The Cornawilla Cup!

**The Cornawilla Cup**
1. The Ist tee! 2. The Putting Green! 3. Dan And Ned!
4. Peter: Winner 1999! 5. Dan: Winner 2000!
6. The Presentation!
7. The Aftermath! 8. Ned: Winner 2001!

2002, proved to be the toughest test of golf yet, even though only three combatants could make it - Dan, Peter and Ned. And so it was that at very short notice we decided to compete in The Heart Of Down Golf Tournament centered around the links course at Newcastle's ROYAL COUNTY DOWN GC [venue of the 2002 British Seniors Open], ARDGLASS GC, DOWNPATRICK GC, and BALLYNAHINCH SPA GC - all in County Down wherein also resides the friendliest people on the island Of Ireland!	Before The Fray!
Ardglass: The Awesome 3rd!	The competition consisted of a three day Stapleford event [Tue, Wed, and Thu], with a free practice round at Ardglass on Monday and an added bonus round of golf at Royal County Down on Friday which would also be the Final day of the four day Cornawilla Cup! Ken Posnett did an incredible marketing job; attracting more than 400 entries from ten different countries, and we are all enthusiastically looking forward to competing again next year with the many new friends we made this year! Hello to Joe and Lionel and the gang in Ardglass and Eric and "Dad", the real Eastenders and nature's gentlemen all.
Ardglass on Tuesday proved to be everything a links course should be and Ned was the first casualty with only 20 points playing off a 14 handicap. Peter and Dan had a creditable 29 and 30 points respectively. Consolation was fortunately available in the bar of the Slieve Donard Hotel where Pat the barman, and erstwhile nightwatchman, plied us with brandy and black porter, and regaled us with tales of political intrigue, and the maniacal cunning and sexual prowess of Downmen, until the sun peeped nervously over the Mountains of Mourne. A quick shower and off to do battle at Downpatrick, via Ballynahinch or was it Kilkeel [wrong turns].	The Magnificent Royal County Down!
Vertigo!	Downpatrick on Wednesday turned out to be the pivotal game in the series when Peter defied the Law Of Gravity and shot a phenomenal 40 points to go 8 up on Dan and 16 ahead of Ned. He also won First Visitor's Prize on the day, A beautiful watercolor of the thirteenth hole by local artist Vera McCormick.
Another entertaining night with Pat the executioner, and onward ruefully to Ballynahinch and the final day of the Heart Of Down competition. Peter again scored well despite a Guiness fresh air on the first hole - the result of our extracurricular activities the previous evening but Dan stealthily moved within striking distance again and everything pointed to a close call on our final day's play at the formidable Royal County Down!	The 15th Tee at Royal County Down!
Ardglass Tee-off!	Alas Dan could not take advantage of Peter's poor course management on the day, and it was Ned who tenaciously pulled back 10 points to take the last day handsomely. A tremendous effort on - one of the toughest tests of golf in the world - Tom Watson, but not good enough to prevent Peter from winning The 2002 Cornawilla Cup! Congratulations to a worthy champion and many thanks to all who contributed to making this, the 4th Annual Cornawilla Cup, the most enjoyable so far! And if anyone finds my missing four odd socks I'd be delighted to hear how they got there!