Phoenix Members Golf Society
As was the same the previous week, we ended up with 9 players again on Friday, May 3, so it was three teams of three and a best two stableford scores added together to count from the three players.
The Ocean course has now been opened after some 6 to 7 weeks closure for maintenance work, so we decided to stay on the Mountain Lake course so as to give the Ocean a couple more weeks to get into playing condition. They always seem to open the courses too early and the greens especially are not up to good standard and speed.
Tuesday’s winners pose with staff at The Relax Bar.
So, we set off in very hot and humid conditions but with a nice breeze blowing. So much so that after a few holes the dreaded storm clouds started to gather. However, as in most times, they seem to skirt around the course and cling to the hills and mountains surrounding the course area. There was much lightning and thunder about, but all well away from our beloved fairways.
Our team of Clive Robinson, Kritinn Helgason and myself notched up a total of 73 points to win the team prize from the trio of Mukesh Thakker, Granville Swanton & Peter Harris with only 60 points, and the final group of Thierry Petrement, Thierry Temime & Gerrry Hughes managed only 57 points.
The winning score of 73 was quite low compared to other scores in previous weeks. With the soothsayer Clive Robinson proclaiming doom and gloom regarding the difficulty of the greens, we all had a good laugh, especially when we did three-putt.
The individual scores also indicated the difficulty of the course with Clive (the soothsayer) winning with 33 points and myself with 32 points claiming second place.
Near pins went to Kristinn Helgason & Thierry Petrement. 2 were not won and the prize for these went into the lucky draw. Winner of the massage donated by our hosts The Relax Bar was Mukesh Thakker and the free drink went to Peter Harris. This left 3 more lucky draw prizes to award and with only three more players left who had not won anything, everyone was a winner today.
On Tuesday, May 7 we did play the Ocean & Mountain combination – the Lake course now being closed. The Ocean course is most players’ favourite 9 holes here at Phoenix as every hole has its own distinctive character about it.
However, the work that has been done to the entrance to the club and around the Mountain 9th green and practice putting green has been carried out on the Ocean course as well. Many trees have been thinned out and lopped. It was amazing how much easier the nine holes appeared. I say appeared because every player today had a very good front nine on the Ocean course with a not so good back nine on the more difficult MOUNTAIN course.
The winner today (Patrick Browne) had the best evidence of this with 25 points on the front nine and only 17 on the back nine to total up to 42 points. Along with the first prize went the voucher for Ann’s Salon. This was greeted with great delight by everyone as we suggested that Patrick needed it!
In second place with only 39 points (also with a very good front nine) was Giorgio Baccioli. After a couple of years fighting to repair his injuries he finally seems the old Giorgio we knew so well. Third place went to the ever-smiling Granville Swanton who managed to play to his handicap and score 36 points. Fourth place went to John Bartley with 34 points. Seems his holiday worked to refresh him somewhat.
Again only two near pins were claimed today and they went to Granville Swanton and Mukesh Thakker. This meant more lucky draw prizes again and they were won by Bill Hewitt (free massage) Jim Neilson, Joris Goetschalckx (again), Gery Wedl & Richard Baldwin.
There are no major items to discuss regarding the new owners of Phoenix except to say that the course is now undergoing much tidying up and maintenance work. This can only mean a better future at phoenix. If you would like to join our society please call me (Mike) on 087 091 7565. We also organise monthly sea fishing trips.
