GOOD SCORING DESPITE SMALL FIELD

Despite only a twelve man field in the Freshwater’s Mid Week Stableford on Wednesday 23^rd January some excellent scores were returned by Ray Cooke and Peter Dawson. Only a single Division was necessary with Ray playing off 20 handicap coming out on top with 42 points, closely followed by Peter (24) on 40 points in second place some six shots clear of third placed Gerry Bolton (16).

With the weather improving the field for the Saturday Stableford was up to 26 players but the scoring was of not such a high level with 38 points being good enough to take first place in both Divisions. Adam Keen (11) won Division 1 with 10 handicapper Kevin McArthur in second place on 37 and Miles Oldershaw also 10 on 36 points in third. Division 2 went to Pete Miller (16) with 38 points, Kasey Tuckey (21) taking second place with 37 and Dave Morey (15) claimed third place with 36 points.

The entry in the Sunday Stableford had increased to 38 players and Kasey Tuckey improved by a point to take first place in Division 2 with 38 points beating John Riddelsdell also playing off 21 on the back nine, David Hartley finished in third spot with 36 points beating Saturday’s winner Pete Miller on count back. Division 1 went to Nick Riby playing off 12 out on his own with 42 points. Six handicapper Richard Frost picked up second place with 38 points, edging Simon Fisher into third spot on the back nine.

CAPTAIN BILL DRIVES IN WITH ENOUGH BOTTLE TO TAKE STABLEFORD AS WELL

Sunday 20^th January saw Freshwaters 2008 Captain Bill Hinchen treat 80 members to mulled wine and a lamb curry following a well contested 10 hole stableford competition at his Drive In. All this after taking the Midweek Stableford Competition himself with a massive 43 points, cutting his handicap back down to 5.

Prize winners of the Drive In competition were: nearest the pin on the 14^th last player out Graham Wells winning a bottle of wine whilst the Ladies prize went to^t Anne Smith with 19 points beating Val Kimber on the better back three, first man was Hugh Morrison carding 21 points picking up a dozen ProV1.

With the out going Captains, Gary Holmes and Tina Raymond, driving the balls up the 18^th fairway all the new Captains had to do was hit the green. Members placed named pegs in the ground predicting were they thought the balls would finish. Ladies Captain Rita Smith played first in a difficult left to right wind (and all the members lined up on the right hand side of the green and approach next to the out of bounds just to make matters worse!) over compensated and missed the green on the left hand side, nearest to her ball was Graham Wells winning himself another bottle of wine. Then up strode the incoming Club Captain Bill Hinchen (5 handicap) who from 140 yards out mightily smote his eight iron a full twenty yards through the back of the green where Junior David Hartley was waiting to claim his prize of half a dozen Srixon golf balls.

Whilst members were availing themselves of the Captains hospitality Champagne Charlies 5p bottle was weighed emptied and its contents carefully counted. The Jeroboam of Champagne was won by the then Vice Captains table at the annual Dinner Dance in February 2007 and after its liquid contents had been swiftly dispatched was placed on the Club bar for members to fill with 5p pieces. Three competitions were held to guess the weight, value of its contents and length of time needed to empty the bottle. Organiser Charlie Clark presided over the proceedings whilst Steve Sargeant duly weighed, counted and ascertained the winners. The prize for guessing the value of the contents of the bottle was won by Toni Sexton with £214.05 being closest to the actual value of £232. The combined weight of the bottle and contents was correctly predicted by Chris Boulter as 18 kg whilst his wife Sallie took the final prize being within 5 seconds off the actual time taken to empty the bottle a surprising 10 minutes 35 seconds. The £500 raised by the bottle antics will go to help refurbish the bar seating area whilst the £216 raised by the proceedings on the day will go to the Captains Charity – Freshwater Lifeboat.

The Mid Week Stableford was played on Wednesday 16^th January, the day before Bill took office at the Annual General Meeting and almost as if in his final act of freedom he trounced the 26 other participants to take first place in Division 1 with an excellent 43 points. Second place went to Miles Oldershaw (10) with 40 points whilst third spot was taken by Dick Leppard (17) on 38 points. In Division 2 the top three players all tied with 36 points, John Hill came out the winner on count back from Ray Cooke in second and John Whitehouse in third.

Ian Ball five points clear in stableford

Saturday 12^th January saw a good field of 36 players enter the Stableford with the best round of the weekend going to Division 2 winner Ian Ball; playing off 16 handicap Ian carded 43 points to finish five shots ahead of second place Malc Williams (18) on 38 points. John Wisker took third spot with 37 points on count back from fellow 25 handicapper David Hartley. Division 1 went to Kevin MacArthur (10) with 39 points; second place was taken by Geoff Smith (15) with 37 points beating Les Mew (13) on the back nine. No fewer than five players returned 36 points with one five handicapper and two six amongst them – commiserations go to Richard Frost, Bill Hinchen, Tony Keen, Kev Garrett and John Burke

The Peter Guy Memorial Trophy, a 18 hole greensomes, was this year won by Kevin Garrett and Nick Punter returning a nett 67.2 off of 7.8 handicap. The top four groups were within half a shot of each other with Bill Hinchen and Hugh Morrison finishing on 67.4 in second ahead of third place Simon Smith & Dick Downes 67.6, losing out on count back were John Meredith & Dean Capel who finished fourth with the same score.

HIGH SCORING SUNDAY SETS OFF NEW YEAR

Sunday 6^th January saw a field of 48 players compete in a stableford competition with six handicapper Simon Smith taking the glory and first place in Division 1 .with 42 points. Second place went to Nick Riby (13) with 40 points closely followed by Barry Hunter in third spot on 39 points. In Division 2 first place was taken by young David Hartley with 40 points off of 26 handicap, Dennis Smith (20) finished in second on 39 points with Shaun Clark (25) in second carding 38 points and beating Martin Brett (27) on the back nine.

A light hearted two ball scramble was held on Saturday 5^th with less than half a shot separating first and second places, Keith Wright and Dennis Smith finished on top with 61.6 nett with Steve Orchard and Tony Black in second spot on nett 62.

This month’s Veterans Stableford saw steady scoring despite trying conditions with Frank Gregory returning 36 points to take first place, John Mew took second with 35 points and Trevor Philcox coming in with 34 points for third place. In the Ogle Tankards, best six stableford throughout the year, John Mew takes an early four point lead with his two 35 point rounds over second placed Frank Gregory.

The Mid Week Stableford on Wednesday 2^nd only had 18 entries, so a single division was used with Ken Bebbington (17) taking pride of place with his 36 points and Ray Cooke (20) beating Mike Dowsett (18) on count back for second place, both players returning 35 points.

Sunday 30^th December saw 35 entries in the last medal of the year, first place in Division 1 went to Nick Punter with the best nett of the day 64, a full four shots behind in second place was Dave Wilkins on 68 and Derek Wright taking third place with a 69. Division 2 results were similar with Gary Cooke taken first place with a 66, three shots clear of his son Steven in second place on 69. Steve Sargeant shot a 70 for third spot beating Hugh Morrison on the back nine.

The day before saw a Stableford competition with Gary Cooke taking first place in Division 1 this time with a solid 35 points from second placed Steve Orchard on 34, Miles Oldershaw carded 31 points which was good enough for him to take third. Best score of the day went to Division 2 winner Mike Black with 36 points, second and third places were tied on 31 points with Tom Friend beating Kasey Tuckey on count back for second place.