formby
​golf club
SUNDAY 27TH MARCH 2016
FIRST TEE: 13:04PM
winner
steve bradshaw
Formby Golf Club is one of the finest golf courses in the North West, if not the U.K. Offering a tough test of golf with punishing gorse and a tight layout - it will challenge all levels of golfer.
However, on this day the task was multiplied by winds of 20mph with gusts up to 40mph and the odd passing shower. There were some great scores, but the day was won with a superb knock of 37 stableford points by the man who is starting to take the name 'Mr Consistent' within Bunkers. Solid from the tee, tidy from the fairways and solid on the greens [as always]. A great performance to take the victory in our opening event of 2016 for Steve Bradshaw. |
review of the day
The weather in the build up to our visit was unpredictable to say the least. ‘Storm Katie’ [love these new names] was on her way to the UK and we were told to expect gusts of up to 40-50mph on the day – which will make most courses unplayable. Knowing how tight and tricky Formby GC is, the committee weres worried that the day would be an expensive anti climax.
The first of our groups walked to the tee and the heavens opened – and I don’t just mean rain, it was coming in sideways and the gusts were blowing trolleys over and sending umbrellas hurtling. It wasn’t a great sign.
The sight of Allan Gannon trying to shelter himself from the elements with only a windbreaker top between him and the buckets full of rain will be a lasting image [for those who don't know Allan, he wears jumpers in the summer as he hates being anything other than toasty warm]
Despite this, the lads battled on and as the final group set off the weather calmed and the rain stopped and we were left with periods of sunny weather with the odd passing light shower but with a stern wind that provided the brief gusts and made each shot play at least 2 clubs longer when into the wind. Scoring was therefore going to be at a premium.
In reviewing the course, we need to bear in mind that it was still in its state of ‘winter hibernation’ and most of the bunkers were GUR and the greens were hollow tined and probably a few weeks behind their normal condition due to the horrendous winter we suffered here in the North West. Having played in its peak it was some distance away from what you would expect for your £150 ish in the summer – but we fully accept this is why we get the price we did and the reasons why.
However, the layout of the course and the beauty of it was still there in all its glory. The course has an almost 1990 Arsenal like defence with little room for error or movement. Go wayward and you find the long grass and gorse, go offline and you will be in the beautifully manicured pot bunkers [despite us getting relief from most of these on our visit] and if the weather isn’t still and calm – you should expect to find plenty of the above!
The first 4 or 5 holes gently introduce you to the course and break you in gently. You get a feel for the day’s wind conditions and how to approach the greens. From 6 through to about hole 15 the course is quite simply stunning – and has the best arrangement of holes that you will come across [probably tied with the back 9 of Hillside].
Group 1 - Steve Evans, Scott Seddon & Lee Bennett [Guest]
Scott was pleased with his score of 33 but disappointed as 3 of the last 4 holes he blobbed to throw away any chance of finishing in the prize places. If only he had stuck with his trusty 3wood he may have been challenging for 1st place - alas, it was not to be on this occasion. He was delighted with his chipping, which has come on leaps and bounds since the lesson at the Winter Warmer in early March. His driving - which was so solid in Wales [and extremely long] was left wanting at Formby and was wayward.
Ste Evans was mustard with his drives and really solid performance with great score of 35 points. He was "nip and tuck" with Scott all the way round until the 14th hole when Ste proved too consistent. Ste was solid in every part of his game and if it wasn't for some unexplainable turns in the greens on short putts I'm certain he would have won.
That said he did get out of Jail few times with GUR bunkers.
Lee was a pleasure to play with and its obvious why he is a 6 handicap. He has often been called a boring golfer due to every part of his game being almost in regulation. It was a pleasure to watch and more so a pleasure to play with.
A perfect guest to Bunkers and he brought the added bonus of great knowledgable of Formby from previous visits. Lee was painfully straight off the tee and with his irons, the only aspect of Lee's game that wasn't bang on song was his chipping otherwise he would have been a serious contender.
Group 2 - Ste Holmes, Pete Bilson and Dan Alexander
Playing of 3/4 handicap along with the wind and rain, Peter found the front 9 challenging and not great scoring in the tough conditions. ' Have you ever walked off playing one of these events' Peter asked. Once the feeling came back to his hands Peter started to play steady and a respectable back 9 followed.
Dan’s first outing in over a year and what a way to start!!! After getting over the fear of teeing off in front of 20 plus lads the day didn't get much better! Wind, rain and cold. Non of these conditions favoured Dan. Again like Peter the back 9 saw a big improvement and Dan was driving the ball great. A bit rusty but keen to get the next round up and improve on his score he will be keen to get 3 cards in and play off a consistent handicap rather than three-quarters.
Ste Holmes fearing the worst after a winter case of ‘the shanks’. However, he proved to himself that he was right not to give it up for darts or singing!!! A very good front 9 saw him birdie the par 5 8th hole and finish with 20 pts!! The back 9 was a little up and down and a few errors crept in with the putter! A good first outing though and a respectable 34 points scored in tough conditions should see confidence start flooding back.
Group 3 - Stu Seddon, Neil Atheron [Guest], Graham Smith and Kev Murphy
Review to follow soon
Group 4 - Bobby Barrow, Craig Evans, Dan Alexander and John Standley
Bobby Barrow: stood on the first tee he felt good. He had bet on himself and Evo Jnr and felt confident he would be seeing a return. The front 9 would have done nothing to change his mood as Bobby played steady golf tee to green and held his fair share of putts. Having played Formby before Bobby's course knowledge really helped the rest of the group in those early holes when everyone was battling through ‘end of the world’ type weather. 16 points on the front was a solid platform.
Alas the turn brought about a change in fortune and Bobby’s putting packed its bags and left him. He missed a couple of shorties and gave himself no chance from his longer putts. This was summed up perfectly around the 12th when Bobby had hit his second over a large bunker to the left of the green. Evo mentioned "At least you're not in that bunker mate" (it had face that was longer than Harry Kane’s) He then proceeded to duff a putt that lacked pace and trickled its little self right into the heart of said bunker! Ouch. Things just didn't work out from there and he was left disappointed.
John Stanley: "when did you last play mate?" Reply
"First game this year mate". Unfortunately for John it showed throughout the round. He hits the ball a long long way but due to his rustiness never felt in control of his game. Some great hits were dwarfed by sliced monsters. What was clear though was that John had the pace of the greens from early in the round with numerous long putts hit to that wonderful dustbin circumference. If he carries on putting in that manner and gains control with the bigger sticks then he will be a threat to a couple of titles this year. Not a bad start for a player well out of practice.
Dan Alexander: "right I'm off 28 lads" The handicap sec said "I'll be the judge of that" then Dan went on to out drive the handicap sec for the first few holes. As I'm sure you will all appreciate the handicap sec made a vocal opinion on exactly what he thought of a 28 handicapper hitting it 280 yards down the middle!
This little bit of banter/ pressure quite simply seemed to melt Dan and his game as he preceded to go 10 holes in a row without a score. He wasn't happy!
He said to Evo around the 16th. "I'm better than this you know" and do you know what? I believe him. Once he settles in I think his game will settle too and his scores and handicap should improve.
Evo: He has been in good form for the majority of the winter and this was no different. His play tee to green was excellent and only around 4 greens were missed in regulation on a course that he had only played once before. So why didn't he have more than 37 points? In truth his putting was once again his downfall as four 3 putts cost him. All in all, though he was happy with the way that he played and was left feeling confident for the season and maybe lowering his handicap further (he will be the judge of that!)
Group 5 - Phil Williams, Steve Bradshaw, Allan Gannon and Ben Warden
In the absence of the bookies favourite there had to be a bookies favourite and that was Ste Bradshaw. With a whole heap of money riding on his success, some lesser men would have crumbled with the burden of it all. Not Braddy though. A steady start and a front nine marred by only two 1 pointers meant that by the turn he was in an excellent position. His only blob came on the tough 10th just missing the green left and then FOUR putting yes Braddy's putting is human after all. Believing that was the end of his chances he then went on a storming run of 1 over for the next 8 holes. Steady as ever and 37 points securing a win and ensuring several members went home with more money than they arrived with.
Allan Gannon's first game back of the year could have been a disaster. It was cold and wet and I swear his head retreated into his neck like a frightened tortoise. A forgettable tee shot on the first, an upside down trolley and damage to his umbrella, this was not going to be a good day. Cue a great four holes and when that sun came out you could have sworn Formby was as hot as Dubai as his decent run continued. Crisp ball striking and as good with the driver as I have seen him put him in positions to score well. Some putts could have got closer to the hole to make life easier and a mare in the deep pot bunker on the 16th meant a few lost points that would otherwise have put him right up there. A few more of those performances and he won't have a shot a hole for much longer.
Ben, or Brenda as his husband Braddy likes to call him started slowly and he was the only one who really found much heather during the early part of the round. Ben seems to have been playing a fair bit of golf and it showed with some decent approach shots and much better putting than I have previously seen. His laid back approach and politeness is becoming legendary but should have been tested on the 9th when Phil played his provisional ball leading to a proper balls up...anyhow, he bounced back and came in strongly despite some wildness and he can thank Braddy for finding enough of his balls to give him a very respectable 32 points.
Phil drove the ball generally well finding more fairways than normal, hitting a fair few greens and putting really positively. He was playing to his handicap until the 9th when things just went wrong. Four blobs in a row and his head was starting to go west until finally a decent tee shot on the 13th left him 110 yards to the pin. As luck would have it the winter warmer gap testing meant he knew he had a 109 yards club in his bag and that wedge was sent toward the green landing 2 feet short of the hole for a birdie. Another birdie on the 17th meant that overall he was happy with his play but those four holes at the turn meant a place was never going to happen
Group 6 - Andy Roper, Kev Givnan, Marc Lloyd and Paul Davies JNR
Kev had an unusually unpredictable day with the driver and was left trying to find a 'fix' mid-round, which is never a good thing - especially on a tough track. However, the last 5/6 holes it started to behave and he ended up with a decent score. A couple of unlucky shots that ran off the green, or slipped into tricky hollows made it even tougher. All in all, a steady enough round without much spectacular golf being played.
Andy is currently going through a bad patch with the driver, and on the day it was wayward to say the least. A loss of 30 yards and more slices than a plate of Mary Berry cakes, it was another horrid day on the tee, Andy needed his short game to be on song - and thankfully it was. What felt like a poor round from the tees was recovered by some great up and downs and a few long putts drained to keep the score card ticking nicely. Ultimately, to walk off with 35 points and having not hit a driver over 230 yards was a successful day.
Paul had an unusually inconsistent day and the things that usually make him a threat at all events deserted him at Formby. The driver never got going at all and a few snap hooks sent him out of bounds or into trees on several occasions. He would then take a provisional and rip it 260+ down the middle [that's golf for you]. His shots from 130 yards and in are usually deadly but a few were pushed and pulled and his rhythm never really got going. However, he kept the scorecard moving along and ended up with a score that probably belied his play on the day.
Bubba Lloyd was back! He was raring to go and was confident on the first tee. Six or seven holes later and he had 1 point on the scorecard and the shoulders were slumped. However, he rallied and put together some decent golf in patches, but all too often he would let bad shots 'wreck his head' and would give up on holes - despite him having shots. His day was summed up when his trolley was carefully left at the side of the 10th green only for it to roll back 15 yards and tip into one of Formbys manicured bunkers [see the photo below]. He also managed to throw his club further than he hit his ball on the 15th as the anger built up at his ball being glued in the tough Formby rough.
The first of our groups walked to the tee and the heavens opened – and I don’t just mean rain, it was coming in sideways and the gusts were blowing trolleys over and sending umbrellas hurtling. It wasn’t a great sign.
The sight of Allan Gannon trying to shelter himself from the elements with only a windbreaker top between him and the buckets full of rain will be a lasting image [for those who don't know Allan, he wears jumpers in the summer as he hates being anything other than toasty warm]
Despite this, the lads battled on and as the final group set off the weather calmed and the rain stopped and we were left with periods of sunny weather with the odd passing light shower but with a stern wind that provided the brief gusts and made each shot play at least 2 clubs longer when into the wind. Scoring was therefore going to be at a premium.
In reviewing the course, we need to bear in mind that it was still in its state of ‘winter hibernation’ and most of the bunkers were GUR and the greens were hollow tined and probably a few weeks behind their normal condition due to the horrendous winter we suffered here in the North West. Having played in its peak it was some distance away from what you would expect for your £150 ish in the summer – but we fully accept this is why we get the price we did and the reasons why.
However, the layout of the course and the beauty of it was still there in all its glory. The course has an almost 1990 Arsenal like defence with little room for error or movement. Go wayward and you find the long grass and gorse, go offline and you will be in the beautifully manicured pot bunkers [despite us getting relief from most of these on our visit] and if the weather isn’t still and calm – you should expect to find plenty of the above!
The first 4 or 5 holes gently introduce you to the course and break you in gently. You get a feel for the day’s wind conditions and how to approach the greens. From 6 through to about hole 15 the course is quite simply stunning – and has the best arrangement of holes that you will come across [probably tied with the back 9 of Hillside].
Group 1 - Steve Evans, Scott Seddon & Lee Bennett [Guest]
Scott was pleased with his score of 33 but disappointed as 3 of the last 4 holes he blobbed to throw away any chance of finishing in the prize places. If only he had stuck with his trusty 3wood he may have been challenging for 1st place - alas, it was not to be on this occasion. He was delighted with his chipping, which has come on leaps and bounds since the lesson at the Winter Warmer in early March. His driving - which was so solid in Wales [and extremely long] was left wanting at Formby and was wayward.
Ste Evans was mustard with his drives and really solid performance with great score of 35 points. He was "nip and tuck" with Scott all the way round until the 14th hole when Ste proved too consistent. Ste was solid in every part of his game and if it wasn't for some unexplainable turns in the greens on short putts I'm certain he would have won.
That said he did get out of Jail few times with GUR bunkers.
Lee was a pleasure to play with and its obvious why he is a 6 handicap. He has often been called a boring golfer due to every part of his game being almost in regulation. It was a pleasure to watch and more so a pleasure to play with.
A perfect guest to Bunkers and he brought the added bonus of great knowledgable of Formby from previous visits. Lee was painfully straight off the tee and with his irons, the only aspect of Lee's game that wasn't bang on song was his chipping otherwise he would have been a serious contender.
Group 2 - Ste Holmes, Pete Bilson and Dan Alexander
Playing of 3/4 handicap along with the wind and rain, Peter found the front 9 challenging and not great scoring in the tough conditions. ' Have you ever walked off playing one of these events' Peter asked. Once the feeling came back to his hands Peter started to play steady and a respectable back 9 followed.
Dan’s first outing in over a year and what a way to start!!! After getting over the fear of teeing off in front of 20 plus lads the day didn't get much better! Wind, rain and cold. Non of these conditions favoured Dan. Again like Peter the back 9 saw a big improvement and Dan was driving the ball great. A bit rusty but keen to get the next round up and improve on his score he will be keen to get 3 cards in and play off a consistent handicap rather than three-quarters.
Ste Holmes fearing the worst after a winter case of ‘the shanks’. However, he proved to himself that he was right not to give it up for darts or singing!!! A very good front 9 saw him birdie the par 5 8th hole and finish with 20 pts!! The back 9 was a little up and down and a few errors crept in with the putter! A good first outing though and a respectable 34 points scored in tough conditions should see confidence start flooding back.
Group 3 - Stu Seddon, Neil Atheron [Guest], Graham Smith and Kev Murphy
Review to follow soon
Group 4 - Bobby Barrow, Craig Evans, Dan Alexander and John Standley
Bobby Barrow: stood on the first tee he felt good. He had bet on himself and Evo Jnr and felt confident he would be seeing a return. The front 9 would have done nothing to change his mood as Bobby played steady golf tee to green and held his fair share of putts. Having played Formby before Bobby's course knowledge really helped the rest of the group in those early holes when everyone was battling through ‘end of the world’ type weather. 16 points on the front was a solid platform.
Alas the turn brought about a change in fortune and Bobby’s putting packed its bags and left him. He missed a couple of shorties and gave himself no chance from his longer putts. This was summed up perfectly around the 12th when Bobby had hit his second over a large bunker to the left of the green. Evo mentioned "At least you're not in that bunker mate" (it had face that was longer than Harry Kane’s) He then proceeded to duff a putt that lacked pace and trickled its little self right into the heart of said bunker! Ouch. Things just didn't work out from there and he was left disappointed.
John Stanley: "when did you last play mate?" Reply
"First game this year mate". Unfortunately for John it showed throughout the round. He hits the ball a long long way but due to his rustiness never felt in control of his game. Some great hits were dwarfed by sliced monsters. What was clear though was that John had the pace of the greens from early in the round with numerous long putts hit to that wonderful dustbin circumference. If he carries on putting in that manner and gains control with the bigger sticks then he will be a threat to a couple of titles this year. Not a bad start for a player well out of practice.
Dan Alexander: "right I'm off 28 lads" The handicap sec said "I'll be the judge of that" then Dan went on to out drive the handicap sec for the first few holes. As I'm sure you will all appreciate the handicap sec made a vocal opinion on exactly what he thought of a 28 handicapper hitting it 280 yards down the middle!
This little bit of banter/ pressure quite simply seemed to melt Dan and his game as he preceded to go 10 holes in a row without a score. He wasn't happy!
He said to Evo around the 16th. "I'm better than this you know" and do you know what? I believe him. Once he settles in I think his game will settle too and his scores and handicap should improve.
Evo: He has been in good form for the majority of the winter and this was no different. His play tee to green was excellent and only around 4 greens were missed in regulation on a course that he had only played once before. So why didn't he have more than 37 points? In truth his putting was once again his downfall as four 3 putts cost him. All in all, though he was happy with the way that he played and was left feeling confident for the season and maybe lowering his handicap further (he will be the judge of that!)
Group 5 - Phil Williams, Steve Bradshaw, Allan Gannon and Ben Warden
In the absence of the bookies favourite there had to be a bookies favourite and that was Ste Bradshaw. With a whole heap of money riding on his success, some lesser men would have crumbled with the burden of it all. Not Braddy though. A steady start and a front nine marred by only two 1 pointers meant that by the turn he was in an excellent position. His only blob came on the tough 10th just missing the green left and then FOUR putting yes Braddy's putting is human after all. Believing that was the end of his chances he then went on a storming run of 1 over for the next 8 holes. Steady as ever and 37 points securing a win and ensuring several members went home with more money than they arrived with.
Allan Gannon's first game back of the year could have been a disaster. It was cold and wet and I swear his head retreated into his neck like a frightened tortoise. A forgettable tee shot on the first, an upside down trolley and damage to his umbrella, this was not going to be a good day. Cue a great four holes and when that sun came out you could have sworn Formby was as hot as Dubai as his decent run continued. Crisp ball striking and as good with the driver as I have seen him put him in positions to score well. Some putts could have got closer to the hole to make life easier and a mare in the deep pot bunker on the 16th meant a few lost points that would otherwise have put him right up there. A few more of those performances and he won't have a shot a hole for much longer.
Ben, or Brenda as his husband Braddy likes to call him started slowly and he was the only one who really found much heather during the early part of the round. Ben seems to have been playing a fair bit of golf and it showed with some decent approach shots and much better putting than I have previously seen. His laid back approach and politeness is becoming legendary but should have been tested on the 9th when Phil played his provisional ball leading to a proper balls up...anyhow, he bounced back and came in strongly despite some wildness and he can thank Braddy for finding enough of his balls to give him a very respectable 32 points.
Phil drove the ball generally well finding more fairways than normal, hitting a fair few greens and putting really positively. He was playing to his handicap until the 9th when things just went wrong. Four blobs in a row and his head was starting to go west until finally a decent tee shot on the 13th left him 110 yards to the pin. As luck would have it the winter warmer gap testing meant he knew he had a 109 yards club in his bag and that wedge was sent toward the green landing 2 feet short of the hole for a birdie. Another birdie on the 17th meant that overall he was happy with his play but those four holes at the turn meant a place was never going to happen
Group 6 - Andy Roper, Kev Givnan, Marc Lloyd and Paul Davies JNR
Kev had an unusually unpredictable day with the driver and was left trying to find a 'fix' mid-round, which is never a good thing - especially on a tough track. However, the last 5/6 holes it started to behave and he ended up with a decent score. A couple of unlucky shots that ran off the green, or slipped into tricky hollows made it even tougher. All in all, a steady enough round without much spectacular golf being played.
Andy is currently going through a bad patch with the driver, and on the day it was wayward to say the least. A loss of 30 yards and more slices than a plate of Mary Berry cakes, it was another horrid day on the tee, Andy needed his short game to be on song - and thankfully it was. What felt like a poor round from the tees was recovered by some great up and downs and a few long putts drained to keep the score card ticking nicely. Ultimately, to walk off with 35 points and having not hit a driver over 230 yards was a successful day.
Paul had an unusually inconsistent day and the things that usually make him a threat at all events deserted him at Formby. The driver never got going at all and a few snap hooks sent him out of bounds or into trees on several occasions. He would then take a provisional and rip it 260+ down the middle [that's golf for you]. His shots from 130 yards and in are usually deadly but a few were pushed and pulled and his rhythm never really got going. However, he kept the scorecard moving along and ended up with a score that probably belied his play on the day.
Bubba Lloyd was back! He was raring to go and was confident on the first tee. Six or seven holes later and he had 1 point on the scorecard and the shoulders were slumped. However, he rallied and put together some decent golf in patches, but all too often he would let bad shots 'wreck his head' and would give up on holes - despite him having shots. His day was summed up when his trolley was carefully left at the side of the 10th green only for it to roll back 15 yards and tip into one of Formbys manicured bunkers [see the photo below]. He also managed to throw his club further than he hit his ball on the 15th as the anger built up at his ball being glued in the tough Formby rough.
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event info
Format: Stableford Singles
Handicaps: Players will play off FULL handicaps. [Except new members who are 3/4 handicap]
Groups: Will be drawn on the day of play
Tee: Players will play off the yellow tees.
Mini Comps: There will be TWO nearest the pins and 1 nearest the pin in 2 shots. [Will be added below prior to play]
Prizes: Will be for 1st, 2nd & 3rd
Other information: The Captain v President, Order of Merit & Wall of Shame will be in play.
Handicaps: Players will play off FULL handicaps. [Except new members who are 3/4 handicap]
Groups: Will be drawn on the day of play
Tee: Players will play off the yellow tees.
Mini Comps: There will be TWO nearest the pins and 1 nearest the pin in 2 shots. [Will be added below prior to play]
Prizes: Will be for 1st, 2nd & 3rd
Other information: The Captain v President, Order of Merit & Wall of Shame will be in play.
club info
Club Website: www.formbygolclub.co.uk
Currently voted as the 3rd best course in the North West and the 17th best course in the U.K [above Hillside, Wentworth East & West and Woburn] it gives you an idea of the quality of this beautiful local gem.
Formby Golf Club is a true championship links course unlike any other. Running through mature sand dunes and pinewoods, the combination of well protected greens, undulating fairways and challenging tee shots signifies a course of magnificent contrasts.
Founded in 1884, Formby lays claim to the toughest par 3s' to be found anywhere, with accuracy and concentration being the prerequisites for every hole. Heather and rough form a natural boundary to the undulating fairways and combine with bunkers, sandhills and firm fast greens to provide a great test. The golf club has a distinguished record for hosting many top amateur events, including The Amateur in 1984 when Jose-Maria Olazabal beat Colin Montgomerie in the final.
Currently voted as the 3rd best course in the North West and the 17th best course in the U.K [above Hillside, Wentworth East & West and Woburn] it gives you an idea of the quality of this beautiful local gem.
Formby Golf Club is a true championship links course unlike any other. Running through mature sand dunes and pinewoods, the combination of well protected greens, undulating fairways and challenging tee shots signifies a course of magnificent contrasts.
Founded in 1884, Formby lays claim to the toughest par 3s' to be found anywhere, with accuracy and concentration being the prerequisites for every hole. Heather and rough form a natural boundary to the undulating fairways and combine with bunkers, sandhills and firm fast greens to provide a great test. The golf club has a distinguished record for hosting many top amateur events, including The Amateur in 1984 when Jose-Maria Olazabal beat Colin Montgomerie in the final.
DIRECTIONS
Formby Golf Club
Golf Road, Freshfield, Formby, L37 1LQ
The club is 30 minutes drive from Liverpool or Skelmersdale.
CLICK HERE FOR MAP
Golf Road, Freshfield, Formby, L37 1LQ
The club is 30 minutes drive from Liverpool or Skelmersdale.
CLICK HERE FOR MAP