Thought I might add a lighter moment to the trials and tribulations of the Stock Market in general and have arranged a Golf Challenge, fully supported by Money AM to be held in the heart of the Midlands at Leicestershire's renown golf club at Longcliffe.

Date: Monday 27th June

Practise round tee off 9.30am
Lunch 1.45pm (Sandwichs and soup or chips (cost 4 included in the entrance fee)
Competition round, tee off 2.30pm
Dinner & Prize Giving 7.30pm


PRIZES:

All entrants will get 3 months worth of Shares Magazine sent to their home every week.

Winner will get the MoneyAM Annual Golf Challenge Cup to keep for one year plus 1 years worth of MoneyAM Level 2 service worth 550+.

Second and Third will get a medal to keep, plus 6 months level 2 worth 225+.

Additionally, closest to the pin and longest drive.


Longcliffe Golf Club
Snell's Nook Lane,
Nanpantan,
Loughborough, LE11 3YA

http://www.longcliffegolf.co.uk/the_course.htm

The big day is now but tomorrow. Here is the starting line up:

Morning: Tee off 9.30

Team 1

PTH
Tallsiii
Paul Jacobs

Team 2

Ken Kennison
Paul 1812
Predateur
MG

Team 3

Stuart Lane
Eric Robson
Markus
Canary 9

(Eric will be a wild card for Team 1)

Format will be, maximum handicap of 24 for each player, stableford, best two scores for each hole to count. Thought about the 'orange ball' idea, which we can discuss tomorrow morning, but personally, would rather keep it simple.

Afternoon: Tee off 2.30

Group 1

PJ
Stuart Lane
Predateur

Group 2

Eric Robson
Paul 1812
Tallsiii

Group 3

Bob Colby
MG
Canary 9

Group 4

PTH
Markus
Ken Kennison

Format: Maximum Handicap 24, Stableford. Nearest the pin, holes 5 & 15, longest drive, hole 17. As stated previoulsy there will be a 5 fee to enter the nearest pin and longest drives to purchase some balls, plus a few bottles of wine donated by moi and Eric.

Remember to bring jacket and tie for the evening. If wearing tailored shorts, white socks must be worn.

Also no headbutting, gouging or biting and may the best man (me!) win.

Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow. I will be at the clubhouse by about 0815, so suggest everyone else gets there not long after so we can have a chat over a cup of coffee. Eric, will find out today if any food will be available on arrival.

wilbs,

I will put you in touch with Sky sports to see if they have any vacancies :)

Ian

wilbs

hope you didn't take my comment the wrong way. It was very funny, but don't think you'll get a job at Sky, but maybe at CBeebies!!

pth

Thanks Ian but they wouldn't be able to afford me.

(pth, have you got CBeebies number?)

wilbs

OK, guys, Markusantonius would just like to thank our VERY GENEROUS sponsors, MONEY-AM. I will probably take a more thoughtful look at my Prize next week sometime and see what this Level 2 lark is all about.

My brief appraisal of Yesterday.....

Highly professional job by our popular host, (PTH) which, to be fair to Peter himself, probably cost him some form in the afternoon with the huge burden of responsibility of organising the Event. No small fete and a very long day in the end. Well done, mate.

Eric, it was an absolute privilege to meet you, sir. A true gentleman with age-defying stamina to be able to sustain 36 holes of competitive golf in a blistering heatwave to such a high standard. The Shark has no qualms whatsoever about coming 2nd. to such a worthy Champion. The unique Sam Snead style putting stroke was as remarkable as your total abstinance towards cursing or swearing (something which soon changed when MA and PTH paired up for the afternoon sesh!!). A joy from start to finish, Eric, and I mean this sincerely.

Similar sentiments to the rest of you guys, as well: a rare day's Ents indeed to mix it with like minded people with great banter.... and after 12+ hours of your company, it was like we'd all known each other for several years.

Twas an added bonus for me to win the Morning Round's Team Event with Eric and Rod (Canary9) - well played, chaps! Especial thanks to: PTH, Paul1812 and (Canary9) for the side bets en route which made it a highly proitable day for Markusantonius. I think this is one reason why PTH failed to allow my 4-foot tee shot on the Nearest-The-Pin from the morning round to count! At the same stage in the Main (p.m.) Event I was still festering on 9 dropped shots, incl. 2 "well dodgy" lost balls over the first 5 holes!

Just missed out on the longest drive by a few paces after a soft bounce and even +1 gross for the closing 6 holes still wasn't good enough to be beat Eric-The-Endurer. C'est la vie.

HOWEVER........ Just one final thought: If we'd had stuck with the original demographic vote of 3/4 handicaps, then the eventual Champion and R/Up would have exchanged places!! ((Whoops!! Forgive me, chaps!!)) :o) :o)

**** WELL DONE, EWR!!! ****

Message for Bob Colby.....

Hi, Bob. Just received your email via the Messaging Service. Unfortunately your settings are such that I cannot reply via same? So herewith my reply: Twas all said tongue-in-cheek (well, partly!!) re: 3/4 c.t. full handicaps, of course.

You are quite right re: 7/8 - Eric wins by uno poix. However 3/4 means that Markusantonius wins by the same margin! But POINT(S) taken [excuse the pun!]. 100% it was which === Eric is KING for 2005.

marcus

Eric won because he was the best golfer on the day with the stamina to match. The only gripe you can have is whether Eric was on drugs!! I wish I was I may have played a lot better. There is always next year over 27 holes.

Next year will be a lot harder with all the new entries after they read all about the fun we all had. Don't give too much away. All those budding Tiger Woods or M Wie come and join us next year, marcus should be off 15 by then.

Have a good day

Paul

p.s. Marcus it was a pleasure to meet you and the other guys and of course Peggy.

Same to you, Paul. See you in '06.

PS. Where's Canary9? I owe you a beer, Rod!

marcus - why the reticence? host and organiser for next year! reckon I have a better chance of retaining the trophy if I nobble number 2! Mind, I suspect Paul has hit nail on proverbial head; suspect handicap management prior to next event!

Still living in this rosy aura of beneficence; the sun is still shining - mind, came out of Billy Elliott last night to thunder overhead. Reckon if I have the trophy put into our golf club trophy cabinet it will extend the aura if not the period of awe.

But the main thing was that it was a really super day. Need lady competitors next year, please - maximum handicap 30 mind. Mary is becoming an absolute bandit and is in the quarter finals of the Kent senior ladies foursomes cup, playing off 36. I am not allowing her to get her handicap cut as we are playing in mixed matches together!

Thanks again to pth and MoneyAM. Excellent day on an excellent course with excellent company - nirvana!

Eric

Fair play, Eric, and long may you milk your glory, sir - thoroughly deserved.

Forgive me guys but have to report that our Money-AM host (PTH) took me on again this time at my pad this morning. Have to report Peter's wiltering in the mid-Summer sun to a sustained Shark Attack.... With a 7 handicap allowance on our Medal, PTH was 13 strokes up (incl. h'cap) with 11 holes remaining playing some Tiger-like golf until a Shark Attack ensued.... Moi took the money and cleaned up on nearest-the-pins and - wait for it - longest drive - to win by 4 clear shots, in the end!!!! Sorry, Pete, but I'm sure the guys would like an update on recent form, mate.

Predateur, You missed a good day's entertainment, sir!

BTW Canary9 - not heard from you since, Dr. Rod? Everything OK in the land of the canary?

Guys

Markus is dying for me to say something about our round yesterday.

Whooped the boys ass for about 8 holes, although spent more time talking about shares than playing. Give Mark his due, came back very well on the back 9 and it's difficult to keep up when your opponent is practically playing scratch golf. Didn't help my cause with a 10 on one hole, and was still in there until a stupid 7 on the 17th. My time will come again.

pth

Sorry Mark, been on golfing holiday and seemed to have played almost every day since our momentous event at Longcliffe. This retirement lark is more tiring than working for a living. I'm absolutely exhausted and had to refuse 3 games this week. Now the missus has got me decorating. I think I'll stick to the golf! Eric's stamina was amazing. I need some of what he is on!
Cheers,

Markus sorry could not make your kind invitation. Nursemaiding she who must be obeyed at the moment so golfing curtailed.
Starting to receive some grief and verbal GBH which is encouraging sign of recovery.
Week commencing 25th July looking OK. Any ideas. Welcome at Edgbaston.
Predateur

If you need a fourth I might be able to make it ;)

Mark

Maybe we should arrange a four ball somewhere?

pth

Agreed, PTH. Shall we take on Predateur and MG at Edgbaston (presuming that's OK with Predateur?)? Alternatively we could do 4 rounds (indiv. Stab.): 1 on each of our 4 respective courses? Whatever, golf is golf is golf!!! So let's just do it, guys!

Envy! envy! Stuck far away. Wot! only one round; should be 36 holes each time. Had a pth type of collapse today at Hemsted Forest. Won 3 in a row to go go 3 up after 10 - then lost 5 in a row despite driving really well; can't remember so many bad bounces; almost like St Andrews. What am I on to explain the amazing stamina? - eat well, drink well and play plenty of golf (plus of course gardening and other tasks allocated by she....)! Also admit to being into phyto-biophysics (herbal remedies) with emphasis on keeping the body in balance. Hmmm.. quite like this towering reputation for stamina. But, no marcus, it wasn't my 80th we were celebrating last week.

Eric

Roll on the 2006 Event.....

So 6 months has passed...

Based on the success of last year's Event at Longcliffe G.C., a few of you have asked me to take over the reigns from PTH and organise another G0LF DAY based in the Midlands. This is fair-EST to the majority coming from all over the UK! From initial feedback (reflecting on 2005 where we had 12 players of which 11 played both rounds = extremely knackering on a mid-Summer's day!), I think the popular view for a 2006 Event is, as follows: -

1. Tea/Coffee on arrival.
2. 9 Holes (Fun /Team Comp. + spot Hole prizes).
3. Sandwiches/Lunch.
4. 18 Holes (Main Competition) INDIVIDUAL STABLEFORD with Main Prizes.
5. 3-Course Evening Dinner (full waitress service), incl. coffee & mints + Prize Presentation/Mic. Table.

Please see separate thread for 2006 EVENT, i.e. " G0LF " - trying to differentiate. Thanks.

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