Please note an error in last week’s newsletter for the bank account details for you to pay for the lunch at our annual meeting. The account No. is 50… not 59…

The cost is £10.00 and should be paid to:-

Lymm Golf Over 60s
60-20-29
50244779
Ref: ABM-surname

Please note that is not the same account that we use for the inter-club matches.

Seniors subs now due for 2024/25

Reporter: Steve Gosling

As October approaches our season draws to an end and a new one begins with the Autumn series, first match being on Friday 4th October.

This year in order to maintain, and in some cases enhance, the prizes on offer (we have 2 Divisions now) we have increased the annual subs to £25.

How this money will be spent can be seen in the Budget for 2024/25. I’m happy to send a PDF to anyone who would like to see it.

I’m sure you enjoy the friendly competition and social aspect of the Seniors section and our aim is to continue to build on that success during 2024/25.

So please ensure payment of the £25 is made soon to:

Lymm Golf Over 60s

60-20-29
50244779
Ref: (add your surname)

Autumn

With autumn setting in, and the Autumn League approaching, we will see some necessary changes to our Friday competitions, especially when the golf course is deemed no longer WHS-qualifying.

Paul Foster, the man in charge of senior handicaps, explains:

The Autumn League

Reporter: Paul Foster

At the start of the forthcoming Autumn League, we expect to continue to the WHS handicap system, but it is usual that part way through the Autumn League the course stops being playable for a WHS handicap. This is because mats are introduced, and/or winter tees or winter greens are in use.

When WHS handicapping no longer applies, the Senior Section will operate the manual handicap system we used last year. Based on the performance in the previous Friday sessions, a players handicap may be adjusted and a new handicap given for future week’s competitions. Such new handicaps will be available each week on our website: LGCSeniors.com.

This manual system will operate until the WHS system becomes operational again around April 2025, at which time all members will revert back to their WHS handicap.

A minimum of 7 Rounds should be played in the Autumn League. If 6 rounds or less are played, the League will be cancelled.

All Autumn league competitions are scored over 15 holes only. The designated course is the first 15 holes open on that day. (i.e. if hole 13 is closed but all others are open, the competition is played over 1-12, 14-16 for that day).

If less than 15 holes are open, the scores achieved on these days will be pro-rata’d up to 15 holes for the consistency of recording the players league positions in the League. Members may continue to play on to complete 18 holes, if they so wish – but only holes 1 to 15 will be counted, and members should not enter their score for these holes on their card, as to do so will conflict with the WHS evaluation of handicaps.

A sleeve of balls will be awarded to players who score a two on the designated course during the Autumn League. Apart from the overall league prizes and trophies, there will be a small weekly monetary prize (that goes onto your account in the Pro’s shop) for the winner of each division on the day.

We will continue to have 2 divisions, based on a halfway-split of handicaps. Here are division lists:

Interclub-friendly Lymm v Northenden, Friday 20 September

Match Reporter: Phil Ormesher (CoD)

It was an excellent day’s golf. Fine weather and, for me, the course looked and played probably the best it’s been all season.

Judging by the empty plates, lunch was enjoyed by all.

I played with Alan Burton against Martin and John (Northenden’s current president). It was an excellent match; good humoured and ‘nip and tuck’ all the way round until we finally succumbed on the 17th.

Of course, the match was an honourable draw, with the detailed results below:

Phil Ormesher/Alan Burton L 2-1
Mike Pigott/Pete Broady W 1UP
Jeff Chapman/Colin Hughes W 5-3
Ian Whitehead/Mike Bennett W 4-3
John White/Mervyn Roberts W 3-2
Paddy Moran/Andrew Cox W 1Up
Dave Donnell Jones/Alan Ranscombe L 3-1
John Armstrong/Grahame Brickell L 1 Down

So, overall, a 5 – 3 win for Lymm. Well done everybody.

One highlight of the match was Mike and Pete’s dogged determination to win. They were never ahead throughout the match but played the back nine in a gross 4 under par sealing the win 1 up.

However, the major highlight has to be Colin Hughes’s hole-in-one on the 17th. A most challenging hole at the best of times, so very well done Colin!

Bottle-of-wine Competition, Friday 20 September

Held alongside the Inter-club competition v Northenden taking place

Winner – Keith Melia – 35 points
2nd: Mark Pickles – 32 points 
3rd: Alan Copeland – 31 points 

Full results published here on the main LGC website.

Tee-booking schedule for tomorrow (Thursday 26 September)

Happy Mondays tee-booking schedule (for 8pm Sunday 29 September)

Newsletter Editor: Mark Pickles

Draw for the Andy Ward Winter Pairs Knockout

Reporter: Peter Willson

The draw for partners and the schedule of games has been made.

Thanks to Russ Jones and John McCue for calculating dates and entering the draw for this competition into the club website. Here is the draw, with all details of partners, rounds and expected play-by dates. If you are entered into the draw, you should see a link to the draw in your ‘Upcoming Competitions’ section on the website.

If any players now cannot make the draw please let me know and I can substitute another player before a 1st round match is played.

Good luck to all contestants.

Interclub friendly versus Leigh, home at Lymm, Friday 13 September

Reporter: Mike Bennett

There is an excellent relationship between our two clubs, and so everybody was looking forward to playing in this fixture.

The match was played in good weather. The course was in excellent condition, which was acknowledged by all Leigh playing members.

All enjoyed the meal and speeches after the match.

The result was: Lymm 5 Leigh 3

Mike Bennett and AndyTimms W 2up
Grahame Brickell and Dave Meir W 2up
Tommy Lawless and Jeff Chapman W 1 up
Russ Jones and Peter Willson W 2 up
Peter Broady and Phil Ormisher  L
John Hayes and Dave Craggs L 3&1
Martin Lowe and Steve Bird W 4 & 3
Ian Whitehead and Alan Ramscombe L 2 & 1

Caricature of Phil ‘Little Voice’ Lomas

Ian Lane at Leigh GC is a talented cartoonist, who remembered Phil Lomas becoming totally submerged in a pond when trying to save his runaway trolley. Ian sent this image to us. I’m not sure if it resembles Phil, but at least Ian remembered the big moustache!

Happy Monday’s Stableford competition – 16th September

Reporter: Peter Willson

A thoroughly damp, dank and misty start which was a little on the chilly side – just as we finished the sun came out, as promised, and the temperature rose with blue skies.

Low scoring all round this week – difficulties seem to have been experienced by many on the greens, with some tricky pin placements:

Game: Team Stableford

7 teams – 22 players 

Winners – Steve Barlow, Pete Broady and Ken Narraway – 23.7 points per player 

2nd: Dave Craggs, Tony Dixon, Charlie Hill and Ron Thornton – 22.5 ppp  

3rd: Mike Bennett, Colin Crail, Les Williams and Richard Yates – 21.8 ppp

Bottle of Wine competition – Friday 13th September

Reporter: Peter Willson

BoW competition held whilst Interclub match against Leigh at Lymm was held.

A dry, sunny day without wind, cool at first. But the rain this week has slowed things up with some mud being picked up on balls on the bottom holes.

Winner: John White – 30 points 

2nd: Colin Crail – 28 points – CPO over last 6 holes 

3rd Sammy Lee – 28 points 

Round 1 of Autumn session & Memorial Trophy game: Friday 4^th October

Reporter: Dave Craggs

This will be the first game of the Autumn session, best 5 from 10 scores,  so please ensure you enter the competition when it opens to be sure your score is recorded. As in last year’s Autumn League, we will have two divisions.

On the same day we will also be playing for the Memorial Trophy which will be awarded to the player with the most points on the day.  There will be shots on the bar after the game together with a donation bucket for donations to our charity Prostrate Cancer. Please ensure you bring some cash and, please, no washers or foreign currency!

 Presentation Lunch / Annual Business meeting: Friday 18^th October

Reporter: Dave Craggs

The presentation lunch this year will be held on Friday 18^th October.

The format will be the same as our previous presentation lunches. The business of the ABM will precede the presentation of our 2024 Trophies to those that triumphed during this season.

No long lists to plough through nor boring monologues – just the usual barrel of laughs and a fitting end to another fabulous season.

We aim to sit down to dinner at 14.00 hours – so please plan to be there before to allow time to enjoy a pre-lunch drink with your friends if you so wish.

A list is now upon the notice board in the locker room. Please get your names down as soon as possible so we can have a clear shot at reckoning the numbers for Karen and her team.

The cost is £10.00 and should be paid to:-

Lymm Golf Over 60s
60-20-29
50244779
Ref: ABM-surname

Please note: this is not the same bank account that we use for interclub competitions.

Tee-Booking Schedule for tomorrow: Thursday 19 September

Happy Mondays tee-booking schedule for Sunday 22 September

Please be on time booking your slots. Mondays are becoming more at LGC, therefore please be on the pulse of 20:00.

If you’re unable to book in yourself at 20:00 please ask one of your team to do it for you

Newsletter Editor: Mark Pickles

The Tatton Trophy is ours !

The headline this week has to be our winning the Tatton Trophy for the first time since the inception of the Tatton League in 2001, 23 years ago. Our team captain, Bob Mycock, chose to present the trophy, on behalf of the team, to Paddy Moran, citing Paddy as the elder of the team, who is nearing his 80th birthday.

It’s been a long wait.

The Tatton League is a league for senior (over 55) golfers of six golf clubs in and around the historic civil parish of Tatton.

Rob Taylor, my newsletter predecessor, often had to try to make light of our Tatton team regularly coming last. I’m delighted therefore to be able to report that we have dramatically turned things around! And long may it continue. Unusually, since Bob took the captaincy three years ago, Lymm has consistently played a team of low-handicap seniors with a desire to win. Indeed, in every round this year, our average handicap has been by far the lowest of all six clubs. The strategy has worked out. It was good to receive congratulations from the other teams yesterday, including that our efforts this year were “well deserved”.

Thank you to Mike Pigott, our Tatton League vice captain, who has written a 2024-roundup, that I have posted at the end of the newsletter.

Seniors’ Championship, Friday 6th September

Firstly, apologies if I get this report wrong. I have had numerous emails to wade through, due to what Peter Willson describes as ‘gremlins in the system’. Even Fizz, in the pro’s shop, was at odds to explain why last Friday’s comp did not finalise correctly. Peter is standing in for our ‘regular’ comps administrator Paul Foster, who is, yet again, somewhere abroad!

After much toing-and-froing, I can confirm that Mike Pigott is this year’s senior champion.

Apologies to Eric Cox, who was initially posted as the winner of the championship, but in fact came second.

Here is Peter Willson’s report:

Held on a fine dry, breezy day with the temperature rising to 26 deg. C at the finish.

21 players took part on the day – finishing just in time before the Junior’s Fundraising Shotgun Start competition was held at 13.00 hours.

A superb last 6 holes by Mike Pigott who was 2 under gross, including 3 birdies.

Some initial confusion on the published results after a glitch in uploading to the website but fully corrected on Sunday.

Winner: Mike Pigott – 32 points 

2nd: Eric Cox – 31 points

3rd: Alan Copeland – 30 points   

Congratulations to all who qualified and took part on the day. 

Abergele Seniors Open

Reporter: Peter Broady

On a cool overcast but dry day we all set out to play in their Seniors Open Competition.
The course was in great condition with fast undulating greens. Sometimes not easy to two putt!
We entered 4 teams of 4 balls, best 3 Stableford points to count for each team. We were hopeful to acquire as many points as possible before reaching the notoriously tough 17th and 18th holes.

Unfortunately Ron Thornton was unable to make it on the day. Ron was replaced with a Ghost player to even the teams up for our in-house comp, which we ran alongside the main competition.

The main Competition this year was won with 113points  team from Hawarden GC.
We all fell short of the target this year, but we all enjoyed the day, and are looking forward to next year.

 The winning team in our in-house Competition with 97 points:

 Steve Gosling
 Grahame Brickell
 Peter Willson
 Ghost player. (Pete Broady).

 If anybody would like to join us next September, I have pre booked 5 tee times from 10.50am onwards.  Dates to be confirmed by the Golf club

Interclub friendly, Northenden Away, Monday 9th September

Match Reporter: John Armstrong (CoD)

A day that threatened rain turned out to be OK. The course was in nice condition both fairways and greens. There were several bunkers rated GUR, this is because they have a rolling programme of bunker refurbishment.

There was a high standard of play where Lymm players scoring pars were undone by the opposition doing the same, but with shots awarded through higher hc’s. The honourable draw went to Northenden 6.5 to 1.5. With Bobby boy and Sammy Lee being our only winners. Grahame Brickell and John Woodward getting the half. Most matches were close, Lymm loosing mostly by three holes a match. A fine meal of fish Chips and peas, followed by sticky toffee pudding, went down a treat.

Happy Mondays, 9th September

Reporter: Peter Willson

A dry but breezy day – the promised rain stayed away and rather chilly at first 

Game: Team Stableford

5 teams – 17 players 

Winners: Pete Broady, Eric Cox and Ron Thornton – 28.7 points per player 

Second: Alan Copeland, Steve Gosling, Ray Rigby and Dave Waggitt – 27 ppp

Third: Mike Bennett, Colin Crail and Richard Yates – 26 ppp.

Tee-booking schedule for tomorrow (Thursday 12 September)

Happy Mondays tee-booking schedule for Sunday 15 September

[ Note: The game we had planned for Monday 23rd will not take place, due to the course being closed for Autumn maintenance. ]

Bottle-of-wine Comps

Reporter: Peter Willson

Friday 30th August 

Played whilst Interclub Match vs. Davyhulme being held: 

1st Place: Mike Kendal – 34 points
2nd Place: Dave Waggitt – 30 points
3rd Place: Michael John – 29 points 

Friday 6th September

Held whilst Seniors Championship took place – only 9 entrants / cards received because of Championship game and some members taking part in the Junior Fundraiser Shotgun start:

Winner: Martin Lowe – 27 points – CPO over last 6 holes
2nd: Alan Ranscombe – 27 points
3rd: Phil Lomas – 26 points

The Tatton League – 2024 Roundup

Reporter: Mike Pigott – Tatton Team Vice Captain

The six rounds of the Tatton League 2024 were held at – in chronological order – Antrobus, Birchwood, Styal, Heyrose, High Legh and Lymm. Four pairs from each club aggregated their better-ball Stableford scores, giving total points for 24 rounds of golf.

This season started in the wet month of April at Antrobus. With a team of Ian Whitehead and Phil Young, Mike Pigott and Dave Meir, Russ Sollitt and Rick Shaw, and Richard Cooper and Martin Franks, Lymm finished runners up with 139 points 5 points behind the home club winners Antrobus.

The second round was at Birchwood, where some alterations to the team were made due to availability and form, with Mike Pigott pairing up with Sam Leach, Rick Shaw with Pete Barrett, Martin Franks with Graham Brickell, and Mark Pickles with club captain Phil Young. Lymm again finished second on the day with 149 points, finishing behind Birchwood who took over the league lead, with Antrobus second and Lymm third.

The third venue was Styal Golf Club and a team of Mike Pigott and Paddy Moran, Mark Pickles and Ian Whitehead, Martin Franks and Richard Cooper and Rick Shaw and Russ Sollitt scoring 139 points and finished in third place, 9 points behind the aggregate leaders Birchwood and 3 points behind Antrobus.

The forth club to host was High Legh on a tough windy wet day in the middle of July. The team had a similar look to it with Mike Pigott and Dave Meir, Russ Sollitt and Rick Shaw, Ian Whitehead and Martin Franks and Mark Pickles with Lymm GC Vice Captain Andy Timms. All four of Lymm’s teams had fantastic scores away from home totalling 157 points finishing only one point behind hosts High Legh, picking up 13 points on Birchwood and 8 points on Antrobus. We were now the leading team.

The next leg of the league was at Heyrose with a very similar looking team of Mike Pigott and Richard Cooper, Martin Franks and Ian Whitehead, Russ Sollitt and Rick Shaw, and Mark Pickles and Andy Timms. It was a low-scoring day in difficult conditions, but Antrobus had an outlier pair scoring 44 points. We finished third behind Antrobus on the day, followed by the home team Heyrose. Birchwood finished last and blew themselves out of contention completely. This result left Antrobus first in the league, 5 points ahead of Lymm but with our home leg to complete the season in early September. High Legh were a further 5 points behind Lymm but it had a feel of a two horse race.

The final Tatton match took place at Lymm, yesterday, Tuesday 10th September on a blustery cloudy day with spells of heavy rain making conditions very difficult for scoring. However, all four pairs got down to the task in hand, posting 4 fantastic fourballs scores, totalling 167 points. Lymm won the day by 15 shots from Heyrose and picked up 24 points on Antrobus. This meant that Lymm won the Tatton League, for the first time in the club’s history by 19 points from Antrobus who had been holders for the previous two years.

Special mention has to go to Dave Meir and Martin Franks who had the best individual score on the day with a phenomenal 49 points.

The team’s thanks go to the Captain Bob Mycock who was there at each game lending his support and to all the players who played and made up a very tight-knit squad.

Here are yesterday’s team results, with the final scores for the year in the last column.

[ Editor’s Note:
I would personally like to offer a special ‘thank you’ to Bob, who not only served us well as team captain in the sporting sense, but in doing all the unseen admin in the background, making arrangements with five other golf clubs, and with the managers and caterers of LGC. This year we hosted the sixth of the six rounds, and we were therefore responsible for catering for the end-of-season meal and presentation.

Bob is not new to sports captaincy, having captained Rugby Union teams for the RAF and Joint Services, at the time when Rory Underwood (RAF navigator in strike command) made it into the England national team. ]

Newsletter Editor: Mark Pickles

Lots of news to get through this week, including no fewer than three inter-club friendly match reports.

We have a busy end-of-season. There will be two more inter-club matches to report next week, and the final round of the Tatton League, which will be played at Lymm next Tuesday (10th September). Most of Lymm’s selected team-of-eight are members of the senior section.

Also next week we will know this year’s senior champion (the winner of winners). Our championship is to be played this Friday (6 September). I can already report that Alan Thomas will not be this year’s champion. Unfortunately Alan has had to drop out due to a knee operation. We wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back on the golf course.

Inter-club friendly – Away at Helsby, Monday 26 August

Match Reporter: Alan Burton (CoD)

Lymm came out winners over Helsby in a tight affair. The result was 5-3 to Lymm.

We managed to dodge some surrounding bad weather, and found the course to be in excellent condition. All games were played in the true spirit of golf, and we were all made welcome, finally being sent home full after a fantastic chicken dinner!

Inter-club friendly – Home against Davyhulme, Friday 30 August

Match Reporter: David Cragss (CoD)

What a glorious Summer’s day to play our home game against Davyhulme!

To think the Friday before we had been targeted by Storm Lilian which caused havoc across the region and caused the cancellation of our Chairman’s Day and BBQ. Lilian is the twelfth named storm of the current 12-month cycle, which ends in September. It is the first time there have been that many named storms in a single cycle since the system was introduced by the Met Office in 2015.

The course was obviously quickly cleared and our visitors were very impressed by the standard of the course and greens. Welcome to our new Course Manager and assistant Course Manager who will no doubt make improvements where necessary.

Steve Gosling and I had a very close game playing against Davyhulme’s Seniors Captain Paul Barrett and Mike Pennington and we managed a win on the 18th to secure a halved game.

On the terrace at the end I was becoming anxious as we recorded a half followed by 3 losses and I thought our recent run of matches won was coming to an end. There then followed a flurry of 4 wins from Lymm resulting in a win by Lymm.

The meal of gammon, egg, pineapple, chips and peas followed by apple crumble and custard was a delight, and thanks to Karen and her team were noted.

No joke from me and not allowing Paddy or Bob to step up with a joke I handed over to Peter Monaghan, Davyhulme team organiser to respond with a good joke and to announce the honourable draw.

An excellent day organised as always by John Armstrong who will be missed when he steps down in October. Your Seniors Section Committee need two new members so don’t be shy and put your name on the board in the Clubhouse.

Result:

Dave Craggs & Steve Gosling, Halved
Pete Broady & Art Laird, Lost 3 & 2
Russ Jones & Jeff Chapman, Won 1 up
Mark Pickles & Martin Lowe, Won 1 up
David D Jones & Duncan Clarke, Won 2 & 1
Peter Willson & Paddy Moran, Lost 3 & 2
Bob Mycock & Barry Smith, Won 2 up
Alan Burton & Steve Bird, Lost 3 & 2

Team score Lymm 4 ½  Davyhulme 3 ½.

Inter-club friendly away at Bramhall Golf Club – Monday 2 September

Match Reporter: Duncan Clarke (CoD)

On a grey drizzly day, Lymm seniors’ run of good match results came crashing down at the Bramhall on Monday .

The course was magnificently set up and the course layout was beautiful. Fairways were lush and greens fast and true.

The day started well in that all Lymm members turned up on time and ready to go ( well not quite – Sammy give yourself a bit more time next time !!)

Lymm registered just two wins , and the losses were generally not close, except Ian Whitehead and Art Laird who struggled manfully until the final hole .

Notable achievement of the day went to John Armstrong, who closed out his match with Duncan Clarke with two back to back gross birdies .

Catering after the match was simple but of the highest quality, much appreciated by all.

Match scores as follows

Bob Mycock and Alan Burton –Lost 5 & 4
Peter Broady and Martin Lowe –Lost 2 &1
Duncan Clarke and John Armstrong – Won 4 &3
Steve Gosling and Paddy Moran –Lost 4 & 2
Ian Whitehead and Art laird – Lost 1 down
John White and Paul Collins -Lost 7 & 6
John Woodward and Mike Pigott –Won 4 & 4
Sammy Lees and Russ Jones – Lost 3 & 2

Tee-booking schedule for tomorrow (Thursday 5 September)

Happy Mondays tee-booking schedule for Sunday 8th September

Peter Willson requests that you be quick-off-the-mark for tee booking at 20:00 on Sunday evenings. If you know you’re not going to be able to do the booking at 20:00, please ask another member of your team to do it for you.

Please return trophies in time to be presented on 4 October

Reporter: Dave Craggs

TROPHIES TO BE ENGRAVED CLEANED AND RETURNED TO COMMITTEE MEMBER BY 4th OCTOBER 2024

Autumn Session ( Oct / Dec 2022) – The Fred Johnson Rose Bowl . Winner Paul Foster

Winter Session ( Jan/Mar 2023) The Peter Glover Trophy – Winner (Div 1) Paddy Moran (Div 2) Phil Perry

Winter Knock out ( Oct 2022/ Mar 2023) The Andy Ward Pairs Trophy – Joint Winners – Mark Pickles / Barry Smith

Summer Session ( April 2023 / Sept 2023) The Broady Trophy – Winner (Div1) Paul Collins (Div 2) Ron Thornton

Gordon Wood Trophy – Winner – Mervyn Roberts

The Memorial Trophy – Winner Mervyn Roberts

Peter Herrity Trophy – Winner Mark Pickles

Summer Singles Knock out ( May 2023/ Aug 2023) The Mike Smith Trophy – Winner Stuart Baird

Amendments to the Rules and Strategy Document

Our secretary, Dave Craggs, has amended the Strategy, Rules and Guidelines document, mainly to reflect changes to the Autumn and Winter 5-from-10 playing rules that have been recently sanctioned by the committee.

Andy Ward Pairs Knockout (Autumn/Winter)

If you would like to be included in the pairs knockout (4BBB matchplay), make sure to include your name on the list on the Seniors’ noticeboard. Peter Willson will remove the list on Friday 13 September, following which he will draw the pairs.

Welcome to John Woodward

John recently joined our senior section. I played with John today for the first time in a very enjoyable friendly knock (there was no mid-week comp today due to the ladies’ charity day).

***

Hello all. I’ve been a member at Lymm since 2007. My eldest son Adam was a junior here, and my youngest son Jack is a member, now playing off around scratch.

I worked as a veterinary surgeon for 42 years, retiring in 2020. I’ve always enjoyed sports, and used to play squash and cricket. I’m now focussing on the golf!

Aside from golf, I train puppies to be guide dogs for the blind. It’s time-consuming, but very rewarding!

Barlow and the Bandits

Steve Barlow, who was in the group behind us today, sent me this photo for some reason! He mentioned something about ‘nice stripes’. Captions welcome. If any good ones are forthcoming, I’ll publish them next week!

Newsletter Editor: Mark Pickles