THORNBURY Seniors travelled to Old Thorns Manor Hotel, Golf and Country Estate, for their annual three day tour.

Set in 400 acres of beautiful countryside on the borders of Surrey, Hampshire and Sussex, the Estate boasts a Peter Alliss designed championship course.

The first day was played here where the mature trees offered some limited shelter from the very strong winds.

There was a strong emphasis on accuracy from the tee, with natural springs, lakes and many strategically placed bunkers leading up to the greens.

Scoring in these conditions was as expected very variable but some good rounds were recorded.
The winning team being Graham Smith, Phil Faulkner, Brian Secrett and Bob Thomas with 76 points closely followed on count-back by Brian McCarthy, Mike Parry, John Hart and John Harbottle and in third place with 75 points Alan Fisher, Jeff Pullin, Peter Dawes and Mike Smith.

Day two took the intrepid band to the nearby Goodwood Golf Club and the Downs Course, renowned for its immaculate condition and spectacular views to Chichester Cathedral and the English Channel.

Taking in to account that the wind on the day surpassed anything ever experienced by these players on a golf course, the scores were very commendable.

Three pairs all managed a combined 41 points, the winners being Peter Gardner and Barry King with Paul Pollard and Ian Goodall, while John Harbottle and Nick Thornley were pushed in to second and third position.

The closing round was again on the Old Thorns course under much better conditions.

No excuses this time about the wind or hidden bunkers and this was reflected in the improved overall scoring.

The singles winner was Phil Faulkner on count back with 29 points edging out Brian Secrett and Paul Pollard all with the same score.

The coveted Green Jacket for the best aggregate score over the three days was won by Mike Sanders with 78 points.

This competition went down to the very last green where his playing partner Jeff Pullin’s chip shaved the hole to leave him one point adrift with Bob Thomas and Brian Secrett just a further point behind.