CAPTAIN VS CAPTAIN FINALLY ARRIVES
The Official Opening Saturday of the Season finally arrived on 11th April, and it was a real humdinger of a day.
Despite heavy rain in the morning, the sun soon broke through. Although a chilly wind lingered, members enjoyed a fantastic day and once again dug deep in support of the Mellor Country House Charity.
Vice-Captain John Bray spent the day in the Pro Shop from first tee-off to last group, encouraging members to purchase raffle tickets. Prizes included bags of golf balls, a framed photograph of the course kindly donated, and a bottle of whisky.
Meanwhile, I was stationed on the 1st tee challenging all comers to “Beat the Captain” by finding the fairway off the tee. We also ran a Grand National sweepstake, adding to the day’s fundraising and entertainment.
The aim was twofold: to ensure everyone had an enjoyable day, and to raise as much money as possible for Mellor Country House. I’m delighted to say both objectives were well and truly achieved.
There were many highlights throughout the day.
John achieved the remarkable feat of selling over 200 raffle tickets, while the Grand National sweepstake sold out completely by 10am.
On the course, at least a dozen players succeeded in beating the Captain, placing their drives on the first fairway when I failed to do so - a challenging task in the strong winds, and a novel twist on the traditional Captain’s Drive-In!
In the main competition, overall singles winner Marcus Acott produced a superb round, including a two on the 17th hole, to win his division with an excellent 39 points. Congratulations also go to divisional winners Ken Clarke and Phil Cooper.
Nearest the pin on the 11th was won by Anthony Wicks, who took home a bottle of Lanson Black Label Champagne.
Back in the clubhouse, there was a fantastic atmosphere with plenty of winners. Vice-Captain’s daughter Lizzie won the Grand National sweepstake, collecting the £60 first prize. Ian Palmer, John Tomlinson, Alan Little, and chef Louise completed the remaining places.
Other prizes were awarded as follows:
- 20 ProV1s: Rob Davies
- Whisky: Dan Curry
- Framed photograph: Rob Taylor
- Raffle winners: Ron Alexander, Carol Butler, and Mike Priestley
The friendly wager between myself and the Vice-Captain saw the winning team earning a £50 donation to their chosen charity. The Vice-Captain’s team were comfortable winners, averaging 29.3 to the Captain’s 27.5.
In total, we raised an excellent £400 on the day. With a further £50 from the clubhouse charity box and a generous £50 donation from Ted Stockton via the Midlanders Golfing Society, the weekend total reached £500.
John and I would like to thank every member who supported the day, donated, or simply joined in the atmosphere after their round. It was a fantastic start to what we hope will be a memorable year for all the right reasons.
Happy golfing to all,
Phil