It only takes a little distraction to affect one's golf I have found. It may be noise from an adjacent tee, slow play from the group in front, a painful tooth or something more major. Now since June 2016 my golf has been awful and I have been trying to work out what it is that has been affecting it. It may be that it was coincidental with some major event or it may be something trivial like a long e mail from Clive Stone extolling  the virtues of Boris, Govey and the mad doctor. In any event it has affected my golf very badly and when I want to talk about it with fellow golfers on the course , I find few like minded souls who have much sympathy with me. Indeed, when I have made reference in previous Away day reports to a contemporaneous event I have been asked by one or two Stags for the right to reply. As I told them then, they can write the next report themselves, but they soon lose interest. And that seems to be happening more generally now. Faced with events that may affect our future golf prospects (see Summer Away day Report) we seem to be sleepwalking into a self inflicted disaster. However maybe the march on Saturday will change things.But I can't see my golf improving much in the short term. 

 This however does not seem to affect other Stags, many of whom are still playing like 20 year olds. A case in point is Dawdlin. Now he is showing remarkable consistency and has challenged for most trophies this year. In spite of being put last out (to avoid upsetting those following him) off the tenth tee, he seems to continually do well. Maybe it is because he does not drink!!  But that is a big price to pay.

 A case in point was the day out in the Cotswolds last Wednesday. A beautiful sunny day amongst the rolling hills outside Broadway on a course in splendid condition with greens that demanded far more skill than I had, he pulled off yet another win to cement his hold on this year's Order of Merit.

 39 Stags  and friends turned up to play and it was a gorgeous autumn day, so good that the Bard came back from wet Wales to play, however disappointed he was not to play off his welsh handicap.

 Now there are three holes on the front nine at Broadway that bear comparison with any and it was surprising that one of them was chosen as nearest the pin. The 5th is downhill about 180 yards with steep banks on both sides of the green and trees and heavy rough surrounding it.   I have to say I wondered whether any one would get on the green, but one of our bandits managed it and took the nearest the pin prize. Well done to Phil Youett. 

 The other Mr Consistency won the nearest the pin in two shots and managed to come in second overall followed by Mike Gilbey in third place. Neither could get close to Dawdlin however.

 Now I have said before that the numbers attending away days this year has fallen off and this is disappointing, so next year we are dropping one and will see if numbers improve. These away days are also getting a bit dearer so start saving for next years now.

 Full results for the Away day were as follows.  The photos, by the way, are courtesy of Tony Britton and the fellow in the shirt is our very own VC.