A View from the 12th
Fairway Focus - What Happening Around the Club
Weekend Competition – Exceptional Golf Across All Divisions
Another weekend of outstanding golf on the hill, with some truly remarkable scoring across all three divisions.
Division One
Winner – Dan Fitzhugh (42 pts)
Dan produced a superb round, carding a gross 66 to take top spot with 42 points. Chasing him hard were Jason Smith (41 pts) and Luke Blyth (40 pts), both continuing their strong form.
Division Two
A tight affair with some very respectable scoring:
- 1st – Adam Torry – 41 pts (CB)
- 2nd – Damien O’Brien – 41 pts
- 3rd – Steven Lewis – 40 pts
Division Three – Save the Best for Last
It’s often said you should save the best until last, and this week that honour goes to John Lewis. In superb form recently, John has improved in leaps and bounds — and it’s now official: he is no longer the bridesmaid.
John fired a brilliant gross 79 to return an incredible 47 points, storming to victory. Joe Hawley and Ross Brown both carded 40 points to take second and third respectively.
Tales from the Hill – The Case of the Vanishing Tee Shots
Our spies were out again, and this week’s story stars Phil Davies on the 11th.
Phil, not having his best day (but far from his worst), stepped onto the tee with gusto… only to hit the tree at the top of the hill. He and Hywel searched, found nothing, and Phil — like any seasoned golfer — called off the search after three minutes and ambled back to the tee.
His second attempt?
He hit the same tree.
Again.
Another search followed, and still nothing… until Phil spotted his second ball wedged in the V of the tree. A truly unique lie, and a tale that was always destined for the clubhouse.
Hywel and Phil completed their round and retold the saga with the enthusiasm it deserved.
Arthur Prince Cup – Still Time to Enter
There’s still room to get involved in our second draw for partners, the Arthur Prince Cup on the 30th May, played as an American Greensomes.
Go on — get involved and enjoy one of the most entertaining formats of the season.
Plenty more great golf (and great stories) still to come.
Hole‑in‑One Alert – Darren Boyd Strikes on the 16th!
Some moments are worth the wait, and this week Darren Boyd finally enjoyed one of golf’s greatest — his first ever hole‑in‑one, and he did it on the 16th, one of the toughest par threes on the course.
It’s a brilliant achievement and a shot he’ll remember for a long time. The news only reached us recently, but as they say, all good things come to those who wait — and Darren has certainly waited patiently for this one.
He was also quietly delighted that the clubhouse was closed when he returned… meaning he avoided the traditional hefty bar bill. However, tradition still calls, and there’s always time for Darren to mark the occasion with a bottle.
A huge congratulations, Darren — a fantastic milestone on one of Llanymynech’s most demanding holes.
Seniors Update – Week 20 (12/05/2026)
A message from Seniors Captain, Charlie Jones
Senior Captain’s Cup – Results
A brilliant day’s golf for the Senior Captain’s Cup, with three excellent scores at the top of the leaderboard:
- 1st – Gary Carter – 42 pts
- 2nd – Andy Knott – 40 pts
- 3rd – Chris O’Neill – 38 pts (CB)
A fantastic effort from all three, and a special mention for Gary, whose round included 10 pars, 3 birdies, 4 bogeys and just one double bogey — an outstanding card in the tricky conditions.
Next Week – Seniors Open
Next Tuesday is our Seniors Open, and there are still spaces available in both the morning and afternoon. If you haven’t entered yet, there’s still time to get involved.
Summer Knockout
A sign‑up sheet for the Summer Knockout will be going up this week for anyone who wishes to enter.
Raffle Donations
If you have any unwanted wines or gifts left over from Christmas, they would be greatly appreciated as raffle prizes for the Open. Please feel free to leave them behind the bar.
Weekend Competition – Another Fantastic Day on the Hill
Another brilliant day of golf on the hill as we played our third board competition of the year, and taking the spoils this weekend was Alun Lloyd with a superb nett 65. A fantastic round and a well‑deserved win.
Chasing him once again was John Lewis, who must surely be due a victory at some point this season… or is he destined to remain the bridesmaid? Only time will tell. Connor Monk took third place, with both he and John placed on countback.
There was also a little added spice out on the course, as Connor was accompanied by Jake Addis. With the two set to meet in the Jasper Moon, there was no shortage of friendly needle. Connor did point out that, based on yesterday’s scores, he would have beaten Jake 6&5 — but what happens when they finally go head‑to‑head is anyone’s guess.
Club Heritage Project – The Norman Logsdail Jubilee Tray
After speaking with Ian Logsdail yesterday, we’ll be sitting down together to begin documenting the history of the Norman Logsdail Jubilee Tray as part of our wider project to record the story behind each of our club trophies. It will be painstaking work, but we’re excited to uncover and share the heritage of our fantastic club.
Rules Corner – When Two Golf Balls Collide Mid‑Air
Strange things happen on a golf course, and this week our Captain and our most recent Past Captain, Colin Jones, managed to produce something none of us had ever seen before.
As many of you know, Colin has perfected the art of coming in from the 8th fairway to the 7th green — a trademark shot he’s honed over the years. But on this occasion, his approach collided mid‑air with a tee shot launched from the 8th tee. Two balls, one sky, one spectacular meeting point.
So what’s the ruling when two golf balls collide in flight?
The Ruling
It’s very simple:
- You play your ball from where it finishes.
- If it ends up in a penalty area or somewhere unfortunate, that’s just bad luck.
- There is no replay of the stroke.
The Only Exception – On the Putting Green
- If you play a shot from off the green and it hits another player’s ball on the green, the opponent’s ball is replaced and you play yours as it lies.
- If you are putting on the green and your ball hits another ball on the green, you receive the general penalty (two strokes in stroke play).
A rare moment, a great talking point, and a perfect reminder that even the most unusual situations have a clear ruling.
More rules nuggets to come as the season unfolds.
Montgomeryshire League – 2026 Season Under Way
The Monty League 2026 got underway at Welshpool this week, and in a closely fought match Llanymynech were edged out 4–2, giving Welshpool the opening two points of this year’s campaign.
Despite the result, this was a fantastic effort from everyone who represented Llanymynech. Welshpool is always a challenging track, and to push them all the way shows real determination and team spirit.
A massive well done to the players who travelled and competed — a strong start in tough conditions, and plenty to build on as the season progresses.
More Monty League action to come as we move through 2026.
Upcoming Open – Sunday17th May
Members are warmly invited to enter our next Open on Sunday 17th May, a Team of Four AM‑AM.
Entry for members is just £15 per person, and the more teams we have, the bigger and better the prize pot becomes. It’s a brilliant chance to enjoy a relaxed day on the hill, support your club, and take part in one of the most enjoyable formats of the season.
You can secure your tee time directly through the club website, and we’d love to see plenty of Llanymynech teams out there making a day of it.
A great event, great value, and a great day’s golf — get your team together and join us.
Mid Week League – One Quarter of the Season Complete
With five weeks gone, we’re now a quarter of the way through this year’s Mid Week League, and it’s been fantastic to see 115 members take part so far.
Early Leaders
The early pace‑setter is David J. Griffiths, who has put together some very consistent scoring to reach 38 points. Hot on his heels is Nigel Kelton with 35 points, keeping the pressure on.
One to keep an eye on is Euros Gravell. He may not be the most consistent of the bunch, but with four entries already and 27 points on the board, he’s very much in the mix — and capable of climbing quickly.
A Reminder
Remember, it’s your best 12 scores that count. There’s always time to improve, replace a dodgy round, or make a late charge up the leaderboard.
Let’s see who’s in the running once we hit the halfway mark — plenty of golf still to be played.
Preferred Lies – Why They Have Returned
You may be wondering why we have returned to preferred lies and what the process is behind that decision.
Under England Golf’s guidance for Adverse and Extreme Weather, clubs can no longer simply decide to continue with preferred lies beyond 30th April. After this date, if a club believes relief is still necessary to protect the course or ensure fair playing conditions, it must apply to the County for permission to continue or reinstate preferred lies.
Who makes the decision?
The Competitions Committee and the Greens Committee remain in constant discussion throughout the year. Any request for an extension is led by the Greens Committee, whose priority is course protection and playability.
The knowledge and experience of Sean and the Greenstaff are invaluable in making these decisions. Their on‑the‑ground assessment of conditions is a key part of the process.
Current Position
Preferred lies will remain in place until further notice, and we will continue to monitor conditions closely. As always, any updates will be communicated to members as soon as decisions are made.