The 15th edition of TML was a local affair for local people (if you lived in the South West, that is). We headed to north Devon to tackle the East Course at the lovely Saunton.

 

We stayed at the very stylish and retro Saunton Sands hotel that overlooks the entire length of the beach, adjacent to the two golf courses. A champagne reception on arrival was typical of the fantastic hospitality that was afforded us for the duration of our stay. We ate well, drank well and even enjoyed a couple of relaxing spa sessions. Some of our more intrepid members braved early morning swims in the sea and A.J. went surfing – is there no end to the man’s sporting prowess?

 

As for the golf, the wind blew on all three rounds but fortunately the sun also shone brightly. Scores in the practice round were relatively low and this trend continued during the first round on Thursday. After 18 holes only Barry and Beast had bettered the elements and achieved some kind of parity on the fiendishly difficult greens with scores of 31 and 30, respectively.

 

The final round was to prove equally difficult and only a few members managed to better their first round total. The final group consisted of Barry, Beast , Dazzler and Bryn. Barry got off to a very solid start that enabled him to fend off any serious challenge and by the time the main protagonists reached the 14th tee it was pretty much all over bar the shouting. Barry’s progress continued to be relatively serene and he never really looked in trouble from then on – a deserved second title for the smooth swinging fashionista.

 

Round of the day actually belonged to Ant who scored a highly creditable 32 points. Not only was this the best round of the tournament but it also featured 2 eagles! An incredible feat that netted 10 points in  just two holes. As a consequence, Ant won the inaugural TML Bowl, the brainchild of Woodsy and awarded to whoever posts the highest total score from a position outside of the top 6 after the first round. (Oh yes, Woodsy also beat Rolfey in the inaugural longest putt competition – much to everyone’s enjoyment, including some other visiting golfers.)

 

Scores:

1. Barry: 31,30: 61

2. Ant: 24,32: 56 (Bowl winner)

3. Bryn: 28,28: 56

4. Beast: 30,26: 56

5. Gaz: 26,29: 55

6. Dazzler: 28,27: 55

7. Andy: 23,29: 52

8. Rolfey: 26, 24: 50

9. Flex: 22,27: 49

10. Woodsy: 24,25: 49

11. Daver: 17,25: 42

12. Richie: 18,20: 38

13. AJ: 15,20: 25