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 southport and Ainsdale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label southport and Ainsdale. Show all posts
Monday, 14 October 2019
Friday, 25 July 2014
A thrash round a field
Rory McIlroy had just come back from a boys weekend in Ibiza, before he went on to win the Open Championship at Hoylake last week. Clearly that sort of break can do your golf the world of good.
I was one of the volunteer marshal's and did seven or eight shift from the Tuesday onwards. It was fascinating to see the players close up and wonder at how they hit the ball so far with apparently little effort. I am told something's called timing and practise are to blame!
I did not exactly meet the world but I did see David Clarke, an ex-Twickenham RFC lad with whom I used to play golf. He was caddying for Cameron Tringale, who had two steady rounds but was unable to make the cut mark.
David must be one of the most unlucky caddies around, he was with Justin Rose when he turned pro, and went through the hard times with him. They parted on good terms some time later but before Justin started winning big. He was with Michelle Wie when she had totally lost her game, and then moved on to VJ Singh for a while, and VJ has never been the fame force since his deer antler scandal.
I did appear on the BBC news at 7pm on the Sunday as a lady reporter did a piece to camera. I had my back to her and looked like I was perched on her shoulder like a parrot. We got £12 food allowance which did not buy too much food at the prices they were charging, so I saved mine up and got a bottle of champagne from the beer tent...every little helps.
So after Rory played so well after his boys weekend away, I wondered what difference my trip to Lisbon had made, and the formula seems to have worked. I went round Southport and Ainsdale yesterday in 82 shots, helping Wallasey to gain an honourable 4-4 draw. Interestingly when I consult my records I see that during our Southport flog expedition in 1988, I birdied the first hole and then went round in 103, so I seem to be improving!
I was one of the volunteer marshal's and did seven or eight shift from the Tuesday onwards. It was fascinating to see the players close up and wonder at how they hit the ball so far with apparently little effort. I am told something's called timing and practise are to blame!
I did not exactly meet the world but I did see David Clarke, an ex-Twickenham RFC lad with whom I used to play golf. He was caddying for Cameron Tringale, who had two steady rounds but was unable to make the cut mark.
David must be one of the most unlucky caddies around, he was with Justin Rose when he turned pro, and went through the hard times with him. They parted on good terms some time later but before Justin started winning big. He was with Michelle Wie when she had totally lost her game, and then moved on to VJ Singh for a while, and VJ has never been the fame force since his deer antler scandal.
I did appear on the BBC news at 7pm on the Sunday as a lady reporter did a piece to camera. I had my back to her and looked like I was perched on her shoulder like a parrot. We got £12 food allowance which did not buy too much food at the prices they were charging, so I saved mine up and got a bottle of champagne from the beer tent...every little helps.
So after Rory played so well after his boys weekend away, I wondered what difference my trip to Lisbon had made, and the formula seems to have worked. I went round Southport and Ainsdale yesterday in 82 shots, helping Wallasey to gain an honourable 4-4 draw. Interestingly when I consult my records I see that during our Southport flog expedition in 1988, I birdied the first hole and then went round in 103, so I seem to be improving!
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