Weekend Away - Oulton Hall, Leeds - Friday 19 to Sunday 21 July, 2024

Nestled in "God's Own Country", Yorkshire, UGAGB members embarked on their much anticipated annual weekend away at the magnificent Oulton Hall, Spa, and Golf Resort. After what felt like months of constant rain and cool conditions, our three-day event was blessed with wonderful warmth and dry weather. In fact, on Friday, the heat and direct sunshine was overwhelming, and our members certainly knew they had been in a game that day.

Returning to Oulton Hall for our weekend away, we were delighted by the stunning Yorkshire parkland spanning 300 acres made up of 27 holes across 3 loops of nine. The meandering fairways and greens of the Calverley and Hall courses provided a good test for members and guests, with the local church spire rising from the fairways, serving as a helpful marker.

Oulton Hall, a Grade II listed historic mansion, added a touch of splendour to our stay. Previously used as a hospital during World War 1, this four-star country hotel became our base for the next three days. Landscaped gardens and surrounded by the vast golf course, its spectacular setting, combined with good natured, friendly Yorkshire service, gave the competitors the chance to become acquainted, build new friendships, and even stronger bonds.

The competition format over three days was as follows: Weekend Trophy Friday and Saturday and Awayday Trophy on Sunday with daily individual, team events, minor prizes and birdie pool. 20 members and 4 invited guests, including Allan Burns, a familiar face guest at previous weekend events, with Ian Woods, Andy Patchett, and Andrew Glover, who stepped in at the eleventh hour, ensured we had the perfect number of participants for our daily team events.

Players gathered on the Claret Jug’s balcony, overlooking the impressive 18th green, to draw team cards and determine order of play. On Friday the ritual was followed by a parade to the first tee, where everyone gathered to watch the first group tee off. With tension in the air, Graham Meggitt struck the very first ball, setting the tone for the day. His team of aces, Mick Rewilak, Roman Skalsky, and Mick Melnyk, followed suit, each holding their nerve and similarly delivering near-perfect tee shots, what a start! The stage was set – let the competition begin!

The temperature on the course was extremely hot, with the fierce sun beating down relentlessly, reflecting on the scores with only 6/24 players scoring 30+ points. Mick Ling battled the oppressive conditions to victory scoring 36 points and headed to the 19th hole for some much needed and deserved liquid refreshment as everyone exiting the course did.

The President was asked the leave twice… (No not Joe Biden)

Friday evening marked the first of two memorable moments involving our President, Roman Skalsky, within 24 hours. As waitresses served pre-ordered starters, each dish was called out and presented to a diner, however, the last ham hock terrine was unclaimed and returned to the kitchen. Our President, noticing he had no starter enquired about his missing terrine; amid laughter and good-natured teasing from the group, someone joked it was in the bin or consumed by the chef. In a burst of determination, President Skalsky dashed to the kitchen, only to be promptly and politely asked to leave for breaching kitchen protocols. Fortunately, he did receive his terrine, much to everyone's amusement.

After dinner on Friday, it was recommended we visit local pubs selling cheaper cask beers so a dozen or so marched to The Three Horseshoes. On entering, it looked like the horse had already bolted – a handful of locals looked up as we interrupted their quiz night. Out of courtesy, pints were purchased before some decided to continue the crawl to the next pub around the corner, "New Mason's Arms," only to find it was closed, leaving everyone to head back and to bed.

By UGAGB standards, everyone retired early, setting alarm clocks for an early start ahead of day 2 which saw our President being asked to leave a second time. During breakfast in the Calverley Grill, the peaceful morning was interrupted by a fire alarm, prompting everyone, including our President, to vacate the building; thankfully, it was a false alarm and we returned to our breakfasts.

While the weather remained warm, day 2 was cooler, providing ideal golfing conditions with higher scores returned, and exactly half of participants scoring 30+ points. Standout performance came from Paul Killoran, who scored an incredible 41 points, clinching the Weekend Trophy with an aggregate score of 71, 6 points clear of runner-up Mick Ling. Dave Brown was the only player to record a birdie, a putt on the final hole, winning the birdie pool of £48.

On Saturday, we were delighted to see a former member and good friend, Derek Gosling, who heard we were playing at Oulton Hall, took time to visit and reconnect with old friends; his arrival was met with a heartfelt welcome. Members who knew Derek were especially pleased to see him, reminding us of the genuine spirit which defines our UGAGB Society.

Following dinner and presentations, delayed by a steward’s enquiry and score check, everyone decided to remain at the hotel, with some retiring early to bed, while others gathered on the balcony, to enjoy the warm evening air, recalling the day's events over a dram of 12-year old single malt whiskey Andrei Michaluk kindly provided before moving inside to the Champagne Bar for a nightcap and bed.

The final day saw all members compete in the 5th Order of Merit event of the season: The Awayday Trophy. Fatigue from the demanding weekend was evident, with 10 members opting to share buggies to ease the strain. Iwan Kudiarskyj set off with a clear game plan and, as he glanced at his scorecard with a few holes left to play, he could see his strategy was paying off. Could he maintain his consistency for the remaining holes? His card was placed at the top of the pile and once all 24 cards had been reviewed, it remained and he was crowned Awayday Trophy Champion, 2024.

They say, “lightning doesn’t strike twice”, but today it did. Like Dave Brown the previous day, Ashley Sanders was the only person to sink a birdie, winning the birdie pool of £48.

Bringing the weekend’s events to closure, everyone gathered on the Claret Jug’s balcony for the results. The President presented the winners of the day but to everyone’s surprise, one announcement remained secret throughout the event, known only to the committee: a prize for the highest combined score over three days. The suspense was palpable as Mick Rewilak took to the floor to reveal the winner. Fittingly, the mystery prize, a King Cobra driver and head cover prize was presented to Paul Killoran who played consistently throughout the 3 days, scoring a combined score of 101 points.

Paul, on behalf of himself, members, and guests, expressed his gratitude to the committee for their hard work and dedication organising an event that was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Paul's words reflected the collective appreciation for the smooth execution of the weekend and the memorable experiences it brought. His thanks were echoed around the group which made for a fitting end to a wonderful weekend.

The weekend was a resounding success, not only due to the beautiful weather and fantastic company, but the competitive spirit that ran through each round of golf. Of 24 participants, 17 won at least one prize on offer, highlighting the high level of skill and determination displayed by members and guests. The broad distribution of awards and prizes ensured that the competition remained exciting, fostering a healthy competitive spirit. It was this balance of rivalry and friendship that truly made the event memorable and enjoyable for everyone involved.

With the final scores and photographs to enjoy below, I close by thanking each participant for their enthusiasm and sportsmanship, which made the weekend truly special and here's to more enjoyable events and unforgettable moments in the future.

Slava Ukraini! Heroyam Slava!

Glory to Ukraine! Glory to its Heros!

Regards

Graham

Results