exCAP Open Golf Report and Results 2014

Mike West's report from the exCAP Open.

Hi there Everyone

First of all many thanks once again to you all for coming, and especially to our guests who helped us to get up to a modest quorum, which all - along with the course being in magnificent condition, the weather which (personally) I found just about perfect, and the usual warm welcome from the club - not forgetting the nosh which I thought was exceedingly agreeable - made for a positively splendid day!

Not, it has to be admitted, that as a group we exactly burned up the course - scoring was a tad low! I guess mind, looked at it another way, given that we all took slightly more shots than we may well have done in the past, to put the pesky thing in the hole(s), at least it meant even though the quality may have been a tad short, we certainly made up for it with the quantity - and so, in a way, we got more for our money!

In the end though, with these sorts of occasion, while it is always a bit more satisfying to win something - even a raffle prize! - I hope that for you all, much of the enjoyment is with the meeting, and playing with, the others. I for one had a fabulous day, mainly thanks to having you all there and hopefully you all enjoying yourselves. Many thanks!

As for the golf itself, while probably the least said about the actual scores the better, congratulations should still go to those who did take home something from their day's endeavours, and commiserations to those who didn't! Without detailing the general scoring, the attached 'Winner's List' shows who did what.

A special mention I feel should go to the defending Champion, Martin Proudlove, for the most gracious manner in which he relinquished his crown on the very last putt of his own round - having sunk his own putt and set the mark, he vociferously egged on my own putt to fall. Frankly after having left my first putt pathetically, some ten feet short (and wide) of the hole, I cannot really claim a great deal of satisfaction for my final success - it surely only dropped thanks to Martin's enthusiastic encouragement!

Finally, a very warm and sincere thank you, must go to you all, on behalf of the NSPCC, to which I will be sending a donation of One hundred and Twenty pounds (£120.00) - this being the money raised from both the raffle and the Tote. Andy Bucks won the latter, predicting the total number of (paltry) points that we all scored on the day, and then very generously donated his winnings to the Children! In the event saving me from much embarrassment, as subsequently I got the monies from the two 'collections' all mixed up! Maybe next year we'll collect for the Altzeimer's Society - a body with which I can much more readily identify, and which is much closer to home!

But your generosity knows no bounds. Many, many thanks to you all.

Well that's about it. If anyone does have some photographs, if you let me have them, I'll forward them of to our CAP site (www.capnews.org) Web Master, who I'm sure will be delighted to put them up for all to see.

I trust that you all got home safely last night and weren't feeling too suicidal following the night's shenanikins in Brazil! Don't worry, like golf, it's only a game and there is always next time!

Talking of next time, the good Lord willing, see you all again next year - in the mean time, until we meet again, keep your balls on the fairway, and stay healthy and happy!

Cheers for now

Westie

and the all important results:

Mystery Six: Anne Le Marinel [11]
(Bottle of wine)
Longest Drive: Rob Lord
(Bottle of wine)
Nearest the Pin: Rob Lord
(Bottle of wine)
The John Ritchie Jug: Mike West [15]
(The BJR JUG/Bottle of wine/Three golf balls)
Booby prize for the Lowest Score: Tim William [xx]
(Bottle of wine)
Tote Money Pot Winner: Andy Buchan [315]
(Tote Money Pot - Donated to the NSPCC)
Par 3 Champion: Rob Lord [9]
(Plaque/Bottle of port/Three golf balls)
Par 3 Runner Up: Mike West [8]
(Bottle of wine)
Par 3 Third Place: Graham Elliott [6]
(Three golf balls)
Open Champion: Mike West (on count back) [32]
(CAPii/Bottle Grant's Whisky/Three golf balls)
Open Runner Up: Martin Proudlove [32]
(Bottle of wine)
Open Third Place: Andy Buchan [30]
(Three golf balls)