Three seasons in one week on the golf course
Well, we appear to have experienced three seasons in the space of a week as golfers have confronted high winds, sharp frosts and cold winds for the last week or so which has culminated in a splurge of activity around the coffee machines and a boost in the income of the snooker tables.
Frost really is a two edged sword in that it is necessary to ward off all manner of summer maladies that golf courses suffer from by freezing out dormant remains already in the turf, but the downside is that is really is very difficult to deliver iron shots from rock hard ground as the old adage” ball first, turf last” could easily mean sprained wrists and sore hands for days to come.
The other unfortunate side effect is caused when the thaw sets in. Turf thaws from the top downwards so that the upper levels can be soft, but as hard as nails a half inch below the surface. Walking and turning on the greens can have a “shearing” effect when shoes create twisting actions on the surface resulting in the roots suffering damage which can take literally weeks to repair. So, there is no problem playing on hard greens, but be careful how you tread during the thaw.
The Vale of Llangollen experienced severe frost last Sunday morning which did little to relent during the weekend due to the fact that the course lies in the shadow of theBerwynMountains, so preventing sunlight ever reaching the fairways. Never the less, a hardy band of some thirty eight players turned up for the Sunday draw for partners event which is now in its second week. Winners were Ian Harrison and Gareth Edwards on 39 points from second placed Gary Wright and Ian Faulkner on 36. Third came Glyndwr Williams and Wyn Jones with the better of two 35 point cards, the other belonging to Gareth Austin and Charles Benson. The tee pegs for the scores which failed to impress the other competitors were submitted by single figure golfers Dai Thomas and Gary Tweedie who amassed just 24 points, and the ball sweep went to new member Barry Brand who offered the only birdie two on the eighteenth hole and carried off thirty golf balls.
Wrexham played their Sunday Winter league and my thanks again to Paul Hogan for the emailed results. Winners were Andre Jones and Paul himself with 39 points followed by Daniel Darlington and Paul’s father John with 38. Third place went to Les Shoemark and Mike Darlington with 35, with Dan Moore and Duncan Fellowes in fourth spot with 31.
Derek Lyonof Clays golf club has again forwarded several results, some of which arrived on my desk a fraction too late for last weeks issue. The Captain’s drive in event was played on Saturday 7th January and resulted in a win for Nigel Young with 39 points from second placed Ian Samuels on 38 and Tim Broster with a similar score. The Ladies’ Captains competition went the way ofKim Harcombe on 33 points followed by Anne Richards with 31 and lady captain Ann Lee with 30.
The Ladies Sunday winter league played the following day was won again byKim Harcombewith 30 points and she in turn was followed by Pauline Peacock on 25.
The club Sunday winter league featured a win for Andrew Jones on 41 points. Second came Neil Gledhill with 38 and third was last year’s captain Reg Peacock on 37.
The Seniors yellow ball event went to the fourball of Tom Mara, Maelor Davies, Ray Jones and Tony Owen with 176 points. Second in the competition were Brian Mercer, Brian Downes, Ron Pierce and Peter Lynch with 172.
The Seniors’ individual Stableford was won by Graham Stokes on 38 points from Joe White on 38 and Noel Jones with 37.
More recent results from Derek reveal that the Seniors Mexican Texas Scramble, despite a blur of nationalities in the title, went to Tony Harcombe, Brian Mercer, John Kelly and Noel Jones on 60.8 and a count back for second place with Harold Hughes, Graham Stokes, Eifion Jenkins and Bill Parry with 60.8. Reg Taylor, Peter Frazer,Fred Courtand Tom Mara were in third place with 61.9.
The ladies’ Winter league went to new member Janet Pritchard with 35 points from second placed Diane Dare on a similar card. Third came Shirley Roberts with 31 points.
The Club monthly medal was played through three divisions as a non counting event.
Leading division one was Karl Matthias with net 69. He was followed by Frank Rodenhurst with net 72 and then Graham David Jones with 73.
The second division featured a win for Paul Jeffs with 67 and he was in turn followed by Reg Peacock on 69 and then Shaun Benson with a 70.
The third division went the way of Neil Gledhill with 73 from second placed Robert Jarvis on 73 and Paul Venn on 75.
This week’s ladies’ winter league sawKim Harcombeagain sit on the victrix’s chair with 31 points. She was followed by Pauline Peacock on 25 points.