32 Farrington Park players headed out on Sunday, 6th November for the Sanders Challenge Bowl, a Chinese Greensomes Stableford format for Mixed teams. Both players tee off, and then choose the preferred drive, the Ladies then play the second shot on all odd numbered holes and the Men play the second shot on the even numbered holes, and then alternate shots. Some excellent scores came in, but the winners had an outstanding score.

Linda Rogers and Gary Padfield ended with 49 Stableford points to leave everyone else standing. It has been a very good golfing year for Linda, with a good handicap cut and a hole in one in a competition on Ladies morning. Well done, Gary and Linda. They were both thrilled to have won this competition and to have their names on the honours board.

The skills prizes were won by Gail Proctor, with Nearest the Pin in two on the first hole, which caused several groans of “We haven’t played enough holes yet”, and Clive Stilwell, who won the Nearest the Pin in two on the fourteenth hole.

In the Competition, in fourth place with forty points, were Pauline and Steve Brixey. In third place on countback on the back nine, with 41 points, were Dawn and Terry Stacey. In second place, also with 41, but a better back six holes, were Liz and Paul Thomas.

After the meal and before the prizegiving, Clare Salter and Jon Calway were presented with The Davies Cooler Trophy for winning the Mixed Summer knockout, having beaten some formidable teams, including Gail Proctor and Nigel Denham, whom they beat in the final. The Christmas Mixed competition on Sunday, 11th December is already full with reserves. Let’s hope the weather stays fine.

Ladies

On another sunny autumnal Ladies morning, held on 10th November, 43 ladies entered the testing ‘fun’ competition of ‘Three clubs and a putter’ a test of having to adapt to playing with a club not normally chosen for a particular shot. The format was a Three Ball Bowmaker Stableford, with two scores to count, and the scores submitted suggested that most of the teams fared very well with only a third of their clubs. No doubt many wished they had not left out their sand wedge when faced with a bunker shot!

The winning team, with 79 points, were Jane Waller, Fiona Hassard and Lally Gibson; in second place were Julie Toogood, Debbie Jones and Carol King with 74 points, and third place were Clare Salter, June Symonds and Jacqui Gregory with 73 points.

Seniors

With news bulletins and daily newspapers giving blanket coverage to the US election result, Farrington Park Seniors playing a Texas Scramble was hardly going to make front page news.

Judging by the surprisingly high scoring, it would appear that many of the players were up half the night glued to their TV screens!

A close tussle ensued, with less than two shots covering the top three teams. 1st David Metcalfe, Richard Dancey, Steve Park, 63.50, 2nd Alan Elkington, Bev Woodland, Alan Skivington, 63.63, 3rd Ham Ridene, David Millington, Tony Edwards, 64.13, 4th Rob Thain, Paul Cains, Alan Honeybun, 66.25, 5th Leo Seddon, Bob Baker, Malcolm Brooks, 66.25. Nearest the Pins on fifth George Tyrrell, eighth Richard Collier, fourteenth Geoff Russell, fifteenth Ian Clement.

Men

There was some great scoring in typical autumn conditions in the Saturday Stableford (5th November) with Clive Stilwell with an excellent 41 points topping Division One followed by Adam Roe, in second on 39 points, beating Pete Wenmouth into third on countback. In Division Two a great score from Phil Bray, with 41 points, followed closely by Jon Gregory, in second on 40 points, and Mike Lefeurve, in third, on 39 points.

In good conditions for the time of year with thermal clothing now needed, Andy Stock took control of Division One, with 40 points, in the Sunday Stableford, followed in second by Jamie Lake, on 36 points, beating Dave Harvey into third on countback. It was a great day in Division Two for Jackson Carey, with a good score of 40 points, with Andy Lanning in second, on 35 points, and Shaun Robinson, in third, on 33 points.