"Kim, Bet you've never been as close to a Willy as big as this before!!!"

We were ready for the start of the back 9, and saw Brian heit a decent drive from the back tee.

I hit , for me, a good drive off the white, but was blocked by the tree that is positioned in the middle of the fairway.

Mike and Jason have knocked it way past the tree!

I manage to hit over tree, but short with a par from Brian we are looking good. Especially as Jason has hit his second to within 3 foot, Sunk the Birdie putt, but with his plus 1 handicap, it's only 2  points!

The 11th was a "beat the pro" hole. Basically, if you managed to get your tee shot nearer to the pin than the pro, you were entered into a draw.

Brian hit his tee shot just short of the green, almost on the fringe! So all we had to do was hit the green.

I pulled my tee shot left, but ended up on the green, albeit on the wrong level and quite a distance from the pin, but I had beaten the pro!  Jason also hit the green, but was just outside my shot, so Birdies were not looking good. We all managed Par, and considering the slope and line I had to take, It felt more like a birdie!

On 12 I just sat back and enjoyed the ride, hitting an ok Drive and second, but my 6 was never going to be good enough to count!

The 13th and again it was time to marvel at the long hitting. I was starting to swing quick and had lost the tempo i started with, but pars from the other 3 kept us on track.

The 14th and a steady drive from Brian, followed by monster drives from James and Mike, but two par scires was all we could muster.

On 15, I was again a passenger as Mile and Jason, "boomed" drives that I could only dream of hitting! How simple is this game when you have talent!!!

Two more pars and we were looking like posting a reasonable score, but maybe not a winning one.

Last years winners scored 86 points. Were we anywhere near that? I had lost count.

On 16, Brian hits a great looking shot that clears the bunker, drawing nicely, just bouncing on the top of the bank.

I lay up short of the bunker whilst Mike and Jason hit rescue clubs that end up in perfect positions. Brian has actually found himself caught on the downslope past the bunker and in the rough. He manages to hit a decent shot, but ends in the greenside bunker and his bunker shot leaves him with a longish put for par, which he misses. His first, and only, bogie of the day.

We make 5 points thanks to a birdie from Jason!

On 17, a great shot from Jason, leaves us with another potential 5 pointer, but his putt just skims by, he and we can't believe it didn't go in. That's been the problem today! Putts just not dropping!

Up the 18th and Brian is way back on the Blue tees, hits a safe drive. I manage to get a decent shot away, but marvel at the distance that Mike and Jason hit the ball.

I manage to move the ball past the tree with my second and a good 3rd leaves me just short of the green. I chip and putt for a 5 nett 4 and 3 points, with Jason making birdie for a 6 point hole.

We shake hands, I thank all 3 partners for a  great experience.

On reflection, I'd played well, especially the start, but I probably got caught up with the big hitting of Mike and Jason and had a bit of a bad patch, but I can honestly say I have not enjoyed a round of golf as much as this for a long time, maybe even ever!

We finish on 83 points which I am quite surprised to see, but I've not really been thinking about the score.

We get up to the score board and there are three 84's in which are leading and we suddenly think, quite naturally, about the ones that got away, but we never thought about the ones we got away with!

We have a quick chat and a pint and then I have to go home to return for the evening do! One last check of the score board and there is now an 85 in, so feel a bit better now!

Come back for the do, scrubbed up, Captains Jacket on and after a couple of drinks, it's up to the meal.

I'm sitting next to Brian and we have a great chat about Augusta. His experiences, obviously not mine.

He told us of Practice rounds with Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, Jim Furyk and Rocco Mediate and getting some advice from Monty!

And the course? Everything you hear, times 10!!!

The meal was ok and then to the presentations.

Trevor Brennand's team were 4th on Countback, so that was a fiver I'd lost, but the winners, on 87 points were our Seniors, John Jackson, Mark Brown and Roger Newell. I think John may have samples a few, as his speech was a bit of a ramble, but they had obviously had a good day.

The presentations were done by Phil "the Power" Taylor, but he didn's stay for long.

Jason had won the Longest Drive competition, not surprisingly with a 375 yard drive! He donated his prize, a new golf bag, to the Auction that was to come.

Didn't win the raffle from the beat the pro hole. I never win raffles!!!

Willy Thorne did the auction, ably assisted by the lovely Kim. I bid on the golf bag, bit it ended up going for silly money!

As did the other prizes, a weekend yachting on the Solent for 8, a signed photograh of Phil Taylor, Steve Davies signed Pool Cue, plus a couple of other items, including a signed Bolton shirt. Who on earth wants a signed Bolton shirt? Not many here tonight!

Mr ABC solutions appeared to win most of his own auction items!!!

Willy then did a 15 minute spot, which was entertaining, included a round of applause for the recently departed Alex "Hurricane" Higgins, with a few Higgins stories and others about his fellow commentators, but the main thread was a "is'nt Golf wonderful, Ladies and Gentlemen?"

A little Blue at times, but nothing too smutty, although two of the members of our table were determined not to crack into a smile. Almost a look of distain.

A great day!