Far left: With the Captain of the Ladies and junior members


Left: With David Smith and the


Captain of The R&A


Below: With Matt Jordan


During the year I enjoyed playing and losing money to lots of different groups


Hilton or John Ball with us on this occasion we match


nonetheless had a fine followed by an outstanding


evening cabaret performance. ‘Turns’ from both sides included an act involving a tea tray from past Hoylake Captain and Club historian Joe Pinnington that will live long in the memory. Unfortunately.


INTERNAL MATCHES The Captaincy at Hoylake is seen mainly as an ambassadorial


role outside the


Club, but it is an important part of the job - and a great opportunity - to support matches and events at home and, in the process, become acquainted with a wider circle of members beyond regular and familiar playing partners. During the year I therefore enjoyed playing and losing money to lots


of


different groups within the Club. These included several dinner matches; playing at different times with the seniors section; joining the snooker team; playing with the ‘Acers’ golfing society; and also having great fun combining with Helen Heggarty, Captain of the Ladies, in the ‘frost bites’ and several other mixed invitational events. It is


fair to say we


never quite reached our potential in these games and nobly I take at least half the responsibility. Still, the golf was always memorable and the company even better. There was a really enjoyable match new Club members,


against with tense matches against together the Village


Play for the Dan Tobey and Glover cups - both retained after fierce contests by the Club team. The thumping defeat of a very strong


colts team due to my tactical brilliance and shrewd manipulation of the format of the match remains one of my golfing highlights of the year.


The Easter Foursomes, the Captains


Prize and summer Foursomes events were all wonderful competitions with worthy winners. I had the pleasure of refereeing the final of the long course event and discovered that the secret of being a good ref is to be decisive when making rulings - even when, as in my case, the only ruling I was called upon to deliver was almost certainly incorrect. Special mention must be made also


of the ‘telescope match’ played against overseas members prior to the spring meeting. It was terrific fun and a great curtain raiser to the biggest day of the year as Captain - which brought with it the honour of playing with Keith Macintosh, the Captain of The R&A, in the spring medal prior to the spring dinner, as well as the crushing drive I hit on the opening hole which has been declared - by me - as Shot of the Year.


INTERNAL SOCIAL EVENTS Outside of golfing there were many glorious dinners and social functions to attend at the Club. The House Committee and catering staff surpassed themselves across a programme of great and well supported events including: candlelit suppers, race nights, auction dinners, Christmas carols and lunches, a New Year cross country brunch, and wine tastings. Special mention must go to a great


night honoring Matthew Jordan as our first home grown Walker Cup player. A lively dinner was followed by a very impressive and mature Q and A session between Matthew and his interviewer, Mark Gorton, which provided us with a fascinating insight into the hard work and dedication behind a great year for Matt, as well as the support from his wonderful, tightly knit family.


HOSTED GOLF EVENTS The Club also hosted the annual, high class amateur fixtures of which Hoylake is justifiably proud. These included the Harold Hilton event and the joyous Open Scratch Mixed foursomes [OSMF] competition played over the August Bank Holiday weekend. The Captain of the Ladies and myself


bravely entered the OSMF even though on paper we had no realistic chance of


progressing. We duly suffered a


chastening loss in the first round that included a missed putt of under three feet by myself to keep us just five down. It was clear that our opposition was unaware of the ‘short putts must be given to the Captain’ rule that I had announced upon taking office. The other great event of the year was


the hosting by the club of HRH the Duke of York’s Young Champions Trophy for boys and girls from around the world. Despite some very testing conditions the golf was of an exceptional standard with all the competitors trying to take heed of the advice of the Duke, in an excellent welcome dinner speech, that golf was ‘originally meant to be played on the ground, not in the air’. Wise words from our Patron on a Hoylake links which that week experienced winds in full force.


the famous mighty


HOSTED SOCIAL EVENTS Many visitors love coming to Hoylake not just for the quality of the links and


ROYAL LIVERPOOL GOLF CLUB 2018–2019 MAGAZINE 51


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64