Industry Event IBA Golf Tournament
Pam Hardman, IBA operations manager, shares an update from the IBA on the group’s recent Golf Day.
T
he 1 iron - a.k.a. ‘the butter knife’ is commonly regarded to be one of the most difficult clubs in a golfer’s bag. An old golfing joke is that this is the best club to hold above your head in a lightning strike – because not even Mother Nature can hit it! Joking aside, the threat of severe adverse weather is a dangerous situation, not to be taken lightly, and has the ability to derail a tournament. So it was with trepidation that the IBA Golf Team waited for lightning forecasts to clear on the morning of 20 June 2023 at Belton Woods, Grantham. Whilst the Academy played under cover in the morning, the main Tournament of 48 golfers had a slightly longer wait at the start. And yet no cold and dampened spirits for our golfers - the air was electric with the promise of hot competition. Who would gain major honours this year, and join the elite ranks of members and suppliers first place?
There are always serious contenders at the IBA Tournament. For members, their focus is to proudly hold the Mark Huddlestone Memorial trophy, in memory of Mark at MH Electrical who was a constant supporter of the tournament. Richard Degg from D&S Electrical said: “After a difficult morning in adverse conditions, the afternoon cleared for me and fortune shone. I chipped in for a Birdie and proceeded to also Birdie the next hole; eight points in two holes! I have always secretly wanted my name on the coveted Mark Huddlestone trophy, and after nearly 12 years of being an IBA member, 2023
is my lucky year. I now have the honour of my name being engraved alongside many other IBA Greats for prosperity. It was a superb day and I had the pleasure of playing with fantastic industry partners. Roll on next year.” Rich received his prize from sponsor Jason Coleman of Electrium. Supplier first place was won by Ben Aspeslagh of Rolec, presented to him by sponsor Steve Trafford of AICO. The IBA Office is well-supported by its members, being a group run by the members, for the benefit of its members. This year’s Golf Team was headed by Phil Harbord of Harbro Electrical and Justin Ames of Shropshire Electrical. “I have been involved with the IBA golf tournament for many years now,” said Phil. “I play a lot of golf and this tournament is one of the first things I put in my diary each year. We are never short of participants and I believe this is because the IBA Golf Team takes such good care of every little detail, always booking a first-class venue & course.”
The best tournaments have a truly personal touch, and Phil delivers his role in this to perfection. “My favourite part of the event is the evening meal, and presentation which I always get wrong,” he said. “No-one ever minds, such is the good nature at this event. We have a wonderful presentation supported by an impressive prize table, generously sponsored by Preferred Suppliers. Even the worst golfer gets a prize… a decent one too!”
It’s been a long-held fact on-film and in-reality
Suppliers 1st - Ben Aspeslagh (Rolec) presented by Steve Trafford AICO
Members 1st Rich Degg(D&S) presented by Jason Coleman Electrium.
that business is often taken onto the golf course. Relaxation sparks creativity, new partnerships flourish and challenges are accepted. But what if you have no interest in the sport. Should you miss out on these benefits? The IBA introduced the Academy in 2018 for non-golfers or golfers with a handicap of 28 and above, headed up by Paul Williams of Acorn Electrical, and we have since seen it grow to 30 annual participants. Lynsey Gray, national sales manager at ESP, summed it up when she said: “I am often asked to attend company golf days which I decline, due to the fact that I do not play golf. I attended the IBA golf day with a lot of persuasion from Pam at The IBA to be part of the Academy, retaining some apprehension even up until the morning. I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed the day. Needless to say, I will be attending next year!” Social or business – short game or long game – The IBA Annual Golf Tournament remains a rewarding annual fixture on all our calendars.
20 | electrical wholesalerSeptember 2023
ewnews.co.uk
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