The DayBelieved to be an inaugural visit (and if not only after many years) thanks to the holiday special offered to us, the beautiful and highly rated layout at Emeralda was expected to be a big hit with those Tee Setters able to join us last Sunday. So it was to prove with 36 Tee Setters making the short trip down the Jagorawi Toll to tackle the course designed by Jack Niclaus and Arnold Palmer and having a wonderful day on the course and afterwards.

With positive feedback from those playing and better access thanks to Rina joining their marketing team, your Committee are looking to add another visit to Emeralda before the end of the year if we can coordinate it with the course management – something which has stalled earlier efforts to get a regular game there. Watch this space….

5 newcomers on the day and a big Tee Set welcome to Richard D’Cruz, Len Ogembo, Sangyup Song,  Bumyong Song and Andrew Lee. It was also a pleasure to welcome back Franz Heuken for his 2nd outing and host of other Tee Setters back after a few weeks elsewhere. we look forward to welcoming you all at a future event shortly.

Also making a debut was the newly minted home brew of Richard Bolton and Ken Runyon which along with the kind sponsorship of Detlef Blumke ensured we had plenty of refreshments to give the departing Tony Howarth a warm and boisterous send off. Tony has been a good supporter of Tee Set events over the last 2 1/2 years, both as a player and in making sure our events were well stocked with refreshments for the after party. We wish Tony and his family well on the next step of their journey and Tony is expected back for a visit around the Championship if the rumours are true.

With the President still on holiday in sunny Scotland and our Secretaries busy for holiday season, VP Ric Wymer was left holding the fort and a big thank you to Ric for managing the day smoothly and getting all the results out.

The Play

A bit like the famed London buses, you wait all year and then not 1, not 2 but 3 eagles come along all on one day. After only 1 eagle all of last year, we had 2 on one hole, in the match-play no less, with Craig Ewers and Matthew Powell halving hole 3 in eagles. Matthew was to record a second eagle on the way to his fantastic gross 74, net 60 and a 2Up victory over the Singing President. Congratulations to Matthew who took home Low Gross as well as they shared the prize for first eagle – a rare exception to one prize rule Matt!.

A high slope rating of 140 was expected to capture a few Tee Setters and so it was to prove with the returning Franz Heuken securing the trifecta of booby prizes if only 1 fine for Most Stokes of 12, Monster Putter with 48 putts and a skirt. Franz was at least able to share his skirt photo with Richard D’Cruz, Connor Dodsworth and Richard Bolton.

Crediting the effects of Richard’s homebrew and perhaps able to relax as the round progressed, VP Ric Wymer took home Most Improved of 14. Big hitting Tony Howarth showed his touch around the greens to take home First Sandy on hole 3 in his final game whilst the equally long hitting Andrew Waite took home First Birdie for his hole 1 effort.

With Craig Edwards already standing to help Ric with his prize, he was awarded Low Putts for his 30 strokes on the  greens. Our one hiccup on the day saw Joshua Alexander’s handicap initially entered incorrectly a mistake not noted until after the prize giving meaning he and not Ken Runyon was awarded Low Net A – Ken see VP Ric next time out and we will correct this. Joining Joshua was the evergreen Geoff Thwaites (net 60) and Mick Dodsworth (net 75) as Andrew Shaw had already departed.

Congratulations to all our winners and detailed results of the day are here and photos of the day here.

Next Up: Rainbow Hills Sunday 17th June 2018 12.00pm