Golf News

Golf Week is approaching

This Sunday sees the Aqua sponsored individual stableford take place whilst there will be an open stableford on Saturday. The following weekend sees the start of Mount Murray Golf Week with 8 competitions spread out over nine days including the prestigious Wilkins Mount Murray Cup. Start times are available either by calling at the clubhouse or by contacting the pro shop. All the competitions are well supported by our sponsors with fantastic prizes on offer. The presentation for all the comps will take place on the evening of Sunday 7th July in the clubhouse.

IOM Champs

Congratulations to Daryl, Herman and Alex on qualifying for the last sixteen of the Island Champs with Daryl narrowly missing out on being the leading qualifier as he finished second to Tom Gandy.
The first knockout round gets underway at 4.30pm tomorrow at Douglas with Alex being the first of the Mount Murray boys out at 4.40 when he takes on Julien Sutton (no age gap there then). Daryl gets underway at 5.10pm when he plays Richard Skillicorn whilst twenty minutes later Herman takes on Mike Rea.
I’m sure the lads would appreciate as much support as possible so lets go along and cheer them on.

The Eva Rose Bowl

Sunday saw the members at Mount Murray competing for the Eva Rose Bowl, a trophy generously donated by long time member Jon Crossley and his wife Julie. Initially set up to help raise funds for Eva Rose’s Garden at Rebecca House the event has quickly become very popular with the members keen to show their support for the charity, indeed the garden is due to be opened at Rebecca House on August 17th this year and will no doubt be wonderful addition.
As for the golf a large field competed in the stableford competition with Neil Cartwright coming out on top with his return of 40 points. Just one point back in second on 39 was Dean Greenland, with Richard Creamore in third on 37. Herman Loubser, fresh from his exploits in the IOM Championship the day before, posted a very credible 36 points in fourth, just ahead of his ‘caddy’ Mike Pigott, Jon Crossley and Mark Riley who all had the same score but missed out on a countback.
Many thanks to Jon and Julie, and all at the club wish them and their family the very best for the future.

Union Mills Garage Summer Eclectic

Marcus Avery currently leads the field in the Union Mills Garage sponsored summer eclectic on 63.5 followed very closely by Colin Anderson on 64 and Steve Ryder-Clague on 64.5.
The Eclectic is made up of the best holes from the monthly medal’s so there are six chances to keep improving your score. Many thanks to Colin Kaneen at Union Mills Garage for his sponsorship of the event which is very much appreciated by the members.

Help For Hero’s (parts 1 & 2)

Due to the clash with TT we decided to run two Help for Hero’s competitions over successive weekends which proved to be a great success with over 100 taking part to support the charity. In round one Ben Locking took the honours with an excellent 42 points followed by Matthew Nicholson on 40 and Alex McAuley with 39.
Part two took place last Sunday and over 60 players took to the course to make the most of the glorious weather. Leading the way home this time was top junior Herman Loubser who secured a fine 40 points whilst compiling a very impressive 68 gross. It was close for second place as three players tied on 39 points, Richard Bray, Neil Atkinson and Alex Wilson shared the the same score although Bray’s stronger showing over the closing holes saw him claim second from Atkinson and Wilson respectively. Jon Carey completed the top five with his score of 38 just ahead of Phil Hicks on a countback.
So all in all the two days of competition proved to be very worthwhile.

Help for Hero’s (part 2)

This Saturday’s open stableford is in aid of the Help for Hero’s charity, unfortunately the day clashes with the first race of TT 2013.  Because of this the competition committee have decided to run a second ‘Help for Hero’s’ event on Sunday 9th June.  The day was originally down as a greensome but has been amended to an individual stableford to encourage as many as possible to take part and support the charity.  The start sheet will remain as was.

Winter Rules / GUR

As many of you are aware ‘winter rules’ were extended by a month following the particularly poor weather during the winter, with the area between the ninth and tenth fairways marked as GUR.
This all comes to an end this weekend and as from dawn on Saturday 1st June winter rules will cease as will the GUR ruling for the area between nine and ten.
There may well be times during the summer that the area is re-marked as GUR if conditions are such that it is warranted, but the area will be clearly defined if this is the case.

Help For Hero’s

This weekend sees the ‘Help for Hero’s’ open on Saturday so please make every effort to back this very worthy cause. Tee times are available from the pro shop. In light of recent events this is a great opportunity to show support for all our service men and women, many of whom hail from the Isle of Man.

IOM Farmers

Summer finally arrived at Mount Murray last weekend and the fine array of gardening equipment and quads on display outside the pro shop on Sunday let everyone know it was time for the IOM Farmers sponsored individual stableford.
The relatively calm conditions and ‘T’ shirt warmth produced some good scores, none more so than that of Steve Ryder-Clague who returned a fine 41 points to claim top prize, although only just on a countback from Martin Wilson who must be regretting the dreaded ‘blobs’ on two of his last three holes. One point further back in third place and on 40 points was Jon Carey, whilst fourth place also went to a countback with Niall Keenan, Stuart Mason, Dave Dancox and Mike Pigott all returning 39 points with Niall having the slightly stronger finish to come out ahead of the other three. Some consolation for Mike though as he did secure best gross of the day with 74.
Unfortunately Steve was unable to attend the presentation afterwards but he did make sure that playing partner Dean Greenland was on hand to accept the prize on his behalf and thank the sponsors for their very much appreciated support, certainly sentiments echoed by the captain and all those present. Many thanks to Jimmy Duncan and all at IOM Farmers for the fantastic prizes on offer, there is no doubt that their excellent support of the club is proving to make this a very popular competition with the members.

Mount Murray ‘Seniors’

A very youthful seniors team went up to Ramsey yesterday to take on their northern counterparts in a 12 man match. Mount Murray came out on top 6-0 with some pretty solid performances all round. well played the ‘oldies’ of seniors captain Alex Carine, Paul Joughin, Brian Kelly, Niall Keenan, Ian Wadsworth, Bobby Kelly, Bruce Hayes, Doug Brady, Dave Dancox, Tim Calladine, Jason Clarke and Andy Kewley. (seniors!!!!!)

Pro’s Comp

The best field of the year so far turned out for the Pro’s competition last Sunday with the weather certainly playing it’s part, as light winds and soft greens contributed to some good scoring. This is always a popular competition with the members turning out in force to show their appreciation for all that Allyn does for the club and Sunday was no exception.
Leading the way home with a fine effort of 42 points was Jonathon Evans who had a particularly good back nine in securing a one point victory over over the pro himself. Allyn shot an excellent 66 gross to claim 41 points which included birdies on five of the first six holes. Matching the pro on 41 points was Colin Halsall with the in form Dave Wilkinson just a shot further back on 40. Mark Riley and Marcus Avery rounded off the prize winners with 39 points although it was Mark’s slightly stronger finish that saw him finish in fifth. There were also prizes for nearest the pins on the fourth and seventeenth which went to Steve Smith and Paul Carson respectively whilst Rob Hill claimed the longest drive on the tenth.

NK Construction 2 man scramble

Sunday’s NK Construction sponsored 2 man Texas Scramble proved just what a hardy bunch we are at Mount Murray as just about everyone completed their round despite the very wet and windy weather. It was dry for the 8.30 shotgun start but that soon changed as a steady downpour ensued, although the course stood up remarkably well, as did the top team on the day, the popular pairing of Ben Locking and Rob Hill who shot an incredible 60.8 net to claim the trophy. Second place went to Eoin Moriarty and Darren McGuiness on 63.5, a score which they must have thought was good enough to win, with Dave Wookey and Andy Cowin just .3 of a shot further back in third. Fourth place went to the in form Colin Anderson and playing partner Stuart Mason on 64.8 but only on a countback from Andy and Matthew Nicholson. Nearest the pin on the 11th was junior Alex McAuley whilst Jason Cubbon, making a welcome return, claimed longest drive on the 10th.
The sponsor again did the club proud with a fantastic array of prizes on show at the presentation afterwards. Many thanks to Alan and all at NK Construction for their very much appreciated support of the club, a sentiment echoed by the winners, club captain Brian Kelly and indeed all the members.

Matchplay Rules

For those in doubt, listed below are the rules for this years individual matchplay, they are not all encompassing and if something crops up that is not covered then please go to the comps committee.

1. Each match to be played off the white tees.
2. Full handicap difference.
3. In the event of a match being tied after 18 holes, play to continue to hole 1, 2, 3, etc until a winner is decided. Shots to continue as and where they appear.
4. Each round must be completed by the stipulated date on the draw sheet. (This may be extended in exceptional circumstances although the approval of the competition committee must be sought)
5. The responsibility for arranging the match is with the first named player on the draw sheet. If no mutually agreeable date can be set then the first named must offer a choice of three dates/times to his opponent which must include at least one on a weekend and one on a clubnight. If this still does not result in the fixture being played then the first named will ordinarily advance to the next round. (in the event of a dispute between parties then the competition committee will rule, and their decision will be final)
6. The entry fee of £5 must be paid before commencing your first match.
7. The competition is open to all full and junior members.

Up dates / News

There was another good turnout for Saturday’s individual open stableford which went to Steve Berry with 41 points, but only just on a countback from Charlie Garside, with Jeff More and Bobby Quilliam third and fourth respectively on 40.

NK Construction are sponsoring the 2 man texas this Sunday which gets underway with an 8.30 shotgun start followed by presentation, whilst this Saturday is an open stableford.

The Matchplay draw is complete and is on the noticeboard, could we all please try and get each round played by the cut off dates, the first round should be done by the end of this month. The comp committee will do what they can to sort any problems amicably so if there are any issues with arranging matches then let them know sooner rather than later.

Clear View Windows Club Night

Last weeks club night saw Dave Wilkinson shoot a fine 28 points for the eleven hole competition, a result that propels him to joint second in the table along with Jason Clarke and just behind Andy Kewley. Club nights continue to prosper with a good social in the club house afterwards so come along, no appointment neccessary just turn up, play, socialise.

Wilkins Jewellers Monthly Medal

A dry but breezy Mount Murray hosted the Wilkins Jewellers sponsored May medal last Sunday with tough conditions reflected in the scores. Only three players managed to better par on the day with Colin Anderson leading the way with a superb effort of 72-4=68 to claim both net and gross sections. Second place went Eoin Moriarty 76-6=70 who got off to a poor start dropping three shots in the first four holes but finished with a fine, and only, birdie on the eighteenth. The only other player to break par was Alastair Nash in third after a super effort of 91-21=70.
A group of 6 followed with net 72′s with the final order, settled on a countback, reading Mike Pigott, Chris Mitchell, Bobby Quilliam, new member Geoff Leach who clearly finds the course to his liking, Andy Kewley and Robert Noon.

Clear View Windows Club nights

The Clear View Windows Club Nights continue to gain popularity with numbers increasing weekly. Jason Clarke currently leads the club night order of merit after three rounds, but that can all change very quickly. Anyone wishing to play on a Wednesday just needs to turn up after work and there will always be a game with someone.

Dangerous Golf Stableford

A busy weekend at Mount Murray saw over 80 members take to the course culminating in Sunday’s ‘Dangerous Golf’ sponsored individual stableford.
Making light of some tough conditions was Craig Allen who claimed the honours after firing a very respectable 41 points which also earned him a two shot reduction in his handicap. Close behind on 40 points were Paul Noon and the in form John Callow who could only be split on a countback, with Paul’s slightly stronger performance over the closing holes seeing him take second.
Jonathon Evans came home in fourth with his return of 38 points, followed by Doug Brady and Jason Clarke on 37. Many thanks to sponsor Dean Greenland and Dangerous Golf for their support of the club and yet again the sponsor did us proud with the array of prizes on offer. You can check out the full range of Dangerous Golf wear at www.dangerousgolf.co.uk

Dangerous Golf

This Sunday sees the inaugural playing of the Dangerous Golf Sponsored individual stableford. This will be a shotgun start at 8.30, played off yellow tees and followed by a presentation. Dangerous Golf is a new sponsor this year so many thanks to Dean Greenland for his support.

Saturday Open

Saturday’s individual stableford went to Keith Reay with 39 points, followed by Joe Reaside (38), Chris Mitchell (37) and Niall Keenan who headed a group of four on 36. Saturday’s are proving to be more popular of late but increased numbers are always welcome. Don’t forget they are ‘open’ comps so guests are more than welcome.

Wilkins Monthly Medal

The first Wilkins Jewellers Monthly Medal just about survived the weather last Sunday with the second half of the morning brightening up quite nicely. The first white tee competition of the year saw Scratch League captain Colin Anderson lead the way with a very fine 73-5=68 to secure the overall victory and best gross. The win would have seen Colin go forward to represent Mount Murray in the EGU Gold Medal regional final to be held at Ramsey in July where he would have been in with a chance to go on to Woodhall Spa later in the year. Unfortunately it looks like Colin will not be available for the qualifier leaving the door open for someone else to represent the club.
Second on the day went to Ben Locking (86-17=69), just one shot ahead of Steve Ryder-Clague and Jason Clarke who shot identical scores of 82-12=70, although Jason’s triple bogey on 17 meant that Steve had the stronger back nine to claim third place. A countback was required to determine fifth place with John Belcher, Jonathon Evans and Andrew Lodge respectively, all returning net 72′s.
The second Wilkins Monthly Medal is just two weeks away and will take place on the first Sunday of May when hopefully some better weather will be on hand.  We are incredibly fortunate with the sponsors we have at the club and the support that we get from Wilkins Jewellers, and in particular Neil Dunwell, is second to none and is very much appreciated by all the members. Many thanks Neil.

Latest Club News

Like so many other clubs last Sunday we suffered at the hands of the weather with the morning washed out by heavy rain, strong winds and mist. Fortunately Saturday’s open stableford avoided the same fate, no doubt much to the delight of Steve Heap who stormed to a fine 43 points to claim a comfortable 3 shot victory over the chasing pack lead by Tim Calladine (40) and three others returning 39′s, Andy Nicholson, Phil HIcks and Bob Easton. The top five will all see a point or two of their respective handicaps whilst Tim’s 74 gross was the best of the day.
Wednesday club nights sponsored by Clear View Windows are well under way and it’s the sponsor himself, Jason Clarke, who leads the way after the first two rounds followed by Andy Kewley, John Callow and Bobby Quilliam. Club nights are now on Master Scoreboard so you can get an up to date league table straight after the competition on a Wednesday. It will of course mean that scores from club night will now have to be entered into the computer and all that needs to be done is enter a ‘blob’ on the holes that are not played, simples!!!
This weekend sees the first of the Wilkins Jewellers Monthly Medals on Sunday and a first trip to the white tees of the summer.

Individual Matchplay

Entries are now being taken in the Pro Shop for this years individual matchplay event. The entry fee will be the same as last year (£5) and the draw will take place on Wednesday 24th April at the club night presentation. The rules for the competition will also be the same as in previous years and will be published on the notice board.

Well done Herman

Many congratulations to Herman for finishing 5th in the Crosby Challenge Plate at West Lancs yesterday with scores of 72 and 77. A brilliant peformance and well deserved. There was a good showing from Daryl with 80,74, and he should also be pleased with his performance.

Calendar changes

This weekend sees a slight change in the schedule with Sunday’s competition being an individual stableford, with the first of the Wilkins Jewellers monthly medals moving to the following week. This to ensure the course and particularly the tees are in better condition following the recent poor weather. Saturday stablefords will continue as usual and club nights are up and running on a Wednesday.

Corbridge’s Winter League final

The Corbridge’s sponsored Winter League concluded last Sunday with the knockout final and fourth round of the plate competition.
The knockout led the field off the first with Paul Noon (subbing for Johan Loubser) partnering son Robert, against the other father son pairing of Alastair and Chris Nash. This was always going to be a closely contested match and one that was very difficult to predict. As it turned out the Noon’s triumphed on the 17th green to claim a rare league and knockout double. Unfortunately Robert’s regular partner Johan was unable to make the final but he will no doubt be delighted with the outcome. Commiserations to Alastair and Chris, who finished runners up in both the knockout and the league.
The plate competition was won by Dave Wookey and Andy Cowin with a three round score of 125, with President Andy Horne and partner Bruce Hayes in second on 121 whilst Les Gale and Martin Rundle claimed third on 120.
On a day that produced a raft of high scores, the daily FBBB went to Andy Kewley and Micheal Christian who came in with a superb 48 points to claim the honours from Marcus Avery and John Callow (47), whilst the the teams of Bob Love and Martin Wilson, Mike Pigott and Adam McAuley, and Ray Nairn and Chris Darnill all finished outside the prizes despite scoring 45 points each.
A prize presentation took place in the clubhouse afterwards where vice captain Bob Quilliam and Charlie Garside, representing sponsor Ian Corbridge, presented the prizes to all the winter league winners and runners up, and the club was delighted to hear from Charlie that Crobridge’s would be continuing their sponsorship of this very popular event in the future.

Easter Sunday

With the course being closed tomorrow the clubhouse will not open until 9am. For those desperate to swing their clubs Allyn will be holding an ‘open day’ in the indoor video suite tomorrow and he promises not to put anyone on youtube.

2013 Club Nights, sponsored by Clear View Windows

Club Nights are due to start on Wednesday 3rd April with a 9 hole stableford followed by a bit of a ‘social’ in the bar afterwards.
The socials have gone down well during the winter months, so hopefully now with a bit of golf beforehand the numbers in the clubhouse will increase a fair bit.
Many thanks to Jason Clarke for his continued sponsorship of club nights.

Green Keepers Facebook page

Head Green Keeper Gary Corlett has set up a facebook page for ‘Mount Murray Greens’ to keep everyone up to speed with course maintenance and projects.
This is not just an attempt to drag some of us into the 21st century but is a great way of letting the members know what and why things are happening and to get valuable feedback.

Course up date

Despite the glorious weather we are currently experiencing the temperatures are not quite high enough to bring about the thaw we need to clear the remaining snow. The course will remain closed for this weekend with Easter Monday also looking really doubtful. With a bit of luck we may be able to play the first clubnight of the year on Wednesday. Next weekend should be OK for the Saturday stableford, with the re-arranged final round of the Corbridge’s Winter League, plate and knockout, taking place the following day instead of the listed AmAm.

Re-scheduled Winter League Final

Mother nature put pay to todays winter league final with the course resembling a ski resort more than a golf club.
Providing there is a thaw over the next few days the planned Easter comps will go ahead as per the fixture book, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday will be individual stablefords in conjunction with a four round eclectic.
The Winter League final and round four of the plate will move to the reserve date of Sunday 7th April (still with an 8.30 shotgun start) and will replace the 4 man amam.

Easter Weekend

Easter weekend, will see Mount Murray host four days of individual ‘open’ stablefords on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. There will be daily prizes on offer but also an eclectic prize, sponsored by Allyn Laing Golf, taken over the four rounds or over as many of the rounds as you can play. Tee times are available for all four days through the pro shop, and just by entering one of the daily competitions you will be automatically entered into the eclectic. Contact the pro shop for more details. Easter Sunday morning tee times can still be reserved on the start sheet in the locker room.

Corbridge’s Winter League Finale

This weekend sees the final of the Corbridge’s winter league with Alastair Nash and Bob Love (subbing for Alastair’s son Chris), taking on the in form pair of Robert Noon and Johan Loubser in what should be a really tight match. The rest of the field will compete in the final round of the plate competition which is currently being lead by Dave Wookey and Andy Cowin, although as stated previously this really is anyone’s competition to win.

Sunday Stableford

Jason Clarke made the most of the benign conditions Sunday to score a very impressive 45 points and secure a comfortable 5 shot victory over nearest challengers Tony Collis and Jon Carey. The margin of victory could have been even greater for ‘Smudger’ had it not been for a minor disaster on the easy 16th resulting in the dreaded ‘blob’.
Tony claimed second place by virtue of a stronger finish thanks mainly to birdies on 15 and 16 whereas Jon tripled the 15th and then bogeyed the 16th to pay pay to his chances.
Johan Loubser headed a chasing pack of five on 39 points followed by Craig Allen, Martin Rundle, Jonathon Evans and Andy Horne respectively.

Wednesday Social

There is no quiz this week as quiz master Dan ‘Bamber’ Sayle is on his hols. He’s back next week so dust off those brain cells for the 20th. Unfortunately for us mere mortals rumour has at it that Archie Collis is back to bolster his dads team so start swotting up.
The usual Wednesday socials are still going on as scheduled, so pop along for a bite to eat, a drink, and a bit of a laugh. You might even learn the art of ‘Texas Hold Em’.

Winter League Semi’s / Plate 3rd Round

The penultimate round of the Corbridge’s winter league took place at a very cold Mount Murray last Sunday, although things certainly warmed up in the club house afterwards as Les Gale treated everyone to a drink to celebrate a remarkable hole in one on the fourth, which went a long way towards securing his first place on the day along with partner Martin Rundle. Their combined effort of 43 points was clear three shots ahead of second placed Dean Greenland and Alex Carine who just got in ahead of Bob Love and Tony Collis, and Andy Horne and Bruce Hayes with both pairings finishing on 39 points.
In the semi finals of the knock-out, the business end of the winter league, favourites Johan Loubser and Robert Noon continued their push for a league and knock-out double with a victory over Ray Nairn and Chris Darnill, and will now meet Alastair and Chris Nash in the final in two weeks time following their good win over Andy Nicholson and Steve Smith. Unfortunately it looks like Chris will miss the final as he will be sunnying himself in Mexico, but I’m sure Alastair will find himself a more than capable sub.
The plate standings still have Dave Wookey and Andy Cowin at the top after three rounds with Horney and Bruce in second, and Les and Martin in third. But with three from four to count any of the top dozen teams can realistically still win the event.

Corbridge’s winter league, Knockout / Plate

In Sunday’s winter league quarter finals favourites Johan Loubser and Robert Noon overcame Bob Love and Brian Kelly (subbing for Garside/Mason) 4&2 and will now play Ray Nairn and Chris Darnill in this weeks semi final after the latter secured a narrow victory over Eoin Moriarty and Darren McGuiness. The second semi sees Alastair and Chris Nash, who beat Chris Mitchell and Martin Wilson, take on Andy Nicholson and Steve Smith who defeated Paul Carson and Tim Calladine.

In the Plate competiton John Belcher and Jason Clarke claimed the daily prize with 42 points, whilst Dave Wookey and Andy Cowin consolidated their position as plate leaders with a score of 41 points.  The plate league table is on the notice board, but with three from four to count, and many teams only playing three rounds, the table will change dramatically on the final day.

The Hermanator strikes again.

The glorious weather and excellent course condition produced some stunning golf last weekend, none more so than from star junior Herman Loubser who fired an incredible 64 gross in Saturday’s stableford competition to amass a winning total of 45 points. Herman’s bogey free round didn’t even contain a five until the eighteenth, a remarkable achievement for anyone never mind for someone so young. The course record of 66 (white tees) held by Marc Beattie and Daryl Callister could come under serious threat in the summer if Herman maintains this sort of form, and who would bet against it.
Dave Wookey continued his run of form in second place on Saturday with 42 points, whilst Mike Pigott’s level par lap for 41 points secured third.

Winter League (plate and 1st knockout round)

Hats off to Gary Corlett and his staff who showed just what can be achieved with a few dry days as the course was in fine ‘nick’ last weekend. A dry course, bright sunshine, eighteen holes and not a winter green in sight, what more could you want?
The 1st knockout round of the Corbridge’s winter league took centre stage on Sunday with most matches being keenly contested affairs. League winners, and tournament favourites, Johan Loubser and Robert Noon took on sixteenth seeds Steve Ryder-Clague and Jonathon Evans and came through unscathed and will now play the dangerous pairing of Charlie Garside and Stuart Mason in the quarters after they beat Richard Creamore and Neil Cartwright. Tim Calladine and Paul Carson overcame Neil Dunwell and Bob Love (subbing for Marcus Avery) and will now take on the very strong Andy Nicholson and Steve Smith who secured a good win over Mike Pigott and Brian Kelly (subbing for Colin Anderson). The Quarter final line up is completed by Ray Nairn and Chris Darnill (2&1 victors over Dave Dancox and Don Crossley), against Eoin Moriarty and Darren McGuiness who beat John Belcher and Jason Clarke, whilst the final game sees Chris Mitchell and Martin Wilson take on Chris and Alastair Nash after they overcame Bobby’s Quilliam and Kelly, and Mark Riley and John Callow respectively.
In the opening round of the plate competition, the reduced field was lead home by Dave Wookey and Andy Cowin on 40 points, followed by Herman Loubser and Alex McAuley (39), and Niall Carey and Craig Allen (39).
It’s same again this week with an 8.30 shotgun start for the quarter finals and the second round of the plate.

Winter Eclectic final round

Finally a dry and bright day for us last Sunday for the final round of the winter eclectic and individual stableford competition.
In the six round eclectic competition Don Crossley came out on top with a bogey free final score of 59 securing victory by just half a shot from Marcus Avery (59.5), who again was just half a shot ahead of third placed Charlie Garside (60). It was even closer for fourth with a group of four all finishing on 60.5, Andy Nicholson, Robert Noon, Neil Cartwright and Johan Loubser. The top 10 was rounded off with John Belcher (61.5), Marc Beattie, who only played in two rounds, (62) and Alyn Williams (62.5).
Leading the way in the daily competition was Alyn whose fine return of 41 points secured him a one point victory and a deserved reduction in his handicap. Close behind in second was Richard Creamore (40) with Dave Wookey heading a chasing pack of four who all finished with 38 although Dave’s stronger showing over the closing holes meant he grabbed third from Neil Cartwright, Johan Loubser and Dave Wilkinson.
Despite the atrocious weather of late Gary and his staff have done a fantastic job in keeping all 18 holes open and playable throughout the winter, unlike some other courses nearby, and which means that we, unlike the other courses, can hold qualifying competitions throughout this time of year. However, we still all need to do our bit to help, please take the time when on the course to replace divots, repair pitch marks and where neccessary avoid the wettest parts of the course. Just a little thought and effort in these areas can only be of benefit to everyone and help get the course pristine in the spring and summer months.

Fixtures

Just a quick up date for anyone who does not have a new fixture book and following on from last weeks Winter League washout.
The final round of the winter eclectic will go ahead as scheduled this Sunday. The first knockout round, and first round of the plate in the winter league will take place the following week with the second rounds moving to the reserve date of 2nd March.
We will then be back on track as per the fixture book (weather permitting).

Corbridge’s Winter League

The qualifying rounds of the Winter League were concluded on Sunday with Johan Loubser and Robert Noon securing the number one seeding as they topped the table after a convincing 43-38 victory over their nearest rivals Steve Smith and Andy Nicholson, who slipped to sixth as a result of the defeat. Johan and Robert will now meet 16th seeds Jonathon Evans and Steve Ryder-Clague who scraped into the knockout courtesy of a final round draw with Ben Locking and Rob Hill.
Alastair and Chris Nash had a very successful day, their 44 points took the daily prize and earned them a very comfortable win (playing blind) over Dave Dancox and Don Crossley. Alastair and Chris also claimed the second seeding and will play 15th placed John Callow and Mark Riley who qualified after a narrow victory over Jason Clarke and John Belcher who themselves still qualified in 13th place and will now face fourth seeds Eoin Moriarty and Darren McGuiness
Marcus Avery and Neil Dunwell were the only other team to claim six wins out of six, and the third seeds now meet Tim Calladine and Paul Carson in the last sixteen.
Dave Dancox and Don Crossley dropped to fifth seeds after a heavy defeat at the hands of Mike Pigott and Colin Anderson and now face Chris Darnill and Ray Nairn, whilst Mike and Colin climbed to eleventh and take on Steve and Nico.
The final two match ups see Bobby’s Kelly and Quilliam take on Chris Mitchell and Martin Wilson, with the mid table teams of Richard Creamore and Neil Cartwright taking on Charlie Garside and Stuart Mason.
The big losers on the day were the teams of Alex McAuley and Herman Loubser, and the president and Bruce Hayes. Both lost where wins would have seem them qualify for the last sixteen.
In the daily competition on Sunday, as said Alastair and Chris won with 44, followed by the Captain and Bob Love on 43 and Johan and Doug Brady (subbing for Robert).
The knockout gets under way with an 8.30 shotgun start this Sunday whilst those who finished outside the top sixteen take part in the Winter League Plate competition. This is a four round event with the best three scores added together to give a final total.
Full results from Sunday;
Loubser/Brady 43-38 Nicho/Smith
Kelly/Love 43-44 Nash/Nash
Cartwright/Creamore 41-29 McAuley
Riley/Callow 35-34 Belcher/Clarke
Avery/Laing 38-26 Wookey
Garside/Mason 43-42 Carey/Allen
Carey/Halsall 36-39 Crellin/Kaneen
Carson/Calladine 38-37 Mitchel/Wilson
Kelly/Reid 35-33 Wadsworth/Keary
Collis/Wilkinson 42-31 Keenan/Prince
Moriarty/McGuiness 42-36 G’land/Carine
Hill/Locking 40-40 Evans/Ryder-Clague
A’son/Pigott 43-31 Dancox/Crossley
Horne/Hayes 37-39 Nairn/Bray.

Corbridge’s Winter League Final Qualifying Round

Winter League Final Qualifying takes place this Sunday, 8.30 shotgun start. See the earlier entry for the permutations as to who can win the league / qualify etc.
The draw for the knockout stages will be made in the clubhouse afterwards, don’t forget it’s seeded so 1st to play 16th, 2nd to play 15th and so on.

Winter Eclectic Round 5 / Saturday Stableford

Despite the very windy and damp underfoot conditions there was a healthy turnout for the fifth round of the winter eclectic and individual stableford last Sunday. The poor weather was certainly reflected in the scores with only Darren McGuiness managing to beat the course with his fine effort of 37 points. A steady consistent round was the key as he had just the one ‘blob’ on the card, rather surprisingly that came on the easiest hole.
In second place on 35 points was Herman who covered the last twelve holes in level par, including an eagle on the 13th. Third and fourth were only separated on a count back with Andy Nicholson just getting the nod over Captain Brian Kelly after they both returned 34 points.
With just one round remaining of the eclectic competition Charlie Garside (60) holds a very narrow half a shot lead over Nico and Marcus Avery (60.5) with Don Crossley in fourth a further half shot back on 61. The scores are so close that just four shots cover the top fifteen so this really is anyones competition.
There was better scoring in last Saturday’s stableford as Chris Nash cruised to a comfortable win with 44 points, five clear of second and third placed Rob Hill and Herman Loubser (39′s).

Winter League Round 7

With just one round remaining in the winter league I will try and give you the qualification scenario;
The top four of Loubser/Noon, Dancox/Crossley, Nicholson/Smith, and Nash/Nash are safely through. 7th placed Avery/Dunwell who have not dropped a single point but have missed a week are also through and barring a sequence of extremely unlikely results the winner of the league will come from one of these five. Nicholson/Smith have the best aggregate points so a win with 40+ points in the final round should be enough, but a high scoring win from any of the others could be enough to steal it. If all five lose it is possible for Moriarty/McGuiness to sneak to the top but they would need to win and be within 2 points of Loubser/Noon. The same goes for Mitchell/Wilson but they would need all those mentioned above to lose and go on to score at least 6 points more than any of them.
Clarke/Belcher and Quilliam/Kelly should also be through although not mathematically safe, however if they lose their final matches it would need all nine teams below them to win.
The final 7 qualifying places are anything but decided. 10th to 16th reads; Cartwright/Creamore, Garside/Mason, Ryder-Clague/Evans, Loubser/McAuley, Carson/Calladine, Horne/Hayes, and Pigott/Anderson all of whom will make it if they win, unless McAuley/Potts and Callow/Riley also win with scores in the mid forties. They will also go through if they win and two of the 7 teams above them lose.
Darnill/Nairn are down in 19th place but have missed a week so a win for them in the final round could see them through if just three teams above them lose.
Greenland/Carine, Callister/Collis and Keenan/Prince can all just about qualify but a big win is essential and a lot of teams above them must lose.
Well that should be as clear as mud but it will all become clear in two weeks time. The up to date league table is on the notice board, but don’t forget things change dramatically when you discard your worst score.

Corbridge’s Winter League

Top performers on Sunday were Johan Loubser and Robert Noon who amassed an impressive 46 points in their victory over Jason Clarke and John Belcher (39), a win that also sees them move to the top of league table and guarantee a place in the knockout draw with two rounds to spare. Second on the day went to Neil Dunwell and Marcus Avery who battled to a 44-41 victory over Rob Hill and Ben Locking and move into the top ten in the process. Eoin Moriarty and Darren McGuiness move into the top eight following a comfortable 43-37 win over Tim Calladine and Paul Carson who slip down to 13th as a result and will need to avoid further slip ups if they are to make the last sixteen.
Don Crossley and Dave Dancox slipped back to second despite securing victory over the ‘lone’ Niall Keenan and like Johan and Rob are guaranteed a place in the knockout stages.
Andy Nicholson and Steve Smith, Martin Wilson and Chris Mitchell, Chris and Alastair Nash, and Bobbies Quilliam and Kelly have all but qualified following their respective wins on Sunday, although one more win from the final two rounds would make absolutely sure they are all in the draw.
Neil Cartwright and Richard Creamore, Charlie Garside and Stuart Mason, Herman Loubser and Alex McAuley, and Jonothan Potts and Adam McAuley also enjoyed positive results and left qualification in their own hands. Mike Pigott and Colin Anderson, and Chris Darnill and Ray Nairn currently occupy the final two qualifying places but neither team can afford any more slip ups after last weeks defeats.
New President Andy Horne and partner Bruce Hayes head a chasing pack of no less than eleven pairings who can still crash the party so it’s still all to play for over the next two rounds.

Quiz Night

QUIZ NIGHT TOMMORROW
7.30pm start in the club house, all welcome including any juniors, friends and family.

Junior Club Nights

Mount Murray’s junior section resume their clubnights at the range this week and will continue to meet at 5.30pm every Wednesday. There will be plenty of qualified coaches on hand and the clubhouse will be open for any parents to wait in the warm, have a drink, and even get junior their tea.

Corbridge’s Winter League update.

2013 didn’t get off to a great start last weekend with Sunday’s winter league matches falling victim to the thick mist, a real pity as there was a good turn out for the Captains Drive-In. Despite the poor visibility new captain Brian Kelly did hit the opening shot down the first and found the middle of the fairway, apparently. Rather fittingly outgoing Captain Andy Nicholson got the distance spot on to claim the ‘Drive-In’ prize donated by the new captain. We all wish Brian the very best for his year in office which I’m sure will be a great success.
There will be another go at running the the winter league this Sunday with an 8.30 shot gun start. Hopefully we can make up for the lost round over the coming weeks and keep to the planned eight qualifying rounds.

Early 2013 events

Happy New year to you all.

2013 gets underway in earnest this Sunday with the fifth round of the Corbridge’s winter league (8.30 shotgun start), although more importantly new captain Brian Kelly starts proceedings with his ‘drive in’.  There will be the usual soup and presentation in the clubhouse afterwards so lets hope for a dry start to the year and a good turnout for the new captain.

Wednesday evening socials have resumed and next Wednesday (9th January) sees the second quiz night take place.  All are welcome so bring your family and friends along to what is a good fun evening.  The quiz gets going around 7.30.

Quiz Nights / Social

The club also hosted the first of its planned monthly quizzes last week with the Archie Collis led team coming out on top by a single point. It is hoped to run a quiz on the second Wednesday of every month with the next one scheduled for January 2013. Those who lost out to ‘Team Archie’ still had a really enjoyable night and we hope to see a few more in attendance for the next one.
The club house will be open this Wednesday for the usual Social gathering but wont be open on Boxing Day evening. It will open again the following Wednesday evening, 2nd January 2013.
The more hardy of us will also be out on Boxing day morning, around 10am, for a ‘clear the head’ lap when all are welcome to turn up and play.

This Sunday’s Christmas Comp.

This Sunday’s Christmas Competiton, will again with an 8.30 shotgun start followed by presentation. There will be draw made on the morning for playing partners and tee’s and a decision will be made at that time as to the format. Members are welcome to bring along a guest or two with the only stipulation being it’s ‘bring a prize to win a prize’.

Individual Stableford

In a break from the winter league the members took to the course to play and individual stableford competition last Sunday, and as with recent weeks the weather held dry for the mornings proceedings. The day will last long in the memory of Niall Carey who secured his maiden victory at the club as he was one of three players on the day to return 40 points but a slightly stronger showing over the closing holes, including two birdies in the last six, saw him claim top spot from new Vice Captain Bobby Quilliam, with junior member Adam McAuley in third. Just finishing outside the prizes on 39 points were Robert Noon, Mike Pigott and Dave Wookey.

Corbridge’s Winter League Round 4

Best score of the day went to Tim Calladine and Paul Carson with their 44-38 victory over Steve Ryder-Clague and Jonathan Evans, with Rob Hill and Ben Locking in second after they beat Steve Berry and Keith Reay 44-40.
Dave Dancox and Don Crossley claimed third place with their 43-32 win over Andy James and Rob McIver.
Other results were;
Belcher/Clarke 40-35 Capt/Smith
Loubser/Noon 42-39 Horne/Hayes
Carine/Greenland 41-40 Loubser/McAuley
Dunwell/Avery 38-31 Kewley/Christian
Potts/McAuley 40-37 Moriarty/McGuiness
Gale/Rundle 35-28 Wadsworth/Keary
Keenan/Love 40-37 Callow/Riley
Mitchell/Wilson 38-40 Blind (Horne/Hayes)
Cartwright/Creamore 39-34 Kelly/Quilliam
Nash/Nash 40-38 Garside/Mason
Pigott/Anderson 37-34 Halsall/Carey
Collis/Callister 40-36 Wookey/Cowin

The top of the table now looks like this;
1. Dancox/Crossley 11-165
2. Loubser/Noon 11-160
3. Capt/Smith 10-169
4. Carson/Calladine 10-163
5. Mitchell/Wilson 10-162

Corbridge’s Winter League 3rd Round.

The benign weather and soft greens produced some fantastic scores last Sunday in the third round of the winter league.
Top score on the day went to Richard Creamore and Neil Cartwright who amassed a very impressive 47 points in securing victory over the previously unbeaten Paul Carson and Tim Calladine. Matching the winning score, but missing out on a count back, were the top junior pairing of Herman Loubser and Alex McAuley who enjoyed a comfortable win over Steve Berry and Jesse Furnival 47-36.
The captain Andy Nicholson and partner Steve Smith remain at the top of the league after their third straight win, 46-36, over Michael Christian and Andy Kewley, which also saw them claim third place on the day. Just missing out on the prizes by virtue of a count back were Jonathon Evans and Allyn Laing who came through a close contest 46-44 against Andy James and Gary Corlett.
Chris Darnill and Ray Nairn moved into second in the table following a 45-39 victory over Daryl Callister and Tony Collis whilst Martin Wilson and Chris Mitchell, and Bobby’s Quilliam and Kelly remain the only other teams with a 100 % record following victories over Adam McAuley and John Potts, and Ben Locking and Rob Hill respectively.
The remaining results were; Nash/Nash 39-37 over Keenan/Prince, Moriarty/McGuiness 44-38 over Cowin/Duggua, Garside/Mason 42-40 over Rundle/Gale, Pigott/Anderson 39-34 against Carey/Allen, Dunwell/Avery 40-39 against Belcher/Clarke, and Horne/Hayes 41-38 over Callow/Love. Only one match was tied as Dancox/Crossley and Loubser/Noon both returned 38′s.
The full league table is on the noticeboard but the top of it is as follows;
1. Capt/Smith 9pts 134 total score
2. Darnill/Nairn 9 127
3. Wilson/Mitchell 9 124
4. Quilliam/Kelly 9 118
5. Moriarty/McGuiness 8 129

Corbridge’s Winter League Round 2

Rather surprisingly we got away with the weather last Sunday and we saw another good turnout for the second round.
Top score on the day went to Eoin Moriarty and Darren McGuiness who recorded a resounding 45 – 33 victory over the solitary Jonathon Evans, a victory that sees the pair make a significant move up the league table after the previous weeks draw. Second on the day went to Paul Carson and Tim Calladine following their 44 – 38 win over Andy James and Rob McIver, whilst the captain Andy Nicholson and Steve Smith moved to the top of the league in securing third place with a 43 – 33 triumph over Ben Locking and Rob Hill.
Just missing out on the prizes, but moving up to second in the table, were the pair of Dave Dancox and Don Crossley who just scraped past Martin Rundle and Les Gale 43-42 courtesy of a birdie on the last. Chris Mitchell and Martin Wilson continued their good start to the campaign by beating the lone Alex Carine 41-36, whilst Bobbies Kelly and Love (subbing for the other Bobby), John Belcher and Jason Clarke, Rob Noon and Doug Brady (subbing for Johan Loubser) and Chris Darnill and Ray Nairn also maintained their unbeaten starts with victories over Niall Carey/Craig Allen, Anthony Collis/Daryl Callister, Alex McAuley/Gary Corlett (subbing for Herman Loubser), and Charlie Garside/Stuey Mason respectively.
The remaining matches saw Adam McAuley and John Potts beat Jon Carey and Colin Halsall 41-39, Nial Keenan and Allan Prince 40-37 over Andy Horne and Bruce Hayes, Steve Berry and Simon Scott (subbing for Keith Reay) 38-37 over Mark Beattie and Martin Cairney, Neil Dunwell and Marcus Avery 41-35 against Gordon Crellin and Colin Kaneen, and Chris and Alastair Nash 41-36 over John Callow and Mark Riley.
Mike Pigott and Colin Anderson got their second tie in as many weeks 40-40 with Andy Kewley and Mike Christian, whilst the final match up also resulted in a tie 41-41 between Dave Wookey and Allyn Laing (subbing for Andy Cowin), and Richard Creamore and Neil Cartwright.
The up to date league table is on the noticeboard but it’s way too early for predictions, although the captain is looking strong.
We seem to be getting round in good time at the moment, well most are, so thanks for that, but if we could all make sure that we are ready to go for the draw by 8.15 and on the the tees by 8.30 please.

Christmas Vouchers, Lessons and Deals

Hi Everyone,

At this time of year with Christmas around the corner I am please to offer some Pre Christmas deals from the Pro shop which should make ideal presents, whether it be for yourself or for someone else.

• Buy 4 Lessons and receive a fifth free of charge
• Adidas, Nike and ashworth Golf Trousers @ £25.00 ( 50% off RRP)
• Free Cleveland Wedge with any set of Irons purchased
• Great deals on winter, warm and waterproof clothing
• PING G15 Woods from £99.00

Ask in the shop for futher details

Update from the Pro Shop

Hi Everyone,

Winter League went off to a great start at the weekend with a great entry and great scores. Hats off to Gary and his team for presenting the course against all the difficulties with the rain we have had this season.

As you are all aware Jorge has moved on from the shop to pastures new and I wish him all the best for his future endeavours, you will be missed especially by me!!!!

We also have the addition to our new golf club manager in Dan Sayle. I am looking forward to working with Dan in his new role and he has some great plans so watch this space……

Thanks for now and lets’s hope the weather holds for a few more weeks yet.

Cheers

Allyn

Corbridge’s Winter League results

There was an excellent turn out for the opening round of the Corbridge’s sponsored Winter League last Sunday with well over sixty taking part.
Coming out on top were the pairing of club president Stuart Mason and Charlie Garside who amassed a very impressive 45 points in securing victory over Adam McAuley and Jorge Wylde. The Captain Andy Nicholson and partner Steve Smith were equally impressive in second place, only missing out on top spot by virtue of a count back, as they beat the strong Neil Cartwright /Richard Creamore pairing.
Chris Darnill and Ray Nairn also produced a solid display as their 44 points claimed third on the day and gave them victory over Jon Carey and Colin Halsall. Andy James and Rob McIver finished just outside the prizes on a count back but still enjoyed a league victory over Andy Horne and Bruce Hayes.
Other teams to get off to a winning start were; Wadsworth/Wilkinson 39-34 Kewley Christian, Quilliam/Kelly 38-36 Wookey Cowin,
Collis/Callister 40-35 Rundle/Gale,
Loubser/McAuley 40-36 Kaneen/Crellin,
Loubser/Noon 41-33 Hill/Locking,
Callow Riley 35-28 Berry/Reay,
Clarke/Belcher 42-39 Nash/Nash,
Wilson/Mitchell 42-39 Keenan/Prince,
Carson/Calladine 37-34 Carey/Allen,
Evans/Clague 42-38 Greenland/Carine,
Dancox/Crossley 41-39 Love/Murphy.
There was just the one tied game with Mike Pigott and Colin Anderson halving with Eoin Moriarty and Darren McGuiness 40-40.

Social Evenings

The club house will be open on Wednesday evenings for a bit of socialising and food. The juniors will continue to hold their club night on Wednesday’s starting at 5.30 on the range with club house being open for any parents to sit and wait.
There will be a speciality ‘dish’ served each week at a very reasonable rate as well as the normal bar menu.
PLease make every effort to come and support the club and make use of whats on offer, snooker, Champions League Football on TV etc.

Corbridge’s Winter League

The Winter League starts this Sunday with an 8.30 shotgun start. Please be in the club house no later than 8.15 for the draw.
Entry for the daily round will be £6 per man which will include soup and a roll afterwards.
Anyone still looking for a partner then let Allyn know and I’m sure we will be able to fix you up, alternatively if you can’t commit to playing every week but would like to play as a sub, or just want to play in the daily comp, again let Allyn know or just turn up on a Sunday morning.

Winter Eclectic Round 4

Despite the cold and breezy conditions at Mount Murray last Sunday, the individual stableford and winter eclectic third round attracted a decent entry with good scores thrown in as well.
Colin Anderson led the way with his fine effort of 40 points followed by Steve Heap and Paul Carson who both returned with 38. Steve’s slightly stronger finish saw him get the nod for second on a countback. It was even tighter for the minor places with no fewer than four players tied on 37 points, Doug Brady headed the quartet followed by Daryl Callister, Alyn Williams and Marcus Avery.
In the Eclectic standings club captain Andy Nicholson (63.5) remains in pole position but only by half a shot from Charlie Garside who in turn is a shot clear of Eoin Moriarty and Herman Loubser.

Annual Dinner

The Clubs annual dinner takes place on Friday 9th November at the club house. Unlike the other clubs this is a ‘mixed’ do. So speak to Bob Love, get your tickets and bring your partners to what is sure to be a great night out.

Winter League Rules

The Corbridge’s sponsored winter league gets under way on Sunday 18th November with an 8.30 shotgun start.
The rules/format are as follows;
The winter league to be contested over 12 rounds with the the first 8 rounds used to determine the final league positions. Rounds 9, 10, 11 and 12 will be the knockout stages with round 12 being the final played around the end of March begining of April. The knockout rounds will be FBBB matchplay. (the 12 rounds will not be consecutive, there will be an individual competition every three or four weeks or so which will be shown in the fixture book)

The club will run FBBB competitions for the remainder of members during the knockout rounds. (still shotgun starts and under the banner of winter league)Teams competing in the knockout can still play in the daily FBBB competition but will clearly have to ‘hole out’ to record a score as the knockout is matchplay. Although there will be set Sundays to contest the knockout rounds this does not stop any knockout match being played on a different day if both teams are agreeable, only that the match must be completed by the stipulated Sunday.

League positions will be determined by the best 7 results from 8 with points being awarded as in previous years, (win = 3, draw = 2, loss = 1) and aggregate scores used to seperate any teams level on points in the league table.

Should rounds fall victim to the weather then qualifying will be 6 from 7, 5 from 6, 4 from 5 etc. The comp committee may look to adding weeks to the fixtures in order to keep as close to eight rounds as possible.

The top 16 teams will qualify for the knockout stages provided a minimum of 30 teams are entered. Should there be less than 30 teams then top 12 will qualify with the top four recieving a bye through the first knockout round. The knouckout stages will be seeded as in previous years. If less than 20 teams enter then the only the top eight will qualify for the knockout stages.

A secondary ‘plate’ competition for teams not in the knockout stages, will be held over rounds 9 to 12 where each team add their best three scores together to determine a winner. No points for a win or draw etc just add your total stableford points to find a winner, with the top team(s) winning a prize(s) the number of which will be determined by the number of entries.

Substitutes wil be permitted throughout the league stages although subs can only be members who are not entered in the winter league competition. There will be no limit on subs during the league stages.

Subs will also be allowed during any round of the knockout in exceptional circumstances however the comp sec or comp committee must be notified and approve this beforehand.

The general competition rules will remain the same as in previous years ie.

1. A team shall consist of two full members of the club including junior members.
2. Entry fee is £10 per team, payable before that team competes in its first round. The daily entry will be £6 per man to include soup and roll post round.
3. Each round will consist of FBBB stableford matchplay with a draw for opponents made on the morning of the competition. Each round will be an 8.30am shotgun start. (3/4 handicap)
4. 3 points will be awarded to each winning team, 2 points will be awarded in the event of a tie and 1 point will be awarded to a losing team.
5. The league will be based on points won and in the event of a tie the winner will be the team with highest 7 stableford points accumulated. (depending on the number of qualifying rounds)
6. Any card errors will be addressed on the day by the comp committee. Whereas the competition committee do not wish to appear ‘draconian’ they will be robust, but fair, and in accordance with R&A, CONGU/EGU rules.

All entries to made on the sheet in the Pro Shop.

Winter Eclectic Round 1 / Green Keepers Benefit

One of the best weekends of the year greeted us last week with Sunday’s individual event not only being the opening round of the winter eclectic but doubling up as the Green Keepers Benefit following last weeks cancellation.
Capitalising on the weather and making light of the ‘winter prepared’ greens was Doug Brady who returned a fine 40 points to secure a one point victory over Robert Noon and Gordon Crellin respectively who could only be split on a count back.
Fourth and fifth also needed the count back to separate them as Mike Pigott and Martin Rundle both came in on 38 with the former just getting the nod for fourth.
Although the greens were testing to say the least, we can not lose sight of the fact that the work being done is essential to keep the greens up to standard throughout the summer months. If we want the greens to be as good, if not better, as last year then we have to accept that they need to be worked on. Gary does know what he is doing.
Speaking of Gary, the collection for the green keepers benefit will continue in the pro shop for the next couple weeks so please give to show your appreciation of what Gary and his team have done over the last twelve months and more.

Mount Murray Order of Merit

The Mount Murray Hotel Order of Merit reached it’s conclusion recently with the consistent golfers deservedly coming to the fore. Mike Pigott secured what proved to be a comfortable first place with 289 points from 15 events. Second place went to Charlie Garside on 209 points from just 12 events, with Marc Beattie third on 206 from 13.

ClearView Windows Club Night.

Congratulations to Steve Smith who secured the Clear View Windows league title last night. Steve had built up an unassailable lead over the past few weeks and as one of the best supporters of club night this year richly deserved his victory. The only remaining issue was who would be second and third as Mike Pigott and Alan Bannister went into the final night level on points. It was Mike who came out on top as his eighth place earned him two points whilst Alan failed to make the top ten on the night.
Dave Wilkinson won the final round on 21 points, just from John Belcher on a count back whilst Steve finished third.
Many thanks to Jason for his sponsorship and to Steve for his very entertaining victory speach.

Green Keepers Benefit

This Sunday’s competition is the Green Keepers Benefit which gets under way with an 8.30 shotgun start followed by presentation. Gary and his staff have done a fantastic job throughout the year so lets make it as good turnout to show our appreciation.

Wilkins Jewellers Medal Final

Sunday’s end of season Wilkins Jewellers medal final saw two competitions in one with the qualifiers and non qualifiers from the years monthly medals competing in separate categories.
In the main event, the qualifiers, Martin Cairney topped the leader board with his return of net 72, a winning score that highlighted the difficulty of the course as the white tees and strong wind proved to be a very stern test. Second place went to Bob ‘Silky’ Love with net 73 but this is far from the whole story. Bob not only secured best gross on the day but also claimed his first hole in one after ‘many many many’ years trying. He aced the tough 11th and then dug deep into his pocket to provide everyone with the customary drink in the club house. Cheers Bob. Third place went to Colin Anderson with his net 77. In the non qualifiers section it was Bruce Hayes leading the way on net 73, just getting the better of Andy James on a count back.

Mount Murray Juniors

The junior section have moved their club night to a Wednesday commencing at 5.30pm initially. Junior organiser Johan Loubser is actively working on getting the juniors, of all ages and abilities, back to the level we were at last winter with a structured and programme of coaching, initially on the course and then on the range. Anybody wanting wanting more details then contact Johan or the pro shop and likewise any adults who can assist would be most welcome.

Final Club Night

Tomorrow sees the final club night of the year take place and we should get a break in the weather just in time to play.
Entry will br £4 for this last round but that will include a curry in the club house afterwards. Jason will also be on hand to present the overall league prizes and although the winner is already know, second and third are still up for grabs.
Many thanks to Jason (Clear View Windows) for his sponsorship of club night which will be going into it’s fifth year next year. There is no doubt that Jason’s support has gone a long way to popularising the midweek club night.

Wilkins Jewllers Medal Final

The Wilkins Jewellers Medal Final scheduled for today, Sunday 16th September, has been re-arranged for next Sunday after the weather put pay to any golf this morning.
Next weeks shotgun start for the Wilkins Annual competition has been moved to October.
The start sheet for next Sunday will be the same as this weeks, so whatever time you were down for it will be the same next week. If you can’t play next week, or need a different slot then please the pro shop and tell them.

Up coming events

A few dates for your diaries;
Saturday 15th September will see the re-arranged Robinson’s sponsored FBBB postponed from golf week. This is an open competition with tee times available in the pro shop.
Saturday 22nd September sees another of the golf week postponements being played with the Ricky Jupp sponsored Jupp Trophy for juniors. Again tee times are available from the pro shop.
The IOM Golf Union annual dinner takes place on Friday 5th October. If you want to go please add your name to the sheet in the locker room. This always a good night out with Mount Murray well represented.

Daryl Callister retains club championship

As expected Daryl comfortably held on to his opening round lead to retain his club championship, appropriately sponsored by his friend and, sometimes caddy, Tony Collis. Daryl took an impressive eight shot lead into the second round and despite ‘only’ shooting 74 for a 140 total extended his overall margin of victory to a clear nine shots. Heading the chasing pack was club stalwart Charlie Garside whose consistent rounds of 74, 75 for 149 saw him easily into second, five shots clear of the days big mover Bob Love who shot 74 to go with his first round 80 and total 154 in third.
The scheduled second round on Saturday was lost, again, to the weather and with Daryl booked on the Sunday morning boat it looked like he might not have been able to defend his title after all. However a couple of phone calls and a changed booking meant that he could play and deservedly keep the trophy for another twelve months.
In the net category Bruce Hayes came out on top with a second round 69 to go with his opening 68 whilst Charlie was again the bridesmaid in second with net scores of 69, 70. Paul Carson claimed third after rounds of 69 and 71. Best net on the day went the sponsor Tony Collis with a fine 68.

Anthony Collis Flooring Club Championship first round

Well we got there eventually with the weather albeit the second round has had to be moved to this Saturday. As for the opening lap Daryl takes an almost unassailable eight stroke lead into this weekends second round following his course record equalling 66 last Sunday. The defending champion got off to a flyer with three birdies in the first four holes and after an eagle on the ninth Marc Beattie’s record was in real danger of being wiped out. A six footer for birdie on eighteen would have seen the record lowered to a remarkable 64, but an uncharacteristic three putt from Daryl means the record, for the time being, will be shared between the two of them.
Everyone else appears to be playing for second place, although stranger things have happened, with just four shots separating the next nine players. Young Alex McAuley and the young at heart Charlie Garside lead the chasing pack on 74, followed by Marc Beattie, Gary Corlett and Mike Pigott on 76. Jorge Wylde and Steve Smith are one further back on 77 whilst Dave Dancox rounds off the top ten on 78.
The net category is much tighter with Alex and Daryl leading the way with 67′s followed by Bruce Hayes (68) with Charlie, Steve and Paul Carson close behind on 69.
Fortunately the dry bright spell last Saturday gave Gary and his team just enough time to get the course playable for Sunday and what an excellent job they did. In fact the course has been great all summer despite the awful weather. Well done Gary.

Club Champs update

Thick mist and heavy rain throughout Friday caused the postponement of the first round of the club championship today (Saturday 18th Aug).
The first round will now be played tomorrow with the second and final round to be played next Saturday the 25th. Next Sunday’s stableford will stay as a stableford comp but will also remain as another reserve day just in case.

Presidents day

Club President Stuart Mason hosted his day at Mount Murray last Sunday with a four man amam competition. The wet and windy weather along with white tees and three quarters handicap meant the scores were not quite as good as you would expect for the format, however the President himself led the way with his team of Mike Pigott, Colin Anderson and Paul Sheffield whose score of 78 was two clear of second placed Dave Dancox, Brian Kelly, Chris Mitchell and Mark Skelding. The team of Rob McIver, Dean Greenland, Steve Clague and Jonathon Evans claimed third just one shot further back on 75.
There were a number of spot prizes up for grabs with Mike Pigott and Jonothan Evans claiming nearest the pin on 6 and 14 respectively, with Mike again, and Tony Collis taking the longest drives on the 10th and 13th. Despite the best efforts of the weather the day was a success for our very popular president who not only put up some fantastic prizes but also provided lunch and a drink for the sixty odd competitors. Many thanks to Stuart for an excellent day

Club Championship Preview

Next weekend sees the 36 hole Club Championship played over Saturday and Sunday with Daryl Callister the favourite in most peoples eyes to retain his title. Although it is easy to not look beyond Daryl, there are still one or two others who may well have different ideas and who can mount a serious challenge.
Marcus Avery is more than capable of posting two low scores and as a past winner certainly knows what is needed to be crowned club champion. Both Jorge Wylde and Gary Corlett can also shoot low scores and will no doubt be in the mix come Sunday evening and although the weather is set fair the forecast strong breeze may well benefit the steady play of Bob Love and Mike Pigott. Another two to to look out for are Charlie Garside and Colin Anderson who if they putt well will be a real threat and I certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see either of them at the top of the leaderboard. Sneaking just under the radar is Marc Beattie who on his day strikes the ball better than anyone and dont forget he is the course record holder.
With no Herman the junior challenge will come from Matt Nicholson, Rob Noon, and Adam and Alex McAuley, whilst Andy Kewley and Andy Horne, another past winner, could feature. One more name to throw into the pot, Alan Rowe, unknown to many but he can play.
It is probably fair to say Daryl does start as favourite but if he is not on his ‘A’ game then there are certainly plenty who can take his crown.

Saturday stableford / Iain Laing

Saturday’s stableford went to Iain Laing on 40 points, who unfortunately suffered a nasty fall on the course during the Sunday deluge, here’s hoping he wont be out of action for too long and we all wish him a speedy recovery from what I believe is a bad knee injury.

Wilkins Jewellers Monthly Medal

The weather played havoc with the Wilkins Jewellers sponsored monthly medal at Mount Murray last Sunday with a number of the late starters unable to complete their rounds after a torrential downpour flooded parts of the course. All those that couldn’t finish will get a free entry into the next comp and their handicaps will not be affected.
Although the rain was steady throughout the morning the course stood up well and remained playable for most of the field with Paul Sheffield in particular making light of the conditions. Sheff’s return of net 68 was a clear two shots ahead of the impressive Daryl Callister who is looking ominously good for the up coming club championship next week, with the ever improving Martin Rundle in third also with net 70.
Fourth place went to Jon Carey with his return of net 72, followed by Alan Rowe, who played through the worst of the weather, and Marcus Avery who both shot net 73′s along with Barry Murphy. Daryl (70), Sheff (76), Marcus(76) and Alan (77) topped the gross section.

Heron & Brearley FBBB

No results on Master Scoreboard for today’s FBBB, but the top five pairings were as follows;

1st. Craig Marr & Alan Bannister 44pts
2nd. Andy Cowin & Tim Calladine 39pts
3rd. Brian Kelly & Danny McMahon 39pts
4th. Gary Corlett & John Callow 39pts
5th. Steve Smith & Dave Simpson 39pts

A run away victory for Craig and Alan but very close indeed for the rest of the prizes with a countback needed to separate the next four teams.

Clear View Windows Club Night League

In the clubnight league Steve Smith has opened up an 18 point lead over the field following back to back victories. Alan Bannister is second with an 8 point cushion over third placed Peter Wood. The winner will probably come from these three but with ten rounds still to play, weather permitting, any number could make a late surge up the table.
Please be aware that, following discussions with the sponsor, all the prizes won during club night will go straight onto the respective cards in the pro shop. There will not be any presentations until the final club night in September.

TE Cubbon Bogey

Last Sunday’s TE Cubbon sponsored bogey competition proved a real test as strong winds and back tees made good scores very difficult to come by. Only Colin Halsall managed to beat the course with a score of 1up to claim the honours on the day whilst Alyn Williams and Marc Beattie finished second and third respectively after both returned all square with Alyn just getting the nod on a count back.
Alex Wilson took fourth place, again on a count back, from Bobby Kelly and Jon Carey after all three finished 1 down. Rather surprisingly CSS remained at level par so the bulk of the field got point one back on their handicaps.
Many thanks to Jason Cubbon for sponsoring the event and it was good to see him back at the club and playing.

Boys Championships

It was a case of so near yet so far for our juniors at Peel last Sunday as Herman and Adam McAuley both just missed out on becoming Island Junior champion. Herman claimed second and Adam third behind winner Scott Donald of Castletown in the 36 hole medal. A great effort boys, you represented the club magnificently and no doubt your time will come very soon. There were also fine efforts from Lewis Dening 6th, and Matt Nicholson 8th in their final junior championship.

Golf Union Gold Medal

Congratulations to Rob Hill who won the Island qualifier at the weekend and now goes on to represent not only Mount Murray, but the Isle of Man at Woodhall Spa next month.
Rob got to enter the regional qualifier by winning our first monthly medal back in April. Well done again Rob and good luck at Woodhall.

Captains Day

One of the biggest events on the Mount Murray calendar took place last Sunday as Andy Nicholson hosted his Captain’s day in bright, but breezy, conditions.
Even with the enforced absence of most of the clubs juniors due to the Junior Island Champs at Peel, a large number took to the course to support the captain, although just five managed to better par.
Leading the way with an excellent 42 points was Doug Brady who has not had too much success this year but certainly chose a big event to break his seasons duck. Two points further back in second place was Dave Dancox on 40 whose stronger finish was just good enough to beat Steve Heap on a countback.
Marcus Avery claimed fourth with his return of 39 whilst Jorge Wylde was the only other competitor to better par with his score of 37.
Following the golf the captain treated everyone to lunch, and once the prize presentation was concluded announced that the day had raised over £300 for the captain’s charity, Eva Rose’s Garden at Rebecca House, bringing the total raised so far by the club to over £1000, a fine effort by the members to support this very worthy cause. Many thanks to Andy for an excellent day, even down to getting the weather right.

Junior Northern Counties

The Island junior squad heads off to Childwall in Liverpool next week to contest the Northern Counties. For those that don’t know the team is made up of the six top juniors on the Island plus one travelling reserve and Mount Murray has no fewer than five of it’s juniors in the squad, Herman, Matthew, Adam and Alex McAuley and Robert Noon. Good luck to all the lads, who will be travelling with Scott Donald and George Harris of Castletown, and congratulations on making the squad.

Eva Rose Bowl (formally Crossley Cup)

Next Sunday is the ‘Eva Rose’ Bowl sponsored by Jon and Julie Crossley with all the proceeds from the entry going to Rebecca House. The competition is an individual stableford with an 8.30 shotgun start followed by a presentation.
Please make sure you are signed in by 8.15 am for a prompt start.

Wilkins Jewellers July Medal

Sunday’s competition at Mount Murray was the Wilkins Jewellers sponsored July monthly medal, where the combination of white tees and a stiff breeze made for a tough test with just two players managing to better par.
Top of the pile was Steve Clague with a fine return of net 67, a clear three shots ahead of second placed Dean Greenland who in turn was two clear of Eoin Moriarty in third. There’s a bit of pattern there which doesn’t auger well for the rest of us with the school holidays just around the corner!
Just missing out on a top three finish by virtue of a countback was Danny McMahon, with Martin Rundle completing the top five with his score of net 74. Eoin took best gross on 78.

Golf Week

The Premier Flooring Am-Am kicked off proceedings last Saturday and set the scene for some really good scoring with the course in absolutely fantastic condition and thanks to Gary Corlett and his team for that. Thanks also to Paul Carson at Premier Flooring for his generous sponsorship to start off the week.

The Am-Am was won convincingly by Daryl Callister, Antony Collis, Gordon Crellin and Niall Keenan with 88 Stableford points. In second position were David Braide, Colin Russell, Dave Simpson & Steve Smith with 85 points on countback, by virtue of a better inward nine holes, from Ian Corbridge, Michael “Docca” Doherty, Charles Garside & Barry Teare. Just missing out on the prizes were Marcus Avery, Neil Dunwell, Rob Noon & Matt Oakes with 84 points.

The following day saw the first round of the prestigious Wilkins Jewellers Mount Murray Cup played in fabulous conditions with 89 competitors teeing it up.

The conditions certainly suited Andy Kewley who was one of the first out on the course, resulting in a superb round of 71 Gross, Net 65 which was a clear 3 shots better that his closest rival, Jonathon Evans with 79-11-68. In third place was Tim Calladine with an excellent 75-7-68. The minor net placings (all net 69s) on countback went to Alex Wilson (14), Brian Kelly (11), Mark Beattie (7) and reigning Mount Murray Cup holder, Jason Clarke (13). The best gross prize on the day went to Andy Kewley with 71 with past Island Champion Kevin Moore of Douglas GC also on 71 but with a slightly inferior back nine holes.

Other winners throughout the week were; The ‘Britvic’ 2 person scramble 1st. Brian Kelly and Chris Mitchell 60.5. 2nd. Liam Cowin and A Crawley 61.2. 3rd Les Gale and Ray Teare 61.5. The ClearView Windows individual stableford 1st. Martin Rundle 41, 2nd Danny McMahon 38, 3rd. Martin Cairney 38, 4th Jason Clarke 37, 5th Alan Bannister 37.

Sunday’s final round of the Wilkins Mount Murray cup proved to be a fitting climax to golf week despite the best efforts of the weather to disrupt proceedings.
With the competitions on Thursday, Friday and Saturday washed out Sunday needed to be good, fortunately it was and even though a number of the Islands top players were forced to miss the second round with the re-scheduling of the Island Championship, this certainly didn’t detract from a great competition.
In the end the final result went to the wire with first round front runners Andy Kewley and Jonathon Evans continuing to battle it out right to the end. Both completed their two rounds with excellent scores of 138 with Evans’ final round 70 just being enough to take the honours on a countback and claim the Wilkins Mount Murray Cup for 2012 from Kewley with Alex Wilson third overall.
The daily prize on Sunday went to Neil Cartwright with his score of 69, followed closely by Evans and Les Gale (70) with once again Alex Wilson being the unlucky one to miss out on a countback. The overall gross prize went to Andy Kewley on 150 following a second round 79, whilst Mike Pigott claimed best gross on the day with his score of 77. Special mention to Nick Pledger who treated everyone to a drink on Sunday to mark his super hole in one on the very tough 17th.
The Wilkins Mount Murray Cup is quickly becoming one of the top competitions on the Island thanks to the fantastic sponsorship of Wilkins Jewellers. The support from Neil Dunwell of Wilkins is very much appreciated and was highlighted by the superb turn out for the presentation where the winners were once again treated to an unbelievable array of prizes and members of both the ladies and mens sections had a very enjoyable evening.

Many thanks to all our sponsors who made golf week the success it was, despite the best efforts of the weather, Paul Carson at Premier Flooring, Jason Clarke at Clearview Windows, Britvic, and of course Neil Dunwell at Wilkins Jewellers. Thanks also to Ricky Jupp, Robinsons, and Heron and Brearley whose competitions suffered at the hands of the weather but will be rearranged for a later date to suit.

Junior Golf

The Isle of Man team for the Junior Northern Counties to be held at Childwall GC next month has been announced, with no fewer than five Mount Murray juniors making it into the final seven.
Congratulations to Herman, Matt, Robert, Adam and Alex who will join Scott Donald and George Harris of Castletown in representing the Island.
A mention also for Lewis Dening and Danny Kane who both made this years junior squad but unfortunately missed out on final selection.

Clear View Windows Club Nights

Surprise Surprise, (no not Cilla Black) Alan Bannister tops the clubnight league table after his second win last week with sponsor Jason Clarke just two points behind. Steve Smith, Iain Laing and Don Crossley round off the top five but it’s very early days. Don’t forget there is no club night during golf week.

Golf Week

Mount Murray’s golf week gets under way with an AMAM straight after TT, with the first round of the prestigious Wilkins Jewellers Mount Murray cup the following day. Competitions will run throughout the week for men, ladies, and juniors culminating in the second round of the Mount Murray Cup on the final Sunday. Tee times for all the events are available from the pro shop or at the clubhouse.

Isle of Man Farmers Fbbb

Like everywhere else on the Isle of Man last weekend Mount Murray was bathed in glorious sunshine prompting a mass breakout of shorts and some very white legs for the Isle of Man Farmers sponsored FBBB.
Jon Carey and Colin Halsall lead the way home with their return of 44 points, just one ahead of second placed pairing Don Crossley and Dave Dancox who in turn pipped third placed Craig Marr and Paul Carson on a count back. Richard Bray and Ray Nairn claimed fourth with their score of 42, one ahead of Andy James and Marc Beattie who just missed out on the prizes.
Jimmy Duncan of Isle of Man Farmers was on hand to present the winners with their prizes in the clubhouse afterwards and again the sponsor did us proud with what was up for grabs. He also told all those present of some excellent discounts on offer to Mount Murray members at Isle of Man Farmers so get yourselves down there for some summer bargains.

Wilkins Jewellers monthly medal

It was a dry and bright spring day on Sunday for the Wilkins Jewellers sponsored monthly medal but the white tees and tricky breeze meant good scores were hard to come by for most of the field.
One who did find a good score though was Jonathon Evans whose 68 net was good enough to secure a one shot victory over Les Gale and Jesse Furnival with Les claiming second by virtue of a countback.
There was a welcome return to form for Eoin ‘I never have any luck’ Moriarty in fourth with his net 70 although he did have the consolation of taking best gross on the day with 75, a score matched by ‘Silky’ Bob Love who finished fifth overall but Eoin’s stronger finish saw him take the honours.
Johan Loubser and Terry Ditchfield were also in the mix with net 70′s whilst Rob Noon, Brian Kelly and Martin Cairney completed the top ten as they all returned net 72.

All things Mount Murray

Apologies for the lack of up dates recently, but here we go with a round up of what’s been happening of late.
As most will be aware the draw for the club matchplay was made by the captain last week and can be seen in full on Master Scoreboard as well as on the notice board in the locker room. The rules for the competition are the same as last year and are also in the locker room. Please do your best to get each round played by the specified date.
The Clear View club nights are going strong with the sponsor himself leading the way in the league after four rounds. The presentation for April was postponed due to the weather and will now take place at the same time as May’s presentation on the 30th. Again an up to date and full league table can be found on the notice board.
Mount Murray’s scratch league team got off to a flyer last week with a 7-0 thumping of Port St. Mary. The current crop of very good juniors at the club have integrated well with the established seniors in the team and the future certainly looks rosy.
Last Saturday’s stableford was the first of the ‘opens’ run by the pro shop. As a rule these will take place on the first Saturday of each month and are a great way to introduce people to the club. This months ‘open’ went to Dean Greenland with a phenomenal 44 points, seven clear of Charlie Garside in second on 37, with Dave Dancox third on 36.
This Sunday is the NK Construction sponsored 2man scramble with an 8.30 (prompt) shotgun start. There will a cut off time of 12.45 for cards to be in with the presentation at 1.15pm. The rules for the comp will be made clear on the day, but basically it’s a medal round with a handicap for the pair of 20% of the combined.
Finally, congratulations to Paul Carson and Laura who tied the knot at the weekend, I know everyone at the club will join me in wishing them a long and happy life together.

Latest Club News

Just a Saturday stableford for members last weekend as the golf union hosted its first 36 hole event at the course on Sunday.
With the course in excellent condition you would expect some low numbers but quick greens, together with a blustery wind, kept good scores at a premium.
Coping best on the day was promising junior Adam McAuley whose return of 37 points was two ahead of second placed, and definitely not a junior, Mike Pigott.
Both Adam and Mike played the back side well dropping just one shot between them but Adam’s level par for the nine holes proved decisive.
It was really tight for third as four players returned 34 points with again the final nine proving pivotal as Charlie Garside covered them in level par to claim third on a countback from Alyn Williams, Andrew Horne and Jason Clarke.
We’re back to two comps this weekend with an individual stableford on Saturday followed by a 4 man amam on Sunday.
The Clear View windows club nights are well under way on a Wednesday and are already proving to be popular. Anyone wanting to play on a Wednesday just needs to turn between 4 and 6 and game is guaranteed. We are only a couple of weeks into the club night league so watch this space for the first league table in the next week or two.
Anyone playing the course last weekend will no doubt have been amazed at how good the greens were and thanks to Gary and his staff for all their efforts. The course received some very positive comments form the Islands golfers on Sunday which were well deserved.
Unfortunately to maintain the quality Gary needs to carry out some essential maintenance work, particularly on the greens, over the next few weeks so please be patient. We will have a period where the greens are not so good but the benefits will be worth it.
Finally, entries are being taken for the club matchplay in the pro shop. Numbers are down from previous years and with the first round draw due on the final club night of the month we could do with some more entries.

Sunday 15th April

Members are reminded that Sunday 15th April is the golf union 36 hole event so the course will not be available for the day. There will be a club competition on the Saturday though. If you have a handicap of 12.4 or less then why not enter the 36 holer? Entry forms are in the locker room and have to be in by 6pm this Sunday.

Dean Wood Pairs

The Easter weekend sees us host the Dean Wood pairs competition with a FBBB on Saturday followed by a Greensome on Sunday. Please be aware that Sunday is an 8.30 shotgun start with presentation to follow and prizes for both days as well as overall. Everyone who had their names down on the original start sheet has been allocated a tee but please check the new start sheet to make sure.

Wilkins Monthly Medal

Last Sunday saw the first visit of the year to the white tees for the opening round of the Wilkins Jewellers (Neil Dunwell) sponsored monthly medals. Although the weather was fine the tricky greens and tough pin positions meant good scores were few and far between.
Someone who did master the course though was Rob Hill whose excellent score of net 66, aided by birdies on the tenth and seventeenth, secured him a relatively comfortable two shot victory.
Second place went to Brian Sneddon with his score of net 68, whilst Martin Cairney and Gordon Crellin battled it out for third as they both returned 69′s with Martin just sneaking it on a countback after covering the last seven holes in one under. Richard Creamore completed the top five as he was the only other player to shoot par or better.
Marcus Avery continued his good form with a best gross of 74, on a day when many low handicappers struggled.