Please let me know if you wish to come to Quinta do Lago in Portugal next year- I will only have room for about 5 new teams. The weather looks great for our trip this week.

Maxitours at Brilliant Vale Royal

A damp start at Vale Royal in the heart of Cheshire gave way to glorious sunshine and ideal golfing conditions for my Maxitours competitors today. The golf course was presented to its usual incredibly high standard. This is now a terrific golf venue.
Thanks to Manager Ian Embury and all his highly trained staff for their attention and hospitality throughout the day.

‘Those greens and fairways were excellent. We had a truly great day!’ Said Martin Higgins.
‘I love this place.’ Announced old romantic Rob Kenyon.

No need to beware of the injured golfer today. If International tennis superstar Andrew Murray thought he had problems with a sore hip he could do with looking at hard man John Waddicor – he required the Vale Royal lift to get upstairs just to pick his scorecard up! His team finished last with 71 points.
The Vale Royal greens were immaculate but Martin Bramwell found them harder to read than a Russian newspaper and his team ended in an average 14th place.

The new golf rules seem to have speeded up play a little as most players were around in the four hour mark. Leaving the flag in helps pace of play and James Malkins group looked like something out of a Benny hill sketch as they all frantically tried to locate his ball within three minutes rather than the usual five.

On form Ryder Cup player Matt Kuchar won for the second time this season on the US tour last week but he proved to be an unpopular winner when it was revealed on Twitter that he had paid his local Mexican caddy just 3000 dollars when he won prizemoney in excess of 1.3 million dollars after his first victory last month. It is rumoured that he wouldn’t give a door a bang. His caddy should count himself lucky. As a junior I once caddied up and down 18 holes at Macclesfield Golf Club and was given a Mars bar. My father in law caddied for me when I won the 36 hole Rhyl Classic in 1998. I generously bought him a bacon butty before we went out each day and then I gave him a sleeve of Wilson Ultras as a bonus.

In today’s event Dave Sully and his team of Coppers should have been finding criminals, instead they managed to find some form on the course and took 4th place with 86 points.

Third place went to well-off Dave Sarsfield(18), wealthy Dave Rhodes(16), financial advisor Peter Dobson(9) and wealthiest of the lot, Michael Holmes(13). The Saddleworth quartet actually dropped shots on their final two holes but were delighted with 88 points and 3rd place.

Seventy something year old Joe Yates(14) Alan Forber(14) Gary Nilsson (6) and John Longworth(14) took 2nd place also on 88 points. They had an outstanding 46 points on the tougher back nine win the card play off.

Everyone likes Colin Roberts(20). He is a lovely man who plays in the first match out each week in the Summer months and plays every week off a nice tee in the Winter. In the last ten years he has had just 2 victories. Today Colin and his good pal Geoff Andrews(20) were two players short so I teamed them up with Styals’ Charles Herbert(19) and Northendens’ Ross Birch(8). They saw how golf should be played and took 1st place with a superb 89 points. Well played chaps great golf.

Thanks to all whom played today- what a fantastic day for golf! (Snow tomorrow. )
Yours in Golf, Tim

Nearest the pin 10th Doz AD333 Mike Wainwright
Nearest the pin 16th Doz AD333 Ian Gemmill

2’s sweep £137.50 5 pro V1s or 11 srixons per 2
Graham Kaye John Hilditch Paul Dalby Martin France James Malkins Dave Rhodes Roy Christin Dave Plant Ian Gemmill

Maxitours team of 4 Am Am at Warrington
Next Weds 23rd January
£25 Per head
1 Brian Hopkins x4
2a Simon Poucher x4
2b Richard Blackwell x4
3a Ian Hellens x4
4a
5 Peter Maher x4
5b Dave Tongue x4
6 Gary Neiles x4 tbc
6b John Hilditch x4
7a Jim Caldwell x4
7b Simon Taylor x4
8a Brian Greenbank x4
8b John Gleave x4
9 Richard Williamson x4
10 Steve Lamont x4
11a Colin Roberts x4
11b Simon Hemsley x4
12 Dave Blood x4
13 Phil Vokes x4
14a Mick Mahon x4
14b Lewis Marland x4
15 Dave Sully x4
16 Paul Fell x4
17a Roy Ainsworth x4
17b Jim Clarke x4
18a Les Russon x4
18b Nigel Hallows x4

Maxitours players thoroughly enjoyed playing at Knutsford in the singles event over the past two days. Manchester based European tour star Denis Durnian always rated Knutsford as the best nine hole course he had ever played and the reviews from 80 Maxitours players were also great this week.

‘Please pass on my compliments to the greenkeeper -the greens are fantastic!’. Raved top DJ Charles Herbert.

‘The course was extremely dry and those Greens are amazing for January.’ Reported Colin Roberts.

Cheshire amateur legend Gareth Bradley(+2) had never played Knutsford ‘I can’t believe how good the course is- I will definitely be back.’

Highly rated Head Green keeper Mark Dingle really knows his stuff and he has produced greens of the highest standard for the members over the past 8 years without fail. Keep up the good work Mark.

Thanks also to our excellent new caterers Ceri and Rhiannon for looking after us so well. Brian Ankers likes to get his money’s worth and he said his pre-round bacon butty was the best he has eaten for years. ‘There was half a pig on that sandwich!’ Said the delighted Lymm man.

Maxitours players looked to have partied well over the Christmas festivities and this had a negative effect on my sales turnover. I got my tight-fitting medium Galvin Green stock out for Phil Vokes as he is one of very few Maxitours golfers thin enough to try it on -but I was devastated to see him struggling to zip it up.

For some reason portly Graham Newnes imagined he could get into an extra-large half zip jacket but he ended up needing the help of two teammates to take it off.

Koos Alders wanted some change for the coffee machine and asked playing partner Martin Cox if he had a spare pound. ‘He’s got a few spare pounds.’ Joked good pal Mark Morris.

When Peter Maher picked up his scorecard he showed me an amazing new golf ball that comes equipped with beeps and flashing lights so that it simply can’t be lost. I asked him if it was a Christmas present.
‘No, I found it’ he replied.

In the singles event Milkman Don Milligan(13) whistled his way into the 5th place with an excellent 40 points. He showed his bottle with an excellent par on the tough 17th hole to ensure a solid finish.

Mark Haggerty(14) had the best round of the day yesterday and the well spoken High Legh man wins a Galvin Green windstopper for his efforts. This was good enough for 4th place overall with 41 points.

In the clubhouse John Farnworth(22) had a face which made Andrew Murray look cheerful. He dropped three shots on his final three holes to finish 3rd with 41points.

Second place went to improving Guy Levers(21) from Hale Golf Club with 42 points but this was pipped by an emotional Les Russon (13). Les suffered a heart attack last month after he played at Ringway and this was his first event back. Fortunately for everyone concerned he didn’t feel the pressure today and recorded an excellent 43 points.
‘I feel great!’
Beamed the popular Bramall man. Well played Les, I hope you continue to have a healthy and successful 2019.

Thanks to all players I hope you enjoyed the course and complimentary doughnuts.
Yours in Golf, Tim

Nearest the pin 3rd Brian Hopkins Doz AD333
Nearest the pin 14th Jim Mcewan Doz AD333
Nearest the Pin 5th Les Russon Doz AD333
Nearest the pin 12th Dean Ponter Doz AD333

2’s £125 3 pro v1s or 7 srixon AD333s Martin Cox Dave Cooper x2 Barney Ross Jim McEwan x2 Ian Gallacher Ian Appleton Richard T-Carr Alison Shipstone Russell Humphries Brian Hopkins Ian Ponter James Shipstone

Maxitours AM AM at Vale Royal
Weds 16th Jan

1a Lewis Marland x4
1b John Hilditch x4
2a Dave Sully x4
2b Brian Hopkins x4
3 Roger Percival x4
4Joe Yates x4
5a Peter Mayer x4
5b
6 Ian Waddington x4
7a John Gleave x4
7b Mike Dean x4
8 Bob Mottershead x4
9a Simon Ashton x4
9bRob Weston x4
10 Colin Roberts x4
11a Simon Hemsley x4
11b Dave Blood x4
12a Phil Vokes x4
12b Mick Mahon x4
13 Brian Greenbank x4
14a Peter Dobson x4
14b Sam Leach x4
15a Dave Blease x4
15b Martin Bramwell x4
16 Chris Hammond x4
17 Richard Williamson x4
17b Rob Kenyon x4
18a Les Russon x4
18b Jim Caldwell x4
res Nigel Ashton x1

Jim Clarke x4

Here is the terrific new Maxitoursgolf Summer Schedule for 2019!

Please book early as many of these events fill up quickly.

This summer we are holding events on twenty-four of the best courses in the North West.

I am delighted to announce the addition of Lymm, Davyhulme Park and Leigh Golf Club to give us some fresh challenges.

Thanks to your reliability and integrity our tour continues to grow and it makes me proud when I get regularly complimented on what a terrific group we are.

Thank you very much.

My events continue to be open to all recognised golf club members with active handicaps and who play in the correct spirit and uphold the traditions of the game.

I hope you have a great 2019 on the links,

Yours in Golf,

Tim