this event was won by
chris warbrick & phil williams
[captains team]
Bunkers first ever Captain v's Presidents Pairs event was held at Reddish Vale Golf Club in Stockport.
In swirling winds and tough conditions it ended up being a bit of a spanking for the Presidents team - despite the pre round confidence. The winning pair score on the day was achieved by Chris Warbrick and Phil Williams - although rumour has it, Phil snatched his winning vouchers by gripping the tailcoat of his partner for the day! Congratulations on posting a great betterball score of 40 points in tricky golfing conditions. Bragging rights to the Captain!! |
the format for the day
- The Captain would play the President in Individual Stableford, but their combined scores would create a betterball score to go into the overall competition.
- Pairings were drawn on the day and a "Dream Team" was selected for each side who would win double points.
- 10 extra points awarded for the player of nearest the pins on the day
nearest the pins
official bunkers review...
Having visited Reddish Vale Golf Club on an extremely sunny and warm June day in 2014, we were looking forward to our visit this year. However, the weather was the far end of the spectrum despite it being a similar time of year.
The wind and rain had battered the area from the evening before and it was clear that high scores were going to be at a premium in such tricky conditions, particularly on an already tough course with plenty of undulations and exposed elevated areas.
Almost any course would have suffered somewhat due to such poor weather conditions and there were patches of standing water that were understandable. However, we were disappointed with the general condition and upkeep of the course in comparison to our visit 12 months earlier.
Despite the rain, the greens still played slick and quick and were a pleasure to putt on for the most part and the natural design and undulations of the course always make it a stern test of golf - and a very unique 18 holes.
A point should be made of the poor attitude and customer service skills of the chef, who's skills in communication left a lot to be desired and the alleged "soup" that he served up was quite simply not for human consumption. The remainder of the staff in the clubhouse and particularly the pro shop were very friendly and helpful and we hope that such feedback will allow the club to address the issues with the chef as his attitude is enough to send visitors to other courses in future.
Dave Ashley [President] v's Steve Evans [Captain]
Leading out his team, The Captain struck the first tee shot of the day - a powerful drive which unfortunately strayed off line and onto the adjoining fairway. This was a shot which he was to repeat many times throughout the afternoon. He quickly redeemed himself though, playing an exquisite second into the heart of the green. Two putts later he walked off with a solid par and a one point lead over his playing partner. The Captain's continuing inaccuracy off the tee and his consistently poor iron play served only to secure for him an INCREASE in his lead! Sadly his hapless companion was 'playing like a dog' and amassed the grand total of 9 points on the front nine to the Captain's 13.
This pattern was to continue after the turn and with the President standing on the 17th tee having added a disgracefully poor 4 points to his total on the back nine all looked hopeless. However with magnificent bogeys on each of the final two holes the President's score rocketed to 17 points! This was without doubt the worst golf the President has played in 30 years and left a very nasty taste in his mouth (but perhaps that was the residue of the awful soup he'd had pre-round). The Captain's score of 29 points was sufficient for him to take the spoils, but hardly a score to encourage complacency!
Group 1 - Keiran Murphy & Paul Davies SNR [Captain] with Paul Davies JNR & Allan Gannon [President]
Both pairs got off to a half decent start with the windy conditions making good shot making difficult. A high hook out of bounds by Paul JNR on the 3rd left the pressure on Allan to deliver, and he was down in 5 shots to scramble 2 points. As the President had elected Allan and Paul JNR as his "Dream Team" the added pressure was on and the pair knew that they needed to produce a steady round to come home with a respectable total that could be doubled.
Paul Davies SNR and Keiran weren't playing their best golf but we're scoring consistently on most holes with Paul SNR teeing off 1st in most cases allowing Keiran to play the aggressive "booming" tee shots which paid dividend on a couple of occasions. A 70ft birdie putt on the 4th by Allan put them in the lead early on and created a solid platform on which they built to finish with a very respectable score of 38 points, and top score for the Presidents team - which helped justify their "Dream Team" selection.
Group 2 - Ben Warden & Keith Long [Captain] with Chris Smith & Tom Davies [President]
The 2nd Group consisted of Ben Warden & Keith Long representing the captains Team and Chris Smith & Tom Davis The presidents team.
Keith & Ben were gelling well as the Betterball format requires and after 8 holes had a promising 19 points tucked away. It was on the tricky index 18 short par 3 9th hole that things began to unravel. Ben took out an extra club and went out of bounds and Keith put his into the 18inch rough from the tee and was unable to score. From this point they never were able to recover and although some decent shots were played by both from tee to green they went chasing points and ended up 3 and 4 putting on several greens eventually finishing with a disappointing 33 points. Keith was having particular difficulty getting out of the flooded bunkers and on a couple of occasions he took relief and a free drop in the sand, which resulted in the obligatory plugged lie.
Chris started well with a sublime second shot into the first green to 10ft but this seemed to set a precedent for most of the day and unfortunately he 3 putted. He battled on gamely and with a couple of putts dropping in he may have enjoyed a more profitable day. He was in part fighting a solo battle over the first 9 holes as Tom struggled uncharacteristically from the tee and with it being a usual strength of his he was not performing to his normal standard. On the 10th Tom hit his first decent drive and went on to par the hole for a 3 point return The presidents team rallied over the back 9 with a decent return of 18 points but with a modest 14 on the way out it had left them too much to do to make any challenge of note
The rallying back 9 though did have a happy ending, which everyone enjoyed when it was confirmed that the captain & President combined score had piped both groups for the wooden spoon on a count back.
Group 3 - Craig Evans & Kev Murphy [Captain] with Jay Wright & Kev Givnan [President]
Jay Wright had a round that really highlighted his strengths, and un fortunately, his weaknesses. Some excellent driving and solid iron striking was followed up by several missed opportunities with the putter. An excellent approach into one particularly difficult par 3 saw Jay walk away with a prize for nearest the pin but again, the putter was cold and a short birdie putt was missed. A few lessons with the putter could really see Jays handicap fall dramatically.
Kev Murphy had a mixed round with some massive drives leaving him in excellent positions but some wild drives also having the opposite effect. A few good up and downs meant that Kev and his Partner, Craig, Evans dovetailed well and came in with 39 points to take second place.
Craig had his usual round. Some exceptional ball striking mixed in with missed putts and his traditional claims that he's the unluckiest golfer on earth and everyone around him enjoys endless luck (he's been saying this for near 25 years now) still, as mentioned previously, anytime Craig played a hole poorly, Kev Murphy seemed to do the business and vice versa. An excellent approach Into the 18th green saw Craig take the prize for nearest the pin in 2. A good day overall.
Kev Givnan played fairly well, with the exception being back to back blobs on the front 9 which ultimately cost him and his Partner, Jay Wright, a chance at the prizes. Birdies on 16th and 17th were the highlights of Kevs round but it was too little too late and the duo had to settle for 35 points.
Group 4 - Andy Roper & Lee Carroll [Captain] with Chris Berry & Rob Botterill [President]
The 4th Group was best summed up as "Jekll & Hyde" with each player having highs and lows throughout the 18 holes and lacking in any real consistency. Andy Roper will be grateful for Lee Carroll's form on the day as he carried him through most of the round due to Andy having a poor day from tee to green with all manner of shots going on. So much so, he checked he was not playing right handed with left handed clubs!!
Lee had a solid round and would have contributed even more points if his putter was fitted with a 'cannon like' face. Several pars turned to bogeys and doubles as the first putt flew past the hole. However, some real positive to take from the round with some beautiful 3-wood strikes and solid iron play. The pair will be disappointed with a "blob" on both the front and back 9 - which is criminal in betterball golf - and threw away any chance of taking a prize position.
Chris and Rob came together well as a pair and the word 'dovetailed' probably sums their afternoon up well - which in pairs golf is always welcomed. Chris started off beautifully and was finding the meat of the club with all of his iron shots - in particular his 2-iron and with Rob chipping in with the odd hole here and there it looked very positive for the pair, especially after a nice 4-pointer for Rob.
However, the turning point seemed to occur when Chris decided to use his driver and snapped the ball out of bounds to the left and the wonderful strikes of earlier seemed to desert him. Rob continued for the most part to keep the scores ticking but eventually faltered himself and a couple of "blobs" came and snatched away their winning hopes.
Group 5 - Chris Warbrick & Phil Williams [Captain] with Ste Holmes & John Standley [President]
One half of the the final group, John and Holmsey, got off to a pretty good start with net par or better on the first five holes. Accurate approach shots kept the chances coming and the points were shared pretty equally. The undoing came at the long sixth with none of the group hitting the green and they walked to the 7th needing to get back on track. Unfortunately two lost balls meant their first blob was recorded but heads didn't drop and the back nine saw some good play as John's driving improved and 20 points on the back nine ensured a decent final position. Ste's head did drop occasionally but he may just have nodded off briefly and Chris nearly was the subject of a Holmsey nightmare. A close call as Chris saw the word Srixon pass by his face. Good performance and who knows, a win could be on the cards for Ste when he finally gets some sleep.
Chris and Phil were a good partnership in Wales and knowing Chris is deadly off the tee gave Phil the confidence to do sod all on the front nine. Chris didn't turn against his partner choosing to go out 5 over and 19 points in total. Highlights were a birdie on the 7th and a good up and down to save par on the 6th. Phil struggled with approach shots with too many coming up short. A few annoying lost balls that just vanished was just the last straw and Phil decided to play golf for the last few holes. 15th birdie on the par 5 gave 4 points and a decent tee shot followed by two duffs and a chip in on the 18th secured victory. Chris in the meantime carried on playing really well and came back in 4 over so played to net par. Great performance in those conditions but Phil chipped in on the last and that's the headline. 40 points and two wins in a row for Phil. Watch out Heswall. Phil's money is on Chris.
The wind and rain had battered the area from the evening before and it was clear that high scores were going to be at a premium in such tricky conditions, particularly on an already tough course with plenty of undulations and exposed elevated areas.
Almost any course would have suffered somewhat due to such poor weather conditions and there were patches of standing water that were understandable. However, we were disappointed with the general condition and upkeep of the course in comparison to our visit 12 months earlier.
Despite the rain, the greens still played slick and quick and were a pleasure to putt on for the most part and the natural design and undulations of the course always make it a stern test of golf - and a very unique 18 holes.
A point should be made of the poor attitude and customer service skills of the chef, who's skills in communication left a lot to be desired and the alleged "soup" that he served up was quite simply not for human consumption. The remainder of the staff in the clubhouse and particularly the pro shop were very friendly and helpful and we hope that such feedback will allow the club to address the issues with the chef as his attitude is enough to send visitors to other courses in future.
Dave Ashley [President] v's Steve Evans [Captain]
Leading out his team, The Captain struck the first tee shot of the day - a powerful drive which unfortunately strayed off line and onto the adjoining fairway. This was a shot which he was to repeat many times throughout the afternoon. He quickly redeemed himself though, playing an exquisite second into the heart of the green. Two putts later he walked off with a solid par and a one point lead over his playing partner. The Captain's continuing inaccuracy off the tee and his consistently poor iron play served only to secure for him an INCREASE in his lead! Sadly his hapless companion was 'playing like a dog' and amassed the grand total of 9 points on the front nine to the Captain's 13.
This pattern was to continue after the turn and with the President standing on the 17th tee having added a disgracefully poor 4 points to his total on the back nine all looked hopeless. However with magnificent bogeys on each of the final two holes the President's score rocketed to 17 points! This was without doubt the worst golf the President has played in 30 years and left a very nasty taste in his mouth (but perhaps that was the residue of the awful soup he'd had pre-round). The Captain's score of 29 points was sufficient for him to take the spoils, but hardly a score to encourage complacency!
Group 1 - Keiran Murphy & Paul Davies SNR [Captain] with Paul Davies JNR & Allan Gannon [President]
Both pairs got off to a half decent start with the windy conditions making good shot making difficult. A high hook out of bounds by Paul JNR on the 3rd left the pressure on Allan to deliver, and he was down in 5 shots to scramble 2 points. As the President had elected Allan and Paul JNR as his "Dream Team" the added pressure was on and the pair knew that they needed to produce a steady round to come home with a respectable total that could be doubled.
Paul Davies SNR and Keiran weren't playing their best golf but we're scoring consistently on most holes with Paul SNR teeing off 1st in most cases allowing Keiran to play the aggressive "booming" tee shots which paid dividend on a couple of occasions. A 70ft birdie putt on the 4th by Allan put them in the lead early on and created a solid platform on which they built to finish with a very respectable score of 38 points, and top score for the Presidents team - which helped justify their "Dream Team" selection.
Group 2 - Ben Warden & Keith Long [Captain] with Chris Smith & Tom Davies [President]
The 2nd Group consisted of Ben Warden & Keith Long representing the captains Team and Chris Smith & Tom Davis The presidents team.
Keith & Ben were gelling well as the Betterball format requires and after 8 holes had a promising 19 points tucked away. It was on the tricky index 18 short par 3 9th hole that things began to unravel. Ben took out an extra club and went out of bounds and Keith put his into the 18inch rough from the tee and was unable to score. From this point they never were able to recover and although some decent shots were played by both from tee to green they went chasing points and ended up 3 and 4 putting on several greens eventually finishing with a disappointing 33 points. Keith was having particular difficulty getting out of the flooded bunkers and on a couple of occasions he took relief and a free drop in the sand, which resulted in the obligatory plugged lie.
Chris started well with a sublime second shot into the first green to 10ft but this seemed to set a precedent for most of the day and unfortunately he 3 putted. He battled on gamely and with a couple of putts dropping in he may have enjoyed a more profitable day. He was in part fighting a solo battle over the first 9 holes as Tom struggled uncharacteristically from the tee and with it being a usual strength of his he was not performing to his normal standard. On the 10th Tom hit his first decent drive and went on to par the hole for a 3 point return The presidents team rallied over the back 9 with a decent return of 18 points but with a modest 14 on the way out it had left them too much to do to make any challenge of note
The rallying back 9 though did have a happy ending, which everyone enjoyed when it was confirmed that the captain & President combined score had piped both groups for the wooden spoon on a count back.
Group 3 - Craig Evans & Kev Murphy [Captain] with Jay Wright & Kev Givnan [President]
Jay Wright had a round that really highlighted his strengths, and un fortunately, his weaknesses. Some excellent driving and solid iron striking was followed up by several missed opportunities with the putter. An excellent approach into one particularly difficult par 3 saw Jay walk away with a prize for nearest the pin but again, the putter was cold and a short birdie putt was missed. A few lessons with the putter could really see Jays handicap fall dramatically.
Kev Murphy had a mixed round with some massive drives leaving him in excellent positions but some wild drives also having the opposite effect. A few good up and downs meant that Kev and his Partner, Craig, Evans dovetailed well and came in with 39 points to take second place.
Craig had his usual round. Some exceptional ball striking mixed in with missed putts and his traditional claims that he's the unluckiest golfer on earth and everyone around him enjoys endless luck (he's been saying this for near 25 years now) still, as mentioned previously, anytime Craig played a hole poorly, Kev Murphy seemed to do the business and vice versa. An excellent approach Into the 18th green saw Craig take the prize for nearest the pin in 2. A good day overall.
Kev Givnan played fairly well, with the exception being back to back blobs on the front 9 which ultimately cost him and his Partner, Jay Wright, a chance at the prizes. Birdies on 16th and 17th were the highlights of Kevs round but it was too little too late and the duo had to settle for 35 points.
Group 4 - Andy Roper & Lee Carroll [Captain] with Chris Berry & Rob Botterill [President]
The 4th Group was best summed up as "Jekll & Hyde" with each player having highs and lows throughout the 18 holes and lacking in any real consistency. Andy Roper will be grateful for Lee Carroll's form on the day as he carried him through most of the round due to Andy having a poor day from tee to green with all manner of shots going on. So much so, he checked he was not playing right handed with left handed clubs!!
Lee had a solid round and would have contributed even more points if his putter was fitted with a 'cannon like' face. Several pars turned to bogeys and doubles as the first putt flew past the hole. However, some real positive to take from the round with some beautiful 3-wood strikes and solid iron play. The pair will be disappointed with a "blob" on both the front and back 9 - which is criminal in betterball golf - and threw away any chance of taking a prize position.
Chris and Rob came together well as a pair and the word 'dovetailed' probably sums their afternoon up well - which in pairs golf is always welcomed. Chris started off beautifully and was finding the meat of the club with all of his iron shots - in particular his 2-iron and with Rob chipping in with the odd hole here and there it looked very positive for the pair, especially after a nice 4-pointer for Rob.
However, the turning point seemed to occur when Chris decided to use his driver and snapped the ball out of bounds to the left and the wonderful strikes of earlier seemed to desert him. Rob continued for the most part to keep the scores ticking but eventually faltered himself and a couple of "blobs" came and snatched away their winning hopes.
Group 5 - Chris Warbrick & Phil Williams [Captain] with Ste Holmes & John Standley [President]
One half of the the final group, John and Holmsey, got off to a pretty good start with net par or better on the first five holes. Accurate approach shots kept the chances coming and the points were shared pretty equally. The undoing came at the long sixth with none of the group hitting the green and they walked to the 7th needing to get back on track. Unfortunately two lost balls meant their first blob was recorded but heads didn't drop and the back nine saw some good play as John's driving improved and 20 points on the back nine ensured a decent final position. Ste's head did drop occasionally but he may just have nodded off briefly and Chris nearly was the subject of a Holmsey nightmare. A close call as Chris saw the word Srixon pass by his face. Good performance and who knows, a win could be on the cards for Ste when he finally gets some sleep.
Chris and Phil were a good partnership in Wales and knowing Chris is deadly off the tee gave Phil the confidence to do sod all on the front nine. Chris didn't turn against his partner choosing to go out 5 over and 19 points in total. Highlights were a birdie on the 7th and a good up and down to save par on the 6th. Phil struggled with approach shots with too many coming up short. A few annoying lost balls that just vanished was just the last straw and Phil decided to play golf for the last few holes. 15th birdie on the par 5 gave 4 points and a decent tee shot followed by two duffs and a chip in on the 18th secured victory. Chris in the meantime carried on playing really well and came back in 4 over so played to net par. Great performance in those conditions but Phil chipped in on the last and that's the headline. 40 points and two wins in a row for Phil. Watch out Heswall. Phil's money is on Chris.
Sunday 31st May 2015
Tee times from 13:30pm [arrive no later than 12:30pm] Prices include 18 holes + tea/coffee and chips & sandwiches before play Website: www.rvgc.co.uk |
Bunkers Golf Society Members £31.00
format for the day
Format: Pairs Betterball [Captain v's Presidents Teams]
Handicaps: Players will play off full handicaps. [Except new members who are 3/4 handicap]
Groups: Will be drawn in the 2 weeks prior to play
Tee: Players will tee off from the yellow tees.
Mini Comps: There will be TWO nearest the pins and 1 nearest the pin in 2 shots. [Will be updated prior to play]
Prizes: Will be for 1st, 2nd & 3rd & "The Wall of Shame" for last
Captain v's President competition will be in operation.
Handicaps: Players will play off full handicaps. [Except new members who are 3/4 handicap]
Groups: Will be drawn in the 2 weeks prior to play
Tee: Players will tee off from the yellow tees.
Mini Comps: There will be TWO nearest the pins and 1 nearest the pin in 2 shots. [Will be updated prior to play]
Prizes: Will be for 1st, 2nd & 3rd & "The Wall of Shame" for last
Captain v's President competition will be in operation.
the course
One of the courses in our 2014 season that stood out and was a "must return". The course is cut beautifully in to the landscape and provided a stern test of all abilities. The first thing to note about Reddish Vale is that it was designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie - who is the man who designed the world famous US Masters course at Augusta National.
100 acres of the most perfect land you could ever wish for, combined with Alister MacKenzie's genius eye, have created a unique golf course that is quirky and fun.
Rich in natural features, the course plays a figure of eight shaped layout that requires you to negotiate ravines, gullies, escarpments, and a river, as well as the usual things like bunkers during your round. Flat, boring, tree lined holes which go back and forth and all blend into one? – not here! There are very few inland courses where you could remove every tree and still have a great golf course, but you could here.
The magical contours that shape this course explain how it has survived for the last 100 years almost unchanged, and without ever being lengthened. At 6000 yards in length and with a par of 69, Reddish Vale is not a test of who can hit the ball the farthest; it is a far more intriguing and strategical challenge than that. This is a thinker's course where you need to plot your way round.
VIEW A HOLE-BY-HOLE OVERVIEW WITH PHOTOS
100 acres of the most perfect land you could ever wish for, combined with Alister MacKenzie's genius eye, have created a unique golf course that is quirky and fun.
Rich in natural features, the course plays a figure of eight shaped layout that requires you to negotiate ravines, gullies, escarpments, and a river, as well as the usual things like bunkers during your round. Flat, boring, tree lined holes which go back and forth and all blend into one? – not here! There are very few inland courses where you could remove every tree and still have a great golf course, but you could here.
The magical contours that shape this course explain how it has survived for the last 100 years almost unchanged, and without ever being lengthened. At 6000 yards in length and with a par of 69, Reddish Vale is not a test of who can hit the ball the farthest; it is a far more intriguing and strategical challenge than that. This is a thinker's course where you need to plot your way round.
VIEW A HOLE-BY-HOLE OVERVIEW WITH PHOTOS
directions
Reddish Vale Golf Club is in Stockport, South of Manchester and is 50 minutes from Skelmersdale and Liverpool.
The full address for Sat Navs is:
Reddish Vale Golf Club, Southcliffe Road, Reddish, Stockport, Cheshire, SK5 7EE
Tel: 0161 480 2359
The full address for Sat Navs is:
Reddish Vale Golf Club, Southcliffe Road, Reddish, Stockport, Cheshire, SK5 7EE
Tel: 0161 480 2359