Last week saw the culmination on Season 16 of the Virgin Atlantic frequent flyer golf society competitions. The finale is traditionally a Ryder Cup style competition between Europe and the Rest of the World. each team has 12 players and you qualify by submitting your qualifying scores for the year, together with any match play results and the best people in various divisions are selected to represent their team.
Europe is usually comprised of people from the United Kingdom, and Rest of the World is usually from the USA and South Africa although people from the Caribbean have qualified for the team previously. After last years trip to Las Vegas, Virgin Atlantic were keen for the final to be in the UK and to publicise their Manchester hub. Consequently the North West golf coast was selected as the venue with Southport & Ainsdale and Royal Birkdale the host courses.
The warm up event was held at Ghetto Golf in Liverpool which is a crazy golf course in the old Cains brewery. the first hole is played in a caravan and then various holes celebrate the art of brewing. The Rest of the World triumphed after a captains play-off to set the tone for the week,
Day one at S & A was a foursomes competition which Europe won 4-2, then the team decamped to Royal Birkdale for fourball contests which were won 3.5 to 2.5 by Europe. Although i did not make the team myself, I was fortunate to have a guest invitation and played the course before the contestants, my second visit of the year. Dinner that night was in the Art House, one of Liverpools best restaurants and after a good sleep, the teams contested 12 singles matches again at S & A. There were some mighty battles throughout the day before Europe triumphed by 14-10 and retained the Pedlar Trophy.
The final dinner was in Fazenda, an Argentine steak house again in Liverpool, and after due celebration the teams adjourned to The Cavern Club for a bit of Liverpudlian Beatles music.
So a tremendous four days of golf and high jinks and here's hoping that Virgin Atlantic appreciate the brand value this golf society has, and renews for season 17. I for one will be trying my hardest to qualify for it.
Showing posts with label Virgin Airways Swingers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Virgin Airways Swingers. Show all posts
Monday, 14 October 2019
Tuesday, 27 June 2017
Six Pack
As June comes to an end its time to do some catching up. After a bit if golf with the Virgin Airways golf society at Wallasey, I was able to focus once more on the trip ahead to Striding Edge and Helvellyn.
As a side, however, the Virgin golf team are called the Swingers, an interesting name choice and one which Sir Richard must have the odd chuckle about. If they knew what went on in the sand dunes near the Wallasey course, they would see even more irony in the name.
I digress, so in early June we set off to Camp Dick II, again hosted in Bampton by Seamus and Kate. They was a fair old gathering, although a few less than the assemble at Camp Dick, the original. Yep, this blog has been going over ten years...phew.
Dicks lads all have WaGs in tow now, and people had again travelled from near and far. The main topic of conversation though was the weather!!
We stayed at a B & B in the village, the host of which was the official Winter weather man and climbed Helvellyn every day to do a weather report. It was pretty clear on the Saturday morning then that there was no way that walk was going to happen. It was a huge disappointment as we had been training quite extensively for it. Safety has to come first though, so a brisk few mile hike to Shap Abbey was considered the alternative. It was good fun and built up an appetite for pie and peas, ploughmans lunch and large pots of stew. It was all washed down with three barrels of local craft beer and we all slept well on the back of it!!
As a side, however, the Virgin golf team are called the Swingers, an interesting name choice and one which Sir Richard must have the odd chuckle about. If they knew what went on in the sand dunes near the Wallasey course, they would see even more irony in the name.
I digress, so in early June we set off to Camp Dick II, again hosted in Bampton by Seamus and Kate. They was a fair old gathering, although a few less than the assemble at Camp Dick, the original. Yep, this blog has been going over ten years...phew.
Dicks lads all have WaGs in tow now, and people had again travelled from near and far. The main topic of conversation though was the weather!!
We stayed at a B & B in the village, the host of which was the official Winter weather man and climbed Helvellyn every day to do a weather report. It was pretty clear on the Saturday morning then that there was no way that walk was going to happen. It was a huge disappointment as we had been training quite extensively for it. Safety has to come first though, so a brisk few mile hike to Shap Abbey was considered the alternative. It was good fun and built up an appetite for pie and peas, ploughmans lunch and large pots of stew. It was all washed down with three barrels of local craft beer and we all slept well on the back of it!!
The next exciting weekend was that just past, which started off with An Old England XI v Oxton CC in a T20 game. Mark Ramprakash was the big name but Devon Malcolm, Dominic Cork and Simon Jones were also in the team.
That evening the London branch of the family arrived for Ava's first holy communion the next morning. Lions rugby had to be sacrificed as we were on duty in the church for 09:45. It was then all back to Emma's house for bouncy castle, mega blow up slide, bbq and more beer. I am not sure how London Pride got on the menu but who was I to complain.
It also gave us a rare photo opportunity as we had one with the ankle biters en masse!
July starts off with cousin Mike and his wife Val coming up North for Chester races. It will be my fourth day at the course and I have yet to win any money. Lets hope the weather and the luck changes on Saturday.
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