Terrific June events all filling fast!(still room at brilliant Bramall Park this Tuesday)

Thurs 2nd June Ringway 9-2.30pm Taylor Made AM AM £25
Fri 10th June Hesketh 10.30-3pm Holiday4golfers Pairs £30
Thurs 16th June Fixby 10-3pm Pairs £25- nearly full
Thurs 23rd June Worsley Footjoy Classic 10-3pm AM AM £22.50
Mon 27th June Conway 10.30-3pm AM AM £30 -full

Maxitours at Vale Royal

Summertime finally arrived at Vale Royal Golf Club! Glorious sunshine, not a breath of wind and temperatures in the 70’s meant a great day was had by all.

Head green keeper Jonathon Betts does a world class job and has turned Vale Royal into one of the top courses in the North West. The hand mown greens were running at eleven on the stimp meter and this caused a few problems for the less talented golfers in the field.

General manager Ian Embury is a good man and excellent to work with, his team run a very smooth operation. – Many thanks to all his staff.

It was great to see Sam Leach back in full swing. He had a dodgy curry the night before last week’s Maxitours event at Llangollen and had to retire after 6 holes from food poisoning. ‘I must have been more poorly than I thought ‘ he reported’ ‘I felt so bad I didn’t have a pint for nearly two days.’

Unfortunately today’s sunshine brought out the golfing shorts. Ian Buxton is an award winning baker from Darwin but his legs looked like a pair of undercooked sausage rolls. Chester’s Mark Howson is a keen ornithologist and his sparrow like knee caps were also a cause for concern.

As expected due to the perfect conditions and yellow tees scoring was excellent. ‘Do we get any extra courtesy shots as we were playing best 2 scores from just 3 players?’ enquired Mere’s Dave Madely.
‘Did one of your team not arrive?’ I asked.
‘ No, Mark Wheeler was hopeless’ .

Phil Smeathers’ (6)Knutsford team played some great golf to finish in 5th place, Joe Stanley(5) recorded five birdies, Dave Stanhope(10) came in twelve times and even Dave Antrobus(10) played well. Brendan Leighton’s(16) Macclesfield team also scored 84 points and a strong finish saw them take 4th place.

Sandiway’s Gary Neiles (5) Jim Doran(15) John Longworth(14) and Joe Yates came in late in the day to scrape into 3rd place with 85 points- well played.

Colin Roberts(18) Alsager team is getting better with age. After eight very barren years the team of seventy -something -year -olds have eventually hit some form . Softly spoken Dave Marchant(15) had a career round and he birdied the first and ninth to pick up eight very useful points. Geoff Andrews(21) and Tony Adams(20) also contributed well as the team finished in second.

After over 50 events Brookdale’s Gareth Winston(10) and Gareth Kershaw(13) had their first ever Maxitours victory at Vale Royal in March this year. It was a case of horses for courses as once again playing alongside Alf Shillitoe(19) and Josh Ainscough(3) the likeable lads were delighted to record another win -well played chaps!
Thanks to all players for your terrific support. I hope you have a great summer of golf, Tim.

ps the report is slightly shorter than usual as it’s my birthday and I’m off for a pint.

Nearest the pin 10th Josh Ainscough Dozen AD333s
Nearest the pin 16th Anthony Bloor Dozen AD333s

Wealthy Knutsford farmer Anthony Bloor rolled back the years with a brace of two’s on the tough par three holes to win some golf balls for his team-Excellent play.

2’s £185 Dave Murphy x2 Anthony Bloor x2 Archie Tahir Gareth Winston Mike Stott Jim Hodges Ollie Tovee Joe Stanley Monro Donald Stuart Pearson Gary Youall Chris Heggarty Terry Rathbone Greg Aspinall John Allman Joe Yates

Bramall Park start times
Tuesday 10th May
10.00 Terry Rathbone x4
10.09 Jim Caldwell x2 Monro Donald x2
10.18 Ian King x4
10.27 Ian Ainsworth x4
10.36 Matt Cheffins x4
10.45 Jason Henderson x4
10.54 Roger Percival x4
11.03 Mick Mahon x4
11.12 John Dickenson x2 Al Reid x2
11.21 Dave Stanhope x4
11.30 Trevor Foster x4
11.39 Brian Greenbank x4
11.48 David Kelly x4
11.57
12.06 Richard Taylor -Carr x4
12.15 Les Russon x4
12.24 Gareth Winston x2 Colin Baxendale x2
12.33 Steve Johnson x4
12.42 Paul Wrigley x4
12.51 Ian Bartholomew x2 Josh Brand x2
1.00 Martin Cullen x2 Richard Blackwell x2
1.09 Tony Andrews x4
1.18 Archie Tahir x2
1.27
1.36 Pete Short x4
1.45
1.54
2.03
2.12 Brian Hopkins x4
2.20 Dave Goodwin x4
2.30 Gary Neiles x4

The Llangollen course is open and the forecast is now great. The event is most definitelt goind ahead! Thanks Tim

Spaces this Thursday in the singles event at majestic Knutsford- individual entries welcome- forecast and golf course excellent!
Vale of Llangollen Friday 29th April nearly full
Friday 6th May Vale Royal- nearly full
Bramall Park 24th May- filling well

Maxitours at Sun-cracked Conwy

Another glorious Spring day greeted over 100 Englishmen who travelled to Wales this morning.
Dave Harlow has occasionally been heard to say that I exaggerate the positives with my Maxitours weather reports but in the bar afterwards he looked out of the window and confirmed that ‘there was not a cloud in the sky -stunning’.

The Welsh Ladies Open Strokeplay takes place next week so the green keepers had got the golf course into terrific shape after the long winter- many thanks. The yellow gorse was in full bloom and the mountains looked majestic as a great day was had by all. There was a debate whether the lovely yellow bushes were gorse or broom. ‘Gorse has thorns and broom doesn’t and that was definitely gorse!’ said a pin pricked Tim Spencer.

It was great to see the familiar figure of businessman Dave Antrobus playing again on Maxitours. He is back on his diet and looks good since he replaced his mid round Mars bars with a large packet of maltesers.

I hear some great conversations when I am running my events. Milkman Don Milligan relaxed in the Conwy Clubhouse eating a ham and tomato sandwich. He told Dave Griffiths it was the best ham and tomato sandwich he had ever had and strongly recommended that he should order one.
‘I don’t like tomatoes ‘replied Dave.
‘Just have a ham one then’ suggested Don
‘Oh yeah, good idea’ said Dave

Ten minutes later a ham and tomato sandwich arrived.
‘I thought you didn’t like tomatoes?’ questioned Don
‘oh heck, I forgot to tell her not to put them on’ answered a distraught Dave.

Before his round singer Ken Stephens told thought he had got his life sorted. ‘My missus is jet washing the patio this afternoon whilst I’m playing golf!’ he chuckled. Unfortunately his wife had the last laugh as Ken spent all afternoon ‘spraying’ his golf balls into the Conwy rough.

In today’s event Archie Tahir(5) and good friend Fizz(9) had a good day on the course to collect 44 points and 4th spot.
Nefyn Golf Club member Ian Acton(13) is a waste incinerator by trade. Today it was the Conwy golf course back nine he was burning up on his way to 44 points and 3rd place alongside Kevin Sharratt(12).

.Maxitours regulars John Hilditch(11) and Iain Bartholomew(4) have gradually improved this winter and their recent good form continued with an impressive 46 points for second place.

Four years ago on a sunny day at Conwy Dave Marchant(15) won his one and only Maxitours pairs event. History repeated itself today as the Alsager senior teamed up with good pal Geoff Andrews(23) to score 46 points and win the card play-off. A courageous ‘Danny Willett’ style par at the last for three points completed a successful day on the links for the weel liked chirpy duo. Very well played!
Thanks to all players for your terrific support, Tim

Nearest the pin 2nd Trevor Foster Dozen AD333s
Nearest the pin 15th Lee Jevons Dozen AD333s

2’s £117.50 3 pro v1s or 8 srixons per two
Rob Wood Archie Tahir Peter Cotton Jim Caldwell Lee Jevons Trevor Foster x2 Iain Bartholomew Dave Herbert Aiden Hoosen x2 Graham Wilikinson

Knutsford singles start times
10.30 Colin Roberts x4
10.39 Jim Caldwell x1 Dale Beaghan x2
10.48
10.57 Roger Percival x4
11.06 Phil Vokes x4
11.15 Mark Jones x2 Jason Henderson x2
11.24
11.33 Pete Short x2 John Berry x2
11.42 Simon Ashton x2 Simon Poucher x2
11.51 Brian Hopkins x4
12.00 John Dickenson x2
12.09 Jim Clarke x3
12.18

Vale of Llangollen start times Friday 29th April
10.00 Colin Roberts x4
10.09
10.18 Eddie Ellis x4
10.27 Jack Coleman x4
10.36 Sam Leach x4
10.45
10.54 Roger Percival x4
11.03 Mark Patten x4
11.12 Phil Vokes x4
11.21 Colin Baxendale x4
11.30 Andy Cunningham x4
11.39 Ian Acton x4
11.48 David Kelly x4
11.57 Rob Weston x4
12.06 Steve Aspinall x4
12.15 Roy Ainsworth x4
12.24 Pete Birtwistle x4
12.33 John Dickenson x4
12.42 Steve Hall x2 Joe Donnely x2
12.51 Richard Blackwell x4
1.00 Garry Smith x4
1.09 R Williamson x4
1.18 Ian Lilley x4
1.27 Eddie Ellis x4
1.36 Gary Bailey x4
1.45
1.54 Brian Hopkins x4
2.03 Mick Fenton x4
2.12 Rob Little x4
2.21
2.30 Gary Neiles x4?
2.40
2.50 Phil Ashworth x4
Ray Tennant will join any team

There is room for 2 players at glorious Conwy tomorrow at 2 37 there are also space in the singles event at Knutsford on Thursday Thanks Tim