THE HEMISPHERE CUP
Founded 2000
5th
Hemisphere Cup -
Croeso i Gymru
Welcome to Wales! Having visited Scotland (twice), England and Ireland it was only right that we should look to bring the Hemisphere Cup competition to Wales. After some research (and ruling out Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantisiliogogogoch because we could never fit the name on the cup!) we found ourselves heading for Tenby for the 5th Hemisphere Cup. It was to prove a good venue for the North, but as always, the road to victory has many turns......
Pyle & Kenfig and Dr Stableford
It was decided that most of the players would make their way slowly to Tenby and stop for a warm up game at Pyle & Kenfig before an overnight stop at nearby Mumbles. 11 Players therefore teed it up in a Stableford game on a very nice links course, just east of the beauty spot that is Port Talbot. This was very apt as this form of golf game was invented by a Dr Stableford from the Glamorganshire Golf Club in South Wales. The Stableford scoring system was first used on the 30th September 1898 and announced to the world in a South Wales newspaper.
For the record, the Hemisphere Cup Stableford match that took place some 106 years later was won by Andy (I think).
Mumbles
Picture the scene........
"Hello, we're the party of 10 to stay the night under the name of Elliott"
"I'm sorry we don't have a booking under that name.....However, we do have one under that name for next month!"
Where was Ian, who had managed such organisational brilliance. He had already buggered off to sample the creature comforts of his parents home. Fortunately Mumbles wasn't too busy on a Wednesday night in May, so with accommodation secured a few beers and a curry quickly followed.
Thursday
After the consumption of 10 Welsh Breakfasts (without the Lava bread and cockles) we departed for Tenby. After some quick drinks and the largest Club Sandwich ever seen it was time for the serious business......
Round 1 – Fourballs
A voyage of discovery over the Tenby links with plenty of blind tee shots and approaches to test the swing of any golfer. The North seem to rise to this challenge better and surge into a 3 to 1 lead.
Thursday Night
After dinner in a local restaurant we ended up in a 'nice' local bar called the Mariners. Home to a bunch of squaddies who had just come back from the Gulf the atmosphere was a pressure cooker of aggressive people that Philip seemed to hit it off with straight away. The situation was only made worse by Sarge singing the worst, and I am not being too harsh here, version of Delilah ever heard either side of the Severn bridge.
Round 2 – Fourballs
It is hard to keep a good team down and the South respond the following morning by taking the fourballs 2.5 to 1.5. Charlie and Richard (late replacement for an injured Ross) pull off a 5&4 victory over Hugh and Greg, though David and Paul give an even bigger spanking to Julian and Mike (6&5). The score now stood at 4.5 to 3.5 with the eight singles matches to come ........
Round 3 – Singles
In the end the score looked quite comfortable with the North taking six of the singles and only David and James making any headway for the South. However the play was a lot closer with three of the North's victories coming on the 17th green and one of them on the 18th (This was Dave B. and Greg's epic match that included the first hole to be won by a score in double figures!).
So as the sun set on the 18th Green the North were now the holders of the cup again having taken 10.5 of the 16 points available.
The Championship
Dinner
I am pleased to say that Sarge was in a minority of one and the motion was defeated (though I attach a photo to keep him happy).
Later, Julian was the unfortunate individual who found himself partnering Greg on the 'contortionists' pool table. Philip and David were perfectly happy to take their money, though it was fortunate that the walls were close enough to the table as this was the only thing keeping Greg upright!
Where next?
Not sure where the venue for 2006 will be though the South feel the longer and tougher the course the better the chance they have of winning. So with that in mind, I am off to find the widest, shortest links course in the UK...........
Pob dymuniad da and Llongyfarchiadau to the North!
Photographs
Photographs of the 5th Hemisphere Cup
Detailed Results