Newspaper Page Text
July 14,2021 AfttiattCC Section B
Loran
Smith
The
Open
There is something alluring about the
Open championship wherever it takes place
each summer. This week for the playing of
the 149th championship, which dates back
to 1860, the Royal St. Georges Golf Club in
Sandwich, England, does not get the high
marks of other Open courses. Certainly
not the venerable Scottish venues.
It was, how
ever, the first club
to host the Open
championship
outside Scotland,
which came about
in 1894. Gary
Player says that St.
Georges is, per
haps, the easiest of
the Open courses
to play but offers
a disclaimer with
regard to the wind.
When the winds are quiet, the course is
relatively tame, but when they rush in from
the English Channel, it can be a different
story.
The course drew signature praise from
the esteemed golf writer, Bernard Dar
win, who wrote: “The long strip of turf on
the way to the seventh hole, that stretches
between the sand hills and the sea, a fine
spring day with the larks singing as they
seem to sing nowhere else, the sun shining
on the waters of Pegwell Bay and lighting
up the white cliffs in the distance - this is
as nearly myidea ofheaven as to be attained
on any earthly links.”
Another esteemed writer had an affin
ity for Royal St. Georges — Ian Fleming,
the creator of James Bond. Fleming was on
deck to become captain of the club when he
died of a heart attack in 1964. He owned
a house in nearby St. Margarets Bay but
joined St. Georges and began playing there
before the start of World War II.
If you saw the movie, Goldfinger, you
may recall the golf match between Bond
and Goldfinger. Many of the scenes ap
pear to have taken place at Sandwich and
St. Georges.
To enjoy an Open championship de
mands that you arrive early in the week and
spend time searching out the environs of
the community. There is much more than
the golf to cause a visitor to swoon. With
Sandwich, one of the smallest towns where
the Open is played, there is abundant con
gestion, owing to the fact that there is but
one road leading from the quaint town —
where fans this week may visit the Sand
wich Town Museum and find an original
copy of the Magna Carter — to the golf
course.
Sandwich, historians say, gave its name
to that staple of food byway of John Mon
tagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich. You now
can find the word sandwich in several lan
guages.
On all previous trips to Sandwich,
there always were multiple stops at the Red
Cow pub at 12 Moat Sole, one of the main
thoroughfares in the charming village on
the Stour River. The fish and chips at the
Red Cow are among the best you can find
in an English pub.
As this is being composed, in my
mind’s eye, I see an attractive young wait
ress, with a generous smile, bringing to my
table a pint of lager. At the bar, an English
gentleman has ordered a Guinness stout.
He is smoking a pipe and his Jack Russell
terrier is cuddled up at his feet, snoozing
away. Such scenes are as elevating as those
you find with the competition at the golf
course.
Dating back to 1978, I began a con
nection with the Open at St. Andrews and
Please see Loran page 3B
By Loran Smith
VST to Swim at State
The Vidalia Swim Team will travel to
Catoosa County this Thursday, in prep
aration for the GRPA State Swim Meet
to be held at Gilbert-Stephenson Park
in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. Prelimi
naries will be held on Friday, July 16 th
, with swimmers age 7-10 competing in
the morning and ages 11-18 swimming
in the afternoon. The top 8 from each
event will compete again on Saturday
for finals and state awards. The follow
ing swimmers make up this year’s state
competition team: Maggie Bowers,
Conley Brown, Reece Brown, Mason
Bowman, Jackson Crawley, Jack God-
bee, Autumn Harris, Carson McLen
don, Ginny Meredith, Autumn Moore,
Easton Moore, Spencer Mosley, Lake
Wright, and Aubree Zorn. They are un
der the leadership of Head Coach Rob
Hilton and Assistant Coaches Cole
Register and Jessica Gordon. We wish
them the best of luck as they represent
their team and compete against some
of the best swimmers from across the
state.
Toombs County and Wheeler County
4-H 'ers Attend Rock Eagle 4-H Camp
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WHEELER GIRLS (CABIN 48) — (L to R): McKenzie Guardiola, Aubree Zib, Raylan Rodriguez, Rozilynn Cox, Payton Campbell and
Bethany Ledford,
After a year without 4-H camp,
campers and leaders from Toombs and
Wheeler counties were able to load up
and head to camp at Rock Eagle 4-H
Center in Eatonton, Georgia. For all
campers, this was their first time at 4-H
camp since all 4-H camps were cancelled
in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandem
ic. In the spring of this year, a plan was
approved by the University of Georgia
to allow 4-H camp to happen following
COVID-19 safety protocols.
To ensure that protocols would be
followed, the number of campers able
to attend was limited and the number of
days at camp was decreased from five to
four. Campers attended activities in cab
in cohorts and, if possible, activities were
held outside. Logistics for camp may
have been slightly different, but youth
still enjoyed many fun activities. Camp
ers participated in games, classes, activi
ties, and watched skits. Some examples
of activities included archery, recreation
al games, lake ecology, arts and crafts, na
tive lore, and a smoothie making classes.
The campers also watched the variety
show and the and Rock Eagle pageant
performed by the camp counselors.
Please see 4-H Camp page 2B
MCHS Eagles had a Busy Month
The Montgomery County High
School Eagles football team had a busy
month of June participating in practices,
7 on 7 camps and working hard in the
weight room preparing for this upcom
ing season.
Head Coach Tim Suttles said, “So
far we have had a very productive sum
mer. We went to Jeff Davis.” and then
hosted a lineman camp for Southeast
Bulloch, Dodge County and Jeff Davis.
We ended out the month with a 7 on 7
and linemen competition at McIntosh
County Academy followed by a stop at
St. Simons Island. The guys have really
been working hard and the attendance
has been the best we have had in a long
time.
“This month our focus will switch
to working on running the ball and team
defense. We return a group of talented
seniors that I am looking forward to
leading the team this season. I can’t wait
for the start of the season and our scrim
mage game on August 6 against Jenkins
County.”