2004 IRELAND
July 25th - 31st
Balbriggan Golf Club
Seven competition rounds, best 6 to count 
Click to see the photos of 2004
   New! The Ballad of Balbriggan 
   New!Videos of 2004! 
 - Peter's Hologram-winning swing 
 - Peter in a giant bunker 
 - Left-legged Richard! 
 - Richard - a tricky driving hole 
 - Nick's winning swing 
 - Nick's winning putt 
After the match in England, 2001, we said "this will be unbeatable as the closest year ever". Well this was overstated since in Ireland this year the battle for winner and second place, as well as for third and fourth place, all went down to the 18th hole. The Celtic Cross went to the final game, the Hologram Man went to the last par 3 on the final round, and the 150th game trophy went to a committee rules decision.

After uncomfortable years in heat and drought, we benefited from the decision to move to more the more temperate climes of Ireland where we found ourselves confronted with an outstanding and challenging golf course as well as accommodation with self-contained table-tennis, pool and darts. As course organiser for the year, David couldn't have arranged it much better!

It clearly suited Nicholas, who, after 19 years in the golfing wilderness, took the Rees Trophy and the Celtic Cross for the first time ever, as well as scoring his first eagle. He carried off the Fionn McCool as a bonus. But he had to fight: with only a 3-shot lead over Richard coming into the last round, and memories of losing in Portugal in 1986 from a similar position, Nicholas finished with a par 5 down the 18th to win by three shots. At the same time David, standing level with Peter on the 18th tee, took a birdie 4 down the last  to hand the wooden spoon to Peter.  Peter, however, was two points up in the Celtic Cross and odds on for victory, until the only possible winning result worked for Nicholas, as he won the final game of Yahtzee, with Peter coming last, to take the Celtic Cross by a single point.

The 19th playing of the Rees Trophy brought up 150th round. The commemorative trophy for this went to Peter with 32 points in game 4, after the committee decided not to impose a two point penalty for initially playing his tee shot off the 18th from the wrong tee! A tough decision for the committee (the other players), as Richard had scored 31 points and Nicholas 30. A fine demonstration of the ‘spirit of the Trophy’ being alive and well!

David once again won the Dunlop ’65 trophy - but only by 2  balls over the week. The Fionn McCool was never threatened on this tough golf course after an outstanding 41 points from Nicholas on the first day – one of only 3 of the 28 scores that were better than 36 points. On the same day Richard posted an 85 gross to David’s 87 to take the Wooden Chap – these scores were never threatened over the rest of the week.

From the gales of Wales in 1985 to Irish breezes 20 years on,  the Rees Trophy goes from strength to strength – and it will be hard to beat the overall quality and enjoyment of this great week in Ireland. To be sure!

PRACTICE  (TEXAS SCRAMBLE)  HIBERNIAN  (Silloge)  25.07.04
RICHARD and NICHOLAS thrashed DAVID and PETER by 7 and 6!
Richard & Nicholas finished par 71, David and Peter finished +5 on 76.
(See Texas Scramble rules and handicapping)

ROUND 1    BALBRIGGAN        26.07.04  WINNER RICHARD
NAME
H'CAP
S'FORD
RESULT
CUM
BEST 7
NEW H'CAP
RICHARD
16.3
 38 (85)
-2 
-2 
-2 
15..9
NICHOLAS
25.6
 29
 +7
 +7
 +7
 26.3
DAVID
11.5
 32 (87)
 +4
 +4
 +4
 11.9
PETER
18.8
 34
 +2
 +2
 +2
 19.0

ROUND 2  BALBRIGGAN     26.07.04  WINNER NICHOLAS
NAME
H'CAP
S'FORD
RESULT
CUM
BEST 6 
NEW H'CAP
RICHARD
 15.9
29 
+7 
+5 
-2
16.6 
NICHOLAS
 26.3
 41
 -5
 +2
 -5
 24.3
DAVID
 11.9
 34
 +2
 +6
 +2
 12.1
PETER
 19.0
 31
 +5
 +7
 +2
 19.5

ROUND 3   BALBRIGGAN 27.07.04    WINNER DAVID
NAME
H'CAP
S'FORD
RESULT
CUM
BEST 6 
NEW H'CAP
RICHARD
 16.6
31 
+5 
+10 
+3 
17.1 
NICHOLAS
 24.3
 30
 +6
 +8
 +1
 24.9
DAVID
 12.1
 35
 +1
 +7
 +3
 12.2
PETER
 19.5
 28
 +8
 +15
 +7
 20.3

ROUND 4   BALBRIGGAN 28.07.04    100th Rees Trophey round.  WINNER PETER
NAME
H'CAP
S'FORD
RESULT
CUM
BEST 6 
NEW H'CAP
RICHARD
 17.1
31 
+5 
+15 
+8 
17.6 
NICHOLAS
 24.9
 30
 +6
 +14
+8 
 25.6
DAVID
 12.2
 25
 +11
 +18
 +7
 13.2
PETER
 20.3
 32
 +4
 +19
 +11
 20.7

ROUND 5   BALBRIGGAN 28.07.04      WINNER NICHOLAS
NAME
H'CAP
S'FORD
RESULT
CUM
BEST 6 
NEW H'CAP
RICHARD
 17.6
30 
+6 
+21 
 +14
18.2 
NICHOLAS
 25.6
 27
 -1
 +13
 +6
 25.2
DAVID
 13.2
 20
 +16
 +34
 +18
 14.2
PETER
 20.7
 27
 +9
 +28
 +19
21.6 

ROUND  6  BALBRIGGAN 29.07.04    WINNER  RICHARD
NAME
H'CAP
S'FORD
RESULT
CUM
BEST 6 
NEW H'CAP
RICHARD
 18.2
34 
+2 
+23 
+16 
18.4 
NICHOLAS
 25.2
 26
 +10
 +23
 +13
 26.2
DAVID
 14.2
 29
 +7
 +41
 +25
 14.9
PETER
 21.6
 20
 +16
 +44
 +28
 22.6

ROUND 7  (FINAL) BALBRIGGAN 30.07.04   WINNER RICHARD
NAME
H'CAP
S'FORD
RESULT
CUM
BEST 6 
NEW H'CAP
RICHARD
 18.4
31 
+5 
+28 
+21 
18.9 
NICHOLAS
 26.2
 31
 +5
 +28
 +18
 26.7
DAVID
 14.9
 29
 +7
 +48
 +32
 15.6
PETER
 22.6
 28
 +8
 +52
 +36
 23.4

RESULTS
NAME
RESULT
BEST 6
FINAL HANDICAP
NICHOLAS
 1
 +18
26.7 
RICHARD
 2
 +21
 18.9
 DAVID
 3
 +32
 15.6
 PETER
 4
 +36
 23.4
FIONN MAC COOL (Net Score)
 Nicholas 41
Richard 38
David 35
Peter 34 
WOODEN CHAP (Gross Score)
Richard 85
David 87
Nicholas 93
Peter 93
CELTIC CROSS
Nicholas 29.5
Peter 28.5
David 27.5
Richard 24.5
ECLECTIC (Par)
David -3 
Nicholas and Peter +3 
Richard +4 
DUNLOP 65 (lost / OOB balls)
 David 6
Nicholas 8
 Peter 13
Richard 14
HOLOGRAM MAN (par 3s)
Peter 56
David 55
Richard 54
Nicholas 43
OTHER
RICHARD
NICHOLAS
DAVID
PETER
Par
30
18
30
23
Birdie
0
0
4
1
Eagle
0
1
0
0
Sandy
2
1
1
1
Grass ferret
1
1
1
1
(The Pig is held by Peter)
top of page
 
 
 

The Ballad of Balbriggan

The Rees Boys on tour
In 2 0 0 4
The cares of the world are forgotten!
It's golf with a smile 
On the Emerald Isle
At Balbriggan, Balbriggan, Balbriggan!

By way of preamble, 
I'll start with the scramble
The twins foresaw quite easy pickings
But at windy Silloge 
Dick and Nick, cheeky rogues,
Went 2 under - they gave them a licking! 

Then back to the farm 
With an excellent barn
For pingers and pool and some darting;
An excellent ruse -
They saved on the booze
Paradise! - and the week only starting!

The Rees Boys on tour
In 2 0 0 4
The cares of the world are forgotten!
It's golf with a smile 
On the Emerald Isle
At Balbriggan, Balbriggan, Balbriggan!

On the Balbriggan course 
There was golf of all sorts
The 'gimmes' weren't given for nothing!
The greens were quite tricky
Except for old Nicky
Who eagled the 2nd - what putting!

You had to be strong
And hit the ball long
And play with a swing like A. Palmer!
At the 1st and the 2nd
The out-of-bounds beckoned
Dick drove 14 balls to the farmer!

The Rees Boys on tour
In 2 0 0 4
The cares of the world are forgotten!
It's golf with a smile 
On the Emerald Isle
At Balbriggan, Balbriggan, Balbriggan!

Now Nick came with a plan
To win the Grand Slam
To-be sure, he knew how to surprise us! 
Not just there for the beer
And to give us good cheer
He walked off with most of the prizes

His golf swing was great
So he won the main plate
The trophy has got a new holder!
We thought that he’d lose
But his week was a cruise
In future he’ll be even bolder!

The Rees Boys on tour
In 2 0 0 4
The cares of the world are forgotten!
It's golf with a smile 
On the Emerald Isle
At Balbriggan, Balbriggan, Balbriggan!

Behind champion Nick
In  2nd was Dick
Who wasn’t entirely unhappy
Though he’d reached his peak 
Early on in the week
85 was enough for the ‘Chappie'!

David had little chance
Left his swing back in France
His golfing was really quite hectic!
But he played down the last 
With a real touch of class
To take 3rd place and also th'eclectic!

The Rees Boys on tour
In 2 0 0 4
The cares of the world are forgotten!
It's golf with a smile 
On the Emerald Isle
At Balbriggan, Balbriggan, Balbriggan!

When accepting the 'Spoon'
"I'll improve my golf soon"
Said our Archivist, Pete, sounding canny.
The par 3's went to plan
(He won Hologram Man)
But he also went home with the Fanny!

So please raise a glass
And drink to what passed
Next year we get nearer to heaven! 
Get those trophies engraved
And your golf money saved
In ’05 we’re all off to Caernarfon!

The Rees Boys on tour
In 2 0 0 4
The cares of the world are forgotten!
It's golf with a smile 
On the Emerald Isle
At Balbriggan, Balbriggan, Balbriggan!

Dynamo