carden park [cheshiRE COURSE]
chester, Cheshire
Sunday 13th july 2014
The event was won by
Stuart Seddon
"The Wide Open" was won on the 13th July 2014 by Stu Seddon at Carden Park.
On a tough course, with tricky swirling winds, scoring was at an absolute premium. After a solid knock in his last event at Reddish Vale Stu was bringing some good form into what would be his 1st Major of the season. Consistency from tee to green was key to this winning round with some lovely approach shots and confident putting allowing Stu to take top spot. Just look at his happy [but crisped] face. Congratulations to our 2014 Champion, Stu Seddon. |
carden party...
Group 1
With all eyes watching and Lloydy teeing off first (as is tradition) the opening shot didn't disappoint. The short par 3 opening hole was never in danger as he duly started his ball 30 yards left hitting the trees, claiming in disbelief that he tried to "draw" his shot in. Playing with Lloydy was Chris Berry, Paul Davies Jnr and Allan Gannon, a good 4 ball and as with all members there was plenty of banter and equal amounts of respect for each player.
As the group made their way round the front 9 none of them were really making a push for the title due to bad tee shots, unfamiliar shanks and 4 putts (3 from less than a foot.) Chris and Allan plodded along turning around with 13 points each were Paul and Lloydy turned in 4 and 5 points and the battle for the wooden spoon was in full swing.
As Lloydy continued to struggle Paul made his move stringing a few pars together to double his front 9 score within a few holes. As they reached the par 5 14th the group were pushing each other for as they were desperate that the loser wasn’t coming from their.
Bez hit the best drive of his round, splitting the fairway and leaving 190 yards uphill to the elevated green. Debating whether to go for it or not Allan and Paul walked up and told Bez to go for it as a birdie would give him a chance of pushing for the top of the table. 4 Iron in hand, Chris couldn't have struck it any better but unfortunately he hit it too well and it flew through the green into the thick rough. After hacking out, a lovely chip and run lipped out and it was eventually sunk for par and all chances of victory went with it.
On to the 15th the group stepped up for the nearest the pin. With Chris’ wedge ending up short and Allan’s miss hit trickling down the bank it was left to Paul and Lloydy to fight it out – which they did. Both finding the green and the flag was required to find the winner – which was Lloydy by about half a foot from Paul but still 25ish foot from the hole. That remained the winner [unbelievably] for the rest of the round with the rest of the 20 players failing to get the ball inside Lloydy’s shot, despite it being a 125 yard hole!!!
The 17th saw the next nearest the pin challenge, one of the group’s favourite holes which was 160 yards to a back pin placement on the day. After all hitting decent shots only Paul hit the green leaving a tricky putt up and over the ridge. Having set the standard for the following groups to beat, unfortunately the green beat him and a horrendous 4 putts followed and the subsequent yoink was the only thanks he got from the hole.
On to the last hole and I think all 4 players were ready for a cold pint. Chris definitely didn't save his best for last and sliced his drive out of bounds...Game over. Lloydy and Allan both hit great drives straight down the middle putting a little pressure on Paul who had recovered from his front 9 nightmare to gain a decent amount of points on the return leg. The strike was his best of the day with a perfect shape for the hole - a nice high draw setting off to the right of the fairway. This was a big hit landing just short of the green and running up to finish nicely in the middle of the green.
338 yards no problem!!!! And no one was to beat that on the longest drive stakes.
Group 2
Group 2 was made up of Kev Murphy, Phil and Keith. They also welcomed Andy Sullivan from Teeuplo and his company was thoroughly enjoyed throughout the round. His wife may have asked him "I thought you had been playing golf?" when he arrived home but we shall come onto that.
After a positive start on the 1st hole Keith blobbed the next with a huff and a puff and the odd mention of a hangover. The famous American Columnist and Humorist Robert Benchley said "The only cure for a real hangover is death", and Keith spent the majority of the day looking into the tunnel of bright light preparing to meet his maker. Brief salvation was found upon speaking to Kev Givnan after 9 holes but ultimately things never got going. The putter was ice cold, Phil attempted encouragement with such motivation as "If you don't hole this (3 footer) then you are giving up golf forever" and "that's terrible". The sun breaking through the clouds sapped more energy and tiredness compounded the problems. 5 points over the final 7 holes put Keith at the bottom of the pile (albeit on a countback). In fairness he lost with the highest losing score of the season...but he still lost.
Kev hit a snag with the driver on the 2nd and it was rarely seen for the rest of the round but why would it when irons are being hit 230+. A couple of overdraws though meant that on occasions he wasn't in prime position to attack the pin. The majority of his front nine 16 points were scored on just four holes and a great 4 on the par 5 14th into that headwind rallied the back nine. Unfortunately this was followed by 2 blobs ultimately putting him out of contention. Putting from six foot was very good but some of these six footers were as a result of a misread or two. It may have been noticed that during the presentation there was a committee discussion...Keith as well as losing failed to mark Kev's card correctly which was only discovered after it had been signed. This resulted in him being placed 4th instead of 3rd. This has been resolved but it won' be a surprise if Keith arrives at Didsbury with the wooden spoon inserted appropriately.
Phil appeared with another new driver, #loftup, which has assisted his strike off the tee. His greenside work was much improved from Reddish. All good then...not really. The fix for the driver has had the effect that pretty much every iron is now an overdraw/pull. Picture the scene, 12th tee 340 yards or so. 6 iron 238 yards. Prime position, wedge, pull, water, drop, 3 putt, 7, BLOB!! head down, head gone. This was followed by poor play on the 13th and complete hash of the 14th. 20 points after 11 and he had a chance...5 points on the final 7 was poor and spoilt what could have been a good days golf. The 18th was a final highlight. Knowing he was out of the running a good thwack saw a 304 yard draw to a yard short of the green. 3 putts later however, a par summed it up. Good in parts but not good enough.
Finally Andy Sullivan as a welcome guest took the society name a bit too literally. The idea is to put it in the hole Andy not every bloody bunker on the course. Hence when he arrived back home any sensible lad would have removed his shoes and socks outside raising questions if he had been to golf or the beach. In fairness he may have just been wanting to show off with his bunker play, which was very good. Pitching out with a bit of check to within 8 feet is no mean feat out of those bunkers. His tee shots got better and better throughout the round and his soft draw off the fairway began to pay off. 1 over gross on the par 5's took some doing on a breezy day and some good putting leaving him close enough to tap in gave him 17 points on the back nine and overall 30 points. Good knock and he is welcome back anytime whether representing teeuplo or not.
Group 3
Syd Sullivan had a mixed round, like the rest of his group, with some excellent mid range putting being the highlight. Syd managed to utilise his natural fade shape to his tee shots superbly, the ball finding the fairway on several occasions. The conditions were difficult for Sid, with long par 4/5's into a headwind always going to cause major problems for anyone who isn't hitting 250 yard drives. All in all though, thanks for the aforementioned putting, Syd scored a respectable score when taking the conditions into account.
Craig Evans drove the ball well for most of the round but the few wayward drives he did hit ended up in maximum punishment, the dreaded blob. Craigs iron play was not up to his usual standard with several poorly struck balls ended up in very difficult positions and again resulting in low scoring. What was up to his usual standard though, was his ability to consider himself the worlds unluckiest golfer with every putt that didn't drop being met with cries of misfortune. Craigs lowest score of the season so far and one he will expect to improve on next time out.
Mark Cole had an excellent round with some excellent chipping around the greens being the highlight and drawing the attention of our handicap secretary, Craig Evans. Unfortunately for Mark, Some early poor drives cost him points that kept him from finishing in the prizes. Overall, Mark has to be happy with his score with the potential to improve future scores. Well played Mark.
Kevin Givnan played the poorest round of his golfing career but strangely had a very satisfying ending when he avoided the wooden spoon on a card countback with Keith Malone. Kevs declaration of "that's better than winning it" when learning the results of the countback summed it up nicely. Back to the actual round though and Kevs driving, particualry early on, was the worst it's ever been and resulted in a complete lack of confidence that fed through to the rest of his game. Kev is going back to basics, namely the swing that served him well last season, and hopes to be back in the hunt for prizes soon enough.
Group 4
Group 4 consisted of Allan Gunn, Tom Davis, Keith Long & Captain Steve Evans. Alan & Keith came into the competition with renewed vigour & expectation having recently qualified for the KO stages of the LMS seasonal tournament. For Alan that was not unduly diminished, as for Keith it was another frustrating day when he would spend more time with a rake in his hand than a putter!
Alan was the only player to hit the green on the par 3 1st, but it was the captain who got off to a fast start and after scrambling a par he was inspired to go on a superb charge. The highlight was a 40 Yard chip in for Birdie having taken a free drop from a tractor trail, eventually going out in 18pts with a blob on the 9th! He was looking like the man to beat until he imploded on the back 9, still finding time to play consecutive shots off a couple of trees back onto the fairway on the demanding 16th hole for an outrageous 5 and a finish in the top 6!
Alan was scoring steadily and staying in contention when he literally hit the wall crossing the 11th Fairway. Then hit it again and again and again. He then showed great resolve to bounce back with a monster 25ft putt on the 12th for a birdie 3 and 4 points. He also spoke of what might have been as he reflected being tied with the Steve in the clubhouse.
Tom Eventually finished 2nd, a position inspired with a 5 hole roll of 3pts from the 9th to the 13th. However it may have been the thought of wearing the yellow Jersey but he suddenly went into “Dave Ashley” mode and was yelling “Kawisaki, Kawisaki” as he went for the wrong hole off the 14th tee. He too spoke of wasted shots, most notably when on the green in 2 on the 4th and he putted into the bunker from which he could not recover.
The Bunkers were again the story of the day for Keith as he struggled to get to grips with the swirling breeze that constantly found him a club short into the greens. He battled on gamely, driven with determination to avoid the wooden spoon and was rewarded with not only a finish out of the bottom 3 but also a nearest the pin prize after a sublime rescue wood into the par 3 17th.
Alan finished as he started and was the best of the bunch off the tee on 18 and the only player to hit the fairway. As the other 3 dug deep into their pockets for the “Harsh Yoink” implemented by the committee for such an infringement, all left with mixed emotions but with the hope of better days ahead.
Group 5
Its fair to say that the scores posted by Group 5 did not set any record alight, but despite the mediocre results the general play from the group was reasonably steady and they often played better than the scores suggested.
Ste Holmes had laid more foundations than Barrett’s homes in the build up to Carden Park and with tales of woe about a "shoulder injury" he was expected to turn up at Carden with a swing resembling a man who was trapped in a phone box with a wasp. However, Ste being the hero that he is, he valiantly pushed on and produced a very steady round of golf. The odd wayward swing instantly brought back pain in the aforementioned area but Ste hit some lovely strikes, particularly with his 3 iron off the tee. With consistency like that, who needs a driver?
On the tough 16th hole, Ste stood back and admired the hole and commented on its beauty. Selecting his trust 3-iron he settled down over the ball, adjusted his stance and checked his grip. With a smooth backswing he reached the top, before a sweet transfer in weight to return the club to the back of the ball and BOOM…….a monster pull-hook that sailed into the trees and a land far far away. Cue the quote of the day, “I was smiling as I hit that, cos I imagined it flying as I hit it”. Who would guess a smile caused a pull-hook…..Butch Harmon has been advised!
Peter enjoyed a bit of a mixed bag of a day. He hit some beautiful shots, and non much better than with his 3 wood off the deck which he ripped on a few occasions. However, his ball seemed to be magnetically drawn to any bunker on the course, and despite him playing out of them well for most of the round it did kind of grind him down a touch. The odd mishit drive compounded matters, but again he made up for it with some lovely chips around the green and decent lag putting. 3 blobs in the last 5 holes ended any chances of being in the top section of the finishing table, but the round really wasn’t as bad as the card may suggest.
After some superb recent scores, Kieran enjoyed one of those days that brings you back down to earth with a bit of a bump. There were times when he was a touch unlucky with balls being lost or finding the hazard when they didn’t look like they should have done. But an inconsistent day resulted in a card that he would want to see forgotten. However, Keiran scored well on the tougher holes on the course with the stroke index one 9th hole being the standout, when he came in with a par and took full advantage of his two shot handicap to score well.
Roper started well and had 11 points after 6 holes and looked to have built a decent foundation. However, as with most of his round, wayward long iron shots ended any hope of a good finishing position. 5 points in the next 7 holes was proof of that and from looking up the table, he ended up looking down and wondering if the salmon pink shirt was gong to be his only prize. News of Keith Malone’s struggle, and Gibbo’s front 9 horror show managed to relax Andy and he finished with 9 points in 5 holes to finish in mid table meritocracy. As always, it’s a case of consistently inconsistent. Finishing each round with a third of the holes being blobs is too much to recover. Back to the drawing board.
Group 6
The final tee of the day, usually reserved for the leaders of a competition but not in this case, John Standley, Chris Warbrick, Stuart Seddon and Rob Botterill enter the field.
John Standley set the early pace with an outstanding tee shot on the first and duly came off with a noted par. He continued to carry that momentum throughout the front nine with only a few near misses preventing him from reaching the magic 20 at the turn. John spent so much time in the trees the group lovingly referred to him as the Bear Grylles of Carden Park throughout the round. With a very respectable 27 points John can be proud of his achievements.
Chris 'the power' Warbrick insisted on hitting 300+ drives and fairway woods in a show of defiance against Johns bandit-like start. Shots which gave him very respectable 17 at the turn. With some excellent approach shots and steady putts it's no surprise Chris has already been on the winners podium this season. With putts lipping out, plugged balls in the bunker and balls up against the face of the sand trap it's a wonder Chris didn't bring his bucket and spade. An outstanding final score of 32 points saw him finish 3rd in the competition.
Rob 'Bandit' Botterill (AKA 7 for 2) had an up and down afternoon. Some excellent drives and some very assured chips wasn't enough to bring him into contention. Rob can consider himself unlucky to find every bit of water and sand on the course. 23 points doesn't really reflect how well he played at times.
Stuart 'Mickelson' Seddon had another one of his steady rounds. Some excellent chips and assured putts meant that he didn't blob on any hole. Stuart walked off with an excellent 34 points, a face as red as a slapped arse and ultimately the prestigious "Wide Open Trophy".
With all eyes watching and Lloydy teeing off first (as is tradition) the opening shot didn't disappoint. The short par 3 opening hole was never in danger as he duly started his ball 30 yards left hitting the trees, claiming in disbelief that he tried to "draw" his shot in. Playing with Lloydy was Chris Berry, Paul Davies Jnr and Allan Gannon, a good 4 ball and as with all members there was plenty of banter and equal amounts of respect for each player.
As the group made their way round the front 9 none of them were really making a push for the title due to bad tee shots, unfamiliar shanks and 4 putts (3 from less than a foot.) Chris and Allan plodded along turning around with 13 points each were Paul and Lloydy turned in 4 and 5 points and the battle for the wooden spoon was in full swing.
As Lloydy continued to struggle Paul made his move stringing a few pars together to double his front 9 score within a few holes. As they reached the par 5 14th the group were pushing each other for as they were desperate that the loser wasn’t coming from their.
Bez hit the best drive of his round, splitting the fairway and leaving 190 yards uphill to the elevated green. Debating whether to go for it or not Allan and Paul walked up and told Bez to go for it as a birdie would give him a chance of pushing for the top of the table. 4 Iron in hand, Chris couldn't have struck it any better but unfortunately he hit it too well and it flew through the green into the thick rough. After hacking out, a lovely chip and run lipped out and it was eventually sunk for par and all chances of victory went with it.
On to the 15th the group stepped up for the nearest the pin. With Chris’ wedge ending up short and Allan’s miss hit trickling down the bank it was left to Paul and Lloydy to fight it out – which they did. Both finding the green and the flag was required to find the winner – which was Lloydy by about half a foot from Paul but still 25ish foot from the hole. That remained the winner [unbelievably] for the rest of the round with the rest of the 20 players failing to get the ball inside Lloydy’s shot, despite it being a 125 yard hole!!!
The 17th saw the next nearest the pin challenge, one of the group’s favourite holes which was 160 yards to a back pin placement on the day. After all hitting decent shots only Paul hit the green leaving a tricky putt up and over the ridge. Having set the standard for the following groups to beat, unfortunately the green beat him and a horrendous 4 putts followed and the subsequent yoink was the only thanks he got from the hole.
On to the last hole and I think all 4 players were ready for a cold pint. Chris definitely didn't save his best for last and sliced his drive out of bounds...Game over. Lloydy and Allan both hit great drives straight down the middle putting a little pressure on Paul who had recovered from his front 9 nightmare to gain a decent amount of points on the return leg. The strike was his best of the day with a perfect shape for the hole - a nice high draw setting off to the right of the fairway. This was a big hit landing just short of the green and running up to finish nicely in the middle of the green.
338 yards no problem!!!! And no one was to beat that on the longest drive stakes.
Group 2
Group 2 was made up of Kev Murphy, Phil and Keith. They also welcomed Andy Sullivan from Teeuplo and his company was thoroughly enjoyed throughout the round. His wife may have asked him "I thought you had been playing golf?" when he arrived home but we shall come onto that.
After a positive start on the 1st hole Keith blobbed the next with a huff and a puff and the odd mention of a hangover. The famous American Columnist and Humorist Robert Benchley said "The only cure for a real hangover is death", and Keith spent the majority of the day looking into the tunnel of bright light preparing to meet his maker. Brief salvation was found upon speaking to Kev Givnan after 9 holes but ultimately things never got going. The putter was ice cold, Phil attempted encouragement with such motivation as "If you don't hole this (3 footer) then you are giving up golf forever" and "that's terrible". The sun breaking through the clouds sapped more energy and tiredness compounded the problems. 5 points over the final 7 holes put Keith at the bottom of the pile (albeit on a countback). In fairness he lost with the highest losing score of the season...but he still lost.
Kev hit a snag with the driver on the 2nd and it was rarely seen for the rest of the round but why would it when irons are being hit 230+. A couple of overdraws though meant that on occasions he wasn't in prime position to attack the pin. The majority of his front nine 16 points were scored on just four holes and a great 4 on the par 5 14th into that headwind rallied the back nine. Unfortunately this was followed by 2 blobs ultimately putting him out of contention. Putting from six foot was very good but some of these six footers were as a result of a misread or two. It may have been noticed that during the presentation there was a committee discussion...Keith as well as losing failed to mark Kev's card correctly which was only discovered after it had been signed. This resulted in him being placed 4th instead of 3rd. This has been resolved but it won' be a surprise if Keith arrives at Didsbury with the wooden spoon inserted appropriately.
Phil appeared with another new driver, #loftup, which has assisted his strike off the tee. His greenside work was much improved from Reddish. All good then...not really. The fix for the driver has had the effect that pretty much every iron is now an overdraw/pull. Picture the scene, 12th tee 340 yards or so. 6 iron 238 yards. Prime position, wedge, pull, water, drop, 3 putt, 7, BLOB!! head down, head gone. This was followed by poor play on the 13th and complete hash of the 14th. 20 points after 11 and he had a chance...5 points on the final 7 was poor and spoilt what could have been a good days golf. The 18th was a final highlight. Knowing he was out of the running a good thwack saw a 304 yard draw to a yard short of the green. 3 putts later however, a par summed it up. Good in parts but not good enough.
Finally Andy Sullivan as a welcome guest took the society name a bit too literally. The idea is to put it in the hole Andy not every bloody bunker on the course. Hence when he arrived back home any sensible lad would have removed his shoes and socks outside raising questions if he had been to golf or the beach. In fairness he may have just been wanting to show off with his bunker play, which was very good. Pitching out with a bit of check to within 8 feet is no mean feat out of those bunkers. His tee shots got better and better throughout the round and his soft draw off the fairway began to pay off. 1 over gross on the par 5's took some doing on a breezy day and some good putting leaving him close enough to tap in gave him 17 points on the back nine and overall 30 points. Good knock and he is welcome back anytime whether representing teeuplo or not.
Group 3
Syd Sullivan had a mixed round, like the rest of his group, with some excellent mid range putting being the highlight. Syd managed to utilise his natural fade shape to his tee shots superbly, the ball finding the fairway on several occasions. The conditions were difficult for Sid, with long par 4/5's into a headwind always going to cause major problems for anyone who isn't hitting 250 yard drives. All in all though, thanks for the aforementioned putting, Syd scored a respectable score when taking the conditions into account.
Craig Evans drove the ball well for most of the round but the few wayward drives he did hit ended up in maximum punishment, the dreaded blob. Craigs iron play was not up to his usual standard with several poorly struck balls ended up in very difficult positions and again resulting in low scoring. What was up to his usual standard though, was his ability to consider himself the worlds unluckiest golfer with every putt that didn't drop being met with cries of misfortune. Craigs lowest score of the season so far and one he will expect to improve on next time out.
Mark Cole had an excellent round with some excellent chipping around the greens being the highlight and drawing the attention of our handicap secretary, Craig Evans. Unfortunately for Mark, Some early poor drives cost him points that kept him from finishing in the prizes. Overall, Mark has to be happy with his score with the potential to improve future scores. Well played Mark.
Kevin Givnan played the poorest round of his golfing career but strangely had a very satisfying ending when he avoided the wooden spoon on a card countback with Keith Malone. Kevs declaration of "that's better than winning it" when learning the results of the countback summed it up nicely. Back to the actual round though and Kevs driving, particualry early on, was the worst it's ever been and resulted in a complete lack of confidence that fed through to the rest of his game. Kev is going back to basics, namely the swing that served him well last season, and hopes to be back in the hunt for prizes soon enough.
Group 4
Group 4 consisted of Allan Gunn, Tom Davis, Keith Long & Captain Steve Evans. Alan & Keith came into the competition with renewed vigour & expectation having recently qualified for the KO stages of the LMS seasonal tournament. For Alan that was not unduly diminished, as for Keith it was another frustrating day when he would spend more time with a rake in his hand than a putter!
Alan was the only player to hit the green on the par 3 1st, but it was the captain who got off to a fast start and after scrambling a par he was inspired to go on a superb charge. The highlight was a 40 Yard chip in for Birdie having taken a free drop from a tractor trail, eventually going out in 18pts with a blob on the 9th! He was looking like the man to beat until he imploded on the back 9, still finding time to play consecutive shots off a couple of trees back onto the fairway on the demanding 16th hole for an outrageous 5 and a finish in the top 6!
Alan was scoring steadily and staying in contention when he literally hit the wall crossing the 11th Fairway. Then hit it again and again and again. He then showed great resolve to bounce back with a monster 25ft putt on the 12th for a birdie 3 and 4 points. He also spoke of what might have been as he reflected being tied with the Steve in the clubhouse.
Tom Eventually finished 2nd, a position inspired with a 5 hole roll of 3pts from the 9th to the 13th. However it may have been the thought of wearing the yellow Jersey but he suddenly went into “Dave Ashley” mode and was yelling “Kawisaki, Kawisaki” as he went for the wrong hole off the 14th tee. He too spoke of wasted shots, most notably when on the green in 2 on the 4th and he putted into the bunker from which he could not recover.
The Bunkers were again the story of the day for Keith as he struggled to get to grips with the swirling breeze that constantly found him a club short into the greens. He battled on gamely, driven with determination to avoid the wooden spoon and was rewarded with not only a finish out of the bottom 3 but also a nearest the pin prize after a sublime rescue wood into the par 3 17th.
Alan finished as he started and was the best of the bunch off the tee on 18 and the only player to hit the fairway. As the other 3 dug deep into their pockets for the “Harsh Yoink” implemented by the committee for such an infringement, all left with mixed emotions but with the hope of better days ahead.
Group 5
Its fair to say that the scores posted by Group 5 did not set any record alight, but despite the mediocre results the general play from the group was reasonably steady and they often played better than the scores suggested.
Ste Holmes had laid more foundations than Barrett’s homes in the build up to Carden Park and with tales of woe about a "shoulder injury" he was expected to turn up at Carden with a swing resembling a man who was trapped in a phone box with a wasp. However, Ste being the hero that he is, he valiantly pushed on and produced a very steady round of golf. The odd wayward swing instantly brought back pain in the aforementioned area but Ste hit some lovely strikes, particularly with his 3 iron off the tee. With consistency like that, who needs a driver?
On the tough 16th hole, Ste stood back and admired the hole and commented on its beauty. Selecting his trust 3-iron he settled down over the ball, adjusted his stance and checked his grip. With a smooth backswing he reached the top, before a sweet transfer in weight to return the club to the back of the ball and BOOM…….a monster pull-hook that sailed into the trees and a land far far away. Cue the quote of the day, “I was smiling as I hit that, cos I imagined it flying as I hit it”. Who would guess a smile caused a pull-hook…..Butch Harmon has been advised!
Peter enjoyed a bit of a mixed bag of a day. He hit some beautiful shots, and non much better than with his 3 wood off the deck which he ripped on a few occasions. However, his ball seemed to be magnetically drawn to any bunker on the course, and despite him playing out of them well for most of the round it did kind of grind him down a touch. The odd mishit drive compounded matters, but again he made up for it with some lovely chips around the green and decent lag putting. 3 blobs in the last 5 holes ended any chances of being in the top section of the finishing table, but the round really wasn’t as bad as the card may suggest.
After some superb recent scores, Kieran enjoyed one of those days that brings you back down to earth with a bit of a bump. There were times when he was a touch unlucky with balls being lost or finding the hazard when they didn’t look like they should have done. But an inconsistent day resulted in a card that he would want to see forgotten. However, Keiran scored well on the tougher holes on the course with the stroke index one 9th hole being the standout, when he came in with a par and took full advantage of his two shot handicap to score well.
Roper started well and had 11 points after 6 holes and looked to have built a decent foundation. However, as with most of his round, wayward long iron shots ended any hope of a good finishing position. 5 points in the next 7 holes was proof of that and from looking up the table, he ended up looking down and wondering if the salmon pink shirt was gong to be his only prize. News of Keith Malone’s struggle, and Gibbo’s front 9 horror show managed to relax Andy and he finished with 9 points in 5 holes to finish in mid table meritocracy. As always, it’s a case of consistently inconsistent. Finishing each round with a third of the holes being blobs is too much to recover. Back to the drawing board.
Group 6
The final tee of the day, usually reserved for the leaders of a competition but not in this case, John Standley, Chris Warbrick, Stuart Seddon and Rob Botterill enter the field.
John Standley set the early pace with an outstanding tee shot on the first and duly came off with a noted par. He continued to carry that momentum throughout the front nine with only a few near misses preventing him from reaching the magic 20 at the turn. John spent so much time in the trees the group lovingly referred to him as the Bear Grylles of Carden Park throughout the round. With a very respectable 27 points John can be proud of his achievements.
Chris 'the power' Warbrick insisted on hitting 300+ drives and fairway woods in a show of defiance against Johns bandit-like start. Shots which gave him very respectable 17 at the turn. With some excellent approach shots and steady putts it's no surprise Chris has already been on the winners podium this season. With putts lipping out, plugged balls in the bunker and balls up against the face of the sand trap it's a wonder Chris didn't bring his bucket and spade. An outstanding final score of 32 points saw him finish 3rd in the competition.
Rob 'Bandit' Botterill (AKA 7 for 2) had an up and down afternoon. Some excellent drives and some very assured chips wasn't enough to bring him into contention. Rob can consider himself unlucky to find every bit of water and sand on the course. 23 points doesn't really reflect how well he played at times.
Stuart 'Mickelson' Seddon had another one of his steady rounds. Some excellent chips and assured putts meant that he didn't blob on any hole. Stuart walked off with an excellent 34 points, a face as red as a slapped arse and ultimately the prestigious "Wide Open Trophy".
Bunkers Golf Society Members £35.00 per person
Non Bunkers Golf Society Members £40.00
Sunday 13th July 2014
Tee times from 14:10pm [arrive no later than 13:00pm]
Prices include 18 holes + Bacon Roll & Hot Drink pre play & meal afterwards of:
Roast Breast of Chicken with Chipolata Sausage, Stuffing, Rich Gravy & Market Vegetables
Website: www.cardenpark.co.uk/golf
Tee times from 14:10pm [arrive no later than 13:00pm]
Prices include 18 holes + Bacon Roll & Hot Drink pre play & meal afterwards of:
Roast Breast of Chicken with Chipolata Sausage, Stuffing, Rich Gravy & Market Vegetables
Website: www.cardenpark.co.uk/golf
Tee Times & Groups
Playing handicaps are shown in brackets below.
* denotes the player does not hold an official or Bunkers handicap and will therefore be required to play three quarters of shown handicap for 3 rounds.
* denotes the player does not hold an official or Bunkers handicap and will therefore be required to play three quarters of shown handicap for 3 rounds.
14:10 Tee Time
Group 1
Marc Lloyd [26] Allan Gannon [17] Paul Davies Jnr [10] Chris Berry [14] 14:34 Tee Time
Group 4
Allan Gunn [21] Tom Davies [24] Keith Long [13] Steve Evans [12] |
14:18 Tee Time
Group 2
Kev Murphy [10] Phil Williams [13] Keith Malone [20] Andy Sullivan [7] 14:42 Tee Time
Group 5
Ste Holmes [20] Andy Roper [20] Keiran Murphy [22] Peter Woolley [13] |
14:26 Tee Time
Group 3
Syd Sullivan [20] Kev Givnan [12] Craig Evans [9] Mark Cole [28*] 14:50 Tee Time
Group 6
John Standley [19] Rob Botterill [26] Stu Seddon [14] Chris Warbrick [11] |
overview of the day
We will be meeting no later than 13:00hrs at Carden Park Golf Resort for pre round bacon rolls and tea/coffee and to provide some information regarding the day.
- As this is a Major - ALL BUNKERS MEMBERS MUST wear their Bunkers Polo Shirt.
- The format for the day will be Individual Stableford scores and we will be playing from the yellow tees.
- It will be FULL HANDICAPS [CLICK HERE TO SEE] for all members and guests and newcomers will be playing 3/4's of the given handicap as per the society rules.
nearest the pin, nearest in 2 & longest drive
There will be 2 nearest the pins on the 15th hole and the 17th hole.
Nearest the Pin in Two will be on the par 4 7th hole
There is also an added bonus of a Longest Drive on the beautiful elevated tee on the 18th.
CLICK ON THE IMAGES BELOW TO ENLARGE
Nearest the Pin in Two will be on the par 4 7th hole
There is also an added bonus of a Longest Drive on the beautiful elevated tee on the 18th.
CLICK ON THE IMAGES BELOW TO ENLARGE
the venue
We return to one of the favoured courses of Bunkers 2013 season and this time its to battle it out for a Major title.
Last year, the Cheshire course at Carden Park wowed the group with its beautiful woodland - particularly on the back 9.
Read the full review, and see the videos and photographs from our 2013 visit HERE
The Cheshire Course at Carden Park Golf Resort Cheshire is reminiscent of the finest British heathland golf courses; set to the rear of the Carden Park Cheshire Estate it offers stunning panoramic views across the Cheshire countryside to the mountains of Wales.
A wealth of natural hazards through the Carden Park golf course in Chester make this a highly technical course and will test your golf skills throughout. Building to a dramatic and scenic finish, with tough 16th and 17th holes followed by the 18th tee atop sandstone cliffs overlooking the Carden Park Resort and Welsh hills. It certainly ensures a round of golf to remember.
SEE A COURSE MAP BY CLICKING HERE
DOWNLOAD A COURSE PLANNER HERE
Last year, the Cheshire course at Carden Park wowed the group with its beautiful woodland - particularly on the back 9.
Read the full review, and see the videos and photographs from our 2013 visit HERE
The Cheshire Course at Carden Park Golf Resort Cheshire is reminiscent of the finest British heathland golf courses; set to the rear of the Carden Park Cheshire Estate it offers stunning panoramic views across the Cheshire countryside to the mountains of Wales.
A wealth of natural hazards through the Carden Park golf course in Chester make this a highly technical course and will test your golf skills throughout. Building to a dramatic and scenic finish, with tough 16th and 17th holes followed by the 18th tee atop sandstone cliffs overlooking the Carden Park Resort and Welsh hills. It certainly ensures a round of golf to remember.
SEE A COURSE MAP BY CLICKING HERE
DOWNLOAD A COURSE PLANNER HERE
directions
Carden Park Golf & County club is south of Chester but prior to Wrexham in Cheshire. It is 1 hour from Skelmersdale and 45 minutes Liverpool.
The full address for Sat Navs is:
Carden Park, Broxton Road, Nr Chester. Cheshire, CH3 9DQ - Tel: 01829 731000
The full address for Sat Navs is:
Carden Park, Broxton Road, Nr Chester. Cheshire, CH3 9DQ - Tel: 01829 731000
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