From our correspondent:
Before any golf could be played at Badgemore medical matters had to be addressed. Sherry and Mike had tested positive for covid at a wedding party in Norfolk on Wednesday 24th and had returned immediately to Cookham Dean to isolate. Sherry was now negative, but Mike was still positive and contemplating scratching from golf. John S (and Katie) had contracted covid on his cruise and scratched, leaving, at that time Robert M and Peter R
After consultation with web sites and medical family members, Robert and Peter said they would chance it and then Stuart joined the party. The draw for Bashcoins paired Mike and Stuart and we teed off on a sunny and windy day on a relatively green but fast running Badgemore
Robert was fast out of the blocks, hitting the first two greens in regulation and was one shot up after two holes. Sadly, Badgemore’s plentiful out of bounds areas dealt with his third drive and resulted in a 9 shot hole! Plainly he who stayed on the course would win the day
At the turn Mike and Stuart had managed to do just that with 46 shots each, with Peter on 51 and Robert 53. Mike had managed his score despite visiting bunkers on several of the holes
The fourth was our first attempt at a nearest the pin hole, though we also agreed to carry it forward in the unlikely event that no one made it. The eighth passed equally untroubled and so we reached the 11th and the longest drive. Stuart was not only the sole person to hit the fairway, he drove it 250 yards and then parred the hole- ominous! To add insult to injury he proved to be the nearest the pin in 2 of the four balls on the 12th green
Mike and Peter then took it in turns to self destruct, the former smacking his drive on the 16th into a tree on the left side of the fairway and watching it fly over the hedge, followed predictably by a slice with the next one, which went out of bounds on the right. He escaped with an eight. Peter having hit a perfect drive on the 18th, was left perhaps 60 yards to a green protected by a new lake- what could possibly go wrong? After two visits to the water, Peter also escaped with an eight
The final scores were Stuart-88 -20 =68, Mike-93-21=72, Peter 101-23=78, Robert 110-22=88.
Mike did manage to get nearest the pin on the 17th but all-in-all a commanding performance from Stuart
