A sun kissed Vilasol course witnessed some great golf from our players today.
Shorts and tee shirts were the Order of the Day.
Last year Jim Clarkes team and Richard Palmers team had poor opening rounds after a heavy first night out in Vilamoura. This year they called upon all their mental strength and went to bed early. They were rewarded with excellent returns of 79 points. Leading the way is the Stockport/Bramall senior team of Joe Kirwan, Gareth Bradley, Peter McCullogh and Ian Gemmill. They were delighted with 83 points but have they got the bottle to see it through…..

*Room for just1 team at Caldy next Weds and 1 team at Fairhaven 23rd Jan*

Maxitours at stunning Vale Royal

Vale Royal was the first class setting for the second Maxitours event of 2018. The best weather of the year greeted the full field of players and a truly great days golf was had by all.

The greens were hand mown this morning and the holes were freshly cut as Justin the new Vale Royal Green keeper continues to impress our players with his presentation.

‘Those greens were awesome’ reported Dave Blood.
‘I really, really, loved it out there’ beamed Les Russon.
‘This is my favourite Maxitours venue’ announced knowledgeable Rob Kenyon.

It really felt like Spring was in the air as temperatures soared into double figures. The snowdrops and crocuses were out, the birds were singing and Jim Rymer claimed a daffodil was impeding his backswing in the deep rough behind the 16th green.

Handy-man Barney ‘hard as nails’ Ross is out in all weathers and he enjoyed playing golf in short sleeves in the January sunshine. White collar Financial advisor Geoff Andrews has softer hands and is not quite as tough but even he took his sweater off for half an hour to soak up some much needed vitamin D. Roll on Spring!

Martin Bramwell and Neil McKinlay played in the Hale mens team which narrowly pipped the ladies team by 11 shots. Their good looking wives Gweneth and Jane are both lovely golfers and they are not used to being beaten by their less talented husbands. Gweneth was delighted for hubby Martin : ‘Congratulations darling, by the way it’s bread and jam for your dinner tonight.’

John Royle and Dustin Johnson both hit the drives of their life this week. Dustin hit his tee shot around 360 yards for a tap in eagle. Royles’ drive today on the 10th also finished within two feet of the flag but it was on the 174 yard short par three. ‘It was uphill into a breeze and I took a bit off it’ claimed the Sale man who was overjoyed to win his first Maxitours nearest the pin prize.

In todays event scoring was very close once again. Lymm Golf Club’s Roger Percival(6) Josh Brand(4) Phil Byrne(17) and Ed Wilkinson(7) took third place with 87 points but they were beaten into second on a card play-off by Brookdale’s charismatic Lewis Marland(15), Kevin Seaton(5), Neale Laurent(12) and Josh Ainscough(4). The team played the tough par three holes in an impressive three under par which was the foundation of their success.

Winning today was the strange speaking Accrington team of one retired fireman and three financial advisors. Phil Mahers(11) has stopped fighting fires and is now fighting a hook but this didn’t stop him playing some great golf at Vale Royal. Chris Beaghan(11), Pete Ledger (18)and Pete Houston(13) are well known financial advisors in ‘Akky’ and they have been known to advise clients to invest in whippets, pigeons and meat pies.

Well played chaps great first win of the year.
Thanks for your support, Tim

Nearest the Pin 10th John Royle Dozen AD333s
Nearest the Pin 16th Dave Marchant Dozen AD333s

2’s £145 14 Ad333s or 6 pro V1s Neil McKinlay John Dickenson Richard Williamson Phil Robinson Paul Sherlock Paul Allen Mark Taylor Ed Wilkinson

Start times at Caldy Thursday 18th January
11am shotgun

1a Colin Roberts x4
1bDavid Kelly x4
2 John Hunt x4
3a Simon Taylor x4
3bNeil Edwards x4
4 John Wallis x4
5a Simon Ashton x4
5b Mike Dean x4
6 Simon Walton x4
6b Trevor Foster x4
7 Stuart Reynolds x4
7b Dave Blease x4
8 Ian Hellens x4
9a Martin France x4
9b
10 ian Gemmell x4
11a Simon Hemsley x4
11b Jim Caldwell x4
12aPhil Vokes x4
12b Brian Hopkins x4
13 Lewis Marland x4
14a Richard Blackwell x4
14b Richard Williamson x4
15 Steve Heywood x4
16a Sam Leach x4
16b Jim Rymer x4
17 Les Russon x4
18a Roy Ainsworth x4
18b Lee Tilley x4

**1Space at Vale Royal team of 4 next Wednesday £25 including bacon bap!**
!!!2 PLAYERS REQUIRED FOR WEDNESDAY -LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO PLAY!!!!

Maxitours at windy but wonderful Warrington Golf Club

Maxitours players enjoyed their first visit to Warrington Golf Club in nearly ten years and despite the windy conditions everyone had a great day at this super venue- we will be back very soon!

Most local courses have been closed for weeks but Warrington was well and truly open as the sandy subsoil meant playing surfaces were excellent. John McLoughlan has got the course in great shape and Warrington is shortlisted alongside Carnoustie and Dundonald for a major ecologiocal green keepers award –good luck.
Reay Mackay has also been great to deal with and it is always worth chatting to this highly respected Scottish pro when visiting Warrington.

The golf course sits on the second highest peak in Cheshire so players were exposed to some breezy conditions especially on the Western side of the golf course. Stuart Blake complained that all his hair had been blown away. Things were much calmer in the warm clubhouse and there was only the slightest breath of wind as Angie walked past me with my lasagne and chips at midday.

There were lots of positive reports from my players who were delighted to get a game after the Christmas break.
‘I really enjoyed that – the course was superb considering the rain we have had’ Remarked Pete Norbury
‘Those greens are terrific – they’ve done you proud’ Said Joe Yates
‘This beats looking at the wife all day’ (anonymous player)
‘By eck the weather in Cheshire is better than in Blackburn’ noted Mark Thomas.
‘I’ve enjoyed that and played well today, but I was badly let down by the others’ complained team player Rob Kenyon.

Joe Yates and Steve Collier had a heavy Christmas and both played the wrong ball on the 2nd hole. To make matters worse they did it again three holes later. ‘I’m not playing with those two again’ said weary team mate Roy Ainsworth.

John Noble turned up and toId me that his Mrs wanted him to cancel his golf due to last nights’ storm ‘I woke up this morning and all our power had gone.’
‘Yeah, thought so, you were only hitting your driver 140 yards’ said quick witted team mate Dave Reader.

In today’s event the scoring was tight. Birchwoods talented Steve Aspinall(9), Colin Berry,(12) Alan Drew(6) and Alan Simpson(13) took 3rd with an excellent 86 points.

Jim Caldwell is on steroids for his dodgy shoulder. But this has been a performance enhancing drug for the likeable 70 + year old as he continued his rich vein of form playing alongside Prestbury’s Lee Charnley(5), Andrew Aherne(18) and Peter Griggs(18) to take second place with 87 points.

Ever present Romiley member Dave Blood(8) recorded his first points of the season in the form of a surprise win playing with his good pals Jimmy Cox(4), Andy Sandham(6) and Mike Grainger(6). The friendly quartet all contributed well picking up an impressive ten birdies between them to record a popular win. Well played chaps!

Simon Taylor is a lovely man but is regularly disappointed when his name appears near the lower echelons of the leader board. He was satisfied with his 71 point haul when he handed me his card after play. ‘That’s a respectable score in that wind -I don’t think we’ll be last this week!’ he chuckled. Wrong.

Thanks to everyone for playing despite a dreadful forecast- we got lucky once again. Your support is truly appreciated.

Yours in Golf, Tim

2’s £140 9 pro V1s or 20 Srixon AD333s each Dave Tongue Paul Dalby Dan Moss Steve Heywood Arron Woodward

Todays event at Warrington Golf Club is on

The high winds overnight have dried out the course nicely for us!

See you later, Tim