Kilspindie

23rd February

Weather: Very cold start to the day, but sunny and windless in the morning - slight breeze p.m..

Winners: Morning – Bob;  Afternoon –  Smithy ; Day – Bob

Highlights

1. A tricky call this.  On balance the Number One billing has to go to first time guest, Kenny Saunders, for his unparalleled feat of producing two ferret eagles in a single round - outstanding;

2. Which edged into second place the achievement of his host, Bob, in managing to negotiate the course in the morning in one under par, gross;

3. Kenny appears again in this part by virtue of his generous presentation of a box of balls to mark his first outing with the Freens;

4. Good to see the reappearance of F.M. Lockie after his exertions at the Braids golf range where, he denies, he took lessons!

5. Noble and costly repatriation of the Winter Rivet by last year’s winner!

6. This is really a combination of 1 and 2 because it meant a record Stableford winning score for the day of 83 points and a record number of units - 32 - in the morning.

7. Course in excellent condition with remarkably good greens for the time of year.

1. This has to be the incident that produced the strap line for this entry.  The balls generously donated by Kenny were used to supplement the kitty prizes for nearest the pin, winning a round etc. and after this process had been completed there was a ball left.  The organising sub-committee held a brief discussion during which one member suggested the ball be given to Bob for winning the day, but was immediately countermanded by the other member of the committee who uttered the immortal phrase shown above and pocketed the ball!

2. The non-attendance of Mr. Wardrobe Wood on account of his acquisition of an unfortunate infirmity normally to be found in elderly ladies!

3. Absence of any representatives from south of the border - especially as they might have enjoyed an overnight stay for the rugby next day!

Bob’s got enough!

2018

Lowlights

soon warmed by a few bright smiles

two kenspeckle figures

not a bad afternoon……

and so it went on………..

into the evening!

and on………..

Double Eagle and admirer

Victor ludorum!

Weather: Generally sunny, but a very strong wind made scoring extremely difficult for most of the field.

Winner : Morning –  Collin; Afternoon –  DJ; Day – Collin

Highlights

Lowlights 

1. It’s not often that a non-Freen who was not even at our day out and, in all probability, knows nothing about it, earns the accolade of our first highlight of the day, but it is justified here.  The man in question is the clearly brilliant orthopaedic surgeon who not only fixed Wud’s dodgy ankle, but also appears to have fixed his golf swing!  One of these achievements is worthy and notable, but the other is positively miraculous!

2. Welcome reappearance of full complement of Geordie Freens, with particular mention of attendance of J.D. for lunch and his supererogatory provision of wine.

3.  Appearance of two of our doctors (Page and Morris) in the same three ball.

4. Fine afternoon win by DJ, possibly helped by his recent putting lesson which had the added bonus of persuading his instructor, Gordon, that a career as a bus driver probably has a good deal going for it compared to the life of a golf pro.

5. Very welcoming atmosphere all round and very good greens, in spite of poor recent weather, at Bamburgh Castle G.C.

1. For every high there is a low, and this is quite a low. It may be there is something in the air at the moment what with  Xi Jinping’s recent “election” as President for Life in China and Putin’s rigging of the election in Russia, but to see a naked power grab by a distortion of the democratic process in operation at a Freens’ outing was highly disturbing.   There was general delight at Wud’s miraculous day, but the lunchtime shenanigans were most revealing.  That was when we discovered the depths to which some Freens will stoop to secure a day prize and also what can happen when our usual Dictator in Residence (see 2, below) is absent; not to mention how Board meetings at Theakstons may be conducted.  The attempt by Wud, who at that point was sitting on a 6 point lead, to subvert the day by playing only 9 holes, a Texas Scramble or dominoes (!) In the afternoon must  inevitably tarnish his otherwise glorious achievement on the day.

2. It must be admitted that there is a highlight element to this one, but its inclusion under this category is justified by the weather, and it is the absence in sub-tropical climes of the Freen who suggested Bamburgh in March as a suitable venue for this outing.

3. DL expressing a degree of reluctance concerning taking Psycho home, only to be gently reminded that the arrangements in place were actually the other way round.

23rd March

Sure to be on the R & A website very shortly, an eminent Freen (and afternoon winner!) demonstrates new dropping method for next year

and just in case anyone forgot what happened last weekend….

Relic found on a green

Looks can be deceptive…

grimaces and the angle of lean tell a different story!

Very welcome guest, KC, with two members of his Sunshine Band in admiring attendance

It was a cool start to the day

so who was off his greens?

Luminaries!?

27th April

 On the historic day when Kim Jong Un and Moon Jae In were patching up a little local difficulty in Korea there was a diplomatic incident at Leven when the message transmitted through emissaries by JM to Bob W. lost something in transit, so that instead of JM’s graceful intimation of the fact that Collin had been able to procure a buggy and that John wished to join him in it on account of his dodgy Achilles tendon and that, additionally, the lady starter was enjoining our first group to get off the first tee ASAP, it came across as “Tell Bob I’m taking his place in the first game!” – hence the unseemly Mr. Grumpy scene that followed.  A rare instance of a Freen externalising his feelings on receipt of a Muir diktat, but all was smoothed over

Mr. Grumpy (trying to pretend he’s not)

Bob Watters

A pretty sight

Not a pretty sight

Weather: On the whole a fine day for golf - sunny most of the time and dry with a sporting wind to add interest.

Winner : Morning –  Smithy; Afternoon –  Smithy; Day – Smithy

Lowlights 

1. Tom Timmons being deprived of sarnies at lunchtime due to gannet-like behaviour of earlier finishing Freens.  This must go down as an organisational deficiency for which Phul should be held responsible (pace highlight 2. Above.)

3. Regrettable absence of Runce on account of his having had an altercation with a pavement while walking home from Tranent to Cockenzie after a whisky tasting session at Juggy’s.  Assurances have been received that alcohol played no part in this unfortunate occurrence.

4. Freens 4-ball holding up a Scandinavial mixed 4 ball

5. Wud’s failure to spot a rock in the way of his putt at one hole described as being like a piece of moon rock.  This was after he had only almost killed three people with his opening tee shot.

6. Poor day for Jock.  He did win a donated ball for being the joint third least worst player of the day (ahead of Psycho and Juggy), but he was red-carded on the 18th green for bringing his trolley round the green and that was after he had shanked his pitch from the water meadow in front of the green into the river.

7.  This is scarcely believeable, but sources suggest that Bob W. had a 9!  (Ed. Its safe to publicise this here because Bob will never find the website!)

Highlights

there’s never a dull moment on a Freens’ outing

a beautiful evening

just a fine sight all round

the winner in full swing

two other fine specimens - alpha and omega (almost)

the threatening storm came to nothing

recalling unhappier days!

25th May

Weather: Possibly the best day of the year so far.  Beautifully warm and sunny all day.

Winner : Morning –  Bob W.; Afternoon –  DP; Day – DP

Lowlights 

1. Psycho’s response when Bob asked him  "Did I tell you that I'm going to night school to learn Apache. I'm told it's easy when you know, HOW."  Psycho’s response - " What, the Apache language?"  He’s a simple soul really.

2. The disturbing news that, following Clare’s hen weekend, DJ may have been rendered maritally redundant.

Highlights

a family triumph!

ain’t it the truth…

three caballeros

and another three

A wonderful sight in a wonderful site

and haven’t we all seen it before?

29th June

Weather: In the middle of one of the best, prolonged spells of hot sunny weather in Scotland this day at Drumoig was overcast and cool.

Winner : Morning –  Smithy.; Afternoon –  DP; Day – Smithy

Lowlights 

1. If any it was probably the weather, given how beautiful it was everywhere else, but on the other hand if it had been as warm as everywhere else we might have struggled.

Highlights

24th August

Weather: Very decent.  Not a bad day at all.

Winner : Morning –  PH.; Afternoon –  JM; Day – JM

Lowlights 

1. It has to be what the origin of the strap line is.  That a number of Freens were sufficiently in thrall to a has-been weegie comedian to abandon the comradeship of fellow Freens in favour of a few minutes of transient amusement.

Highlights

This is the ball - honestly!  Blame the photographer

the parched plains of Drumoig

15th September

Weather: Not too bad a day at all, as I recall, although the scores might suggest otherwise.

Winner : Morning –  Barney

Lowlights 

1. As above for highlights

Highlights

14th September

Weather: Very pleasant, although course a wee bit damp underfoot

Winner : Jim Page

Lowlights 

1. No doubt on account of his elation at having dodged the yolky bullet, Juggy managing to fall arse over tip while strolling along the 6th fairway.

Further contributions welcome and requested

Highlights

Grantown -on-Spey

Weather: Dullish, but OK.

Winner : Phil

Lowlights 

1. At the end of another great Freens’ weekend the East Lothian contingent packed their conveyance and set off down the road as a tired, but happy, crew and no doubt spent a convivial 3 or 4 hours on the way.  The mood was changed, however, on arrival Chez Watters when the plaintive cry went up - “Where’s ma clubs?”  It could be none other than the great man himself who had left his clubs outside the clubhouse at Grantown.  This is where our Geordie hero stepped in on account of still being up north and gladly re-united the man with his clubs on the trip home.

Highlights

A pretty sight

16th September

14th September

This picture below is testament to the four souls who endeavoured to maintain the Freens’ tradition of not just playing a measly 18 holes in a day

Gullane 2

16th September

Weather: Don’t know - wasn’t there and nothing reported

Winner : Collin

Highlights etc.

As per the weather, I’m afraid.  The rest is silence, although Collin clearly had a grand day!

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