First-4-Golf

Better weather I’m sure that you will agree, but the high winds certainly played havoc with the scores of club competitions. Wind has a devastating effect in that for a right handed player, wind from the left to the right of the golf course can be a nightmare in shot making terms. Most right hander’s have a propensity to move the ball from left to right in the air during flight. If this flight can be reproduced on a regular basis, and moves about the same distance off centre each time, then we refer to it as a “fade”. There is a fine margin of error between that stroke and a more powerful movement to the right, usually with the ball landing in the right hand rough, which on this occasion is referred to as a “slice”, caused by the club face contacting the ball when it is usually facing about one o’clock relative to a twelve a clock desired direction. And then there’s the descending angle of the swing…but that another long story.

Suffice to say, the faders and slicers had an interesting weekend as the winds persevered over the two days, a fact highlighted by Phil Coleman of the Vale of Llangollen golf club when he reported the Sunday morning Draw for Partners results which involved no less than fifty seven players.

With scores reflecting the conditions somewhat, the winners were J T Hughes and Bill Matthews with just 32 points compared with about 37 of last week. Trefor Jones and Phil Jones came in second with 30 from third placed Neil A. Jones and Malcolm Delaney, the newly installed club captain, on 28. Barry Pearce and Del Williams submitted identical numbers but suffered as a result of a card scrutiny over the closing five holes.

The tee pegs went to Frank Owen and Dave Dermott with 18 points whereas the tee pegs are usually worthy of about 24. Three players achieved birdie twos on the eighteenth hole and carried off fifteen balls each for their trouble.

Wrexham entered the third week of the Sunday morning league and again suffered from the wind over this exposed links. Winners this week with 38 points were Ian Darlington and Mike Fellowes followed by Danny Moore and Paul Hogan on 37. This is the third week that Paul has featured in the first two places so he obviously finds the competition to his liking. Duncan Fellowes and Mike Darlington were in third place with 35 with Paul Roberts and Andre Jones fourth on 32. I’m sure that next week Paul will inform me of how many players participate in the event each week which has proved to be very popular in the past.

Wrexham ladies played a nine holes better ball off 7/8 of handicap allowance and witnessed a win for the partnership of Pauline Archer and Della Evans with 18 points resulting in a card scrutiny for the lead position from five cards with the same total there were twenty entries all told.

Clays golf club continues to provide members with a full programme of competitive events despite indifferent conditions. The Seniors Kitty competition of 23^rd of the month resulted in a win for Phil Hughes on 41 points from second placed Ernie Williams on 39 and then Mike Hollings with 38. The fourth spot was occupied by Bill Hughes on 37 points, a score also returned by fifth placed Peter Lynch and ranked on count back.

The Senior Winter medal was played through two divisions and played as a Stableford counting event, rather a contradiction in golfing terms, but highly popular to say the least. Winner of division one was Andrew Mitchell with 41 points from second placed Michael Carding on 39 and Ernest Williams on 36.

The second division went to Eifion Wynn Jenkins with 37 points from Steve Monk on 37 and Lynne Mitchell on exactly the same figures, all three being ranked into order by back nine scores.

The Sunday Winter league for men was won by Kevin Scaife on 42 points followed by MK Jones on 39  and Karl Matthias on 38, whilst the Shop Stableford went to Gareth Roberts with 37 points followed by second placed Colin Bryan on 37 and David Riley on 32.