Great upcoming Maxitours events
Vale Royal Weds 16th Dec- full
Caldy Thurs 7th Jan – room for 2 teams
Vale Royal Weds 13th Jan – last few spots
Ormskirk Thurs 21st- last few spots
Fairhaven Tuesday 26th -last few spots

Maxitours at the excellent and rain-free Ringway Golf Club

Ringway Golf Club kindly hosted today’s Maxitours event. There was an Incredible amount of overnight rain which caused flooding throughout the North West. I knew the event might be in doubt when half the car park was underwater when I arrived but the head green keeper was very optimistic that the free draining course would remain open!

Highly qualified Richie is a pleasure to deal with and he was very keen to not to disappoint our players. Right on cue the rain stopped at 11am and our players had a superb dry day on this great course which was one of the very few to be open in Manchester .

Thanks to all the staff for their wonderful hospitality, Ringway really make us feel very welcome indeed. The club has had some terrific Golf professionals in its long history and the trio of Tom Bruce, Alex Robertson and Nick Ryan will have served the club for a total of 100 years when Nick retires in February. We will miss his terrific service when Maxitours returns to Ringway in March. All the best Nick – a real legend and terrific role model.

The Knutsford Golf Club team have played in many events and been very supportive towards me throughout this season. Last week I felt guilty after they had a long walk to their nominated tee so I moved them to the first tee last night as a Christmas treat. I told their skipper Dave Kelly and his chums John Atkin and Dave Harlow the good news as they checked in. Unfortunately I forgot to tell their 4th member Stuart Blake. During your round today you may have spotted the likeable but lonely Geordie trudging for several miles around the Ringway Golf course scratching his head as he searched for his team.

Scoring was incredibly tight in the Am Am event as 4 teams shared second place with 84 points.

My old school PE teacher Pete Holmes from Macclesfield told me off on more than one occasion in the 1980’s for forgetting my white sport socks. I was delighted to see him finish in 5th place today and I took great pleasure in presenting him with a pair of black FJ socks for his efforts.

Mark Birtwistles Clitheroe team also had 84 points however a poor back nine relegating them into 4th place. Paul Nightingale(6), Mark Jones(12) and Alex Ashworth(10) completed the team.

High Legh’s Dave Stanhope(10), Dave Thomas(16), Mark Hegarty(13) and Tony Taylor(5) were ‘High Legh’ unlikely to win anything before they teed off after several recent poor performances. ‘We all played well’ said the ‘High Legh’ delighted nice guy Dave Stanhope as his team took 3rd place.

Second place went to top Saddleworth businessmen Dave Rhodes(16), Pete Norbury(18), Lee Tilley(11) and Dave Sarsfield(18). The four good pals are minted and they went to Barbados with their wives last week to prepare for today’s event. They were delighted to take runners up spot.

First place went to Paul Dalby(4), Phil Vokes(4), Steve Latchford(7) and Barney Ross(6). These guys play each week and are out in Manchester on their very own ‘Christmas Maxitours night’ out tonight. They could be seen playing some very good golf in some very bad Christmas sweaters. Their 86 points was good enough for their first win since March. Well played chaps.

Thanks to everyone for completing your round in just over 4 hours- terrific.
Nearest the Pin 13th Graham Kaye Dozen AD333’s
Nearest the Pin 16th Barry Jackson Dozen AD333’s
2’s £132.50 6 pro v1s or 14 Srixon AD333s each Mark Brierley Tony Andrews Andy Jackson Andy Collier Barry Jackson Johnny Barton John Morsfield

Vale Royal
Weds 16th December 11am shotgun start
1a David Kelly x4
1b Lewis Marland x4
2a John Hilditch x4
2b R Blackwell x4
3 Barry Jackson x4
4 Mark Birtwistle x4
4b Gav Dixon x4
5a Dave Thomas x4
5b Richard Taylor Carr x4
6 Bob Mottershead x4
7a Neil Higgins x4
7b Neil Higgins x4
8a Chris Adams x4
9a Dave Parsons x4
9b Dave Sarsfield x4
10a Ian King x4
11a Jim Caldwell x4
11b John Stubbs x4
12a Richard Williamson x4
12b Mick Mahon x4
13 Bev Crute x4
14Roger Percival x4
14b Frank Stapleton x4
15a Dave Blood x4
15b Phil Vokes x4
16 Steve Johnson x4
17 Phil Dermott x4
18a Trevor Foster x4
18b Brian Hopkins x4
reserves
Leigh Smart x4
Mark Simister x4
Kenneth Chinn x4
Liam Harrison x4

I have just been on the course and it is pretty wet the green keeper is moving pins to high areas and the rain is now easing from 11am onwards. The greens drain well and should be fit for play so fingers crossed. Tim

The course is open today and the Ringway green keeper is happy for is to play . The rain should stop at 9ish ! See you later Tim

Great upcoming Maxitours events
Weds 16th Dec Vale Royal AM AM-full
Thurs 7th Jan Caldy AM AM 7th Jan – spaces
Weds 13th Jan Vale Royal AM AM -spaces
Thurs 21st Jan Ormskirk-full
Tues 26th Jan Fairhaven- last 2 spaces

Spaces in the team of 4 event next Thursday at Ringway!
Etiqus Pairs at Dunham Forest

Very pleasant Mediterranean conditions greeted the full field of Maxitours competitors at lovely Dunham Forest today.

Dunham is a great club with really professional and helpful employees. Even when absent minded Barney Ross locked his keys in his car the Dunham bag attendant came to the rescue with his trusty coat hanger. (He assures me that this is the first time he has ever broken into a car.) Thank you to Dunham Forest and all their staff for your excellent hospitality.

The course is as well drained as any in the Manchester area and there were lots of positive comments about this superb test of golf.

‘Our course has been closed for the last few weeks -I can’t believe how dry it is out there!’ said Mark Gregg.
‘Brilliant!’ said Gary Parle.
‘It was nice to play on this great course without my sweater on’ said warm blooded James Eadie.

There have been many frustrated golfers in the Manchester area over the past three weeks and today 100 of them enjoyed their day in the sun. One player admitted that on Monday he was dragged around Marks and Spencer’s shopping with his wife as his course was flooded . He took the opportunity to sharpen up his address position and backswing with the aid of one of the large mirrors in the Handforth Dean store. He was amused to look across the shop floor and see a fellow bored golfer with his wife looking in one of the mirrors to see if his wrist hinge was on plane.

Brian Ankers plays with his good pal Roy Ainsworth every week. Kind hearted Ainsworth strikes the ball like a single figure player but has been known to fluff the odd pitch. Unfortunately Brian gives him very little sympathy. ‘I could throw a piano closer to the hole than he chips it’ was all he could say in the clubhouse after play.

Roger Percival(6) has seriously underperformed over the past four years but in the last few weeks his form has really improved. He has found his game and results are starting to reflect this. ‘Things started to get better last month when I started playing with the charismatic and confidence inspiring Ed Wilkinson(6)’ said the likeable Lymm man.’ I call it the ‘Jurgen Klopp’ effect’ . They finished 4th today with 43 points.

Paul Nightingale(12) and Mark Jones(6) from Clitheroe scored 44 points despite recent handicap reductions after a great start to the winter tour. Once again the strange talking Lancastrians played excellent golf to take 3rd place.

Martin France and Pete Atherton also from Lymm took the runners up spot with 44 points. Martin is a huge ‘ I’m a celebrity fan’ and is known as Lady C by his pals as he can get aggressive if things don’t go all his own way on the course. He played twelve star golf today and will be eating well tonight after a satisfying 2nd place finish.

Winning today was the ever present pairing of Richard Palmer(11) and John Farnsworth(21). These guys have not won together for a couple of barren years and were delighted to see their fair share of putts fall in on the excellent Dunham greens. They scored an amazing Maxitours record 27 points on the back nine. Well played chaps-great golf!

Thanks to everyone who entered the Etiqus Charity Challenge, 72 players entered and £360 was raised for the Golf Foundation, fantastic. The shotgun start placed Joe Kirwan on the Etiqus Challenge 3rd hole and he incredibly holed his first shot of the day to win a watch! Gary Butler then kindly offered a second watch for the next closest to the pin to give the rest of the field a chance and this was narrowly won by Iain Bartholomew. Look on the website for an ideal Christmas present. http://www.Etiqus.co.uk

Nearest the Pin on 3rd Joe Kirwan (hole in one) & Ian Bartholomew both win fantastic new Etiqus watches.

Nearest the pin 18th hole Dozen AD333s

2’s £125.00 2 pro V1s or 6 srixon AD333s each Phil Vokes Gary Parle Richard Palmer Mick Mahon Leigh Smart Lee Tilley Peter Atherton Martin France Mark Jones Ed Wilkinson Aiden Hoosen John Hilditch Iain Bartholomew Peter Hall Stuart Pearson Peter Cross x2 Geoff Underhill

Ringway team of 4 AM AM
Thursday 10th December 11am Shotgun
Still spaces!

1a Roy Ainsworth x4
1b Ian King x4
2a Roger Percival x4
2b Dave Blood x4
3
4 Phil Vokes x4
5
6 Mark Birtwistle x4
7a Ian Ainsworth x4
7b
8 Steve Aspinall x4
9a Richard Blackwell x4
9b Dave Sarsfield x4
10a Mick Mahon x4
10b Sam Leach x4
11
12 Dave Stanhope x4
13a Leigh Smart x4
13b Jim Caldwell x4
14a David Kelly x4
14bJohn Stubbs x4
15 Barrie Simpson x4
16 Lewis Marland x4
17a Rob Weston x4
17b Graham Littler
18 Barry Jackson x4

Todays event is most definitely ON the course looks great.
Many thanks Tim