Booking is almost finalised, just waiting for those deposits to roll in!
See the 2018 Itinerary page.
Tuesday, 21 November 2017
Wednesday, 12 July 2017
Day 3 - 2017 Links Championship Tour
After a grey day and a wet day, we finally get a nice sunny day... who says it always rains in Wales?
The only other time every one came together was in the bar the previous night when I got a round in to celebrate my 'hole in one'... did I mention I had a 'hole in one'??
With the fine weather came some spectacular views from the very challenging Pennard Golf Course.
Two or three rose admirably to challenge and posted respectable scores (primarily those that were tucked up in bed with a cup of cocoa by 9.00pm!)
Nice to see all 16 players together for the group photo, well done John Alexander for organising one of the locals to take the pic!
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| The 2017 Links Championships Tourists |
With the fine weather came some spectacular views from the very challenging Pennard Golf Course.
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| View From The 17th Tee |
| 10-Jul | 12-Jul | Champs | ||||
| Hcp | Ashburnham | Pennard | Total Pts | |||
| Rod Rapley | 17 | 38 | 37 | 75 | ||
| John Alexander | 13 | 36 | 31 | 67 | ||
| Steve Wallace | 10 | 28 | 36 | 64 | ||
| Bob Kirkwood | 18 | 36 | 27 | 63 | ||
| James Barnatt | 14 | 32 | 25 | 57 | ||
| Mike Steward | 18 | 33 | 22 | 55 | ||
| Cliff Smith | 23 | 26 | 28 | 54 | ||
| Dave Williams | 15 | 28 | 26 | 54 | ||
| Andy Wright | 18 | 31 | 21 | 52 | ||
| Glyn Rees | 26 | 25 | 21 | 46 | ||
| Angie Bassett | 28 | 21 | 19 | 40 | ||
| Mark Stevens | 13 | 19 | 15 | 34 | ||
| Alan Lake | 21 | 20 | 14 | 34 | ||
| Steve Miles | 28 | 14 | 9 | 23 | ||
| Knobby Bassett* | 15 | 22 | 0 | 22 |
*Unable to play day 3 due to injury.
And so it came to pass, the winner of the 2017 Links Championship was Rod Rapley, shooting better than net par on both championship rounds and runner-up for the second year running was John Alexander.
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| 2017 Winner Rod Rapley Receiving The Trophy From 2016 Winner Mike Steward |
Of course, someone has to come last and take home the giraffe, unfortunately that honour fell to Knobby who was unable to play the final round due to injury... and for the second year running the official photographer failed to get a pic of the two together... or did he!
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| Knobby Proudly Standing Behind His Trophy. |
Tuesday, 11 July 2017
Day 2 - 2017 Links Championship Tour
And so on to the 'fun' day... a three-a-side team event at Machynys Golf Club.
Teams were decided according to performance on day 1, as follows -
1st + 15th + Random draw from 6th to 10th
2nd + 14th + Random draw from 6th to 10th
and so on..... all clear? Good.
Unfortunately the forecast rain turned up just as we were about to tee off and persisted for the whole round... well it was Wales!!
Anyhoooo, it turns out the winning team was Mike Steward, Angie Bassett and Dave Williams with Rod Rapley, Steve Miles and Andy Wright hot on their heels in second place.
Of course no one is really interested in that old tosh, what you really want to read about is my first ever 'Hole In One'.
"Really, hole in one?" I hear you all gasp, "Please tell us all about it."
Well OK, if you insist... it was the fiendishly difficult 2nd hole, it measured 156yds to the flag and it was it was straight into the teeth of a 'stiff breeze'. As you can see from the photo there was water and a bunker in front, the flag was just to the right of the guy in the red jacket.
As we were waiting for the group in front I had plenty of time to do all the necessary calculations and concluded it would need a well struck 5 iron.
And strike it well I did! But as I could hear the group behind approaching the tee I didn't hold the pose and admire the shot, instead I picked up the tee, put my club away and headed off to the green.
On arriving at the green I was rather surprised to not find any balls on it, after a bit of head scratching Bob Kirkwood suggested looking in the hole... and there she was, luvvly, jubbly, 1 for 5 pts, thank you very much!
Teams were decided according to performance on day 1, as follows -
1st + 15th + Random draw from 6th to 10th
2nd + 14th + Random draw from 6th to 10th
and so on..... all clear? Good.
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| 11th Green From The Tee |
Anyhoooo, it turns out the winning team was Mike Steward, Angie Bassett and Dave Williams with Rod Rapley, Steve Miles and Andy Wright hot on their heels in second place.
Of course no one is really interested in that old tosh, what you really want to read about is my first ever 'Hole In One'.
"Really, hole in one?" I hear you all gasp, "Please tell us all about it."
 |
| The 'Fiendishly Difficult' Par 3 2nd |
As we were waiting for the group in front I had plenty of time to do all the necessary calculations and concluded it would need a well struck 5 iron.
And strike it well I did! But as I could hear the group behind approaching the tee I didn't hold the pose and admire the shot, instead I picked up the tee, put my club away and headed off to the green.
On arriving at the green I was rather surprised to not find any balls on it, after a bit of head scratching Bob Kirkwood suggested looking in the hole... and there she was, luvvly, jubbly, 1 for 5 pts, thank you very much!
Monday, 10 July 2017
Day 1 - 2017 Links Championship Tour
Round one of the 2017 Links Championship took place at Ashburnham Golf Club, in South Wales. This is a very traditional links style, 9 out - 9 back type of course, for the most part it is fairly straightforward with only a few blind shots.
It was fairly grey day, but luckily the rain held off, there was just a stiff breeze in our faces to contend with on the outward holes.
As can be seen from the scores below, some found it 'fairly straightforward'... others not so much!!!
It was fairly grey day, but luckily the rain held off, there was just a stiff breeze in our faces to contend with on the outward holes.
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| View across 18th green to clubhouse and 1st tee |
| Hcp | Pts | |
| Rod Rapley | 17 | 38 |
| Bob Kirkwood | 18 | 36 |
| John Alexander | 13 | 36 |
| Mike Steward | 18 | 33 |
| James Barnatt | 14 | 32 |
| Andy Wright | 18 | 31 |
| Steve Wallace | 10 | 28 |
| Dave Williams | 15 | 28 |
| Cliff Smith | 23 | 26 |
| Glyn Rees | 26 | 25 |
| Knobby Bassett | 15 | 22 |
| Angie Bassett | 28 | 21 |
| Alan Lake | 21 | 20 |
| Mark Stevens | 13 | 19 |
| Steve Miles | 28 | 14 |
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