Captain's Away Day 2011 Report
Last Updated on Monday, 03 October 2011 21:32 Written by Brendan O'Connor Sunday, 25 September 2011 21:05
Report on Captain's (Cameron Thomson) Away Day to Holme Hall Golf Club, Friday 23rd September
Most of the 44 members (including 9 lady members) travelled by coach leaving Beverley Golf Club at 8am on a mild and dull day which correctly promised to become warm and sunny. While we had bacon sandwiches with tea and coffee on arrival at the handsome Holme Hall, Cameron explained the arrangements for the day:
• We were put into 11 teams of 4.
• The morning was a 9 hole Texas Scramble with each player to take 2 drives.
• Soup and sandwiches for lunch.
• The afternoon competition was an 18 hole Am Am Stableford with 3 scores to count on par 5's and all 4 scores to count on the 18th.
• A 2 course dinner with coffee in the evening.
• Strict orders to be ready for the coach to leave Holme Hall at 10pm.
The morning Texas Scramble was won by Paul Haslam, Brian Clark, Dave Underwood and Terry Ives; Brian Walker, Mel Todd, Pete Davies and John Milne took second place
The afternoon Am Am was won by a country mile by Cameron Thomson, Alex Ashby, Andy and Darren Harper. Second were Sue Bell, Angela Holland, Sue O'Connor and Liz Hodgson.
Each team was asked to write a paragraph about their day. Their comments are listed below.
Sue Bell, Angela Holland, Sue O'Connor, Liz Hodgson
"What a challenge – second out behind the men's captain, Alex and their team – we kept on their tails and were only held up a few times??
Angela got into the lucky heather and was rewarded with a net eagle. Liz mastered the short pond hole like a professional and collected the nearest the pin prize. The Lady Captain kept us going in the Texas Scramble.
We had a great day out, finishing the day with a good meal and good company."
Alan Lamb, Roy Simpson, Steve Birch, Barrie Reuben.
"Steve's 2 on the 4th was quality golf of the day. The only other memorable incidents were Alan's dozens of visits to the sand."
Paul Haslam, Brian Clark, Dave Underwood, Terry Ives.
This handwritten report was barely readable. Ask Nigel Bell who tried to decipher the code but failed! Anyway, this is a literal translation – it appears to me to be written by a team member under the influence of something nasty that makes it impossible to write legibly???
"Brian Usain Clark – chasing motocaddy to avoid hitting ball – result failed trolley was faster.
Theft on the fairway. Paul walked off with the wrong trolley and left Dave with no club."
What were these guys on???
Brian Walker, Mel Todd, Pete Davies, John Milne.
"A lovely day at Holme Hall. I was playing with 2 class acts and Brian. Mel hit the ball miles. John hit it straight. Brain just hit it. A good round in the morning but crap in the afternoon."
Brendan O'Connor, Paul Atkinson, Andy Fincham, Mark Smith.
"Our game lasted one hole in both the morning and the afternoon. The innocuous par 5 first, saw us 3 put for a bogey in the 9 hole Texas Scramble. With 3 scores to count in the afternoon we managed 2 net bogeys. Both games over before we had even warmed up. Never mind, the company was good and Holme Hall were great hosts."
John Kingston, Dave Stocker, John Atkinson, Peter Robinson.
"John Atkinson lost a few female friends in the morning round when the lads said the ladies were out of range and told him to tee off – they weren't.
We've been in more bunkers in one day than the last 12 months. If we play here again we will bring our buckets and spades.
Liz Ives, Linda dale, Anne Francis, Veronica Farrar.
"Anne was definitely crowned our bunker Queen for the day and said she wished she had brought her bucket and spade, although she thought there was not enough water to go with the sand."
John Robinson, Jeff Lambert, Gordon and Liz Duncan.
"John asked Jeff to write this but Jeff says he can't write.
Liz said the put comes from the right but Gordon says from the left. The ball came from the right."
Carl Johnson, Nigel Bell, John Sewell, Alan Brooke.
"On 7th hole in morning Texas Scramble with John, Nigel and Alan still needing to hit a second counting drive, John hit a perfect tee shot 250yds down centre fairway. However, his second shot aimed right for his textbook 'draw' was slightly!! thinned and smacked straight into a solitary thorn bush about 75yds short of the green. We all thought the ball was stuck in the bush but couldn't see it. It was then noticed that there was a rabbit hole right in front of the tree. Alan poked and prodded and thought he had located a ball in the hole but couldn't extract it, so we suggested to John that he stick his hand in - well his head and shoulders since it was a big hole and we would hold on to his feet - in fact the hole was so big it was probably a badger set, but be careful cos that badger could be pretty angry if the ball had hit him on the head, had a golf club poked at him and was now having his home invaded by a big ...... golfer, "sod the ball" said John.
"Wimp said Carl".
Steve Mooney, Ron Garrett, Jim Murray, Dave Weatherall.
"Morning Scramble, 9th hole, everyone has had their 2 drives except Steve, so his drive had to be taken. On to the tee he strode, rescue club in hand, and ............ straight down the middle of the fairway - and it was the longest of our drives anyway - and set us up for another birdie! What a man! What bottle! Let no-one question his character again.............
Thanks especially to Cameron but also to Richard and Alex for sorting last minute matters. Most importantly, thanks to everyone who came along and took part in the spirit of the day even if their golf was spent mostly playing into and then out of bunkers.