TW Golf Day — 16 September 2022

Thank for the details. We are really looking forward to it. I told my local golfing buddy about it and having visited Hawarden Golf Club before and told him about the great course, great food and drink too and fair prices, we are well up for it.

Gutted to have missed the last one and really looking forward to this one. Thanks very much for organising it, Derek, I know organising Golf Days can be like herding cats! I really hope it is well attended as it deserves to be, knowing all attendees shall have a great day. Well done and thanks very much.

Hi Del,
Yes, all being well, I will be joining you at Hawarden. Come on Blues, show some interest in supporting a good day out.

Great Derek, it was hard to find on here. I've put it on twitter so maybe we can get a few more going for a good cause and a great day out with fellow blues.

Derek, unfortunately my back prevents me playing again. However, I would love to come over just for a day out. It depends on flight costs and all the airport shit, but will give you a call.

Thanks to all who have posted with confirmation, it is appreciated. For those who do intend to come, but have not yet notified me, please do this as soon as possible as I have to let both the Club and Caterers be aware of the numbers, for obvious reasons.

Payment can be made on the day, but knowing the numbers is more important, remember if you do put your name down and then can't make it for some reason, please notify me as soon as possible. Once Meals have been ordered they are assumed to be paid for.

As Peter Moore has already mentioned, the drinks prices are very reasonable compared to many Golf Clubs, and they have a good range of Beer and Lager and Guinness. It is a very friendly Club, of course there is always the 'odd nark' but hopefully the twain shall not meet. Remember to observe etiquette on the Course and they are very insistent on the non-wearing of Denim Jeans, as most courses are. Football Shirts (Everton) are acceptable provided they have a collar. Strictly no RS ones though! :-)

I was hoping that Clive Davies from Aberystwyth who attended the Frodsham Golf Day may have read about this one being re-scheduled. I know he's a S T Holder, but no-one seems to have his number. He played with David Pearl and I at Frodsham and showed he was a decent player having never been to the Course before., shooting about 11 over par. If anyone knows him or his number it would be greatly appreciated.

Sadly, Frodsham has been another victim of poor management and greed, it is now a Nursery and the Course is shut. A very popular venue in it's prime as it did many really good deals like 2 or 4 players a shared Buggy between two, either a Breakfast or a Fish and Chip Lunch, 18 Holes of Golf on a good track for 㿂-㿅.

Still hoping for more numbers, as it is only 4 weeks on Friday, which will be on us before we know it.

Hi Derek,

Both my Dad and I will be there, looking forward to meeting you and the other golfing blues!

I don't think I've played Hawarden but sounds like a good course and a great day out. I will be travelling over from West Cork and hoping to get to the West Ham game whilst I'm over, so perfect timing for me.

Thanks for organising everything and looking forward to seeing you all on the 16th. I hope we have new striking options in the squad and some points on the board by then!

Hi Derek,

I am returning to the UK this weekend from Philippines for some personal medical assessments and opinions. I shall be in the UK for around one month so please put me down for the big day.

I am really looking forward to meeting with members of the Draper family having never met them and to offer you some support on the day. I might not be able to push 18 holes but will certainly do 9 holes.

I played this course about 25 years ago and don't remember much about it other than seeing a hole-in-one scored on one of the par 3 holes which was from a very elevated tee box.

I have family members near Chester so not very far for me to travel to Hawarden. I shall be working hard on some keen Evertonian family members when I arrive with my son being off a 3 handicap and would hope I can convince him to come down from Newcastle to join the day, work permitting.

Hope the numbers are growing and excited to come back to Blighty for a month as I have not been home for nearly 3 years due to Covid restrictions.

Forgot to mention that I hope to be able to see a few games and meet up for a beer with some of the more prominent posters on ToffeeWeb.

John, that is brilliant news, and I really look forward to meeting you, as I am sure other regulars are too. Numbers are not great at the moment with some yet to confirm, from the Draper Family, but sufficient enough to make it work.

Funny, we have attendees from far and wide, yet very few from the Merseyside Area. Two, to be precise, and one non-playing adjudicator, and that is including myself, in Chester, which is not really Merseyside either. not sure why that is, but sadly that is the case.

Your memories of Hawarden will surely come flooding back, once you start playing it. The Par 3 with the elevated Tee is possibly the signature hole 18th. If you need any Clubs for the day I have a spare Set, just let me know John, and also if you will require a Buggy, as they are fairly limited in numbers. It is quite hilly in places, but I can walk it with an Electric Trolley, when my knee and hip aren't playing up, but even with that assistance, my legs take a day or two to recover.

Thanks again John and really looking forward to meeting you on the day.

Derek

“Very few from Merseyside” if it's any consolation, you're in good company. As Jesus said, a prophet is always rejected in his homeland.

But seriously, I don't know what it is about locals. I organized events a couple of years ago myself — not Everton-related. But we had 1,000 or so attendees with 48 states represented plus travelers from Britain and Canada.

From the Kansas City area where I live? Five people. We had more than that from Canada. I think maybe locals take things for granted and assume they'll always be a next time? I dunno mate but if work was amenable I'd be there from Kansas City but alas this time…

Aye Kieran, it's like pulling hen's teeth at times trying to get people interested. Then after the fact, "I would have gone had I known about it."

You can take a horse to water, but you can't make it drink!

Well, you can, with two bricks, but watch you don't get your thumbs caught in between!

Hi Derek,

Just read the comments re must have missed them like our board with the striker situation.

I will be in Portugal golfing on the 16th and gutted to be missing it.

Sure you will have a great day and appreciate the work you've done to organise it.

Hopefully can try to arrange a game on a Friday prior to one of the home games.

Hi Clive, what a pity that eventually the date coincides with your Portuguese Golf Trip. It is always in evitable that it will clash with already made plans for some.

Would definitely like to play any pre-match Friday please keep me informed as to when, as I am pretty much available most days for golf given notice. Take care and enjoy your Portugal Golf!

A quick update which in many ways is embarrassing, I have heard back from the Draper Family and there will be 10 playing in the Comp, and an additional 11 plus 3 well behaved children, for the presentation and the after game two course meal. This equals on the playing side the number we have from TW, which in my eyes is a let down.

People are travelling miles to attend and yet none from the Merseyside /Everton Area at all. I thought after last year at Aldersey Green where numbers dwindled from around 20 to 11, but despite my fears it turned out an excellent day. From the write ups and feedback stating how good it was and enjoyed by all, I suspected this year to be a better turn out. Many who expressed a desire to attend have faded into obscurity once more.

Apologies to Ged Hogg who is from the Wirral, and Stephen Vincent, Hunt's Cross who are attending, but in Stephen's case a non-playing participant, but an excellent Card Marker and Adjudicator on the day. Plus, Stephen has offered to provide many Raffle Prizes as he did likewise last year. So come on it's not too late to commit for one good day and a chance to meet many far flung Evertonians. Must know at least 10 days before the 16th September, so 6th is Deadline day.

Just to re-assure anyone in doubt, the TW Golf Day will go ahead as planned.

I have rescheduled this once already, and too much work has gone into this to follow the rest and cancel out of respect etc. Without getting into protocol and politics, I think personally a couple of days of cancellations was possibly about right, in recognition/respect of the Queen's demise.

The World has to go on regardless of who has passed; at the end of the day, we all have to go sometime.

Just a late announcement if anyone is reading, I had Booked the Guest Room in our place at 㾶/night single occupant, or 㾻/night for two (single beds) Andy Crooks can't make it over from Belfast so if anyone requires Accommodation let me know asap, otherwise I will have to Cancel it.

Stephen Vincent has done the pairings for the day 2 x 3 Balls First then 4 x 4 Balls. Many of the names that may seem unfamiliar are from the Draper Family as follows :

S Blackburn, P Evans, and P Spruce Snr (TW) 10.00

C Callaghan (TW), M Swinnerton, D. Allen 10.06

J Stratton, R Wynstanley, R Roche, (both TW) D Pearl * 10.12

I Allen, J Kennedy, S Sherlock, Jon Harding (TW)10.18

J Cadwallader, A Kegg, Ged Hogg, (both TW) P Spruce Jnr 10.24

Peter Moore, Simon Parry,* John Hall, Derek Knox * 10.30 (all TW)

Starred names are those who have pre-ordered Buggies.

Weather has been Forecast as being good on the day (sunny) which is a bonus, as all other days this week have rain. It's amazing, as I played the Course two weeks ago and although the Greens were superb, the fairways were extremely hard with brown and yellow grass. A week of rain has seen it return to being predominantly green, lush and looking good.

The two Course Meal has been decided as The Famous Steak and Ale Pie with Chips and Veg, followed by Apple Crumble and Custard/Ice Cream. Hope that is suitable for everyone, there is one Veggie who has an alternative choice of Main Course, and substitute for Bacon Butty too.

Looking forward to seeing everyone and hope you all enjoy the day. Please avoid slow play at all times as this will have a concertina effect and everything will start to run late behind etc.

There are two spaces left for golfers, anyone who is free on Friday and feels like taking part please contact Derek on del_kath@yahoo.co.uk the cost is 㿔 for bacon rolls, tea coffee, 18 holes of golf and a two-course lunch and the opportunity to support two excellent charities.

Over ٠,500 was raised for Cancer Research last year and we need to top that.

We have, unfortunately had one cancellation, due to unforeseen work re-shuffle following the Queen's demise, so there will be a re-allocation of the pairings, but I have informed Stephen who is going to make the switch.

Please, please no more, as my nerves can't stand it, on edge anyway before that.

Turned out we had another four cancellations which I didn't find out till the first players had teed off, well I knew of one, who apologised, via email as he had to go to London with business. These were not TW Cancellations thankfully, but from The Draper Family and Friends, but it still hurts when we had given Catering the Final Numbers, but they were quite understanding and I didn't lose too much in the end though was down personally in the Finance Department.

Reflecting on the day which went so quickly, apart from the round which took five hours, for the last group which of course I was in along with John Hall, Peter Moore, and Simon Parry, but I may hasten to add, we were dependent on the groups in front of us. I have played Hawarden many times and 4 hours should be the average 4 Ball time, this took a lot longer and we were in Buggies !

The Meal was absolutely spot on as usual, Steak and Ale Pie, Chips and Peas followed by Apple Crumble and Custard, everyone commented on how good both courses were. We are quite privileged to have these Caterers as they have been with us now for about 18 months, and they do Themed Nights (Chinese, Indian, Italian etc) probably once a month in addition to Quiz Nights too. Only problem as I live quite a distance away is driving back.

I will be having another similar event next year, so would encourage more people to get involved, we only had 11 from TW, and that was with most travelling a fair distance, with even one from the Philippines, one from Wirral and two non-players from Liverpool and Bangor. we would have been outnumbered by the Draper Family had it not been for the Cancellations.

The course as commented on by many, was in absolutely superb condition, so I have passed this on to the Groundstaff via The Pro, as I am sure it gives them a boost when congratulated on their unstinting work on the course.

Thanks to all who helped to make it a great day.

A smashing day Del, enjoyed by everyone. Course, food, organisation and in particular my golfing partners, all combined to make it a memorable day.

Thanks to you and Steve for the organising and to John Hall to generously donating the trophy. Look forward to next year.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Thanks a lot for a great day Derek, everything was perfect apart from my golf! Hats off to you and Stephen for the organising the day and the game, both my Dad and I really enjoyed it, it was great to meet you and the lads.

Apologies we had to leave after the meal (which was excellent) and missed the presentation, I didn't get chance to thank you both before we left.

Looking forward to next year and for now hopefully 3 points tomorrow!

Thanks Phil and Ray, for your comments, it does mean a lot when you know your efforts have been rewarded by both people acknowledging it, thanking you, and having an enjoyable time. I apologise too for not having the time to get to speak to everyone but like I said, the running late didn't help, and it was all rush then to get everything back on schedule.