Celebrity moments, juniors, rain and charity

I went along with Peter and the rest of the Mapperley junior team to Sherwood Forest last Friday. For those who don't know, Sherwood Forest is a fabulous track, renowned as one of the toughest in the area and flippin' expensive to roll up and play. Playing for the junior team of course gives them the chance to play all over the County for just the cost of dad's petrol.

Waiting for the rest of the team to arrive, we had a proper celebrity moment. I walked into the bar and thought 'that bloke over there looks like Bill Bailey', and it WAS! We had been to see him on Tuesday at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham. He was brilliant and it was nice to see him up close, so to speak. Peter is a huge fan too, so we introduced ourselves and talked about the show (briefly, wouldn't want you to think that I had disturbed the man's lunch...).

Disappointingly, only five of the eight in the team were able to make it. A variety of excuses - you can take it if someone is ill or injured at the last minute, but the lads who 'had to go to work' really should have sorted themselves out and either swapped a shift or let Alastair know earlier. We need more juniors who want to play for the team. More competition for places might make people take their commitments more seriously.

In the event, despite playing boys who were clearly superb players and being one down before we started, we made a creditable draw. Peter was playing a 13-year-old six handicapper, who clearly will go a long way in the game. On the 500 yard par 5 5th he was easily on in two with a fifteen footer for eagle. One under gross after nine, playing off the championship tees. Peter eventually won one-up, but receiving 19 shots, which is a bit banditty when he's playing well. Jonathan, our captain, was four down after four holes after his seventeen year old scratch opponent eagled the long par four second from 130 yards. He fought back to level after 13 before eventually succumbing 3 and 1.

Saturday, it chucked it down. We got as far as the 12th before we were called in. The afternoon was livened up when Jon, the pro, lost control of a buggy on a slippery slope and put it into a tree. He was fine after he jumped clear, but his trousers and the buggy's bodywork will never be the same again!

Sunday was Captain's Charity day, we will I'm sure have raised many hundreds or thousands of pounds for the Nottingham/Lincolnshire Air Ambulance. I even won a bottle of whisky in the raffle. Less said about the golf the better, to be truthful. I seem to have started pulling the ball to the left. Added to my new problem of slicing drives, and everything's looking like an out-to-in swing issue. Off to the range for me!

Monday is our anniversary. We're celebrating by going off to Abbotsley near Cambridge to try out their Sunday Driver deal. Two rounds, dinner bed and breakfast for £59 a head. Sounds a bargain, let's see...