The Race to Iceland

This coming Friday sees the climax of the Senior Section’s golfing year: the frozen-and-affordable-Turkey Trot.

Entry to the competition is free to all paid-up members of the Senior Section, who will compete for the massive purse of £60: two £30 cash prizes, one each for the winner of Division 1 and Division 2 respectively.

Rules of the competition are:

• 15 holes, or fewer if parts of the course are closed.
• WHS playing handicap.
• Register in ‘Upcoming Competitions’ on the LGC website or the I.G. app for the ‘Senior Section Turkey Trot’ by Thursday evening at the latest (the I.G. app does not allow same-day entrants).
• Enter your scorecard on the I.G. app.

When you enter your score on I.G. it will ensure that you enter your correct WHS 95% playing handicap. All the scores will be published the following day on the LGC website, after Paul Foster has checked the cards and ‘finalised’ the competition.

Good luck to all competitors. And remember, ‘Mums go to Iceland’. (Are we allowed to say this in our diversity-and-inclusion times? If not, ‘People who have given birth go to Iceland’. )

A reminder of our new change to Autumn/Winter league rules

In previous years, games that were played on more than three temporary greens and/or on a severely-shortened course due to weather conditions did not count in the ‘best 5 out of 10’.

Following the appallingly-wet weather last autumn and winter that jeopardised the leagues, the committee agreed that every Friday competition will count when the course is open. We play what is in front of us, regardless of the number of holes open, and the number of temporary tees and temporary greens.

If fewer holes are open than the designated 15 holes for the Autumn league (or 12 for the Winter league) your score will be aggregated up.

Senior’s Christmas Lunch – 13 December

If you intend to join us for the Christmas lunch on Friday 13th December. Please add your name to the list on the Seniors’ noticeboard, in order that Karen knows how many to cater for. The cost is £18, which will be taken from your bar card on the day.

Autumn League round 8 of 10

Reporter: Paul Foster

Wow, what a day to play golf! From where I was in a nice warm church the weather looked horrendous. I did feel for you all, however the scores didn’t reflect the arctic conditions. There were some excellent scores.

I think the cold seemed to mess with the old cerebellum though, as there were 5 wrong hcaps entered onto the score cards again, 3 completed cards for 15 holes (even though we only played 13 holes), 2 cards from 1 player (with different scores on them) 1 missing card but his IG had been inputted, and 2 cards submitted but their IG not inputted.

I have highlighted any change in handicap on the handicap list.

36 hardy souls completed round 8, 20 players from Division 1 and 16 players from Division 2.

Five 2s recorded again today, Grahame Brickell, Steve Gosling, Bob Ellison, Mark Pickles and a magnificent 2 on the 2nd for a net zero for 5 points for George Clark, well done to you 5. See ‘Jeremy Hunt’ Steve Gosling

A second card for this series to ‘keep a 6 off your card’ was handed in from Martin Franks, well done Martin, take some doing that..!

Division 1 Results:
Winner – Grahame Brickell with 33pts on a CPO
R/up – Martin Franks with 33pts
3rd – John Hayes with 32pts on a CPO

Division 2 Results
Winner – Stuart Baird with an excellent 36pts
R/up – Peter Willson with 35pts
3rd – Alan Copeland with 32pts

Still leader in the 1st division is Martin Franks with 151 points, Mike Pigott now having completed 5 cards has risen to 2nd place with 147 points and Mervyn Roberts in 3rd place with 146 points

New leader in the 2nd division is Dave Craggs with 155 points, leaving Alan Copeland in 2nd position with 152 pts, followed by Steve Bramall with 140 points in 3rd place

Please check your Seniors handicap here on our website.

Your WHS hcap could be different to your seniors hcap.

Happy Mondays – 25 November

Match Reporter: Peter Willson

A dry bright day with blue skies and plenty of sunshine which plays havoc with tee shots on the 9th.

The course was comparatively dry and back on main greens but only 8 holes were played on the top land.

Game: Team Stableford. 5 teams – 17 players.

Winners: Kevin Bocquet, Tommy Lawless and Peter Willson – 18 points per player 
Joint 2nd: Mike Bennett, Les Williams and Richard Yates 
and Steve Bramall, Colin Chisnall and Steve Gosling – both teams with 17.3 ppp

Tee-booking schedule for tomorrow (Thursday 28 November)

Happy Mondays tee-booking schedule for Sunday 1st December

 
Newsletter Editor: Mark Pickles

Autumn League – Round 7 of 10

Reporter: Paul Foster

A wonderful November day, with the sun occasionally peeping out (probably laughing at our four-ball playing military golf down the 15th), no wind and unseasonably warm temperatures. Once again a fine day to be out.

Gentlemen, there were 5 wrong hcaps entered onto the score cards, 1 card with no name on, and 1 missing card but their Ig had been inputted. Please check your seniors hcap.

I have highlighted any change in hcap on the hcap list.

A record equalling 47 players completed round 7, 31 players from Division 1 but only 16 players from Division 2.

Three 2s recorded again today, Colin Crail, Russ Jones & Mark Pickles, well done to you 3, See Steve ‘Kwasi Kwarteng’ Gosling

Great stuff from Mark ‘the birdwatcher’ Pickles, who secured 3 successive birdies on holes 9, 10 & 11.

Hole 11 proved to be the easiest today with 15 pars and 6 birdies!

Some very near misses to the ‘keep a 6 off your card’

Division 1 Results:
Winner – Colin Crail with 33pts on a CPO
R/up – Steve Barlow with 33pts
3rd – Mark Pickles with 32pts

Division 2 Results:
Winner – Dave Craggs with an excellent 35pts
R/up – Alan Copeland with 31pts
3rd – Stuart Baird with 30pts

Still leader in the 1st division is Martin Franks with 145 points, with the race hotting up as 7 players are within 5 pts of Martin

Leader in the 2nd division is Alan Copeland, with an improved 152 pts, followed by Dave Craggs and Steve Bramall. Dave is now within 4pts of Alan. All to play for.

Please check your Seniors handicap on the Seniors website. Your WHS hcap could be different to your seniors hcap.

Tee-booking schedule for tomorrow (Thursday 21 November)

Happy Mondays tee-booking schedule for Sunday 24 November

Newsletter Editor: Mark Pickles

Notes from the Committee

Our Christmas lunch will be on Friday 13th December. The cost is £18, which will be taken from your bar card on the day. Please add your name to the list on the Seniors’ noticeboard, in order that Karen knows how many to cater for.

Correction to last week’s newsletter. I said that the number of people on the committee had increased from 8 to 9. In fact it has increased from 9 to 10, mainly to share the workload for arranging inter-club matches.

As noted last week, Mike Kendal has taken over Friday bookings from Grahame. Mike says that if anyone wishes to advise an absence, or a return to play, along with any change to their preferred tee off time (late/early), please drop a note to him at: kendallymmgolf@gmail.com

Grahame Brickell has announced ‘final call’ for the Llangollen Senior Open on Thursday 5th June 2025. If you’d like to join this popular seniors’ away day, please contact Grahame as soon as you can. The cost is £33, to be paid nearer the time.

Autumn League round 6 of 10

Reporter: Paul Foster

Gentlemen, some great scores on Friday, with 14 managing to beat their handicap, and only 4 receiving shots back. The mats are back!

Unfortunately there were 6 wrong hcaps entered onto the score cards.

43 players completed round 6, 24 players from Division 1, and 19 players from Division 2.

Three 2s recorded today, Richard Smyllie, Arthur Nuttall and Michael John.

Hard luck to Arthur Nuttall who scored a very commendable 35pts and didn’t even get on the podium! A feather in the cap for Russ Jones, who kept a 6 off his card. (Remember that competition from a daily newspaper years ago?)

Division 1 Results:
Winner – Russ Jones with a cracking 35pts on a CPO
R/up – Mervyn Roberts with 35pts on a CPO
3rd – Michael John also with 35pts

Division 2 Results:
Winner – Stuart White with 33pts
R/up – Phil Ormesher with 32pts on a CPO
3rd – Dave Craggs with 32pts

Still leader in the 1st division is Martin Franks with 145 points, Dave Meir and Richard Smyllie complete the top three.

Leader in the 2nd division is Alan Copeland, with 145 pts, followed by Steve Bramall and Dave Craggs.

Members should continue entering the seniors comps on the club website, and inputting their scores into Ig. (correctly please). Please check your Seniors handicap on the Handicaps tab of this website, as your WHS hcap could be different to your seniors hcap.

The seniors hcap will apply to the Friday comps and the Happy Mondays till further notice.
The KO competitions use the WHS hcap NOT the seniors hcap.

Happy Mondays – 11th November

Reporter: Peter Willson

A cloudy slightly chilly start with a heavy dew but the skies cleared to reveal that long missing visitor, the Sun and blue skies towards the end of the rounds 

Game : Team Stableford 

6 teams – 20 players 

Winners: Most of the players were waiting expectantly for the tail-end Charlies to return to Club House but no “Charlies” in this trio – Colin Crail, Les Williams and Richard Yates – who returned with a creditable 30.7 points per player 

Second: Thinking they’d clinched victory – Steve Barlow, Dave Craggs, Tony Dixon and Mark Pickles with a level “par” 30 ppp – only to have it snatched cruelly from their grasp 

Third: Colin Chisnall, Steve Gosling and Phil Lomas with 29.7 ppp

Tee-booking schedule for tomorrow – Thursday 14 November

Tomorrow’s tee-booking schedule is for our Turkey Trot on 29th November. Cash prizes for Div 1 and Div 1 winners.

Happy Mondays tee-booking schedule for Sunday 17 November

Report from the Prostate Testing Day

Reporter: Phil Ormersher

At the recent PSA testing day, 136 men were tested. As to be expected the vast majority were green. There were some positive tests (red and yellow), indicating a higher-than-normal level of PSA protein. The majority of those who tested positive probably do not have anything to worry about (there can be other reasons for a high PSA level), but should go to see their GP explaining that they had a private test, and share the results.

The greens should make a note of their PSA level and do another test (12 months onwards) and compare the results. The profile should be almost flat.

If anyone wants to talk through their results I am happy to have a totally confidential chat on 07814 008403.

If they feel they would rather talk to someone on a more anonymous basis our helpline is open 0900 – 2100 every day on 0800 774 7560.

Again, thank you to the ladies in promoting the event and helping us reach a record number of attendees for Lymm GC.

Welcome to ‘new’ member, Richard Smyllie

Many of us have got to know Richard Smyllie in recent months. He’s a good golfer, who has obviously played a lot in the past, and, best of all, a fellow Yorkshireman! I asked Richard to send us his profile to introduce himself to the whole of the senior section:

Hello All. I joined Lymm GC and the Seniors section in April. I have had the opportunity to play with several seniors and there has been a warm welcome from everyone. Thank you!

I also join the ranks of Yorkshiremen at the club who have travelled across the Pennines. I am a Sheffield United supporter (for my sins!).

I live in Lymm with my wife Pauline (not a golfer I am afraid) and we have now been here for 35 years. We have three children, Matthew, Rebecca and Laura. Matthew works and lives in Heidelberg in Germany, whilst Rebecca and Laura both live in Manchester. We’re very excited to be welcoming our first grandchild in Spring next year!

I ran my own company, RS Process Safety, that offered safety advice to companies operating high hazard installations such as oil and gas facilities. Previous employment was with Entec, Amec and Wood. But now I am happily retired which gives me more opportunity to get out to play golf of course!

Rags to riches…

Did you know that the real-life Cinderella hails from Oldfield Brow, at the rough end of Altrincham? It was great to see her at last year’s Christmas lunch, with her two sisters.

Who will turn up this year?!!

Newsletter Editor: Mark Pickles

Seniors’ Winter Rules

Course-protection measures have now been introduced at LGC. The seniors’ committee has decided that, in senior competitions, we use mats everywhere until course-protection measures are lifted next spring. Pick, clean, and replace your ball on your mat, within 6 inches, not nearer the whole.

If you are close to the green, and decide to putt the ball, there is no need to place it on your mat.

Election News

Apologies for the late publication of the formation of new committee, decided the week before last. There were some minor contentions, partly because we have increased the size of the committee from 9 to 10.

Congratulations to our new chairman, John Armstrong, who volunteered to take up the position, and was duly elected.

And welcome to two new members of the committee Stephen Bird and Mike Kendal. Stephen, a Brummie, fulfils our quota for ethnic diversity! Stephen will work with Grahame Brickell as Inter-clubs Competition Officer. Although John Armstrong did a magnificent job on his own in the inter-clubs’ role last year, we feel that the increased workload for inter-club organisation is such that it should be a shared responsibility going forward.

Mike Kendal takes over the Friday bookings from Grahame, with help from Stephen Bird to ensure continuity.

Chairman – John Armstrong
Treasurer & Membership – Steve Gosling
Secretary – Dave Craggs
Communications Officer – Mark Pickles
Monday Booking & Competitions Secretary – Peter Willson
Friday Booking & Away day Organiser – Mike Kendal & Stephen Bird
Handicap Secretary – Paul Foster
Inter clubs Competitions Officer – Grahame Brickell & Stephen Bird
Maintenance Managers – Dave Craggs & Grahame Brickell
Seniors Liaison Manager with Lymm GC – Andy Timms

Autumn League Round 5 of 10

Reporter: Paul Foster

A fine post-budget November day, with no wind, no rain, no blinding sun and no cold temperatures to chill the bones of our members. A good day for golf indeed.

A day where records have tumbled, a record number of players in the Autumn league, a record number of handicap changes (2 down and 22 up), a record Autumn league high score of 36pts (note with 2 blobs). But only 2 players beat their handicap.

47 players completed round 5, 28 players from Division 1, and 19 players from Division 2.

Two 2s recorded today, Tony Dixon on the 2nd and Dave Meir on the 5th. More balls from the treasurer Rachel Theeves Steve Gosling

An honourable mention for that fine upstanding man, Ron Thornton who unfortunately missed putts for 2s on 3 holes, including the 2nd where Ron nearly holed his tee shot…!!!

Division 1 Results
Winner – Tony Dixon with a record 36pts (21pts on the last 7 holes)

R/up – Richard Smyllie with 31pts

3rd – Peter Broady with 30pts (on a cpo)

Division 2 Results
Winner – Alan Copeland with 29pts
R/up – Dave Craggs with 28pts on a cpo
3rd – Steven Bramall with 26pts

At the half-way point in the league, jockeying for the positions is now starting to hot up. Exit polls in division 2 suggest Alan Copeland has wrapped up the league already (according to Donald Trump anyway).

Still leader in the 1st division is Martin Franks with 140 points, Dave Meir and now Richard Smyllie complete the top three.

Leader in the 2nd division is Alan Copeland, with 142 pts, followed by Steve Bramall and Dave Craggs.

Please note:

Members should continue entering the seniors comps on the club website, and inputting their scores into Ig.

Please check your handicap on this website here, as your WHS handicap could be different to your senior handicap.

The seniors handicap will apply to the Friday comps and the Happy Mondays until further notice.

The Doubles Knockout competition uses the WHS handicap NOT the senior handicap.

Happy Mondays Report, 4th November

Reporter: Peter Willson

Another grey, dank, day like so many over the past two weeks but reasonably mild. No rain recently – but the lower hole’s fairways are becoming decidedly spongelike.

Game: Team Stableford 
5 Teams – 19 players recorded.

For the first time in many weeks the result was a tie for the 1st two places – both teams scoring 26.5 points per player

Joint winners: 
2 C’s, a D and an H – Alan Copeland (so consistent), Dave Craggs, Tony Dixon and John Hayes
2 F’s, a P and a W – Les Fecitt, Paul Foster, Ken Pearce and Peter Willson  
Third: Steve Bramall, Colin Chisnall and Richard Smyllie – 24.7 points.

Seniors’ Turkey Trot, 29 November

Our annual ‘Turkey Trot’ will be on Friday 29th November. There will be cash prizes for winners of Division 1 and Division 2.

Seniors’ Christmas Lunch – Friday 13 December

One for your calendar. Details to follow!

Tee-booking schedule for tomorrow (Thursday 7 November)

Happy Mondays tee-booking schedule for Sunday 10 November

Congratulations to the POTUS

My commiserations to the left-leaning members of the senior section, but as comms officer for LGC seniors, I felt obliged to send ‘the Donald’ our congratulations. He has, after all, done great things for British golf.

I sent Donald a link to the LGC website, and told him that he is welcome to join LGC seniors to play any time he visits England on a Friday or a ‘Happy Monday’. He asked, “what about security?”. And so I sent him a photo of Paul Collins. He replied:

“Great security, truly great. Great golf course. Fabulous. Really is. Lymm Golf Club is the best golf course in Cheshire. Not a lot of people know that, but it really is, seriously…”.

Being a bit of a history geek, I have noticed that most of the ‘swing states’ are in fact within the original 13 British colonies.

God bless America. God save the King.

Newsletter Editor: Mark Pickles