Hopwood Golf Club just keeps getting better and better.
Thanks to Geraldine Connor for being so helpful in rescheduling this event at this five star Club.

Steve Flett is the House manager and one of the best I deal with -he really knows how to look after his customers- the hospitality here is absolutely brilliant.

I put the nearest the Pin markers out first thing this morning and the golf course looked terrific- the newly planted heather behind the bunkers looked great and the attention to detail from tee to green was superb.

Mike ‘Elvis’ Priestley was playing his first Maxitours event. I asked him if he enjoyed his day but he told me that he struggled in the bunkers:
‘‘I was caught in a trap
I can’t get out- Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh’’

There is never a dull moment in Andy Hale’s golf career. Today the ten handicap Wigan man turned up hobbling with a heavily bandaged shin. After a poor chip shot at the weekend he had swung his Pitching wedge in frustration and took a shallow divot out of his shin. ‘It could have been worse- my other wedge has less bounce!’

Nigel Ashton was brought up near Oldham. He looks like a Northerner, talks like a Northerner and eats like a Northerner. He was delighted to see them selling Black pudding flavour crisps behind the Hopwood bar and quickly ordered a bag with his pint. He enjoyed his refreshments so much he decided to have another pint :
‘It’s a long shot but have you got any pigs feet flavour crisps?’
‘No’ replied the bar maid.

Incredibly every team in today’s event scored more points on the front nine than the tough Hopwood back nine.

Third place went to the first mother and son combination to play Maxitours. Sarah(18) and Rob(4)Ormrod, John Delaney(5), and Dave Greenwood(12) all had a great day on the links and scored 86 points.

Top Manchester Solicitor Martin Keates(2) from Withington Golf Club and his less able team of Steve Marsh(6) John Owen(11) and Gary Smith(7) took 2nd with 86 points. Things must be quiet at work for Martin as he had an incredible 8 birdies on the stunning Hopwood course. The rest of his team were far more average.

Simon Hemsley(9), Ian King(7) Joe Kirwan(5) and Gareth Bradley(+1) have played in nearly every Maxitours event since its inception 14 years ago when I had flowing brown hair. They had their best ever score today with 90 points to win by four shots. Gareth Bradley had two eagles and even Ian King played well. Joe and Simon scored heavily on their shot holes. Well played chaps great golf!
The Bramall nice guys also won the overall two day event.- Congratulations!

Thanks to everyone who played today, it was slightly moist at times but I still had lots of happy customers! Tim

Nearest the Pin 13th Ian King Doz AD333s
Nearest the Pin 16th Frank Hindle Doz AD333s

2’s sweep £90 13 PROV1s or 32 Srixons each
Martin Keates Danny Ritchie

Llangollen start times Friday 12th October
9.30Colin Roberts x4
9.38 Simon Hemsley x4
9.46 Jim Caldwell x4
9.55 Paul Robinson x4
10.04 Brian Hopkins x4
10.12 Barry Simpson x4
10.21 Neil Edwards x4
10.30 Paul Evans x4
10.39 Lewis Marland x4
10.47 Nigel Hallows x4
10.56 Simon Poucher x4
11.04 Ashley Elliott x4
11.13 Ed Pysden x4
11.21 Stuart Taylor x4
11.30 Steve Heywood x4
11.39 Les Russon x4
11.48 Steve Johnson x4
11.57 John Hunt x4
12.06 John Dickenson x4
12.15 Bob Mottershead x4
12.20 Denis Whelan x4
12.24 Paul Fell x4
12.33 Mike Sallabank x4
12.42 John Hudson x4
12.51David Smith x2Denis Whelan x2tbc
1.00David Smith x4
1.09Steve Parle x4
1.18Bernard Wood x4
1.27Chris Ernill x4
1.36 Gordon Warke x4
1.45 Simon Ashton x4
1.54 Dave Griffiths x4
2.03 Tom Baker x4