At last! Our 2024 season finally got underway at Ramsey Golf Club (Friday 28th April) after the cancellation of Matchday 1 at Sleaford due to waterlogging. We saw 17 golfers eager to tee off, all united in their silent intent of laying down a decent score to avoid the end-of-season wooden spoon award!

A very warm welcome was extended to our new members Terry Barber and Charlie Johnson, who carded very credible scores and were extremely amiable company.

The weather couldn’t quite make up its mind at the start: cool overcast, light brief showers, warm sun. This baffled the final group (Colin, Dave, Terry, Jim) who danced their own version of the Hokey Cokey (wet weather gear on/off/on etc and brollies up/down/up etc) before they started. Fortunately for all, by the turn most of us had disrobed slightly and dry conditions prevailed to the end.

The course played surprisingly well in spite of the Spring deluge. Fairways were running fair, bunkers well raked and playable though the greens were a little slow, catching out your reporter repeatedly! BASH them uphill!

Our apparent tradition of a high quota of members’ tee shots off the 1st succumbing to the trees on the left, and the vicar’s garden, was continued. Not to be outdone, although Messrs Daley and Tooke’s drives boomed down the middle of the fairway their seconds were to follow suit, and inevitably 2 blobs followed!

Good golf was witnessed by all, with 9 players recording 30+ points. Our star performer was Paul Flanders who made a clean sweep of the honours. On his way to carding a splendid 85 (nett 68) for 38 Stapleford he also scooped ‘nearest the pin’ 13th with a fine shot to 25’. Well done, and an obligatory handicap review is underway! Paul’s 38 points with 3 birdies is all the more noteworthy given he had bagged only 5 points by hole 4, before the after burners came on. Inexplicably he declined a sleeve of balls for a bottle of gin!

Second place went to Alan Wensak with 35 Stapleford. Third place was a close run thing between Sean Melia and Les Wells, both with 34 points, with Sean taking it on countback.

Particular mention of Terry who didn’t need his putter on the ‘nearest the pin’ having lobbed in from 35 yards! ‘Get in the hole’ and ‘Way to go’, as our American cousins are fond of saying.

Trees may be the bane of a golfer’s otherwise perfect round (and other things) but our final grouping proved the power of talking to your ball in flight, since all, with one exception, popped out onto fairways after striking wood. The exception being Jim’s thunderous heave left off the 10th that was unexpectedly found by Colin walking down the right hand side rough. Some 90 degree ricochet! Continuing praise of Colin, we know he is your ideal playing partner. Apart from being affable and amiable, his eyesight is 20/20, evidenced by finding your scribe’s balls on numerous occasions in the most hidden of places!

The only dark cloud on an otherwise pleasant day was seeing brown sauce applied by some to their bacon butties! One for the Etiquette Committee to rule on, please!

1st Paul Flanders – 38 pts.

2nd Alan Wensak – 35 pts.

3rd Sean Melia – 34 pts. (on countback)

Nearest the Pin – Paul Flanders

Our next outing is at Stoke Rochford on Friday 17th May (13:25 tee off) where shorts and sun cream are confidently predicted in use. FYI Richard Cheng was triumphant here last year with 37 points.

(Jim Daley match reporter)