The steady southerly breeze did more than make us consider our stroke play at Three Locks last Sunday. It brought us music to watch ours and others' shots by, to walk or ride by, to eat our snacks by, or even to relieve ourselves by. Provided free of charge by an event at the nearby Grand Union at the Three Locks pub, and because of the slightly unusual layout of the course, playing the 7th, 8th 9th, 10th, 14th and 15th (and possibly more holes depending on your hearing acuity) brought you within earshot of the performance by "My Romantic Heart", a local "covers" band. Rousing? Energising? Distracting? Depended on your point of view, and possibly how well you were playing at the time, but Love & Affection? Maybe not.
Just eleven of us gathered at Three Locks last Sunday to play our fifth fixture of the season. Not many, but that was ten more than turned up the day before in the pouring rain! What a change in the weather for Sunday though, and it was a pleasant to feel the sun on our Gregorys after the dismal skies of earlier fixtures.
Considering the amount of rainfall in the preceding week, and especially the day before, the course played well, with very few damp areas to navigate. A give-away were the cups on the greens, half-filled with water, which became useful to wash balls in the absence of the more traditional such aids at the tees. Straying from the fairway could be a problem, as your ball could disappear in the first cut, let alone into the many trees that line most of the holes. The greens proved fast and tricky, or was that just poor putting? And of course there was always either the water, ditch, stream, or pond, waiting to turn your effort into an ef-xxx! Always and interesting and challenging course.
Two singles matches were played, Bob winning over Rob, and Martin beating yours truly in what, on paper, seemed like a close contest, going to the first extra hole. While there was never more than two holes separating us, and the lead changed hands a couple of times, we both seemed to be trying to out-do the other in extreme standards of play from one hole to the next - now a drive right down the middle, now a drive into the trees, and so on. Stableford points were long gone on some holes, but you kept going because you always knew you may have a chance of winning a hole with an 8. Indeed that number of strokes won the deciding hole! A crazy contest, but well done Martin, a deserved win in the end.
The gusting breeze made the nearest the pin competitions that little more difficult, and there was no winner on the 6th, but Dennis took the prize for the 10th. The "twos" was won for the first time this season, with Rob scooping the "pot" with his fine effort on the 17th.
The Stableford was won by Bob with 33 points, beating Dave Williams by just one point, Dennis taking third place on 30 points.
The attendance of 11 was disappointing after the 18 competing at Silverstone. Looking back over the four years that this fixture has been played on the old Whit Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May, the numbers have always been disappointing, ranking alongside the smallest in each of the seasons. Before that, in 2009 and 2010, the fixture was played earlier in the month during the May Bank Holiday weekend, and attendances in those years were more like average for the season. It would be interesting and helpful for Tony to receive feedback from those members who did not or could not attend this year, in order to gauge feelings about the fixture and its timing in our calendar.
Our next fixture is Sunday 8th June at Stoneleigh Deer Park, tee off at 12 noon.
Stoneleigh Deer Park Golf Club
Coventry Road
Stoneleigh, CV8 3DR
Tel: 02476 63 9912 (Pro Shop)
Directions:
From the south, make your way to Southam, then head towards Coventry on the A423. After passing Princethorpe, turn left onto the A445 until you reach the village of Bubbenhall. In Bubbenhall turn right towards Stoneleigh. On reaching a T-junction turn right. The golf course is about half a mile along this road on the left, just after the bridge across the river.
From Daventry, follow the A45 west to the A445, turn left and follow the A445 to Bubbenhall, then as above.
See you there
Regards
Alan