I MAY have only played in the event twice, but the Basingstoke Town players and staff golf day is fast becoming one of the highlights of my golfing calendar.

Not only does it give me the chance to get to know the players a bit better in an informal setting, but, for once, I am not the worst player on show.

It’s a mixed bunch. A few of the players are keen golfers with low handicappers, others play, but not so frequently, while a large portion come to the course having barely picked up a club before.

This makes for some hilarious moments, with air-shots, duffs and plenty of shots played using the ‘leather wedge’ – but it’s all good fun.

I was placed in a fourball with Kieran Maylan, an up and coming defender who is also a pretty mean golfer, manager Jason Bristow and chief (only) scout Peter Gray.

Jason and Peter are of a similar standard to me, though I must admit that they play far less regularly, making for an interesting three-way tussle.

I got off to a pretty good start, making par at the second hole, but my game fell apart towards the end of the front nine, with an eight and a nine creeping onto my card, the latter after I took five from just off the green, smashing a chip right across the putting surface before putting back to where I had come from.

As a result, just four shots covered the three of us at the turn, with Peter leading, one shot ahead of me, with Jason a further four back.

Peter fell away, his normally reliable 3-wood letting him down, while Jason came storming through on the back nine to draw level with me on the 17th. A pair of sixes on the par-5 last ensured a satisfactory draw on 101, by no means the worst score of the day.

Elsewhere, it was all fun and games. One of the most entertaining players to watch was striker Jordace Holder-Spooner, who provided several air shots and other moments of hilarity but was unfortunate to be pipped to the longest drive prize by Kieran.

Another highlight of the round came on the seventh tee. Kieran hit a fantastic 3-wood, almost reaching the green 317 yards away.

“You should give up football,” I said. Sadly, my comedic genius was followed by a terrible duffed tee-shot of my own.

“You should stick to writing,” was Kieran’s dry reposte. Don’t think I haven’t considered it!

John Boyman

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