon and Sue Bentley welcoming the visitors and presenting the prizes. In a tight finish the Father and Son team of Craig and Tom Andrews (receiving 14 shots) were winners scoring 42 points. They just squeezed ahead of the team of in form Karena Collier ( I was told to say that!) playing with her daughter's partner Rob McCubbin (19 shots) also with 42 points. Only the score on the 18th hole finally breaking the deadlock. In 3rd place on 41 pts were husband and wife team of the ever competitive Gill and Nigel Hodges (aka "The Fixtures") ( 12 shots) who also just pipped  Marjorie and Alan Dixon (15 shots) into 4th. On 40 pts were 5th, Adam and Dave Cockerill (13 shots) and 6th Keith Develin and Simon Cartwright (13 shots). The best team gross was recorded by Father and Son pairing of Martin and Mick Leese ( 3 shots) with a terrific gross 74.
 
A great event and thanks to Bill Arthur, the Captain and all who helped organise and run the event so successfully; an event that will be early in many people's diaries for next year.
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Nearest the pin on 4th Gentleman Jim Barry

Nearest the pin on 11th Marvellous Muriel Fraser ( there was something competitive going on with her husband Ian in Muriel's speech but I couldn't get to the bottom of it!)

 

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July 25th Bogey Cup

 

The busy weekend at Astbury continued on to Sunday where it was the Men's Bogey Cup competition. A bogey competition is a singles competition where  players effectively compete in match play against their own ability to score a par or better rather than a Bogey or worse. This sounds an easy format as the player knows the "score" the they need to achieve on each hole before they start and so "all they have to do" is equal or better their own handicap on a per hole basis to win. Needless to say it's somehow much harder than that and anyone recording a + score has done well on the day!  

 

With the course in such fine condition and favourable weather conditions it was likely that there would be good scores in this competition this year but the leaders have excelled themselves. The winner has finally come out of the murky shadows of a highly successful mixed golf season and put in an individual performance that reflects just how well he has played this year. With the strip of clubhouse carpet already named Hodges Way after his many Mixed successes the OM himself, Dr Nigel Hodges (13Hcp) , won the event with a great score of +6 which has reduced his handicap to 11, and which should give him something to think about for the rest of the season and hopefully means I won't have to keep writing about him! Just behind Nigel was Arthur Stubbs (14Hcp) who finished alone on +5 - a score that would have won this competition in most years. 3 players followed on +4 Steve Pugh (10), Terry Matthews (13) Ian Pickup (10). with 5 players next on +3.

 

Well done to all who took part and to Nigel for getting his name on a Major's Board.

 

PC 26/7