Seniors vs Gog Magog Elders at home Tuesday July 27 2021

Organiser David Crosby reports on the day’s action

"And then there were 11...". Just 11 of the original 16 selected for the match vs Gog Magog Elders eventually played. And even 2 of the 3 reserves pulled in also pulled out before the day. All for good reasons - but 7 changes in total!! No wonder I'm getting old. No wonder I made the silly mistake of having two copies of the team sheet saved which, apparently, I randomly opened to make the necessary changes to personnel and their handicaps. In future every golfer will have a WHS app on their phone which will 'Ping' when their handicap index changes. Do I digress? Sorry.

Despite the meltdown above, Bill and David started flat out. Well - Bill was flat out, doing a great impression of an extendable ball retriever when David found his drive in THAT tree on the right of the first! Some traditions do not change. Despite being 2 up after 2, I did not let Bill down and helped him to a defeat 1 down on the last. Expectations for next year are great however as Algy and Andy Shilton won 5 and 4. Last minute stand-in Jack Shepherd with all-original Terry Sweeney delivered another loss with Neil Pinnington and Chris Roy squeezing a half. Then the sun shone. Steve Collins (about whom more later) and Ian Riches overpowered their opponents 4 and 3 in such a way that they ran for cover after the 16th and got their meal before us! The Honoraries, Jonathan Lean and Richard Westergreen-Thorne, peaked by delivering another half before Colin Newbury and Tony Goodson cancelled out our 1 down loss with their 1 up win. John O'Gaunt are leading 4:3! But all good things come to an end and Greg Whitecross and Jim Peacock came to an early end losing 2 and 1 and just playing the 18th for fun.

4:4 was the final result (phew!) - and we all had fun. Andy Powell won the Elders NTP on the 4th and sank his putt. Steve Collins won the JOGS NTP but, when asked about his putt, declined to comment. A ham, chicken and leak pie was followed by a summer fruit dessert - and we sat at round tables in 8s!! Is the world becoming normal again? I do hope so.

Thank you to the reserves and the reserves reserves. Thank you to our worthy opponents. Thank you - again - to Michael and the Greens and F&B teams for delivering almost everything we needed for a perfect day. I gather Bill has ANOTHER lesson on Thursday ..... Oh well! Bourne next.