We’re a day early for this week’s newsletter. I will be away tomorrow. The website technology does allow me to schedule publication for any date and time, however, it makes sense to publish today to remind members that there is still chance to join us in our Christmas lunch, so long as you sign by tomorrow afternoon.

I played golf with my mate last-minute-Bob (Mycock) today. He said he “might join” us for Christmas lunch. I said you “might not” unless you put your name on the list today. He said he might do it tomorrow!

Christmas Lunch starting time is 2pm for 2:30pm.

The list of names on the senior’s noticeboard will be removed by Karen on Wednesday evening. Therefore, if you are hoping to attend Christmas lunch this Friday (13 Dec) and haven’t yet added your name, please do so as soon as possible.

Karen will be taking £18 from the bar account of everyone on the list on Wednesday evening. Therefore, if you have changed your mind, remove your name from the list by Wednesday afternoon, or alternatively phone Karen to say that you will be unable to attend. Once the food orders have been made, Karen will not be able to refund those who are listed who do not turn up, and the rest of us will be preying on the extra turkey, roasties and Christmas pud that you have kindly donated.

Please remember to make sure there is enough money on your card, otherwise, on the day, we’ll send ‘the Princess’ round to your table to give you a gentle hug.

There is no formal seating plan, but could all Manchester United supporters, former accountants, and former insurance-loss adjusters please sit on Bob Mycock’s table (if he turns up), to avoid boring the rest of us 😉

Autumn League round 9 of 10

Match Reporter: Paul Foster

Another winter’s day, but fortunately in a lull between Storm Darragh’s first and second nuclear attack on the UK, and so we enjoyed rather tranquil conditions on a shortened course (holes 10 and 3-to-9) with winter greens on 7 and 8. Once again some excellent scores, a record 24 players (more than half the field) played better than their handicap. Lots to get my teeth into chopping handicaps.

With only one par 5 in play, numerous ‘keep a 6 off your card’ were handed in this week, from Paddy Moran, Dave Meir, Michael John, Andy Timms, Russ Jones, Ian Whitehead and Paul Collins.

However, a precedent has been set for a new challenge: ‘keep a 5 off your card’! I don’t think this has ever been achieved before in our senior league. Mark Pickles posted a two-under gross card with 4 x 4s and 4 x 3s. As a consequence, Mark’s handicap has plummeted from 5 to 1, effectively scratch (because we do not play the 16th hole).

A large field of 40 runners participated, 21 players from Division 1 and 19 players from Division 2.

Three 2s recorded on the two par 3s played today, Martin Franks, Dave Meir and Ian Whitehead, all on the 9th. See the Second Lord of the Treasury Steve Gosling for your balls.

Division 1 Results:
Winner – Mark Pickles with 38pts
R/up – Dave Meir with 36pts on a CPO
3rd – Paddy Moran with 36pts on a CPO

Division 2 Results:
Winner – Alan Copeland with a league high of 41pts
R/up – Mike Bennet with 39pts
3rd – Richard Yates with 38pts

New leader in the 1st division is Mark Pickles with 160 points. Long-time leader Martin Franks is now in 2nd place with 156 points, and Michael John in 3rd place also with 156 points

Extending his lead in the 2nd division is Alan Copeland with 168 points in 2nd position with 157 pts is Dave Craggs, followed by Stuart Baird with 151 points in 3rd place. Alan has now been docked 8 shots just in the Autumn League!

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Comical moment of the week for me was Dave Meir performing the conga with 35 under-10 year olds at the club’s children’s Christmas party! Had to be seen to be believed!

Heads-up on the Winter League

Reporter: Paul Foster

The Winter League, starting in January, will be played over 12 holes.

Handicaps are always contentious of course, and it is impossible to have a perfect over-winter system.

Suggestions for sticking with WHS handicaps throughout winter sounds reasonable on the face of it, but, especially in Division 2, this would not work. There has to be some ongoing adjustment if we are playing an individual format in our autumn league and winter league. This difficult problem is the reason that Lymm Golf Club has only pairs formats and team formats for almost all the Saturday games outside of WHS qualifying season.

Following discussions with other members of the committee, and after doing several scenario experiments on my spreadsheet, and reporting back to the committee, we have agreed that for the Winter League:

Division 1 players will to revert back to their WHS handicap for Round 1

Division 2 players handicaps are to remain as they finished the Senior Section Autumn league for Round 1.

After every game, I will adjust the handicaps for Div 1 and Div 2, but not as severely for those who play better than their handicap. Full details to follow before the Winter League begins.

Tee-booking schedule for Thursday 12th Dec

Happy Mondays – 9th December

Reporter: Peter Willson

A dry and partly sunny morning with light winds but it became chillier as the round progressed.  The course appeared to have avoided too much damage to trees following Storm Darragh – 93 mph winds on the North Wales coast – last weekend.

Game: Team Stableford 

15 players in 5 teams

Winners: Steve Gosling, Ron Thornton and Peter Willson – 57 points / 19 ppp 

Second: Les Fecitt, Paul Foster and Mark Pickles – 18.7 ppp

Christmas Season Real-Ale Appreciation

Reporter: Paul Foster

A short pub crawl (maybe 2 or 3 pubs is enough for our senior knee-and-hip joints) in Lymm Village will take place on Sunday 29th December. Meeting in the Sadlers pub at 8pm. All invited.

This could develop in the New Year into a regular event, at various locations. Real ale will be the theme.

Newsletter Editor: Mark Pickles