Status: Completed

News and information from this event

Bandits in Scottsdale Nov 20th - 28th 2004

In the end there were only 7 of us on the trip to Phoenix - Peter Featherstone, Stan Chicksand, Vip Khanna, Mike Warnes, Mike Wooding, John Woollatt and Me!

All but Mike Warnes went from T4 at Heathrow by BA non stop to Phoenix on Sat 20th Nov and Mike W joined us from the Big Apple on Sunday.

We were all a little apprehensive as to whether the Hotel would be OK - it was only £373 for the week with single rooms! The Hilton Garden Inn in Scottsdale was fine, right in the centre of Scottsdale, nice clean rooms small by USA standards but large by UK standards and the service was excellent all week.

We played 7 rounds of golf at McCormack Ranch, Raven, Troon North, Grayhawk (both courses), TPC and Sunridge Canyon. It was a bit difficult to choose, as there are 200 golf courses in the Phoenix area! As can be seen from the photos on the web the courses were SUPERB!

The weather started cold - we were all wearing all the clothes we had and the Drinks Buggy Girls were wearing woolly hats and fur gloves!!! We had heavy rain (unusual for the area) one night and for part of the following morning, which produced much despair among the Bandits! There was even talk of going to Las Vegas for the evening - however following a visit to a huge golf store the sun came out and all was well! The rest of the week got better and better and the sun and 70F brought out the shorts!

We ate well all week at a variety of restaurants all managing to squeeze in to the Mini Van for transport although by the end of the week it became more difficult!

There were a number of shopping expeditions and there was talk of getting BA to put on an extra plane for the trip home!!

Mike Warnes won the week by 2 Stableford points from Peter Featherstone.

Apart from a very long wait for the luggage at Heathrow the flight home was uneventful. All agreed it had been a great week. 12/04 RJF