Cricket St Thomas Seniors 2

Friday 26th July 2024

Captain congratulates  Kevin Barry on Winning 
3 Birdies, 10 Pars, 5 Bogies - Gross 70
Out in 38, back in 32

Wednesday 24th July 2024

Mike Light , who generously hosted the day,  presented Ian Hildred with The Challenge Cup, along with Seniors Captain Andy Rowland.

[24/07, 18:19] Kevin Barry : Thanks for today all....a fine day out and great company for my round....⛳️⛳️👍👍🍻🍻

[24/07, 18:45] Roger Williams: Yes a great day what a privilege to play with today's outstanding winners. I'm glad I was able to lift Ian's game to new levels 🏌️🏌️

[24/07, 19:13] Gordon Brent: Yes great day great course was a pleasure to play with the winner.

Well done Ian 👍

[24/07, 19:15] Ian Hildred: Thank you gentlemen.  Good company clearly helped me raise my game!!!  Thanks to all the behind the scene work that makes these events possible.  🥳🥂

Full Results from James Siabi Later

Special Guests- The Past Captains

We were sorry that  Norman Markby (2012) and Alan Chance ( 2013) could not be with us, but they will be invited next year when they are back to full health.

More Pics below Plate Results

Challenge Cup Pictures

We were greeted with Coffee & Bacon Butties as Winners of the various rounds eyed each other up.

We had set off at 07:30 for the 75 Mile Trip across the Severn Estuary to Chepstow, Dreading the usual Taunton, Bridgwater, Bristol, M4/M5 hold-ups at morning rush-hour....

(Thanks to Chris Basterfield, for the 17th year telling me to remove the E from Bridgwater)

..but amazingly we all sailed through in not much more than 75 minutes and the busy Motorway was very well behaved and never  a single hold-up, lane closure , road works, accident - amazing.

 I was with Captain Alan and Captain Stuart, so we were kept amused by Stuart's various tales-of-woe as the trip whizzed-by and  we entered the 5000 Acre Hotel, Church, Golf Courses Park area - which boast some of the most beautiful trees you will encounter anywhere.

Mike Light has been a Member / Patron of the Club for over 50 Years and is known by everyone. To accompany him playing The Course is an education, but unless you have a 15-wood in your bag - it's hard to emulate where he puts the ball to avoid trouble.  Huge Trees, Ducks, Swans , Geese - tight Fairways. Gordon Brent said it was certainly not a 'Left-Handers' Couse unless you could bend it right around some of those 500 Year-Old Trees. If you hit one and it fell to the ground - good luck in finding your ball in all the fallen Leaves, Seeds, Twigs Catkins etc 

As most departed around 16:00  our Foursome indulged in a 'Fish-Supper'  to make the most of this most-enjoyable day in a great setting. The weather was not quite as good as forecast, so it was a wooly-pulley rather than a jacket which were removed as the day advanced.

We departed at 17:05 fearing the worst with the traffic - with the Satnav showing lots of yellow & red traffic - but all of it heading INTO Wales and North from Bristol. Again, it was busy but never stopped flowing and we made excellent time on the trip home, Even the A358 around Taunton had cleared by the time we passed. Much quieter as Stu was having a kip in the back seat as Alan kept me awake and alert,

Ready to start - just a 554 Yard Par 5 to get you started !
Spot the difference twixt Challenge Cup Players and the smiling VIP Party who were guests of Mike Light and we played a pairs game with Pope& Light tangling with   Davis & Pearce - all on chauffeur driven buggies provide by Mike.

Final Group of Qualifiers prepare on 1st Tee of The Old Course. There are 2 full 18 Hole Courses here, the other called the Mathern- both have hosted major golf tournaments.

Qualifiers:-

Martyn & Gordon - Stars at Lyme

Mark & Andy - conquered Oake Manor

Mark & David rolled over Stover

..and others that accrued points in the 3 Qualifying Rounds.

Alan, Mike & Stu on the Tee of the 6th with David, Martyn, Mark & Richard ahead. Par 3 6th is considered one of the toughest in the Country with the green guarded by bunkers and slopes , a road to cross from an elevated tee and thick Heather / Balsam to capture any errant swings.

OK, I'm being nagged to reveal the real event.

Spot the CST Callaway in the Cup

As JKP strode to the 6th Tee, Lighter advised that it played longer than the 163 Yards and there was danger all around. Initially thinking 5-iron, I changed to a 6-iron as I saw Stu with a 7 and Mike with some weird utility.  

Struck it nice  and was headed to L/H Bunker with slight fade, bounced just short onto green and ran towards pin- where I lost 'focus'

Alan Davis announced ' That has just rolled straight into the hole'

Usually this turns out to be wrong, so others teed-off.

Stu's 7 iron just made to path and was never seen again. Alan was longer and right but must have bounced right into the undergrowth. As usual Mike played his into the safe area short of the Green.

Failing to find  other balls, strode onto Green with Alan and there it was , lurking in the Cup.

My Maiden Hole-In-One

Ignominy was that it was Index 11 and Course Handicap for St Pierre gave me 31 shots - so amassed 6 Points on this hole alone.

Typical of Golf - I cocked up the following hole and failed to score.

Recovered my composure and scored pretty well on some of the remaining holes . Hit nothing more that my 3-rescue as the Driver stayed in the bag all day.

Had to apologise to group ahead on 17th as our 2nd shots bounced down the hill towards the green, which was 70% wrapped around by the Duck Pond - so players leaving had to exit from front of green where balls were coming from. My 2nd hit the big dead tree just short of the green and diverted in the right direction.

Thanks for all the messages, my First and probably only Ace. 

Club are producing a Certificate for me and it will be in the post soon.

On 19th, James approached me and said 'Congratulations, but you win absolutely nothing' - as we were not, of course, in the Competition.

Great Day , Great Company and so grateful to Mike Light for sponsoring us for the Day - something he has done since the first day of The Challenge Cup.

Monday 22nd July 2024

Start sheet for Fridays Seniors Club Championship is posted in Internal Comps page.

Brean Team now complete see Interclub Matches - Vice says thanks for help

9

 " Hi guys, it's with a heavy heart that I have to tell you, that due to my deteriorating health and eyesight, I have finally decided to hang up my golf shoes and not renew my club membership. 

Judith and I first joined in the year 2000, when Susie made us feel part of the Windwhistle family and Len Fisher was running the club. You had to be 60 to join the Seniors and the course had a very different layout. Since then there have been some spectacular improvements to the club and course .

I remember the good times at club matches and Away Days, golfing holidays at the Ashbury Hotel in Devon, as well as the social events in the club house with our other halves. Pie nights, Burn's night, St George's day lunches, Seniors' dinners, even Carol singing, were part of the social calendar.

During my twenty-four years in the Seniors I have thoroughly enjoyed my golf and met some lovely people and made some good friends.

The greenkeepers and clubhouse staff have always been so friendly and helpful, often putting themselves out to smooth the way for a good day's golf. I would particularly like to thank Alex and Matt in the Pro. Shop, for providing patient and understanding support to this grumpy, aging golfer, in his twilight years.

It's the end of an era for me, but I'm grateful to everyone at Windwhistle, now Cricket St Thomas, for contributing to my wonderful memories.

Wishing you all well, I hope to still see some of you in the future. Enjoy your golf.

Warm regards, Ted Bryden ( Seniors' Captain 2004)."

   The Day ex-Police pursuit Driver Superintendent Edward Bryden locked his keys in car and had to wait 3 hours for Judith to finish 3 Weddings and a Funeral before hot--footing over from West Bay in  her Morris 1000 Traveller to rescue him,

Ted was a stalwart of the Seniors who were run by a strict set of rules ( our Constitution) - and with Vic Gane, Bert etc - they always kept us on the straight & narrow.

Ted's career 'On the Job'  at The Met, included single-handedly arresting Reggie & Ronnie  spotted on a Cray-Fishing Trip; Digging into The  Moors Murderers case after the original investigation got bogged-down and confirming the Yorkshire Ripper was definitely not a Cockney.

As his Mentor that we all watched on our screens as kids would say:-

Goodnight All