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2001 resultsChallenge Trophy Whittington Heath Golf Club - 18th October 2001 27 hole stableford (7/8 handicap)
The final event of the 2001 season took place at Whittington Heath which is a wonderful heathland golf course. With heavy rain falling the night before and in the early hours of morning on the day of the event, it looked like we'd all get a soaking and be playing on a very wet golf course. However, although the day started overcast, we managed to avoid all the rain and by mid-morning it was sunshine and blue sky all around. The course also drained very well and was in excellent condition, as is to be expected from one of the best courses in the midlands.
Being the last event of the year, the league cup and birdies league events were to be decided. The league cup was the closest ever with ten players in with a chance of taking glory away from current leader Karl Hughes. The gross birdies league looked like it would go to Graham Bilsland, but with all 27 holes counting on the day, Steve Lloyd, Ian Talboys and Steve Warner all had outside chances of catching him. The nett birdies league was also a close affair and even though Karl Hughes started the day three points clear, anyone in the top ten had a chance of overtaking him.
There was an excellent turn-out of 30 players for this event, which meant that it would be more difficult for those in league cup contention to overtake Karl. However, after a bad morning 18 holes, Karl was in trouble and after good scores from Andy Smith and Graham Bilsland, it became apparent that the competition would be between these two. Graham shot a gross two over par on the 9 holes in the afternoon and eventually finished in 7th position on the day for 15 league cup points (including a bonus point for nearest the pin on the par 3). With Graham having a final league cup tally of 73 points, this meant that Andy would have to finish in the top four to take the crown. For once, Andy held his nerve and and scored 19 points on the afternoon 9 holes to take the league cup crown by 2 points. Final league cup standings can be found here.
With two groups left on the course, the only thing we were waiting to see was if Andy, who has been in contention on numerous occasions, was finally going to win his first BUNGS event. Things looked good for Smithy until Darren Weston holed his 7 iron third to the final hole for an eagle 3 to complete a remarkable final four holes, where he scored 14 points to taste BUNGS victory for the first time with a final score of 54 points, three clear of Andy in second place with Chris Craddy in third on 49 points.
All four players in contention for the gross birdies league had plenty of birdie putts but only two were taken between all four players leaving Graham Bilsland on top of the tree with 11 points, Steve Lloyd was second on 8 points, Ian Talboys third on seven points and Steve Warner fourth on 6 points.
After losing the lead in the league cup, Karl was waiting to see if he would remain on top of the nett birdies league standings. Karl only scored two nett birdies to finish on 32 points and he was joined on that total by Mike Fox who scored 5 points on the day and Andy Smith who stormed through the pack with 10 points. With three players on the same total, the competition would be decided on the number of nett eagles scored. However, this would still leave Karl and Mike equal (with three nett eagles). The only way to split them was to count the number of points scored on the final event, which eventually meant that Mike came out the winner. For final standings for gross birdies league click here. For final standings for nett birdies league click here.
After failing to triumph in both the league cup and nett birdies league from being the leader before the start of play, Karl Hughes voiced his 'concern' over Andy's handicap, suggesting that it may be a wee bit on the high side. I took great delight in hearing this and it's so nice to see the bandit of 1999 getting a bit of his own medicine!
The final BUNGS event of 2001 was a great success and a special mention must go to John Newton, who managed to play all 27 holes without his bag falling off his trolley. Well done John!
The 2001 season has probably been the best in BUNGS history as we've played some fantastic golf courses, had better turn-outs than ever before and had first time winners at six of the events plus the closest ever finish to the league cup. Thank you to all members who've helped to make this such a successful year and be ready for next year, where the courses we're playing just get better and better.
Final standings at Whittington were as follows:
2's Sweep - gross 2's scored by the following: 4th Par 3 158 yards John O'Brien (£10) 4th Par 3 158 yards Paul Weston (£10)
Glastek Trophy Whetstone Golf Club - 12th September 2001 18 hole stableford (7/8 handicap)
This years Glastek Trophy took place at Whetstone Golf Club, Leicester. The relatively short course should have been 'there for the taking' and some good scores were expected but things didn't turn out that way.
The course is very tight and the greens were very firm making it almost impossible to pitch a ball on the green and stop it. There was also a very stiff breeze which made play even more difficult. A score in excess of 40 points was expected to win but a winning score of 37 points was posted by Mike Thacker who tasted victory for the first time in a BUNGS event. Mike knew his luck was in when he was only charged £8 for the buggy he used in the afternoon.
There was a four-way tie for second place between Karl Hughes, Andy Smith, Chris Craddy and Stuart Mahon on 35 points. By means of the countback system, Karl and Andy came in second and third respectively. Despite taking all our money in the morning practice round and having a good front nine Andy, who was once again one of the favorites to win, failed to deliver. Perhaps he was still upset at Liverpool's 3-1 home defeat to Villa on the previous Saturday, which Steve Lloyd must have still been celebrating when leaving the house as he didn't check his golf equipment and turned-up with two left golf shoes, although luckily for Steve, he'd brought a spare pair along.
Another player who had a good front nine was Richard Stevens who got to the turn in 20 points and must have felt he had a great chance of winning. However, a pitiful 9 points on the back nine left Richard in 'mid-table'.
Steve Warner must have thought he had a chance of doing well on a course like Whetstone but as he spent most of the day trying to repair John Newton's Powacaddy, his mind wasn't on the golf and he came in 7 points adrift. Despite the problems with his trolley, John Newton was back to his vociferous saying how much he enjoyed the course and ranked it amongst the best he'd ever played (alongside Purley Chase).
The good results for Karl and Andy took them to 1st and 2nd in the League Cup table on 70 and 68 points respectively. With a further three players on 67 points and others also in contention, the final event of the season at Whittington Heath will decide the closest League Cup ever.
FOR SALE - makeshift Powacaddy, only 100k on the clock, great for exercise as you end up carrying your bag most of the round - contact John Newton for further details.
2's Sweep - gross 2's scored by the following: 9th Par 3 167 yards Stuart Mahon (£20)
Pairs Championship Burton on Trent Golf Club - Thursday 9th August 2001 18 hole four-ball better-ball (7/8 handicap)
The 2001 Pairs Championship was played on the 'doorstep' of most BUNGS members at Burton on Trent Golf Club. Once again we managed to avoid the worst of the weather with the only rain falling during lunch.
The course was in suberb condition and was set-up for some good scoring, demonstrated by the many sub-par rounds in the morning texas scramble. With only eight points separating first from last, the afternoon four-ball better-ball was a tight affair eventually won by first-time winners Ray Whiston and John Mansell who beat Karl Hughes and Stuart Mahon by a single point.
2's Sweep - gross 2's scored by the following: No 2's scored
The Belfry Golf Day The Belfry - 28th July 2001 18 hole stableford (7/8 handicap) 27 holes team competition (7/8 handicap)
An additional society golf day was arranged at The Belfry consisting of the back 9 on The Brabazon course in the morning followed by 18 holes on The PGA National course in the afternoon. A maximum of 16 people were allowed to attend and all places were filled. The day was played in glorious sunshine with temperatures in the 80's and comprised an 18 hole individual stableford competition in the afternoon and we also played a team competition over the full 27 holes.
Teams were: Brian Keates, John Newton, Adam Thompson & Stuart Banham Bobby Ho, Ian Talboys, Ivan Heathcote & Andy Smith Mark Jones, Richard Stevens, Mike Fox & Steve Lloyd Tim Thacker, Mike Thacker, Stuart Mahon & Karl Hughes
From each grouping, the best three scores were counted on each hole to give a team total over the 27 holes. When the teams came out of the hat, there was one that stood out as strong favourites and this proved to be the case as the team of Bobby, Ian, Ivan and Andy came out clear winners.
The individual competition was won by our much loved secretary, Steve Lloyd who shot a 4 over par 75 to score 37 points. Adam Thompson, a guest for the day, also scored 37 points and so similar were his and Steve's back 9 totals that conventional count-back couldn't separate them. The back 9, back 6, and back 3 totals were the same, so it was Steve's birdie 4 on the 12th which earned him four points that finally separated them. The only other notable score came from Ivan Heathcote, who was as steady as ever with an excellent 35 points. Every other player struggled on a very testing course that has held European Seniors Tour events and 28 points was good enough to earn Mike Thacker fourth place. Although 28 points isn't a total you'd be shouting too loud about, Mike was very happy with his final score considering he only scored 7 points on the front 9 before finding form with a blistering 21 points on the inward 9. The rough and bunkers took their toll on most of the players, none more so than Mark 'of Arabia' Jones who had more than a little difficulty in the sand, especially in the huge bunker which runs parallel to the left hand side of the first fairway.
2's Sweep - gross 2's scored by the following: No 2's scored
Summer Shield Druids Heath Golf Club - 13th July 2001 36 hole selected score stableford (7/8 handicap)
The 2001 summer shield was held at Druids Heath Golf Club which is a challenging heathland course surrounded by trees. There were showers around all day but we were very lucky and we somehow managed to miss most of the rain.
The course was in excellent condition and even though it was playing very short due to the hard ground, the greens were especially tricky and there didn't seem to be a straight putt on the course.
With an excellent turn-out of 23 players, the day was won by John O'Brien, his first BUNGS success, with an excellent score of 46 points. Surprisingly for a BUNGS event, there was some good scoring with 45 points from Mike Fox and 43 from both Dean Sheward and Karl Hughes. Most improved score came from Brian Keates who beat the 4 points he scored at Beau Desert by 36 points with a total of 40. With an average score of 39 points, this was the highest scoring event in BUNGS history.
2's Sweep - gross 2's scored by the following: 7th Par 3 181 yards Brian Keates (£10) 11th Par 3 151 yards Karl Hughes (£10) 11th Par 3 151 yards Ivan Heathcote (£10)
BUNGS Championship Beau Desert Golf Club - 24th May 2001 18 hole stableford (7/8 handicap)
Beau Desert was the venue for the inaugural BUNGS Championship. Beau is one of the best courses in the midlands and the course certainly didn't disappoint all those that attended. The weather was superb, the course was in excellent condition and the huge sloping greens were the most challenging that the majority of our players had ever played on.
The
event was won by John Bayliss, and for a player who admits himself is a terrible
putter, his almost unbelievable score of 38 points on such a tricky course was
excellent. Johns score was so good that he was 9 shots clear of Paul
Weston in second place with a another 6 players a further 2 points back.
Most players found the tight fairways and undulating greens just too punishing
with three and four putts a plenty. Brian Goroll was having such a bad
time and became so dis-spirited that he gave his apologies and walked off the
course after 11 holes with only four points on the card. Brian needn't
have been too bothered by his score of only four points after eleven, as that
was the final total of Brian Keates who posted the lowest ever total in BUNGS
history. Hang your head in shame Brian!
2's Sweep - gross 2's scored by the following: 7th Par 3 147 yards Ivan Heathcote (£5) 10th Par 3 110 yards John Bayliss (£5) 10th Par 3 110 yards Stuart Mahon (£5)
Sun Ray Trophy The Warwickshire - 26th April 2001 18 hole stableford (7/8 handicap)
The South and East courses of The Warwickshire were the venue for the 2001 Sun Ray Trophy. A lot of rain fell in the two days prior to this event which meant that the course was fairly wet, with winter rules in play. The course played just about as difficult as it could, as we were playing off the summer tees but in 'winter' conditions. A lot of the players couldn't even reach the fairways with their tee shots, which resulted in the lowest ever average score at a BUNGS event (a paltry 22 points).
The unthinkable almost happened with Graham Bilsland nearly winning his fourth event in only six starts. Luckily, Paul Weston managed to pip Graham by just one point, with Bernie Stanton a further four shots behind with his second consecutive third place. Steve Warner, who's handicap was cut by four shots to 2.0 after his triumph at Penn came in a very creditable fourth. The 'usual suspects' were bringing up the rear, but a surprise last place went to Gordon Sullivan (a player who won all his matches during the 2000 weekend away) who came in with only 11 points. Hang your head in shame Gordon.
2's Sweep - gross 2's scored by the following: 17th Par 3 177 yards Graham Bilsland (£20)
Enterprise Cup Penn Golf Club - 30th March 2001 18 hole stableford (7/8 handicap)
The Enterprise Cup was due to take place at Collingtree Park Golf Course, Northampton but because of the amount of snow and rain that fell during March (the wettest March since records began), there was a good chance that Collingtree was going to be unplayable or even shut. It was therefore decided to switch the venue to Penn Golf Club which, as a heathland course, should not have been affected too much by the weather.
Although the course was wet and winter rules were in force, there weren't any temporary tees or greens and I think we were lucky to be playing golf at all. The attendance was excellent with 30 players taking part (our highest turn-out to date) and there were a large number of 'first timers' present. When you consider the recent weather, we were extremely lucky for there to be no rain and the sunshine was in abundance for most of the day (Barry Whitmore even came away with a touch of sunburn to his scalp).
The day was won by Steve Warner who was attending a BUNGS day for the first time. With a score of 33 points, he couldn't believe he'd won with such a low total, but the rest of us just couldn't get to grips with the course and an average score of 25 points was one of the lowest ever.
2's Sweep - gross 2's scored by the following: 9th Par 3 199 yards James Shipman (£20)
Christmas Clock Breadsall Priory Hotel & Country Club - 14th December 2000 18 hole stableford (7/8 handicap)
Despite the terrible weather in the weeks prior to this golf day, the Moorland course at Breadsall Priory was open with only one temporary green. The course was very wet and the greens were soft, but it was a bonus to be able to play at all, as most courses in the area had been closed for weeks. We were teeing off mats on the majority of holes and the greens had been recently hollow-tined (presumably to help drainage) which made putting a bit of a lottery. The weather on the day was very good, albeit very cold and there were only a few drops of rain during the round.
To help protect the course, it was compulsory teeing up on the fairway and placing in the rough, which contributed to the fairly high scoring. Once again, Graham Bilsland triumphed with a score of 40 points (a level par round of gross 70).
2's Sweep - gross 2's scored by the following: 6th Par 3 118 yards Jim O'Toole (£5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||