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TSG is a National British Champion at the British Par 3

TSG Tees off on the biggest round of his career watched far left by Jim Lilly

as you can see this goes straight down the middle leaving a twelve footer for

a birdie a great start to Round 2

The highlight of my Golfing year is always my week visit to glorious Nailcote Hall home of the British Par 3 Championship. This fun filled four day festival of golf features celebrities from stage screen music and the sporting arenas, pr golfers of the eniors and PGA Tours mingling with amateurs attempting to tame this 1100 yard nine hole beast of a course. THE CROMWELL at Nailcote. Mingle in TV coverage over 5000 spectators. It is a mesmeric golfing experience.

A blue outfit but not a blue day watched by peg leg another green hit

by THE SG on the way to a massive twenty under













This year, I had spent the 8 weeks leading up to the competition playing my local 9 hole course par 29 at Potters Wood in Wigan. This having Ideal practice facilities, 7 fine par 3s and great greens, I had never approached this event in a better physical or competitive state.



Watched by an expectant crowd TSG moves to 14 under






The BP 3 has 3 seperate events running during the week. On Tuesday a Celeb -Am where a celeb golfer joins a 3 man team in a 18 hole stableford competition. This year A Social Golfer Team of TSG, Roger Hurcombe along with his new artificial leg in tow and The ledge Steve Skitt, Davenport Ladies Driving Champ, more at home on these smaller holes and finally TSGs great buddy on the celeb tour fine golfer, entertainer and gentleman CLIVE ABBOTT of The Black abbots fame. In this event Clive was awesome, he played level par ( $ under his handicap) and Roger with no hinderance from his new pin... not far behing shooting 59... Fair to say TSG and The Ledge bit part players but who contributed big time on hole 9 each round. We scored twenty under for 92 points finishing joint first. A great start to the week.

TS sinks a 8 footer to tie at twenty under

Days 2 and 3 feature the main event, The Pro Competition and the main Pro Am Competition, this year competing for A weeks All INCLUSIVE for two to MAURITIOUS and The Prestigious HALLIWELL CUP for the winning Amateur. I had been delighted this event had accepted my offer to present the PGA Trophy used at our previous MRC Events which due to economic pressures had ceased. I had been originally paired with Phil Golding who dropped out to play in the Trilby Tour. Fortunately for me he was replaced by in form Midland Euro Pro Tour Champion Simon Lilly. On Day one Simon posted 1 over but as a Team thanks to my play behond my handicap resulted in a team score of 6 under. We were eclipsed by our playing partners on the day Mark Mouland, 2008 Champ here and leading after day 1 with a splendid 5 under and teenage prodigy and fine young lady 14 year old Charley Hull. What a talent this girl his. They posted 9 under. On day 2 , we were the last of the mid morning starters to go out and Simon stated quite clearly his aim was to set a target. We played really well to post 14 under. With his great encouragement, super putt reading by both Simon and his father Jim and Matrons calming influence, despite the pressure MY GAME STOOD THE TEST AND I posted 6 net birdies during the afternoon. We were as they say the club house leaders and suffered a three hour wait whilst the afternoon starters went out, bit of luck it began to piss down, my rain dance behind the 7th green working well. With Team Mouland and Marshall both on the 1th Tee on 13 under it really was a thrilling end as both also were only one adrift of Richrd O Hanlan in he pro event, sadly for them but not for me they could not fnd that elusive birdie and Team Lilly, win the Pro Am...... Yes Matron and I are off to Mauritious and guess who is the first winner of the HALLIWELL CUP... can you Adam and Eve it.

TSG receives The Halliwell Cup from Golfing legend Tony Jacklin and TV
Announcer moves in for Sky Sports Interview.









Its Green for Go, Another outfit leads to another Trophy.





The final day saw another celeb team event were I was invited to play in Martin Laings Team with nice guy Jim.... I was surprised just how nice and genorous these two Scots actually were and local Midland Crowd favourite fine guy great comedian and great company Mr Jasper Carrott. Jim really carried our team and we finished on 7 under surprisingly again in the places tied 3rd..... completing an unlikely treble of places in the weeks golf for IAN HALLIWELL Amateur Champion, THE BRITISH PAR 3...

BUNKER PLAY at The B P 3

First hole at Nailcote 125 yards, raised Green, deep bunkers, an Idea of how treacherous this Championship Course can be......... The Pro's after 36 holes will be delighted with Level Par, this gives an idea why. I hope to have many videos and pics from this year competition available daily from 11th August.

Here I slightly pull a 9 Iron into the left hand trap then as you can see have a bit of a problem, still I escaped with a 4.

this Years BP 3 at Nailcote Hall, 11th to 15th August 2010.... www.britishpar3championship.co.uk hosted Again by TONY JACKLIN>

THE BUSINESS END of the SEASON

August is my favourite golf month.......... not only is it the British Par 3 championship but also the 2nd Major on the Edwin Watts Tour back in Florida and now the month for the Florida Open for disabilities, into September and its The Celeb Event for my good friend Footballer Frank Worthingtons Charity and ending with the Annual trip to Tenerife for the JR Classic and WILD GEESE Charity Event. Then into October were I am spoiled for choice..... will I have picked up enough points to go to Hilton Head for The E Tour American National finals or will I head off to South africa for The Barney Barnato, not a bad consolation. I do feel like a Touring Pro this time of year, living out of a suitcase, passport in hand, clubs in travel case, I cant wait....

But it all starts at home with The British Par 3 at the magnificent Nailcote Hall from 11th to 15th August on SKY TV as well.... 2 celeb Events and the National 2 day 36 hole Championship. In the Pro Am last year, with a fine pro and gentleman Andrew Collinson, we finished 5th out of 64. Looking to go better this time.

Colourful, picturesque, immensely different and difficult, THE BP3

On the following Monday, Karen will accompany me back to Florida to play in the major at Mission Hills. This is a course new to me but very highly rated. I will need my a game in this two day event but I have finished 2nd and 3rd on Tour this year so I know what is needed. A top two place should ensure I'm back at Hilton Head for the Nationals.

hope I don't meet this guy again in Carolina at Hilton Head.

From there we will head down the Atlantic Coast to Palm Beach and the former Ryder Cup Venue at The PGA West, this year host to the Florida Open For Golfers with Disabilities. There I will meet up with many old acquaintances, particularly my owd mucker Charles Brugh as I attempt to retain the trophy.

with the impressive Florida open Championship Trophy.

Following my return, A social Golfer Team will return to West Midlands Golf Club to try and improve on our 3rd Place last year in the Frank Worthington/John Lowe Celebrity Classic. This fine course as a Sawgrass Type 18th as its signature hole and is a fitting location for such a prestigious event.

Steve, Tom and Ralph, hope there not all blaming each other this year.

The final hole in front of the majestic modern clubhouse..... 154 yards all carry and The Social Golfer nailed it last year and won nearest the pin.

The end of the month and I will head to Tenerife to play in a couple of events in this sunshine paradise in the Canary Islands.

The 18th at Los Americas, a fine risk and reward par5 again in front of the splendid Clubhouse, one of the best on the Islands
In 1998 The Social Golfer wins The Wild Geese Charity Event and Tsg team won the team prize. I have not had much success in The JR Classic finished 6th last year and looking to improve on that.

November and December will bring some much needed R and R and some serious book writing for the next Book...........LIVING THE DREAM...............

THE 2010 SHOW-AM Celebrity Classic at Henley on Arden

The TSG with the magnificent Houseman Trophy
previous celeb winners include Footballers Alan McInally, Johnny Giles, Tony Green, Tony Hateley, Frank Worthington and David Fairclough. From Snooker, Mike Hallett, boxer Pat Cowdell, Cricketer Dermott Reeve and TV Star Jasper Carrott and now joining this illustrious list THE SOCIAL GOLFER

I was fortunate enough to have been asked by Mr Des Blee to attend the above event as a celebrity with a 3 man team representing the Social Golfer ETHOS. With this in mind I put together a cosmopolitan 3 ball to join myself , from all over the UK. From Shropshire came my long time buddy and golfing legend, Steve Skitt, winner of the Davenport ladies long driving contest in 2008. From Brighton, I brought up Roger Hurcombe representing my support for golfers with disabilities and finally I invited Rich Poore from Oxford, my good friend who has played several times with me in Florida but this was to be our first knock in the UK together. joined by our good ladies for the weekend and culminating in a gala black tie evening meal and with Cancer charities benefiting, I approached the event with a certain degree of optimism as I knew my colleagues were all capable of shooting low.

The competition hosted by the magnificent Henley in Arden Country Club, a fine example of an English Parkland Course. It was in very fine condition, played very fairly until the heavens opened, luckily for us but not the teams with later tee times, we had reached the 16th. Our Team played superbly as a fourball, recording just one score of under 5 points at the short par 3 twelfth were my ball disappeared from next to the green! Roger an amputee following a major car accident in which he lost his leg, played a superb round, particularly the first nine when often his was the par that scored big. On the second nine big Ric started keeping the ball in play and with his awesome length ripped the par 5s apart. Skitty and I chipped in were needed and we accumulated 95 points with some ease. In an 18 team competition we finished 12 points ahead of second and clinched this prestigious event.

Pictured...........second left.... BIG HITTING RICH, Then THE LEDGE SKITTY, TSG, ROGER the Star Hurcombe........ with cup and superb crystal wine glasses as a permanent memento.

a small gap over July to get in some serious practice for the busiest month of the year in August were TSG attempts to better last years 5th place in the Televised Sky Sports British Par 3 Championship, then immediately off to Florida for the Summer major on the Edwin Watts Tour at Mission Hills, this is followed by my defence of the Florida Disabilities Open this year being held at the formidable exhilarating PGA headquarters at Port t.Lucie, playing the PGA which has hosted a Ryder Cup in its past. I cant wait..... more success I hope.

THE FLORIDA SWING

Having won the Edwin Watts Tour spring Major at Southern Dunes last year. I had planned my spring season around a defence of this title to be held at Grande Pines just off the famous International Drive in Orlando. The whole trip was more difficult than I had imagined as this venture I had to go solo, matron deciding after our 3 month road trip she had done enuff flying.

Grande Pines, those pesky bunkers cost me

Grande Pines was in pristine condition, the best of the 4 courses I played on this trip. Weather was scorching and despite an horrendous start to my last round when only trailing by two from class leade James Rearden, I tripled 1, 2 and 3 and at the turn was 8 adrift and tied 6th, when I put together a fantastic last nine which took me on to the brink of a play off with a putt on the last to force a tie with James. Still a spirited defence, a worthy winner and I shall return in August for a tilt at the Summer Major at Mission Inn, followed by my defence of the Florida Open at PGA West Palm Beach, former host of a Ryder Cup. Hopefully a reasonable place here will ensure with my two seconds so far, enough points to qualify for the Nationals at Hilton Head Again for a second tilt at The Biggest Crown on the E Tour Amateur circuit.

Harmony, superbly designed and maintained, must play if in Orlando

I also played on trip two of the renowned courses in Orlando that had so far over the years eluded me. Royal St.Cloud and Harmony Golf Preserve. both south East of Orlando along the famous US 192, so very handy for most tourists. I am pleased to report both are very fine tracks and should be on any visitors itinerary if visiting he land of Mickey.

Royal St Cloud 27 linksy style holes of great design and quality

Thoughts now turn to home, sadly because of my ewtour commitments it appears I may not be able to play in this Years Peoples Open, the final being in August when I am due back in Florida. I deeply regret this the opportunity to play at St.Andrews being one I had wanted to have a go at. Fortunately I will be able to return to the British Par 3 the week before I fly out to Florida. Strongly confident of going even better than my fifth place in the Pro Am last year.

My next outing sees me in the midlands at Henley in Arden playing as a guest celebrity in THE SHOW AM Charity Classic in a Social Golfer 4 man Team. Wish us Luck!!!!!!!!!!!

STROKE AWARENESS PLEASE READ

Blood Clots/Stroke - They Now Have a Fourth Indicator, the Tongue I will continue to forward this every time it comes around! STROKE: Remember the 1st Three Letters.... S. T. R. STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a woman stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) .she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Jane went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening Jane's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Jane passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Jane would be with us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR . Read and Learn! Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions: S *Ask the individual to SMILE. T *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. It is sunny out today.) R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS. If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher. New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue... If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke. A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved. I have done my part. Will you?

ACT FAST....................... face, Arms, Speech............ Lisa Burke did and I am evidence of the above