When you are going to play golf for two days in inclement weather it is usual to pack plenty of dry gear, especially socks. John Avill sat down with me looking very dismayed on Friday morning and confessed that, prior to leaving home he had prepared all his dry gear and laid it out on the end of the bed ready to be packed. Sadly it was still there when he got to Somerset.
One day before setting off, Angela Allington fell downstairs (sober) and broke a toe. Although painful, she declared herself fit to play golf but not able to walk round the course. Accordingly, her partner Jim Jacobs, rang me to organise a buggy. I found that all the buggies were reserved and Ian Cairns team had got three between four of them. I rang IAN to ask if he could manage with two buggies. Ian said he was happy to share a buggy with Alan McCulloch but, he has been told that to abide by social distancing, they must not share a buggy. In order to rectify the situation I went personally to the pro shop and explained that Ian and Alan were a gay couple who had requested the honeymoon suite at their hotel accommodation. I was immediately told that it would be fine for them to share a buggy; thus releasing one for Angela to use.
When Ian and Alan arrived at the club and asked me if I had rectified the situation I told them that I had but in order to uphold the claim could they please hold hands when they went into the pro shop to pick up their buggy key.
Last weekend was the official end of the wonderful Indian summer that we have all enjoyed in September. Thursday was overcast with intermittent showers and a fresh breeze. Scores were good and the top three teams carded impressive scores of 85 for 2nd & 3rd and 86 for top spot by a team of Little Aston Artisans on their first visit to the course.
The weather on Friday morning was brutal. I gave sanction to anyone who wanted to save themselves for the afternoon round on the Championship course that they would get the average score.
Notwithstanding the rain and wind five players posted 16 points for the nine holes - I made them all first among equals.
By lunchtime two teams had decided to head back North to dry out and two teams decided to head for a pub in Weston Super Mare to see if they could get as wet inside as they were outside.
The afternoon was not as bad as the morning and the to three teams all posted an impressive 82 points.
Burnham are keen to have us back next year and I am sure there will be a keen entry for this most popular venue.