2010 10th Anniversary.
Our 10th Anniversary year started with a great golfing week on the Algarve. 15 SGL members and our official golfing official Brian, returned to Portugal seeking warmer climes and looking forward to 4 games of golf, good food and the odd beverage.
Keith and Andy immediately celebrated our safe arrival at Faro as they sampled a local optic. It was very local as we hadn’t actually left the Arrivals area.
The trip started well as we indulged in one of Portugal’s finest traditions. Apparently, having picked up your 3 rental vehicles, you lose each other, play hide and seek around the town of Albufeira, drive around aimlessly for a lifetime, visit a local building site or two and then realise that there is no way that there would ever be a golf course in the middle of a town. One of the vehicles is ever so slightly hampered by 2 passengers who continually switch on your lights, windscreen wipers and anything else that moves. Additionally, music is played at a decibel level akin to the bombing of Pearl Harbour. This just adds to the overall enjoyment. Eventually you arrive at Hotel Reception to find that they have never heard of you. Time for Keith and Andy to empty another optic and demolish a plate of chips. Long may these old traditions flourish.
Needless to say we did find a place of refuge and the apartments and facilities were first class. One of the rooms did however have a resident interior designer who made minor adjustments to the rooms. It must be great to return from a night on the tiles to find someone has stolen your bed.
And so the 4 days of competition commenced…
Playing the home course at Salgados, we very quickly realised that all 18 holes had been dropped in to a lake the size of Bedfordshire. Fairways had very conveniently been placed between the tee and the green but only just. As Tony put it, “this hole is fairly simple”. It had water running the full length of the fairway but only on one side. It sort of made a nice change from water running down both sides and across.
At the end of the round, Peter Jenkins had stormed in to the lead with a full 34 points in the bag. Not a particularly astute move by Peter as Mark cut his handicap by 5 on the next day.
On the Tuesday we set off in trepidation to find a course that some of us had played before. Would all 16 players reach the destination? Would all our beer money go on petrol? Thankfully we found the course at Morgado but unfortunately some cold wind and rain found us. The round was none-the-less enjoyable although starting on the 10th hole did start the old heart pumping a tad and recycled a little alcohol in to the bloodstream. This didn’t hold back Peter however and at the end of the day he was still leader with a cumulative 62 points.
The next day delivered the best course of the tournament. Alamos is the sister course to Morgado and fairly new. Peter continued his winning ways with another 31 points to his collection. On the Thursday we were back at Salgados but this time armed with flippers, snorkels and a life raft. To add to the competition we had to guess how many balls would be lost in total over the 18 holes. We lost 72. SGL’s finest at work.
At the end of the competition the points were duly counted and Peter Jenkins announced as the overall winner with a total of 115 points. In second place was Tony Smith with 112 points and JJ Hoadley came 3rd with 111 points. In the end it was a close run thing. Tony also won the prize for the loudest snorer of the week.
Quotes of the week:
“It certainly gave you distance”. Peter Jenkins following Paul Owens’ 1st tee shot on the 1st hole on the 1st day with his brand new driver. The ball trickled just a few feet.
“There is a man down there selling balls”. Tony Smith having spent good money on laser eye surgery. It was actually a tree stump.
“Apart from one wrong turn, the journey wasn’t that bad”. Mark Hewitson.
“Isn’t it Easter this week-end?”. John Malia. (only about 9 weeks out John).
“It wasn’t the beer it was a bad sausage”. Bill.
Just a small selection of photographs from the trip:
The 10th Anniversary Tournament and Awards Dinner was a great success. Over 30 SGL Members and guests played at The Bedford Golf Club and then later returned to Silsoe Village Hall for a celebration dinner. Guest speaker Geoff Swain gave an excellent speech with some great anecdotes about SGL members past and present.
Trophies and prizes were awarded by Chairman Tony Smith to the following:
End of Season Tournament – NP to Owen Flack. LD to Ned Lawton. Guest prize to Andy Bangs. 3rd Place to Tony Smith. Runner-up to Keith Addams and Winner to Simon Harley with 33 points (Simon top left).
Keith Addams won the Jigger Trophy for the most improved player and also the ‘3 Club’ Tournament (Keith top right).
The Chairman’s Honour went to Andrew Hammond for achieving the best net score of the season.
The League 3rd Place went to Chris Burrows and Phil Cook. Runners-Up were Tony Smith and Ned Lawton (bottom left) and the 10th Anniversary Winners were a very proud Phil Hammond and Pete Davies (bottom right).
10th Anniversary Season.
Our 10th Season started with a Texas Scramble. 5 fourballs entered the challenge and the winning team was Owen Flack, Ned Lawton, Keith Addams and Andy Wilson with a round of 1 under par and a net score of 28.8. Longest Drive went to Alan Janes and John Malia took Nearest the Pin. A great opening to our Season.
On Thursday 10th July we visited Chalgrave Golf Club for a 9 hole Stableford Competition. Matt Dibden won the match with Tony Smith coming 2nd and Geoff Banks 3rd. Geoff also took Longest Drive and Simeon Clipstone Nearest the Pin. A windy and wettish night but everyone enjoyed the course.
On the 13th and 14th June, 6 SGL Members went on a golfing break to the Wiltshire Golf Club just outside Wootton Bassett. Overall winner of the 2 day competition was Tony Smith.
In early October 8 members visited the Whitefields Golf Club near Coventry. A stableford match played over 2 days was eventually won by Tony Smith with Chris Burrows taking the runner-up slot. The views over Draycote Water were stunning and members had a great golfing break.
The Challenge Match against the Greyhound resulted in another win for our opponents. The final score was 5 – 1 with only Chris Burrows and Phil Cook winning their match. Then it was back to The Greyhound for great food and prize giving. Greyhound members won Longest Drive and Nearest the Pin so not the greatest of matches for SGL.
The Mashie Trophy was delayed due to terrible weather. With snow falling thick it was decided to run the competition in the New Year.