Monday 3rd August 2015

Another good day, in every respect. The weather held, dry with a chance of a shower which thankfully never materialised and a reasonable breeze to keep us cool.

This was the return match and their Seniors' Captain, Peter Bright, had drafted in a new partner, Barry Mayer, and revenge for his loss at Leek was obviously on his mind. I was playing with Alan Thorpe, who would admitt didn't have a good day but did come in on holes when I desperately needed him to. 

What will stick in my mind was my two approach shots to the first two holes.  I don't do fades, at least not deliberately, but having pushed my tee shots to the right on both holes I had no other option.  My fade into the first green worked and I finished on the right hand apron some 15 feet from the hole - I missed the putt but won the hole. It was the same story on the second, I hit a lovely fade onto the green and finished some 15 feet above the hole:  I parred the hole but so did Peter, with his shot, and we were back to flat.  It soon became clear that this was not, by any means, going to be easy and by the 9th hole I had dropped 2 shots and we were all square!  Whilst we won the game it had more to do with the opposition slipping up on holes rather than us actually winning them. 

As always, the company was excellent - you really do meet a lot of nice people playing this game of ours.

The result was 5½ to Leek 4½ to Brocton.

It was a day when we were all winners. An excellent condition, with hospitality second to none and a meal that over-faced several of those taking part. 

Part of the Senior Captain's duties is to finish with a couple of jokes.

One of my jokes was...

In a fort in the Wild West a lookout shouted down to the officer in charge to inform him that an Indian war party was approaching.  The officer turned to his Indian scout and said.

"Quickly tell me what we're facing out there.

"The scout put his ear to the ground and said.

" Big war party, more than 100 braves.  Two chiefs, one on a black horse one on a white horse.  Medicine man with a limp!"

The officer said,

"You can tell all that just by listening to the ground?"

"No," said the scout, "but when I put my ear to the ground I can see under the gate!"

Jim Cumberbatch

Seniors' Captain.

P.S.  Always remember, if you're old enough we want you to join us and play in these matches.