Rickg Memorial Trophy 2020

[pokerjoke]

Well done Robin that’s a very good total and going to a great charity.
Would like to congratulate you and all involved in putting on such a good meet.
I’ve really enjoyed your course over the last 3 years and it will be missed,dispute the rain the greens were fantastic and all round the course was in very good condition.
Thanks to my playing partners Pat and Jan who both played really good golf.
Jan hit the first 8 fairways which was a great effort.
Unfortunately my driver was misbehaving and I hit 1 of the first 9.
I’m weak as pee in the rain and in the end just decided to soak up as much water as possible.
Well done to Ben( he was genuinely surprised to win with 36 thoroughly deserved.
Thx to the chef and catering staff who produced a lovely meal and such good service.
See you next year hopefully

 

[grumpyjock]

Well done to Robin for his organisation and all the sponsors for the great effort, Rik would have been so proud for the amount raised.
If the whether was a downer it was only Rik crying with laughter.
Best wishes to all the participants and the winners for their effort.

 

[TreeSeeker]

Absolutely fantastic day, despite the condition and my.... great attempt to win the wooden spoon (must have been close!) i hereby vow to reclaim the title next year!

top organisation, food was fantastic and all for a good cause.

 

[upsidedown]

Very honoured to have my name on the trophy, the putter got hot and used 3 wood and 2 iron off the tee on quite a few holes to keep it on the fairway helped
Top work Robin and CGC , ?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Some fantastic write ups and a massive congratulations to Fish who always worked so hard year on year to make each one bigger and better, raise some great money for a great charity cause and keep the name of the forum legend alive. Definitely looking forward to the 2021 date being announced as I'm determined to make it work in terms of annual leave and get up there to support the next one

 

[SteveW86]

I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting Rick, by the stories I hear he was a great guy and I’ve missed out not meeting him.

Sounds like another great day organised in his memory, hopefully I can be at this day in the coming years

 

[Fish]

Just a very short recap.

3 years I started this, mainly because I believed that Rick deserved a day of his own to be remembered.

I know we have an award in Rick's name that is presented at the Help for Heroes days, but that is more about being recognised as a forumite and their contributions to the forum and H4H's days, but because everyone can't attend those days, for various reasons, I thought a golf day solely in Rick's memory was needed, and so it began.

The first meeting in August 2018 I conservatively set a target of only £750.00, mainly because I just didn't know how the day would be supported, but we raised a amazing £1,252.56 plus gift aid, which took it to £1,543.81.

At least 40 active forum members attended from a field of 48.

The second meeting in August 2019 I upped the target slightly, mainly because I got courtesy of my course and so that would kick-start the donations, so a target of £1,000.00 was set, which we smashed, achieving £1,900.00 plus gift aid, thus a total of £2,265.00 was raised.

Around 20 active forum members attended from a field of 51.

Our third meeting this August 2020 I set a target of £1,500.00, this was before the pandemic or anything about Covid-19 was known. I managed to get courtesy of my course again, but due to all the hurdles being put up, making the organisation much harder, I had huge reservations it would even take place, but it did, and we raised £1,450.07 plus gift aid taking it beyond the target to £1,730.50.

Only 12 active forum members attended from a field of 42.

In total since it's inception, we have raised £4,603.00 plus gift aid, taking it to an amazing £5,539.31.

Whilst we have raised some excellent money for a very worthy charity, I can't help but notice the steady, if not quite dramatic drop in forum attendees. If it wasn't for forumites bringing guests plus members from my own club attending, it would in affect become a non-starter!

Whilst I am obviously biased towards my own course, which I think is always very well presented and a decent and varied test of golf, I appreciate it's possibly not ideal playing the same course every year, but to get a memorial day like this going, keeping costs down to help support the charity more and having somewhere more central, it's what was required in its inception IMO.

It will always be difficult to play at the courses some of you are spoilt in playing, especially in a summer month (August) and keeping it suitably away from clashing with the H4H's meeting, so I have to be realistic in my choice of courses to approach, finding a balance that offers value that everyone is happy to pay for the course chosen, is in a location accessible for everyone, and allows us to raise as much as we can for Karen's chosen and very worthy charity, but most of all, is attractive enough for forum members to easily make the decision to travel & play to remember someone who was instrumental to the forum.....but..... the drop in forum members attending since that first day does give me some concern.

Golf courses across the country have been hit hard by the pandemic, they have all lost essential revenue, not only from their own membership spending in the bars and restaurants for months, but having no visitor green fees also means many will make losses this year and will be working hard next season to recoup those lost revenue streams during 2021, thus finding deals at courses that are more attractive, both as a golf experience and their costs, is proving difficult.

I'm going to take a break from everything for a few weeks as some initial enquiries that were at one stage looking very promising pre the pandemic, have now fallen flat and are no longer achievable, but I will promise you all that the day, if it goes ahead, will not be at my club anymore!

 

[pokerjoke]

I really can’t see the problem being your course it’s actually in a fairly central position.
If you have it in Surrey possibly no-one from up North will come.
I’ve been impressed with your course and the pro and staff have always been very welcoming.
I to was surprised of the turnout from forum members.
I think you have done a great job and everything is so well organised.
Karen is obviously very grateful that you continue to keep Ricks name alive and remembered by the forum.
I believe myself he deserves it.
Unfortunately life goes on and in the present times it’s very hard to commit to all that’s going on.
I’m sure whatever you decide it will be the right decision.

 

[full_throttle]

@Fish, I'll do my best to attend wherever, Rick was a great guy and you are doing a fantastic job arranging everything

 

[chellie]

Robin, we always seem to have a problem with the date. Only reason we can't attend.

 

[Tashyboy]

Had the same questions posed to me when I have arranged the golf day for the pit lads. Why have it at Norwood, my home Course. Bottom line is it easier to arrange it there. It is a fair challenge and is cheap enough. I looked at going to Sherwood but at £80 a man plus food and prize money. I was told point blank, the day is all about the lads meeting up. Not so much about the golf, and certainly not £100s worth. It is the same with the Rick charity meet. I actually think 12 forum lads turning up In Covid year is a good turnout. Ours has been cancelled this year. Ave been asked to run it In September if possible but I am loathe to do it as the average ex miner is now around 60 yr old. It’s just not worth the risk.
I shouldn’t be beating myself up if I was you, this year has been atrocious for charities and fund raising and Karen’s chosen charity has £1,700 it would otherwise not have.
Keep it at your course and well done.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

I was at the first one and the one last week
Think that they are great days, for a very worthy cause, in memory of a really good friend.

I also noticed the drop off in forum members and apart from Covid, I think that there are several reasons for this

1, The date is in the middle of peak holiday season, I know its a date close to the anniversary of Rick's passing, but its quite close to H4H too

2 and probably a bigger issue, is that the forum, by nature, has a fluid membership, people come and go, there will be many on here now who weren't around when Rick was posting,never met him or played with him
The number of regular posters on here who knew Rick is reducing every year, so it is natural you will get a drop off

Robin, you are doing a fantastic job of keeping Rick's memory going and I will certainly be there next year, if I can, wherever the venue

Shine On Rick

 

[Crazyface]

Things can be difficult to get people to attend. We (Bar and me) would have loved to attend but were over at Woodhall Spa. It's great that you put yourself out to organise such a fantastic event and I hope that you don't get to upset about "forum members" not attending. I found that we were left in the cold last year (not by you) and only really spoke to the really nice fella we were playing with.

Chin up. It's been a tough year all round. Next years event will be just as good. I for one would like it to stay at your place.

 

[upsidedown]

Pokerjoke and Phil have summed up pretty much my thoughts, you are doing a fantastic job keeping Rick's memory alive and nice as it is being as close as possible to his passing maybe look at seeing how much interest there is in the forum if you went say a month earlier?

 

[Deleted member 1740]

Robin, well done for raising an incredible amount of money over the last few years, it's a great achievement.

For me personally,for a variety of reasons, it's a toss up between your day or the H4H day.

As you know Rick was incredibly passionate about the H4H day and imo is the perfect day and a fitting tribute to remember Rick and carrying on his legacy.

Good luck with the future event though.

 

[Old Skier]

No problem with your gaff @Fish lovely course and an excuse to come up north and get my winter w out.