Pinehurst competition October October 26th 2023. Report from Mike Healey.

Today's competition - Pinehurst. This format was borrowed from the Pinehurst GC in North Carolina. It was invented by a Mr Chapman and it sometimes goes by that name also. So, 28 Seniors braved the early rain, which had virtually disppeared just after 9.00am. Having their tallies drawn in pairs, there was some intrigue as to the actual format and after a lengthy explanation, the troops set forth to try their luck and know-how. Swapping second shots confused a few, but alternate shots to the green seemed to settle everybody down, with group movement flowing nicely. Ground conditions, following a week of rain, is still affecting scores for the majority but not for today's four winning groups, although combined handicaps in some cases, came into question. There was a buzz in the clubhouse afterwards and it was generally agreed that the format was not only entertaining but also involved a little thought regarding tactics. At the top of the scoring there was some countback required - please read on for the four winning pairs: Pinehurst Results: First: Paul Wallace-Jones and Ernie Williams - 31 points (c/b) Second: Alan Barnsdale and Peter Taylor - 31 points (c/b) Third: Nigel Davies and Damian Atkin - 31 points (c/b) Fourth: Richard Collier and Mick Carnell - 30 points