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

*Spaces at classic seaside links Conwy pairs on Tuesday (revised times below)
*Spaces at pretty parkland Knutsford singles on Thursday -individual players welcome (times below)
*Llangollen Friday 29th April , Vale Royal 6th May and Bramall 10th May – nearly full

Maxitours at delightful Dunham Forest

As other Manchester courses were once again closing for business due to more overnight rain the stunning Dunham Forest course was playing near its very best. The greens were tremendous and the course was incredibly dry.
‘I have played a few courses over the past month but that was by far the best- tell the green keeper I am very impressed’ remarked intelligent Jason Waite. Thanks also to Mike and Leslie Saxon who somehow manage to serve Michelin star food at golf club prices!

Larger than life characters Roy Ainsworth and Joe Yates were late entries for Dunham Forest and I knew there would be fun and games when I teamed them up with top premiership referee Mike Dean and his partner Pete Tomlinson. Apparently the revelry started on the 8th hole when Roy’s ball horseshoed out of the hole and Roy exclaimed ‘referee!’ After his round I asked Mike how his opponents had played. ‘They were nice blokes but they played so badly I nearly sent both them off after nine holes’ he replied with a wink.
After a better back nine Roy and Joe were delighted to narrowly beat their referee opponent on the final hole. ‘we won in Fergie time!’ chuckled Roy.

Keith Potter(8) is well into his seventies and when he checked in today I was impressed that he was still playing to a single figure handicap. He told me that he used to play off 2 in his youth. I then asked his even older playing partner Peter Freeman(15) if he had ever had a low handicap ‘no, I’ve always been bad’ he replied honestly.

Danny Willett played great golf in the last round to become the first English golfer to win the Masters after a twenty year wait. It has nearly been that long since Hazel Grove’s Geoff Haynes(7) won a Maxitours prize and he played some great golf alongside Bernard Langer ‘lookalike’ Alan Worthington(14) from Davenport. They scored 43 points to finish in 7th, well done.

Paul Wrigley(6) and Aiden Hoosen(1) from Hopwood had their best finish for a couple of years with an excellent 44 points to take 3rd place. ‘I did all the damage’ said modest Wriggers.

Second place went to Mark Wheeler(14) and Dave Murphy(10) from Upton-by-Chester. These two were regular but very unsuccessful Maxitours players four years ago before work got in the way of their golf. The break did them the world of good as they finished second on 45 points.

There was some great golf on the par fives with 69 year old Pete Cotton rolling back the years to reach the 11th in two, Les Penson also from Knutsford started his round with an eagle on the long 1st and then decided to relax for the rest of his round and let his partner Bev Crute do all the work. Classy Iain Bartholomew(4) eagled the 14th with a tap in. Martin France(2) from Lymm went one better when he eagled both the 1st and 11th holes on his way to victory. He teamed up with the much less talented Roger Percival(4) to take 1st place. – Great golf chaps, well played.

Thanks to everyone for your terrific support, yours in golf, Tim

Nearest the pin 8th Richard Powell Dozen AD333s
Nearest the pin 18th Joe Kirwan Dozen AD333s

2’s £162.50 4 pro v1s or 10 srixons per 2 Roger Percival Martin France Dave Murphy Phil Vokes Billy Rawsthore Andy Jackson Matt Kevin Hamilton Simon Cusick Paul Wrigley Dave Goodier Dave Rhodes

This Tuesday’s Conwy Golf Club times (19th April)
10.45 Bob Sutton x4
10.53 Colin Roberts x4
11.01 Ian King x4
11.09 Jim Caldwell x2 Pete Cotton x2
11.17 Mick Mahon x4
11.26 Trevor Foster x4
11.34 Phil Dermott x4
11.43 Colin Baxendale x4
11.52 Ian Acton x2 Lee Jevons x2
12.03 Fizz x4
12.12
12.21 Ian Ainsworth x4
12.30
12.39 Tim Spencer x4
12.48 John Hilditch x4
12.53 Pete Short x2 Martin Cox x2
12.57 Mark Redfern x2 Kev Hart x2
1.06 Simon Poucher x4
1.15 Roy Ainsworth x4
1.24 Max Henderson x4
1.33 Simon Hemsley x4
1.42 Dave Goodier x4
1.50 Reuben Fielding x4
2.00 Paul Wrigley x4
2.10 Gary Garner x2
2.19 Steve Aspinall x4
2.28 Richard Blackwell x2
2.37 Dave Antrobus x4 tbc
2.46 Gav Sutcliffe x4
2.55 Pete Birtwistle x4
3.04
3.13
3.22
3.31
3.49 Mick Fenton x4

Thursdays Knutsford Singles start times(21st April)
10.30 Colin Roberts x4
10.39 Jim Caldwell x2 Mark Jones x2
10.48 Ian King x4
10.57 Roger Percival x4
11.06 Phil Vokes x4
11.15
11.24 11.33 Dave Thomas x2 Pete Short x2
11.42 Simon Ashton x2 Simon Poucher x2
11.51
12.00 John Dickenson x4
12.09 Jim Clarke x2 Jason Henderson x1
12.18
12.30 Brian Hopkins x4

Course update 7.55am
The Mere event is still on. The green keeper is keen to get us out as he says the greens drain well and the the rain is due to ease/stop.

Many thanks Tim