March 2004.  

The 73^rd meeting of TIGS, and the first of our 16^th season, was held at Royal Liverpool G.C. on Friday March 19^th. The weather conditions could hardly have been more different from 12 months ago when we played in short sleeved shirts. This year we were muffled to the eyeballs to keep out the wind that gusted to over 50 mph. Drivers were being taken on par 3’s of only 150 yards!

We had 39 members and 14 guests attending. New members Paul Butcher, David Jenkins and Mark Ruthven were making their debuts.

The course, host to The Open Championship in 2006, showed why links golf in these conditions is such a challenge though our winner John MacLaughlin was 6 points clear to win the H&R JOHNSON TROPHY with an amazing 35pts.

Second came last year’s winner Gary Hardy with 29pts. Third was John Brown on 28pts followed by David Jenkins with 27pts. Fifth came Greg Hammond with 26pts.

John became our 43^rd different winner in 73 events. John’s handicap is reduced from 12 to 9 and Gary’s from 3 to 2.

Winning visitor was David Jenkins’s guest Alan Wilson with 34pts beating Paul Starkey’s guest Duncan Speck (29pts). Alan’s handicap is reduced from 6 to 4 and Duncan ’s cut from 16 to 14.

Yellow ball team prize went to Ashley Heath, David Jenkins, Tony Craven and Alan Wilson with 27pts after Peter Bentley, Mike Cook, George Hogan and Andy Lowne had scored 28pts but admitted they failed to use the proper Yellow ball.

Nearest the pin prizes were won by Paul Cowlishaw and John Maclaughlin’s guest Phillip Donnelly. Geoff Snapes’s guest Ian Proverbs won longest drive.

The Putting Competition was won by Gary Hardy with 33.

The next meeting is on Friday April 16^th at Wollaton Park G.C., Nottinghamshire.