It's hard to imagine why someone thought it would be a good idea to host an open golf tournament and as a prize we will put up two candlesticks. They did, and they compete over 36 holes in a day and they compete hard!
This popular event is now sponsored by Electrical Testing and the prize money is highly
tempting to the scratch golfers from around East Anglia. This year for the first time the handicap prize was increased and the competition to win it was fierce.
53 golfers were tempted. Teeing off from 8-00 am. Find the right club find the fairway and it's easy! The weather forecast had been of biblical rainstorms with thunder and lightning. At 8.00am the sun shone and it was majestic.
Round 0ne, Weather radar: Sun with rain moving in
Enthusiasm overcame nerves and ability as the groups went out from the 1st and 9th teeing areas. When your name is called “On the tee” it's you versus the old lady of Caister and 52 other would-be victors.
36 holes but split into two rounds, Morning, and afternoon. If your hopes are dashed AM there is always the PM round. That’s how it turned out, the winners overall played well in both rounds and stayed in contention for the big prizes, whilst others played poorly in the morning but were resurrected and inspired in the afternoon rounds and some who had played well in the morning fell away.
The cream scratch golfers were led in the morning round by Caister’s Tom Carding followed by Jack Reeve, Casey Patterson, Tom Rutherford, and Charlie Roper, a giant of a man from Sheringham.
The handicap section was close too there were 4 players on net 68 Dominic Arend, Jason Roope, Bryan Smy and Chris Brewster. The weather then decided it was not behaving as it had been advised and it lashed it down. Half-time slightly damp hopes for some shattered and another round to play.
Round two, Weather radar: Different climate wet but improving slowly.
First decision do I really want to go out in this? Find the right club, find the fairway it's easy! Well for some it was. A different round, a different outlook and a different attitude.
Veteran golfer Terry Norman dug deep into many years of playing experience at Caister and shoots a net 66 Followed by Ben Stocker a new kid on the block who shot a net 67 Dominic Arend and Jason Roope not as sharp as round one but both with respectable 71s keeping them in the Hunt.
The Scratch event produced a fantastic 68 from the giant Charlie Roper winning him the afternoon round. Tom Carding fell away slightly with a 75. Job Done! Well-played everyone.
The overall winners were Scratch, Charlie Roper and Handicap Dominic Arend who pipped Jason Roope on the count back.
The main winner on the day was golf and the golf club and the guy who thought all these years later two silver candlesticks would be highly sought after!
See you again next year folks, Tim Starbuck
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