Boundary Lakes 5 – Romsey 1

14 points – 4 points | 4 wins, 2 halves, no defeats

Twenty-four hardy golfers battled through miserable weather and heavy traffic to reach Boundary Lakes for the latest Winter League encounter with Romsey. A hearty breakfast provided some much-needed comfort, although the general mood was probably best summed up by, “Do we really have to go out in this?”

JMK, chirpy as ever, promised to ask the greenkeepers to turn the sprinklers off. Unfortunately, nobody had thought to have a word with the chap upstairs. Welcome to the Winter League!

Once proceedings got underway, however, the Lakes boys soon forgot about the weather and set about giving Romsey a rather damp afternoon.

Glen Filer and John Knight got things rolling with a 4&3 victory. It was nip and tuck through the front nine, with Lakes just one up at the turn. Then Glen decided enough was enough, rattling in birdies at 10, 12, 13 and 15. Four birdies in six holes! Apparently, he’s found the secret to winter golf. Perhaps someone could persuade him to share it.

Sam Heal and Phil Lambden clearly hadn’t read the script, finding themselves four down after just five holes. Most pairs would have started thinking about lunch. Not these two. A succession of pars turned the match completely on its head, the deficit disappearing by the 11th before they marched on to a remarkable 4&2 win. From four down to four up. That’s quite some turnaround, and probably left the Romsey pair wondering what on earth had just happened.

Meanwhile, Cookie and Greg Wallace were in no mood to hang about. JMK, passing Cookie searching for his ball somewhere high and left of the 12th tee, casually announced, “We’re dormy seven!”

Yes, dormy seven. Not a phrase you hear every day!

The eventual 8&6 demolition secured the day’s sweep and possibly a place in the record books. Even more remarkably, there was apparently just one birdie between them. Who needs birdies when you can simply win everything else?

Geoff Gregory and Dave Carey were equally businesslike. Romsey managed to win just one hole all morning as the Lakes pairing cruised to a thoroughly convincing 4&3 victory. No drama, no fuss, just another three points in the bag.

With four wins secured, the remaining two matches provided rather more entertainment for anyone whose nerves hadn’t already been shredded by the weather.

Mark Hannah and Paul Reeves found themselves four down playing the 11th, thanks in no small part to Romsey’s Jeff Gorecki, a Boundary Lakes marshal who really ought to know better! Jeff had already rattled in birdies at the 3rd and 4th and a par at the 6th, clearly forgetting which side of the county border his loyalties should lie.

Fortunately, nine shots didn’t translate into nine winning holes, and the Lakes pair fought back superbly, taking the 11th, 12th, 14th and 16th to get within one. Jeff pinched the 15th for good measure, but a Hannah birdie at 17 kept the contest alive. A clutch par at the last and a Romsey putt that lipped out, completed a magnificent recovery and secured a half. Another comeback worthy of applause, even if Jeff might find himself on marshal duties somewhere a little further away next time.

Finally, John Blake and Jeff Rowlands were involved in a proper arm wrestle, with the two sides separated by more than one hole on just a single occasion. Arriving at the 18th one down, a conceded par for Blakey, gave the Lakes another hard-earned half.

So, after all that, four wins, two halves and a thumping 14–4 victory. Not a bad return for a morning that began with everyone questioning their life choices over breakfast.

Next up is Meon Valley, visiting the Lakes on Monday 19 October. JMK has promised there’ll be no delay announcing the team and will apparently be working late into the night to have it ready by tomorrow morning. Such dedication. Either that or he’s discovered the heating in his office is better than in the rest of his house.

The league table is expected after the Meon match, once all clubs have completed four fixtures.

An 8&6 demolition, two extraordinary comebacks from four down, and not a single match lost. The weather did its worst, Romsey gave it everything, but the Lakes simply refused to be beaten. Fourteen points, six unbeaten pairs and a performance that will take some topping. Now that’s how you make a statement in the Winter League!