Pershore Golf Society
Founder’s Trophy - Sandwell Park 25/3/22
In an unguarded moment some time over the past winter I responded to Mr Brazier’s request for volunteers and offered the Society the benefit of my journalistic skills. After all, I reasoned, I’m newly retired, and it is about time I did something for PGS, my paltry contribution to date consisting of hauling nearest the pin and longest drive markers back to the clubhouse on a few unfortunate occasions when I’ve been drawn to play in the final group…
Cometh the day, cometh the task, and cometh the Redge, late as usual, to Sandwell Park on a glorious spring morning. In fact I was the last to arrive, a fact which eluded me momentarily as I saw two unused coffee cups, until it was pointed out to me that Robbo would be absent due to covid.
The banter started immediately, with Terry to the fore, prompted by my selection of Mike Ciric’s card in the sweep. It provided an opportunity for Terry to relay how he had come up with the design of the card, prompted by an event when Mike was unfortunately caught short one day out playing golf. A phrase with the equivalent meaning to “Is the Pope a Catholic?” may elucidate further, or may just confuse the heck out of you…
To the golf, and as we had 20 players, we went out in five groups of four. Mr Taylor (of the Keith variety) was first to incur the attention of the rule-sticklers, as he attempted to play from off the tee at the 1st hole, presumably his thumbs being insufficiently strong to drive a golf tee into the rock solid matting that comprised the playing surface at that hole…
It was to be a foretaste of future events with Keith’s rejection of golf pedantry being expressed later in a memorable plea for compassion, pragmatism and common-sense - more of that below…
The course was, by general consent, in fine condition for the time of year and the greens were enjoyable to putt on, though a good test. Being dry, the ball would get a good run should you be fortunate enough to land it on a fairway. The course itself is an enclave of tranquillity and beauty amidst the hurly burly of the Black Country, and for most of the day players would not have been conscious of being adjacent to one of the M5’s busiest sections. There is plenty of character, with some challenging tee shots, deep bunkers, and on the back nine, the sight of the Baggies football ground and the smell of fresh bread from the Kingsmill bread factory.
My group was out third of the five groups with the other players being JV, Ian and Darren Thompson. The front nine was relatively uneventful with the notable things being three of us making pars on the 3rd hole despite all being off the green in 2, and JV having a run of six successive pars from the 3rd to the 8th. Darren had a particular nightmare on the 4th, taking 5 shots to get out of a rather nasty bunker. As we finished the 8th hole though, few could have imagined the drama that was to follow but it led to a set of circumstances that was to cause a furore which is being referred to as The Controversy…
We had been following the group ahead (consisting of Steve High, Tony Owo, KT and Nev) quite closely, such that I had to request clarification as I played into the 8th green whether there were still players on the green. JV assured me that there were not and indeed they were on the next tee, from where they played their next shots.
On completing the 8th, we duly followed them, and all hit two shots towards what we believed was the 9th green. At that point, Darren shouted across that his sat-nav was directing him to play into the hole to the left of that, at the end of the parallel fairway. After a conversation, we agreed that we had played from the wrong tees and were playing the 18th, as the green we were aiming for was immediately in front of the clubhouse. At this point there was no sign on the prior group, and we assumed they had completed the 18th hole believing it to be the 9th.
We therefore all retrieved our balls and made our way back down the 18th towards the tee intending to go immediately to the 9th tee. At this point the group behind us, consisting of Cuth, Mike, Pete Jolley and Killer, who were on the 18th tee, about to do what we had, saw what was occurring and moved pretty sharpish to the 9th tee, just before we arrived. Cuth immediately lined up his tee shot. On being challenged that it was our turn to play, Cuth somewhat robustly responded “You’ve lost your position, get out of the way” or some such and so we did. It sounded authoritative, and maybe it even was…
In due course we played the 9th, despite being usurped by Cuth’s group, and completed the rest of the round. At one point we encountered KTs group and Ian rather gleefully conveyed to them that they had made a major gaffe in playing the wrong hole. I think the words “automatic disqualification” may have been mentioned…
On the back nine some good golf was played in our group but all the notable events were of the unfortunate variety. Darren lost 2 balls on the 12th, and I said “lovely looking hole” at the 14th (Grave Outlook) whereupon JV put one into the rubbish and I proceeded to crash my ball against a pylon over 200 yards away, which rebounded out into the centre of the fairway (the ball not the pylon). Unfortunately I fell foul of the local rule that any contact with power lines or pylons means an automatic replay of shot – which duly went into the rubbish…
It was around this point that I realised that Ian, who had been steady all day, making bogeys and pars on almost all holes, must be in with a chance of winning. I felt I had to mention this to him, if only to make him concentrate harder. He wasn’t happy.
I’m conscious that this report focuses almost entirely on what happened to me and the things I witnessed. I did seek information about other groups but little was forthcoming. I understand that Cuth likes blackberries, judging by the number of visits he made to the brambles on the 15th, where he finished with a 10 (hat tip Killer). I also heard that Alan Taylor, despite taking 5 shots to get off the 1st tee, had a very good front nine, though that information is definitely hearsay.
And so to the denouement. Doddy, having presumably had a quiet day* given the lack of story-worthy material emerging from the first group, started to become embroiled in the days controversy as groups completing their rounds handed over their scorecards with associated caveats of the “we played all the holes but not necessarily in the right order” variety. The two outstanding rounds had been played by Ian with a 68 and Tony Owo with a 70. Unfortunately both had been
part of the groups which had teed off from the wrong place.
It was clear that a ruling was going to be necessary in order to
make a decision about the day’s winner. Much hilarity and
special pleading ensued…*Insofar as anyone can have a quiet day
when playing in the same group as Terry!
Doddy and KT consulted before KT, wearing his Chairman’s hat
rather than as an interested party, spoke to the assembled throng.
He pointed out that no-one has deliberately infringed any rules,
sought to gain anyadvantage or indeed had gained any advantage
from the mistakes made.We were a society, playing golf for the
fun of it and for the camaraderie. Did we really want to penalise
people for honest mistakes? Nevertheless, there were rules and
therefore there were decisions to be made.
These needed to be made separately in respect of the group who
played the entire 18th hole in the wrong order and played the 9th
at the end, and the group who started playing the 18th in the
wrong order but aborted their play on it.
The options were: 1) Ignore the infringement; 2) 2 shot penalty; 3) 4 shot penalty; 4) Disqualification
Keith recommended option 1 and a vote was taken, with a substantial majority of those present voting for option 1, to ignore the infringement and take no action.
This meant that Ian Brazier was the winner with Tony Owo second. Matt Sailes was third.
The irrepressible Terry popped up with the winning card in the sweepstake. I remember that.
JV won the Nearest the Pin competition. El Capitano won Nearest the Pin in 2.
The winning group with the lowest combined net score was Cuth, Mike, Pete Jolley and Killer.
I’d like to make a quick point re the decision that was reached and the way it was reached. I personally felt that this exemplified the spirit of the society. We all know these things are not that important but nevertheless do not want anyone to feel hard done by or think that any unfairness has occurred, and this felt like the spirit with which the decision was reached. Of course it could be pointed out that 40% of the voters had an interest in the decision as they were in the infringing groups, plus the sweepstake winner had a financial interest, but it was all done with smiles and laughter. The right person won.
Congratulations Ian and see you at the next one!
Simon Redgewell
Sadly since the Founder’s trophy was played we learned of the passing of Juan Mendes. The comments on our WhatsApp group testify to the great respect and affection that Juan was held in by PGS members and the impact that he had on our society. RIP Juan.
