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After being so down about my efforts last week, upon reflection my final round of 10 over was not ALL bad. 3 shots off line, albeit badly cost me 3 doubles & a quad! Not your average round nor course. Anyhow, moving on we said all our good byes to the guys at fancourt on Monday morning and headed off to play golf with my old ‘mukka’ Glenn Ralph and his delightful wife Michelle at Ernie Els’s new signature course at Oubaai, and whow what a place that was too. With views over the ocean, a fantastic design and in terrific nick too. Glenn, a pal for many years on tour and now a successful Senior tour player and winner last year of the Srixon Scottish Open.

Paul chipping to Oubaai 's 17th green!

We were treated royally too by everyone there, and have to thank Gavin the head pro and his staff. Then I bumped into an old mate kevin jones formally the pro at Caldy GC on the Wirral and now living alongside the 7th fairway for the winter at Oubaai, what a life! The course has a spectacular finish and I will strive to attach a photo of the 17th.

Then a 4 hour drive to Cape Town and this mornings flight back home via Abu Dhabi.

I have pledged to myself, I really must bring my kids over here and especially to the Cape, the folk are so friendly and there is so much to do and see.

cheers for now, andrew

It ll started so well a birdie 3 @ the 1st! And then a beautiful 6 iron over the green into a bush @ the 2nd- a double bogey the result…what a stupid and unforgiving game I choose to play!

3 putts at nos 4 & 5, a wayward hy-brid at no6 all of a sudden the world is not a nice place after all, despite the sunshine and scenery to die for. Worse was to follow, a horrid pull hook into another bush at the 9th, a 9!!!!

Head back on and several pars before THAT bush got in the way again , this time with my strong suit a wedge! Sacre blu’!

Goodness knows now how many over par I am, head is scrambled eggs I did however never stop trying and birdied 16 and parred in. An 83, 10 over a shocker of shockers.

As for the tournament, Ruangkit won convincingly from Sam and Bobby Lincoln his total of -3 was terrific and that’s now 3 in a row for him. the course was fantastic today, the wind only minimal, the skys and sunshine just fab.

What a game, but how lucky am I to play , tho it has to be said this week was indeed a waste of good clubs, balls & Paul’s time and my money! Life on tour hey, it’s not all what it seems.

cheers A

As if this course is not difficult enough! Today we had 40mph windy from the SE, I reckon 4 over was about par if you get the gist, so 77 was ok ish. My 81 was not! In fact had I not putted well it was more likely a 91! Anyhow, a tough day for us all, there are some horror stories too though, Tommy Horton made 10 down the last having battled well all day to that point, Longmuir a 10 at the 9th and so the day went on. I played the par 5′s in 5 over, so that tells the story right there. A poor ball control day though all round, it was a good job a made a gritty finish!

Gary Player had 84, Rocca 83, home favourite John Bland 89, that is just how brutal the course is in these conditions.

Chapman must have played great for 71, 2 under and the leaders just now are on the home stretch at -1. Off to see the reds on tv now, its just too windy to practice.

cheers AM

The Fancourt Links is 5 kms from the sea, but is so named because of the layout and design. It ‘feels’ very linksy, looks it too in many parts yet was created from almost flat land and former council dump. It is most extraordinary, magical now and breathtakingly beautiful, rolling fairways, deep bunkers, wetland areas and fantastic wildlife.

The first round for me was a 7.50 am start, and a driver through the fairway 290 yds into a bush! Not me hitting it long, but a big bounce! Next a 3 putt bogey…shocking start, bogey, bogey. Another after an errant wedge to no.9 and 3 over, 3 putts from 10′ at 11 and my patience was being tested big time. A birdie free round not a good stat to have, and the 4′ putt for birdie at 18 was a poor effort. In fact I didn’t deserve lunch after that really. The forecast is very poor tomorrow, high winds will really test the best. As for the rest of the scoring, I dont know as I have just returned from the practice tee and green. When I last saw, Bruner was -4, its not that tough this course its just that every shot is a test of skill & nerve.

I need to get a smoother stroke with my putter tomorrow to go low and get back in it!

Cheers Andrew

Me thanking Gary for his hospitality

Then today we bumped into him again, before I popped out to play my final 9 holes of practice. What a magical 20 minutes Paul & I had chatting to him on the putting green. Today’s chat was based around green design & his diet! The greens here are severe to say the least, although my new pal Gary is restructuring and softening the contours on some this winter.

I will attach some photos to this asap, as for now it’s back to base as we have a 7.50 start in round 1 of The Berenberg Masters, i am looking forward to it, can’t wait and am in good form- I just need to believe and trust myself, simple as that!

cheers

Sorry to have to report, but I really did let the side down yesterday around the Old course at Sunningdale. Tom & I won our first round by 4&2 against a female pro combination despite giving them 6 shots around the New course. We the royal ‘we’ played very solid golf , but in truth the girls made it easier for us over the opening 5 holes, foursomes is a cruel game where mistakes can so easily lead to a  run of bogies.

Anyhow, safely through and round 2 against formidable Challenge tour opponents Liam Bond & Jamie Little. It was our turn to gift them a 3 up start, rather it was ‘my’ turn! We 3 putted holes 2, 3 & 4- all down to my ineptness with the blade and against two class players, and although it has to be said they hit more shots into trouble we were unable to make progress and lost 4&2, despite 3 birdies in a row from the 12th.

Sorry Tom! Anyhow, onward and upward and next stop for me is the Barenburg Bank Masters at Fancourt South Africa on Sunday. cheers

My son Tom & I are packed and ready for one of the most prestigious foursomes events in the UK, the 1st time we have partnered each other in such a thing. I have managed a semi final once before with regular partner Pete Barber, it’s such a terrific tournament, around the best 2 inland courses in the UK, the  Old & New. We played the Old in the Senior British Open last year and I know it well, the New however is more challenging from the tee. Saying that, we play 2 lady pro’s and have to concede 6 shots in this format, a tough call I’d say!

Both courses are choka the 1st day with some 300 pairs competing, but it soon is whittled down, 2 rounds a day and  by Friday just 4 pairs around just the Old.  Sunningdale for those who have not been there is just west of Wentworth on the A30, a magical place a heathland course that is just breathtaking even at this time of year. Every hole a treat, with such a variance of shape and design and elevation. A gem!

Talking of gems, we had out own corporate club day and the North’s own Sunningdale…Delamere Forest last Thursday. a great day too, crystal clear and spring like. Another absolute treat for me too as  I played there Wednesday & Friday how lucky am I? A 70th birthday treat for a client and Lymm member John Boyle on Wednesday and foursomes practice with Tom on Friday.

Hey ho, a great week-end Rooney on fire again too, and my new Cleveland irons are bedding in just fine and ready for my season’s opener in South Africa the week after next.

Watch this space for news  from Sunningdale……. or not!

Well having had my previous irons checked for ‘tour sanctioned’ grooves, and them being fine. I have now changed them anyhow, and had a set of CG Tour red Cleveland irons built for me on the tour truck , by the head man Iain Clarke.

They feel terrific & its now just a bedding in time to get the lies spot on, I have the short irons a tad flat, the long irons a tad upright. Fizz the club-maker at Lymm has been doing all the fine tuning for me, I am sure he thinks I am truly fussy beyond the call! The driver and hybrid are a little more tricky to get right straight off and need some more working on, a more stable shaft in driver perhaps, we shall see.

Wedges are where its really at, the scoring zone that can turn a round for good to bad. I feel I have got the lofts spot on now, it’s now just time and practice. The new grooves reduce the spin from the rough by a huge amount, I have heard up to 30% less spin, I am sure it depends who hits it and the angle of delivery, but even so it will be a massive difference when I get out to South Africa and play Fancourt in my 1st event of 2010. First though is the Sunningdale Foursomes, played over the Old & New at Sunningdale, 2 finer courses in the world I doubt there is! My son Tom is partnering me this year for the 1st time, we are both so excited already! Pete Barber and myself lost in the Semi’s one year, that’s just about the furthest we managed. This year he felt   it was time I played with Tom, his choice not mine to ‘sack’ him! Tom has just returned from Portugal after a 2 week practice stint at  Boa Vista & Pinhieros Altos, so is in good form. i just hope the old man does not let him down. I will keep you posted ..whatever I promise!

This week I have the delight of playing at Delamere Forest with 3 older chaps, as part of a 70th birthday present for one of them, John Boyle a member of Lymm. I can’t wait to play, wish John all the best and try my clubs on a proper course! In fact more than proper, it’s  one of the very best around- no question.  Thursday we are back there with 44 guests for the AM Golf corporate club event too!

All in all, a busy old week and the reds play Milan Wednesday too…anyone got 2 spare tickets ?….

cheers Andrew