Despite precipitation of 12 mm just three days prior, it is testament to what constant wind over those three days can achieve, as evidenced by the struck ball first landing on a patch of bare ground, as opposed to some grass, or as was more common, a glance off a tree; when said ball would raise a small cloud of dust—though all the better to determine in which direction said ball was found to have been discharged.

An even number of members, perambulating in an even number of golf karts consuming not a skerrick of climate-change-inducing fossil-fuels; did not, at any time, concern the course referee with the wording of the recently-introduced golf rule on slow play. Suffice to say that the winner, in more ways than one, was Aaron Walton with a plus one result; a little unexpectedly, as he started out with an eight on the first and followed with another on the second, before his game warmed-up. Perhaps the only feature of the day not to be found frigid.

Nearest the pin went to Mick McDonell with 573 cm on the seventeenth. Mick then carelessly left his second shot an inch (sometimes a metric measure does not do a feat justice) right behind the hole. Gobbles to Mick on the fifteenth and sixteenth, meaning he was up for a hat-trick on the seventeenth, when deciding to go for NTP instead; leaving Graeme Bell to get the gobble on the seventeenth. No mention will be made that it was for bogey.

A long eagle putt just missed the hole to the right on the eleventh for Peter Freck, but the returner went in for the lone birdie of the day.

Not satisfied with a single competition on the day, Aaron and Mick played a simultaneous matchplay contest. Mick had a two-up lead after two holes but did not enjoy the front running for very long after that, with the final result: four up with three to play, in Aaron’s favour.

Next Saturday at 10am, members and visitors will enjoy a single Stableford.