Day 224 - Banstead Downs 1

This week, I am on a string of golfing days away from Burhill: after Hankley yesterday, now it was the turn of Banstead Downs Golf Course. This is not quite in the same league in terms of setting nor quality but it is still a decent track. The Club is celebrating its 125th year and has a proud history.

I was there with Bryan to take the opportunity for a practice round ahead of our match there on Friday.  I was staggered with how easily they accepted my Captaincy status, with its associated courtesy of the course - very trusting!  Bryan too was allowed the County Card rate, all of which made for a very reasonably priced day's entertainment.

The course itself is set on a chalky base, has some attractive holes and lots of opportunities to lose your golf ball (I lost 3, which is very unusual...).  There are some very long holes, made even longer today by the unusual north-easterly wind - and lots of strategically placed fairway bunkers too. One par 5 at 577 yards into the wind was particularly memorable.

We had a good match, though I was always on the back foot and ended up losing on the 16th hole. We did though mix and match well - and would have been tough opponents in a better ball format: I hope that this augurs well for two days' time...

Day 223 - Cancer Research UK

After a less than trouble-free night, it was time again for an early start: I was due at Hankley Common Golf Club at 0745 to play as a guest of friend Richard in a Charity Day there. It was another glorious day, chilly to start with but the sun soon came out. Hankley is a wonderful course and it was looking particularly beautiful today.

There was a shotgun start and we had drawn the short straw, with a time slot from the 14th tee. This required a lengthy drive out there and we got off to a decent start: before long we had had a few birdies among us and were well on track for the 5-points-a-hole that we had estimated would be a winning score. Unfortunately, we lost concentration towards the start of the second nine and couldn't maintain this average, ending up on a middle of the table 82 points.

We ended up with 82 points - despite numerous attempts to recalculate our total - and as it turned out our forecast was correct: the winners scored 90 points exactly!  Ah well, maybe next year?

My partners in our team were all called Richard today - which made communication both easier and more difficult!  What they did have in common was that they were excellent company and a very pleasant day was had by all.  Richard C had earlier in the year shown considerable interest in my Tesla (he drives an i8) and part of the deal was that I would bring it along and give him a look-see.

After the lunch, there was an auction in aid of the Captains' charity, Cancer Research UK. The auctioneer was very animated and I almost ended up with two purchases - but came home with none! 

I did though win a couple of bottles of wine in the raffle...

Day 222 - Two Thirty

It is a classic Christmas cracker joke: "what is the best time to go to the dentist?". Answer: "Two thirty". Well, when I called the dental surgery up this morning at the crack of dawn, I was given this as my emergency appointment - seemingly with a straight face. Last night, I had taken a bite on a piece of nut in some ice cream and ended up cracking a tooth.

I shall spare you the details, but the long face the dentist pulled when she looked inside my mouth this afternoon told me all I needed to know. Not good. What was also not good was the length of time that the whole procedure took. I have returned home, bruised and sore and feeling sorry for myself.

All of which is a shame as it was another lovely day today (we are having a great patch of weather in late September). I did though go to the Club for a lunch meeting with the new General Manager, Matthew. We had an excellent discussion over a bowl of onion soup and covered not only the uses to which Intelligent Golf has been put, but also a number of the areas where there is still work to do. I look forward to working together with him for the 123 days left of my term.

After my dental visit, I did pop back to the Club again to say (not terribly intelligibly as half my face was frozen...) goodbye and thanks to our Receptionist, Joan, who is retiring from Burhill. Joan has been a great help to many members and their guests and I was delighted to be able to give her a magnum of Champagne on behalf of the Members : may she enjoy the next phase of her life as much as I am!

Day 221 - Autumn Flowers

Today was the date that we had chosen for our first round match in the Autumn Foursomes. I was playing my long-standing golfing partner and our opponents were Mark and Gary - very dangerous opponents of a combined handicap of 14. That they were seen as a tough pairing was something pointed out to us in the bar AND on the putting green before we played...

And as it turned out, the warning was well-meritted!  Our opponents started off par-par which gave them a two shot lead and after that we were on the back foot for the whole match. At one point, we got them back to just one down but, for most of the time, we were three down and in the end this was simply too big a mountain to climb. We succumbed weakly on the 15th, where we had to give them a shot and that was that.

All of this meant that we finished very early: it was probably around 08:15 when we teed off and it wasn't much after 11:00 when we got back to the Clubhouse. This gave us time for a drink in the warm sun, before I headed back home for a very pleasant afternoon with Mrs L, attending a wedding fair at the location of my daughter's nuptials next year.  Miss L is currently not in the country (playing football in Croatia...) so could not be there so she had sent her parents in lieu.

We saw florists, stationers, musicians, cake-makers and photographers - all selling their wares and looking to fill their 2016 diaries.

With a firm date in mind, we were warmly received and we certainly have taken some names and website addresses away to to look at. We shall have to see what the boss thinks...

Day 220 - Early Ripe, Early Rotten

If there has been a better day to play golf this year, I cannot remember it!  The setting for our return match against Malden golf Club was nigh on perfect: warm autumnal sunshine, no wind and a great golf course.  We had delivered a tie in the Away match, with my partner and I failing tow in against their Captain and Prrsident, so we were out to do a bit better this time.

And we did.  Allistair and I dovetailed well and soon established an early lead, helped out in no small way by my pitching in from 96 yards for a birdie on the Stroke Index 1, 5th hole of the Old.  By the time our opponents matched the feat on the 10th, time was running out for them and we ended up closing the game out 4&3.

Many of the other Burhill pairs did the same and this time it was a comprehensive 6-1 victory for the home team.  All the chat afterwards would seem to indicate that it was the speed of our greens that gave them the most difficulties.  A drink in the sun, a fine lunch and it was time to get changed again.

View from our seats

We headed off to Twickenham at about 5 pm and could not believe the absence of traffic. We found our usual parking space and arrived at the ground in plenty of time for the evening fare: England vs Wales in the Group Stage of the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Expectations were high and there was a great atmosphere, with some of the lodest cheers and singing of the anthems that I have ever heard at HQ.  Wales soon established an early lead, but England haiuled them back in and seemd to have the game under control: they were winning all the scrums, stealing lineout ball and yet they kept on giving penalties away, which allowed Wales to stay in the game.

At the end, a well taken try by Wales and yet another penalty conceded (fussy French referee?) saw the visitors steal the game by 28-25.  A mood of despondency settled on the crowd and the walk back to the car was much more muted and a golfing phrase came to mind: Early Ripe, Early Rotten!

Day 219 - Neigbours

Today was one of the final Vets matches of the season: although I hadn't played in the Away match, the team needed an extra player for the Home game and I put my hand up. I was partnered with Paul today and our opponents were Richard and Bruce from Across the Road. 

As far as I could tell, most of the StGH team were called Richard, so at least that made remembering names that bit easier. When I introduced myself to Bruce, I thought that we had met before and he made the connection for me: we had shared a buggy earlier in the summer when I had refereed the Family Foursomes Final. One mystery solved.

We were the last group out and had a very pleasant game, even if the golf was not of the highest standard. I missed two shortish birdie putts on 7 and 12, and then holed a putt that I had no right to for a 2 on 13.  With two holes to go, we were one hole up, but our opponents made good use of their extra shot on 17 and we were unable to capitalise on Paul's on 18 which meant that we had lost 1 Down.  Ouch.

Overall, the team managed a tie: 3 1/2 to 3 1/2, which is never a bad outcome. We had a pre-lunch drink on the terrace and revelled in the glorious sunshine: it was hot!  Another splendid day: great weather, fun golf and a splendid meal as well.  Getting home at about 4, all I could think about was the opportunity to put my feet up...

...which we ended up both doing in front of the $10 million golf from East Lake in the US.  It's only Day 2, but by the time we get to Sunday, I dread to think how much each shot/putt will end up being worth!  It makes our weekend 4 balls for a couple of quid all seem rather tame...

Day 218 - Brum

Birmingham New Street

A very early start saw me on the train up to London before 07:00 in order to make my connection at Euston for Birmingham: a Board Meeting at Ofwat being the cause.  Fortunately, everything went smoothly and I was on time into the New Street station. I hadn't been aware that all the work that had been going on there was complete and the new New station had just been opened to the public: indeed, from the evidence of the crash barriers and the queues, the John Lewis store was holding its first day of sales hat very morning.

I didn't have time to inspect, but as I walked through the station (after a hurried run back to the train to recoup my coat that I had left on the rack!), I spotted a new HEMA store. This I hadn't seen since we left Holland so wandered quickly in and was delighted to see some familiar things on the shelves, including a packet of Stroopwafels, which I purchased for my daughter - her favourites!

Sir David receiving entry to
the new Radio Times Hall of Fame

The meetings(s) progressed well and I was able to get the 16:50 back to London, which meant that, with a few sprints in the middle, I just caught the train at Vauxhall to get me to Hampton Court by 19:15. This meant that I was in time to meet up with Kathryn and Sally, our Club Lady Vice Captain, and husband in a marquee on Hampton Court Green.  We were visiting the inaugural Radio Times Festival (thanks, Sally!) for an evening's conversation between Kirsty Young and Sir David Attenborough.

At 89, he looked remarkably fit and they entertained us with a 2 hour chat around his life and his work, interspersed with a few well-
 chosen clips from his 60-year association with nature programmes and the BBC.  Very entertaining!