Congleton Golf Club Competition Reports

Season end Results at Congleton Golf Club 19/10/2009 October brings to a close a very busy season at Congleton Golf Club with the final medal of the year, the Ridgeway Cup a competition for all medal winners & runners up, the Macclesfield Cup (the best 4 rounds from 8 played), the Midweek Medal Order of Merit, the Past Captains Competition & Dinner, & finally the closing Match of the season the Captains team v the Presidents team for “coveted” wooden spoon! The Captain v President match played on a gloriously sunny morning was closely contested, the Captain being victorious again! The Captain, Phil Matthews played with his brother the Captain Elect, Robert Matthews against the President, Mike Scott & Alec Walker who thought they had a chance with a birdie on the first hole, but that was only good enough for a half, the high standard continued, with the game all square after 8 holes, then the Matthews brothers went berserk birdying the next 4 holes to go 4 up, Mike & Alec fought hard, Mike probably playing his best golf of the year but ran out of holes by the 16^th losing 3&2. The President quoted Jack Nicklaus talking about Tiger Woods, when he said, “They played a game with which I am not familiar”. The only other highlights (for the President) in the matches, was a hard fought half by the “veteran” pairing  of John Danks & Harvey McLean against the inform father & son pairing for the Captain of Brian & Peter Hopkins, closely followed by the solitary win for the President by another father & son pairing of Harold & Gary Fitzgerald against Nigel Moxon & Mel Dutton, with Graham Edge & John Shenton the only other successful pairing halving with Paul Whitehead & Jim Williamson, unfortunately all the other matches went to the Captain. After the match Joanne Garside provided a very enjoyable brunch, & Mike was formally presented yet again with the wooden spoon (see pic) The Past Captains had their annual get together on Thursday 15^th October playing golf in the afternoon for the Past Captains Shield (Stableford) which was won by Hugh Adam & the Don Young Cup (Bogey) which was won by Brian Hopkins. In the evening a dinner was held in the clubhouse where 18 Past Captains enjoyed a very convivial evening with their guest of honour the current Captain Phil Matthews with a splendid meal by Joanne Garside. (Pic enclosed) The October medal Division 1 was won by Melvyn Dutton  (72–6=66) who also had the lowest gross score from 2^nd placed Robert Matthews (74–8=66) after a count back, with William Hunter in 3^rd (75-8=67). Graham Edge won the 2^nd Division (86-21=65) from Phillip Swift in 2^nd (78-12=66) & Jon Imroth in 3^rd (81-14=67).The Ridgeway Cup was won by a Junior, Joe Armitt who also had the lowest gross score with a very creditable par round of (68-4=64) the runner up was Robert Matthews again, with (73-8=65) & Nick Worrall was in 3^rd with (72-6=66).The Macclesfield Cup has been won by James Daniel with a nett 263 against a par of 272, with Alec Walker in the runner spot on 265 & Nick Worrall again in 3^rd place on 266, all very creditable season long performances.Finally the Midweek Medal Order of Merit (best 3 scores) goes to Jack Wilson (Junior Captain), with Kevin Lawrence in the 2^nd spot & Jon Imroth in 3^rd.  “Ryder Cup Victory for Congleton Golf Club” (1/10/09) In what is fast becoming an established tradition, Congleton Golf Club played Astbury Golf Club in the third annual running of our own version of the Ryder Cup.  For those new to this, the bigger Ryder Cup is a team match between Europe and the USA played every two years and much kudos goes to the winners.  The location alternates between the continents and there is much to be said for home advantage.  Similarly with ours it would appear that playing at home gives one team an extra boost as so far the results have gone that way with Congleton hosting and winning the first challenge in 2007, only for Astbury to snatch the cup back the following year. This year was Congleton’s turn to host and this therefore gave a great opportunity to exact revenge and that’s the way it played out.  Both sides put out teams of 16 players and on Saturday play 8 pairs matches and on Sunday play 16 singles matches.  This gives a total of 24 available, so 12 are needed to retain the trophy and over 12 needed to capture it.  It was very even in the Saturday pairs with some close matches leading to a 2 – 2 score after the Foursomes and a Congleton 5 – Astbury 3 score after the Fourballs.  Sunday’s singles increased Congleton’s lead with a 12 – 4 margin and they ended clear 17 – 7 winners. Well done to the Congleton team which comprised club Captain Phil Matthews, Nick Worrall, Craig Andrews, Nigel Moxon, Tim Rowland, Joe Armitt, Robbie Matthews, Kev Lawrence, Mel Dutton, Ken Hyland, Peter Bradley, Peter Hopkins, Darren Morris, Mike Kiely, Dave Miller and Will Doorbar. In other news, the ladies held their 14^th Medal which was won with a net score of 65 by lady captain Rachel Matthews - this also meant that she won the player of the year competition – well done to Rachel for a great year.  Janet Hopkins was runner up with a net 70. Finally on the golf front, the Congleton League Team has won their league by 9 points.  Club captain Phil Matthews said “Well done to all the team members.  We hope that next season will be just as successful – we plan to enter two teams (in separate divisions) in the league”. 

 “President’s competitions at Congleton Golf Club” (24/9/09) Over the last week our club president, Mike Scott, has sponsored various competitions at the club in celebration of his year in office and this has coincided with the best weather of the year – a sustained dry spell! First off was the juniors competition, and in the premiership division (for handicaps under 28) the winner was Ben Rowland with Tom Johnson taking second place.  In the championship division (over 28s) the winner was Sam Hollis. The ladies then had their turn, and their winner was Kath Roberts, with Sue Booth coming second and Marge Haddon taking third place.  Pauline Seaman won a prize for the best cumulative score on par 3's. In the gents, the winner was Dave Miller, second was Simon Machin and third was John Mort.  The par 3 prize for the men went to Gary Fitzgerald.  Well done to all who took part, and with the President covering the costs there were no entry fees – just a donation to the captain’s charity which will have had a substantial boost after this effort. Back in the so-called ‘summer’ we held our Scratch Cup competition which resulted in a 3-way tie and weather conditions so poor it was not possible to play the play-off, so this was arranged for last weekend.  In a 6 hole play off Peter Hopkins emerged victorious from second placed club captain Phil Matthews and third placed Mel Dutton.

 “Finals Week at Congleton Golf Club” (18/9/09) Over the last week (culminating on Saturday 12^th and Sunday 13^th) Finals of the various knock-out competitions reached their climax and we were blessed with the most wonderful weather in which to enjoy the golf. We have competitions in all categories, led by the prestigious Bromley Davenport Bowl.  This is open to all the men in the club and so attracts a very large entry which over the season gets whittled down to two finalists.  Played on Sunday over 36 holes congratulations go to Michael Kiely who beat Peter Hopkins. In the Scratch knock-out (played without handicaps, also over 36 holes) junior Joe Armitt beat club captain Phil Matthews.  In the TP13 competition (only for men with handicaps of 13 and over) Mike Negus beat Guy Fazakerley.  In the Ladies Clark Cup competition, Janet Hopkins beat Chris Negus.  In the junior’s scratch competition, Josh Garside beat junior captain Jack Wilson. The seniors fourball competition threw up an interesting twist – this is a pairs competition but one member of the quartet (Rob Cunningham) was surprised with a birthday holiday and couldn’t attend, so Ray Brindley bravely decided to play on his own, but in the end John McKeown and Alan Knapper proved too strong and ended victorious. In the men’s foursomes format (pairs playing alternate shots) Nigel Moxon & Tim Rowland beat father and son pairing Brian Hopkins & Peter Hopkins.  In the ladies foursomes Lady Captain Rachel Matthews & Sue Fletcher beat Janet Hopkins & Carol Freemantle.  In the mixed foursomes format – Janet Hopkins and Nigel Moxon beat Lucy Suchland and Will Doorbar. __________________________________________________________________ “Into September and back to school…” (11/9/09) With apologies for the late result, Wednesday 26^th August was that month’s mid-week medal and in a good turn out the clear winner was Jon Hodges with an impressive 80-18-62.  Second place went to junior Tom Johnson (67-3-64) and third went to Jon Imroth (80-13-67). Saturday 5^th September was the Ladies Open competition and, against the weather forecast, was played in lovely conditions and was won by Jane Antrobus and Bev Scholes from Ashton under Lyme Golf CLub with 41 points.  Lady captain Rachel Matthews said “It was an excellent day with 72 players enjoying the competition.  We even had a little bit of sunshine!” Sunday 6^th September was this month’s Men’s Medal played in two divisions (handicaps split at 12).  In division 1 James Daniel was triumphant (67-5-62) from Robert Matthews (73-8-65) and David Miller (72-6-66).  In division 2 the win went to Kevin Warburton with a fantastic 84-26-58 and sees his handicap cut to 23.  Second was David Bailey (88-25-63) and third was John Mills (90-25-65). __________________________________________________________________ “Summer holiday competitions draw to a close” (4/9/09) During the school summer holidays two junior competitions have been running – the long established Casey Cup for our older juniors (with handicaps 28 and under), played as 18 hole stroke-play rounds over 4 weeks with the best 2 rounds to count, and a newly established Summer Holiday Challenge cup for our newer juniors with club handicaps over 28/36.  They competed in 9 hole stableford format over the 7 Mondays of the summer holidays with the best 3 rounds to count.In the premiership division, a very close finish meant a tie for second and third places, both with an aggregate net 126, shared between Tom Johnson (63, 63) and Tom Marsh (63, 63).  The overall winner however was Jack Goode with 125 (61, 64).In the championship, the winner was Ben Oakes with an overall 72 points (21, 23, 28); second was Alistair Imroth with 68 (22, 21, 25) and third went to Jemma Long on 64 (22, 20, 22). Also in the last week, on Tuesday 25^th August, the ladies competed in their 12th Medal competition.  This was won by Mrs Margaret Shenton (91-24-67), second was Mrs Nicky Goode (85-14-71) and third was Mrs Di Watson (99-27-72). Saturday 29^th August was a busy day for the club with competitions running consecutively.  First was the Junior Medal, played in two divisions – the premiership was won by Tom Marsh (84-25-59), second Joe Rhodes (78-15-63), and third was Rob Jennings (84-16-68).  The championship division (9 hole Stableford) was won by Sam Hollis (16 points), second was Alistair Imroth (15 points) and third was Josh Horan (also 15 points – after countback).The second competition was the Ladies 4th Silver Spoon competition (Stableford) won by Mrs Sue Hyland (33 points) from Mrs Liz Yates (also 33 points – after countback) and third was Mrs Marg Haddon (30 points). Sunday 30^th saw the Men split into two divisions and compete for two major trophies – those with handicaps under 12 competed for the Foster Cup and those over 12 played for the Barker Cup.  With the lower handicaps, there was a tie for first place between club captain Phil Matthews (71-7-64) and our junior captain Jack Wilson (68-4-64) so a three-hole play-off was needed.  By this time the conditions had deteriorated and the rain was persistent, but captain Phil Matthews succeeded in keeping his score together and winning the Foster Cup by one shot.  Third place went to Joe Armitt (71-4-67).For the Barker Cup, some great scores meant there was a clear winner – well done to Craig Andrews (76-15-61) from second place Paul Fagan (79-17-62).  Third place was junior Joe Rhodes (79-14-65). More information is available at www.congletongolfclub.co.uk or call 01260 273540.  (JPI).

 “Centenary Celebrations at Congleton Golf Club” (30/8/09) Since the centenary of the club in 1998 there have been competitions run in all sections to commemorate this longevity, so this year sees the club celebrate reaching the ripe old age of 111.  Cricket fans will recognise this as an unlucky number, but we see it as a great achievement and, as luck would have it, the celebrations were completed on the day that England retained the ashes, so perhaps a good omen for the future of the club. Over the week the various sections have run their competitions, starting with the juniors section in the morning of Saturday 15^th August played in 2 divisions.  In the Championship division (handicaps 36-54) Alistair Imroth won from second placed Jess Imroth.  In the premiership, Tom Johnson continued his impressive form with a win (66-3-63) from Jack Goode (77-13-64) and third place Joe Armitt (70-4-66).  In the afternoon pairs competed in a Mixed competition in a stableford format, the winners were Lady Captain Rachel Matthews and Robbie Matthews 42 points (won on card count back) from second placed Sue Massey and Peter Bradley also on 42 points. Wednesday 19^th was the Seniors Centenary, played as a stableford competition, won by Harold Fitzgerald with 43 points, second was Ken Hyland (42 points) and third was Tony Lloyd (41 points). Saturday 22^nd saw the Ladies compete for their Centenary prize in a stroke-play competition.  In a good turnout and fine weather some good scores were achieved with a tie for second and third places having to be separated by count-back.  Commiserations to third placed Mrs Hilary Dawson (85-15-70) losing out on second place to Mrs Di Watson (97-27-70), but congratulations go to clear winner Mrs Lucy Suchland (85-16-69). Sunday 23^rd was the last in this series of competitions, the Men’s Centenary.  Played in blustery conditions which many found difficult (only 6 scores under par from the large field), so many congratulations to club captain Phil Matthews winning with an impressive nett 63 (71-8-63) and sees his handicap cut to 7.  Second was Derek Riley (78-13-65) and third place went to Melvyn Dutton (71-5-66). More information is available at www.congletongolfclub.co.uk or call 01260 273540.  (JPI). __________________________________________________________________ “Ladies section busy at Congleton Golf Club” (24/8/09) The ladies section of the golf club has been particularly busy this last week with Monday 10th August Lady Captain’s Away Day at Runcorn.  This is where the ladies can join the lady captain at a course of her choice and enjoy some different scenery and golf.  On this occasion the arrangements were for a morning 9 hole stableford, this time won by the lady captain herself with 15 points, the runner up was Sue Hyland after a card countback.In the afternoon the format was changed to a team Stableford competition won by Sue Priestley, Mary Scarratt and Sandra Mcallister.  Lady captain Rachel Matthews said “It ws a brilliant day out.  The weather was not to bad - just a bit of drizzle.  Special mention must go to my Uncle Peter who opened up the half-way house for us and entertained us all with his jokes.  Drinks were very welcome as were the crisps, biscuits and chocolates!”  The attached picture shows the winning team. Wednesday 19th August was the ladies exchange day at Knutsford.  Having given our course to their ladies the previous day, our ladies were invited to play at their course and another good day was had with brilliant weather!  Winners were Margaret Biddle, Mary Wellwood and Sue Fletcher in another team Stableford format.  Comment was made that the scones with clotted cream and jam were particularly good! In other results, Wednesday 12^th was the rescheduled July mid-week medal (postponed from July due to the summer weather.  This was again rain affected and meant a smaller than usual field competed and saw two of our juniors running away with the prizes.  Winner was junior Tom Johnson (63-4-59), second was junior captain Jack Wilson (68-4-64) and third was Mike Negus (84-18-66). Sunday 16^th was our second Men’s Invitation of the year – well done to clear winners David Wright & guest S Critchlow with 46 stableford points.  In a very close race for second place 2 pairs had the same overall score.  For the uninitiated, in the absence of a play-off to decide the places, we use a process called “count-back” which gives the prize to the team with the better last 9 holes.  Unfortunately in this case it was still a tie, so the last 6 are compared, then the last 3, then 2 then 1 – amazingly it was still tied!  It was then necessary to go the other way, and compare the last 12 holes, which led to second place going to James Bostock & guest Jim Crossbie on 44 points from the unlucky third placed John McKeown & guest on 44 points. Saturday 22nd and the Men’s 1st Team hosted local rivals from Astbury in a league match where a good win would see Congleton close in on the league championship for the first time.  In a closer match than the scores suggest, Congleton ran out 11-1 winners and now have a 22 point lead over nearest rivals Gorsty Hill who can potentially secure 24 points with their final 2 matches, so a tense finish to the season is assured. __________________________________________________________________  “Congleton Golf Club Summer Ball a Great Success” (17/8/09) Golfers across the country have been complaining about the lack of summer (again) this year, but there were no such complaints in Congleton on Saturday 8^th August as the social highlight of the Congleton Golf Club year took place.  The Summer Ball, an annual ‘black tie’ event, was held in a marquee in the clubhouse grounds and luck was on-side as the weather was perfect! Guests were greeted with champagne before taking their seats to be entertained by a live pan-pipes duo before and during the meal.  The buffet dinner – supplied by Joanne’s Catering - was roundly praised. After dinner entertainment was provided by the “Diva Girls” who sang a series of hits to get the room buzzing, followed by a disco into the small hours. Club Captain Phil Matthews and Lady Captain Rachel Matthews thanked all who attended for supporting the event, especially the sponsors.  They also thanked the orgainising committee, Dave and Marlene Shufflebotham, Paul and Carole Whitehead, John and Sue Booth, Roy and Liz Yates and Brian and Carol Dooley, for the hours of work they put in to produce such a fantastic evening. __________________________________________________________________ 

(10/8/09)

 On Monday 27^th the championship division of the Junior section played the third round of their Summer holiday 9 hole stableford competitions.  The result was a three way tie with 21 points – after a quick countback first place went to Alistair Imroth, second was Ben Oakes and third was Josh Horan. Tuesday 4^th August was the Ladies 3rd Silver Spoon, a ‘Par’ competition (matchplay against the course) and in a very close finish saw a tie for first place on 1 up on the course.  Decided by count-back, the win went to Mrs Sue Hyland from second place Mrs Di Watson. Wednesday 5^th saw the Seniors team entertain a team from Alderley Edge and in great weather conditions managed a 5 – 3 victory. Thursday 6^th August saw the younger juniors (championship division) visit Onneley golf club in their first friendly match.  Conditions at Onneley were excellent, and Junior Chairman Ken Hyland gave thanks to the hosts for their kind welcome.  Seven juniors played in their first ever matchplay competition and in unfamiliar surroundings and in a new format they did very well but were no match for their hosts, losing 4 – 0 overall. Saturday 8^th was the Ladies 11th Medal and in very good weather a close finish saw a tie for first place.  After a count-back, the winner was Mrs C Negus (97-22-75), second was Mrs L Suchland (91-16-75) and third was Mrs N Goode (90-14-76) Also on Saturday 8^th the Mens Team visited Gorsty Hill and in a very close set of matches came away with a 5 – 7 loss. Sunday 9^th was the Men’s Medal, and being the day after the annual Summer Ball, saw some weary performances as well as some stunning golf.  Juniors led the way in division 1 (handicaps under 12), with Joe Armitt (67-4-63) winning from Junior Captain Jack Wilson (68-4-64).  Third place went to David Miller (70-6-64).  In division 2 (handicaps 12 – 28), Phillip Swift (75-12-63) won from Harold Fitzgerald (82-18-64) and third was Phillip Ratcliffe (83-18-65). __________________________________________________________________  “Golf (and weather!) report” (4/8/09) With apologies due to the author being on holiday, the following results were omitted from the previous report:Wednesday 22^nd July saw the Seniors team visit nearby Alderley Edge in the league and come away with a creditable 4 – 4 draw.Thursday 23rd saw the club host the South Cheshire Golf Captains competition, where we were pleased to be joined by the President of Cheshire Union Golf Clubs Mr John Kidd.  The event was run as a Stableford competition and was won by our very own Brian Hopkins, taking full advantage of playing ‘at home’, and scoring an excellent 42 points.Saturday 25th the Men’s Team hosted Brookfield in a league match and came away with a comprehensive 11 – 1 win.On Monday 27^th the Senior team visited Barlaston in the league and won 5 – 3.  Well done to all who competed. On to current results and also on Monday 27^th the championship division of the Junior section played the third round of their Summer holiday 9 hole stableford competitions.  The result was a win for Gemma Long on 22 points, followed by a three way tie for second, all on 17 points, shared by Charlotte Dutton, Josh Horan and Tom Marsh. Tuesday 28^th was the Ladies 10th Medal, won by Mrs Nicky Goode (84-14-70), second was Mrs Chris Negus (93-22-71) and third was Mrs Pauline Seaman (100-28-72). Wednesday 29^th should have been the Men’s Mid Week Medal, but in persistent rain the course became waterlogged and was called off.  Unfortunately this set the pattern for the next few days taking us into August, where we had been told to expect a ‘barbeque summer’ and so with hopes (but not expectations) of better weather, Saturday 1^st should have been the annual Mixed Open event, but this also had to be cancelled as the course was unplayable. Also on Saturday 1^st August, the Men’s Team visited Onneley where, luckily, the weather had less effect and the league match was able to go ahead.  The team recorded another stunning victory, this time winning 10 – 2. Sunday 2^nd should have seen the club host the afternoon round of the prestigious Chronicle Cup for those who made the ‘cut’ (Astbury having hosted the morning round).  This annual competition is open to players from the two clubs with handicaps in single figures, and is played over 36 holes with no handicap allowance.  Unfortunately, as with so many of these reports, it turns out to be more of a weather report than a sports report, and more rain during Saturday meanti that both courses were unplayable, so the Chronicle cup has been postponed to Saturday 29^th August – will summer be with us by then?  We’ll have to wait and see. __________________________________________________________________ “Summer(?) weather fails to dampen spirits at golf club” (29/7/09) Another very busy week at Congleton Golf club sees lots of results being reported: Tuesday 21^st was one of the Ladies major competitions, the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Trophy.  In very damp and dreary conditions, the ‘par’ style competition (matchplay against the course) was very closely fought with first and second places being decided by card count-back.  Congratulations to Mrs Sue Massey who emerged victorious with a score of level par, beating Mrs H Dale who registered the same score.  On shot behind, with a score of 1 over, third place went to Mrs S McAllister. Wednesday 22^nd saw the Seniors team visit nearby Alderley Edge in the league and come away with a creditable 4 – 4 draw. Thursday 23^rd saw the club host the South Cheshire Golf Captains On Saturday 25^th the Men’s Team hosted Brookfield in a league match Sunday 26^th saw the Men’s Scratch Cup competed for over 36 Holes.  As the name implies, there are no handicap allowances!  36 holes makes for a long day, so this is a test of endurance as well as golfing skill, especially in the atrocious conditions, which resulted in a 3 way tie, as the course was unfit for further play it was decided, not to have a play off , so the trophy is to be shared by the Captain, Phil Matthews, Mel Dutton & Peter Hopkins, many congratulations to all three. Monday 27^th saw the Senior team visiting Barlaston in the league. Also on Monday 27^th the Junior section played the second round of their Summer holiday 9 hole stableford competitions.  This is being run every Monday in the school holidays at 2pm and is open to all juniors.  For our Championship juniors (higher handicaps) these weekly scores will be entered into an overall competition with the winner based on the best three scores to count out of the possible seven Mondays.  The result from round 2 was:- 1^st Joe Rhodes 75-17=58 (new handicap of 15) & 2^nd Max Rogers 81-18=63 (new handicap 17). __________________________________________________________________ “Summer holidays sees start of junior challenge trophy” (22/7/09) We have reports from all sections of the club this week, starting with the Seniors: Wednesday 15^th July was the date for the Seniors Invitation.  28 players took part and the course was in excellent condition.  Some great scores were recorded in a very close stableford competition and the winners were Dave Miller and Brian Lewis with 47 points.  Second was Roy Campbell and Bernard Pepper with 46 points and third was Geoff Harding and Sam Eaton, also with 46 points , back nine deciding.  4^th place was taken by John Wellwood and John Marr with 45 points.  Thanks went to club pro Andrew who provided some excellent prizes and to caterer Joanne who once again produces an excellent buffet. In the Ladies section, the team were busy again with matches, playing on Monday 13^th away to  Northenden, unfortunately losing 1 - 6, and on Monday 20^th hosting Mellor & Townscliffe, again unfortunately losing 2½- 4½.Saturday 18^th was the Ladies 9th Medal, won by Di Watson (99-29-70), second was Nicky Goode (87-14-73) and third was lady captain Rachel Matthews (84-10-74). For the Men, Saturday 18^th saw the Biggs Trophy competed for, which is a pairs foursomesevent.  In a very close competition Ian Hollinshead & Bill Hunter won with a net 62 (after count back, having to go to  the last 6), from father and son pair Brian Hopkins & Peter Hopkins also on net 62.  Third place was another father and son pairing Tim Rowland & Ben Rowland with a net 63.  Sunday 19^th was the July monthly medal was played in some heavy showers – it’s safe to say that no-one got round in the dry – the afternoon rounds were interrupted for about about an hour while the course was temporarily closed during a thunderstorm.  Division 1 was won by Simon Machin net 62 (after back nine card count back).  Second was junior Joe Armitt also with a net 62 (and the best gross of 66).  John Cameron won division 2 with a net 63. In the Junior section, the Summer holidays have begun, and we have a “Summer Challenge” trophy to play for.  Every Monday in the school holidays at 2pm we have organised a 9 hole stableford competition open to all juniors.  The first challenge started on Monday 20^th July and saw Charlotte Dutton and Alistair Imroth both score an impressive 22 points, with Tom Bailey taking third place with 17 points.  For our Championship juniors (higher handicaps) these weekly scores will be entered into an overall competition with the winner based on the best three scores to count out of the possible seven Mondays - come along and join in to be in with a chance. __________________________________________________________________ “Outstanding score wins Veterans Day trophy” (15/7/09) The ladies secion has been very busy lately with team matches as well as regular competitions - held over from last week’s report were the results of 3 ladies matches: on Monday 29 June the league match away to Northenden was lost 1 – 6.  On Tuesday 30^th in the friendly v Alderley Edge we recorded a 3½ - ½ victory, and on Thursday 2^nd July in a friendly against Leek Westwood we won 3 – 1. This week would have been similarly busy, but unfortunately some heavy downpours meant that the Ladies Medal on Tuesday 7^th as well as the Seniors match against Sandbach had to be postponed.  Worthy of mention from one of the regular social “turn up and play” games on the afternoon of Thursday 9^th – John Shenton had a hole-in-one at the 3^rd – well done John! Saturday 11^th saw the Ladies Medal, won by Mrs H Dawson (81-16-65), second was Mrs K Roberts (99-31-68) and third place went to Mrs M Milner (101-32-69). Sunday 12^th saw men over 55 years of age compete for the Veterans Trophy over 18 holes in a Stableford format, and with nearly half the field making par (36 points) or better, it was always going to take an exceptional score to come away with the prize, and that’s exactly what happened.  Ian Hollinshead scored 39 points, but this was only good enough for 3^rd place.  Second went to Jim Bostock who must have thought 41 points would be enough, but with an outstanding 44 points, the win went to Phil Green – many congratulations to him. __________________________________________________________________ “Busy weekend for Lady Captain at Congleton Golf Club” (8/7/09) It has been another busy week at Congleton golf club, particularly for the Lady Captain with her annual challenge for the Juniors on Saturday and Lady Captain’s day on Sunday. In perfect conditions on Saturday 4^th July the Juniors rose to the challenge, sponsored by the Lady Captain, and competed in 2 divisions.  The Premiership (older children with handicaps under 28/36) played an 18 hole medal.  We saw some great golf from our low handicappers, who ended with 3 players all recording a net 63 (5 under par!), so after some quick calculations for the count-back the win went to junior captain Jack Wilson (67-4-63) from runner up Joe Armitt (68-5-63) and third place went to Tom Johnson (67-4-63).The Championship division played a 12 hole stableford competition at the same time, and was won by Josh Horan with an incredible 35 points (and 7 shot handicap reduction), runner up was Jess Imroth with 33 points, and third place went to Charlotte Dutton on 29 points. In the afternoon the Men saw some action as the team entertained Malkins Bank in a league match, and recorded a comprehensive 11-1 win to consolidate their current excellent league position. Sunday 5th July saw the Lady Captain sponsors a competition for the lady members of the club.  This year she decided it would be a ‘par’ competition where players compete against the course in a matchplay format.  Lady Captain Rachel Matthews said “What a wonderful day I had.  30 ladies played in my competition in very pleasant weather.  There was one small shower at the beginning of the day but this did nothing to dampen the good spirits.  Half way round the ladies enjoyed cakes and drinks which spurred them on for the back nine.  We also had a fun competition at the 8th hole where everyone had a go at chipping over the pond.  Club professional Andrew Preston filmed all their efforts and we had great fun watching them all in the club house.  Not all the ladies managed to get across the water although there were some very good shots.  Judy Page was awarded the prize at the 8th for the best effort to go into the water and her amusing comments to the camera afterwards!  In the evening we were joined by my family, The Captain and the President for a lovely meal and the prize presentation.  All the prize winners were delighted and it was the perfect end to a very memorable day.  The full list of prize winner is as follows: Winner – Sue Booth, Second – Kath Roberts, Third – Janet Hopkins, Best Front Nine – Sue Massey, Best Back Nine – Bet Evans, Nearest the Pin – Jean Cox, Straightest Drive – Sue Hyland, Putting – Chris Negus, 8th hole chipping Prize – Judy Page”. Our thanks go to the Lady Captain, and all who assisted, for organising a wonderful weekend of golf.

  “Team wins and Captain’s day success” (1/7/09) We have passed midsummer’s day, so some might say that the nights are drawing in, but in my view we are enjoying the height of summer and it’s a great time to be playing the great game of golf!  The competition calendar does not let up and we therefore have many results to report, including team successes and a fantastic Captain’s day for the Men and Juniors.  The Lady Captain’s day follows next weekend, so let’s hope for similarly fantastic weather and course conditions. Ladies update:On Monday 22nd June our Ladies team hosted a league match against Lymm and won 4-3, followed the next day by their 2nd Silver Spoon stableford competition which was won by Mrs Kath Roberts with 39 points.  The next two competitors both had 37 points and therefore had to be separated by count-back, with the runner up slot going to Mrs Miranda Milner from Mrs Nicky Goode. Juniors update:The morning of Saturday 27^th saw the Club Captain sponsor the day with the premiership division competing in an 18 hole medal, and the championship division (handicaps over 28/36) having a 9 hole stableford competition.In the Premiership, some exceptional scoring saw the top prize go to Joe Rhodes card a fantastic 73, playing off a handicap of 20, giving a net 53!  Second went to Max Rogers (77-20-57) with third going to Josh Garside who also had the lowest gross score (66-7-59).  All three are now off lower handicaps!In the Championship division, the scoring was again very low, and the prize winners also saw their handicaps cut.  Winner, with 25 points was Alistair Imroth, second went to Charlotte Dutton (24 points), and third to Jess Imroth (23 points).In the afternoon, the junior team travelled to Birchwood to play a team from Heyrose in the next round of league matches, and despite having played twice in the day, won convincingly 3½ - 1½. Men’s update:Also on Saturday 27^th June the Men’s Team travelled to local rivals Astbury for their league match.  It was a close run thing, but the men managed to complete a hat-trick of team wins for the club with a hard-fought 7-5 victory.Sunday 28th saw our annual Captain’s Day event which this year was played as an 18 hole medal competition.  In glorious weather conditions the captain, ably assisted by Janet Hopkins, provided much needed halfway-house refreshments.  With some very challenging pin positions it was a day that clearly favoured the better players, with all three top positions going to single figure players, so well done to winner Peter Hopkins who also achieved the lowest gross score of 66 and playing off 4 ended with a nett 62, 6 under par.  Second was John Mort (71-8-63) and third was Nigel Moxon (72-7-65).  Many thanks to our captain, Phil Matthews, for his generous sponsorship over the weekend. __________________________________________________________________ “Another busy week at Congleton Golf Club” (24/6/09) Once again we have had an extremely busy week of golf, so straight into the results: Ladies’ update:Tuesday 16th June saw the Ladies host their ‘Invitation’ event.  The weather was beautiful with 36 players enjoying the course and a meal after they played.  The scores were amazing!!  Margaret Brindley and Muriel Fraser missed out on 3rd place on a card play off with 46 points!!  The winners were Sue Hyland and Karen Watson with a superb 48 points.  2nd were Nicky Goode and her guest Charlotte Ellison with 46 points and 3rd were Margaret Shenton and Lesley Rhind also with 46 points.  Our Lady Captain, Rachel Matthews played with the Lady Captain of Astbury.  They scored 40 points and did not even get a mention!!On Thursday 18th our Ladies entertained Alderley Edge in a friendly match which we won 3½ to ½.Onto Saturday 20th and the ladies competed in their 7th Medal.  The winner was Nicky Goode (78-15-63).  Runner-up was Lady Captain, Rachel Matthews (74-10-64).  Nicky saw her handicap reduced to 14. Men’s update:Wednesday 17^th saw the 3^rd men’s midweek medal which, due to its growing popularity, has been extended to 2 divisions (split at 12 handicap).  Division 1 was won by Will Doorbar (67-6-61) from our Junior Captain Jack Wilson (67-5-62) and third was Master Josh Garside (72-7-65).  In division 2, first and second were separated by count-back and the win went to Alan Tristram (87-21-66) with the better back 9, runner up was Jon Imroth (79-13-66) and third place was Guy Fazakerley (80-12-68)On Saturday 20^th the men hosted the team from Gorsty Hill in a league match.  Despite a spirited fight back from the visitors, the early form was too good and Congleton recorded a 7-5 win.Sunday 21^st saw the regular monthly Men’s medal and in great conditions some almost unbelievable scores were recorded.  Division 1 was won by Frank James (73-11-62) with Junior Captain Jack Wilson (68-5-63) with the better back 9 again taking a runner-up position.  Third was James Daniel (69-6-63).  In division 2 the scores were even lower with a net 60 being required to be in the prizes!  The win went to Julian Hollies (76-19-57), second was Martyn Brown (87-28-59) and third was James Holland (74-14-60), all of whom rightly see their handicaps cut. Juniors’ update:Sunday 21^st saw a Junior medal competed in 2 divisions:In the Premiership division Ben Rowland (75-12-63) was the clear winner, with second place separated by count-back, eventually going to Joe Rhodes (86-20-66) with third going to Joe Armitt (71-5-66).In the growing Championship division (for newer players with handicaps over 28/36), we had six competitors in a 9 hole stableford format, evenly split between boys and girls.  This time it was the girls who triumphed, taking all three prizes – well done to winner Charlotte Dutton with 23 points, Jess Imroth second with 21 points, and Gemma Long third with 18 points. It’s worth mentioning that the club has started a FaceBook page - please have a look by searching “Congleton Golf Club” and contribute to the content. __________________________________________________________________ “Junior takes 36 hole ‘major’ prize” (17/6/09) Ladies’ update:Tuesday 9^th June – Medal (strokeplay) competition.   The winner was Diane Watson who also reduces her handicap from 30 to 29 and the runner up was Nicky Goode.Wednesday 10^th June – the Ladies played a friendly match away at Reaseheath.  A new fixture in the calendar and a course that no-one had played before.  Lady Captain Rachel Matthews reported that they “all had lots of fun and the match was drawn 2-2.  Pretty good result on a new track!!”Saturday 13^th June saw the Ladies compete in another Medal, and in glorious conditions some good scores were achieved with Ms S Priestley (91-24-67) coming through to win, and Lady Captain Rachel Matthews (79-10-69) taking the runner-up spot. Men’s update:The weekend of 13^th & 14^th June saw the men compete for another ‘major’ trophy – the Roldane Cup.  This is a 36 hole competition played over 2 days, and when we get to feel like professional golfers as this as close to the final days of a professional competition that most of us are likely to experience.  Scores from the first round are carried over to the second, and it’s the aggregate score that counts.In absolutely ideal weather conditions (sunny and with very little wind) and with the course looking superb (thanks to the Chairman of Greens Jim Bostock, his committee, and the ground staff) the competitors set out to try to put a score together.  After the first round the scoring was extremely close, with just 4 shots covering 15 players in 2^nd to 16^th places, spread out between 2 under par and 2 over, but there was one clear leader, John Mort, who submitted an impressive 5 under par 63 to take a 3 shot lead into the second day.Sunday dawned, and more great weather and golfing conditions were on offer to anyone who wanted to ‘make a move’ on the field, and so they did.  Unfortunately for John Mort, he couldn’t maintain his Saturday form and carded a net 69 (1 over) to end with 132, but only 4^th place.  On the same aggregate score of 132 (67 + 65) but with a better count-back and taking 3^rd place was Dave Miller.  The runner-up performance deserves a mention as Peter Hopkins had finished day 1 with a net 69 (1 over par) so needed something special to move up the leader board from joint 11^th, and so it proved.  Playing with a handicap of 4, Peter carded the lowest gross of 64 (net 60) to end with 129, but only good enough for second place.  Our winner, playing off a handicap of 12, with a very impressive net 66 on Saturday, and a superb net 62 on Sunday for an aggregate 128, was junior Ben Rowland – many congratulations to him. _________________________________________________________________ “AM-AM great success despite weather conditions” (10/6/09) Another busy week at Congleton Golf club saw the Ladies compete for the Edith Leech Trophy on Tuesday 2^nd June, a bogey competition played as matchplay against the course.  Congratulations go to Mrs M Milner who won with +4, the runner up spot went to Mrs J Hopkins close behind on +3. In team news, well done to the Men who were successful in their match against Malkins Bank.  The juniors were unfortunate to find their opponents on top form, leading to a loss at Mere. It seems inevitable that the weather forms such a part of these report, and despite the feeling that I keep repeating myself, I have to mention the weather from the weekend of 6^th & 7^th June.  You could have been forgiven for thinking we were back in March, with strong winds and heavy downpours disrupting our busy plans for golf!  Conditions were so bad that the ladies ‘Charter Cup’ competition had to be called off as the course was unplayable on the Saturday. Luckily, conditions had improved enough by Sunday for the annual AM-AM competition, played as a pairs nett medal - our sincere thanks go to Competition Secretary Peter Bradley, assisted by John Shenton for their super organisation, and to the sponsors whose generosity meant a prize table laden with goodies, with prizes for the top 12 places, plus 4 spot prizes.The early starters had cold and blustery conditions while lunchtime starters had the wind and the rain to contend with, and afternoon starters had the best of the day, with ‘just’ a strong wind to battle.  Despite all this doom and gloom, some great golf was played and some fantastic scores achieved, with 2^nd, 3^rd & 4^th places all scoring 62 and having to be separated by count-backs over 9, then 6 and even 3 holes!  After much checking, third place went to Ian Hollinshead and Bill Hunter and second place went to David Miller with late entering partner Ken Shuttleworth.  There was no doubt or count-back required for the winners, who triumphed by 3 clear shots with an impressive 59 - congratulations go to Nigel Moxon and Darren Morris. ­­­_______________________________________________________________________________  “Not just about golf” (4/6/09) Snooker:Last Thursday evening (28/5/09) Congleton Golf Club witnessed sport of a different kind, when a packed clubhouse attended the best-of-three frame final of the Snooker Knock Out between long time member Eric Bevan and new member Rob Miceli. A thrilling first frame went to Rob after fifty five minutes and after a tactical battle in the second frame Rob came through as the winner. The Club Captain, Phil Matthews, presented the Jim Turner Memorial Trophy to the winner and congratulated all members who took part.  In particular he thanked Ray Brindley and Ken Rowley for organising the event. Golf - Mens:Sunday 31^st May saw the Jubilee trophy played for in a stableford format – if it’s possible to complain about such lovely weather, it was perhaps too hot!  The course continues to improve with the good weather, and some great golf saw 2 competitors tied for the top spot, both with 40 points, so a 3 hole play off was needed to separate them.  Congratulations go to winner Ken Hyland, and commiserations to runner up Mel Dutton. Juniors:On the same day the premiership juniors (handicaps under 28) competed for their Jubilee trophy and in a small field saw Sam Bostock take first place, Josh Garside in second and Tom Johnson in third.  In the championship division, Elliot Bowyer was first with Ally Imroth in second.  Well done to all. Ladies:Tuesday 26^th saw the Ladies Coronation Foursomes, competed over a shortened course, won by Liz Yates and Hilary Dawson with 27 points, with runners up Carol Dooley and Trish Weir on 26 points.On Saturday 30th May, the ladies' team (having won their preliminary round match against Bury in April) played at home to Ashton-under-Lyne in the first round of the prestigious Bell Cup.  Unfortunately, although the sun was shining, and the course looked good with the re-laying of the bank at the 6th having been completed early that morning, the team were knocked out of the competition, losing 5 of the 7 individual matches. _______________________________________________________________________________  “May brings busy time to Congleton Golf Club” (28/5/09) As the season gets into full swing (pardon the pun) and we get more the traditional varied English weather, the diary at Congleton Golf Club has been extremely busy, so with apologies for a lack of depth and detail, the following results are reported:- Tuesday 12th saw the Ladies 4th Medal won by Mrs M Shenton (95-25-70) with lady captain Rachel Matthews (82-11-71) taking the runner up position. Wednesday 13th was the Men’s Midweek Medal won by Geoff Harding (85-19-66), junior captain Jack Wilson was runner up (72-5-67) and Phillip Swift (81-12-69) took third. On Saturday 16th the Men’s team hosted Onneley and continued their great start to the league season with a stunning 6-0 win.  Well done to all the team. On regular occasions during the season the various sections of the club get together to combine forces, and Sunday 17th was the ‘Ladies Invite Gents’ event.  The competition had to be reduced to 9 holes due to the terrible weather.  Despite this, some great scores were achieved by the winners (with 22 points) Barbara Simons and Nigel Moxon, runners up were Dee Paton and Martin Garside with 21 points. Tuesday 19th was the Ladies Coronation Trophy, won by Mrs Miranda Milner with 37 stableford points.  Runner up (again) was lady captain Mrs Rachel Matthews just behind with 36 points. Saturday 23rd was the Ladies Invite Juniors competition.  Lady captain Rachel Matthews said “For once the weather was brilliant, no rain and sun all the way.  It was brilliant fun and nice for different sections of the club to play together.”  The winners were Sue Hyland and Tom Johnson with 40 points who very narrowly beat Nicky and Jack Goode on a card play off.  Third went to Lady Captain Rachel Matthews and Junior Captain Jack Wilson who manage 4 birdies during their round! Sunday 24th was a ‘major’ competition, the Men’s Bogey Cup, where we play a match against the course, and again the weather was fantastic – who would have thought a bank holiday weekend could be so nice?  The golf was good too, with Tim Rowland finishing with a magnificent +7 to win the competition, with Guy Fazakerley second on +6. Later on Sunday 24th saw the Juniors compete for the ‘Pro’s Prize’, with the older juniors playing 18 holes in the premiership division, and the younger juniors playing 9 holes in the championship division.  In the premiership Max Rogers took first place, second was Rob Jennings and Joe Armitt was third.  Prizes in the championship were split between boys and girls, and both prizes went to the Imroth household, with Jess successful in the girls and Alistair in the boys. _______________________________________________________________________________  “Invitation to great golf at Congleton” (21/5/09) Sunday 10^th May saw the first of the men’s two annual invitation days, where members invite guests to join them and compete in a pairs (stableford) competition, followed by a meal and presentation in the fine facilities of the clubhouse.  This year’s event was well supported as usual and, despite some gloomy weather forecasts, the day turned out to be glorious, and a high standard of golf was achieved.  Continuing his great start to the season, member M Dutton with the help of his guest Jason Taylor won the event with 43 points, with second and third places having to be decided by count-back, with second place eventually going to James Daniel and guest R. Copeland on 42pts narrowly beating Bill Hunter and guest D. Byrne into third.  Well done to all competitors. The ladies section continues to go from strength to strength with a wide variety of competitive and social engagements:  omitted from a previous report was the result of the Dale Young Trophy, won by Mrs S Hyland with a massive 45 stableford points (which has resulted in a 6 shot handicap reduction!), with Mrs C Bennett taking the runner up position with 35 points. The Lady Captain’s ‘away weekend’ took place on the Sunday and Monday of the Bank Holiday weekend at Breadsall Priory near Derby, and was well attended by 14 Congleton ladies (6 of them called Sue!)  Lady Captain Rachel Matthews said “The weather was kind, with sunshine on Sunday, and although it was cold on Monday there was, thankfully, no rain.  Given the unfamiliar surroundings, the golf was challenging (to say the least), but with the help of lots of wine, still produced lots of fun and friendly competition.  A good time was had by all.”  The prizes went to individual winner Margaret Shenton and team winners Sue Fletcher, Angela Hearn and Sue Hyland. _______________________________________________________________________________  “Juniors show Men the way” (14/5/09) The junior section of Congleton Golf Club continued where it left off last year, with a strong showing in all the competitions, and some of the older juniors showing the men how it should be done! Junior competitions are split into two divisions, with handicaps of 28 or less (36 for girls) joining the ‘Premiership’, and the higher handicappers joining the ‘Championship’.  The season kicked off in March, and the author apologises to all concerned for the delay in submitting this report to the ‘Chronicle’.  To bring the results up to date, the March stableford competition was won by Robert Jennings in the Premiership, with Joe Armitt runner up.  The Championship winner was Jess Imroth. The junior Flag competition was won by Ben Rowland in the Premiership, with Junior Captain Jack Wilson runner up.  Winner in the Championship was Tom Bailey. Sunday 5th April saw a team of five juniors travel to Ringway to play a match vs. Bramhall in the first round of the Mid-Cheshire Junior League.  Congratulations to our team of Junior Captain Jack Wilson, Ben Rowland, Tom Johnson, Rob Jennings and Sam Bostock who performed superbly to win the match convincingly – next round is vs. Mere at Bramhall on 17^th May. In other April competitions, we had a monthly medal, won by Joe Armitt in the Premiership division, with Tom Johnson runner up.  The Championship division winner was Elliot Bowyer, and we saw sister and brother Jess and Alistair Imroth tied for the runner up spot.  Next up was the Bogey competition: this was won by Max Rogers in the Premiership, with Joe Rhodes runner up; in the Championship the winner was Tom Bailey and runner up was Jess Imroth. This now seems an appropriate time to report on the men’s May Medal competition which was held on the Sunday of the Bank holiday weekend.  We had a fantastic turnout and some great scores registered, but both men’s divisions were won by juniors!  In division 1 (for handicaps 11 and under) Tom Johnson continued his astounding start to the season, despite having his handicap reduced from 8 to 5 already, he posted a gross 65 (net 60) to win the competition by 7 shots.  A fantastic result which sees his handicap reduced even further – now to 4.  Second place went to Tony Myatt (78-11-67), and third to another junior, Joe Armitt (71-4-67).  Division 2 was won by junior Ben Rowland with an impressive 77-12-65, second went to Ken Asken (86-18-68), and third was Guy Fazakerley (81-13-68). Finally, the juniors had their own May Medal competition on Saturday 9^th, sponsored by South Cheshire Golf Captains – represented by Brian Hopkins – and we were fortunate to have him present the prizes after the event.  Mr Hopkins explained that this competition is used to find two representatives from the Congleton Golf Club to play at Tytherington in September and compete for the South Cheshire Golf Captains’ prize, which was won last year by Congleton golfer Josh Garside.  In dry but somewhat gusty conditions, a superb round of 77-18-59 saw Sam Bostock achieve the best net score to win the Premiership division and take the prize and first qualification spot, with Junior Captain Jack Wilson (69-5-64) taking the runner up position for best gross score and the second qualification position.  Elliot Bowyer won the Championship division.  Well done to all, and good luck to Sam and Jack later in the season at Tytherington. _______________________________________________________________________________  “Impressive start to the season for Congleton Ladies” (7/5/09) The Ladies competition season started in earnest in April with a number of competitions which have mostly been blessed with the good weather we have all been enjoying. The Ladies first Medal, held on Tuesday 7^th April, was won by Mrs J Cartlidge with a score of 99-25-74.  Runner up was Mrs S Priestley (99-23-76). On Saturday 18^th April the Ladies second Medal was won by Mrs C Bennett (83-14-69) and Mrs P Seaman took the runner up spot (99-28-71). Saturday 25^th April saw the ladies team take on a team from Bury in the prestigious Bell Cup, a knockout competition between clubs, and this first round match was a very close affair.  Seven pairs, supported by their ‘trolley pullers’ competed, and after the first six were in it was tied, three each.  Congleton were represented in the last match by Sue Massey, and despite being 2 down with 3 to play, fought back to tie after 18 holes.  All matches must have a result so Sue and her opponent prepared to play ‘sudden death’ extra holes.  Luckily, Sue didn’t know the match score otherwise she may have felt more pressure.  The match proceeded down the first extra hole with the other competitors watching from the clubhouse balcony.  Sue played the hole well, and won the match for Congleton, who now progress to the next round.  Well done to all the team and thanks to their trolley pulling supporters (see photo). Lastly for April was the third Medal on Tuesday 28^th – Mrs J Cartlidge continued her great start to the season with a runner up spot (96-25-71), but the winner, with an impressive 79-11-68, was Lady Captain Mrs Rachel Matthews.  Summing up the start of the season Mrs Matthews praised her fellow competitors for the friendly spirit in which the competitions are played, and the happy atmosphere at the club.  She also commented that the course has been improving week on week, and thanks were offered to our Chair of Greens and his committee for the hard work they have been putting in.  The month of May is similarly busy with fixtures and events, so good luck to all, and let’s hope that the recent weather continues. _______________________________________________________________________________ (27/4/09) Since the changing of the clocks and the start of spring, we have seen the golfing season kick off in style at Congleton Golf Club and there has been a great deal of activity so far, with much more to come.  The weather has been consistently kind to us and has allowed for some extremely enjoyable golf from the end of March and all through April. The last weekend in March saw the first of the club's monthly Medal competitions played in great conditions, although an early frost meant a slightly delayed start and an unusual approach to the course as everyone set off from the 5th tee.  The weather turned out to be very good for golf, and some great scores were posted in both divisions.  The winner in division 1 (for those players with handicaps of less than 11) was Alec Walker, runner up was junior Tom Johnson, and 3rd place went to the captain Phil Matthews.  In division 2 (for those with handicaps of 12 and over) the winner was junior Robert Jennings, runner up was Jon Imroth, and 3rd place went to John Booth. The first weekend in April saw a more social game, with the new club Captain, Phil Matthews, and the club President, Mike Scott, picking teams to play a 4 ball matchplay challenge.  Again, the weather was very kind to all, and with the course looking magnificent, the 9 teams teed off at 9am in a shotgun start.  After 8 groups had finished it was neck and neck, with the state of play at 4 all.  This just left the Captain and the President to fight it out.  The President led by 3 holes with 4 to play, but the Captain and his partner fought back and managed to win those final 4 holes to snatch a victory right at the death.  This provided a very exciting end to an enjoyable morning of golf.  There is no winner's prize for this competition, but there is a large wooden spoon presented to the loser, as can be seen in the photograph.  There is another Captain vs. President challenge at the end of the season, and the President said he intends to take advantage of that opportunity and for the wooden spoon to be handed back! Sunday 12th April saw the men’s Greensomes.  For the uninitiated, this is a pairs competition with both players teeing off and then picking one ball to play the rest of the hole with.  Some good scoring led to a tie for first and second places, and another tie for the third/forth places as well!  After the count-back the prize went to Melvyn Dutton and Simon Machin, second place was taken by Jim Bostock and Tony Myatt, with third place going to father and son team Phil Swift and Matt Swift. On Sunday 19th April the men contested the second Medal competition of the season and with some familiar names in the top slots it’s clear to see that some members are already eyeing the Macclesfield cup – awarded to the player with the best four medal scores over the whole of the season.  Despite having his handicap reduced as a result of the March Medal, division 1 again saw first place go to Alec Walker and runner up again was junior Tom Johnson, with 3rd place going to Peter Hopkins.  In division 2 the winner was Malcolm Smith, runner up again was junior Robert Jennings, and 3rd place went to Ken Hyland. Wednesday 22nd April was the Midweek Medal competition.  There are no separate divisions for this competition, so this is a straight competition for all.  Congratulations go to the winner, junior Tom Johnson who continues a very impressive start to the season and sees his handicap reduced again, now down to 5, runner up was Melvyn Dutton, and 3rd place went to Kevin Lawrence. Finally in April, the last weekend saw the first ‘Major’ competition of the season, the Moore Cup.  This is an eclectic competition, which means we play the same 9 holes twice, and amalgamate the best scores from both the show the best 9 available.  Played with half handicap, this is always a hotly contested event, so many congratulations go to Paul Whitehead who showed the way with a superb round.  Runner up was junior Ben Rowland, and third went to Chris Wilson. The month of May is similarly busy with fixtures and events, so good luck to all, and let’s hope that the recent good weather continues.