Secretary's Reports - Palermo Verrico Golf Society

Dale Hill Golf Club - October 21st 2017

Well this was a classic on so many fronts!
First of all “Storm Brian” – the official name of the fading hurricane that made land in Sussex during the exact hours of this competition.
Secondly, “Storm Brian” – the official name of Brian Fuller, Barry’s American nephew who had flown in from St Louis to play.
Thirdly, the Ian Woosnam Course, holes 600 yards plus, water, lashing rain, 50 mph winds.
Fourthly, illegal Mezcal (more later).

Arscott Golf Club Shrewsbury - April 19th 2017

Doug Heal and Gil had long thought Arscott would be a good venue for a Palermo challenge. Hole variation, opening postage stamp par 3, last two holes over water and the tricky 18th surrounded by trees under the club house. Good food. Good beer. Friendly. Beautiful scenery.

Usually this means torrential rain or a nuclear rail accident nearby. But, for one, it all turned out exactly as written on the tin.

An 11 am start in sunny weather, everyone coffee full and keen. For a change here are the teams in tee order, the winners will be lauded as we go:-

Watson Plate Cranbrook Golf Club - October 2016

When Mr Morris tells you he has found the perfect course for the Palermo competition you want to believe him. Seaford Head was great. Wellshurst was great. But he also worships Beauport Park GC, which is not technically a golf club but the Royal Marine Training Base for operations in northern Sweden. So on arrival at Cranbrook we found the clubhouse resembles a Swedish Sauna and there were more trees than Washington State USA. Narrow fairways. Not a design for long hitters.

Watson Plate - Welford on Avon GC - APRIL 2016

REPORT from 23rd April
We have a golf and a birthday report this time!

Watson Plate - Broome Park GC, Canterbury: October 2015

Whatever happened on the 17th October 2015 as far as golf was concerned it was certainly the Palermo Verrico "Best Dining Room" award winner.

The Chinese Room at Lord Kitcheners old house was exceptional, as was the meal and the service. So before we have the usual forensic investigation of the golf itself lets congratulate Broome Park near Canterbury for their hospitality and John Kullman for organising and getting us onto his home course at such a fantastic rate.

Watson Plate - West Mids GC, Hampton in Arden: April 2015

HEADLINES!

NO APRIL SHOWERS FOR KERSTEN !

ANOTHER CONTROVERSY ROBS ANDY AND GWYN OF FIRST VICTORY!

THE NORTH CONQUERS AGAIN!

MORRIS AND PHILLIPS BECOME THE FIRST OFFICIALLY CAUTIONED FOR SLOW PLAY!

Watson Plate - Eastbourne Downs GC: October 2014

Another excellent and slightly bizarre weekend !! Each time we meet up there is a different dynamic, something out of the ordinary occurs, there is exceptional golf and some of the worst golf ever to disgrace a course. Well, this was another fantastic weekend at the office.

THANKS !!

First of all, let us get the thank you's out there......

Watson Plate - Wergs Golf Course: April 2014

This April we managed to dodge the rain and gather 8 teams together for another challenge on a Wolverhampton course. This course was chosen by Roger Bishop , who was technically the organiser, but smart enough to delegate the administration to his willing slave Mark.

The more members that step forward taking their turn on organisation the easier life becomes and so before we begin the report on Wergs many thanks to Tom Hingley who is currently handling the North v South clash at Oxford on July 12th and Colin Morris who has taken responsibility for Eastbourne Downs on October 18th. More of this later.

Watson Plate - Lydd Golf Club: October 2013

Swans and Dramatic Finishes

Never let anyone tell you that all these Palermo competitions are the same……a bit like World Cup matches you wait ages and then a classic comes along when least expected. This was a classic on and off the course for various surreal reasons.

For a start the journey down for some of the northern players turned into an 8 hour ordeal due to a stray swan landing on the fast lane of the M25 near Heathrow. Because they are protected a very patient lady from the RSPCA had to walk alongside the bird encouraging it to the hard shoulder and eventual take off. This took her about one and a half hours as traffic built up and we all stared out of our car windows wondering what roast swan would taste like. Little did we know that swans would also play a significant part during the competition.

Watson Plate - Perton Park GC: 27 April 2013

Another classic:

24 competitors, Peter Barnett inventing a new shot, the need for compulsory drug tests, the joys of Plant Hilton Hotel, the ability of Rob Smith to carry ten beers at once in one hand – just a few of the highlights.

Watson Plate: Beauport Park, Hastings: October 2012

The Government have launched an independent enquiry into whose idea it was to return to play Beauport Park 6 years and 12 competitions after the first near death experience. While this is the course where it all started in 2006, while it may be the spiritual home of our golf society which admittedly caters for the slightly eccentric/mentally challenged golfer, it was an army assault course then and still is now – without monsoon conditions!!

Watson Plate - Telford Golf Club: 16 June 2012

The competition that should have taken place in April finally happened in rainy June. For six years we have been saying we are due dodgy weather. Well, 2012 finally brought it in buckets. End of April brought underwater greens , swimming pool bunkers and fairways not seen since the Somme. Only scuba diving was possible so the original 27 entrants had their lives messed with and 11 replacements became the 24 in June.

Now, due to the English summer, it rained for four days before the comp and was still raining during the comp.

Watson Plate - Tenterden Golf Club: October 2011

Some day our luck with the weather will run out. This weekend was a blistering high summer, like playing in Carolina for two days. Friday was hot, Saturday was hot, Sunday was hot. But , more to the point, Mike White and Alex Jasper were hot – more of which later.

First of all thanks to Martin Blincow who chose Tenterden. They were welcoming and the course was excellent, it was quirky ( starting with a par 3 and ending with a par 3 from hell) , every hole was different and demanding some target golf. Martin collected the money and took responsibility and delivered (Seb Coe eat your heart out).

North v South: The Ryder-Marston Cup 2011

Tudor Park, Maidstone 20th August 2011

Thanks to the efforts of Chris Langridge, we managed to get this challenge on the road. The matchplay Ryder Cup format is a great variation on the usual Palermo Texas Scramble, it demands a slightly different approach and can command real excitement because you are in direct opposition (unless of course you don`t keep track of your score, but we`ll come to that later……).

TAUNTON VALE GS 10^th MAY 2008

Every time the clubs come out it seems to get more interesting.This time it was beautiful weather (sun tan included) and a longer format with a Bowmaker competition in the morning. All arrangements, including weather, by Roz – thanks again from everyone for such a splendid day and venue, Somerset at its most glorious.

Thanks to the Salisbury House Hotel we also managed to form the “Sunnyvale Rest Home” drinking society, more of that later.