After weeks of rain the Golf Gods were extremely kind providing two beautiful days of sunshine for our annual match against Northumberland at Withington and Didsbury Golf Clubs.
The Northumberland team all arrived safely and were served with a light lunch before teeing off at 1.00pm. The Manchester Captain, Bernard Stone, partnered by the Withington President, David Southern, played against the Northumberland Captain, Danny Findlay and Secretary, Peter Smith which resulted in the first win for the Manchester team.
Following the Golf, Northumberland returned from their hotel to be served with an excellent evening meal followed by the first days presentation where Danny Findlay announce the day result as 5 to 2 in favour of Manchester.
After a nights rest the second day was played at Didsbury. The Manchester Captain, Bernard Stone was partnered on this occasion by Stephen Wild a Past Captain of Didsbury against The Northumberland Captain, Danny Findlay and President, George Howorth which again resulted in the first win of the day for Manchester.
After Lunch, Danny Finlay announced the day's result as a repeat of the first day at 5 to 2 to Manchester, giving an overall win of 10 to 4 to the home team.
Both Captains' expressed their thanks to Withington and Didsbury for allowing their courses to host this fixture and the hospitality they provided.
In conclusion, the Northumberland Team departed with the usual Guard of Honour from the Manchester Team out of the car park.
Our away match hosted by Worcestershire, took place at Kidderminster Golf Club. After a 2 hour journey the Manchester Captains were given a very warm welcome and treated to sandwiches and chips before the match commenced.
Once again, the weather was superb and we were treated to a course in fantastic condition with some spectacular views. Our Captain Bernard Stone led the way with his brother Daniel but unfortunately lost the match 3 & 1. This seemed to set a losing trend as the Manchester Captains lost the next 3 matches before signalling a fightback. However, despite a great performance from Tony Lissett and Chris Dougill who had an emphatic 7 & 6 win, the match finished in a 5 ½ - 2 ½ loss.
Following the golf, we were treated to a delicious meal of Beef Bourguignon, followed by waffles covered in summer fruits and cream which everyone thoroughly enjoyed. After dinner Kidderminster Club Captain George Bayliss welcomed everybody to the club before handing over to Worcestershire Captain Marty Wilde who thanked the green staff for presenting the course in such great condition and the catering staff for the delicious food. Finally, our Captain Bernard thanked the hosts for their terrific hospitality before announcing the result of the match and wishing everybody a safe journey home. This should have been followed by the presentation of the trophy; however, it was unfortunately not available at the time and will be given to Worcestershire at a later date.
Chapel-en-le-Frith Golf club, the home club of President Brian Ashfield, welcomed us for our annual President’s Day competition. Although Brian was sadly unable to play, he welcomed every golfer on the tee and used his finest endeavours to ensure that we were able to play in warm sunny conditions.
The course, a first time of play for many of those attending, was in excellent condition and gave stunning views of the surrounding countryside. Some challenging pin positions paid scant regard to the age profile of the field, together with greens which had difficult to read contours, the course provided a stiff test of golfing skill.
After an enjoyable day’s golf, players sat down to a tasty dinner of roast beef and yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and vegetables followed by apple pie and custard. On conclusion of the meal the President introduced a personal friend, and his special guest for the evening, Alan Hill ex Derbyshire cricketer and President of Derbyshire County Cricket Club. Alan spoke briefly before answering a variety of cricket related questions from an interested audience.
Finally, we came to the results of the day. Although starting as favourites, our Captain Bernard Stone, playing off 18, and Chapel Captain Simon Hibbert, playing off 3, they were unable to match the scores of some of the remainder of the field. It must be said, however, that the winning scores were far lower than the usual level for such competitions, a testament to the difficulty of the course.
Two’s were recorded by Stuart Berry, Tony Lissett, Derek Hallam and Andy Murray and each received balls. In third place, on a card play-off, with 39 points were Steve McDermott (Turton) and Billy Newsome (Dunscar). In second place, with 40 points, were Ian Doyle and Anthony Barnes (Reddish Vale). The winners, who received the President's trophy amongst tumultuous applause were Deane pair Tony Lissett and Chris Dougill.
Our annual encounter with our friends from Bolton took place at nearby Harwood Golf Club. In keeping with the national weather picture for most of the month there had been heavy rain the day and night preceding the match. It is probably fair to say that had it not been for our match the course may well have been closed. Nonetheless, the rain had stopped by the time we played, and despite the wet conditions the greens were in good condition and remained extremely playable.
The usual friendly rivalry produced some close games with a number only being decided on the 18th green. The normal post-match banter ensued over liquid refreshments before everyone was served with a hearty meal of meat and potato pie, chips, peas and gravy, followed by apple pie and custard.
Once everyone had finished eating, Eddie Kay, the President of Harwood Golf Club, welcomed everybody to his club and hoped that all had enjoyed the afternoon. He was followed by the Captain of Bolton and District Golf Captains Andre Boudin who entertained with some local humour before handing over to our captain, Bernard Stone who announced the result, a very narrow victory 5½ - 4½, before presenting the trophy to the Bolton Captain.
Hosted at home this year our encounter with the Derbyshire Captains took place at Sale Golf Club. Although clashing with the Open at Hoylake those who preferred the delights of this fine Mersey valley course were rewarded when the heavy rain stopped and the clouds parted just prior to the commencement of the match. Despite the record-breaking rainfall for the month the course was in excellent condition and the greens, although a little slower than usual, played well.
There was some good scoring littered throughout all of the games, however, particular mention must be given to the inimitable Dave Sanders (Reddish Vale) achieved every golfer’s dream with a hole in one on the par 3 11th hole. Dave did of course follow the time honoured tradition in the bar later that day, however, it is rumoured that some of his fellow team members missed out on the opportunity to celebrate his success.
Following the match all sat down for a dinner which consisted of pork loin with a wine and mushroom jus, roast potatoes and a medley of vegetables. For dessert there was a chocolate. After dinner the Captain of Sale Golf Club, Mr David Owens, was introduced. He welcomed all to the club and thanked Manchester Captains for choosing Sale to host their match. He was followed by Bernard Stone, our Captain, who thanked all the staff at Sale Golf Club for their efforts during the day and presented David Owens with a cheque for the club. Last to speak was the Derbyshire Captain Alan Cunningham who reiterated the comments made by Bernard about the excellent condition of the course particularly given the recent adverse weather conditions. He concluded the day’s events by congratulating the Manchester team on their win by 6 to 2.
Bromborough Golf Club, one of many fine courses on the Wirral, was the venue for this year’s match against the Liverpool Captains. Despite most of the Manchester team driving through torrential rain to reach the club all matches were played in dry conditions with a liberal helping of sunshine.
There was a shotgun start for the two teams of nineteen pairs and everyone who played thoroughly enjoyed a fine golf course which was challenging but proved to be an excellent test of golfing ability. The Manchester team, whilst enjoying their pre-match lunch, were pleased to see Ian Michael, last year’s Captain, who, although still recovering from his knee operation, limped in to offer encouragement and wish the team well. There were some excellent performances during the course of the afternoon, notably players from Ellesmere, Sale and Withington, however, home team advantage prevailed in many of the games.
Once all games had been concluded everyone sat down and was served a hearty two course dinner. Following this the Captain of Bromborough Golf Club, Rob Jarvis, welcomed his fellow Liverpool captains and all the captains from Manchester. He was followed by the current Captain of the Society of Liverpool Golf Captains Mr John Morris who thanked Bromborough Golf Club and its staff for presenting the course in such tremendous condition and looking after everyone post-match. He then handed over to Captain Bernard Stone who reiterated many of the comments made before concluding proceedings by announcing the result, a victory to Liverpool by 12-7, and presenting the trophy to their Captain.
Our away match hosted by South Cheshire took place at the grand sounding Alsager Golf and Country Club, however, it turned out to be so named merely to distinguish it from nearby neighbour Alsager Golf Club, still in existence but the clubhouse no longer has a golf course!!
Sadly, the recent spell of fine weather did not continue but from the vantage point at the top of the course it could be seen that we did escape the worst of the passing showers.
The course itself presented challenges for those that were not used to playing it because of the numerous brooks and ponds which impacted upon club choice. It was, however, in good condition and provided and enjoyable test of golfing ability.
Following the day’s golf all players were served a three-course evening meal consisting of carrot and coriander soup, hunter’s chicken together with accompanying vegetables, and a dessert of lemon cheesecake. After the meal Glyn Roberts, the captain of South Cheshire, and Bernard Stone, the captain of MDGC were introduced and each made a short speech thanking the host club and its staff for making the day a success. The evening ended with the announcement of the result, a close fought match with everything turning on the outcome of the last fourball. In the end South Cheshire emerged victorious 5½ to 4½ and the trophy was presented to Glyn by Bernard before he wished everyone a safe journey home.
Captain’s Day 2023 took place at Manchester Golf Club. Given the recent spell of fine, dry weather it was a shame to see the forecast of showers. The early starters encountered a period of particularly torrential rain, however, once Dave Sanders stepped up to the tee, and announced that the rain would stop, the clouds cleared and dry sunny weather continued for the remainder of the day.
The course was presented in tremendous condition with beautifully manicured greens and provided a good test of golfing ability. It is also a haven for wildlife with a number of participants spotting roe deer on the course. Some also noticed the sandy bank adjacent to the 16th hole which is dug vertical each year to provide a nesting place for sand martins who eat the myriad of flying ants which would otherwise cause great irritation to golfers. It is also used by kingfishers to rear their young.
Participants dined on completion of their rounds of golf and were served a very tasty, and nicely presented, meal of steak and mushroom pie accompanied by chips and mushy peas followed by chocolate fudge cake and ice cream.
On completion of dining the Captain of Manchester Golf Club, George Shepherd, was introduced and welcomed everybody to the club before outlining all the work that is going on to further improve the club. He was followed by Captain Bernard Stone, who despite being denied the opportunity to play on the day enjoyed seeing the efforts of the remaining participants. Bernard thanked the host club for the fine presentation of the course and the excellent catering arrangements before presenting the prizes to the winners.
Three golfers recorded twos and each received golf balls – Colin Dickinson (Farnworth and Great Lever) on the 16th, and Howard Battersby (Breightmet) and Mike Burchell (Styal) on the 13th.
The main prizes were won with some excellent scores on a challenging course. In third place, with a very solid 43 points, were Keith Walmsley (Hindley Hall) and Dave Lomax (Flixton). In second place, losing on a card play-off, were John Taylor and Phil Ramskill (both Leigh) with an excellent 45 points. And in first place, and trophy winners, also with an excellent 45 points were Ray Sims (Old Manchester) and Simon Naylor (Stand).
The Manchester Captains travelled to Leeds for their third match of the season where they were hosted by the Leeds Captains at Pontefract and District Golf Club. All who played found the course to be in excellent condition with some challenging holes providing a wonderful day’s golf enhanced by the continuing good weather.
In true Yorkshire fashion, lunch was not provided, however, most of the team enjoyed some very tasty bacon barms before golf got underway. The lunchtime snack clearly proved to be the defining feature of the home team’s underperformance in the afternoon. Although some games were very close the Manchester team went on to an overall win.
On completion of all the matches and an enjoyable drink on the terrace in the early evening sunshine the teams sat down to a hearty meal of pie, chips and peas followed by a chocolate brownie desert. After all had finished eating our Captain, Bernard Stone, thanked everyone for an enjoyable day and in particular the host club and its green staff for the presentation of the course. He then handed over to Leeds Captain, Brian Jackson, who echoed those sentiments before announcing the result, a Manchester win 6½ - 2½, and presenting the trophy to Bernard.
Our second match of the season saw the Manchester team travel to Arscott Golf Club, near Shrewsbury, to take on the Shropshire and Herefordshire Captains. Once again the weather was superb and those who went were treated to a hidden gem of a golf course with some spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.
Captain Bernard Stone, playing alongside Tony Gregory showed the rest of the team the way with a close victory playing against Shropshire captain Colin Wall and Arscott ex-captain Chris Gettings. Unfortunately, some of the rest of the team failed to follow their captain’s lead resulting in a narrow victory for the home side by 5 ½ to 4 ½ .
Whilst enjoying a post match drink in the early evening sunshine participants were served with pre-dinner snacks before taking their seats to enjoy a meal of steak pie and chips followed by apple pie and custard. On conclusion of the meal host captain Colin thanked the host club for the excellence of the day, a sentiment applauded by all present. He then handed over to captain Bernard who announced the result and congratulated Shropshire on their victory.
Manchester Captains made their inaugural visit to Pike Fold Golf Club for the match against the Leicester and Rutland Captains. For our first match of the season we were blessed with good weather which, together with a course which was in excellent condition, produced some fine golf. Unfortunately, Leicestershire were only able to bring up 8 pairs which meant that some of the Manchester team were unable to enjoy the day’s golf.
The first match, as tradition dictates, saw our new captain Bernard Stone, together with the captain of Pike Fold Mike Davies, take on Andy Vernon and Charles Geary, two past presidents of Leicester and Rutland. A very closely contested match saw the game being halved on the final hole. All remaining matches were similarly very closely contested.
On conclusion of all the matches and some very welcome liquid refreshment all players sat down to enjoy a meal of beer battered fish served with chips and mushy peas, followed by a dessert of chocolate brownie served with fresh cream or ice cream. After the meal captain Bernard stood up and thanked Pike Fold captain Mike for hosting the event and complemented all the staff at the club for their efforts, in particular the greens staff for the excellent condition of the course. The floor was then taken by President of SLRGC, John Rawlings, who had been in attendance throughout the day although he was unable to play because of injury. He reiterated many of the comments that had previously been made before being presented by Bernard with “The Glass Golf Ball” following their victory by a narrow margin of 4 ½ to 3 ½ .
Played each year to mark the beginnings of our Association 68 years ago, Founders Day was this year played at Withington golf club. The weather gods were not kind to us either on the day of the event or the preceding days, nevertheless a short break in the rainy conditions during the afternoon enabled most competitors to complete their rounds in comparatively benign conditions. Certainly the weather did little to curb the enthusiasm of those taking part and some excellent scores were returned given the difficult playing conditions.
On completion of play, and after some much needed liquid refreshment, all players enjoyed a roast chicken dinner in a convivial atmosphere. Following dinner, the Captain of Withington golf club, Mr Ben Etherington, stood up to welcome all members of the Association adding that it was a pleasure an honour for the club to host such a prestigious event. This was followed by a response from our Captain Ian Michael, bravely enduring the pain and discomfort arising from his recent knee operation, thanking the Club for hosting the day before moving on to the presentation of the prizes.
The winning pair, and proud guardians of the Founders Trophy for the next 12 months, with an excellent score of 42 points were Colin Dickinson (Farnworth and Great Lever) and Mike Burchell (Styal). Closely following in second place were Daniel Stone (Manchester) and Brian Ashfield (Chapel-en-le-Frith) with 41 points. In third place also with 41 points, but just missing out on a card play-off, were MDGC Vice Captain Bernard Stone (Manchester) who was partnered by Ben Etherington (Withington Club Captain).
There were 4 twos recorded on the day, 2 on the 8th hole – Harry Reid (Styal) & Alan Preston (Bramall Park); and 2 on the 10th hole – Steve Aspinall (Birchwood) & Keith Walmsley (Hindley Hall). All received balls for their achievement.
The evening concluded with our AGM at which Bernard Stone and Brian Ashfield were appointed as Captain and President respectively for 2023/24. After winning prizes in our introductory meeting at Knutsford and again today at Withington we are expecting some strong performances during the remainder of the season.
The Competition of 35 players, comprising 24 new Captains and 11 members of the Executive, was played on a dry, sunny but windy day over the back nine holes from the white tees as is traditional at Knutsford.
The Knutsford Captain, Nigel Jenkins extended the welcome to all the visitors where upon the MDGC Captain Ian Michael thanked the Captain and Club for once again allowing us host what is our flagship membership event and the ongoing support the Association has received for many years.
The Winning Team, scoring 43 points, comprised Steve Mc Dermott MDGC, Graeme Whyte of Turton GC and Nick Abbott, Dunham Forest GC.
Second place with 42 Points was Bernard Stone MDGC, George Shepard Manchester GC, Daniel Stone MDGC and David Simpson Sandiway GC.
Third Place winning on a card playoff with 38 points was Brian Ashfield MDGC, Nigel Rowlands of Chapel en le Frith GC, Alastair Sewell Wilmslow GC and John Wheeler Heaton Moor GC.
There were only 2 twos on the day, Nigel Jenkins Knutsford and Rajesh Desai Stockport GC who both received balls for their achievement on the 14th hole.
Another fixture has been arranged for 2024 where all New Captains in Office, in that year, will once again by invited to meet the Association’s Executive and we look forward to their attendance.
