Captain’s Day got underway in style at 9am sharp as Paul Weston stepped onto the terrace to play his ceremonial drive-in shot, facing what could only be described as a six-club wind. It set the tone for the day ahead. Eighty-eight members then took to The Mill & The Garden from 10am in a shotgun start.
Paul’s career in the toy industry provided the inspiration for the day’s theming, with iconic characters lining the course as tee markers. Stormtroopers, Darth Vader, Barbie, Disney Princesses and Mr Potato Head were among those on duty, giving the day a wonderfully playful atmosphere that members embraced throughout.
It was a closely fought competition with no fewer than four groups finishing on 54 points, making the winning score of 56 by Mike Christieson, Martin Collins, Matthew Nunn and Brad Koen all the more impressive. Their total gave them a comfortable margin at the top and a deserved victory on a breezy day with gusts throughout.
Ian West, Daniel Palmer, Mark Bissix and Andrew Bacon claimed second place on countback from the group of 54-point teams, with Paul Weston, Hugh Keeble, Chris Ciauri and Jonathan Carter-Meggs taking third, also on countback. The Captain’s own team put in a fine performance to finish on the podium.
Ross Mair, Matthew Pinnock, Julia Choudhury and Fran Thomas, alongside Robin Choudhury, Aadesh Pokharel, Dean Sayers and David Barry, completed the top five, both groups also finishing on 54 points.
A special shout out to the group of Alistair Brown, Nicholas Squire, Mark Smith and Ashwani Mathur, who produced arguably the most eye-catching scoring feat of the day. The four combined for 9 gross birdies across their round, a remarkable return on a breezy day that was testing even the best ball-strikers in the field. A performance very much worthy of recognition.
Following the golf, members sat down to a lunch designed to take them straight back to their childhoods, with Burger King inspired burgers and KFC fried chicken on the menu. A fitting end to a day that had fun woven into every corner of it.
Scalextric Fastest Lap Challenge
At the turn, members were treated to tuck shop refreshments on the Pro Shop lawn alongside a Scalextric Fastest Lap Challenge, very much in keeping with the day’s toy-themed spirit. Pasi Siitonen took the honours with a time of 2.93 seconds, edging out Mark Smith (2.97 seconds) and Chris Merry (3.09 seconds) in what was clearly a fiercely contested affair.
Nearest the Pin
The Mill, 5th: Alistair Brown, 115cm
The Garden, 3rd: Tim Green, 317cm
Despite the breezy conditions, Captain’s Day was a memorable occasion. Join us in wishing Paul Weston all the best on his captaincy and a thanks to all who made the day such a success.