Winner Howard Browne (right)
The CGS 3rd major has come and gone already, the season is well underway….

Members and guests once again came out in good quantity with 33 golfers attending the most recent Major at Swindon Golf Club. The venue is a favourite amongst the CGS members and one described as “A proper golf course”. It’s a venue with tight fairways and where the big guns can’t just blast through it.

Unfortunately for Swindon the greens have attracted some sort of disease which as damaged several of the greens creating a resemblance to the lunar surface. This is most unfortunate as the greens at Swindon have been some of the best we’ve played in recent years. We truly hope they can get the problem under control and bring them back to the quality we know they can be.

In spite of the bumps and lumps on the greens there’s always one who manages to play well and post a good score and on this occasion that trend continues. The winning score was 42 points on a day when the nearest to that mark was 33, and with a standard scratch of 32 points it was a convincing win for Howard Browne who has recently joined the CGS and in only his second event as destroyed the field. Having played the course a week prior the homework paid dividends. It’s well done and welcome to the CGS Howard!

In the runner up spot and on countback was chairman Junior Harris who arrived to the event having just returned from Gatwick airport after taking part in the Sir Garfield Sobers Celebration of Golf held in Barbados in which he won first prize in the Supper Seniors Category. The 3rd place prize went to another new member to the CGS James Sanderford who played some very good golf and pretty much could have played the course just with irons alone showing the strength of the man.

The usual on course prizes were yet again on offer and there was a familiar face picking up a prize – Ian Higgins, no guesses as to what prize he took. The man’s loft must be full of these trophies, maybe some balls next time, what do you think?

There were two new winners on the nearest the pin prizes. After several years absence and returning in 2015 was Winston White who as he put it whilst collecting his nearest the pin prize “from chair to trophy”, those who’ve been at a CGS event will understand what he means. It was on the 17th hole where Winston playing in the final group stuck his tee shot to eight inches.

Playing in the second group out was Tony Sealey who struck his tee shot on the 17th tee but was more worried about it going into a fairway bunker yet again rather than having a shot to the green. His second to the green was the longest shot of all those in his group and it was to be the closest to the pin, 15 feet was the best in his group and best of the day.

It was another successful day and a good turnout, so far this year the CGS are averaging mid-thirties in attendance and also an increase in numbers joining the society. Amongst those attending the Swindon event were guests Dale Bromfield and Emrys Karemo with Dale already signed up for membership.

Thanks’ to Swindon Golf Club for their hospitality and we hope that you can repair those troubled greens.

Next event will be at Brandon Wood GC in Coventry, a first appearance at this venue for the CGS.