At the beginning of the month, Axe Cliff men held their annual Brian Kemp Texas Scramble with teams of three competing for this coveted trophy.
The overall winners were Mark Hubbard, Steve Anning and their young, 15-year-old star Daniel Hellier, with a stunning score of nett 61.3.
The double Steve team of Bond and Havercroft, together with the steady Richard Gibbons, were not far behind with 62.4 leaving third spot to Nigel Pritchard, Chris Glover and Simon Sweetland with a good nett 63.6.
On Saturday, Axe Cliff held its annual Captains’ Drive-in to welcome in the three new captains, Steve ‘Ronnie’ Reed (main club), Mick Swann (Seniors) and Jill Wellington (ladies).
With the prevailing gale force winds, the club did well to get the event off the ground and not lose any member over the cliff to the Jurassic coast!
Members were able to guess, with little stick markers, where each captain’s first drive on the first hole would finish. Steve, as usual, drove the 224 yard par four; Mick, as normal, was short of the bunker on the left; Jill could outdrive Mick, but not on this occasion, as as nerves probably got to her, but her drive was straighter.
All in all, it was a super day, wonderfully organised by Alan and Helen Kenworthy with help from our busy ladies’ section and wonderful bar and catering team and raised some £220 from raffle and markers.
There was a terrific turnout with teams of four on each hole, started by shotgun at 9.30am and played as a Texas Scramble with each team member having to take at least four drives in terms of the scoring. The winners, however, were a team of three with a gross par score of 70, which became a nett 63.1 after the deduction of 10 per cent of total handicaps, and that winning trio comprised of young Tristan Wakeley, Geoff Greenslade and old senior Robbie Robinson. A close second were Phil Hellier, the beast from the bar, Andy Gabb, our overworked greenkeeper, Dave Morgan, last year’s men’s captain and yours truly, Dave Bruce, last year’s seniors captain.
The runners-up also parred the course with a gross 70 with two bogeys, two birdies and 14 pars, leaving them with a nett 63.8.
The shot I will remember, apart from his consistent 300 yard drives, was Phil’s second to the 13th being a lob wedge of some 130 yards to within three foot of the pin!
Most of us would use a lob wedge for 30/40 yards shots! In third spot with only 63.9 came hot favourites Mike Cottam, that well-known builder Nigel Pritchard, Alex Taylor and senior Chris Walker, who putted well, I am sure.
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