Captain's Blog
April 2025
Picture the scene - the departure lounge of Paphos airport in Cyprus, March 21. My partner, Miranda, and I have just had a few days relaxing in some unseasonably warm (even for Cyprus) temperatures and fitting in some sightseeing while we were there.....no golfers at all, and not much golfing talk either. As we approach the departure gate I think I hear a voice say something like "isn't that Denis?" Dismissing it as a coincidental 'mishear', we walk past a group of what could loosely be described as gentlemen, only to discover that said group is in fact a bunch of golfers - mostly (perhaps all) from Highwoods(!) - who have just topped up in duty free after completing a few days of golf in the area. My brain had trouble computing this coincidence of course but the surprise was soon overtaken by the pleasure of running into such a jolly group of people. Fortunately they were well behaved (probably exhausted) on board the Easyjet flight back to Gatwick and the greater disturbance came from just behind our seats where there seemed to be a complete creche of disgruntled toddlers who succeeded in making far more noise than our sleepy golfers did. Still, that's all in the past now and our golf season back here at Highwoods is gearing up nicely.
The St Patrick's Scramble was a great day. Lots of good nett scores, as always with a scramble, and the joy of seeing 90 year old Gwen Mulley win a 4-ball voucher with her team of bandidos was palpable in the lounge as she came up to collect the prize. Well done to all - we also raised quite a bit for our charity, so many thanks to all concerned. Quite a few people have asked whether we can have more of these, so it's certainly under consideration. Mention of the charity reminds me to remind you that the greenside bunker on the 18th is now the captains' bunker and you'll be unsurprised to hear that it's already cost me a couple of pounds (see attached picture). The bottle for your pound coins is in the spike bar - and don't forget that if you get a birdie or better in any competition that will also cost you a pound but with the extra bonus that putting your name in the birdie book means it goes into a draw for a special prize in the Autumn. If you do not have cash handy the £1 can be taken off your bar card at the till, all for a great cause.
The first seniors match, at Royal Eastbourne, was a reminder that home advantage can't be overlooked. We were full of hope as we arrived - all rosy-cheeked and chirpy - for our coffee. The team looked pretty strong to me but after 4 hours or so of effort we had been put firmly in our place to the tune of 5-1. There's always the return match in August to look forward to. Andrew, our new manager, and I have arranged several matches against members so that he can get to know a few more people (and, of course, get a chance to play the course). The first of these challenge matches resulted in a great match, won by Perry Attwood and Ronni Shrevel by 3 & 1. Perry and I certainly enjoyed the chance to play with two such capable golfers as Andrew and newish member Ronni, who arrived from Cooden Beach recently. We do have some very good golfers in our club - most encouraging.
You missed a real treat if you weren't one of the enthusiastic performers (ie Mark "The Hat" Watson) or audience (ie me) at our Karaoke night. I'd never been to a Karaoke evening before so I had no real idea what to expect. It sounded as though it would be a chance for slightly merry people to get up and sing their favourite song - and that's exactly what it was! Never mind about Britain's Got Talent - Simon Cowell would be green with envy at our amazing singers! Some of the performances defied description, so I'll leave it there, having run out of suitable adjectives.
I don't know about you but I'll certainly be taking advantage of the special food offers this week during the Masters. The chance to watch the game as it should be played while enjoying the company of other enthusiasts - and all the while tucking in to some tasty grub - sounds too good to miss! Finally, please put a note in your diary for Monday May 5. It's a bank holiday and is the date of our main Captains' Charity day. There will plenty going on, including a hog-roast, and Trish and I would love to see you there!
Denis D
The St Patrick's Scramble was a great day. Lots of good nett scores, as always with a scramble, and the joy of seeing 90 year old Gwen Mulley win a 4-ball voucher with her team of bandidos was palpable in the lounge as she came up to collect the prize. Well done to all - we also raised quite a bit for our charity, so many thanks to all concerned. Quite a few people have asked whether we can have more of these, so it's certainly under consideration. Mention of the charity reminds me to remind you that the greenside bunker on the 18th is now the captains' bunker and you'll be unsurprised to hear that it's already cost me a couple of pounds (see attached picture). The bottle for your pound coins is in the spike bar - and don't forget that if you get a birdie or better in any competition that will also cost you a pound but with the extra bonus that putting your name in the birdie book means it goes into a draw for a special prize in the Autumn. If you do not have cash handy the £1 can be taken off your bar card at the till, all for a great cause.
The first seniors match, at Royal Eastbourne, was a reminder that home advantage can't be overlooked. We were full of hope as we arrived - all rosy-cheeked and chirpy - for our coffee. The team looked pretty strong to me but after 4 hours or so of effort we had been put firmly in our place to the tune of 5-1. There's always the return match in August to look forward to. Andrew, our new manager, and I have arranged several matches against members so that he can get to know a few more people (and, of course, get a chance to play the course). The first of these challenge matches resulted in a great match, won by Perry Attwood and Ronni Shrevel by 3 & 1. Perry and I certainly enjoyed the chance to play with two such capable golfers as Andrew and newish member Ronni, who arrived from Cooden Beach recently. We do have some very good golfers in our club - most encouraging.
You missed a real treat if you weren't one of the enthusiastic performers (ie Mark "The Hat" Watson) or audience (ie me) at our Karaoke night. I'd never been to a Karaoke evening before so I had no real idea what to expect. It sounded as though it would be a chance for slightly merry people to get up and sing their favourite song - and that's exactly what it was! Never mind about Britain's Got Talent - Simon Cowell would be green with envy at our amazing singers! Some of the performances defied description, so I'll leave it there, having run out of suitable adjectives.
I don't know about you but I'll certainly be taking advantage of the special food offers this week during the Masters. The chance to watch the game as it should be played while enjoying the company of other enthusiasts - and all the while tucking in to some tasty grub - sounds too good to miss! Finally, please put a note in your diary for Monday May 5. It's a bank holiday and is the date of our main Captains' Charity day. There will plenty going on, including a hog-roast, and Trish and I would love to see you there!
Denis D