April 2002
Morocco Beckons for Captains Champion.
Members taking part in the Captain’s Day 36-hole medal competition on Saturday, July 20, will have an added incentive to win.
For apart from the glittering prize on offer, the victor could be Morocco bound early next year.
The club has been given chance to take part in the inaugural Club Captain’s Invitational Golf Tournament to be staged at the beautiful Robert Trent Jones-designed Palmeraie (Palm Grove) Club at Marrakech from January 12-16, 2003.
Britain has been divided into 12 regions and the captain and his competition winner from each region will be selected by ballot for the all expenses-paid half board stay at the 5-star Palmeraie Golf Palace Resort Hotel.
The lucky twelve pairs will compete for the national trophy in a four-ball, better-ball Stableford event.
Royal Air Maroc will provide return flights from London and Alecoss Travel, Morocco’s premier tour operators, will be responsible for all travel arrangements.
Sale-based tournament director John Southwick said: “I had the opportunity to visit Palmeraie Golf Palace and Resort in the third week of January this year. The temperature was 66 in the shade and the course was in excellent condition with fast running greens – a very pleasant change from the temporary greens and winter conditions I had left behind.
“The hotel itself is blessed with many restaurants, a bowling alley, nightclub, and a host of bars. I can honestly say that the hotel and the resort is the finest I have ever visited.”
Said Werneth captain Brian Hope: “All we need now is good luck in the draw.”
Young Lions Are Roaring!
Just three weeks after 14-year-old Jonathan Dooley raised a few eyebrows by winning a medal competition with a score of 81-24-57, diminutive Aaron Rowbotham, who is a year younger, went even better in the April monthly medal by taking the second division prize with a score of 79-24-55.
And, not to be outdone, an even younger player, 12-year-old, Jonathan Wilde, won a 13-hole Stableford – a Pro’s comp.- with a score of 28pts, beating Ged Hulme into second place.
Aaron’s triumph was all the more remarkable because it was achieved in the teeth of a bone-chilling, gale-force, wind which led to sky-high scoring.
John Martin, runner-up to the young champ, was 12 shots adrift with a score of 86-19-67.
The first division winner was Steve McNamara (75-6-69), with Peter Davies, who carded an identical score, in second place after a CPO.
Competition secretary John Andrew produced statistics which showed that the average gross score on the day was a massive 95.3, and that the 137 competitors could manage only 42 birdies and 495 pars between them – compared with 1,928 bogeys or worse.
The weather was very much kinder when Terry Marner won a single Stableford comp. with 39 points, holding off the challenge of another young lion, Lee Rowbotham, on a countback.
Yet another of our young stars, the elegant swinging Michael Hulme, won another midweek 13-hole medal with a score of 47-4-43, with Paul Walker (54-9-45), in second place.
Ian Mather was another who broke the 60 mark with a medal round of 76-17-59, with David Barnes (79-17-62) the runner-up.
Practice Pays off for OAP Stockley.
Still playing off a handicap of nine, 70-year-old John Stockley beat his age on consecutive days with gross scores of 67 and 68 – the latter in a competition – to prove that all those hours spent on the practice ground have not been wasted.
It’s a sobering thought that it will take at least another fifty years for those youngsters currently blitzing the course to come even close to matching this feat.
At the end of last month, partnered by Nick Fallows, John also won a better-ball Stableford with 47 pts.
Norman Harrop and Ken Holt were second, two points adrift.
Ace Rothera Holes in One.
Sixteen handicapper Alan Rothera is the latest member of our hole-in-one club. He aced the 128-yard l0th with a 9-iron.
Death of Derek Price.
The club was well represented at the funeral of Derek Price, who died in a hospice on March 31 after two years of extreme suffering.
He leaves a widow, Audrey, who is also a member of the club, and a daughter, Beverley.
Derek, who was 69, and lived in Alkrington, was a master carpenter whose craftmanship was often utilised for the benefit of the club.
The death has also occurred of Denis Hitchen, secretary of the Oldham Past Captains Association. He was 63.
Winter League Success for Rattigan and Holt.
Shaun Rattigan, and Grahame Holt, won the winter league with a 2 and 1 victory over John Andrew and Fred Whittingham.
Andrew and Whittingham, both playing off 13, got off to a flying start, winning the first three holes.
But Rattigan (11) and Holt (6) fought back to be only one down at the turn.
This margin remained until the l5th, when the match became all square, and Rattigan and Holt secured victory with wins at both the next two holes
Seniors
Poor Start in Batley League
Werneth has got off to a disappointing start in the Lawrence Batley Seniors League with three straight defeats – 3-5 at Dewsbury, 0-8 at home to South Leeds, and 2-6 at Wortley.
Ladies
Bell Cup Defeat.
Despite our home advantage, Didsbury’s ladies proved far too strong and ran out winners by 5-2 in the Bell Cup. Our only victors were Jane Clark and Fiona Dooley.
In domestic competitions, Joan Hughes won a two-ball Stableford and Denise Fletcher was successful in a LGU event.
Betty Keating triumphed in another two-ball Stableford and the pairing of Lady Captain Jane Fletcher and Angela Whaley won the Scott Leggatt Foursomes.
But Werneth’s team was defeated 4 and 3 at Whittaker.
Careless Talk Costs Drinks!
It is rumoured that some alcohol had been consumed during the evening of the Captain’s drive-in when Alan Rothera and Roy Garforth made it known that they considered the standard of ladies golf to be “rubbish.”
As this was uttered in the hearing of Fiona Dooley and Heather Jeffreys the inevitable challenge followed for a match-play shoot-out, with the losers buying drinks for an hour.
Needless to say, the ladies kept their money in their handbags after a last hole triumph.
Away Day Joy for Kingham, Rattigan
Albert Kingham, partnered by Peter Grimshaw, won the invitation day competition at Oldham with 45 Stableford points.
And Shaun Rattigan, partnered by Eric Power, came second in a similar event at Brookdale with 44 points – beaten on a playoff.
Parking Spot Contest.
Irene Howes, who won the raffle for the Vice-Captain’s parking spot (Alf Selby lives only yards from the clubhouse), has generously donated it back because she plays only on Thursdays when there is plenty of parking space.
Mr Selby now plans to stage on on-course contest for this prime parking spot.