Wahoo, the greatest show in golf (the Open) rolls into Troon this week…. and the Pro Shop Open Sweepstake has been drawn! Plus what a super win for Bob MacIntyre in the Scottish Open on Sunday.
In this week’s missive, there is golf news from closer to home to whet your appetite and also details of some upcoming group coaching sessions. Also, booking opens on Sunday at 8pm for the next nine hole stableford which is taking place on Sat 3rd August and a reminder that there are still spaces in Monday’s (the 22nd July) 9 hole stableford so please enter if you can!
Pro Am
23 teams tooks to the golf course for battle for the 2024 HGC Pro Am on Saturday. Each team consisted of three amateurs and a pro. The winning team with 15 under par were Pete Hindle, Pete Turkington , Joe Mills and their pro Sonny Lewis. Second place (and hence Ben’s comedy “long” face on the photo) were gentleman captain Ben Fallows, Nancy Fallows, Alison Booth and their pro Scott Booth. Third place with 12 under were Summer Meeting winner Dave Smith, Glyn Isaac, Andrew Cowan and myself. Neil Thompson’s team finished fourth.
In the individual Pro’s event, Jason Dransfield from Heswall successfully defended the title that he won last year with a gross 66. He’s a fine player and great supporter of the Cheshire & North Wales PGA so his victory was thoroughly deserved. The runner up with a gross 67 was myself, which I was really pleased with. I’d led for most of the day as my team and I had played in the morning but Jason was playing in the penultimate group and came in to beat me by one. Third spot with one under par was shared with Oli Pantoja (who needs no introduction!) and Alistair Waddell from Chorlton-cum-Hardy GC.
So many thanks yous…. to Russ and the greenkeeping team, Ben & the bar & kitchen team, the guys from the PGA Joe and Bill (the starter), all the pros that played and of course everyone who entered to make it another fantastic event.
MCJL
As you’ll see, a strong fish from Hazel Grove meant that we finished second overall following the final Muirfield League MCJL fixture of the year at Astbury GC on Saturday. So it would have been nice to win but Phil Hickson and I are still super proud of the effort from all of the juniors. We started out struggling to get enough players to fill a team early in the season to contending strongly at the end so very well done.
Adult Junior
Well done to Oscar Davies who’s win on Friday with father Marcus sees him leading the charge to Order of Merit glory and the Claret Jug (beware of imitations!) but Louis Wild is just 2 points back. The final event of the campaign takes place on Friday 6th September with tee times from 17.00 onwards so please let me know if you’d like to play.
Bridgford & Moir
Well done to Mandy Gilbert for winning last week’s Bridgford competition and also for recording the best nett score on the Wednesday of the two day tournament. Janet Grant came second in the Bridgford and third in the Moir Cup. Gill Kay came third in the Bridgford and recorded the best nett score on the Thursday.
Congrats to Tiff Fielden for defending the Moir Cup, which is the gross competition. Kairen Seaton won the most improved player award from day one to day two.
Snips from Greens
Over to Bob Siddle for this update on our local rules……
The eagle eyed amongst you will have seen the amendment to our Permanent Local Rules on the Rules Noticeboard!
The extensive works installing the irrigation system and the current and planned work to alleviate drainage issues means there are several areas of unusually disturbed ground occurring at various points around the course. It is not feasible to mark and maintain white lines to define GUR to all such areas so a temporary amendment to Permanent Local Rule 4. Immovable Obstructions has been introduced which is shown in bold italics below.
These temporary rules will apply until Further Notice.
LR4. Immovable Obstructions (Rule 16.1)
Within the boundaries of the course, all man made fixtures are deemed immovable obstructions. This includes constructed tracks andpaths but excludes tractor marks and drainage channels unless the ball is clearly sitting on exposed gravel, stones or concrete and/or such clusters of stonework interfere with a player’s stance or the area of his intended swing.
If a fixed sprinkler head, and/or any ground immediately surrounding it which has been significantly disturbed during its installation, is within two club-lengths of the green edge and on a players line, they may also take relief as long as their ball lies on an area cut to fairway height or less and is within two club-lengths of the obstruction. (Model Local Rule F-5.1)
Photos
Thanks for the photos below from Brian Greenbank. Apparently the greenstaff had a sweep in the Euros and Paul & Ben came last so were given the job of cleaning the water pumps, the island and the solar panel of the pond on the 4th/13th!!
