KEMPTON
CRICKET CLUBFOUNDED 2003
KEMPTON
CRICKET CLUB
FOUNDED 2003
KEMPTON GOLF SOCIETY.
2008/2009 Season
1st March 2009 : Merrist Wood Golf Club.
After recent events it was a pleasant surprise to be greeted by mild and benign conditions as we met for our March event at Merrist Wood. With our numbers depleted by our younger members being required for pre season net practice, seven diehards arrived to take on the challenge of what was probably the toughest course we have played in recent times, combining length, cunning layout and plenty of hazards. Most of us, as usual combined the inept with the surprisingly good but on such a punishing course errors were punished and scoring, although possible was tough, as demonstrated by Trevor whose two early foray's into sand led to near impossible lies. Most however got their scores moving but from early on Steve Crossley led the way with only Robbie Townsend and Graham Standen able to keep in touch. Steve's round was exceptional as he accumulated points consistently to end an easy winner with a fine total of 40 points. Robbie came in a distant 2nd with 32, whilst Graham was punished severely by the Axeman for playing the wrong ball, his two shot penalty leaving him 3rd on 29. All enjoyed the course and eventually put together a reasonable score, we meet again for the final event on the calendar in April.
To view the scores and handicap status click here.
1st February 2009 : Sherfield Oaks.
One thing the golfers of Kempton CC have learnt during this season is how to play in the cold. After the last two events which were played in sub zero temperatures expectations were for something better this time as we returned to Sherfield Oaks to play the other course. Needless to say we had another test of character as yet again the thermometer failed to move above zero, but to add to the pleasure we had to endure a biting easterly gale which chilled parts of the body many of us had forgotten we had and as we assembled on the first tee the forecast snow looked not far away. With only six members either brave enough or foolhardy enough (dependant on your point of view) to turn out, the early action revolved around who could get the most layers on. Cokey, as usual led the way with five, looking like a cross between The Michelin Man and a terrorist. Graham as usual forgot something, this time rather crucially his wind top which necessitated an unscheduled visit to the pro shop. PG managed a strange concoction of outdoor gear which made him look like he had been dressed in the remnants stock ,section of a bankrupt garden centre, whilst Steve Robbie and Trevor were bundled up with anything they could find or borrow to keep out the wind.
With frozen hands and stiff bodies we set out, straight into the wind and immediately the toughness of the conditions showed as the ball rarely ended up near it's intended target amid winces as the cold club shaft vibrated the hands. PG seemed to settle into a good rhythm fairly early on, and after Steve had overcome a slow start he put together a series of good holes. Trevor played well tee to green but found the hole strangely elusive, a problem also encountered by Cokey in the leading three ball. Every time we saw Graham he was some distance from the fairway and Robbie seemed to be coming back from a poor start to post a decent front nine in the conditions, which saw him hold a slight lead as we turned for home.
On the back nine, the wind seemed to blow even more strongly and colder, but PG managed to maintain a steady game with a fine par 4 into the wind. Graham also began to pick up points and Trevor managed to keep his score going by keeping out of trouble. Steve slipped back as he had a difficult back nine and Cokey likewise slipped out of contention, whilst Robbie was drawn back as he struggled too on the back nine. As the frozen six, as they shall now be known reached the clubhouse PG was crowned the winner with 30 points, just edging out Trevor & Robbie on 29 & Graham on 26. Cokey and Steve came home with 21 each but any score over 20 on such an inhospitable day was a good effort.
An indication of how tough it was out there was demonstrated well on the 18th tee as we attempted to drive into a wind tunnel at full blast and PG's hat went further backwards than his drive went forwards!!
Well done to all those that braved the weather, and as for the rest of you who chose to stay in bed or go to some nice warm indoor nets, good choice. Can we please book some warmer weather for our next outing please.
To view the scores and handicap status click here.
4th January 2009 : Traditions.
For our first outing of 2009 we dusted off the cobwebs from the long Christmas break and headed to Traditions. The weather in the preceding weeks had been dry (good) but cold (bad) and we arrived at the course after a freezing cold night were the temperatures had plummeted to -8C in the area and with no sun to lift the mercury, it was a very cold batch of shivering golfers who wandered off to the first tee. The problems became apparent straight away as it proved impossible to get a tee peg into the frozen ground, but the conditions did help in some ways as a good straight hit was rewarded with excellent length as the ball bounced firmly on the rock hard fairways, however this was countered by problems stopping approach shots on the greens as in the initial holes most players found themselves through the green. It wasn't long before this hardy bunch of golfers adapted their game and played short of the greens to bounce on and in particular Sherfield winner Danny and Ben were soon scoring heavily with Ben scoring heavily with five successive pars. Cokey hit the ball far and straight and was also compiling a fine round but with the absence of perennial wooden spoonist Allan the pressure was on to avoid the indignity of last place. As the players wound there way back to the warmth of the clubhouse Ben had built a useful lead and held off Danny and Cokey to win with 44 points, a fine effort. In fact most players produced excellent scores in the conditions, and after a very close fight with Potty, Robbie took over the wooden spoon from Allan, but at least he had the satisfaction of winning the longest drive (beating the challenging target set by Trevor!!), with Cokey winning the nearest the pin. Potty managed to produce the magical moments of the day, first by trying to retrieve his ball from the frozen surface of the lake, it was tantalisingly just out of reach, but one step on the ice would get it back, you can guess the result and then by getting under his drive on the last and sending it high but not far, only to see it fall to earth on a frozen pond and then proceed very deliberately to bounce high off the ice four times before in once last effort pop off the ice onto the bank. Our next outing is back at Sherfield Oaks on February 1st, lets hope it's not so bloody cold.
To view the scores and handicap status click here.
7th December 2008 : Sherfield Oaks
We took a trip down to rural Hampshire for our December event to play at the Sherfield Oaks Golf Club at Stratfield on Lodden. After one of the coldest nights of the year and some navigational problems our merry band of a dozen hardy souls arrived in temperatures appreciably below zero to find the course completely white with hard frost. The bacon and coffee supplied were welcome to keep out the chill, as was a visit to the pro shop for coloured balls. With three four balls on the course, but with only Robbie having played the course before Smut was duly dispatched back to the pro shop for course planners, a noble gesture, but Smut succeeded only in buying planners for the wrong course which was only noticed as we stood on the 2nd tee not knowing where the green was! The greens were rock hard with frost, which was highlighted as Ben's approach to the 1st Green landed firmly in the centre of the green only to bounce like on concrete and disappear off into the trees at the back of the green. Putting was a bit of a lottery in the conditions, but with no wind good scoring was possible and Ben was off to a fine start with a fine 5 pointer on the 3rd thanks to a chip in from the fringe. Smut & Trevor were also scoring consistently on the way out along with Steve Crossley and Graham but Danny was playing some excellent consistent golf and scoring well. As the course thawed there were some interesting sights as Potty & Richard both demonstrated an inability to remain upright at all times. On the back nine, Trevor slipped out of contention and Ben did likewise as he yo-yo'd between excellent and wayward. Smut's consistent round yielded him a clubhouse lead with 32 points but we eventually had a new winner as Danny's fine round was rewarded with a splendid 35 points. The players were happy to get back in the warmth of the clubhouse as the temperatures plummeted again as the round concluded the last event of 2008. We don't have to wait long to get underway in the new year, with the next meeting at Traditions on January 4th.
To view the scores and handicap status click here.
2nd November 2008 : The Belfry.
Our second meeting of the season saw us fortunate to be able to secure a day at the prestigious Belfry Club, where we were to play the daunting Brabazon course, which has hosted the Ryder Cup. This was obviously a step (or three) up the difficulty ladder, and although the course was not overly long off the yellow tees the set up of the course with both bunkers and water in play most of the time was going to test the merry men of Kempton to the limit. The first, and for some the most difficult test was a meet time of 5.45am at Kempton, however the bleary eyed faithful all emerged from the darkness and piled into the cars for the two hour drive north. Heavy overnight rain had cleared by the time we arrived, but this was sure to limit the run on the fairways, but the first priority was to find breakfast in the huge clubhouse, followed by a visit to the pro shop to stock up on extra balls, and for some the need for extra layers to keep out the cold wind. Then off to the excellent driving range for some much needed ball striking and loosening before returning to the clubhouse for a final practice on the putting green. For many this is were the alarm bells started ringing as despite the damp conditions a gentle tap of the ball sent it yards past the target, taking borrows that were not evident to the eye. With the groupings and handicaps sorted we set off across the course for a shotgun start on the back nine. Most of us managed to get some decent shots away early on, but for many points were hard to come by, mainly due to the immaculate but lightening fast greens which meant for many of us three puts was the norm. As the round progressed some got the speed right and points came, and there were some fine efforts off the tee and fairways to set up point scoring opportunities. However, there was also a lot of cries of despair as balls disappeared into water, trees and bunkers, whilst missing the fairway was always penalised by the next shot being played out of a wet rough. As, five hours later we found our way back to the sanctuary of the clubhouse there were tales of brilliance (mostly from Ben), bad luck (again, mostly from Ben) and a general feeling of what a great course and how tough was that! One player does deserve special mention for standing out on the course, Cokey, impeccably attired in bright pink trousers, shirt and jumper stood out all the way round the course. After making use of the fantastic locker room it was off to the local curry house before starting out on the long trip home. Our thanks to Cokey for organising a fantastic day out, and we look forward to doing it all again on the 7th December at Sherfield Oaks Golf Club in Hook.
To view the scores and handicap status click here.
12th October 2008 : Blue Mountain Golf Club, Bracknell.
The first outing of the winter programme saw 14 keen golfers arrive in thick fog to take on this new venue. The forecast was that any early mist would soon burn off, but it certainly didn't look that way when the opening four balls arrived on the first tee. With visibility less than 100 yards even our modest group of talent would be struggling to follow the ball. This didn't prove a handicap to Danny who played safe by failing to get his opening drive of he tee, thus eliminating any chance of losing his ball. Cokey, as usual was splendidly attired, but with shorts being his choice of dress he picked up a modicum of banter from the rest as we stood awaiting our turn in the fog. His rationale that it would clear and get warm and sunny caused much amusement, but Cokey had the last laugh as the fog almost instantly cleared as he arrived on the tee and by the time all the group had cleared the first green the sun was beaming down and the temperature rocketing to summer levels.
On a course that was new to many of us we generally failed to post the scores we should in the now benign conditions, no doubt caused by the usual combinations of lack of practice, lack of ability, lack of sleep and no lack of alcohol. Nobody managed to play to their handicap but there were some good efforts, especially from PG Lewis whose ability to try and empty the beer from the mobile shop was as good as his golf as he scored a fine 33 points. Cokey, obviously benefiting from keeping cool in his shorts also scored 33 despite being unable to hole anything on the bumpy greens and Richard Warne finally got some reward for having more kit than the average pro shop by coming in with 34 points despite blowing up over the last three holes to lose his chance of taking the lead. The winner therefore was Chris Carr whose total of 35 points gave him a well earned his first KGS society win. Sadly the remainder of the society were left to rue missed opportunities and scores from 19 to 32 with the biggest embarrassment being the inability of any of the players to get on the green on the nearest the pin hole.
Our next outing is the big one, The Belfry. Lets hope we can raise our game.
To view the scores and handicap status click here.