STAVERTON PARK 23RD NOVEMBER 2008

http://good-stuff.co.uk/suntimes/suntimes.php?postcode=NN11+6JT&day=23&month=11&year=2008&adjust=1

PLEASE NOTE THE ABOVE SUNSET TIME, IT WILL HELP ALL PLAYERS IF THEY PLAY WHEN READY RATHER THAN WITH HONOUR (As is normally correct) ALSO REITERATING DARRENS COMMENT VIA PM, IF YOU CAN'T SCORE PICK UP.

10ft limit on gimmies?

Now then children !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Will be some group changes had forgotten a few others are still in the running for the OoM

BBC shows Snow on Sunday  

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?id=2837

MetCHeck snow before we play and then after

http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/dayforecast.asp?zipcode=NN11+6JT&day=3

Guys I wouldn't worry too much about it as it always changes day by day. I'll be thinking of you while I sup a cold sangria!!

Paul.  I normally go on metcheck but last round at Mottram metcheck got it wrong and bbc got it right saying no rain !

I won't tempt fate but metchecks changed from snow to rain within the last 6 hours.  As Johns said wait until the day !!

Regards, Darren.

Fingers crossed !

http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/tomorrow.asp?zipcode=NN11%206JT

Presentation photos in the 'Shindig' comp area

How brave were we all yesterday. Congratulations to all who competed. And a big well done to Pete Deaming. To all who do not no him, he took golf up again 18 months ago after a 20 year or so break. So to bang that little white ball round in 77 shots (especially in them conditions) was fantastic. (Mind you, he lives on the golf course)

Must admit that I couldn't belive it when someone came in and said that someone had got 44 points, thought we had a bit of the B word going on - when I found out it was Pete playing off 14 I was amazed given the conditions, some of the worst I've played in to be honest.  Well done Pete, amazing round.  I'd also like to congratulate everyone else on their sterling performances as well, there was a lot of 30+ scores I seem to recall.

And thanks again Darren, cracking weather as usual!

<p>Thanks Gra and Tim</p>  <p>It was one of those days where everything came off. 20ft putts, 50yd chips to within a foot of the flag, everything came off. </p>  <p>I must admit when coming off the ninth and Steve Chapman said I was one under, I felt somewhat uneasy, my thoughts turned to the B word, consequently the 10th turned into a disaster and a N/R. But I got my head back on and continued to play well.</p>  <p>I am going to enjoy this, it&#39;s the first time I have ever won anything at golf. As Graham said I started up again 18months ago after a 30 year lay off, work and family commitments, enjoying every minute. </p><p>Well done to everyone for making it such an enjoyable event.</p>  <p>Hope Ben King is feeling better, he had to retire injured after the sixth hole </p>

I'll have you know Stu that I did just that.  Well, almost.  Nice easy drive just to the left then nice easy a mid-iron scuffed ten yards into the bunker.  Didn't even get as far as the water......

Yes I have seen this, jonny P, he was obviously a very good player before he stopped for thirty years  because in anyones language 8 below ones handicap is certainly of the mexican banditry proportion. I notice that he has not yet entered this round into Golfshake, so perhaps he does like winning. Nevertheless it was indeed a fine round of golf, that would have been rare under perfect conditions, so with the bad weather it was an excellent round and we should all applaud it for that alone.

For anyone who has not understood anything I have sad, yes he is a Bandit.

John & Jonny

I take offense to the bandit comment. Your tone suggests that I am dishonest, a trait that I utterly despise,  and cheating in any sport is my pet hate. I had an exceptionally good round with lots of good luck. You say I like winning, as in my earlier post, this is the first thing I have ever won at golf. 30 years ago I was not too bad, I played off 10. 

I have not entered the score because they are to be entered by golfshake.

I can assure all of you this was my best round of golf ever and there has been no banditry on my behalf.

Good to see you're back to your best John, but I think on this occaision you owe Peter an apology.

I don't think anyone who is playing off 14 can rightly be accused of being a bandit when they have a good round.  He obviously has the game and it just clicked for him.  I shot 3 or 4 under my handicap for 40 points and had three blobs on my card but I think you all know I'm not a bandit.  And as it was a Golfshake event it's Darren who will enter the rounds (we know how long that can take!).  I'll be pleased when Darren does it as I should be down to 22 and I'm sure Peter will be pleased to see his handicap drop as well. 

I didn't mind losing out to someone with a handicap in the teens; if Peter had been off high 20's then I would've been agreeing with your banditry comments.  I've lost out to bandits playing off a false handicap before but on this occaision I believe I lost out to someone who genuinely played well on the day and deserved to win. 

Peter Deeming, you can take as much offence as you like, even though none was intended. It is obvious, having been out of the game for thirty years that you have no idea to the connotations in calling someone a bandit. I suggest you ask around a bit and you will find that it is you who is making a tit of himself, not me.

Chris, your score is only borderline and quite frequent from players of your handicap however, the lower down the scale one goes, the more difficult it is to get over the forty points. No matter how you want to dress it, as fine as a round of golf this was, playing to six off 14 can only be assessed as someone who is not playing the game. The average score was I believe something well different from this due to the severe werather conditions on the day.

An apology is the last thing he will get from me, as I have only stated the facts as he himself produced them.

John, I wouldn't expect an apology from you.

Thank You for you comments and Good Night.

Chris, thanks for your support and congratulations on a cracking round.

Mr Pettitt. I can tell you that Pete is no Mexican. So there fore can't be a bandit. But joking aside Pete's one the honest golfers and his target is to get to single figure

 handicap. To get to single figures he his going to have do some more scores like this one, SO ALL BEWARE.

Where are you all coming from, do you love being cheated, well I don't. His position is untenable, he knows it, you all know it, but don't have the balls to make the correct comment about it, I was not even getting uptight about it in the first instance just pointing it out that people do get called bandits when they do these scores.

Looks to me as though he is in single figures already.

If it had me then my score would not have gone in.

Just another example of a handicap system that does not work. I hope he enjoyed his prize.

Well said David, its good fun to go and have the round of your life, if only when you don't win with the round of you life that pi*** you off, because some mexican has snuck in to beat you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

My interpretation of a bandit is someone who comes along and steals the prize playing off a handicap much higher than he should (if you shot a 77 off of 14 then you fit the bill). Now more often than not in my experience it's all done very innocently. If someone deliberately gave a false handicap, then thats just plain cheating.

You see if you've hacked you way round and carded say 36 points, you feel truly robbed if someone cards 40+ points. I think you're entitled to feel a little aggrieved. But at the end of the day it's just a game.

Why is bandit a bad word!? I would love to be called a bandit as it means that either your scores are improving or you are capable of much better golf than you play at the moment! As long as you then enter the round for handicap tracking, wheres the problem? If you score 50 points then your handicap will be slashed and so will make it hard for you to get close to even 30 points next time out!

People who use false handicaps to get big scores arent bandits, they are cheats and that is a whole different ball game, but you're always going to get big points scores from guys who are clearly talented but for some reason are still coming down from a high handicap.

Well said Jonny.

LOST

One sombrero, last seen hanging from a donkey tied up in the car park at Staverton Park.  Was left out to dry with poncho.  Sentimental value.  If found please return to El Nino Perry c/o Golfshake.com

It's like coming home after you've been out shopping to realise you've been undercharged £10. Are you going to go back and give the money back? not likely. Does that make you a dishonest person? not really. Is it your money to keep? of course it's not.

Does that make sense?

Sorry Danny but if you don't give the money back I can't see how you can not be dishonest. There's not really an in between. I was in the same situation not so long back, I withdraw £20 from a cash point but it gave out £20's instead of £10's. I thought about keeping it but I gave it back & in return they offered me a £10 voucher which I accepted. This was a much better feeling.

I'm not saying your dishonest just your theoritical scenario.

John.

I must be a bandit from what everyone has said above. About 3 months ago I won a big competition at my club - Mapperley GC. I was off 9 at the time and went round the course in level par 71 for a net 65. This gave me 45 points.

If truth be told I bogeyed two holes on the front nine which I shouldn't have (failed to get up and down from the fringe) and 2 birdies. The back nine was 9 straight pars with 4 very good birdie chances which I failed to take. Hit every fairway and every green in those 9 holes. Quite easily have scored 50pts if putts had of dropped.

This took me to my current handicap of 7.2.

Am I now classed as a bandit in some peoples opinion ?

To be honest John. I'd do (and have done) the same. But generally would people think you were dishonest if you kept the money?

I'll give you a scenario. I used to play golf with a guy and his son. Now his son will one day make it is a pro. He was playing in a tournemnt in his early days (while his handicapp was tumbling). On the turn he had something like 25+ points. He and His dad walked into the clubhouse and asked for his handicap to be cut. Which they did. He still one the comp, but with a much smaller margin. Now he could have easily have lots that comp. I wonder if I could ever be that honest.

Danny,

I've never worried about what people thought about me but I would have felt dishonest if I had kept the money & to answer your question I think dishonest people would think I wasn't being dishonest & vice versa.

Your mates son was very admirable & he obvioulsy felt that that was the right thing to do, maybe because he probably felt his current handicap didn't actually reflect his current form. Where I have to raise a question is where people can score 40+ points even after a handicap cut & do this 4 or more times!.

John.

Martin,

Have you scored 40+ points after your handicap cut??

John.

I think anyone who wins the order of merit has to be a bandit because they have to consistently play better than their handicap Martin. 

In fact anyone in the top five should hang their head in shame.  Oh, wait, bugger....... 

I think the tone required to accurately convey humour is lost on the tinternet Jonny.  Therefore the writing style can be misconstrued and whilst in most cases the humour is recognised, some posts have appearred to be an accusation rather than banter. 

We can all take a joke but none of us like to be called a cheat - especially when we're brimming after playing out of our skin and knowing we did it honestly.  So when one or more posts APPEARS to be accusing us of cheating it hurts and we get defensive/offensive. 

hi you guys i have been using this site since july this year and met peter deeming thro it ,since then we have played regular golf together and peter has always played there or thereabouts to his handicap, but you could see that one day it would all click together and he would tear up the course, this my friends looks like one of those days well done peter it was gonna happen sooner or later.Peter a "bandit" no chance good honest guy and anyone who meets him and plays with him will know this,wish i had been there to see it. congratulations peter and enjoy it (i'll be taking it off you next year!!!)

Glad to see you edited your post Wayne.

Photos - http://www.golfshake.com/competition/competitionView.php?ID=4160&type=media

Results - http://www.golfshake.com/competition/competitionView.php?ID=4160&type=res

Darren,

Are you sure you have used the correct scorecard for the comp ? The par 70 and yardage of 6015 yds is for the shortened back nine with the 18th as a par 3. We played the 18th as a par four so the other card witha par of 71 and a SSS of 71 with yardage of 6189 is the correct one I think.

Dont know what this effect would have had on the placings. I know Tim Hawkins scored 36 pts as I marked his card.

Yep, I'm with you all on that.  I lost to Luke on countback so I know he got 40 points.  Check the message board Daz, I did warn you earlier!

You're part of an illustrious club Paul.  I finished last in my first event.  And guess who was in my group.  I'll give you a clue; loud

You're right Martin. something strange going on with the scores here.

All sorted. Chris 'Sombero' Perry and Luke 'El Nino' Tricker did warn me but I didn't change it right.

All now done.

Amazed to see that over half the competitors scored over 30 points!  Even better to see Perry get 1.2 knocked off his handicap as well!

Yep, especially when he stands on the 7th S.I 5 412 yd par 4 at the PGA tomorrow wishing he got an extra shot

Piece of cake 

http://www.thebelfry.co.uk/index.cfm/section/info/display/6/content/111/pganationalcourseguide.htm

You might be out of luck if the tee off is early.  We're in for a cold night and all the water might be frozen. 

10:50 Jon.  Unfortunately it will have thawed by then 

Oh bugger, I've just seen my new handicap.  You could've bloody waited til tomorrow night Darren!

Tut,Tut,Tut Mr Perry  totally the wrong attitude ,I wan't to see it lower by Saturday.

My aim for 2008 was 23 David, so I've got the rest of the year to bring it back up and still meet my target.....

I'm chuffed I've come down so far so quickly to be honest.  As recently as August I was off 27 so at least I'm starting to play like I know I can. 

Thanks for the vote of confience Paul, but what you after?    Considering I normally beat you when we both play off scratch you should be worried. 

Chris, I know what you mean about the handicap cut -I no longer even get a shot on every hole!

Have fun at the Belfry guys.

Well the weather held out for us at the Belfry. It was me & Paul against Chris & Tim.

Chris got a round of applause from the onlooking japanese golfers for his opening tee shot (boomed down the middle) which left him about 100yds. Pity it took him another 6 shots to get down!!

In the end me & Paul were victorious with a 3 & 2 win.

John.

But Paul still hasn't beaten me on strokeplay - I took him by 5 shots!  And it would've been more if someone hadn't put cling film over most of the holes just before I putted - I've never lipped out so many times in a round! 

And despite all the water, I didn't go in it once (although I flirted with it a few times!).

Great course and I highly recommend playing it to anyone.  And it's an absolute bargain at £20 for a round! 

I took on the PGA at the Belfry and it beet me!

Tss, youth of today etc:  Have spent the morning digging the mud out of my bag, clubs and covers today after that unfortunate slip I had.  Most unpleasant getting into the car only to feel the squish of a huge clod in my back pocket. 

I must say I played the PGA at the belfry this summer, and although the fairways and greens were in excellent nick, I found the course a bit dull.

Exactly how I felt about the Brabazon when that was first opened. Never had an inclination to go back although I will admit that TV puts it into a decent light.

John, not that I have much to go on from my feeble experience but I wasn't that impressed with the Belfry earlier this year. Yep in great condition and a good course but nothing like the hype would suggest.  Might have been due to the fact I played in a shot gun start and started on the famous 18th finishing on the 17th !  least I got to play the 18th twice

The PGA to me was more enjoyable but depending on your views I found all the electricity pylons detracted from the course a bit.  I suppose you can't have everything s oclose to a major city.

Some great courses near London

Indeed there are Danny and they never get a mention. Probably because they are are all old established ones

Tim,

When you fell over I thought you applied the local rule of clean & place really well

John.