Monday, 31 March 2008

Duffin's Hangover Cure

The curse of Norwood struck once again; a cracking venue that doesn’t appear to fall on an availability friendly weekend: Christenings, holidays and a KCC foray into the cup restricted numbers to 8, although it was looking like 7 as Trev somehow upstaged Horsey's usual directional efforts, making the tee just in time.

Dark glasses were the order of the day with half of the party out until the early hours on Hall’s Nottingham based stag. The bacon sandwiches devoured appreciatively and sufficiently higher quality than the Donner catbabs consumed less than 8 hours earlier.

With the buggies juiced and wets the order of the day it was Meadows, Tuckwell Jnr, Hall and Masters who opened up. Meadows unveiled a new monster driver; the sound of which parallels Hoenigmann’s King Cobra; and duly delivered 3 points up the first. A watery approach to 6 was recovered brilliantly with a cute chip.


Hall, made a laboured start, usurprisingly as the memory failed to recollect much after 3am. Meadows seemed destined for 18 holes of skidding the buggy to a standstill until he was inches away from rolling it on 3, having to abandon the vehicle mid donut. Designated driver status was resumed after!

All smiles now that the four wheels are back on the ground

Tuckwell managed more 3 pointers than in his previous 3 rounds as the greens remained true but slow. Hall found ‘Bondhay form’, helped by some sensible advice; rather than trying to carry a 200 yard lake, through a narrow opening, off a tight lie, with a 3 wood.

Masters was striking the irons well but couldn’t launch the woods – an iron off 9 found rhythm and a sign of things to come.

Hall regretted ditching the bottoms in favour of the waterproofs as the sun began to beat down. Offering to play in his boxers could have had serious repercussions for next weeks wedding and didn’t fancy the follwing conversation to the fiance.

‘Hello dear, did you have a good hen weekend? Unfortunately we are banned from our wedding venue because I played golf in my grippers…’

Hall once again in pole, by 2, as the storm closed in. 10 was completed before the heavens opened and the lightning let rip. The quartet reasoned that the buggies were earthed and were determined that there would be no chance of another mid round withdrawal. A 15 minute gathering of thoughts before onwards and upwards and a plan devised to keep Hall on the points trail.


Are you sure that's legal?

Meadows found course management difficult; frequent lost balls not condusive to good scoring. Tuckwell scrapped about accumulating points in an untidy manner; converting birdies to bogeys may have sealed a place on next weeks F-word.







One is not amused...







Masters finished strongly but it was all eyes on Hall, hoping to see it through after Bondhay’s capitulation. It was getting twitchy as the driver was unsheathed to provide the answers, before Tuckwell hit teacher mode and banished back to the depths of whence it cam, before a ball was struck in anger!






Hally wary of another telling off, contemplates the 5-wood option.






Some tidy play round the green and a brilliant last hole ensured a great round, personal best and comfortable group accolades with a imposing 36 points.

Shares in American Golf hit the roof with Duffin back in town, new driver, bag, brolley and balls all purchased. Shorts were donned with the head in a similar state to the Chilwell venture. At least it wasn’t 30 degrees of pure beating sun!

Smiles on the outside, turmoil on the indside.

Marriot, AT and birthday boy, Vin, minus phone – maybe lost when mesmerized by the delightful blonde in the Living Room, concluded the four. Duffin, concentration wandering possibly back to the high quality of female occupants the night before, found the new driver proving wayward and balls started with, significantly reduced. Vin bagged a great nett eagle on 3 as Duffin finally registered. Water was found on 6 after a powerful 2nd, but a neat recovery helped keep momentum.

A.T was off to a blinder, possibly due to a well tapered weekly schedule, before stalling with a double ball loss on 8, parity was restored up 9. Trev was hit or miss with 3’s or 0’s but was well in contention for back to back victories. The birthday boy was losing patience with chipping but maintained composure with a 1 point half way advantage.

Duffin was on fire through the turn, caressing the driver enormous distances down the fairway, amassing 14 points in 5 holes. A brief wobble up the stretch was remedied with a glorious birdie up the last, an exquisite lob was finished off in front of the galleries.

A.T. gave the impression that the wheels had fallen off with swishing in the rough and growling. The wheels literally did fall off with the senior players' buggy struggling for power up 15. Duffin, the lightest member of the fourball, took the wheel with Vin pushing and the big guns walking.

Vin finished strongly after tree trouble on 13; the ball ricocheting firmly out of bounds after trying to fire through the eye of the needle. All appeared done and dusted in the car park with Duffin ousting Vin by 1: 35 to 34. 20 minutes later and the light fading… a recount saw Duffin still by 1 but with 37 to 36 advantage?!? The big hitting Irishman failing to realize the last was a par 5 and Vin’s generous maths calculations…

After last years Norwood shambles; paying out on Hefter when it was Meadows who had succeeded, the scores were carefully assessed. 8 for 3 for 6 was amended leaving three tied on 36 points… and Duffin back on tenterhooks…

A superb high scoring octet once again enjoyed the delights of Norwood and it was… Duffin (36: B9 22) who was victorious over birthday boy Vin (36 B9 17: B3 7) and groom to be, Hall (36: B9 17: B3 6). All three having the games of their promising TGS careers to date... and a shot docked in the process. A.T (34) consolidated as Marriot (32) followed up solidly from his Bondhay victory.

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