Scott Warren departs

[Mark Chaplin]

Sad day yesterday with a final round of golf with Scott before he departs for a golf trip I mean honeymoon in the US. Whilst we have only known each other for around 18 months Scott has become a good friend and we have enjoyed a few rounds over some lovely venues including Deal where Scott became the quickest new member in recent years (less than a week).

His promise to play maybe once a month on this trip has been well and truely broken and as a result he has met and made good friends with many GCA'ers and club members alike.

Yesterday at Hankley Common it looked like we may dish out a dog licence (7&6) until James Earley shot 69 off 4 with a clutch of >15' birdie putts missed. Scott shot 73 off his Mexican 7 handicap anyone who plays him in the States next week give him no more than 4 strokes!.

I wish him and Kerry well in their travels and return to Sydney and look forward to catching up in March 2010.

[Jamie Barber]

Au revoir Scott

[Mark Pearce]

Not a bad bloke, for an Aussie. 

A shame to see him leave but I suspect our paths will cross again, hopefully in the not too distant future.  I certainly hope so.

[Scott Warren]

Thanks Mark for the kind words (and for facilitating that short 6-day wait between first seeing Deal and becoming a member!).

I'm sad to be leaving, the two years I have spent living in London have been possibly the best of my life.

Two years ago I couldn't have imagined I would get to join a club like Cinque Ports, play 24 of the GB&I Top 100, get married in France or meet so many wonderful guys through GCA.com. It has been a constant case of being amazed by my good fortune.

I'll repeat what I said to Kerry as we packed to move here and she asked if I was bringing my golf clubs: "I may as well. I can take them over for free. I'll probably only play once a month during summer, but still."

Understatement of my lifetime! In the 23 months I have been here I have played about 110 rounds, all bar three of them between Feb-Oct 2009 and Jan-Oct 2010.

Highlights?

Three GCA get togethers at the 2009 Buda Cup, Dornoch in May this year and my stag weekend at Deal a few weeks back. Wonderful golf courses, sure, but the lasting memory of each of those occasions is the cameraderie.

Someone asked me this morning if I could dig up one of the British courses I've played and take it home with me to play every week, which would it be? I thought long and hard about it and I'm inclined to pick Hankley Common.

Hankley has great variety in the par 3s and 5s as well as a brilliant set of par 4s, from the two reachable ones to the brutish 1, 10 and 18. It is hard but not brutal, and in an 800-acre field of heather, it's as idyllic as they come.

Silloth, Deal, The Berkshire (Red) all make strong cases, but I'd have to choose Hankley - and not because I shot the second best round of my life there yesterday!

Funny too how my attitude to golf has changed over here too. No more obsession with comp golf, a match is just as fun - and I even learned to like foursomes!!

Jamie, Mark P: Thanks. It has been a pleasure getting to know you both.

[Andrew Mitchell]

Scott

It's been great sharing some of your golfing experiences with you.

All the best to you & Kerry.

Hopefully we will meet sometime relatively soon.

[Giles Payne]

Scott

It was great to share a few rounds with you (oh - and play some golf!). I hope that life in Aus does not prove to be too much of a shock after your golfing holiday. Have a great time in America - I am sure it will be a struggle ith your planned itinerary.

Stay in touch and all the best

Giles

[John Mayhugh]

You know Scott's departure is a big deal when it gets a post from Giles.

Looking forward to the US visit.

[Robin_Hiseman]

Since Scott put up a post in June 2009 asking if anyone would like to join him for a knock at Painswick, it has been my pleasure to play a whole heap of golf with Scott in the past 16 months.  Without exception, they have all been the greatest fun, often to the detriment of the golf, as we were laughing so much.  Scott's one of the real good guys.  Witty, entertaining, enthusiastic and knowledgeable.  I do hope we'll get a game again in the future, but for the meantime Scott, I hope you and Kerry have the holiday of a lifetime in the US and we all look forward to hearing how you get along at PV and co.

All the best

Robin

[Mark Pearce]

Witty, entertaining, enthusiastic and knowledgeable. 

Isn't that the odd thing, though?  All of that, undeniably, and a journalist too?

I just think the shear pleasure Scott takes from golf (and life itself) is the thing that most strikes me.  His return to Aus (via the golf trip, sorry, honeymoon, of a lifetime) is their gain and our loss.

[Adam Lawrence]

I think my favourite image of Scott is the expression on his face when I told him what the Clos de la Roche we were drinking at Casa Serena was worth. A picture I will never forget.

[PCCraig]

Have a great time on your trip! Any women who lets you play golf on your honeymoon is a keeper!

[George Pazin]

His return to Aus (via the golf trip, sorry, honeymoon, of a lifetime) is their gain and our loss.

Was about to post a similar thought...

Congrats, Scott, have fun with your bride and I look forward to meeting someday for a beer or three.

Thanks everyone for sharing the stories and sentiments, they are a big part of what makes the site special.

[Mark Pearce]

I think my favourite image of Scott is the expression on his face when I told him what the Clos de la Roche we were drinking at Casa Serena was worth. A picture I will never forget.

I wonder if it beat the look on his face when he tried his first taste of the Laphraoig I bought him at the Craw's Nest in Anstruther?

[Scott Warren]

One and all, thanks. The names everyone is seeing above are the blokes who have combined to make the last couple of years so incredible!

Adam/Mark P: One was a look of utter disbelief, the other was the look of a man choking on a mouthful of peat! But I will not forget either moment any time soon. Though I felt much healthier waking up after the red wine than after the malt!

Robin, that's very nice of you to say. Thankfully I am home alone and no one can see mee blushing!

Giles, thankyou, and many thanks for the kicking at Buda last year. It was a great morning - a pair of 78s shot in 2h50m! Now that's golf!

[Simon Holt]

A good man.  Enjoyed your company that day at RC and look forward to meeting again down under.  Have a blast in the US!

[Bill_McBride]

Scott, I'm glad we got to spend some time at Deal, it was great to see you.  Have a great time over on our side and please post some reminiscences of the trip.

All the best to you and your (extremely tolerant) bride!

[Mark Chaplin]

Witty, entertaining, enthusiastic and knowledgeable...

Scott Warren?

I'm pleased my "do you want to play at Pine Valley?" has come to fruition and I'm doubly pleased Scott joins that growing bunch of our Australian friends who had the honour of spending an England Ashes winning summer in London!!

[Adam Lawrence]

Witty, entertaining, enthusiastic and knowledgeable...

Scott Warren?

I'm pleased my "do you want to play at Pine Valley?" has come to fruition and I'm doubly pleased Scott joins that growing bunch of our Australian friends who had the honour of spending an England Ashes winning summer in London!!

And home in time to see us defend them in the Antipodes for the first time in living memory!

<ducks and runs for cover>

[Mark Pearce]

And home in time to see us defend them in the Antipodes for the first time in living memory!

<ducks and runs for cover>

Adam,

If '86/'87 isn't in living memory for you then either you've drunk too much Clos de la Roche and your memory has become impaired; or the years have really not been kind to you!

[Scott Warren]

It's the first time in my living memory I'd say there's a decent chance, Adam. We will see. I still reckon we'll win, but I'm expecting it to be close (althrough we have been widening the gap in recent home series' against England: 3-1, 3-0, 4-0 and then 5-0 last time...)

Bill McB: As it has turned out, my last game at Deal for the time being was that delightful afternoon last month with you, Joe, Craig and Mike. It was such a great day. I was thinking of trying to schedule a hit this week despite bad weather and decided that as far as final memories of the place, I couldn't top that afternoon, so for the time being that is it. I hope we get the chance to do it again some day.

[JNC Lyon]

Scott, how much resemblance will your first trip to the States bear to that of Crocodile Dundee?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01NHcTM5IA4

[Giles Payne]

Scott

I remember that round nearly every time I play - my pitching wedge has a dink in the bottom from playing out of the wild country to the right of the 3rd! I also remember your great advice regarding the lines and the course management - I am sure that I would not have posted that score without it.

what a fantastic round of golf - course, conditions and company all combining to near perfection. cheers GHiles

[Niall C]

Scott

It was great to meet up with you at Dornoch and get a couple of rounds together at Brora. I'm sure when you get back to Oz we'll soon be hearing a lot more about the great courses down under. All the best with the honeyman and trip to the states.

Niall

[Michael Whitaker]

Scotty,

I've enjoyed our adventures:  from our first meeting at the East Croydon station, to our trek north with Andrew, to your final eight-hole loop at Deal, finishing in the dark!

Wish you could have fit a southern swing into your "honeymoon" trip, but, alas, that is your loss!

Travel safe.

See you in Melbourne in February!!!

[James Boon]

Scott,

Ever since the trip to Painswick, that Robin mentions above, its been a real pleasure! I'm especially glad we finally managed to get you down to Burnham & Berrow, aka the poster child for this trip of yours where you were only going to be playing once a month  

Congratulations to you and Kerry! Enjoy your trip to the States (not really a honeymoon, not really a golf trip?) and all the best back down under!

Cheers,

James