AGSC GOLF
AGSC is expanding its horizons and sporting events to include golf, in the realisation that AGSC members are an ageing population and rugby is becoming an increasingly difficult past time for many to keep up!
We are intending that there will be one golf event per year, which will rotate between the AGSC Open and the Cider Cup.
Your Handicap
Players will be expected to give their handicap prior to any AGSC golf event. Please work out your handicap in the priority order below:
1. Your official golf club handicap. What is your handicap with your golf club?
2. Your society handicap. What do you play off when playing with friends?
3. If you're not and member of a course and don't play regularly in a society or with a group of friends then some honesty is required. Please base your handicap on your better rounds of golf. Not your average.
Competitions (Click for more details)
AGSC Open Championship 2008
The first AGSC Open Championship was held on Friday 16th May at Broome Manor Golf Club, Swindon. 26 participants battled it out to become the innaugural winner and of course, for those who are members of Apple Growers Sports Club, to qualify for the Cider Cup 2009.
The weather was overcast but the rain held off for what proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable days golf had by all. Duncan Weir got the tournament underway at 10am with a trade mark fade (slice to the rest of us) into the short stuff to the right of the fairway. The tournament results (stableford points off 3/4 handicaps) are on the website (click on AGSC Open Championship).
Official match referee and scorer Duncan Weir had agreed with organiser Kevin Pike that any score cards submited with a score higher than 40 points would be accidently lost. Playing off 3/4 handicaps a score of 40 would display a lack on honesty on the handicap system that is largly based around trust! However, the term 'bandit' around a golf event is all too frequently used, and makes a golfer feel as though he shouldn't play well and score better than his handicap. Broome Manor was in excellent nick and is a fairly forgiving course on many holes for the wayward driver so there was no doubt that the scoring would be high. It would be wrong to associate anyone on the day as a 'bandit'. Credit must be given where credit is due.
Ben Appleton, the only person to arrive late, came in with the winning score of 38 points. A tremendous score off a 3/4 handicap. Well done Ben. Its soon became clear why he was late; he was the only one who came by horse and rumour has it his sombrero kept falling off while galloping down the M4.
Matt Templeman celebrated his 5th guest appearance and full qualification to Apple Growers Sports Club with a runner-up spot with 37 points and a place in next years South West Cider Cup team. Golf Organiser Kevin Pike who had being playing the course 4 times a week since he chose the venue for the Open back in February came in with 36 points and 3rd place.
West Country strength won the longest drive with Alex Soskin launching a monster up the 16th and fellow West Countryman Dave Green demonstrated his accruacy with the short irons winning closest to the pin on the 6th. If anyone wanted to beat him they would have needed a hole in one. It was another West Countryman who won the most important prize of all - The Turd Trophy for the crap golfer. Chris Pratt is the proud owner of the beautifully hand crafted trophy. So proud he has already returned it so it doesn't get lost for the next Open in 2010.
Huge thanks must go to Kevin Pike for an extremely well organised day. A great start to his new role as AGSC Golf Organiser and long may he stay in that role if future events continue to be as good as this one. The day was topped off with an excellent curry and those who didn't attend the official after event dinner (thats 23 of you) missed out on Indian feast.