Dear Maxitours player,

Due to the threat of a trolley ban I do now have room for pairs or groups of 4 at Prestbury this Thursday, please email me if you wish to play,
Yours in Golf,
Tim

Maxitours Invitational AM AM to Vilasol 2018!.

Deposits of just £25 a man due within the next two weeks to guarantee your spot!
Please ring Holidays4Golfers 0161 428 0963 to secure your place.

Likely trolley ban at Prestbury on Thursday

Dear Maxitours player,

I have just spoken to the Prestbury Golf Club Head Professional Nick Summerfield who kindly rang me this morning.

With the current forecast of heavy rain today and tomorrow he informs me that there is a VERY good chance of a trolley ban on Thursday. (Buggys are definitely not allowed)

The met office forecast is then pretty good with only minimal rain on Weds and Thursday so the Club are optimistic that the event will go ahead.

Any over 60’s who are struggling to carry a full set will have the option to play with 8 or less Clubs and will receive full handicap allowance instead of 9/10ths.

My website will be updated on Weds morning when a final decision is made regarding trolleys.

Many thanks,
Tim

Vilasol January 2018

£639includes:
3 Rounds tournament golf at the 5 * Vilasol complex, Vilamoura, Portugal.
Great Prizes
Tournament controller (me)
Monarch Flights from Manchester
Golf Club carriage
Range balls before play
4 nights accommodation and breakfast
Last night Gala dinner -free wine/beer
One hour free bar each evening
Airport transfers

Dear Maxitours player,

Many thanks to those who came on last years Maxitours trip to Portugal and made it such a success!

Next years trip has just been fully confirmed for the dates 11th -15th January. The tee times are excellent once again this year – between 9am-11am tee off each day.

The free bar will be 6.30pm-7.30pm each evening so you can have a drink and then head off to the various restaurants with your team.

The team format is exactly the same except due to popular demand we will play each nine twice over the three tournament days.

Holidays for golfers are now taking deposit payments for the trip. Of course I am guaranteeing places for the twelve teams who came last year. I already have 3 NEW teams signed up and I have room for just 20 teams!

There is a slight increase in pricing from £599 to £639 but this is purely to cover the exchange rate which moved from 1.38 to 1.05 which is about an £80 difference which we have tried to absorb.

Please ring Julie or Jo at Holidays4Golfers 0161 428 0963 to reserve your place.

Yours in Golf, Tim

Maxitours at windy and wonderful Wilmslow

Wilmslow was in tremendous condition for the latest Maxitours event. The greens were running fast and true and look set to be terrific for their membership this season. The teeing areas are also the best in Cheshire. Thanks to everyone at this class Golf Club for your hospitality.
‘They are the best greens I’ve played all Winter’ said the well travelled Richard Palmer.

John Farnsworth returned to Maxitours after his unsuccessful Northern Lights spotting trip to Sweden. His team mates were very sympathetic:
‘Do you like my new’ light’weight bag John’
‘Are you having a bacon butty this morning John or are you going for the ‘light’ option?’

Dave Moore looked chirpier than normal at check in this morning after he dropped his regular partners John Stubbs and his old friends for a much younger, more athletic looking team. Looks can be deceiving and experienced Stubbs birdied the 11th on his way to beating his old pal by a shot.

Neil Keelan won some Srixon balls last week. I told him he could have AD333s or soft feel. I explained that there was a choice to suit his game- the soft feels spin a little more and gives a higher flight and great control around the greens and the AD333s also gave great feel with a lower more penetrating flight.
‘Have you got any balls for a terrible golfer with absolutely no feel whatsoever?’ he enquired.

Likeable Bev Crute isn’t as daft as he looks and he was desperate to start his round on the back nine rather than off the first.
‘When we have a bad score we still have a chance to win nearest the pin on the 9th hole’ said the intelligent Knutsford man. Sure enough team mate Trevor Nicholson came up with the goods as he narrowly missed the nearest the pin but coolly rolled in his birdie putt to earn his team some golf balls.

Despite windy conditions, the smooth putting surfaces and shortened course led to some excellent scoring. The Bramall team led by the well prepared Rob Kenyon(14) took 4th place with 85 points. Simon Burgess(14), Ian Handy(12) and Steve Merricks (6)completed the big drinking quartet.

There were three teams tied for first place and all of them scored better on the easier back nine.

Chorley’s Eddie Jordan(14), Brian Carroll (13) David Carroll (5)and Darren McDowell(6) were kicking themselves after collecting just two points on the short seventeenth cost them a win. The lovely Lancastrians had to settle for 3rd.

My car sponsor and all round nice guy Eddie Ellis(15) is improving rapidly and he teamed up with High Legh’s Darren Jones(17), Ben Davies(7) and Graham Aspinall(24) to win his first ever Maxitours prize after several very poor attempts over previous years. They were delighted to finish in 2nd place.

Taking the honours were United legends Stuart Pearson(7), Frank Stapleton(13), Kevin Hawkins(8) and Dave Wilson(7). After a quiet start to their round they burst into life over their closing twelve holes -picking up thirteen shots in a real team effort to record their first victory of the winter season. Well played chaps great golf.

Nearest the pin 9th Richard Palmer doz AD333s
Nearest the pin17th Pete Tinkler doz AD333s

2’s £140 4pro v1s or 10 AD333s each Richard Palmer Rob Williams Trevor Nicholson Kevin Hamilton Paul Dalby Mike Westbrook Kevan Hawkins Pete Tinkler Martin France Jim Hodges Eddie Ellis John Royle

Prestbury start sheet
Thursday 2nd March 11am shotgun
1a Brian Hopkins x4
1b John Stubbs x4
2a Richard Blackwell x2 Eddie Jordan x2
2b Graham Bates x2 Rob Little x2
3
4 Frank Stapleton x4
5 Brian Greenbank x4
5b Pete Norbury x4
6a Jim Caldwell x2 Dave Thomas x2
6b David Kelly x4
7 Dave Blood x4
8a Les Russon x4
8b Lewis Marland x2 John Hilditch x2
9a Colin Roberts x4
10 Mick Mahon x4
11 Martin Bramwell x4
11b Ged Elton x4
12 Alan Vaughan x2 Neil Drummond x2
13 Nick Hercules x2 Dave Lomax x2
13b Dan Huffman x4
14Phil Vokes x4
14b Simon Ashton x4
15 Paul Evans x4
15 Andy Strickley x2 Chris Webster x2
16 Mike George x4
17 George Buchan x4
18a Trevor Foster x4
18b Dale Beaghan x4

Maxitours at Vilasol 2018!
Filling fast!! £25 deposit required per player -10 teams already booked -room for just 10 more £639 11-15th Jan
Please let me know if you would like to come to avoid disapointment!
Free range balls before play
1 Hour free drinks 6.30-7.30
Last night Gala dinner
Excellent prizes
4 nights accommodation and breakfast at Vilasol
Flights and Golf Club Carriage
3 rounds tournament golf on Vilasol
Airport transfers

Maxitours at awesome Ormskirk

Ormskirk is the newest venue on the Maxitours rota and looks set to be a firm favourite. Everyone at this great Club was extremely friendly. Deputy stewardess Sarah and her team were really terrific this morning and old pro Jack Hammond is a great character who is very well liked in the golfing world. Many thanks guys.

The picturesque Golf Course is in the middle of nowhere and a few of our players arrived with muddy cars after various Sat Navs took them down a nearby pot holed single track road. I think Henry Clarke’s golf GPS watch was also playing up as his golf ball was trying to make it’s way down the same single track road after his vicious hook off the 1st tee.

Kev Hart is a top lad but his knowledge of the game leaves a little to be desired. He surveyed the golf course from the Clubhouse window and asked ‘Are these McDougall greens?’
I was busy checking players in before play and asked him ‘What the heck are you talking about now?’
His more intelligent pal Ian Fensom explained that Kev is easily confused with the Scottish surnames Mackenzie and McDougall.

John Farnsworth has played in every event for the past few months and he even came to Portugal with me in January. I actually see more of him than I do my own wife. He was absent today however as he had gone away with his own Mrs on the trip of a lifetime to Sweden to see the Northern lights. He is back home tomorrow but apparently his lovely wife is devastated as there is no sign of any lights. His golf mates told me that he John isn’t too bothered as has been avidly watching the attractive Scandinavian girls instead.

It was enjoyable to watch my players hitting approach shots into the 18th green through the big Clubhouse window and I saw some lovely golf. I don’t know if it was the high quality turf on the fairways but there seemed to be fewer bad shots than usual. Even John Hilditch hit a decent pitch shot into the green. Jim Cox’s approach had a little hint of back spin- nice!

In the pairs event I think young Will Cockayne(7) had been on the drugs as he finished in 49th place alongside Tom Ashmore(7).

The back nine was scoring much easier than the front and a strong finish saw Birchwood’s Alan Simpson(13) and Alan Drew (6) take 5th place with 41 points. On form Tony Stiles(13) and Mick Fenton(6) were even better and they took 4th with 23 points on the back nine.

Retired Koos Alders(14) and Martin Cox (25)worked hard to take 3rd place with 43 points.

Lovely man and Cambridge Zoology graduate Mick Mahon(25) has been playing like a chimp for the last few weeks. He found his rhythm today and teaming up with the enigmatic Richard Palmer(11) they were delighted to score 43 points to finish in 2nd place after winning the card play off .

Leigh golf club’s John Wallis(18) is on fire at the moment. His team won their local domino league on Tuesday and if that wasn’t enough he took first place in today’s Maxitours event. He was knocking the spots off his golf ball on his way to 44 points. The retired air conditioning engineer enjoyed the breezy conditions to earn his first ever Maxitours victory. Joiner Dave Tongue(10) chipped in when he could.

Well played chaps great golf. Thanks to everyone for your terrific support. Only eight weeks until the Masters begins!
Tim

Nearest the pin 12th Trevor Foster Dozen AD333s
Nearest the Pin 17th Pete Birtwistle Dozen AD333s

2’s sweep £172.50 5 pro v1s or dozen AD333s per 2 Dave Tongue Tony Stiles Vic Neilson Martin France Andy Oakes Steve Mericks Graham Kay Pete Birtwistle Gary Vokes Trevor Foster John Atkin Lee Jevons

Summer Maxitours events filling fast!!

Maxitours at stupendous Sandiway

I thought I was back in Portugal as the best day of the year so far was enjoyed by just over 100 Maxitours competitors at Sandiway Golf Club in the heart of Cheshire.

Thanks to top Head Golf Professional Gareth Jones and all the Clubhouse staff for looking after us so well. Nearest the Pin markers are taken out, registration tables are set up and breakfast is cooking before I arrive in the morning- Sandiway is a class act- thank you.

Sandiway is also great track and famous for its free draining fairways and greens. Despite heavy overnight drain the course was incredibly dry and even John Graham’s tatty old shoes which have been leaking for well over five years didn’t let any water in. He was delighted to be wearing dry socks as he enjoyed his pint in the clubhouse for the first time this winter.

It was great to be back organising Maxitours in this country after running and playing in a small overseas pro-am last week and I am feeling mentally stronger than ever ready for the playing season ahead. My twenty stone pro-am team mate Dave Antrobus kept dancing on my line but I didn’t lose my temper once and I haven’t mentioned it to anyone.

In today’s event conditions really were ideal all day so there could be no excuses for any poor scores. Any pairing scoring less than 36 points have got problems.

Fifth place went to Gary Bailey(21) and Pete Hamlett (7)with 43 points. They were rocking like an MFI wardrobe over their closing holes but then managed to hole a couple of tricky putts and were delighted to record their best finish for over a year.

Brian Greenbank(6) travelled the world as a professional paint baller when he was younger. He was hitting the target with some fine shooting today and they would have taken first place had his partner John Newton(21) not missed a one foot putt. Brian only mentioned it five times in the bar.

Sale Golf Club nice guys John Berry(9) and Chris O’Regan(18) took third place and pal Terry Benson marked their card. He kept telling John how good his partner was:
‘your partner Chris has a superb swing’
‘your partner played some solid iron shots’
‘your man there- he is very handy’
‘Your partner has great feel around the greens’ eventually John got fed up with all the compliments and asked him ‘what the hell are you after?’
‘ I’m after your partner’ replied Terry.

Wilmslow’s Jim Caldwell(11) is well into his seventies and fit as a fiddle. This shrewd businessman is even shrewder on the course. He used all his guile and stamina to finish in second place after a strong finish playing with Steve Barlow(4)- brilliant.

Prestbury members Chris Adams(12) and Steve Hall(16) took first place with 44 points. These extremely wealthy retired bankers were feeling sorry for themselves after they only picked up a single point on their first hole. Adams then caught fire, recording three birdies including two, two’s.. Steve eventually contributed with four points after a class birdie on the tough seventh to help them squeeze into 1st place. Well played chaps you have played great golf on a great course.

Thanks to all who played today I hope you enjoyed the day.
Yours in Golf Tim

Nearest the pin on the 8th couldn’t be separated so they share the prize!
Nearest the Pin at 8th hole John Berry/George Buchan 6 srixons each
Nearest the Pin 18th hole Dan Huffman Dozen Srixons

2’s £157.50
4 pro v1s or 10 srixons

Mike Clewley Chris Adams x2 Brian Greenbank John Royle John Stubbs Pete Mellor Steve Barlow John Berry Jim Clarke Roger Percival

Ormskirk Pairs Thursday 16th Feb 11am shotgun
1a Mick Mahon x4
1b Trevor Foster x4
2 Roger Percival x4
2 Lewis Marland x2 John Hilditch x2
3 John Stubbs x4
4 Dave Blood x4
4b Si Hemsley x4
5a Greg Adams x4
5 Brian Hopkins x4
6 Chih Hu x4
7a Mark Pasquill x4
7b Steve Aspinall x4
8 Dale Beaghan x4
9aKoos Alders x4
9b Chris Adams x4
10a Mick Fenton x4
10b David Kelly x4
11 Simon Poucher x4
11a Lee Jevons x2Richard Blackwell x2
12Simon Taylor x4
13a Mark Jones x2 Keith Tunstall x2
13b Nigel Compsty x2 John Hunt x2
14 George Buchan x4
15a Les Russon x4
15b John Heaton x4
16 Eddie Jordan x4
17 Phil Vokes x4
18a Colin Roberts x4

res
Ray Jones x4