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.

Just woken up after 11 hours' kip, absolutely knackered. But now what do I do with this "Level 2" stuff? Sounds like a 'La Femme Nikita' job status to me!

I'd just like to say thanks again to peter for organising a great day out!! well done. All i can say is god help turnberry tomorrow and i'm glad i won those 9 titelists that may save me a few quid on one of the rounds.

I'm emailing a few pics over to JT to post up at some point today.

Thanks again all.

PJ

P.s Those greens were top notch

Here is a picture of the Golf Day winner and runners up - from left to right is Markusantonious (2nd) EWRobson (1st) and Predateur (3rd)







From what I have have heard everyone had a great day and congratulations to the winner, and all who took part.

spit it out Bob!!

Excellent day out guys. Everything went very well except my golf.

I had the distinction of playing with Eric and MG. The top scorer, longest driver and most distinguished looking golfer in our three ball.

Well done PTH and MoneyAM

Bob

Well done to pth and Moneyam for a great day. Weather, course, organisation, prizes, food, company and the beer was perfect. My game was crap.

Well done to the prize winners and roll on next year.

Paul

A superb day.

Congratulations to Peter for the idea and his organisation.

Deserved thanks to Money AM for their generous prizes.

To those who took part, delighted to be in your company.

To those who considered entering and did not, you missed a wonderful days golf at a tough, but beautiful course. Should it be arranged next year do not miss it. Close down the market, invent a grandmother's funeral, anything, just make it.

Predateur

Finding it hard to put the H in IMHO! As you see, markus was unable to keep his eyes open - it was those penalty shots wot did it as pth charged him a shot each time he went to sleep whilst lining up!

pth: a great day with excellent organisation. The course was ferocious but in superb condition. The meal was excellent. The management of the weather was amazing as it could not have been better. As probably the most senior competitor, coped amazingly with the 36 holes; suspect the fact that I was tired stopped me trying to hit the ball as hard as normal with the result that it flew with birdie like precision. Amazed that anyone managed to hit the 15th, never mind the 6th - Bobcolby deserves a mention for being 3rd nearest the pin - I was well and truly lost with provisional in the bunker.

Hard to remember a better golfing day out. Thanks too to AM for your support and quality of prizes - hope it doesn't make me a 'pro'! Yesterday went downhill with a WIN seminar but then rose to another peak with a family visit to Billy Elliot; superb.

So thanks again to Peter - Longcliffe was ideal but its only fair to spread the load out. Tenterden is OTBT so what about it Markus? East Midlands is probably the easiest for access.

Eric

EWR: Many thanks for the email. I have asked Ian to liase with you.

regards


Mike

What about a prize for the running commentry?

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.