It's been a tough end to 2009, with very little golf played at Parklands. 
We say farewell this weekend to one of our Parklands PGA professionals, Anthony Miley who is leaving for pastures new. Anthony has been our 'Junior Coach' as part of the Junior Academy helping to deliver the Passport to Golf to many youngsters across the area. Apparently Anthony has secured a role as a PGA professional in Qatar ... slightly warmer than Parklands at the moment. Nikki Hunter will now take on many of his teaching responsibilities. Good luck on your travels Anthony and good luck.
So after the rain earlier in the week ... now its the snow that's closed the golf course. Today, Saturday, was the Ladies Bring and Win competition where the players bring their own prizes, they get swapped and Santa hands them out .... all in an atmosphere of festive cheer accompanied by a touch of alcohol with the occasional mince pie. There was no golf competition, the course being closed, but Santa (in the guise of Colin Davison) managed to land his sleigh in the car park (luckily it had not been salted and it was nice and snowy and slippy). Happy Christmas Ladies.
Today our Tuesday/Thursday group had planned to play 18 holes and then sit down for a Christmas lunch. However with the rain continuing in torrents, the course was closed, so it gave me the opportunity to catch up will some paperwork and have a chat with David King, fresh back from his holiday in the Canaries. The lunch was not cancelled as you can see from the photograph. I'm not sure if we have an exemption which allows us to wear hats in the Clubhouse, even paper ones. A great lunch, well done Lynn and Cheryl and thanks for feeding us throughout the year. A short afternoon break and it was back to the Clubhouse for the December meeting of the Club Committee. It was a good meeting, quick and decisive and it was home to watch the last 10 minutes of the footie on TV. Now I have to write the minutes, but they can wait for another day.
And then down came the rain. And how it has come down ... its a wash out. I went up to the club to do some paperwork and all I could see was water .... So I left after an hour or so and went shopping for next weeks Bird and Bottle prizes, though if this rain doesn't stop we'll be running next year!! I did notice whilst I was in the Clubhouse that the course record set by Ronnie Dixon is missing (picture frame on the fireplace). Theft? An inappropriate prank or wanton vandalism? All totally unacceptable. Any information re the culprit will be treated in confidence.
I always think the weeks leading up to Christmas should be a quiet period at the golf club, but far from it, it seems busier than ever. Short wet days, long dark nights ... but lots to do. On Sunday we managed to play the first of the Men's Bird and Bottle competitions. We suddenly had a relatively fine day, the course was wet but playable with 18 holes open and 84 men turned up to play in the competition. I seemed to be at the Club all day, certainly all of the daylight hours. Having completed the round, it was back to the Clubhouse to sort out the prizes, mainly bottles of spirit which I had been buying when the offers were on at the supermarkets, and meat vouchers. There were over £300 prizes awarded to the first 8 pairs and the winners were Malcolm Cook and Kevin Pinkney with an impressive 50 points. Well done guys. I marked the card for Daniel Deakin and Darren Rushtom. Daniel had a great round with 7 birdies, but 43 points did not get in the prizes! With so many people playing, it was nearly dark when Kenny Shepherd and I did the presentation, and it was certainly dark by the time I typed up the results and got home. I spent the evening doing the accounts and putting the results on the Internet. A long day, but nice to get 18 holes in. (The photo shows the 8th tee, currently being rebuilt. Nice to see the divot repair box strategically positioned?)
I thought the following statistics may be of interest to those members who attended the Presentation on Friday evening, and also to those members who failed to attend or maybe were not due to collect awards.
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men or so the quotation goes ..... and with lots of players and prizes arranged for the Men's first Bird and Bottle Competition the result was .... no play ... the course was water logged and the course was closed and we must all wait and come back another day .... see you next week with a bit of luck.
Friday evening was the Club Presentation Evening, when the winners of the Men's, Ladies and Junior Trophies and medals are recognised with a formal presentation from the Club. The evening was well attended and the trophies were presented by Maureen Jenkins, Lady Captain 2009, Andy Hope the Junior Manager and moi .... The announcements were made by Pat Mattinson and Kenny Shepherd. Barrie Guy took photographs of the winners and their trophies in the foyer. A few 'snaps' ie less formal photographs are available on the website and these can be accessed by logging onto the Parklands website and following the link. 
The annual Vets Section Dinner Dance and Prize Presentation was held last night at The Village Leisure Hotel and was well attended with 70+ attending this super night. Lots of ladies in sparkling dresses and gents in bow ties added to the glamour of the occasion and following a Christmas menu of roast turkey, the presentation was hosted by the Vets Chairman, Alan Naisbitt. With Linda and Brian Woof presenting the prizes, an array of members received their rewards for the season. The evening was rounded off with dancing, a superb raffle and then more dancing til midnight .... an excellent event and congratulations to all those hard working organisers.
I had the attached wording today from David King via email .....
The Ladies AGM was held last night in the Clubhouse and was well attended with around 40 members turning up to listen to the reports and cast their votes for the election of the Committee Members. The evening included reports from the Chairman, Treasurer, Handicaps, Competitions, Junior Liaison, County Delegates and the Captain. The handover of the Captaincy from Maureen Jenkins to Deborah Welch (see photo) was followed by Deborah announcing her Vice-Captain as Yvonne Welch. Good luck to them both in the coming year. Maureen and Deborah were presented with gifts form the First and Second teams respectively. The election of the committee was 6 candidates for 3 places and the successful members were Audrey Barker, Betty Bainbridge and Ann Hope. Good luck in your appointments for the next 3 years.
So when the rain started yesterday evening, I was not surprised because the BBC website showed a few hours of rain early in the night and they then forecast a few light showers for today. It has now been raining for 15 hours!!!! The course is closed, the Sunday competition cancelled for the second week in a row and I'm sat at home thinking of all the forecasting tools, including weather satellites and the results don't leave me with any more confidence than the proverbial pine cone or string of seaweed .....
I am sure that if you have been to the Club lately, you will have noticed that there is a new tee box being constructed on the first which will have an artificial surface and therefore it can be used throughout the winter months and will protect the existing tees in periods of the worst weather. A number of members have commented that the position of the box changes the characteristics of the hole and makes it into a slight dogleg. The comments (a nice word for complaints) is that they will not be able to use their driver off the tee. My answer was to remind them that one of the principles of golf is 'to play the course as you find it' and this is most apt in the winter months. It may not be ideal, it may not suit your game, it may disadvantage you more than others, but it is done with the best intent ... to ensure the course is in the best possible condition for the beginning of the new season.
Congratulations to Brian and Joan King on reaching their half century anniversary. 50 years of wedded bliss (Joan told me to say that). The happy couple celebrated their anniversary with a cake and a glass of wine with the Vets section on Friday, before setting off for a few days of luxury living at Gleneagles, the 5 star hotel resort set within its own estate in Perthshire, Scotland. Well done to both of you .....
Picture the scene ... We hit a super shot onto the fairway and now must apply the Local Rule that all fairways are classified as GUR. We must lift our ball and place it in the 1st cut of rough within 1 club length of the nearest point of relief, no nearer the hole.
For the first time, Parklands GC is attempting to preserve the fairways through the winter to ensure that the course is in the best possible condition for the start of the 2010 season. We considered two methods. One was to purchase and carry pieces of matting to place on the fairway for each shot (as Blyth and other clubs) and the second was to move the ball from the fairway and place it in the 1st cut of rough (as Ponteland and other clubs). The second method was agreed with the management as being the easiest to administer and we have being using this method for over a week. Please ensure that you remember for all occasions and if you see other members or visitors playing from the fairway, don't be shy; remind them of the rule. It's for our mutual benefit to ensure the course is protected.
I'm sat at the PC on a Sunday morning when I should be out there swinging a club and having fun ..... and all I can hear is the drumming of rain on the carport and I'm watching the rain form pools in the garden .... I trust Steven Quince's new drainage on the 8th and 10th will stand up to the test.
The Annual Presentation Evening will take place in the Club House on Friday 4th December 2009 commencing at 7.30pm. If you currently hold a trophy and have taken it home, please ensure it is returned without delay to allow time for engraving prior to the event.
For those of us who may not have seen the article in the October 2009 edition of Golf North East, there is confirmation of the magnificent win by Daniel Deakin in the Junior Champion of Champions competition held at Tyneside Golf Club. The article describes the opposition facing Daniel with a plus handicap golfer and 4 scratch golfers. 
Daniel Deakin was the Parklands GC representative at the Golf North East Junior Champion of Champions 2009 played at the Tyneside GC on Thursday 27th August 2009. This event had the junior champion from each club of the 101 clubs in the area competing to be Champion of Champions. Incorporating Northumberland, Newcastle and District, County Durham and Wearside, Teesside and North Yorkshire, this competition is now the biggest event for Junior Golf in the North East .... and the winner of this prestigious competition and the winner of the Junior Championship Salver was our very own Daniel ... well done and congratulations. We are all awaiting the next publication of the Golf North East where we trust the article will have the scores and the photographs to match this achievement.
If you are reading this blog and you are a Past Captain of Parklands, Ladies or Gents, then you may have noticed that our members website now has a page for 'Past Captains'. The page lists all the captains and shows their photographs where I have a copy. If your photo is not shown, please scan it and send it by email to me or bring it into the clubhouse where I can scan it and then return it to you. Keep smiling ....
London Bridge is falling down ... so goes the rhyme .... unfortunately so is the bridge on the 7th which crosses the burn near the woods. The sleepers have rotted and some areas have broken away ... the bridge is taped off like a crime scene and therefore please cross by the stone bridge on the right hand sign.
We have another 'winner' in the Club! Natalie Dixon had a great win in the Northumberland Ladies County Junior competition when she beat Nicola Haynes of Gosforth Park Ladies at Ponteland GC last Sunday in the matchplay final. The qualifying round for this competition was played in April at the Tynemouth GC and then the top 8 qualifiers have played matchplay through the quarters, semis and now the final. In a closely contested final Natalie won on the 18th hole and is now the holder of the Barlow Bowl .... Well done and congratulations from us all.
The mixed competition for the McCallum Lamps was played on the traditional date of Bank Holiday Monday, but using a non traditional format of betterball. The event was well attended attracting 24 pairs. The winners were Candy and Geoff Brown with a creditable 44 points. Candy had a super round with 3 birdies and dragged me round only allowing me onto the scorecard on a few occasions. Second, wearing matching red polo shirts and looking the part, was the pairing of Yvonne Welch and Tommy Watson with 42 points (on the back 3). Third, but still in the prizes, was the scratch pairing of Angela Rumney and Mac Murphy, also with 42 points. Thanks to all who bought raffle tickets (we raised £67.50) and special thanks to Kath Morpeth for all the organising. Next mixed event is the afternoon of Sunday, 20th September .... get your names down!
There is something comforting when the weathermen get their forecasts wrong and it works in your favour, but for Kenny it was very much in his favour. We had been promised heavy showers, but most competitors saw nothing but a few clouds and sunshine. 150 members and guests turned out for a 3 man Texas Scramble with lots of prizes on the table. The players were greeted at the 9th/10th with a barbecue burger/sausage and a drink prepared by a smokey Debbie and her crew who kept the charcoals burning all day to ensure all were fed and watered. Results were tight and prizes were decided on a few tenths of a stroke. The overall winners were Davy Flynn, Graeme Cowings, Frank Higgins with a magnificent score of 58.4, just beating a team of David York, Daniel Deakin and Paul Irving by 0.2 of a stroke. All the results and the photos of the presentation can be seen via our Parklands website. Well done to Kenny and all the helpers for another great day.
Pat Mattinson reckons that if you are planning a wedding, you can't go far wrong in choosing the Parklands Lady Chairman's Day as your date, because she always gets good weather ... and so it proved today with a nice warm day with lots of sunshine. The ladies played strokeplay with lots of prizes on the table .... and food too!! There were goodies at the 9th in the gazebo and a 'high tea' to finish in the clubhouse. The new Maureen Braven memorial bridge had the first official crossing and the day ended with a presentation in the clubhouse which was very well attended. The overall winner was Sam Malone with a 97 - 30 = 67 .... well done Sam. Best gross was Angela Rumney with an 82 and the rest of the prizewinners are on the Parklands website. A lovely day for all concerned Pat ..
The first official traffic across the new bridge was on Saturday afternoon when the opening threeball in the Lady Chairman's Day reached the 15th. The threeball was greeted by the Ladies Chairman, Pat Mattinson, the Men's Chairman, Kenny Shepherd accompanied by Debbie and myself (camera in hand). The threeball consisted of the Lady Captain, Maureen Jenkins, Isabel Hirst and Heather Stonebank. Well done to all concerned .....
The final team competition of the year in the Hadrian League is the annual Field Day, the format being strokeplay, teams of 6 from all 15 clubs within the league, best 4 scores to count with gross and net trophies up for grabs. The competition was held on Sunday morning on a windy and cool Newbiggin links. The Parklands team was Karl Mossom, Daniel Trotter, Daniel Deakin, Paul Shanks, Ronnie Dixon and Craig Wilson. Parklands had early tees from 09.00 to 09.50 and a little local knowledge as each of their groupings also had a player from Newbiggin. The team performed well and the combined best 4 individual net scores were leading in the club house when we left after lunch. In addition, Craig Wilson had a superb knock and was 75-6=69 and leading in the individual net scoring. However, when I received the final results later in the evening, Craig was pipped to the trophy on count back. However we did win the team net trophy, a fitting reward for the team to end their Hadrian League year. Well done to you all.
For those members who did not see my Captain's Day score card, as designed and printed by Neil Watson, I attach a copy. Neil is a smart cookie and he picked up my military background and designed this cover ... much to my surprise and delight. I wonder what he has in store for Brian King next year!!
Our last Hadrian League match of the season was an away fixture at Ponteland and this had turned into a mid-table battle with the winner destined to finish ahead of the other in the league. Unfortunately the team were looking a little weary from our long season and we only narrowly avoided a whitewash ... With Graeme Hewitt away on holiday, Chris Bowman played at number one but lost 4/3. Losses also came for Ian Davidson, Daniel Trotter, Ronnie Dixon and Paul Shanks. The last glimmer of hope was Karl Mossom who teed off on the 18th, one down, but then sank a super put to force a half and win a point .... 11-1 and a mid table finish. Thanks to all the team players for their support and efforts throughout the season. You have been great ambassadors for Parklands and I'm very proud of you all.
rther £137 with the charity bucket ... all the proceeds destined for the Captains Charity, Alzheimer.
The men's team had a second match this week in the Hadrian League and suffered a second defeat losing 8 - 4 at home to Bellingham. On a lovely warm evening, the team took a hit before the off with the news that Chris Bowman was ill and as a result players 3-6 had to move up one slot and Darren Rushtom was drafted in for his first ever match for the team, playing no6. The matches started well and we looked to be heading for a winning evening ... but things slipped away ... Ian Davidson lost 2/1, Ronnie Dixon lost 3/2, Craig Wilson lost 2/1 .... but then Darren won on the 18th and Paul Shanks won 2 up. Graeme Hewitt went down the 18th only to lose on the last. Let's hope we can end this run in out last match next week ....
The Men's team had a difficult fixture in the Hadrian League last night with an away match at Newcastle United. This match was the one postponed from last week due to the weather, but there were no problems with the weather on this occasion with a cloudy but warm evening. In the no1 spot, Graeme Hewitt played Ryan Young and had a great win 5/4. Karl Mossom played no2 (again responding to a 4.30pm call to come and play as substitute) and after a close match Karl went down 2/1. Ian Davidson, playing the course for the first time, lost 5/4. Paul Shanks looked good for a half before going down 3/1 and Ronnie, fighting the course and a dose of the cold lost 3/1. It was left to Craig Wilson to salvage the second win of the night with a 2/1 win and secure us some vital points in the league standings. A loss 8 - 4 .... but its a home match tonight.
The annual Past Captain's competition and dinner was held at Parklands on the afternoon and evening of Sunday 2nd August on a warm sunny day. The competition format is the men's past captains versus the ladies past captains in individual matchplay. The event has been running for 14 years and is well attended by members past and present. The event is organised by last years captains, in this case by Denise Swindlehurst and Paul Fairley. Unfortunately Paul was away on holiday and the task of organisation fell on Denise. The result of the competition was a win for the ladies. The dinner was a splendid affair with good food from Lynne and Cheryl and good company from all those who attended. Thanks Denise .... (click on the photo to enlarge).
They reckon we all have that one great round of golf within us all and one day !!! ..... Well for Darren Rushtom; his dream round became a reality on Sunday morning in the Men's Competition, when he carded an amazing gross 70 - 11 = 59 nett .....What a round. This equals the current men's course record .... an amazing feat for an 11 handicapper (now 9). Well done Darren ... that break in Malaysia must have done you the world of good.
The re-arranged Lady Captain's Day was held on Saturday, 1st August and despite the rainy start to the morning, the event was dry and the sun came out and ensured that the event was a success. Maureen Jenkins was there to meet the members and guests, have photographs taken with each group that started and she then moved to the gazebo on the 9th/10th where the Bucks Fizz was flowing. The golf was followed by a sit down tea and then the presentation of prizes and trophies. Maureen made one of her famous thank you speeches and the winner of Captain's Day was Joanne Rumney with a super score of 94 - 26 = 68. Well done to all the other prize winners and well done to Maureen for a well organised and enjoyable day.
Report from Robert Hope ......Another great result for the Parklands Junior team as we faced the sea faring folk of Newbiggin by the sea. Whilst the Newbiggin juniors arrived with a large handicap advantage, it soon dissolved, as they felt the pressure of taking their first tee shot watched by a large crowd of Parklands supporters. Many thanks once again for all who gathered to see the Parklands Junior team in action.
The foundations and beams are in position on the 15th for the new (Maureen Braven) bridge. The bridge is being funded from donations and money raised within the Club and the work so far has been courtesy of Kenny Shepherd and Derek Himlin. The next task is for the stonemasons. Great job guys .... well done.
This was an away match but the scene is familiar .....
The Men's team played at home yesterday evening against Slaley Hall in the Hadrian League match. With the course drying out after the deluge last weekend, the only cause for concern was the bunkers. However, with the help of Richard from the shop and a few willing members, the bunkers were raked and most became playable on the night. All the matches were close with two finishing on the 17th and 2 on the 18th. There were wins for Graeme Hewitt 3/2, Chris Bowman 1up, Paul Shanks 2up, Daniel Trotter 3/2 and Craig Wilson 2/1. Ian Davidson lost 3/2 to an in form opponent. It was an impressive team performance all round. The result was a 10 - 2 win for Parklands. Well done to you all. Ronnie Dixon sent his best wishes .... he had to go to that place called 'work' .... well somebody has to ... glad it's not me!!
Report from Robert Hope :- A phenomenal result for Parklands on a wet weekend at Ponteland, when many courses were waterlogged and closed.
I visited the course this morning (like visiting a sick relative) to witness the effects of the deluge. The pond on the 2nd has burst its banks and there is extensive flooding. With the course closed, there is little option but to cancel and reschedule tomorrows competition. The new date is Sunday, 9th August 2009 and a new draw will be made. The entry sheet will go out next Sunday morning as normal.
The Lady Captain, Maureen, was on the phone early this morning to tell me that the Ladies Captain's Day scheduled for tomorrow has been cancelled owing to the 2 inches of rain currently pouring from the sky. Such are the plans of men (and women) dashed by the actions of the gods!! The day has been re-scheduled for Saturday 1st August ... check the website for further details.
It's always a bad sign to get a text message when driving to a team match. I pulled over and read that Ricky Jamieson was going to be late. Don't worry. we have until 6.30pm to tee off. I arrived at Newbiggin on a warm and sunny evening. The threat of rain seemed to have gone, and we were ready for a tough match. The phone rang again. Ricky was not coming ... and with two regular team members not available I had no reserves. Frantic phone calls ... and voila ... Karl Mossom raced up from Parklands to fill the breach and we were a team of 6 again. But it was tough .... Newbiggin played the Penny brothers who are their Newcastle and District players with handicaps of +2. Their 6th player had a handicap of 2 .... a strong team on their own turf ... Matches at the start of the back nine were running to form, we were down in 5 and even in 1. The results started to come in ... Graeme Hewitt lost 5/4 but felt he played well, Chris Bowman lost 3/2, Craig Wilson lost 4/3. Ronnie lost 5/4 .... get the picture? The exception was Daniel Trotter playing at no.6 who had a good run of holes and won 4/3 to secure 2 points and ensure that we did not go home empty handed. Left out on the course with a growing crowd of onlookers was Karl playing at no.3 .... he was all square with three to go ... and his opponent was swearing, banging his club down, generally bad mannered. They halved the next ... then a par three ... Karl's opponent topped a chip shot and promptly broke his wedge over his knee ... the hole was halved ... down the 18th and both players had a putt for birdie. .... and both missed by a couple of inches ... and a half was secured and a point for the team. We had lost 9 - 3 but it was an ok result. Thanks to Karl for filling the gap ... it was appreciated by the team and me.
It was Finals Day today and the finalists in the Men's and Ladies matches battled through 36 holes whilst the finalists in the Seniors Handicap and the Ladies Bronze settled their matches over 18. 
This Wednesday evening, we played Prudhoe, top of the Hadrian League with only one defeat all season ... we thought that this was going to be a tough fixture and it was .... for all our team members. It was a cool evening with the chance of more rain. The recent deluges had left the bunkers in an awful condition and they looked like dry river beds. The results in the individual matches were close and 4 went down the 18th and 1 finished on the 17th. There were wins for Chris Bowman, playing no.2, who finished 1 up by sinking a 10 foot putt on the last for a much deserved win; Ronnie Dixon who was 5 up early in his match had to fight off a rally by his opponent to win 2/1; Paul Shanks, our Club Championship finalist, won 2 up on the 18th with a great display of approach play and a very honourable half was secured by Craig Wilson who played the visiting Captain. Graeme Hewitt had a close match before losing 2/1 and Ian Davidson played a tough opponent only to lose 4/2. The overall result was a super 7 - 5 win and another feather in the cap for our team .... well done to you all.
From Robert Hope ........ After an 11-1 defeat earlier in the season against some of our most experienced juniors, we always knew that Sunday would be a difficult match.
Last night brought defeat for me on a cool and damp golf course. I lost my Seniors Semi Final to Paul Gaughan on the 18th green to lose the privilege of playing on finals day of the Club Championship next Sunday. We were evenly matched, but Paul was simply better on the putting green and never missed a single putt from within 10 feet. So Paul plays either Kenny Shepherd or Mick Mcginney in the final and I am free to referee the 36 hole Men's final. C'est la vie.
Saturday was Quarter and Semi Finals Day for both the Men and the Ladies. An early start on a superb sunny morning brought out some excellent golf and a number of exciting matches. The course was in great condition and the recent rains made the greens receptive. In the Men's quarters in the morning, Steven Quince beat Graeme Hewitt, Paul Shanks beat Karl Mossom and Ian Davidson beat Daniel Deakin. In the Ladies matches, Candy Paige-Brown beat Amanda Pattison, Deborah Welch beat Gill Davidson, Yvonne Welch beat Ciaran Hannon and Angela Rumney beat Terry Hallows. In the Men's seniors, there were wins for Mick Mcginney, Kenny Shepherd, Paul Gaughan and me. The Semis were played on the afternoon in glorious sunshine and 25degreesC. The greens had quickened up and the golf was played at a similar pace. In the first of the Men's matches Steven Quince continued his morning form with a string of birdies to beat Daniel Trotter. In the second match, Ian Davidson staged a comeback only to lose on the 17th to Paul Shanks. In the Ladies matches Candy Paige-Brown beat Deborah Welch and Angela Rumney beat Yvonne Welch. So the men's and ladies finalists are set for their 36 hole championship deciders next Sunday. Just lets hope that the weather is as good as today.
