MikeO Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 Just a bit of golfing trivia. Brian Barnes married the daughter of Max Faulkner, (playboy golf professional before the war). Max Faulkner was assistant pro at my golf club - Sonning in his early years and rumour has it that there are lots of local lads and lasses in their 70's/80's who bear a striking resemblence. A bit like Del and Rodney's visit to France when they saw multiple Uncle Alberts! Sure its all just rumour though! Max was in some way involved with Shillinglee Park golf club near Chiddingfold in Surrey where my dad played, used to walk round with him and his mates until I was big enough to join in. Not sure whether he owned it or designed it or was associate pro or whatever but there was definitely a connection to him. Sadly been closed down since 2003, had many happy times there; neither of my brothers were bothered by golf so it was just me and dad . http://www.ukgolfguide.com/shillinglee-park-golf-club Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnh Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 I gave up golf last year after 40 years of playing. One of my worst memories was in the late 1970's when I played at my old club in Spalding, Lincs. I had been on holiday so hadn't played golf for a couple of weeks. We got back home on the Sunday afternoon and I decided to go up to the club to hit a few balls on the practice ground. When I got there the club secretary came over and asked me if I would make up the final three ball in the medal as someone had cried off and they wouldn't allow just a two ball. I was very reluctant as it was a chilly, dull, miserable late afternoon but in the end I relented. I had hit a few balls on the practice ground and hit them sweetly, so I fancied my chances. The first hole is a par 5 and I walked off with a par. The second hole is a par 4 and you drive off, at an angle, over the river Glen. If you hit straight the carry is about 160 yards. I hit a really good drive but pulled it slightly. It hit the top of the river bank at about 200 yards and kicked left into the river. I re-loaded and hit the identical shot. Re-loaded again and this time hit it even further into the river. I then hit a five iron from the tee to keep in play and ended up with a 13. I walked off the second tee knowing that my round was screwed but had to play the whole 18 holes as I was marking a card. What made it worse was that I had told the wife I would only be about an hour and I was away for 5 hours! MikeO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnh Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 Max was in some way involved with Shillinglee Park golf club near Chiddingfold in Surrey where my dad played, used to walk round with him and his mates until I was big enough to join in. Not sure whether he owned it or designed it or was associate pro or whatever but there was definitely a connection to him. Sadly been closed down since 2003, had many happy times there; neither of my brothers were bothered by golf so it was just me and dad . http://www.ukgolfguide.com/shillinglee-park-golf-club Just checked, Shillinglee was designed by Roger Mace in 1980. I have played golf with Roger Mace. He used to organise corporate days for various companies and I played with him in one organised for SAAB at Moor Park. Can't find anything re Max Faulkner connection unless he was involved in ownership. When I worked I was fortunate to get some good corporate golf invitations. I used to get about 20 per year. I picked the best 10 and took 5 'in the course of duty' and allocated a week of my holidays to another 5. In my last year, before I retired, I took all 20! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeO Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 Just checked, Shillinglee was designed by Roger Mace in 1980. I have played golf with Roger Mace. He used to organise corporate days for various companies and I played with him in one organised for SAAB at Moor Park. Can't find anything re Max Faulkner connection unless he was involved in ownership. When I worked I was fortunate to get some good corporate golf invitations. I used to get about 20 per year. I picked the best 10 and took 5 'in the course of duty' and allocated a week of my holidays to another 5. In my last year, before I retired, I took all 20! It must've been redesigned John because we were playing there long before 1980 and actually in all likelihood never played there after '80, strange because I found the same information. Puzzling :dont know:. The Manor House in our time was completely derelict with trees growing inside it, pleased to read it's been renovated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c1982 Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 Re. Bent... Local rumours are that Bent has had John Terry esq. relations with a teammates mrs! May I emphasise the word RUMOURS!!! When I opened this topic it took me straight to this post. Anyway, Bent now fathers Ridgeway's kids so the rumour may have been true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hafnia Posted April 9, 2016 Report Share Posted April 9, 2016 Cheeky each way bet on unioniste.... likes the mud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeO Posted April 9, 2016 Report Share Posted April 9, 2016 Used to enjoy the National but not watched it for years. Too many horses being killed to fuel the gambling industry, which is the primary reason horse racing exists. How many other "sports" give the odds on the results page? Don't like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markjazzbassist Posted April 9, 2016 Report Share Posted April 9, 2016 http://soccer.nbcsports.com/2016/04/09/swansea-city-close-to-announcing-american-takeover/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeO Posted April 9, 2016 Report Share Posted April 9, 2016 From a UK perspective watch out for Danny Willet, I think he is a potential name for a major. Looking like a decent call that, having a great Masters and well in contention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeO Posted April 9, 2016 Report Share Posted April 9, 2016 Looking like a decent call that, having a great Masters and well in contention. Put the curse on him, ball into the water on the 15th . Damn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hafnia Posted April 10, 2016 Report Share Posted April 10, 2016 Put the curse on him, ball into the water on the 15th . Damn. He's good friends with a tour player at our club - Paul waring. This lad has the potential to win on the tour, he's been unlucky with injuries. Willet has had 2 really good years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hafnia Posted April 10, 2016 Report Share Posted April 10, 2016 Looks like my prediction from 2015 has come in. you could get daft tournament odds back then. He's earned me enough for a golf lesson... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeO Posted April 10, 2016 Report Share Posted April 10, 2016 Looks like my prediction from 2015 has come in. you could get daft tournament odds back then. He's earned me enough for a golf lesson... Delighted, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hafnia Posted April 10, 2016 Report Share Posted April 10, 2016 Delighted, Great story. He has worked hard for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted April 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 (edited) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98xPlrGfkco Edited April 11, 2016 by Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeO Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98xPlrGfkco Brilliant that, shame he didn't knock the other one in as well (don't know whether that would have counted though or whether it'd have to have been replaced; Haf/John?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hafnia Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 Brilliant that, shame he didn't knock the other one in as well (don't know whether that would have counted though or whether it'd have to have been replaced; Haf/John?) the ball that had stopped on the green prior to the next shot gets put back to where it was - 2 stroke penalty otherwise. The second ball as we seen stays where is stops. Matt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeO Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 the ball that had stopped on the green prior to the next shot gets put back to where it was - 2 stroke penalty otherwise. The second ball as we seen stays where is stops. Suspected that, thanks for clarifying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hafnia Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 Suspected that, thanks for clarifying. I had something that was freakish happen - I thinned a wedge from 120 yards that was travelling about 3 foot high as it flew through the green - hit the middle of the flag 1 metre up at speed and dropped right into the hole. If it never hit the flag it was going out of bounds. Its on the hole that I got my only eagle 315 yard par 4, drove it to 3 foot past the pin not far ofdf being a hole in one on a par 4... now that's something to cherish, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeO Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 I had something that was freakish happen - I thinned a wedge from 120 yards that was travelling about 3 foot high as it flew through the green - hit the middle of the flag 1 metre up at speed and dropped right into the hole. If it never hit the flag it was going out of bounds. Its on the hole that I got my only eagle 315 yard par 4, drove it to 3 foot past the pin not far ofdf being a hole in one on a par 4... now that's something to cherish, Would've been special, never got an eagle anywhere sadly, the Golfing Gods always allow you something special from time to time or we'd all give it up . Remember having a fifty/sixty foot putt on the 18th somewhere in Somerset, don't remember the course. There was a big group of people, twenty odd, walking behind the green who'd all stopped so as not to distract me and they were all watching; undulating green and I was never a great putter so I'd have been happy to get it within ten feet but I holed it, perfect weight. They all applauded and I felt like I'd won the Open . Tried to appear nonchalant as I walked up to retrieve the ball as if it happened all the time . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnh Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 In contrast, I was once playing a short par 4, about 340 yards. I hit a good drive and was last to play in the three ball. One guy hit a good shot to about 15 feet short of the pin. The other guy missed the green on the right. I hit a cracking nine iron which I could see was going to pitch just short of the pin and run up for a good birdie chance. It did pitch short of the pin, it landed on top of the ball already there. It knocked the other guy's ball to within 6 inches of the pin and my ball rocketed of the green and into a greenside bunker. Not only that but it finished in the heel mark of an unraked footprint. It took me two to get out and then three putted, so instead of a birdie I carded a seven. The only consolatiion I had was that the guy whose ball was knocked up to the pin thought the rule was that he played it from there. I know I shouldn't have but I got great pleasure in telling him he had to replace it 15 feet away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hafnia Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 Would've been special, never got an eagle anywhere sadly, the Golfing Gods always allow you something special from time to time or we'd all give it up . Remember having a fifty/sixty foot putt on the 18th somewhere in Somerset, don't remember the course. There was a big group of people, twenty odd, walking behind the green who'd all stopped so as not to distract me and they were all watching; undulating green and I was never a great putter so I'd have been happy to get it within ten feet but I holed it, perfect weight. They all applauded and I felt like I'd won the Open . Tried to appear nonchalant as I walked up to retrieve the ball as if it happened all the time . That's some putt. Rarely happens to me as I have very heavy hands and can't putt for Toffee. Lipped out for an eagle on Saturday near 500 yard par 5, good drive a hit a pure 4 iron 215 yards to 10ft of pin. Nudged in for birdie which felt like a bogie. It is moments like that that keep you coming back for more. It's amazing watching the juniors now. The lessons are far more accessible to what I could have. Golf in the 80's and early 90's was far too expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeO Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 Might have told this story before but I've done a search and can't find it so... Funniest thing I've seen on a golf course (about thirty+ years ago). Me and one mate played relatively seriously but every so often a few other lads would come with us to Hoebridge in Send, Surrey on a Sunday afternoon (after the pub) where there was a par three course and they'd hire clubs and we'd have a bit of a laugh; it's a public course but was, probably still is, a very nice one. Mostly a fairly easy course if you're competent but there's one really tricky hole, steeply downhill and left to right about 150yds with a plateau green that the slope continues after. The only way you could potentially play the ball short and roll the ball onto the very small green is protected by a huge bunker (depending on where the pin was I often put the ball in the bunker on purpose because is was usually a safe three). Now my brother was a pretty awful player at the best of times but he took a big swing on the tee, virtual air shot and the ball moved about an inch to the right. He uttered an expletive and demanded he be allowed to start again which we all of course refused, lost his rag and swang at the ball blindly barely looking at it and not taking a stance......caught it perfectly and it flew in a perfect arc and settled literally overhanging the hole. All just collapsed laughing. And he still only got a par; mind you that was a blinding score for him . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeO Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 Brilliant this... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/36017097 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hafnia Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 Brilliant this... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/36017097 Quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnh Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 My most frightening moment in golf came at the 'pro-am' of the World Match Play at Wentworth. I had been invited by Toyota when they sponsored it. It was 'Texas scramble' - shotgun start. We started on the third hole so when we got to the first it was about lunch-time. There were about 300 people packed around the first tee. Everyone's name was announced by the starter with his mic. Walking across the tee, putting the tee peg in was bad enough but setting up to drive off, with 300 pairs of eyes on you and worst of all 'total silence'. I felt like shouting out ' talk amongst yourselves'. Fortunately, I managed to get my drive in the fairway. Had a similar experience when I played with Laura Davies in the pro am of the Fords Ladies Open at Woburn. Though Laura helped out by taking an 11 at the first which she thought was hilarious. Diamond lady Laura. MikeO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hafnia Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 My most frightening moment in golf came at the 'pro-am' of the World Match Play at Wentworth. I had been invited by Toyota when they sponsored it. It was 'Texas scramble' - shotgun start. We started on the third hole so when we got to the first it was about lunch-time. There were about 300 people packed around the first tee. Everyone's name was announced by the starter with his mic. Walking across the tee, putting the tee peg in was bad enough but setting up to drive off, with 300 pairs of eyes on you and worst of all 'total silence'. I felt like shouting out ' talk amongst yourselves'. Fortunately, I managed to get my drive in the fairway. Had a similar experience when I played with Laura Davies in the pro am of the Fords Ladies Open at Woburn. Though Laura helped out by taking an 11 at the first which she thought was hilarious. Diamond lady Laura. Blimey John you have some great stories! Laura Davies eh, hit it further than some men. I played at royal liverpool at a school boy event. 50 odd lads all watching me tee off and I duffed it 20 yards up the first... cue giggles and sniggers from a load of cruel lads. Many of which were all privileged Caldy brats who had all the gear and no manners. Launched my second and that was a big learning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted April 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 My only great golfing moment was hitting a driver (who'd I can't hit for the life of me) after 2 "practice swings" and landed it 6 inches from the hole on a par 3. My grandfather in law and father in law were slack jawed! Apparently no one had ever got a hole in one on that hole and apparently I had come closest in the 20 years my grandfather in law had ever seen. They treated it as a hole in one, but because it wasn't really, everyone got me the drinks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeO Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 My only great golfing moment was hitting a driver (who'd I can't hit for the life of me) after 2 "practice swings" and landed it 6 inches from the hole on a par 3. My grandfather in law and father in law were slack jawed! Apparently no one had ever got a hole in one on that hole and apparently I had come closest in the 20 years my grandfather in law had ever seen. They treated it as a hole in one, but because it wasn't really, everyone got me the drinks Can count the decent shots I played with a driver (in my life) on the fingers of one hand, and have one or two to spare. Me and woods never got on, apart from an almost antique three and a half wood my dad had, could connect with that on occasion. Always had fallback clubs that I could rely on; even if I was on the tee of a par five I'd play my four iron if I was playing badly because I knew nine times out of ten I'd hit it the thick end of 200 yards in a straight line and hopefully get back on track. Ancient hickory shafted seven iron was my favourite club ever, never let me down. All this talk has made me wish I could play again, but it ain't going to happen due to my right shoulder being damaged by surgery, just don't have the movement . markjazzbassist 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnh Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 (edited) Blimey John you have some great stories! Laura Davies eh, hit it further than some men. I played at royal liverpool at a school boy event. 50 odd lads all watching me tee off and I duffed it 20 yards up the first... cue giggles and sniggers from a load of cruel lads. Many of which were all privileged Caldy brats who had all the gear and no manners. Launched my second and that was a big learning. When I played with Laura Davies at Woburn we played the Duchess's course which is slightly shorter than the Duke's but a lot tighter. Laura hit an iron for every tee shot but when we reached the hole where the men had the 'longest drive' competition she took driver and was 60 yards past where the mens' 'best' marker was. Just making a point! Edited April 11, 2016 by johnh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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