2022 Swindle - Daily Results and Reports
Results for Friday 24th June 2022
Half way through the year and the race for Swindler of the Year is hotting up nicely. Dennis and Kev lead the way at present, but with larger numbers playing now the chance to close the gap is there.
Today saw Mike T as a 2nd time swindle winner, with a very impressive score of 40 points. The standard of Seniors golf has certainly improved this year, exemplified by the fact that Mike was the 20th Swindler to score 40 points or more in 2022 - a marked rise in the number who achieved this feat in the previous few years. In second place was Cinderella Ash who outdid the pantomime star by turning up at the ball without any shoes. He ended up playing in a pair found in lost property!! Maybe he should go out and buy a pair of his own if it helps him to play like he did today!! There was, however, a case of Swindle tactics being used by Ash on the 18th green when he avoided the magic 40 points, by missing a 2 foot putt!! Fellow Swindlers should take note of this and ensure that it doesn't happen again by using the Ash gimee. Completing the top three was Robbo with a steady 37 points.
Only one Swindle next week where the competition is bound to be "healthy" as both Kim and Dennis will be back playing off their full Course handicaps of 17 and 25, respectively. Both played their 4th round on a cut today and somehow managed to avoid picking up any prize money. The eagle eyed of you will have noticed that Kim achieved this despite having the best back 9 of the day!!! Dennis managed it by having 32 points after 16 holes and only 33 points at the end of his round!!
More Swindle tactics you may think!
Robbo
Ed: NB see late photographic evidence below.
Today saw Mike T as a 2nd time swindle winner, with a very impressive score of 40 points. The standard of Seniors golf has certainly improved this year, exemplified by the fact that Mike was the 20th Swindler to score 40 points or more in 2022 - a marked rise in the number who achieved this feat in the previous few years. In second place was Cinderella Ash who outdid the pantomime star by turning up at the ball without any shoes. He ended up playing in a pair found in lost property!! Maybe he should go out and buy a pair of his own if it helps him to play like he did today!! There was, however, a case of Swindle tactics being used by Ash on the 18th green when he avoided the magic 40 points, by missing a 2 foot putt!! Fellow Swindlers should take note of this and ensure that it doesn't happen again by using the Ash gimee. Completing the top three was Robbo with a steady 37 points.
Only one Swindle next week where the competition is bound to be "healthy" as both Kim and Dennis will be back playing off their full Course handicaps of 17 and 25, respectively. Both played their 4th round on a cut today and somehow managed to avoid picking up any prize money. The eagle eyed of you will have noticed that Kim achieved this despite having the best back 9 of the day!!! Dennis managed it by having 32 points after 16 holes and only 33 points at the end of his round!!
More Swindle tactics you may think!
Robbo
Ed: NB see late photographic evidence below.
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Eds Note: I played with Ash - he said he had forgotten his shoes and had 'borrowed' some from the changing rooms. Forgetting shoes is an Ash thing so I wasn't surprised. When we came into the club house afterwards though I noticed that Ash didn't have any shoes on - photo evidence below. It then came out that he hadn't just forgotten his golf shoes - he hadn't brought ANY shoes. Now that could spark alarm bells, but he assures me that he thought he had his golf shoes in his car so just drove without wearing any! That has surely got to be a 1st, even amongst us poor lot!?
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Eds Note: In case you haven't noticed Don has joined the Seniors - swindle : Don likes to be noticed; nice chap that he is. So we have given him a few mentions here and there - even updated the contact list more quickly so he could be listed to receive all the phone calls he was expecting congratulating him on being signed to the elite squad. As befitting a future star of the results list Don has been given a special swindle badge and welcome photograph! That's it Don - back into obscurity now.
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Results for Wednesday 22nd June 2022
Given one task to complete is always a challenge for a senior. Make it two and it starts to border on the impossible. The thought of three doesn't bear thinking about. The usually cool, calm and collected Gordon exemplified this perfectly today. Attempting to play in the swindle, play in a singles knock out match, and put in a social card for handicap purpose all at the same time proved just a bit too much for him. As I walked past him after my round all he could manage to say was "Never again!!!"
Me thinks we may have to reconsider how we manage putting social cards in!!
It was actually a perfect day for playing golf but only Kev managed to really take advantage of the conditions scoring an excellent 45 points. Another reduction in his club handicap in the making? It was actually a surprise to me that this was his first score of 40, or more, in the swindle so only a three point cut to go with his winnings of £7. Ray just edged out Henry to secure second place and take home £4.
Let's hope for a stress free Swindle on Friday.
Me thinks we may have to reconsider how we manage putting social cards in!!
It was actually a perfect day for playing golf but only Kev managed to really take advantage of the conditions scoring an excellent 45 points. Another reduction in his club handicap in the making? It was actually a surprise to me that this was his first score of 40, or more, in the swindle so only a three point cut to go with his winnings of £7. Ray just edged out Henry to secure second place and take home £4.
Let's hope for a stress free Swindle on Friday.
Results for Monday 20th June 2022
The largest Swindle field of the year gathered bright and early in the clubhouse for the draw which, surprisingly, went off without a hitch. However, the large numbers did present a problem as the last fourball drawn out had to wait for almost an hour to tee off. Should the large numbers become more commonplace we may need to consider having two draw times - maybe something like one at 0730 for the 0740 0748 0756 and 0804 tee times and one at 0800 for the 0812 0820 0828 and 0836 tee times.
The golf itself produced some very good scores with half of the field getting 35 points or more. Only one person (Henry) scored better on the front nine than the back nine, which won't come as a surprise to anybody, but what might is that two players scored 9 points and 10 points respectively on Warley's Amen Corner (Holes 4,5 and 6). Congratulations to Henry and newcomer Adrian (who has now played his 3 intro swindle games).
Congratulations should also go to Don, for a very impressive 41 points in his first Swindle. Sadly for him he still gets cut and doesn't pick up any prize money.
Further congratulations go to Sir Simon for a very impressive 38 points which, I am guessing, is his highest stableford score since his comeback.
Winners on the day were Steve B with a magnificent 44 points (£12 cut 5) Sharpie 40 points (£8 cut 4) and Roger P 40 points (£4 cut 2).
We also welcomed guest Richard Fisher who was 'trying us out' before he decides whether to join WP or not.
Results for Wednesday 15th June 2022
A lovely day at WP with 12 swindlers. We had a nice four ball with Sharpie, Mike Tring & Adrian Webster (for his second swindle ). All played well (except yours truly ) with Sharpie getting 42 points. Unfortunately, I was his partner in our friendly match and we lost 2 & 1. The second group out of Capt. Dave, JP, Winesy & Mike Pearce managed three scores of 40 or better between them. The last group was Dennis, Kev, John Clare & Ian H. Highlight was Kev's eagle on the 16th. However, as his second shot onto the green was blind, nobody saw it disappear into the hole! After a few minutes looking for it Den looked in the hole and there it was.
True to form in golf on Monday Dennis and I were top of the table and 2 days later bottom of the table!
Ray
Results for Monday 13th June 2022
A slightly earlier start than usual due to the match v Top Meadow saw 13 Swindlers all away from the first tee by 07.48. Looking at the scores there was a definite pattern of lower scores on the front 9, but was this down to the early start, or was it due to the difficulty of the holes? Maybe a bit of both for most, but the returning Henry managed to put a spanner in that theory by scoring 19 points on the front 9 and only 11 points on the back 9.
Both Dennis and Ray had slightly disappointing starts to 2022, but are now both in rich veins of form and were well clear of the rest of the field today with 41 points each. Each of them scored 22 points on the back 9 and so the winner was the person with the better back 6. Dennis just came out on top with 16 points as opposed to Ray's 15 points. As a result Dennis was cut 3 and 5 more for his fifth score of 40, or more, and Ray was cut 2 plus another 2 for his second score of 40, or more. John P took third place with a more than acceptable 37 points.
Dennis has now taken the lead in the race to be the swindler of the year so all those with designs on securing this honour will need to up their game. At present his closest challengers are serial bandits Kev and Tim, but a couple of podium finishes will see up to five more challengers closing the gap!!
Both Dennis and Ray had slightly disappointing starts to 2022, but are now both in rich veins of form and were well clear of the rest of the field today with 41 points each. Each of them scored 22 points on the back 9 and so the winner was the person with the better back 6. Dennis just came out on top with 16 points as opposed to Ray's 15 points. As a result Dennis was cut 3 and 5 more for his fifth score of 40, or more, and Ray was cut 2 plus another 2 for his second score of 40, or more. John P took third place with a more than acceptable 37 points.
Dennis has now taken the lead in the race to be the swindler of the year so all those with designs on securing this honour will need to up their game. At present his closest challengers are serial bandits Kev and Tim, but a couple of podium finishes will see up to five more challengers closing the gap!!
Results for Wednesday 1st June 2022
16 of us today with a course in excellent condition and good weather to make us all a bit happier. Plus Kevin was back from his Bermuda trip and as you know he laughs a lot.
Before Robbo left for his break he introduced a new feature for the draw - the ‘funny ball routine’ - in his case the ‘why are we one ball missing in the bag ‘ repeated 3 times - before he took the missing ball out of his hand!
Well, Les developed that routine a bit further today - having put a bright orange ball into the draw he steadfastly refused to identify it as his own when it was pulled out. Much head scratching for a few minutes trying to work out who had played a joke on us, when Les took another look …. You can guess…… Well, it brightens up the draw process!
A wide range of scores today and not particularly high at the top (once we’d cleared up a confusion about a HC in use). Bill’s winning score of 38 was in the end just good enough to keep out John Clare, who came in with a very good 37 for 2nd place. John is using the ‘play one then rest a few, before playing again’ routine to keep his mind and interest up and, based on today, it seems to be working! And in 3rd place was ‘can’t keep him down man’, Greg with a very solid 36.
Behind the stars of the day were 4 players with 35s. I only mention that because I know its of interest to note the scores relative to HC and B9 scores! Something Dennis and I discussed!
Kevin wanted it mentioned that he had very severe jet lag. I think he wanted some sympathy!
Before Robbo left for his break he introduced a new feature for the draw - the ‘funny ball routine’ - in his case the ‘why are we one ball missing in the bag ‘ repeated 3 times - before he took the missing ball out of his hand!
Well, Les developed that routine a bit further today - having put a bright orange ball into the draw he steadfastly refused to identify it as his own when it was pulled out. Much head scratching for a few minutes trying to work out who had played a joke on us, when Les took another look …. You can guess…… Well, it brightens up the draw process!
A wide range of scores today and not particularly high at the top (once we’d cleared up a confusion about a HC in use). Bill’s winning score of 38 was in the end just good enough to keep out John Clare, who came in with a very good 37 for 2nd place. John is using the ‘play one then rest a few, before playing again’ routine to keep his mind and interest up and, based on today, it seems to be working! And in 3rd place was ‘can’t keep him down man’, Greg with a very solid 36.
Behind the stars of the day were 4 players with 35s. I only mention that because I know its of interest to note the scores relative to HC and B9 scores! Something Dennis and I discussed!
Kevin wanted it mentioned that he had very severe jet lag. I think he wanted some sympathy!
Results for Friday 27th May 2022
A little warmer today than of late, with a light wind, so perfect golf weather. 15 down to play, and 15 gathered, but one stray appeared and one lost sheep didn’t ! Bill held up by a good old fashioned Jam and didn’t make the start (but did join in part way), but Les did, although he wasn’t expected.
As it was a Swindle and a HC Card day it was all a little more hectic than usual. And of course the smooth Robot operator was absent - although he has been known to forget to put his ball in the bag! It wasn’t the best day to capture the results for the higher handicappers as most of those were holidaying or having other fun.
Results in the swindle showed some good form. Kim had a blistering day coming in with a clear winning score of 42. Good to see Ian Harris get into the money/points for the 1st time with a very good 38 point second. And Spiggy declared in a late 3rd place with 36 after the organiser for the day spotted his mistake a bit after the event!
Some of the HC cards were a bit dodgy with names missing, handicaps not stated and some just a bit messy! But I think we got there - I hope Keith can make sense of them (Thanks). And we do need to think carefully about how we manage this process better. A job for Robbo while he is relaxing on a Greek Island beach next week?
Anyway in the HC card stakes, Gordon kept his good form going to record a 42 against his course HC (22 v 14 in swindle). So the HC day ‘should’ result in at least one popular cut! Mind you the last win of mine in a comp resulted in a 0.2 increase in my HC! The same should apply for Kim who also had 42, but not quite so good B9. Not sure about the others. Be interesting to hear where cuts do get made.
Anyway got there in the end guys. Well done.
Joe had to retire so we wish him well and hope all ok.
As it was a Swindle and a HC Card day it was all a little more hectic than usual. And of course the smooth Robot operator was absent - although he has been known to forget to put his ball in the bag! It wasn’t the best day to capture the results for the higher handicappers as most of those were holidaying or having other fun.
Results in the swindle showed some good form. Kim had a blistering day coming in with a clear winning score of 42. Good to see Ian Harris get into the money/points for the 1st time with a very good 38 point second. And Spiggy declared in a late 3rd place with 36 after the organiser for the day spotted his mistake a bit after the event!
Some of the HC cards were a bit dodgy with names missing, handicaps not stated and some just a bit messy! But I think we got there - I hope Keith can make sense of them (Thanks). And we do need to think carefully about how we manage this process better. A job for Robbo while he is relaxing on a Greek Island beach next week?
Anyway in the HC card stakes, Gordon kept his good form going to record a 42 against his course HC (22 v 14 in swindle). So the HC day ‘should’ result in at least one popular cut! Mind you the last win of mine in a comp resulted in a 0.2 increase in my HC! The same should apply for Kim who also had 42, but not quite so good B9. Not sure about the others. Be interesting to hear where cuts do get made.
Anyway got there in the end guys. Well done.
Joe had to retire so we wish him well and hope all ok.
Results for Wedsnesday 25th May 2022
A change to the weather today also brought a change to the Swindle scores. Out went the very high scores and in came the kind of scores you might expect on a chilly, windy morning and with a number of people playing off sizeable cuts. With Gordon playing in a doubles match, Kev on holiday and Greg dropping out at the last minute the rest of us had a much better chance of getting on to the podium.
As it turned out I played with Dave C on Monday in the Mulligan and again today in the Swindle. It clearly demonstrated what a strange game golf is. Same course, same player, same handicap same time of day, almost the same weather but completely different scores for Dave. I am sure he won't mind me mentioning that on Monday he lost 8 balls and ended up with a disappointing 25 points whereas today I think he only lost one ball, scored a very good 36 points and took first place!! Ray just nudged out Robbo on countback to take second place.
We also welcomed Ian P for his 1st game with us of 2022. Good to see him back.
Two swindles next week so a chance for everyone to make a move on the leading Swindlers Tim and Kev.
As it turned out I played with Dave C on Monday in the Mulligan and again today in the Swindle. It clearly demonstrated what a strange game golf is. Same course, same player, same handicap same time of day, almost the same weather but completely different scores for Dave. I am sure he won't mind me mentioning that on Monday he lost 8 balls and ended up with a disappointing 25 points whereas today I think he only lost one ball, scored a very good 36 points and took first place!! Ray just nudged out Robbo on countback to take second place.
We also welcomed Ian P for his 1st game with us of 2022. Good to see him back.
Two swindles next week so a chance for everyone to make a move on the leading Swindlers Tim and Kev.
Results for Friday 20th May 2022
The weather forecast stated that there was a 90% chance of rain and it was bang on. Once started It duly continued for most of the morning and the 'sensible' ones called it a day after 9 holes whilst the 'silly' ones ploughed on and played the full 18 holes. Robbo(40 points £7) pipped Ash (39 points £4) courtesy of a missed putt by Ash on the last and Richard (36 points) secured 3rd place to get his £1 back.
Thank you to all those who have let me know of course handicap changes. Let's hope the weather is a little kinder to us next week. If so, we hope to play either Wednesday, or Friday, for handicap purposes.
Thank you to all those who have let me know of course handicap changes. Let's hope the weather is a little kinder to us next week. If so, we hope to play either Wednesday, or Friday, for handicap purposes.
Results for Monday 17th May 2022
With many of the usual Swindle suspects playing at West Essex Roger aka Sarge to organise the draw and results for the day. There were certainly some eyebrows raised in the clubhouse after the morning's play was finished when the winner was announced!!! Only joking Roger. I have it on good authority that you played really well and miraculously managed to avoid the extra cut when scoring 40 points!!! Not only that, but you also pipped Sharpie with a better back 6. It seems that it was your day. Getting his £1 back playing off his new handicap was Irons fan Bob.
We welcomed Nigel Stewart for the first time and I am sure he would have been well looked after. Hope you enjoyed your round Nigel.
We welcomed Nigel Stewart for the first time and I am sure he would have been well looked after. Hope you enjoyed your round Nigel.
Results for Friday 13th May 2022
15 players today - 2 went out on their own as a singles. 13 played the swindle (with a singles in one group). Another morning that promised to be warmer than is was and most were COLD for at least part of the time.
Course defiantly playing well although the greens are still slow by WP standards and a bit varied.
The high scoring from Weds continued with 4 of the 13 at 39 or above.
Sharpie and Robbo argued for 3rd place, but Sharpie just got it on the BB6. Cut of just 1.
Chris V came in a v. good 2nd with 40 points and a cut of 2, with 1 extra (3) for the 1st 40 or more of the year.
Your Comms man came in with a remarkably good 48 points to earn a cut of 3, plus 3 extra (6) for being his 3rd 40, or more, score this year.
I wouldn’t normally blow my own trumpet, but on this occasion I will (and because I’m holding the pen so to speak ) as it was a special round for me. A lowest ever score of Gross 80 - 10 pars and 1 birdie. And that was with a blob on hole 4 (!!) and some 3 putting. So, as good as it was, it could have been much better!! But we all say that don't we!
A special one which I hope we all have now and again! Except Bob of course - as he says he’s got to get his HC up from it’s 20 now to 40! So a very long wait for him……
G
Course defiantly playing well although the greens are still slow by WP standards and a bit varied.
The high scoring from Weds continued with 4 of the 13 at 39 or above.
Sharpie and Robbo argued for 3rd place, but Sharpie just got it on the BB6. Cut of just 1.
Chris V came in a v. good 2nd with 40 points and a cut of 2, with 1 extra (3) for the 1st 40 or more of the year.
Your Comms man came in with a remarkably good 48 points to earn a cut of 3, plus 3 extra (6) for being his 3rd 40, or more, score this year.
I wouldn’t normally blow my own trumpet, but on this occasion I will (and because I’m holding the pen so to speak ) as it was a special round for me. A lowest ever score of Gross 80 - 10 pars and 1 birdie. And that was with a blob on hole 4 (!!) and some 3 putting. So, as good as it was, it could have been much better!! But we all say that don't we!
A special one which I hope we all have now and again! Except Bob of course - as he says he’s got to get his HC up from it’s 20 now to 40! So a very long wait for him……
G
Results for Wednesday 11th May 2022
A rare event - Robbo absent for the day. Not normally one to sit, instead he was doing SAT for the day.
A small group for Weds and a bit chilly on the course. Steve A and Dave O went out as a singles match 1st.
As had been predicted in WA the day before Steve Belly was in that same group as Dennis, and was thus able to spend some time discussing the sartorial elegance of the men's dress styles that dominated the Romantic period. Apparently they found that they had much in common.
However, in our group it was all about golf. After 2/3 holes Roger and I were beginning to wonder if we were going to be 'done over' in our in swindle match after losing holes to par. But a newly reformed, woke awaken, quiet and thoughtful Roger showed that inner steel and started to focus. The score of 45 says it all. A brilliant round for the day and I don't think we heard one roar!
John P and Greg had a battle for 2nd place with excellent 40s returned on the card, but JP playing off 3x Greg's HC got it on the usual back nine difference. I say 'on the card' because having checked the Swindle Table HCs, I found JP down as 38 and not 36! So really a 2 point clear 2nd place. A reminder to all to know your Swindle HCs and check the swindle table if unsure!
It was actually quite a good scoring day and even Dennis's 30 looks really good as he was playing 13 shots below his course HC.
Roger gets cut 3 (2+1 for 40+). John P gets cut 1 + 3 (as his 3rd 40 plus score).
G
A small group for Weds and a bit chilly on the course. Steve A and Dave O went out as a singles match 1st.
As had been predicted in WA the day before Steve Belly was in that same group as Dennis, and was thus able to spend some time discussing the sartorial elegance of the men's dress styles that dominated the Romantic period. Apparently they found that they had much in common.
However, in our group it was all about golf. After 2/3 holes Roger and I were beginning to wonder if we were going to be 'done over' in our in swindle match after losing holes to par. But a newly reformed, woke awaken, quiet and thoughtful Roger showed that inner steel and started to focus. The score of 45 says it all. A brilliant round for the day and I don't think we heard one roar!
John P and Greg had a battle for 2nd place with excellent 40s returned on the card, but JP playing off 3x Greg's HC got it on the usual back nine difference. I say 'on the card' because having checked the Swindle Table HCs, I found JP down as 38 and not 36! So really a 2 point clear 2nd place. A reminder to all to know your Swindle HCs and check the swindle table if unsure!
It was actually quite a good scoring day and even Dennis's 30 looks really good as he was playing 13 shots below his course HC.
Roger gets cut 3 (2+1 for 40+). John P gets cut 1 + 3 (as his 3rd 40 plus score).
G
Results for Wednesday 4th May 2022
It seems ages since we had a swindle yet it was only 12 days ago. We certainly have a busy period coming up over the next few months with Summer knockouts, competitions, inter club matches and awaydays so there will clearly be fewer swindles. There was a good turnout today and the scores were relatively close. The first three places went to Tim, Dennis and Greg with 41, 40 and 39 points respectively. Tim and Dennis were both cut 6 shots for their efforts, but are still leading the race to be Swindler of the Year. Very well played indeed chaps. It is up to the rest of us to try and eat into their lead over the next few weeks.
Could I just ask everyone to remember to check their course handicap on the Swindle Summary Main table (hover over Swindle 2022 heading on left) (especially after a competition) before they play in the swindle to ensure that they are playing off the correct swindle handicap. Obviously, if you are on a cut you will be able to see how many more games you have to play on that cut handicap before reverting to your course handicap. I have been through everyone's course handicap for Warley 1 to 18 and updated the table accordingly. If yours changes up or down, after a competition or submitting a general play card, it would be really helpful if you could let me know direct.
Robbo
Could I just ask everyone to remember to check their course handicap on the Swindle Summary Main table (hover over Swindle 2022 heading on left) (especially after a competition) before they play in the swindle to ensure that they are playing off the correct swindle handicap. Obviously, if you are on a cut you will be able to see how many more games you have to play on that cut handicap before reverting to your course handicap. I have been through everyone's course handicap for Warley 1 to 18 and updated the table accordingly. If yours changes up or down, after a competition or submitting a general play card, it would be really helpful if you could let me know direct.
Robbo
Results for Friday 22nd April 2022
With a number of Swindlers playing at Gosfield Lakes Captain Dave oversaw the draw and results today. 12 players took part and for the second swindle on the trot no one managed more than 36 points. No surprises as to who was the winner however as Kev continued his wonderful run and opened up a large gap between him and the rest in the Swindle table.
Chris just lost out to Kev on countback to finish in second place. Countback featured again to decide third place with Sharpie just edging out John C.
No swindles next week - next one will be on Monday 2nd May( Bank Holiday).
Chris just lost out to Kev on countback to finish in second place. Countback featured again to decide third place with Sharpie just edging out John C.
No swindles next week - next one will be on Monday 2nd May( Bank Holiday).
Results for Wednesday 20th April 2022
With all alarms set to take account of the early start the swindlers made their way to the 10th tee as we played the Warley back 9 and Childerditch today. It was noticeable that the number using a buggy was very similar to those walking. Is this a sign of things to come?
For the first time in ages those collecting the prize money didn't have extremely high scores- mainly due to playing Childerditch I think!! It was great to see Rex back from his winter break and starting his first swindle in 2022. He promptly picked up the winning score. Cut 3 Rex! It was equally good to see Joe pick up some prize money for the first time this year. He finished in second place (on countback). Cut 2 Joe. In 3rd place was Kevin, who seems to pick up some prize money every time he plays!! Cut 1 Kev.
Congratulations to all the winners. Back to the normal start time on Friday and playing Warley 1 to 18. As Ash, Gordon, Kim, and I are playing at Gosfield Lakes Capt Dave will be conducting the draw and collecting the results.
For the first time in ages those collecting the prize money didn't have extremely high scores- mainly due to playing Childerditch I think!! It was great to see Rex back from his winter break and starting his first swindle in 2022. He promptly picked up the winning score. Cut 3 Rex! It was equally good to see Joe pick up some prize money for the first time this year. He finished in second place (on countback). Cut 2 Joe. In 3rd place was Kevin, who seems to pick up some prize money every time he plays!! Cut 1 Kev.
Congratulations to all the winners. Back to the normal start time on Friday and playing Warley 1 to 18. As Ash, Gordon, Kim, and I are playing at Gosfield Lakes Capt Dave will be conducting the draw and collecting the results.
Results for Monday 18th April 2022
After a ten day absence the swindle returned today and, after some last minute adjustments, thirteen of us gathered in the clubhouse for coffee and the draw.
Two more of our newer members have now completed their probationary period and Ian and Terry are now fully fledged Swindlers. Gordon and I played with them today and they both gave a good account of themselves. Sadly, they were not able to collect any prize money, but I am sure it won't be too long before they do.
As is becoming commonplace the winning score was a massive one. Congratulations go to Mark who achieved a magnificent 48 points(cut 5). Captain Dave continued his good form to take second place with 39 points (cut 2) and Dennis (cut 1), with 38 points just pipped Ray to finish in third place.
A reminder that there is an early start for Wednesday's swindle. Meet at 7.15.
Two more of our newer members have now completed their probationary period and Ian and Terry are now fully fledged Swindlers. Gordon and I played with them today and they both gave a good account of themselves. Sadly, they were not able to collect any prize money, but I am sure it won't be too long before they do.
As is becoming commonplace the winning score was a massive one. Congratulations go to Mark who achieved a magnificent 48 points(cut 5). Captain Dave continued his good form to take second place with 39 points (cut 2) and Dennis (cut 1), with 38 points just pipped Ray to finish in third place.
A reminder that there is an early start for Wednesday's swindle. Meet at 7.15.
Results for Friday 8th April 2022
Things got all too much for ex Captain Steve yesterday and as a result he had to message Robbo to let him know that he was not fit enough to play in the Swindle this morning due to injury. Rumour has it that he got a little too carried away with his celebrations whilst watching his sweepstake pick (Sung Jae Im) on TV the night before taking the lead in the Masters. As a result of jumping out of his armchair a little too vigorously he pulled a muscle in his back!!! Get well soon Steve.
There was definitely a nip in the air as we approached the 1st tee and this lasted for most of the morning. However, it did stay dry and most of players had an enjoyable morning. Maybe not Mark, who unfortunately mislaid his 5 iron somewhere on the first five holes. Let's hope that some kind soul hands it in for him. The rest of the field probably wished that Dennis had mislaid a few of his clubs, as he stormed to victory with a very impressive 44 points. The fight for the other two money winning places was a close run affair which in the end went to Kev with 37 points, and Bill, (on countback) with 36 points. Well played guys.
It was good to see Tim and Mark voluntarily putting in General Play scorecards with a view to getting their handicaps down. John C also did one, but maybe not to get his down any more just now. Let's hope everyone sees this as the way forward for setting fair HCs (higher and lower) over the coming months.
There was definitely a nip in the air as we approached the 1st tee and this lasted for most of the morning. However, it did stay dry and most of players had an enjoyable morning. Maybe not Mark, who unfortunately mislaid his 5 iron somewhere on the first five holes. Let's hope that some kind soul hands it in for him. The rest of the field probably wished that Dennis had mislaid a few of his clubs, as he stormed to victory with a very impressive 44 points. The fight for the other two money winning places was a close run affair which in the end went to Kev with 37 points, and Bill, (on countback) with 36 points. Well played guys.
It was good to see Tim and Mark voluntarily putting in General Play scorecards with a view to getting their handicaps down. John C also did one, but maybe not to get his down any more just now. Let's hope everyone sees this as the way forward for setting fair HCs (higher and lower) over the coming months.
Results for Friday 1st April 2022
If you thought it was cold today you should have been at Canons Brook yesterday!! It was like being in the middle of Siberia in deep winter. All those who played either today, or yesterday(or both), deserve a medal for outstanding bravery or maybe stupidity.
It was good to welcome Sir Simon back into the swindle this morning; also to see that our newest Senior Terry M has completed his probationary 3 rounds and is now a fully fledged Swindler. Despite the adverse conditions those who played agreed it was better than going to Tesco's, Lakeside or work!! In our fourball Roger and I took on Gordon and Simon and, as often happens in the swindle, it was a hard fought match which Gordon and Simon won on the 16th hole.
It is clearly going to take some time to master the new holes where the greens are completely different to the other 15 holes!
Gordon continued his run of good form to come out on top with 36 points, with Robbo taking the runners up position with 35 points. It is noticeable, but not really surprising, that with all holes on Warley 1 to 9 being fully open now, round scores have come down by an average of 6 to 8 points per person.
A reminder that 40 points and above incurs an additional cut now that we are playing the main Warley 1 to 18 course again.
It was good to welcome Sir Simon back into the swindle this morning; also to see that our newest Senior Terry M has completed his probationary 3 rounds and is now a fully fledged Swindler. Despite the adverse conditions those who played agreed it was better than going to Tesco's, Lakeside or work!! In our fourball Roger and I took on Gordon and Simon and, as often happens in the swindle, it was a hard fought match which Gordon and Simon won on the 16th hole.
It is clearly going to take some time to master the new holes where the greens are completely different to the other 15 holes!
Gordon continued his run of good form to come out on top with 36 points, with Robbo taking the runners up position with 35 points. It is noticeable, but not really surprising, that with all holes on Warley 1 to 9 being fully open now, round scores have come down by an average of 6 to 8 points per person.
A reminder that 40 points and above incurs an additional cut now that we are playing the main Warley 1 to 18 course again.
Results for Wednesday 30 th March 2022
With a very busy week, which includes the first golfer of the year competition, two days of Senior trials for the Warley Park Seniors Team, a match against Canons Brook, and two swindles it was no surprise that the number turning out this morning was low.
Those that did play had a thoroughly enjoyable morning, Captain Dave teamed up with Flash Gordon and played against Robbo and Paul J in what proved to be a close run affair. A par on the 16th clinched a hard fought victory for Dave and Gordon.
With 31 points after 14 holes it looked odds on that the Dennis would come out on top and take the money. However. mysteriously he then only added 4 points in the last 4 holes to record 35 points. Suspicions were aroused and would you believe that it was found that he was on his final game off 16 before returning to his full bandit handicap of 24!!!
Suffering as a result was Robbo who was second winning £2 and cut one. Completing a good day for Captain Dave saw him come out on top winning £5 and receiving a two point cut.
Those that did play had a thoroughly enjoyable morning, Captain Dave teamed up with Flash Gordon and played against Robbo and Paul J in what proved to be a close run affair. A par on the 16th clinched a hard fought victory for Dave and Gordon.
With 31 points after 14 holes it looked odds on that the Dennis would come out on top and take the money. However. mysteriously he then only added 4 points in the last 4 holes to record 35 points. Suspicions were aroused and would you believe that it was found that he was on his final game off 16 before returning to his full bandit handicap of 24!!!
Suffering as a result was Robbo who was second winning £2 and cut one. Completing a good day for Captain Dave saw him come out on top winning £5 and receiving a two point cut.
Results for Friday 25th March 2022
Today was the day that the new Warley Front 9 was officially open and 10 Swindlers turned out to try their hand at conquering the new 4th, 7th and 8th holes. It has to be said that the scores on these holes were mixed!!!
4th Two 5's Three 6's Four 7's and an 8
7th One par Six 5's Three 6's
8th One birdie Two pars Three 4's One 5 and 3 Blobs
Clearly it is going to take a little time to master the distances and particularly the Greens. In our 3 ball of Greg, Ding Dong and myself Greg overclubbed off the 8th tee and hit his ball into the bush beyond the back of the green. This will now be known as Burnham's Bush.
The weather was extremely kind to us and it was certainly a pleasure to see the course condition continuing to improve. We are not there yet but we are going in the right direction.
Congratulations to Spiggy, Robbo and Chris who took the podium positions and to Roger who had the nearest guess for the number of balls in the water by the 10 players. His guess was 7 and the actual number was 10. A cynic would say that there was something fishy, going on in Roger's fourball as they were responsible for seven of the ten balls to go into the water!!! (Ed. Let's just say that Dennis's bag was much lighter at the end of the round!).
4th Two 5's Three 6's Four 7's and an 8
7th One par Six 5's Three 6's
8th One birdie Two pars Three 4's One 5 and 3 Blobs
Clearly it is going to take a little time to master the distances and particularly the Greens. In our 3 ball of Greg, Ding Dong and myself Greg overclubbed off the 8th tee and hit his ball into the bush beyond the back of the green. This will now be known as Burnham's Bush.
The weather was extremely kind to us and it was certainly a pleasure to see the course condition continuing to improve. We are not there yet but we are going in the right direction.
Congratulations to Spiggy, Robbo and Chris who took the podium positions and to Roger who had the nearest guess for the number of balls in the water by the 10 players. His guess was 7 and the actual number was 10. A cynic would say that there was something fishy, going on in Roger's fourball as they were responsible for seven of the ten balls to go into the water!!! (Ed. Let's just say that Dennis's bag was much lighter at the end of the round!).
Results for Wednesday 23rd March 2022
Summer appeared to have arrived at Warley Park today as one twelfth (or one sixth in its lowest terms) of players taking part in the swindle arrived in shorts. By the time we reached the fourth hole we all wished we had made the same decision. It was a glorious day for playing golf and it was slightly surprising that the scores weren't a tad higher.
The course has made a remarkable recovery in just a week. There is no sign of any water or any mud and you are now beginning to get some run on the ball particularly if you keep it on the fairway. The greens are still a little slow and bumpy which may be part of the reason that the scores weren't a little higher.
Congratulations go the 'Shenfield Federer' with a magnificent 41 points and to the' Brentwood Bandido' for his usual podium finish with 38 points. Getting his money back in third place, and just pipping the David Moyes lookalike Bob Phillips, was the king of the long iron shots Mark.
The course has made a remarkable recovery in just a week. There is no sign of any water or any mud and you are now beginning to get some run on the ball particularly if you keep it on the fairway. The greens are still a little slow and bumpy which may be part of the reason that the scores weren't a little higher.
Congratulations go the 'Shenfield Federer' with a magnificent 41 points and to the' Brentwood Bandido' for his usual podium finish with 38 points. Getting his money back in third place, and just pipping the David Moyes lookalike Bob Phillips, was the king of the long iron shots Mark.
Results for Friday 18th March 2022
The best day of the year weather wise saw 15 swindlers enjoy a very pleasant morning. New boy Roger Pike played his first proper swindle and it was great to see youngster Rex in the clubhouse after we had played. Rumour has it that if there is no rain over the weekend buggies could be back on Monday!!
Bandit, Sombrero man - call him what you will -was back to his official handicap and, as you will not be surprised to hear, came out on top with the usual 40 points. Well played Kev. In second place (just) and also back to his official handicap was Robbo who pipped Ash on count-back (playing off 5 less than his official handicap) with both players scoring 39 points.
Bandit, Sombrero man - call him what you will -was back to his official handicap and, as you will not be surprised to hear, came out on top with the usual 40 points. Well played Kev. In second place (just) and also back to his official handicap was Robbo who pipped Ash on count-back (playing off 5 less than his official handicap) with both players scoring 39 points.
Results for Wednesday 16th March 2022
A very pleasant morning for playing golf saw 13 swindlers take on Warley 1 to 18 course. Prior to the start of play we gathered as usual in the clubhouse for the draw and couldn't work out why only 12 people were there. The answer was supplied by newly installed captain Dave when he handed Robbo a sanitised golf ball for the draw and a sanitised £1 coin. No prizes for guessing that they both belonged to Roger who said that he would not be getting too close to people following a bout of Covid!!!
Following the recent Bogey competition there were some people who found that their handicaps has risen whilst others found out that theirs had fallen. One of those people that saw their handicap rise took full advantage of the extra shot that he received and stormed to victory with a very good 43 points and was £7 better off for it. That was the good news. The bad news for Ash was a 5 point cut!
The Menace continued his recent very good form to take second place and winnings of £4 - cut 2 Den!
Third place and £2 went to Mike Pearce with 39 points - cut 1 to 37!!
I have attempted to alter the handicaps on the swindle table for those who told me that theirs had changed following the Bogey (Gordon, Bob P, Ash and Dave H), but if anyone else's has changed please let me (Robbo) know.
Following the recent Bogey competition there were some people who found that their handicaps has risen whilst others found out that theirs had fallen. One of those people that saw their handicap rise took full advantage of the extra shot that he received and stormed to victory with a very good 43 points and was £7 better off for it. That was the good news. The bad news for Ash was a 5 point cut!
The Menace continued his recent very good form to take second place and winnings of £4 - cut 2 Den!
Third place and £2 went to Mike Pearce with 39 points - cut 1 to 37!!
I have attempted to alter the handicaps on the swindle table for those who told me that theirs had changed following the Bogey (Gordon, Bob P, Ash and Dave H), but if anyone else's has changed please let me (Robbo) know.
Results for Friday 11th March 2022
The only swindle of the week was played in much better conditions than of late. The course was certainly much drier and the temperature was definitely much warmer. Let's hope that we have finally seen the end of winter and the beginning of Spring.
Beware the injured golfer is an often used phrase and certainly applied today as Tim made his first appearance for a while and promptly took the honours with a very good 43 points. He just managed to push Dennis into second place on countback. Both were already playing off cuts and were rewarded with further cuts of four and three shots respectively!! If your fantasy teams haven't made a particularly good start maybe transferring these two in might help!
Robbo completed the top three and for the third time this year got his £1 back.
Next Friday's swindle will have the added bonus of two prizes courtesy of Kev. They were originally going to be used during our December fun swindles.
Roger played his 3rd swindle and so will be a full member on his next outing.
Beware the injured golfer is an often used phrase and certainly applied today as Tim made his first appearance for a while and promptly took the honours with a very good 43 points. He just managed to push Dennis into second place on countback. Both were already playing off cuts and were rewarded with further cuts of four and three shots respectively!! If your fantasy teams haven't made a particularly good start maybe transferring these two in might help!
Robbo completed the top three and for the third time this year got his £1 back.
Next Friday's swindle will have the added bonus of two prizes courtesy of Kev. They were originally going to be used during our December fun swindles.
Roger played his 3rd swindle and so will be a full member on his next outing.
Results for Friday 4th March 2022
Wet Wet Wet is not only a pop group!!! It is Warley Park Golf Club as well. We are now back to the Somme conditions so everyone needs to say a few prayers over the weekend for dry weather for at least the next fortnight.
Most of the chat in the clubhouse before we ventured out on to the course was about that lunatic Putin, the ineffective Biden, the upcoming Liverpool v West Ham match this weekend and the odds on Bob Phillips turning up. Clearly the most important of these subjects was Bob and it was great to see him again. Those who missed him will get the chance on Monday at the team Stableford.
In the swindle itself Greg took the honours with a fantastic 43 points. Ray was second with 42 points (including a back nine of 24 points) Robbo was third and got his pound back.
Most of the chat in the clubhouse before we ventured out on to the course was about that lunatic Putin, the ineffective Biden, the upcoming Liverpool v West Ham match this weekend and the odds on Bob Phillips turning up. Clearly the most important of these subjects was Bob and it was great to see him again. Those who missed him will get the chance on Monday at the team Stableford.
In the swindle itself Greg took the honours with a fantastic 43 points. Ray was second with 42 points (including a back nine of 24 points) Robbo was third and got his pound back.
Results for Wednesday 2nd March 2022
If you were a betting man you would have said that after more than 12 hours of rain yesterday (Tues) the golf course would be closed and, if by some miracle it wasn't, no one in their right mind would even contemplate playing given the forecast for the day!!
Well, you would have lost your money!
12 regular swindlers and one new boy (Terry Medley) contested the 18th swindle of the year and yes it was wet!!
A true baptism of fire for Terry who must have thought we were all barmy!! Given the conditions there were some quite remarkable scores. Well out in front was the Communications maestro with an extremely impressive 43 points (cut 4). It was a very close run thing for second place with 3 players scoring 39 points. A gross level par round (off 3) with 20 points on the back 9 secured 2nd place on count-back for club captain Dave. And it was good to see it was 15th time lucky for Ray who finally picked up some prize money - albeit only £1.
Rumour has it that someone called Bob Phillips is going to grace us with his presence on Friday!
I say watch this space!!
Well, you would have lost your money!
12 regular swindlers and one new boy (Terry Medley) contested the 18th swindle of the year and yes it was wet!!
A true baptism of fire for Terry who must have thought we were all barmy!! Given the conditions there were some quite remarkable scores. Well out in front was the Communications maestro with an extremely impressive 43 points (cut 4). It was a very close run thing for second place with 3 players scoring 39 points. A gross level par round (off 3) with 20 points on the back 9 secured 2nd place on count-back for club captain Dave. And it was good to see it was 15th time lucky for Ray who finally picked up some prize money - albeit only £1.
Rumour has it that someone called Bob Phillips is going to grace us with his presence on Friday!
I say watch this space!!
Results for Monday 21st February 2022
We've had Dudley, Eunice and Franklin, so what will the next storm be called and when will it arrive? Let's hope it is not until 2023!!! Despite the weather not being particularly kind to us of late some of us refuse to be beaten by it and three fourballs managed to get out this morning. In a perverse sort of way it was still very enjoyable and the testing conditions saw the scores generally being lower than of late. However, considering the strength of the wind they were still very impressive.
Robbo, having returned to his full handicap managed to come out on top, and Kev just managed to secure second place on countback from Club Captain Dave. I have to say that, having played with him today, to score 36 points off a handicap of 3 in extremely difficult conditions was a fantastic achievement. His chipping and putting, in particular, were a joy to behold.
Robbo, having returned to his full handicap managed to come out on top, and Kev just managed to secure second place on countback from Club Captain Dave. I have to say that, having played with him today, to score 36 points off a handicap of 3 in extremely difficult conditions was a fantastic achievement. His chipping and putting, in particular, were a joy to behold.
Results for Wednesday 16th February 2022
Noel Coward said "Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday Sun"
Warley Seniors say" Mad golfers and Greenkeeping staff go out in the morning mud"
Nine of those mad golfers congregated this morning and were pleasantly surprised to find the conditions weren't as bad as expected. Yes there were many areas that were extremely wet and muddy, but these tended to be between greens and tees - areas that most are unlikely to hit into. The temperature reached an astonishingly high 16 degrees and against all odds the morning was thoroughly enjoyable.
Scoring, as you might imagine, was quite difficult and so Dennis should be congratulated winning with a quite brilliant 42 points. He seems to like his new handicap!! I am not sure Gordon does!!
Captain Dave continued his consistent form and came in second with 35 points.
Just missing out on the prize money yet again was ex captain Steve. Your time will come Steve.
Warley Seniors say" Mad golfers and Greenkeeping staff go out in the morning mud"
Nine of those mad golfers congregated this morning and were pleasantly surprised to find the conditions weren't as bad as expected. Yes there were many areas that were extremely wet and muddy, but these tended to be between greens and tees - areas that most are unlikely to hit into. The temperature reached an astonishingly high 16 degrees and against all odds the morning was thoroughly enjoyable.
Scoring, as you might imagine, was quite difficult and so Dennis should be congratulated winning with a quite brilliant 42 points. He seems to like his new handicap!! I am not sure Gordon does!!
Captain Dave continued his consistent form and came in second with 35 points.
Just missing out on the prize money yet again was ex captain Steve. Your time will come Steve.
Results for Friday 11th February 2022
Today was a nearly first!! We very nearly had all those who indicated that they wished to play turning up. Alas a phone call at 0715 from Sharpie letting me know that he wouldn't be able to make it due to the fact that he couldn't get his car started meant that we were one short. (Ed: Did he plug it in ?) Who said electric cars are the way forward?
Hopefully Sharpie will be able to get it started in time for Monday's Chapman competition.
We ended up having 14 in the Swindle, 4 playing in singles matches and we also welcomed Wayne Griffiths the 2022 Club Vice Captain. He went out first with Ray and Kev and thoroughly enjoyed his game. Good job he is not old enough to be a Senior because he ended up with 40 points and would have been in the top 3!!
The swindle itself continued to be well contested with Tim Wayman coming out on top with a fantastic 44 points. In second place was Minnie Driver's new best friend, Mike T with 40 points, and 3rd was our new Seniors captain with 39 points. He hasn't yet fallen foul to the Captain's curse. Plenty of time left Dave!!!!
Hopefully Sharpie will be able to get it started in time for Monday's Chapman competition.
We ended up having 14 in the Swindle, 4 playing in singles matches and we also welcomed Wayne Griffiths the 2022 Club Vice Captain. He went out first with Ray and Kev and thoroughly enjoyed his game. Good job he is not old enough to be a Senior because he ended up with 40 points and would have been in the top 3!!
The swindle itself continued to be well contested with Tim Wayman coming out on top with a fantastic 44 points. In second place was Minnie Driver's new best friend, Mike T with 40 points, and 3rd was our new Seniors captain with 39 points. He hasn't yet fallen foul to the Captain's curse. Plenty of time left Dave!!!!
Results for Wednesday 9th February 2022
On a pleasantly mild morning 19 Swindlers gathered to play the Warley 1 to 18 course. The draw went off without a hitch (a rarity of late) and battle commenced. Back after a holiday break Dave Oakley scored a very impressive 45 points. Sadly for him it was only his 3rd swindle and so he was unable to pick up any prize money!! And to make it worse he gets caught by the incoming 'bandit' rule ie that you still get cut if your score would have put you in prize money - so as a 1st place score (without cash) that earns Dave a cut of 3 plus one extra shot for it being more than 42 - so a cut of 4 for 4 games at least!!! Look out for him in the future as he is now a fully fledged Swindler and will be looking to repeat today's score with prize money in his sights.
The remaining 18 players battled it out and, on the whole, scored well. The most notable performance of the day came from Richard. He and his playing partners followed our group all the way round and whilst we were preparing to take our second shots into the green on Slippery, we were suddenly distracted by a runaway trolley following us down the middle of the fairway. Initially there was no one following the trolley and we wondered where on earth it had come from. Suddenly, out of nowhere, we spotted Richard doing his Usain Bolt impression behind us in a vain attempt to catch his trolley!!! Fortunately, Kim came to the rescue, caught the trolley and sent it back towards Richard who intercepted it just before it got to the rough by the 14th green. No real harm done - except maybe a dent to Richard's pride!!!
Despite this episode Richard managed to regain his composure and produced the winning score on the day- a fabulous 42 points. Closely following behind in second place was our new Club Captain Dave H who played a magnificent round off 5 - 41 points which equates to a gross level par !! Completing the podium was Bill with a more than creditable 40 points.
The remaining 18 players battled it out and, on the whole, scored well. The most notable performance of the day came from Richard. He and his playing partners followed our group all the way round and whilst we were preparing to take our second shots into the green on Slippery, we were suddenly distracted by a runaway trolley following us down the middle of the fairway. Initially there was no one following the trolley and we wondered where on earth it had come from. Suddenly, out of nowhere, we spotted Richard doing his Usain Bolt impression behind us in a vain attempt to catch his trolley!!! Fortunately, Kim came to the rescue, caught the trolley and sent it back towards Richard who intercepted it just before it got to the rough by the 14th green. No real harm done - except maybe a dent to Richard's pride!!!
Despite this episode Richard managed to regain his composure and produced the winning score on the day- a fabulous 42 points. Closely following behind in second place was our new Club Captain Dave H who played a magnificent round off 5 - 41 points which equates to a gross level par !! Completing the podium was Bill with a more than creditable 40 points.
Results for Monday 7th February 2022
The biggest swindle turn out of the year to date combined with the first opportunity to play for handicap purposes proved to be too much for the majority as shown by the dramatic drop in Stableford scores. Playing on the Childerditch course and Warley 10- 18, with pick wipe and place on the fairway only, was a real test. Only two scores above 36 points were recorded and the chances are that more people will find their handicap rising rather than falling!!
Congratulations go to Gordon and Kim for their excellent performances - well played in difficult conditions.
Mention must be made of the two challengers for Bandit of the Year in both 2021 and 2022. They certainly had mixed fortunes today. Kev continues to go from strength to strength and finished in the first three for the fourth swindle in a row whilst the cut of nine over the last two swindles proved a bridge too far for John!!!
As mentioned previously it was quite hard to score points today particularly as we were playing both a swindle card and a card for handicap purposes. One person (our 2021 Seniors captain) stood head and shoulders above everyone else with their recording of both and he will be giving lessons for those interested after the next swindle!!)
Web Eds note: We welcomed (it has to be said with a bit of disarray around the draw and the 1st tee!) Roger Pike to his first outing with the Seniors. The 1st of his 3 cards for a HC completed today - we hope to see him return!).
There were two singles matches today
Kim beat Robbo 2 and 1
Ash beat Roger 5 and 3 (although Roger was keen to point out that he would have scored 39 points if it had been a Stableford competition. The only problem was that Ash would have got 44 points!!)
Congratulations go to Gordon and Kim for their excellent performances - well played in difficult conditions.
Mention must be made of the two challengers for Bandit of the Year in both 2021 and 2022. They certainly had mixed fortunes today. Kev continues to go from strength to strength and finished in the first three for the fourth swindle in a row whilst the cut of nine over the last two swindles proved a bridge too far for John!!!
As mentioned previously it was quite hard to score points today particularly as we were playing both a swindle card and a card for handicap purposes. One person (our 2021 Seniors captain) stood head and shoulders above everyone else with their recording of both and he will be giving lessons for those interested after the next swindle!!)
Web Eds note: We welcomed (it has to be said with a bit of disarray around the draw and the 1st tee!) Roger Pike to his first outing with the Seniors. The 1st of his 3 cards for a HC completed today - we hope to see him return!).
There were two singles matches today
Kim beat Robbo 2 and 1
Ash beat Roger 5 and 3 (although Roger was keen to point out that he would have scored 39 points if it had been a Stableford competition. The only problem was that Ash would have got 44 points!!)
Results for Wednesday 2nd February 2022
As we moved into the second month of the 2022 swindle nothing much changed. Despite being cut 4 shots on Monday for his wonderful 48 points John P continued to dominate proceedings and had back to back wins with another sparkling 44 points. This has earned him a further 5 point cut!!!! A very early contender for Bandit of the Year methinks.
The rest of us had our own little swindle and the scores were incredibly close with only 3 shots separating 2nd and 10th place. This included no less than 5 players on 36 points. In the end Robbo (returning from a bout of Covid and a bad back) squeezed into second place and our resident Frenchman Henri just pipped the Shenfield Nadal on countback to secure third place.
Although you still get plenty of mud on your ball the course has improved significantly over the past fortnight and we will be looking to try and play for handicap purposes at least once a week as from next week. We will try and vary the days so that everyone gets the opportunity to try and get their handicap down.
There was one doubles match today and as Joe put it Ash and John P just nicked the match against him and Ray by 6 and 5.
The rest of us had our own little swindle and the scores were incredibly close with only 3 shots separating 2nd and 10th place. This included no less than 5 players on 36 points. In the end Robbo (returning from a bout of Covid and a bad back) squeezed into second place and our resident Frenchman Henri just pipped the Shenfield Nadal on countback to secure third place.
Although you still get plenty of mud on your ball the course has improved significantly over the past fortnight and we will be looking to try and play for handicap purposes at least once a week as from next week. We will try and vary the days so that everyone gets the opportunity to try and get their handicap down.
There was one doubles match today and as Joe put it Ash and John P just nicked the match against him and Ray by 6 and 5.
Results for Monday 31st January 2022
Never before have we managed to play 11 Swindles in January!!!!
Although very windy and quite chilly 16 stalwarts set off in four 4 balls, fourteen of them trying to outdo two of the candidates for Bandit of the Year 2021. Sadly, they failed miserably, with John (someone needs to think up an appropriate nickname for him) Powell carrying on from where he left off at Top Meadow, winning by a country mile from Kev (cut for the fourth swindle in a row) Sandford. After a check of handicaps, Sharpie pipped Captain Dave on count-back. Congratulations to the winners particularly John for a fantastic 47 points. Unbelievably, that only puts him in 3rd place for highest swindle score of the year- and we are still in January!!
Thanks to Ray for organising on the day.
Although very windy and quite chilly 16 stalwarts set off in four 4 balls, fourteen of them trying to outdo two of the candidates for Bandit of the Year 2021. Sadly, they failed miserably, with John (someone needs to think up an appropriate nickname for him) Powell carrying on from where he left off at Top Meadow, winning by a country mile from Kev (cut for the fourth swindle in a row) Sandford. After a check of handicaps, Sharpie pipped Captain Dave on count-back. Congratulations to the winners particularly John for a fantastic 47 points. Unbelievably, that only puts him in 3rd place for highest swindle score of the year- and we are still in January!!
Thanks to Ray for organising on the day.
Results for Wednesday 26th January 2022
A few Covid substitutions and 15 (reasonably) fit people arrived to play golf. A just about warm enough dry day, although some areas still being churned up on the course. But the greens were good and thus results were also good.
Steve A and I played our singles, played in the swindle and also played in a match in the 4 ball - is that a first? Anyway Steve managed magnificently in keeping track of all 3 elements of our game.
Ash was undoubtedly the star and we could only watch as he burned bright in his long hitting, straight game. Hardly a foot wrong and only just missed out on equalling Steve Bs recent 49. It took 10 pars and 2 birdies to get there. One of the birdies was on the 4th temp par 3, but Ash's drive was so close he nearly won 1st position at the bar! As Robbo said a game or two back, that's become the new target out there - although perhaps not for him as he would need the equivalent of 15 pars and 3 birdies to get to 49 (I think)!
Anyway a very well done to Ash in 1st place with a cut of 4 (3+1) . 2nd with another good score was Mark with 42 (cut 3 - 2+1) and 3rd was me, ie Gordon, with 41 (cut 1), who just pipped Kevin on a BB9.
[As I'm writing this one up I will just mention the singles match, as behind the 2&1 win for G, was a dramatic change of fortunes. Steve absolutely sprinted away to get 5 up after 6 holes, leaving G somewhat dispirited! A bit of a fight back reduced the deficit to 2 at the 10th and then an unaccountable lost ball caused a drop back to -3. A bit of mild irritation at that one and a refocus finally secured a change in the lead at the 16th. So although very close it was a bit of a roller coaster! A lesson for me as well as anyone else - never give up!]
G
NB It was good to see that the ditch on 15 is finally being filled!
Steve A and I played our singles, played in the swindle and also played in a match in the 4 ball - is that a first? Anyway Steve managed magnificently in keeping track of all 3 elements of our game.
Ash was undoubtedly the star and we could only watch as he burned bright in his long hitting, straight game. Hardly a foot wrong and only just missed out on equalling Steve Bs recent 49. It took 10 pars and 2 birdies to get there. One of the birdies was on the 4th temp par 3, but Ash's drive was so close he nearly won 1st position at the bar! As Robbo said a game or two back, that's become the new target out there - although perhaps not for him as he would need the equivalent of 15 pars and 3 birdies to get to 49 (I think)!
Anyway a very well done to Ash in 1st place with a cut of 4 (3+1) . 2nd with another good score was Mark with 42 (cut 3 - 2+1) and 3rd was me, ie Gordon, with 41 (cut 1), who just pipped Kevin on a BB9.
[As I'm writing this one up I will just mention the singles match, as behind the 2&1 win for G, was a dramatic change of fortunes. Steve absolutely sprinted away to get 5 up after 6 holes, leaving G somewhat dispirited! A bit of a fight back reduced the deficit to 2 at the 10th and then an unaccountable lost ball caused a drop back to -3. A bit of mild irritation at that one and a refocus finally secured a change in the lead at the 16th. So although very close it was a bit of a roller coaster! A lesson for me as well as anyone else - never give up!]
G
NB It was good to see that the ditch on 15 is finally being filled!
Results for Friday 21st January 2022
Only the bare minimum for the swindle today as some Seniors decided to top up on the brownie points. A huge improvement in playing conditions didn't make any real difference to the scores. All seven started off with the intention of taking over from Ding Dong as the highest individual swindle scorer of the year, but all failed miserably!!!!
Dennis continued where he left off at Brentwood on Wednesday with a decent score of 39 points which was far and away the best score of the day and got him £5 and a cut 2.
Runner up was Robbo who managed to win £2 and get cut 1 for the third time this year.
The good news for some is that trollies are back on as from tomorrow.
Robbo
Dennis continued where he left off at Brentwood on Wednesday with a decent score of 39 points which was far and away the best score of the day and got him £5 and a cut 2.
Runner up was Robbo who managed to win £2 and get cut 1 for the third time this year.
The good news for some is that trollies are back on as from tomorrow.
Robbo
Results for Wednesday 19th January 2022
Eight of us turned up this morning. Good weather early on. The first four ball was myself with Mike Tringham, Kevin & Belly. The writing was on the cards when Kev & Belly both parred the first. Belly didn't stop there paring 3,5,7,8,9 for a first nine total of 25. He continued on the back nine with five pars and a birdie on the 13th ( 4 for 5 ). Having reached 49 on the 18th tee box he unfortunately drove into the pond . Having chipped on the green for three he putted to three foot and then missed; for what would have been a magnificent 50. A gross 77, net 56 round . Mike kindly bought the coffees.
(Thanks to Ray for organising on the day and writing up)
(Thanks to Ray for organising on the day and writing up)
Results for Monday 17th January 2022
Unbelievably, considering the weather we have had, we have still managed to have six swindles this month. If we keep going at this rate there is a chance that we will end up playing 100 swindles by the end of the year!!! Leading in the swindle appearances for 2022 is Ray with six with a whole host of others chasing him with five.
The late entry last night of Sharpie paid dividends for him as he made the most of his first appearance of the year to win with 40 points. Spiggy continued his very consistent start to the season with a second place by edging out Robbo on countback, both players having scored 39 points.
The late entry last night of Sharpie paid dividends for him as he made the most of his first appearance of the year to win with 40 points. Spiggy continued his very consistent start to the season with a second place by edging out Robbo on countback, both players having scored 39 points.
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Ed Update: The other game of the day was the Kim and Winesy v Flash and Wilco in their doubles match. A hair raising mistake by Flash in checking the draw resulted in him thinking Winesy was his partner. So, wanting Winesy to feel uplifted he purchased him a matching team 'hair hat' for the big first game. Having realised his mistake early on he still felt it appropriate to donate the hat. Cold first thing Winesy started with his woollen hat and lets just say he had a slow start, leaving Kim to do most of the work. But the change of hats for the back 9 lead to a short game performance that had the Flash-Wilco team pulling their real hair out. A 3&2 win. Anyway it gives us all some idea what it was like for Winesy many, many years ago! |
Results for Friday 14th January 2022
Following the experiences of many of the players in Wednesday's swindle it was no surprise at all that there were a few drop outs for today. There was the bare minimum required to play a swindle (seven) and so shortly after 8a.m. we set off to play Warley 1 to 18. It has to be said that following the cold temperatures during the night the ground was quite frosty and a lot easier to walk on. In addition, it was another beautiful sunny morning which resulted in much more pleasant conditions to play in. It was still tough going, but better than staying indoors watching day time television!!
Congratulations go to Spiggy who played extremely well to record an excellent 40 points.( £5 winnings and cut 2); Robbo just managed to nick second place off Gordon with a birdie on the last. His reward was £2 winnings and cut 1)
Let's hope the forecast of no rain for the next 10 days is accurate and the course continues to dry out.
Congratulations go to Spiggy who played extremely well to record an excellent 40 points.( £5 winnings and cut 2); Robbo just managed to nick second place off Gordon with a birdie on the last. His reward was £2 winnings and cut 1)
Let's hope the forecast of no rain for the next 10 days is accurate and the course continues to dry out.
Results for Wednesday 12th January 2022
Blue skies, no wind, no fog and not cold. Perfect weather to play golf on a mid January morning you would think. How wrong can you be? With yet another day of rain yesterday the course was even wetter than on Monday and, as a result, the majority of the 14 swindlers who played found it extremely difficult to score points. The major contributing factors to the lower than average scores were lost balls as a result of the leaves, the sun or being plugged in the soggy conditions. Highlight of the day in our fourball was the new Seniors captain sinking a 20 foot par putt on the last. There were mixed views about whether we should be playing on the course in its present state when we got back in the clubhouse. Some were happy to get out of the house and get a bit of exercise whilst others stated that they wouldn't be returning to play until the conditions improved considerably!!!
Congratulations go to Dennis, Dave and Kev for finishing in 1st 2nd and 3rd place respectively. Their scores were extremely good considering the difficult course conditions Well played guys. [Ed note: Having played with Dennis and seen first hand the 3 bunker shots that came out 1st time I've cancelled my gift order for Hamlet cigars for him and he won't now have time to smoke them as was the case in 2021.....!].
Congratulations go to Dennis, Dave and Kev for finishing in 1st 2nd and 3rd place respectively. Their scores were extremely good considering the difficult course conditions Well played guys. [Ed note: Having played with Dennis and seen first hand the 3 bunker shots that came out 1st time I've cancelled my gift order for Hamlet cigars for him and he won't now have time to smoke them as was the case in 2021.....!].
Results for Monday 10th January 2022
With the latest deluge of rain forcing the closure of Warley 1 to 9 holes the swindlers took to Childerditch once again. As a result the scores were not quite as good as they have been recently, but they were still fairly impressive. A good turnout saw 14 play the Swindle and 8 battle it out in the Winter Doubles competition.
Having just returned from a month or so in Portugal, last year's star player Greg wasted no time in picking up where he left off and won the Swindle with a wonderful 41 points. Close on his heels were Mark and Gordon who scored 39 and 38 points respectively. Unfortunately our new captain Dave just failed to pick up any prize money having lost out on countback for the second swindle in a row. (Ed Note: Get used to it Dave - Captain's curse).
Robbo
Having just returned from a month or so in Portugal, last year's star player Greg wasted no time in picking up where he left off and won the Swindle with a wonderful 41 points. Close on his heels were Mark and Gordon who scored 39 and 38 points respectively. Unfortunately our new captain Dave just failed to pick up any prize money having lost out on countback for the second swindle in a row. (Ed Note: Get used to it Dave - Captain's curse).
Robbo
Results for Friday 7th January 2022
Some people are just glutton for punishment!! Despite the adverse conditions and weather on Wednesday the hard core swindlers were back in the clubhouse at 0745 prompt ready for the draw for the second swindle of the year.
Well, almost all of them. There was one notable absentee - a certain Ash Patel. No, he hadn't forgotten his shoes, nor his trolley and not even his clubs. You guessed it- he had forgotten to wake up!! Only a call from Chris V managed to stir him from his slumbers, but by then he was far too late to contemplate playing. I expect that the next time we see him he will produce a note from his wife saying that he had forgotten to set his alarm clock!!
A couple of other late drop outs, both for very valid reasons, left a field of ten to compete for the big bucks. The scores were extremely varied to say the least as the conditions yet again caught a few people out whereas others flourished in them. Gordon and I had an extremely enjoyable and very close match against Bill and John C . It went to the last hole where Bill sank an excellent birdie putt from 15 feet to win it.
As if that wasn't good enough, his birdie took him to 47 points - a score that many people don't get in a lifetime!! It was an absolutely fantastic round in which he didn't have a blob and scored at least two points on every hole. Needless to say he was a long way in front of anyone else. Robbo scraped into second place with 40 points, one ahead of our new club captain Dave Handley who scored 39 points. This was also an exceptional round as he was playing off a handicap of 5.
It already looks as if 2022 is going to be an interesting Swindle year.
Well, almost all of them. There was one notable absentee - a certain Ash Patel. No, he hadn't forgotten his shoes, nor his trolley and not even his clubs. You guessed it- he had forgotten to wake up!! Only a call from Chris V managed to stir him from his slumbers, but by then he was far too late to contemplate playing. I expect that the next time we see him he will produce a note from his wife saying that he had forgotten to set his alarm clock!!
A couple of other late drop outs, both for very valid reasons, left a field of ten to compete for the big bucks. The scores were extremely varied to say the least as the conditions yet again caught a few people out whereas others flourished in them. Gordon and I had an extremely enjoyable and very close match against Bill and John C . It went to the last hole where Bill sank an excellent birdie putt from 15 feet to win it.
As if that wasn't good enough, his birdie took him to 47 points - a score that many people don't get in a lifetime!! It was an absolutely fantastic round in which he didn't have a blob and scored at least two points on every hole. Needless to say he was a long way in front of anyone else. Robbo scraped into second place with 40 points, one ahead of our new club captain Dave Handley who scored 39 points. This was also an exceptional round as he was playing off a handicap of 5.
It already looks as if 2022 is going to be an interesting Swindle year.
Results for Wednesday 5th January 2022
The 2002 Swindle proper got fully underway today for those who were foolish, or brave enough to venture out and tackle the Warley 1 to 18 course, without the aid of a buggy or trolly. For those who played some chose to carry a full complement of clubs, whereas others just took the bare minimum. It has to be mentioned that a breakaway group of Seniors cribbage players organised by Roger aka Sarge could be found enjoying themselves in the warmth of the clubhouse. Rumour has it that if the weather and course conditions remain the same in the imminent future he is looking to start a board games club, featuring all the old times favourites such as Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, Monopoly and Trivial Pursuits. All those interested will be required to inform Roger by e mail before Sunday.
One of the final tasks for our outgoing captain Steve was to select the Bandit of the Year. There were a number of candidates, but in the end he plumped for Kevin and to prove his choice was absolutely correct you will not be surprised to hear who won the first swindle of the year. Congratulations go to Kev for a great score of 40 points. He just pipped Ash who had 39 points (including 2 blobs and a 5 on the last hole). Getting his £1 back in third place was Robbo with 37 points.
Robbo
