The Turkey Trot season is now underway at Mendip. Whilst winter events, the course looks as if the summer competitions should still be taking place! The greens, in particular, are showing, as predicted, the benefits of the early treatment they received in August. Two weeks of a little disruption in exchange for two months and counting of superb, fast greens. Enough said.
The Turkey Trott Bowmaker Medal saw familiar names in the winners’ enclosure with Alex Price, Spencer Pocock and R. Millard winning with net 121, six shots ahead of Trevor Oats, Pat Meatyard and G. Lesage with Mark Bowers, J. Richards and S. Morris in third place with 129.
Next up was the October Mid-Week Tankard. Division Three was won by Simon Wheeler, with 36 points, Alan Fussell was second, with 33 and John Crick, third with 31. Division Two saw yet another win for Spencer Pocock, with 36 points and he was followed by Harold Lidbitter, with 34 and Kelvin Lum, with 33. Division One saw the best score of the day and a win for Troy Chivers, with 38 points, with Alisdir Easton second, with 36 and Mike Vincent third, with 34.
The second of the Turkey Trot events attracted well over 100 competitors and the Texas Scramble three person team event showed just how well the course is playing. There was a time when a net 60.4 would have given you a chance of winning. This year, that score did not make the top ten! In third position with 57.6 was A. Mitchel, S. Moore, and J. Pitchell. In second place with 57.4 was the team of S. Messenger, J. Herniman and Trevor Messenger and with 56.6 the winners were Ryan Sainsbury, D. Galvin and T. Chapman.
The Ladies held their annual Charity Golf and Craft Fair event and there was a full entry of 29 teams playing in the three person Bowmaker event, representing sixteen clubs. Twelve craft stalls were set up selling a large variety of items and they were kept busy with a good flow of visitors in addition to the golfers. June Page ran the cake stall with many lady members making the items to sell. Overall the day raised £930 towards Ladies’ Captain Hilary Rowdon’s chosen charity, the new Cancer Care unit at the RUH in Bath. Overall winners of the golf were three ladies from Burnham and Berrow with 71 points. First Mendip Team were the high handicap team of Sue Needham, Allison Rumming and Nichola Croft with 70 winning on countback from Patricia Rawlins, Chris Atkinson and Sarah McNab, with Chris Williams, Libby Bellew and Andrea Williams third with 64. Best visiting team came from Mendip Spring/Worlebury with 70, with a team from Mendip Spring second with 68 and another Burnham & Berrow team third with 67.
The final KO has now taken place, the Harry Bowles Seniors’ event. After a competitive first six holes, John Shakesby then took control and ran out a comfortable winner over Tony Williams.
Mendip’s Open Bowmaker event attracted a full field of 135 players competing in three person teams. Conditions were excellent for the time of year and many compliments were received about the course condition. First visitors’ prize went to Mendip member, Troy Chivers, playing with two Farrington members, who carded 87. Second visitors’ prize went to George Morgan playing with partners from Enmore and Henbury who scored 83 and in third place were a team from The Players/Kingsdown clubs who scored 82.
First Mendip team were Alex Price, Spencer Pocock and Alisdir Easton, all whom have figured in recent events, winning with 89, with David Braithwaite, Shaun Rich and Alan Fussell second with 83 and in third place, Mendip stalwarts Jim Mallon, John Padfield and John Stembridge who scored 80 and held that position after countback.
Tony and Andrea Williams