New(ish) for us, it’s the second time, we gathered for an early morning start at East Herts Golf Club to play for the President’s Cup. The morning started misty but we managed some sunshine on a dry and autumnal day.
In the end 16 members and 8 guests completed the challenging course which was a usual in excellent condition, if playing long due to the lush conditions and the challenging rough.
Ten Members (Messrs Marshall, Meixner, Lewis, Blundy, Adams, Howe, Archer, Featherstone, Barker, Wannerton) travelled to Vilamoura in the Algarve for the 2017 Tour from 5th to 8th October.
13 members and 7 guests played this year, which is a huge reduction on previous years for this magnificent course!!!
Ian Abley retrieving his ball after holing his 9 iron for an eagle!!!
See above. Ian fired his 3rd shot 9 iron at the 4th green only to announce “it was a bit long”!!! We all searched behind the green for a few minutes and then Ian continued looking suggesting we putt out. As I pulled out the flag for Captain Malcolm Marshall to putt there was Ian’s ball nestling neatly in the cup. A fantastic eagle (net albatross) and 5 points for him and the team!!!! Shot of the day I suspect even if none of us saw it!!!!
Unfortunately the weather was not as fine as on previous visits and indeed Ken Adams and John Marsh’s 4-ball were decidedly bedraggled when they returned some time after the rest of us.
However a good time was had by all followed by some excellent banter and a great meal in the Club dining room.
Ian Abley also took the honours on the nearest the pin with a great shot and Darrell Lewis told me that his best shot of the day was to secure the nearest the pin in 2!!!
Team Winners were member Jason Wood and his guest Stuart Collar-Brown on 43 points from three teams on 40, so well done to them.
The guests had a tight competition but coming out on top with 36 points was Steve Haley from Andrew Richardson on 34.
Jason Wood (35pts – cut 1) was once again the bridesmaid in the main competition. Congratulations to new member John Biscoe (cut 2) on 39 points who took home the Autumn Cup.
I remind you that the next event is East Herts on the 2nd November 2017 08.30 for 09.30 first tee. PUT IT IN YOUR DIARY and get those GUESTS organised.
The Trophy goes to BAGS again!!!!Once again we failed to beat the BAGS at Thorndon Park GC losing 3½ to 2½.
The results were:-
Neil M & Malc M won 1 up
David J & David S lost 4 & 3
David B & Graham H lost 4 & 2
Feargal McE & Nick A finished all square
Darrell L & Ken A won 3 & 2
Iain S & Mike F lost 3 & 2
It all came down to the last match, pretty close in the end but BAGS do have many more members than EPIC to choose from and they produced some outstanding performances, especially Gavin Tuck who is also an EPIC member.
The weather was blisteringly hot and the 92 golfers looked the part in their 40th anniversary shirts.
We were all there (29 members and their guests) to support our two great charities Ehlers-Danos and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance.
After some pre-match banter and a bacon roll our brave teams set out for some fireworks. Indeed the starter used a rocket to set off the shotgun start!!!
Whilst no-one got a hole in one the endeavour of attempting to win a car or other great prizes spurred on all the golfers and the scores were generally excellent.
Gary Kan as Cate Winslet and Simon Bird as Leonardo Decaprio
The course at Ashridge was beautifully presented with reasonable rough and very true if fast greens.
Everyone enjoyed a hearty meal afterwards with some competitive bidding for some of the auction lots interspersed with the food courses.
Dusk and the Ashridge Setting
The nearest the pin competitions were hotly contested with the Nearest the pin in two going to Andy Fewings on the 1st, Nearest the Pins were on 3rd, Ben Hurworth 6th, James York 8th & 11th Jim Fellows & James Canning with Michael Doherty closest on the 16th. Longest Drive was a massive 34o+ yards by Steve Hurworth
Andy Critoph won the Guest prize on 44 points ahead of Andy Winkett on 42. Travis Perkins triumphed in the Team competition best of three scores with 131 points from LOM Architecture and Design on 129.
Finally Malcolm Marshall (40 points- Cut 2) secured the coveted Finlinson Cup on countback from Andy Fewings (Cut 1). Well done to all but particularly Captain Fantastic!!!
Our provisional estimate of the moneys raised stands at ~£16,000. Amazing EPIC – Well Done.
Thanks to all who helped to organise the event, provided Lots for the Silent and Main Auction and sponsored holes, Shirts, Goody Bags and programmes and to all attendees for their generosity.
We had a memorable day at Gog Magog for Captains Day this year. The course was in magnificent condition and the weather was just perfect with a light breeze cooling the competitors enough on this warm spring day.
It was however colder and damper than expected but this didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the 21 members and 12 guests who attended and enjoyed an excellently presented course with a magnificent meal in awesome surroundings afterwards.
The morning dawned misty, cold and frosty. It was touch and go if we’d be allowed to tread the precious greens of Letchworth.
36 “Michelin Men and Women” (dressed in as many as 6 layers to fight off the cold) took to the course starting at 09.30 with the mist rolling in from the west and the greens as hard as rock. The temperature rose as did the mist and we started to feel our toes and fingers again, but not for long as the wind rose a bit and its frosty bite forced us to don our hats coats and gloves once more!!! Continue reading “Frosty Letchworth -28th December 2016”
A great day was had by all!!