Captain's Log Thoughts on the Rules of Golf
|
CAPTAIN'S LOG 12 DECEMBER 2011 November was quite a busy month for me & I'm pleased to report as follows: I managed to correct all the faux pa's I committed in the "Random Congratulations" section of my last log at the Club Dinner on 11th November . The Club Dinner was followed by the Winter Ball on 19th November. There were very good turn outs for both events & I hope all who attended enjoyed themselves as much as I did ! I have to record that the organisation of both events was terrific so thank you Jamie for setting up the Club Dinner & all involved with the Ball especially Mesdames Tilley, Record and Mair. Last but not least thanks to Fiona, Maureen and all the staff for making these both really good evenings. Saturday 10th December was Hugh's Long Hole competition followed by a magnificent Christmas Lunch. Most importantly it was the day I introduced next year's Captain who will be Tim Bull. I have know Tim for many years and he has been a long serving committee man at NGC as well as a stalwart of our League teams over more years than he probably cares to remember ( 45 years). Tim has also represented the County at full and seniors level with distinction.
I have no doubt that Tim will put his heart and soul into his year of captaincy. We all wish him a highly successful and enjoyable year.
The condition of the course is continuing to receive extremely positive feedback from members and visitors alike. It really is in magnificent nick especially bearing in mind the time of year. The work being undertaken on the 4th and 12th holes looks very impressive and I'm sure we are all looking forward to trying out the new bunkers & run offs ! There is not much more for me to report or add at this stage other than to pass on my best wishes for Christmas and the New Year. Regards Giles Giles Smallwood |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
1 November 2011 Random Congratulations Alan Ross Winner of the Britton, Andy Allan & David Caldicott Winners of the De Loriol Mike Brett Winner of Stuart Cameron Memorial Salver The Seniors Team winners of their league Mike Burrow for being our League Team Player of the Year Adam Proctor (again) for holing in 1 (again) on 29th October. I think that is 3 holes in 1 this year. Fantastic Oliver Pratt for a Nett 69 and Nicola Haynes for a Gross 73 at The Northumberland Junior Golf Association Autumn Meeting at Newbiggan Golf Club on 26th October Matches We won our last match versus Oxford and Cambridge Golfing Society handsomely. My Thanks to Everyone who has played in the friendlies this year, it has been great fun & is highly recommended NGC Seniors for inviting me to their "quiet celebratory supper". To avoid any doubt it was definitely the Seniors Captain not me who collapsed the scrum at the end of the evening....some habits die hard eh Duncan ! Newcastle and District League Team for inviting us to their annual dinner and special thanks to the President ,Chairman Paul Couthard David Row and Mike Burrow for supporting me. (I think I enjoyed my self too much it must have been something to do with being the only person out of 238 to be wearing a DJ when everybody else were in suits.) Forthcoming Events for us all to look forward to The revamped Winter Eclectic Competition is in its 3rd Year. It has proved very popular the last couple of years and is open to all members of NGC. If you would like to join in please get in touch with me or Jamie at the office. It costs £5 to enter and you could win a substantial cash prize ! We conclude the competition when the Summer Course officially opens & this is followed by a civilised evening of sophisticated and genial conversation some tasty titbits and the occasional glass of fine wine. The Annual Club Dinner 11 November. There may be some seats left. There is a list in the foyer by the entrance to the Men's changing room should you wish to be included. Winter Ball 19th November. With temperatures forecasted at -20C in November what better way to stay warm & in the company of your friends. Hugh's Long Hole & Christmas Lunch 10th December. The big day for someone who will be announced as my successor. Who could it be? Has the current captain followed tradition or has he been radical and followed the lead of clubs such as Seaton Carew. You will have to attend and find out for yourselves because my lips are sealed. Giles Smallwood |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
27 SEPTEMBER 2011 Random Congratulations Club Championship -- a father and son final, is this a first?'. Chris Forrest won by a margin over father Graham. They must both be very proud J Smith Clark - David Nicholson Adam Proctor - too many to mention here but he is having a fantastic year! Friendlies In September the series of friendlies continued with a defeat against the Police and 2 good victories against Royal Burgess and Seaton Carew. Results to date stand at played 7 won 4 lost 3. With Oxford and Cambridge still to come Many thanks to all have supported these matches. They are great fun although I do appreciate that it is a whole day out so can be quite demanding. Juniors Prize giving took place on 25th August. The turn out was very impressive. I was asked to say a few words and present the prizes which enabled me to have the opportunity to put faces to the names that have been featuring in the Gentlemans & Ladies Competitions recently. There is a very good crop of talented players in our junior section no less than Chris Forrest who this weekend became our Club Champion. Captain's Remarks It doesn't seem that long ago when Chris Hilton gave me an advance copy of this year's diary with 250 entries over 4 pages. All of a sudden I have already gone through 3 of the pages and there are only 40 entries left...... Best Wishes and good golfing Giles |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
22 AUGUST 2011 So another 6 weeks of my year as Captain have flown by. All the while the course has been showing the signs of improvement due to the hard work of the greens staff & this despite some very wet weather not untypical of our Great English Summer. League Team Since the disappointment of the Prudhoe match on 21 June we played 6 more matches losing 3, halving 2 and then at last playing to more like our true potential we hammered Newcastle United 12-0 in the final match. So the results for the season, which were an improvement on last year, were played 15-- lost 7, won 5 and halved 3. I could summarise our team's performance in similar words to my school reports of yore, Satisfactory but can do better next year if they believe in themselves The detail of our results is attached herewith. I'm not one for singling out individuals in what is a team game so I will save my name checks for our President, Joe and & Vice - President John and thank them for their unstinting support of the team throughout the season.
Friendlies Since our winning performances in matches -v- Northern Racing & Bamburgh Castle GC we were recently on the end of a thrashing by Brancepeth Castle GC. This said all but one match was decided on the 18th so with a little luck we could have improved the score line albeit I suspect the result would have remained. We have 2 more friendlies to go against the Police and Seaton Carew. I appreciate that committing to these matches is sometimes difficult but I have to say that they are really good fun and that they should be preserved. Your support to these fixtures will ensure that they continue. I would appreciate it if members could support these last 2 matches. The lists are already up in the locker room Junior There has been a full programme of junior golf ongoing throughout the summer with competitions this Thursday. Prize giving after will take place after the competitions. We have developed a strong junior section so thanks to Keith Atkinson for organising this as well as the members who also give up their time to support him. Seniors I can say no more than they go from strength to strength. Captain's Remarks Suffice to say I continue to find this role amazingly enjoyable. Last weekend I played in the Herbert Miller 36 hole event on Saturday and despite my usual aboration in round 1 and an uncharacteristic show of petulance in round 2, my 2 partners and I all finished. That was no mean feat if you had observed some of our play throughout the day. Congratulations to Adam Proctor for a fine victory. On Sunday I had my first ever mixed foursomes outing in the GPLGC Salvers. I had a fantastic time and Fiona McConnell ( Lady Captain and I narrowly lost by a point to Mrs Mair and that Mr Proctor ...hmmm some handicap surgery required there I think ! However, if there was a down side to this weekend's golf it was the hellish racket from the race course's supposed "fun fair ". Can someone pull their plug out please? Top Tips Chip & run or Pitch ? Chip & run if you have a poor lie the green is hard you have a down hill lie the wind could affect your shot your are under pressure Pitch if the lie is good you have an uphill lie the green is soft there is an obstacle in the way
Good Golfing
Regards
Giles |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
8 JULY 2011 League Team As at 8.7.11the League Team has Played 11 Won 4, Lost 5 and Halved 2 Matches As a result of a big defeat (12-0) against Prudhoe we have slipped from mid- table respectability to near foot of the table disappointment. The league table position however does not reflect how the team has approached matches this year and there is a real desire to do well. I’m hoping the results in the last 4 fixtures will reflect the quality of play we have seen all season and elevate our position. At present the leading scorers are:- Chris Forrest 13 out of a possible 20 points and Mike Burrow with 11 out of a possible 18 points. Friendlies Having broken our duck by beating Newcastle United on 20th May we followed up the success with victories over Northern Racing & Bamburgh Castle Golf Club. All the visiting teams have enjoyed themselves at the Park particularly Bamburgh who were very complimentary about the course especially the greens. Much as I would like to I cannot overlook The Ladies’ Captain Team’s comprehensive victory over my Team on 1st July. It was a very enjoyable match and a fine dinner afterwards. This was my first ever excursion into mixed golf & I was pleased that despite the team losing I was able to contribute to the Lady Captain & Vice Captains’ heavy defeat! As usual many thanks to Jamie and Marion for organising the Teams and Maureen and Fiona’s teams in the Bar and Dining Room for looking after us all so well Top Tip from Harvey Penick The most important club…. Psychologically, the driver is very important. If you hit a fine drive it fills you with confidence. On the other hand if you hit a couple of drives into the woods your confidence can be shaken. Nothing is more important psychologically than hitting putts into the hole. Sinking putts makes your confidence soar and it devastates your opponent. A good putter is a match for anyone a bad putter is a match for no one. The woods are full of long drivers…… |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
18 June 2011 - Captain's Day & County Qualifiers Saturday's Captain's Day was probably enjoyed more by those who attended in the morning than in the afternoon the winner was Alan Ross who scored 40 points representing a 72 round off his handicap of 4. All playing commented on the cunningness of the pin placements, the lengthening off the back of the Medal tees & the quality of the course especially the greens The same day at Newcastle United the County Qualifiers were underway our representatives results were: Kris Gray was the leading qualifier with 68-70 Mike Burrows 75 - 68 qualified Chris Forrest 74-83 Graham Forrest 76-76 Captain's Log 10 June 2011
Charity Cocktail Party & Golf Day The chosen charity was Help the Heroes-Combat Stress. In a month where Arsene Wenger was quoted as being afraid that Jack Wiltshire at 19 years old might burn out with the stress of playing too many premiership games it was entirely appropriate to have a bit of reality check & understand the circumstances & risks our young men and women experience everyday in Afghanistan. Those present at the cocktail party which preceded the Golf day could hardly fail to be moved by the address given by Brigadier Greville Bibby. It is very rare that the main lounge contained so many people and were so captivated & quiet for so long. After the address club members had the opportunity to speak with the Brigadier and his soldiers all of whom had served in Afghanistan. It was an humbling experience to be in their company & you could not fail to be impressed by their pride in their jobs and their dignity. The following day 42 teams of 4 per team played in the Charity Golf Event on what was a glorious day for golf. The course was in extremely good condition and everyone, including a team of veterans recovering from their wounds, had a great time. The First Prize was won by the British Engines Team. I am incredibly proud to be Captain of a Club which organised such a successful event & I believe we have raised in excess of 30,000 which is a magnificent achievement. I would again thank everyone who was involved in the organisation of the 2 days as well as those who supported the cocktail party & the golf day in whatever way they did. Northumberland Golf Club should be extremely proud of what was achieved.It was a great team effort & success. League Team Since my last report which followed a big defeat at the City of Newcastle we have had a run of 4 straight victories against Blyth, Backworth, Arcot Hall and Newbiggin. My selection policy is based on blending a mixture of youth experience and exuberance and there is nobody more exuberant than the youthful than Tim Bull who played against Newbiggin on 9 June. His opponent was the grandson of a Newbiggin player Tim played in the league some 40 years ago!. To date I have used 12 players in 7 matches & I believe the strength of the team is around the core of 5 players who have played in all the matches so far. We are now half way through the fixtures and are placed in mid table. There are some hard fixtures on the horizon so we are approaching each game at a time and not looking any further ahead than that. Juniors On Sunday 8th May the team was in action in a home fixture against Backworth which ended in a 6-6 draw against an evenly matched side. The following weekend the team was back in action against a very strong City of Newcastle Team and we suffered a 0 12 loss in a one-sided fixture. On 22nd May we had another home match against Parklands and for the third time this season the result was a 6 6 draw. With Tynemouth fielding a team comprising 4 players off a handicap of 5 and 2 off a handicap of 6, we were not expected to win any points but Connor Hoyle played extremely well at number one and secured a well deserved half in a 1 11 defeat for the team. At the half way stage of the season, the team has scored 28 points but despite three draws, has yet to win a match. Half term saw the juniors compete in the annual Fenwick-Smith Trophy competition and we had a strong field of 15 taking part. Richard Coulthard, who the previous evening had won the mens Spoon competition (see below), played off his new handicap of 22 and shot a magnificent net 66 but this was only good enough for third place. Oliver Pratt, last years winner and the defending champion, shot a net 65 but was pipped on count back by his older brother Louis who also shot a 65 but with a better front 9 holes. Club Competition There has been some very fine scoring over the last few weeks & I'm sure some of the lower handicap golfers are hoping for some rain and warmth to allow the rough to grow ! Of recent note is Jon Adams' recent nett 65, Dean Snee's 42 points in the Ernest Marshall and Richard Coulthard's impressive nett 67 where he pushed David Row back into 2nd place. David had a gross 71 so I hope that Richard has other career plans than dentistry ! Friendlies We broke our duck & achieved a stunning 8-4 victory over Newcastle United on 20th May. The next matches are on 24th June -v- Northern Racing & Bamburgh which has been re-arranged for 10 July both are at home. The lists are on the board now and I would urge members to support these long-standing fixtures. Other News Kris Gray has recently returned from the States where he is at University. As well as turning out for the League Team Kris represents the County and has featured in the county 72 hole event as well as being reasonably placed in the national Lagonda Trophy. It is interesting to note that Phil Ridden of the City of Newcastle Golf Club who recently narrowly defeated Kris Bengsston in our League Match won the Lagonda. Tim Bull, Kris Bengsston & Chris Forrest are representing the club in the County Team Event on 11 June at Hexham. We wish them good luck.
Top Tip From Harvey Penick Looking up is the biggest alibi ever invented to explain a bad shot as by the time you look up you have already made the mistake that caused the bad shot. When you are taught to keep your eye on the ball it is really to give you something to think about that won't do any harm. Very few players can say they actually see the ball when they hit it. Even the great Ben Hogan said he lost sight of the ball "somewhere on his down swing"
Good Golfing
Giles Smallwood
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Captain's Log 16.05.11 Starting where I finished in my last report I regret to advise that Chris Hilton and I did not successfully defend the Thompson Shield on 17th April. We both had McIlroy Moments on the 16th which effectively finished any chance we had. However, the day was enjoyed by all the local Captains and Vice Captains who attended and the Shield was won by Newcastle United . League Team On 8th April our team narrowly lost 8-4 to Morpeth away. Morpeth are historically one of the stronger teams in the league and we considered this was a satisfactory start to the season. We followed this match on the 5th May with a halved match at home against Gosforth (Bridlepath). Whilst we could have won this match the result was well received by the team. On 12 May we travelled to the City of Newcastle Golf Club who are one of the favourites to win the league. Whilst we failed to win a match our team all battled well in their individual games and the results were in most cases close. We play Blyth on 19th May at home and we are looking forward to improving on our result against Gosforth and obviously the City of Newcastle ! I would urge members to come along and support even for an hour if they can. As I've said before there is quality golf to be admired and I'm sure our team would appreciate the support. Friendlies We have played two friendly matches so far. The first was against the Chairman's Team where my Team narrowly lost 9 1/2 - 2 1/2 and the second was against Alnmouth golf Club away on a very wet Sunday a week ago which we lost 10-2. I would mention at this stage that my partners and I were victorious in both matches but as I'm often reminded there is no I in Team !! Club Competitions Congratulations to Messrs Anderson and Speker for their winning score of 43 points in the Robinson Schooners and to Messrs McCarthy and Adamson who scored a remarkable 52 points to win the Howarth Trophies .... very impressive. Hard luck to the pairs who came 2nd and 3rd with 51 points !!
I have to mention Tim Bull's exceptional 43 points in the Stableford on 11 May not bad at all for an old bloke I attribute this upturn in form to Tim having been my partner when we played Alnmouth 3 days earlier but I may be wrong. Other News Both Adam Proctor and Howard Jobson achieved holes in one on the 6th May on the 5th and 14th respectively. Well done guys and thanks for the wine & whiskey which was enjoyed after the Captain -v- Chairman's Match. If you have any interesting or amusing stories you would like me to include in this Log then drop me an email to Giles.Smallwood@crawco.co.uk 16 May 2011 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
I carried out my second official duty yesterday, the first being attendance at the wine tasting evening which was very onerous! 15th April 2011 |
|
So here I am one day in to my captaincy and already in a reflective mood after a fantastic weekend. 4th April 2011 |
