this event was won by
peter woolley
The 4th and final Major of 2015 saw the society head to Marriott Worsley Park on a warm and pleasant July day.
Back in March if you would have told Peter that he would be a Major winner this season, he would probably have laughed in your face given the way The Bunkers Invitational panned out in Wales. However, he has recovered from a niggling injury, worked hard at his game and stuck with it despite the odd tricky day - and the reward couldn't have been better. A hugely popular winner, whom all of the lads were made up to see lift the trophy and the smile on his face told the story. Recovering from a dodgy 1st tee shot to score a very solid 37 points and battling hard around the course combined with some lovely play and impressive shots. Congratulations to Peter Woolley - Major Champion. |
official bunkers review...
Since Bunkers were formed in 2012, we have visited Worsley Park Golf & Country Club every year, and this probably says almost everything you need to know about the venue and course – especially given some of the superb places we visit.
The set up is professional and well run and from the moment you enter the grounds you know it is going to be a great day out. Beautifully kept gardens and buildings greet you and glimpses of part of the course as you enter just whets the appetite.
One stand out feature of Worsley Park that has always impressed us – aside from the golf – has been the service and food in the clubhouse. It is always plentiful, well presented and extremely tasty. This visit was no different with packed bacon butties that were devoured by the group in no time. One niggle is always the bar prices, with soft drinks even coming in around the £3 mark.
Rain in the days prior to our visit had let the course play soft [but not in a bad way] and this meant that players could fly the ball to the flags and attack pins, knowing that they could keep their golf balls on the dance floors. The course held up well and there was very little standing water or soggy patches – but we have come to expect this from a top class venue like Worsley Park.
The greens were excellent – quite simply put, they were a joy to play on. Smooth, quick and with subtle contours and breaks that made scoring a challenge. The fairways were well defined and very well kept and divots were few and far between [which is not often the case at larger hotel type complexes]. The rough was fair unless you went too far off track and then it was punishing – which we feel is entirely how they should be. You shouldn’t be heavily punished for a slight fade/drawn, but anything sliced or hooked should receive penalty. Bunkers for the most part were well kept and raked with only the occasional one compacted and bare [probably due in most part to the heavy overnight rain]
Standout holes for us are the signature hole at the 7th which is a 140 yard par 3 over water and a brook to a kidney shaped, multi level green. A real test of a players 'bottle'.
The 8th doglegs right before you are greeted by a mass of water than runs right up to the edge of the elevated green - take enough club, or get the snorkel out - you've been warned!
The par 5 18th hole is a beautiful way to finish. A good drive still leaves you 270-300 yards from the green and the next shot sends you left to attack the green to the right, or if you have the confidence you can fire towards the green and cross a scattering of bunkers that vary in size and depth. Theres a risk reward element to the shot as now many players will find the green in two and therefore not finding the bunkers is the main objective.
In summary, Worsley Park is a perfect destination for groups visiting and will no doubt be seeing Bunkers Golf Society again in 2016.
Group 1 - Steve Bradshaw, Phil Williams & Kev Murphy
The eagerly anticipated last major of the season started with the first group out with a battle of the big ones, all three were intent in leaving as many big golf shoe marks as possible on the greens to already slick and undulating greens.
Smart play off the tees was the order of the day with irons and hybrids for position working well for all three. Unfortunately "the big sticks" were throbbing to come out and when they did then points were lost due to slightly wayward drives from Phil & Kevin, however some sparkling, crisply hit long irons and finesse around the greens regained needed points on the card for both.
Kev was caught “fracking” in one bunker as his ball was 2ft below the sand, “Great shot out" cried swampy from one of the trees.
Phil's 'ball finder thing' that he wears on his belt worked well and is a must purchase for all members to the dismay of a shell shocked Kev after two straight blobs. “He never looses a ball and I get all the bad luck” was the cry. The group were playing the 12th at the time and Kev was looking for his ball on the 8th!!!
"Seve“, I mean Steve, has a slow start but plodded his way around the course striding like a bear just out of hibernation hungry for points. They came via some neat and tidy play and the odd putt here and there totalling 35 points and to his surprise a runner up finish. “Hes the Man in beige pants” if you look at the photos below [what was he thinking?]
All in a very jolly threesome, great camaraderie on a superb layout and looking forward to the next round already
Group 2 - Paul Davies JNR, Chris Berry & Peter Woolley
The group couldn't have been split anymore; it was a case of two great 9 holes of golf and one steady 18 holes.
Paul started with a great drive down the first and he looked to have set himself up for a steady start, however the rough had other ideas and twisted his club making him pull his approach shot into the trees left of the green. This seemed to sum up his first 9 holes off the tee he was straight and accurate however his 2nd and 3rd shots not so much. He seemed to take a while to get used to the greens and the new putter was colder than an Eskimo's ass. He did get some reprieve on the signature par 3 7 with a sweetly struck 9 iron over the pin which spun back to about 8 foot giving him closest to the pin and another dozen pro v1's to take home for his troubles. The back 9 was different after turning in 12 points he had a little word with himself on the 10th tee and he seemed to listen. Standing on the 17th green with a reasonable chance of a birdie he had that to go -1 gross for the back 9 unfortunately he 3 putted and blobbed the last. If only he had got it going earlier in the round the claret jug would have been his.
Chris had pretty much the opposite to Paul after pulling his tee shot on the 1st his front 9 was near perfect and by far the best golf he's played in a long time. A couple of birdies in the first 4 holes put him -2 after 4 and bar a couple of 3 putts he would have finished -2 after 9, however a level par 9 holes and 25 points felt like he had one hand on the trophy as he turned for the back 9. However much like AC Milan in 2005 he wished he only had to play half the game. 4 blobs on the back 9 ruined his card and he came back with a miserable 10 points and bottled the chance to win his first bunkers event.
Peter seemed to fly under the radar as Chris and Paul were flying on each 9 holes he steadily plotted his way around the course, his tee shots and approach shots weren't as consistent as his normal play but his short game was on fire and every chip was stone dead and his putts never seemed to miss which kept his score card ticking over nicely. The luck seemed to be with him a little as well as a pulled tee shot on the par 5 6th left him in the thick stuff a big stab at the ball flew it back on the fairway although Peter didn't realise this and thought his ball was still stuck in the rough which he spent a good few minutes trying to find until he was told where his ball had gone. He turned to the back 9 with 19 points and although 6 points behind Chris he was still within touching distance he kept chipping away at the lead. He finished with a hard fought 37 points and a much deserved victory.
However the panic set in then and he harassed every group coming in to find out if anyone was beating him, sportsmanship went out the window as he knew he was in the lead and the chance of glory was near, as the last group finished he could relax, Congratulations to a worthy champion.
Group 3 - John Standley, Rob Botterill & Lee Carroll
With a group of high’ish handicaps, it would’ve been forgiven to think that they would spend a lot of time in the trees of this tight track. But with that said, the 3 of them had pretty decent rounds filled with encouragement and friendly banter.
After a less than convincing start and a thin bullet off the first tee ending in a blob Lee ground out a front 9 of 14 points. With some good drives and steady approach shots, only unreliable chipping and putting let him down. His back 9 was little improved finishing on 30 points. He will also keep mentioning how close his pitch mark was on the par 3, 7th hole... it was 5 inches from the cup... but then only went and spun back to 18 feet!!! Diddums.
John started the day has he meant to go on... A massive power fade, measured to perfection on the first tee to find the fairway. Unfortunately he didn’t measure the second one to perfection... Hitting his driver really well but sometimes overdoing the fade/slice left him in some strange places. Lots of good recovery work pulled off to perfection with his little chipper... Turned in 13 points and ended on 29.
Rob looked like a pro at times... ripping up some of the tough holes he had 2 shots on and then making a hash of the easy holes... finding the fairway more than most and taking his medicine when needed. Very consistent, knows his strength and weakness. It could have been a lot more than 29 points if he didn’t miss too many 2 footers.
Group 4 - Keith Long, Chris Warbrick & Tony King
The group was made up of Tony King , Keith Long & the man of the moment Chris Warbrick - who was going for an unprecedented three in a row [and back to back majors] in a season when there had been talk of the "Givnan slam".
Keith started well and was showing encouraging signs that some consistency was returning to his game after a fruitless first 6 months of the season. He was more than happy with a half way total of 19 points but he had a bit of a wobble around the turn and although improved towards the end of the round, his total of 34 points was a case of what might have been.
Tony had a shocking start and did not score on the first 2 holes which always starts raising questions in your mind, most notably "Why Havant I practiced a bit more". Once he steadied the ship and begin to amass a few points his rhythm became a lot better and he was striking some lovely tee shots with a 4 iron. Long and straight down the fairways
This strategy could see him come into his own in the coming weeks on courses such as Didsbury, Lee Park and the like with several par 3's that he can dispatch a good iron shot to and master the less severe undulating greens that these hotel courses like to offer.
Chris was making the game look easy and playing off his new handicap and the lowest on record in the society of 5. He put together his usual high class performance. Almost worryingly he came in with a total of 33 points but you felt he always had another gear he could have gone to. It would probably be too much to expect with the season two thirds of the way through that we could see the first scratch golfer to participate, but we wouldn't bet against it.
On a glorious afternoon that even a horse fly bite to Tony could not ruin it was slightly dampened with the sad news that filtered round the course of the passing of liverpool's own Cilla Black. But on the return to the club house and in the surrounding collation of the totals being recorded it was a real surprise surprise that it was the aforementioned Kevin Givnan who had indeed filled the last position and was awarded the dreaded wooden spoon.
Who would of believed that a few weeks ago with the form he was in. It's no wonder we all love and appreciate the game so much when you have days like this.
Group 5 - Dave Ashley, Andy Roper & Ste Holmes
A three ball of committee members - surely they would show the rest of the field how its done? Sadly, it was a bit of a battle throughout most of the for all three for one reason or another.
Ste Holmes started like a house on fire, and his new irons were a justified expense as he shot 2 and 3 pointers for the first 6 holes and he stood on the 7th with 15 points in the bag. However, he had arrived with a neck stiffer than a good Scottish Whiskey and by the end of the 7th he was starting to falter due to the pain. 5 blobs in the next 6 holes as he tried to play on was too much and he was forced to retire from play and walk the rest of the course. Shame.
Dave Ashley should have been in contention for the prizes but the work around and on the greens let him down too often and a constant talking point in the round was how good scores are built on getting the ball 'up and down' more often than not - a feat Dave did rarely on the day. A blob on the Par 5 5th hole was criminal and this was backed up with another at the 6th and this mini blip is probably what cost him. A superb birdie at the long par 3 11th hole was a highlight, along with a victory on the 2nd nearest the pin at the 14th thanks to a lovely strike. But it will feel like a but of a missed chance for Dave given some of the solid play he produced.
Andy Roper had a day he will quickly want to forget. A slice right off the 1st and a lost ball set the tone but there was not one consistent element in his game that he will have been even semi happy with on the day. All shots with a 7 iron and below were fading or slicing, he found a bunker on most holes and 3 putted SIX times! A real low day after some recent highs and improvements. It was summed up by a lazy tee shot on the par 3's at 7 and 14 that both barely travelled 30 yards and the " pièce de résistance" was a 3-wood tee shot on 17 that was barely hit as the ball flew past his left shin and almost behind him. The one positive for Andy was that he somehow scrambled 27 points and pipped Kev Givnan on a card play off to save his blushes from the dreaded "wall of shame"
Group 6 - Allan Gunn, Brendan Smith & Steve Evans
It was a slow start for Brendan with just 5 points on the board after 5 holes but after sorting out the driver (irons and putter!) some opportunities and scores started to appear on the front 9. Meanwhile Allan and Captain fantastic Steve were quick off the mark before Allan rediscovering his love for the aquatics on the signature par 3 7th and Steve discovering the punishing rough just after the halfway mark on the par 3 10th.
The back 9 was more consistent for all with Allan have a bitter sweet peach of a shot on the nearest the pin par 3 14th only to be beaten by the modest as ever President Ashly who had a Birdseye view from the 15th tee box. Brendan and Allan managed to secure a well needed 2 points on the last hole to steer clear of the wooden spoon territory while some tricky greens and lip outs held Steve back to a respectable score on what could otherwise have been a contender for the podium places.
Group 7 - Kev Givnan, Allan Gannon, Paul Davies SNR & Phil Welsh [Guest]
Alan Gannon started off like the proverbial house on fire, a putt from off the green that was really travelling found a convenient backstop in the form of the hole. Alan followed this up with some excellent play and solid putting meaning he finished the front 9 with his eye on the prizes. Unfortunately for Alan, the back 9 was the complete opposite. Poor drives left him with no chance to score and eventually left him worrying about the dreaded losers shirt. In the end, Alan just manged to avoid the shirt thanks to his excellent front 9.
Alan brought along a guest, Phil, who whilst smashing a ball a long way, tended to smash it a long way offline. This combined with some tentative putting meant Phil didn't have the type of round his handicap would suggests he is capable of.
Paul Davis Sr had an all round excellent round, steady driving, nice iron play and solid putting meant he came in with an excellent 35 points to wash away the stench of the losers shirt he was "awarded" after the last outing at Vale Park. Only an unfortunate lost ball on the 8th hole stopped Paul really threatening for the top prize and his 2nd major of the season.
Kevin Givnan started off quite well with some nice iron play giving him early thoughts of adding to the major he won at Dunham Forest. Then, OH THEN, it all fell apart. A hook with the big stick and some wayward iron play left him in all kinds of trouble. Usually Kevs short game comes to the rescue but on this occasion it most certainly didn't. Putt after putt missed the hole and Kevs attention turned to the dreaded losers shirt. A complete change of tactic in course management improved Kevs points tally but not enough to stop what he has dreaded (and everyone else has been dreaming about apparently) for a long time coming true. The horrific feeling of the losers shirt being handed over with unparallelled glee by the powers that be is something that Kev was horrified to endure.
The set up is professional and well run and from the moment you enter the grounds you know it is going to be a great day out. Beautifully kept gardens and buildings greet you and glimpses of part of the course as you enter just whets the appetite.
One stand out feature of Worsley Park that has always impressed us – aside from the golf – has been the service and food in the clubhouse. It is always plentiful, well presented and extremely tasty. This visit was no different with packed bacon butties that were devoured by the group in no time. One niggle is always the bar prices, with soft drinks even coming in around the £3 mark.
Rain in the days prior to our visit had let the course play soft [but not in a bad way] and this meant that players could fly the ball to the flags and attack pins, knowing that they could keep their golf balls on the dance floors. The course held up well and there was very little standing water or soggy patches – but we have come to expect this from a top class venue like Worsley Park.
The greens were excellent – quite simply put, they were a joy to play on. Smooth, quick and with subtle contours and breaks that made scoring a challenge. The fairways were well defined and very well kept and divots were few and far between [which is not often the case at larger hotel type complexes]. The rough was fair unless you went too far off track and then it was punishing – which we feel is entirely how they should be. You shouldn’t be heavily punished for a slight fade/drawn, but anything sliced or hooked should receive penalty. Bunkers for the most part were well kept and raked with only the occasional one compacted and bare [probably due in most part to the heavy overnight rain]
Standout holes for us are the signature hole at the 7th which is a 140 yard par 3 over water and a brook to a kidney shaped, multi level green. A real test of a players 'bottle'.
The 8th doglegs right before you are greeted by a mass of water than runs right up to the edge of the elevated green - take enough club, or get the snorkel out - you've been warned!
The par 5 18th hole is a beautiful way to finish. A good drive still leaves you 270-300 yards from the green and the next shot sends you left to attack the green to the right, or if you have the confidence you can fire towards the green and cross a scattering of bunkers that vary in size and depth. Theres a risk reward element to the shot as now many players will find the green in two and therefore not finding the bunkers is the main objective.
In summary, Worsley Park is a perfect destination for groups visiting and will no doubt be seeing Bunkers Golf Society again in 2016.
Group 1 - Steve Bradshaw, Phil Williams & Kev Murphy
The eagerly anticipated last major of the season started with the first group out with a battle of the big ones, all three were intent in leaving as many big golf shoe marks as possible on the greens to already slick and undulating greens.
Smart play off the tees was the order of the day with irons and hybrids for position working well for all three. Unfortunately "the big sticks" were throbbing to come out and when they did then points were lost due to slightly wayward drives from Phil & Kevin, however some sparkling, crisply hit long irons and finesse around the greens regained needed points on the card for both.
Kev was caught “fracking” in one bunker as his ball was 2ft below the sand, “Great shot out" cried swampy from one of the trees.
Phil's 'ball finder thing' that he wears on his belt worked well and is a must purchase for all members to the dismay of a shell shocked Kev after two straight blobs. “He never looses a ball and I get all the bad luck” was the cry. The group were playing the 12th at the time and Kev was looking for his ball on the 8th!!!
"Seve“, I mean Steve, has a slow start but plodded his way around the course striding like a bear just out of hibernation hungry for points. They came via some neat and tidy play and the odd putt here and there totalling 35 points and to his surprise a runner up finish. “Hes the Man in beige pants” if you look at the photos below [what was he thinking?]
All in a very jolly threesome, great camaraderie on a superb layout and looking forward to the next round already
Group 2 - Paul Davies JNR, Chris Berry & Peter Woolley
The group couldn't have been split anymore; it was a case of two great 9 holes of golf and one steady 18 holes.
Paul started with a great drive down the first and he looked to have set himself up for a steady start, however the rough had other ideas and twisted his club making him pull his approach shot into the trees left of the green. This seemed to sum up his first 9 holes off the tee he was straight and accurate however his 2nd and 3rd shots not so much. He seemed to take a while to get used to the greens and the new putter was colder than an Eskimo's ass. He did get some reprieve on the signature par 3 7 with a sweetly struck 9 iron over the pin which spun back to about 8 foot giving him closest to the pin and another dozen pro v1's to take home for his troubles. The back 9 was different after turning in 12 points he had a little word with himself on the 10th tee and he seemed to listen. Standing on the 17th green with a reasonable chance of a birdie he had that to go -1 gross for the back 9 unfortunately he 3 putted and blobbed the last. If only he had got it going earlier in the round the claret jug would have been his.
Chris had pretty much the opposite to Paul after pulling his tee shot on the 1st his front 9 was near perfect and by far the best golf he's played in a long time. A couple of birdies in the first 4 holes put him -2 after 4 and bar a couple of 3 putts he would have finished -2 after 9, however a level par 9 holes and 25 points felt like he had one hand on the trophy as he turned for the back 9. However much like AC Milan in 2005 he wished he only had to play half the game. 4 blobs on the back 9 ruined his card and he came back with a miserable 10 points and bottled the chance to win his first bunkers event.
Peter seemed to fly under the radar as Chris and Paul were flying on each 9 holes he steadily plotted his way around the course, his tee shots and approach shots weren't as consistent as his normal play but his short game was on fire and every chip was stone dead and his putts never seemed to miss which kept his score card ticking over nicely. The luck seemed to be with him a little as well as a pulled tee shot on the par 5 6th left him in the thick stuff a big stab at the ball flew it back on the fairway although Peter didn't realise this and thought his ball was still stuck in the rough which he spent a good few minutes trying to find until he was told where his ball had gone. He turned to the back 9 with 19 points and although 6 points behind Chris he was still within touching distance he kept chipping away at the lead. He finished with a hard fought 37 points and a much deserved victory.
However the panic set in then and he harassed every group coming in to find out if anyone was beating him, sportsmanship went out the window as he knew he was in the lead and the chance of glory was near, as the last group finished he could relax, Congratulations to a worthy champion.
Group 3 - John Standley, Rob Botterill & Lee Carroll
With a group of high’ish handicaps, it would’ve been forgiven to think that they would spend a lot of time in the trees of this tight track. But with that said, the 3 of them had pretty decent rounds filled with encouragement and friendly banter.
After a less than convincing start and a thin bullet off the first tee ending in a blob Lee ground out a front 9 of 14 points. With some good drives and steady approach shots, only unreliable chipping and putting let him down. His back 9 was little improved finishing on 30 points. He will also keep mentioning how close his pitch mark was on the par 3, 7th hole... it was 5 inches from the cup... but then only went and spun back to 18 feet!!! Diddums.
John started the day has he meant to go on... A massive power fade, measured to perfection on the first tee to find the fairway. Unfortunately he didn’t measure the second one to perfection... Hitting his driver really well but sometimes overdoing the fade/slice left him in some strange places. Lots of good recovery work pulled off to perfection with his little chipper... Turned in 13 points and ended on 29.
Rob looked like a pro at times... ripping up some of the tough holes he had 2 shots on and then making a hash of the easy holes... finding the fairway more than most and taking his medicine when needed. Very consistent, knows his strength and weakness. It could have been a lot more than 29 points if he didn’t miss too many 2 footers.
Group 4 - Keith Long, Chris Warbrick & Tony King
The group was made up of Tony King , Keith Long & the man of the moment Chris Warbrick - who was going for an unprecedented three in a row [and back to back majors] in a season when there had been talk of the "Givnan slam".
Keith started well and was showing encouraging signs that some consistency was returning to his game after a fruitless first 6 months of the season. He was more than happy with a half way total of 19 points but he had a bit of a wobble around the turn and although improved towards the end of the round, his total of 34 points was a case of what might have been.
Tony had a shocking start and did not score on the first 2 holes which always starts raising questions in your mind, most notably "Why Havant I practiced a bit more". Once he steadied the ship and begin to amass a few points his rhythm became a lot better and he was striking some lovely tee shots with a 4 iron. Long and straight down the fairways
This strategy could see him come into his own in the coming weeks on courses such as Didsbury, Lee Park and the like with several par 3's that he can dispatch a good iron shot to and master the less severe undulating greens that these hotel courses like to offer.
Chris was making the game look easy and playing off his new handicap and the lowest on record in the society of 5. He put together his usual high class performance. Almost worryingly he came in with a total of 33 points but you felt he always had another gear he could have gone to. It would probably be too much to expect with the season two thirds of the way through that we could see the first scratch golfer to participate, but we wouldn't bet against it.
On a glorious afternoon that even a horse fly bite to Tony could not ruin it was slightly dampened with the sad news that filtered round the course of the passing of liverpool's own Cilla Black. But on the return to the club house and in the surrounding collation of the totals being recorded it was a real surprise surprise that it was the aforementioned Kevin Givnan who had indeed filled the last position and was awarded the dreaded wooden spoon.
Who would of believed that a few weeks ago with the form he was in. It's no wonder we all love and appreciate the game so much when you have days like this.
Group 5 - Dave Ashley, Andy Roper & Ste Holmes
A three ball of committee members - surely they would show the rest of the field how its done? Sadly, it was a bit of a battle throughout most of the for all three for one reason or another.
Ste Holmes started like a house on fire, and his new irons were a justified expense as he shot 2 and 3 pointers for the first 6 holes and he stood on the 7th with 15 points in the bag. However, he had arrived with a neck stiffer than a good Scottish Whiskey and by the end of the 7th he was starting to falter due to the pain. 5 blobs in the next 6 holes as he tried to play on was too much and he was forced to retire from play and walk the rest of the course. Shame.
Dave Ashley should have been in contention for the prizes but the work around and on the greens let him down too often and a constant talking point in the round was how good scores are built on getting the ball 'up and down' more often than not - a feat Dave did rarely on the day. A blob on the Par 5 5th hole was criminal and this was backed up with another at the 6th and this mini blip is probably what cost him. A superb birdie at the long par 3 11th hole was a highlight, along with a victory on the 2nd nearest the pin at the 14th thanks to a lovely strike. But it will feel like a but of a missed chance for Dave given some of the solid play he produced.
Andy Roper had a day he will quickly want to forget. A slice right off the 1st and a lost ball set the tone but there was not one consistent element in his game that he will have been even semi happy with on the day. All shots with a 7 iron and below were fading or slicing, he found a bunker on most holes and 3 putted SIX times! A real low day after some recent highs and improvements. It was summed up by a lazy tee shot on the par 3's at 7 and 14 that both barely travelled 30 yards and the " pièce de résistance" was a 3-wood tee shot on 17 that was barely hit as the ball flew past his left shin and almost behind him. The one positive for Andy was that he somehow scrambled 27 points and pipped Kev Givnan on a card play off to save his blushes from the dreaded "wall of shame"
Group 6 - Allan Gunn, Brendan Smith & Steve Evans
It was a slow start for Brendan with just 5 points on the board after 5 holes but after sorting out the driver (irons and putter!) some opportunities and scores started to appear on the front 9. Meanwhile Allan and Captain fantastic Steve were quick off the mark before Allan rediscovering his love for the aquatics on the signature par 3 7th and Steve discovering the punishing rough just after the halfway mark on the par 3 10th.
The back 9 was more consistent for all with Allan have a bitter sweet peach of a shot on the nearest the pin par 3 14th only to be beaten by the modest as ever President Ashly who had a Birdseye view from the 15th tee box. Brendan and Allan managed to secure a well needed 2 points on the last hole to steer clear of the wooden spoon territory while some tricky greens and lip outs held Steve back to a respectable score on what could otherwise have been a contender for the podium places.
Group 7 - Kev Givnan, Allan Gannon, Paul Davies SNR & Phil Welsh [Guest]
Alan Gannon started off like the proverbial house on fire, a putt from off the green that was really travelling found a convenient backstop in the form of the hole. Alan followed this up with some excellent play and solid putting meaning he finished the front 9 with his eye on the prizes. Unfortunately for Alan, the back 9 was the complete opposite. Poor drives left him with no chance to score and eventually left him worrying about the dreaded losers shirt. In the end, Alan just manged to avoid the shirt thanks to his excellent front 9.
Alan brought along a guest, Phil, who whilst smashing a ball a long way, tended to smash it a long way offline. This combined with some tentative putting meant Phil didn't have the type of round his handicap would suggests he is capable of.
Paul Davis Sr had an all round excellent round, steady driving, nice iron play and solid putting meant he came in with an excellent 35 points to wash away the stench of the losers shirt he was "awarded" after the last outing at Vale Park. Only an unfortunate lost ball on the 8th hole stopped Paul really threatening for the top prize and his 2nd major of the season.
Kevin Givnan started off quite well with some nice iron play giving him early thoughts of adding to the major he won at Dunham Forest. Then, OH THEN, it all fell apart. A hook with the big stick and some wayward iron play left him in all kinds of trouble. Usually Kevs short game comes to the rescue but on this occasion it most certainly didn't. Putt after putt missed the hole and Kevs attention turned to the dreaded losers shirt. A complete change of tactic in course management improved Kevs points tally but not enough to stop what he has dreaded (and everyone else has been dreaming about apparently) for a long time coming true. The horrific feeling of the losers shirt being handed over with unparallelled glee by the powers that be is something that Kev was horrified to endure.
Bunkers Golf Society Members £42.00 per person
Sunday 2nd August 2015
Tee times from 11:20am [arrive no later than 10:20am] Prices include 18 holes + bacon roll & tea/coffee Website: www.worsleypark.co.uk |
format for the event
Format: Stableford Singles
Handicaps: Players will play off full handicaps. [Except new members who are 3/4 handicap]
Groups: Will be drawn on the day prior to play
Tee: Players will play off the yellow tees.
Mini Comps: There will be TWO nearest the pins and 1 nearest the pin in 2 shots. [see below]
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 on the day prior to play
Tee: Players will play off the yellow tees.
Mini Comps: There will be TWO nearest the pins and 1 nearest the pin in 2 shots. [see below]
Prizes: Will be for 1st, 2nd & 3rd & "The Wall of Shame" for last
Captain v's President competition will be in operation.
who's playing
Tee Groups will be drawn prior to play:
Peter Woolley [13]
John Standley [19] Phil Williams [11] Paul Davies JNR [9] Phil Welsh [8] Tony King [19] Chris Warbrick [5] Chris Berry [13] |
Kev Murphy [9]
Paul Davies [14] Allan Gunn [17] Allan Gannon [18] Lee Carroll [17] Ste Bradshaw [7] Ste Holmes [19] |
Andy Roper [13]
Dave Ashley [10] Keith Long [11] Brendan Smith [24] Kev Givnan [9] Steve Evans [13] Rob Botterill [27] |
nearest the pins
There will be 2 nearest the pins on the 7th and 14th and a nearest the pin in 2 shots on the 16th.
CLICK THE IMAGES TO ENLARGE
CLICK THE IMAGES TO ENLARGE
the venue
The Worsley Park Golf Club features an 18-hole, PGA championship course on 6,611 yards. Designed by European Golf Design in association with Michael King the design company behind the European Tour and IMG. This Manchester golf course's picturesque grounds and challenging par of 71 are a delight for guests.
A fine quality parkland course awaits you at Worsley Park It is one of the most respected courses without question in the North West and has eighteen holes laid out to exacting USGA standards. Therefore there can be no disputing that it poses a significant challenge to all who play there, and is on the whole a very fair test of golf to players of all levels of ability.
Worsley Park has hosted a European Challenge tour event in the past, as well as the Sir Alex Ferguson Golf Classic and Ryan Giggs’ Testimonial Golf Day. The clubhouse is very welcoming and has a lovely restaurant. There is a driving range, a short game area and putting green area as well as a superbly stocked pro shop.
A fine quality parkland course awaits you at Worsley Park It is one of the most respected courses without question in the North West and has eighteen holes laid out to exacting USGA standards. Therefore there can be no disputing that it poses a significant challenge to all who play there, and is on the whole a very fair test of golf to players of all levels of ability.
Worsley Park has hosted a European Challenge tour event in the past, as well as the Sir Alex Ferguson Golf Classic and Ryan Giggs’ Testimonial Golf Day. The clubhouse is very welcoming and has a lovely restaurant. There is a driving range, a short game area and putting green area as well as a superbly stocked pro shop.
directions
Worlsey Park is in North West Manchester and can be accessed from the M60 or East Lancashire Road. It is 35-40 minutes from Skelmersdale and Liverpool.
The full address for Sat Navs is:
Marriott Worsley Park, Manchester, England M28 2QT - Tel: 0161 975 2000
The full address for Sat Navs is:
Marriott Worsley Park, Manchester, England M28 2QT - Tel: 0161 975 2000
on course videos below...
|
|