Gullane

2nd March

Weather: Not too bad, and we beat the rain

Winner: Phul

Notes mislaid.  Can anybody help in the meantime?

As above.

2023

Lowlights

Highlights

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1. Excellent food

2. The 6th hole was an interesting and challenging one in the prevailing conditions

2. This is another case where webmaster’s notes etc. are not traceable at the moment, so any help would be welcome, although I do, of course, remember Leo’s intimation of his health condition to all of us.

1. DP and ID had to leave relatively early and for that reason only intended to play nine in the afternoon.  The lowlight is the alacrity with which the rest of the company decided to follow this example, although, to be fair, there were parts of the course that were a wee bit of a hike.. Also, any photos?  This is all I seem to have???

23rd March

Weather: A very pleasant day indeed.  Sunny and a bit breezy.

Winner: Jug

Eyemouth

Highlights

Lowlights

1. No doubt about this.  It was Digger’s first Freens’ career victory. Truly a day for the annals!  Kenny must have been feeling fairly comfortable with his total of 77, but Digger edged past him by virtue of a superior 2nd round.

2. Getting back to playing two rounds to decide the winner.

3. Meeting former Dunbar assistants Philip and Gordon.

4.  Very good food and well organised Smithy!

1. ???

Lowlights

Phul speeds ahead

View from clubhouse

21st April

Weather: A very pleasant day indeed, but with a cool breeze

Winner: Digger

Highlights

Winterfield

Dig For Victory

20th September

Weather: Not ther, but understood to be damp and windy?

Winner: DJR

Waiting to hear

Ditto

Silloth

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Highlights

23rd October

Weather:

Winners:

Dunbar

From our Special Rapporteur:

The sun rose on a fine and sunny morning. Somewhere, I’m sure, but certainly not Dunbar. “Sunny Dunny”? My arse!  It was dull and grey with an easterly wind.

A baker’s dozen of Freens gathered for the usual pre-round rolls filled with processed pork products, increasing our cancer risk with each delicious mouthful.

A draw duly made we sallied forth in groups of 3 with a lone 4 ball of KC, Bob W, Phul and David Rees bringing up the rear. Halfway up the first Bob said “if the weather stays like this I’d take it”. Cue the inevitable onset of the rain which steadily increased in strength thereafter.

On the walk to the 7th tee we were met by the sight of a buggy heading towards the clubhouse containing Dr Bob and Leo who had decided that enough was enough. On arrival at the 7th green the remaining Freens were huddled together in the shelter, looking thoroughly wet and forlorn; the general mood being summed up by David Lindsay who said that he could think of 100 other things that he would rather be doing than playing golf.

Thus it was agreed that we would all abandon ship and the Dr Bob’s Dunbar Classic would be played over 7 holes.

Upon returning to the clubhouse a few Freens discovered that their waterproofs were somewhat less than waterproof, with a few unfortunately placed wet patches on the fronts of trousers. Psycho declared that the Dunbar Clubhouse was his favourite in the whole world, he being in favour of the grungy, gritty, less is more, style of decor and fittings. He also declared that the dollar was fucked, the US stock market was going to halve in value and that any sane person should, at the moment, be buying gold. We didn’t hear if he had a solution to the war in Israel and Palestine but it’s pretty certain he will have.

Post golf drinks in the bar confirmed the usual outcomes. Players were by turns “so unlucky“, “left a lot of shots out there,” (genuinely have no idea what that actually means), ”played like a fud” etc etc. Leo was accused of having only scored 2 points in the 7 holes played but he vehemently disputed that and said he had in fact scored 4.

A brief moment of chaos ensued when JM attempted to rearrange the tables to accommodate the group sitting together which achieved very little of substance other than to move Leo’s pint of Guinness, much to his great concern, to the other end of the room. He redeemed himself, however by supplying the table with a pre dinner amuse bouche of a large plate of chips which everyone sampled and enjoyed.

Our esteemed organiser, Dr Bob, had arranged a two course meal which was delicious and efficiently served up by the Dunbar staff although it must be said that Jasmine was conspicuous by her absence. She obviously couldn’t trust herself to be in the company of such a bunch of lookers.

The scores for the 7 holes played were collated and the winner announced, namely KC, with a score of 17 Stableford points. His elation, however, was short lived as Dr Bob announced that he was trying to arrange an alternative date of either the 9th or 16th November to replay the event.

Thus IKC was presented with the trophy, his to cherish and hold for either 14 or 21 days, even less time than Liz Truss was Prime Minister. He had a green banana in his fruit bowl which he reckoned would still be edible after the trophy is untimely ripped from his grasp.

KC bore the trophy home in triumph and showed it to his wife. “ What the fuck is that?” was her only comment. How ungracious. He now has to make sure he keeps an eye on it or she’ll stick it away in a cupboard somewhere and then forget where she’s put it.  (Sound familiar BW?)

There was no sweep as David L couldn’t be arsed to organise one and so Collin left disappointed, as he was the only player to hit the green at either the 3rd or the 5th.

All in all, a disappointing day spoiled by the inclement weather, but great fun was nevertheless had by all and hopefully if a replay date can be arranged we can reconvene and manage a full 18 holes.

But then again, this is Scotland and it will be November so who knows!!

Two legends of the game!

WTF?

Before…..

…..after

Arty version

16th May

Weather: Lovely day. Couldn’t have been nicer,

Winner: Phul

Crieff

Good Crieff!

An excellent venue, both on account of its layout and condition, but also the fact that it had a beautiful little 9 hole course for the morning “round” thus satisfying the serious golfers and the old farts!

Format clearly to Phil’s liking as he won comfortably

None

Lowlights

Highlights

19th June

Weather: A very nice day indeed

Winner: Collin

The following are brief notes from my phone - can anybody expand????

”Psycho copy filling up at the start.       Call-offs from Bob and DL.   Overnight downpour, but looking good.

Ticks or crosses    Arboricide  Juggy    Shades of the Hirsel      Smithy’s sandwich   Squirrel”

1.

Thornton

Lowlights

Highlights

17th August

Weather:   ??

12 Freens struck out from Edinburgh and East Lothian to Cawder GC for 36 holes around the two courses, situated only 10 minutes from Glasgow city centre and in full view of the Campsie Hills. The Clubhouse is a grand old country house which could generously be described as in need of a £10 million pound upgrade. The original entrance and staircase has been somewhat blighted by the installation of a rather large and incongruous stair lift. Doubtless some old member invoked the DDA, insisting it be fitted to get him up the stairs and then dropped down dead two weeks after it was completed .

Breakfast was a veritable feast of fried goodies- sausage both link and square and bacon aplenty. Sadly no eggs were on offer and, inevitably when a certain Freen asked for a fried egg, the cook declared “aw, ah didnae ken there wir vegetarians here”.

The Championship Course proved to be a stern test of golf for all but one Freen, playing well over its 6000 yards due to the heaviness of the fairways and the lush turf. Highlights of the round were Jock, striking a car at the second hole( the driver apparently oblivious to it) and the reporter, having declared there to be “ a gap” between a tree and the bell on the fairway at the 5th hole, striking said bell flush with his 8 iron, causing his ball to ricochet backwards and into the green side bunker at the 6th. Nil point was the inevitable outcome.

Post round Al fresco drinks were taken after the golf and then the usual soup and sandwiches were had in the clubhouse. Several Freens commented that the bread was rather dry and it was agreed that this was probably due to it being granary bread and therefore not likely to be delivered to the kitchen more left than once in a blue moon.

The afternoon round was played over the Keir course and although shorter, wider and flatter than the “ big “ course,it proved no less of a challenge to the 9 remaining players, 2 Freens having left early to go and watch Hearts play and 1 who simply said that one round was enough. With the benefit of hindsight he was right!! The afternoon round was played as a 3 man Texas Scramble and perhaps due to everyone’s general fatigue and/or indifference, I have no idea which team won.

Dinner post golf was a choice of soup or pâté followed by steak pie and chips( what, no boiled potatoes went up the cry from the usual corner ) or fish and chips, with a nod to our proximity to the West of Scotland being the addition to the plate of a pickled onion.

The generally clean plates seemed to indicate that the food was well received and we duly all set forth, eastwards for the return journey to home.

All that remains to be done is to congratulate the winners in the morning. Tied for runner up with 31 points were Bob and Smithy but the runaway winner with 42 points( possibly a record breaking margin of victory?) and perhaps in a nod to the Antonine Wall which meanders through the two courses was the Freens favourite Roman, Thomas Aquinus Timmons. Well played indeed!!

Winner:  TT

Cawder

21st September

Weather: ????

Winner:  Stato

Waiting to hear

Ditto

Silloth

Lowlights

Highlights

19th September

Weather: Overcast, but not a bad day for golf

Winner: Collin

This was a course that was new to everyone.  It was a very pleasant layout and a good introduction to the weekend.  The most striking feature was probably the 2nd hole (Bruce’s castle) which must be one of the most difficult Par 3s in golf.  Getting to it was a challenge (only BW managed that) and staying on it was a bigger one (BW didn’t manage that!)

Can’t think of any.

Lochmaben

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Highlights

First search of the

 day - 1st hole - 2nd group

…and what’s the story with the shoes?

And what’s this?  Do we have JM once more altruistically acting as Jock’s driver???