Monday, November 11th
Crystal Bay.
1st Anders Nielsen (27) 38 points
2nd Jimmy Carr (22) 37 points
3rd Brendan Harnett (18) 34 points
4th Steve Downes (6) 34 points
Near pins Steve Downs, Mike Lloyd, Mike Milland, & Michael Brett.
Having survived the last couple of visits to Crystal Bay without anyone contracting Legionnaires Disease we decided to risk it one more time. The course was in good condition apart from the bunkers which were as usual in a very sad state, the rough was a no go zone, deep and thick.
We arrived at an empty course and were able to tee off immediately. The first group which contained two walkers stepped aside at the sixth allowing the following group all in carts to play through, thereafter they never saw them again till the round was over.
Scoring was modest by Crystal Bay standards with only first and second posting respectable scores.
In his last week of this tour of duty Anders Nielsen posted the best score of the day off a very generous handicap of twenty-seven, one feels a serious cut is heading his way. Another with an embarrassing handicap of twenty-two, in a round that had two four pointers Jimmy Carr took second place. A countback decided third and fourth with a superior back nine of twenty, Brendan Harnett edged out Steve Downs. Near pins were as listed.
Just to demonstrate how complicated golf can be, a rules query was raised after the game. The question was could one get relief from a sprinkler head in your line putting from off the green? Two diametrically opposing views were expressed, the answer being that in some circumstances you can. It would logically seem that you could, but in golf as in many other things in life logic doesn’t always apply.
Wednesday, November 13th
Greenwood
1st Mike Milland (18) 35 points
2nd Anders Nielsen (26) 35 points.
3rd Steve Downs (6) 34 points
4th Craig Dows (11) 33 points
5th Michael Brett (14) 33 points
6th Dean Nelson (13) 32 points.
Near pins Jimmy Chawk, Rob Folland, & Michael Brett X 2.
The ever popular Greenwood course was the venue for our mid-week game. Once again the course was not busy so we teed off early and finished within four hours which was good.
It looks like we are finally out of monsoon season with yet another nice day for golf, a little breeze kept temperatures mild.
Scoring was modest once again by Greenwood standards but competition was keen.
A Danish clean sweep at the top of the leaderboard with Mike Milland taking first place on countback from fellow countryman and regular winner Anders Nielsen. Steve Downs took third a stroke back. Craig Dows edged out Michael Brett for fourth place, with Dean Nelson rounding out the winners circle with thirty-two points. Near pins went to Jimmy Chawk and Rob Folland with Michael Brett taking two.
It has been noted recently that many courses are leaving cup liners too high in the holes adversely affecting putting, some have noted a put heading for the hole only to veer off at the last second, it’s unclear what if anything can be done about this trend.
Friday, November 15th
Emerald
1st Michael Brett(14) 37 points
2nd Tony Robbins (26) 35 points
3rd Stuart Stammers (11) 33 points
4th Jimmy Carr (22) 32 points
5th Steve Wilks (16) 31 points
Near pins Brendan Harnett, Stuart Stammers, & Dave Ashman.
Having thought we were out of monsoon season we got a reality check with a heavy storm on Thursday evening putting paid to anyone watching the golf from Dubai for some time, as usual the satellite signal was interrupted but came back after an hour, even in today’s round it looked at times that it might rain a few times.
The Emerald course was in very good condition today, even the greens which have come in for criticism over the past twelve months have improved markedly and today although a tad on the slow side were still very acceptable.
Overall scoring was low with only Michael Brett and Tony Robbins posting respectable scores of thirty-seven and thirty-five. The rest were in the low thirties, poor by Emerald standards. In a sign of what is to come in high season the course was very busy, with at least two societies out before us. When we arrived at the course we had to wait about half an hour to check in as there were no carts available and only a handful of caddies. In what felt like a painfully slow round today we finished in four hours and fifteen minutes, way too slow for many people’s liking, curiously some seem immune to slow play whil3 others are bored and would rather do something else.
Anders Nielsen, winner at Crystal Bay.
Mike Milland, winner at Greenwood.
Michael Brett, winner at Emerald.