Seniors Tour at The Nottinghamshire

Captain David Barlow on the first tee with Rob Ebsworth, Jack Shepherd and Graham Berry

Twenty-seven of John O'Gaunt Senior Section's finest gathered at The Nottinghamshire Golf Club for three days and two nights of golfing fun.

The event, organised by Barry Donovan, kicked off on the Championship Course playing individual Stableford but with hidden teams of three.

After Day One the leading team consisted of Rob Ebsworth, Michael Newstead and Paul Jones.

The best individual score was recorded by Tony Phips with 37 points.

Nearest the pin was Jack Shepherd.

Keep reading this blog for results as they happen

First Day winners of the hidden teams: Rob Ebsworth, Michael Newstead and Paul Jones

 

Jog Seniors at home to South Beds Tuesday May 19 2026

 

Captain David Barlow and organiser Chris Dennis with their South Beds opponents

Barry Donovan and Paul Hammond with their South Beds opponents

Organiser Chris Dennis reports

The start of the day was wet and overcast but hopefully it was going to brighten up and Captain David would continue his winning streak of match wins.

In the first match myself and David knew it was going to be a challenge to win as we halved the first hole in birdie 3s against South Beds Captain Simon and his partner Andy. The match continued to be close until David, who played very well with pars on holes 6 & 7, took a 2-up lead at the turn.

The weather did brighten up and fortunately for us Simon & Andy didn’t capitalise on their chances on the back nine, so David and I triumphed on the 15^th hole (another par from David!) and the first match win for JOG with a 4 & 3 result.

The second match of the day also went our way with Paul & Barry winning 4 & 2. Although I was told later by our opponents it was Paul’s endless dad jokes that wore them down. (a tactic I understand Paul uses to great effect).

Now we were comfortably sitting in the clubhouse waiting in anticipation for the remaining match results, but we lost matches 3 & 4. A JOG win in match 5 (Steve & Michael dovetailing well) and a loss in match 6 meant we were tied 3 all.

Captain David was now looking a little nervous that his winning ways were possibly coming to an end but up stepped his namesakes David Trotter (who played out of his skin) and David Tamsitt with their able partners Algy and Jeff both with stonking 5 & 4 wins a piece, so the overall match was won by JOG 5 & 3.

South Beds captain Simon’s speech after our lunch was very complimentary about the course and meal and how enjoyable the day had been.

Match results:

#1 David Barlow & Chris Dennis – WON 4&3

#2 Paul Hammond & Barry Donovan – WON 4&2

#3 Steve Luckman & Nigel Underwood – LOST 2-Down

#4 Graham Gadson & Gavin Little – LOST 2&1

#5 Steve Mathers & Michael Newstead – WON 4&3

#6 Paul Jeeves & Tony Walters – LOST 2-Down

#7 Algy Grimes & David Trotter – WON 5&4

#8 David Tamsitt & Jeff Thompson – WON 5&4

Nearest the pin prizes were Paul Jones (South Beds) and Algy Grimes (JOG)

Harpenden Common at home May 12 2026

 

Seniors Captain David Barlow and organiser Peter Imray with Harpenden Common opponents

Organiser Peter Imray reports

On a cold, overcast, but thankfully not overly wet Tuesday morning, JoG's Seniors finest gathered together to do battle with Harpenden Common on Carthagena. The course had improved with the rain of the previous few days but not sufficiently to belay a request to the club's powers-that-be to allow us to offer pick and place on the fairways for this match only.

 The match as a whole was tight in most of the games, and was perhaps best epitomised by the pairing of Jed Isbell and Steve Luckman versus Rex Mayo and Steve Torrance from Harpenden. Starting on the 17th, and virtually playing off scratch - both Jed and Rex received a mere single shot - the home pairing quickly went into a one hole lead and took advantage of the Arctic Training Ground that is Carthagena's 1st tee, to go two up by the second. Warming up processes didn't take that long however, since Harpenden won the 3rd and the 6th to peg it back to level, then quickly consolidated by using their one shot on the 7th to good advantage to go one up. The 10th saw a further Harpenden advance to go two up, and they were still two up standing on the15th tee, with only two holes to play. Jed and Steve rallied however and won both the 15th and 16th holes, to tie the game and earn a crucial half point.

 A very evenly matched handicap fourball, producing a very tight game, with the overall match also proving to be tight. JoG emerged as 5 games to 3 victors however, to continue David Barlow's fine winning run, and despite he and his partner's struggles with personal form, further proof (if proof were needed) of his inspiring leadership!

 

Results

David Barlow and Peter Imray lost 3 and 1

Paul Jones and Jeff Thompson won 5 and 4

Barry Donovan and Tony Thurgood lost 2 down

Tony Lloyd and Tony Walters won 3 and 1

Neil Pinnington and Richard Cobb won 4 and 3

Jed Isbell and Steve Luckman halved

Tony McLean and Rob Ebsworth won 2 and 1

Paul Hammond and Paul Jeeves halved

Group 2 with Jeff Thompson and Paul Jones

Group 3 with Barry Donovan and Tony Thurgood

Group 4 with Tony Lloyd and Tony Walters

Group 5 with Neil Pinnington and Dick Cobb

Rollicking roll-up - Thursday May 14

 

Steve Hobbiger and Richard Newman stand in front of the Carthagena 9th green after both played an extraordinary hole in Thursday's roll-up.

First on the tee was Steve, whose best drive of the day, at 263 yards, was so long that it annoyed the group in front. Their hand gestures, even at that distance, were unmistakable!

Next up was Richard who lost his footing, did a Scottie Scheffler pirouette, and sent his flying a good yard further. Fortunately the group ahead had moved on and were unaware of the second bomb coming their way.

This left Hobbiger and Newman a wedge into the green. Steve's was dead straight into the middle of the green, Richard's in the left rough. 

Richard played next, sinking the chip for a birdie 3 and whoops all round.

Not to be outdone, Steve drained his putt for another birdie 3. Four points each!

Then for an apology to the offended group standing on the 10th tee. "It was Tony Lloyd's fault," said Steve. "He told me I was good to go!"

We kept our distance after that ... until the 16th when Richard unleashed a five iron from 20 yards behind the tree. I can't make the green, he said, as his ball flew all the way to the centre, causing further distress to the group in front. Patience was wearing thin for Chris Roy, Rafe Bateson, Phil Bateman and Mike Etwaroo, whose body language made this perfectly clear.

"It was Tony's fault", they were told again!

This was turning into quite the duel, with Lloyd and Newman two shots ahead on the 18th tee.

Queue mis-hits from both, leaving Hobbiger and his partner Daniel Emkes to snatch the two points back and seal a draw on 41 points each -still only good enough for joint second place.

The winners on 42? Peter Sweeney and David Tamsitt.

Editor's note: the blog should not be condoning dangerous play. Don't do it again!

Seniors v Saffron Walden Away May 13 2026

 

 

Organiser Michael Newstead reports

The easterly wind that has dropped the temperature considerably over the past few days was still blowing and rain was in the forecast when 16 of John O’Gaunt’s finest set out to face the redoubtable Saffron Walden team. Five groups heading for the 1^st tee, three to the 17^th.   As always, the greenkeeping staff presented their course in immaculate condition and with fast, tricky greens.

First match out was the two Captains and their match Organisers and the game did not start well for the JOG pair who were four down after six holes.  Things did then look up somewhat and we finished the first nine just two back.  The 10^th saw the Saffron Walden pair surge ahead once again, only to be pulled back to two ahead after hole 12 and one ahead after the 13^th. A magnificent par on the difficult stroke index one on the 15^th, by Gary McSwan of Saffron Walden increased the lead once again. JOG was now two holes adrift, with three holes to play and things were not looking good at all. But, dear reader, you shouldn’t doubt the resilience of our team, and standing on the 18^th tee, the match was all square, and with a brace of pars, and the threatened showers just starting, that’s how the game ended.

According to his playing partner, Tony Goodson had an outstanding round of golf and can be credited as a major contributor to the 2-1 win they put on the score line.   Sadly however, no credit can go to Tony, as his playing partner, (yes, you know who you are), thought he was playing with someone called, “Dave”, so I guess it must be, “Dave,” who gets all the credit.   Authors note – we did have three Davids playing, but not a single, “Dave,” anywhere in sight, nor did the opposition!

Now, as to the score:

Match 1 – Tie

Match 2 – 2-1-win Saffron Walden

Match 3 – 5-3-win JOG

Match 4 – 2-1-win Saffron Walden

Match 5 – 1 up win JOG

Match 6 – 2-1-win JOG

Match 7 – 4-3-win Saffron Walden

Match 8 – 1 up win JOG

RESULT – JOG win 4.5 to 3.5.

Peter Imray carried off the bottle of wine for nearest the pin on the 7^th hole, beating Captain David by just a few inches.

Our hosts were gracious in defeat, and we are all looking forward to the return leg on the John O’Gaunt Course on 11^th August.

A lovely meal of cottage pie with fresh vegetables followed by pavlova with macerated fruits concluded a good day for John O’Gaunt, so our thanks go to the catering and house staff.

 

 

Minutes of the Seniors Committee Meeting May 7 2026

 

Present: David Barlow (DB), Terry Domagala (TD), Algy Grimes (AG), Jonathan Lean (JL), Tony Lloyd (TL), Nigel Underwood (NU), Warren Churms (WC) Dave Wood (DW) Steve Mathers (SM) Barry Donovan

 

1 Minutes of last meeting accepted with no matters arising

2 Captain’s Report (DB)

A short report, blending in elements of what I know as a Director.

We appear to be progressing in a positive direction.

The matches have all gone well, in spite of some very average golf from yours truly. We have just been on the wrong side of a couple of very close matches against Cambridge Country Club (home) and Aspley Guise (away).

Participation levels in competitions and matches should be picked up in the respective reports of Nigel and Algy. From my perspective, it all seems to be going well, but I know that all the administrative hard work is done for me by the committee and match organisers.

Round Up.

·       A number of small cash donations from the PACF (Pauline Aubigne Community Fund) have been made. Typically £50. We have £2,100 available for good causes this year.

·       The Captains’ 54 Hole Longest Day Golf Challenge is set for Sunday 21^st June. The fundraising push will start very soon.

·       Refurb of the Visitors Changing Room is underway. New carpet coming. New ceiling tiles. Refurb of the benches. A graphic ‘wrap’ / wallpaper is going to be instated too (Kevin Diss).

·       House and Social Committee are working on:
New coffee machines.
Social evenings e.g. a Race Night. Stacy the singer, the Soul Man.
Entrance lobby

·       Car park signage might be coming soon! Finger signs at least. I’m working on this in my capacity as Estates Director.

·       Repurposing of photographs and pictures from the Archive & Memorabilia Project to decorate the clubhouse.

·       A complete review of all the security provision and response arrangements is underway  in light of the Pro Shop break in.

·       There has been no meeting of the Golf Committee
There has been a discussion on marshalling so far and the need, perhaps, to establish more clearly the 1^st tee queueing / waiting protocols.
Perhaps Jonathan can update on this?

·       A working party led by Graham Leith is working on a Water Conservation & Provision Project to try to come to a recommendation that will sustain the long-term watering of the course.

·       Did you know?
To water both courses takes around 25,000 cubic metres of water a year. We are allowed to draw approximately 9,000 cubic meters from the brook and the rest comes from the mains supply at £1.15 per cubic metre.

The test irrigation of the 4^th hole on Carthagena will provide important data about the possible amount of water we will need to water the fairways of Carthagena. A lot.

·       Top dressing for the putting green on Carthagena delivered. The green itself will not be ready for putting on until next year

·       There is going to be a review of ball collection arrangements, particularly at the weekends when it becomes the responsibility of the Pro Shop, not the Greens Team. The Greens team do a 6.30am collection of balls, the pro shop don’t, which is why we sometimes run out of balls at the weekend, especially on busy competition days. The purchase of a caged vehicle to collect, so we can collect without closing the range, might be on the cards. This will mean the pro shop can collect balls during ‘trading hours’.

·       Bag Tag project progressing well. A site survey has taken place to determine the practicalities and locations for the course monitoring stations. There will be 6 on each side. The ones on Carthagena will be all battery packs as there is no power over there. On JOG, the stations will be ‘wired’ to existing power supplies e.g. at the 4^th / fountain.

 

3 Vice Captain’s report (TD)

TD had sent a sympathy card on behalf of the Senior Section to Helen Schumann following the sudden death of Nick as well as a get well soon card to Bill Walker who is recovering from a back injury.

Following a qualifying roll up when a card was not attested on IG, organisers to be requested to keep all cards for a couple of weeks in case they are needed.

TD had started the ball rolling on Senior Captain’s Day

4 Treasurer’s report (BD)

Cash position at end of April is £6726.81 up slightly from £6440.52 in March Competition and Match income and expenses are now beginning to flow. So far things are looking fine . I will review in more specific detail next month once more transactions have taken place during April Tour Prize costs were incurred - but covered fully by the Tour budget. Book keeping is transferred to Spreadsheets from Manual ledgers . This provides more flexibility in providing ongoing analysis of Income and expenditure- particularly when Matches and Competitions start. The learning process will hopefully help the ultimate transition to an online accounting package - probably in 2027. No action yet on New Bank account other than a cursory glance at the Market options. Not enticing me yet ! Competition summaries - number of players and prizes - would be useful to get these going again. Our Card machines have yet to be used . We could do with a set up & training session.

Barry gave a brief update on the Seniors Tour to the Nottinghamshire which is progressing well.

Action point: Agenda item for the next meeting and a tutorial for committee member on how to use the Sum Up machines.

5 Secretary’s Report (TL)

Two more clubs have agreed match dates with us so I am now waiting for just six clubs to confirm. I will chase them up, but they all work to different timetables so I am not concerned.

As requested at the April meeting, I have contacted Richard Westergreen-Thorne about how to reach out to potential new seniors. As a result of our conversation I have penned a brief description of senior section activities and Richard is to include this in the next Club Round-Up giving my details as point of contact. This, plus the occasional new member induction meeting, should keep us on top of things.

I have contacted Nigel Tarn thanking him for sorting out the match tee times on IG and offering to do this ourselves moving forward if he shows me how to do it!

I have also contacted Nigel with a view to myself and David B meeting with him to discuss potential dates for our 50^th anniversary event. We are due to meet the day before this meeting so will update you on the day.

I have signed up one new member – Ian Smillie – who came to the roll-up last Thursday.

I sent out an invitation for those no longer wishing to receive the newsletter to contact me. So far two members have asked to be removed from the mailing list as they no longer play. I also had a couple of replies telling me how much they enjoy the newsletter. Nice.

 

6 Competition Secretary’s Report (NU)

Three competitions have taken place since our last meeting ;

·       Prostate Cancer Day on April 13^th, won by Paul Fletcher and Nicola Hunter with 44points from Jed Isbell and Stephen Richardson (42) and Ian Riches/Andy Brown (41). Almost £7000 was raised for the charity and the club featured prominently in the Prostate Project national newsletter. Former Luton Town player, Mick Harford, is involved with prostate cancer charities and plays golf.

Possible guest invite for next year?

·       Ken Robinson Scramble on April 28^th, won by Phil Bateman, Algy Grimes, George Burnham and Peter Sweeney with a nett score of 50. Six teams then tied on 53, fortunately IG was able to sort countbacks.

·       The Annual Medal and Jubilee Cup on May 5^th. The Annual Medal was won by Keith Garden, playing in his first Seniors competition, with a net 63, from Eric Macintyre,66, and Paul Dobson, 67. The Jubilee Cup, stableford, for players receiving 20 or more shots on playing handicap, was won by Gerry Degaute with 36 points from George Simmons, 35 and Peter Harvey, also 35 on countback.

Early starters in this competition were unable to enter the Away Day without doing so from the course (entry opened at 08.00 and was full before noon). I have checked all remaining competitions this year and have changed two entry opening dates to avoid this. I propose that, from next year, ALL competitions will open for entries on Mondays (one day earlier than the norm at present) so that cannot happen.

 

Next up are;

Rex Cleaver Championship Trophy, on June 23^rd which opens for entries on May 26^th,

The Annual Stableford on July 7^th, which opens for entries on June 2^nd and

The Reg Batson Medal Trophy on July 14^th (invitations will be issued after qualifying events.)

 

I have added a rule to the knockouts paper presented to the last meeting (see below) clarifying that replacement players are not allowed once the draw has been published. I have had 3 such queries this year.

 

Two major events are just beyond the horizon; Member and Guest Day on July 28^th and Senior Captains Day on August 4^th. The former needs planning but can be managed by one person, the latter most definitely cannot!! Next agenda please.

                 GREEN TILLEY (SINGLES) AND FOURSOMES KNOCKOUT RULES.

1.      Seniors  knockout competitions are played over 18 holes on the 2/3 ball course of the day, with sudden death if the match is tied after 18 holes. The handicap calculator facility within IG can be used to work out strokes given or received. The winning player/pair must record the result within 24 hours of completion of the match.

2.      Once the draw has been published, changing or replacing a team member is not permitted.

3.      Both players/pairs are equally responsible for deciding dates to play matches. In the case of difficulty agreeing a date, please contact the Competition Secretary well ahead of the round deadline. Recognising that unpredictable situations will arise, extensions may be granted (usually up to one week). Every effort will be made to find a mutually agreeable date.

4.      Should this prove impossible, one player/pair may feel it appropriate to stand down. If not, the Competition Secretary, plus at least one more member of the Senior’s Committee, will adjudicate.

Action point: Senior Captain;s Day and Member and Guest Day arrangements to be discussed at the next meeting

 

7 Match Secretary’s Report (AG)

Now having played 5 matches it is middle of the table form, W2 D1 L2, plenty of matches to change our fortunes though.

We now have 61 entrants signed up, so that gives a good pool to call on.

Thanks to all who are stepping up to play following withdrawals, some are late replacements.

 

Most matches have healthy numbers for Tranche 3. Brocket Hall away has 3 Jokers signed up in a total of 20, this will mean 8 will be disappointed. Other matches are CCC away 22 a change from the home match, Leighton Buzzard away only 17, Letchworth home 21, Northampton away 21 we will be having a meal after the match this year, St Neots home 19. Tranche 3 sign up closes on 22^nd May.

 

Links being lost is still a bit of an issue, a few continue to ask for it.

 

8 Cost of matches

A discussion was held on a suggestion put forward to the committee that we charge entrants more for away matches than home matches.

Action point:  Barry to investigate the options and report back to the next meeting. Agenda item in June

9 Marshals and starters

JL  gave an update on marshals and starters taking place mostly on Saturday and Sunday mornings as well as random weekday evenings. All seems to be working well.

10 Trophy Custodian’s report (DW)

Insurance Audit Process

Insurance audit now completed and all trophies apart from the Ken Robinson Scramble are stored in the Trophy Store. The winners of the scramble have been allowed to take the trophies home on a 3 month about basis. I believe that the trophies have less chance of being stolen if we continue to allow winners to take them home.

Bailiff (Spring Stableford Trophy)

Gordon Goodchild has paid for the Trophy, which is now engraved ‘Gordon Goodchild Stableford’

It is now ready for presentation following the competition on 20^th October 2026.

I have offered Gordon the possibility of presenting the trophy following the competition. He informed me that he would be ‘chuffed and honoured to do so’

Gordon has offered to purchase 6 keepsake trophies to present to the winners of the trophy over the next 6 years. I did not give him the go ahead as I did not want to create a precedent for other competitions. I would appreciate the committee thoughts on this.

 lt was decided that we should decline Gordon’s kind and generous offer as it would not be fair to winners of our other competitions, and we do not wish to create a precedent.

Baz Backhouse trophy

Trevor Darrington returned the trophy to the club on his return from holiday. Mrs Darrington has kindly repaired it, making it safe for presentation for at least another year. Jim Kerr will be taking the trophy away to assess the possibility of a more permanent repair.

Unfortunately, the black box which has been used to securely hold the trophy has been lost. This may have happened after it was presented to Trevor at the Xmas Fayre. I will attempt to source a replacement.

Swap Days

Swap day 2026 – Stoke Rochford Golf Club 5^th October 2026

Confirmed at both clubs and in respective diaries.

I have arranged a meeting with Darrell Knight (Organiser) for 26^th May 2026 to kick off the arrangements between the two clubs. Darrell has booked a tee time at 0900 for myself and A N Other to join him and A N Other for a round of golf prior to the meeting.

Darrell informs me that the Stoke Rochford contingent will be travelling by coach to John O’Gaunt on the day. I spoke with Gordon prior to his departure and he has advised that this is something for me to arrange with Richard, our handyman, closer to the date. I have made a note in my diary to this effect.

Swap day 2027 – Essendon Golf Club 11^th October 2027

I have established contact with Simon Harden their organiser, confirming the date and inviting meetings at both clubs to kick off the arrangements. I have not yet received his reply so will send him a reminder.

Pending clubs for Swap Day

The Bedfordshire

This club would welcome a swap day in 2028. They are suggesting a split swap with them visiting JOG on a Monday whilst we visit their club on a Wednesday. I will welcome the committee’s views on this as it presents a move away from previous swap days.

Brickenden Grange

Awaiting reply from this club with regards to 2028 and beyond

Spalding

Interested in a swap day 2028 and beyond

Wellingborough

Interested in a swap day 2028 and beyond

I will maintain contact with the organisers in order to keep their interest fuelled.

Full Historical record of Seniors Competition and Honours Board winners.

I am now in possession of three spreadsheet lists of winners dating back to the start of the recognised Seniors’ Section in 1977. My thanks go to Wendy, and Algy for sending me their lists. I now have commenced with the task of marrying the lists into one spreadsheet.

Some of the lists are incomplete, and listed in differing order which means that I will have to take care to ensure accuracy. The task is therefore “work in progress”.

11 Away Days (SM)

Past Captains Away Day at Rutland Water GC all arranged with 12 players paying £50 each

Arrangements also in place for the Senior Section Away Day at Rutland Water on September 3 with 40 entrants paying £45 each.

Action point: TL to include newsletter item on how to pay via bank transfer,

A further discussion was held on venue options for the 2027 Away Day.

12 Committee Away Day

A discussion was held on a possible committee away day (max 24 players) at Royston GC to include breakfast and golf. Invitations to be extended to roll up organisers and match organisers. TD to investigate further.

13  50^th anniversary celebrations

DB and TL had met Nigel Tarn to discuss arrangements for a special day to celebrate the Senior Section’s 50^th anniversary in 2027. The plans so far involve a nine hole golf competition on Aug 13 2027 with tee times between 11am and 2.30pm to accommodate around 100 entrants. This to be followed in the early evening with a barbecue and entertainment. DB to investigate possible 70s cover band and/or disco.

14 AOB

None

Dates of future meetings

Thurs June 11

Thurs July 2

Thurs Aug 6

Thurs Sep 10

Thurs Oct 8

Thurs Nov 5

Thurs Dec 3

Tues Jan 5 

Tues Feb 2 AGM tbc

 

Carthagena practice green takes shape

March 16 2026: trees are cleared from the area between the 18th green and 1st tee

April 9: tree roots cleared and the outline of the green can be seen

April 30: topsoil is brought in

May 5: the green takes shape

April 12: More topsoil delivered

The new practice green on Carthagena has been a major undertaking for the greens team and will be ready to use next year. Keep watching this post for more pictures as the work progresses

Carthagena bluebells

 

I noticed on Tuesday that the glorious display of bluebells between the Carthagena 17th  and 18th were past their best. So here are a couple of photos I took between April 9th and 14th to remind you of this annual wonder

Annual Medal and Jubilee Cup May 5 2026

 

Seniors Captain David Barlow presents winner Keith Garden with the Annual Medal Trophy

A full house of 102 seniors played for the Annual Medal on a dry and sunny Carthagena course.

There were some interesting scores on the first hole - more of that later. 

Four entrants scored nett 67 or less. Commiserations to Ian Maddison (nett 67) who just missed out on a podium place on countback.

In third place, also on 67, was Paul Dobson. Runner up on nett 66 was Eric McIntyre, but the clear winner, on nett 63, was Keith Garden playing in his first seniors competition.

The winner of the Jubilee Cup for the best stableford score for those receiving 20 shots or more, was Gerry Degaute on 36 points. Runner up was George Simmons on 35 and in third place was Peter Harvey also on 35.

Two players had unfortunate starts but hats off to them for perseverance. One took 14 on the first hole and another took 16 despite driving the ball straight down the middle. Bunker trouble was behind both their woes.

There followed in the clubhouse a discussion on the meaning of schadenfreude - roughly translated as deriving pleasure from other people's disappointments.

One man who rarely has a bad day is Andy Brown. His back nine was flawless. See screen shot of his score below.

Thanks as ever to organiser Nigel Underwood for whom it was a very long day - and he didn't even get to play!

Raffle prize winners, who each get £10 credit on their pro shop accounts, were David Price, Peter Salmon, Neil Pinnington and Peter Jarman.

The result shook up the Golfer of the Year Award, with Ian Maddison moving to the top of the leaderboard and pushing Len Greaves into second place. See the top 10 places below. You can find the full list on the club website under Competitions/Ongoing/Order of Merit or clicking on the link below.

Senior Section Golfer of the Year 2026 :: John O'Gaunt Golf Club

Friends present "El Sweeney" with sombrero

 

When you are a high handicapper on a roll you soon find out who your friends are! The popular Peter Sweeney found out the hard way after his recent run of success which included first place in the Ken Robinson scramble and a runaway win in the Aesopians Golf Society. Turning up for Thursday's roll-up, Peter (handicap 31.5) was surprised to be presented with a sombrero by Dave Hooper. He took it in good part, even teeing off wearing the hat on the Carthagena 1st. Fortunately for Peter, he didn't win the roll-up!

"El Sweeney" practising in his early days

Ken Robinson Scramble April 28 2026

 

Seniors Captain David Barlow presents the Ken Robinson Trophy to winners Algy Grimes, George Burnham, Peter Sweeney and Phil Bateman

Runners-up Derek Weller, Richard Newman, Geoff Elcome and Jan Olsen-Williams

Third place: Alan Curtis, Rafe Bateson, Warren Churms and Stephen Foster

The shortened 4th hole due to installation of fairway irrigation

The two-day heatwave was just a memory as 84 Seniors took to the cold and windy Carthagena course to compete in the Ken Robinson Scramble.

Scoring was close as 12 groups, each made up of four different handicap levels, came in with nett 54 or better. 

But one group stood head and shoulders above the rest with Algy Grimes, George Burnham, Peter Sweeney and Phil Bateman recording a nett 50.

The nearest contenders, on nett 53, were Geoff Elcome, Richard Newman, Jan Olsen-Williams and Derek Weller.

In third place, also on nett 53, were Rafe Bateson, Warren Churms, Alan Curtis and Stephen Foster.

The course was shortened slightly because of fairway irrigation work on the 4th, leaving a wedge to the green from the temporary tee. A number of groups took full advantage by playing the hole in two.

With a two-tee start most groups stayed on in the clubhouse for lunch and the presentation.

Raffle winners were Clive Thompson, David Howley, Fred Williams and Peter Jarman who each get £10 pro shop credit on their accounts.

Nick Schumann R.I.P

There was a hushed and sombre atmosphere in the clubhouse as Captain David announced the sad news that Nick Schumann, who was due to be playing in the competition, had passed away suddenly the day before.

Nick was a long-standing and popular member of the Senior Section and will be greatly missed. 

Nick Schumann receiving the Martin Ives Memorial Shield from Bill Walker in 2021

Seniors away to Aspley Guise April 23 2026

Ortganiser Warren Churms reports

It was a cold but sunny start which greeted the 16 travelling John O'Gaunt Seniors at the very picturesque Aspley Guise & Woburn Sands Golf Club. The objective was simple - play like we did at home and try to repeat an excellent win. Conceding 121 shots to 44, this was a challenging task.

So, donning sweaters until the temperature warmed up, the John O'Gaunt team lined up determined to focus on the job in hand. With a two-tee start, similar to our own at home, the 1st and 17th holes lay in wait.

Once again, as organiser, I paired the teams as closely as possible in handicap and managed to keep the same pairs as for the home game, by and large. My gratitude to Tony Thurgood and Tony Goodson for stepping in as subs.

Captain David Barlow set the ball rolling with a great drive down the first fairway, which helped secure a half against dangerous opponents who combined canny local knowledge with some huge drives of their own. The greens were hard and fast and the fairways cleverly sloped, so you had to be careful in picking your lines. This caught us out a couple of times but - in a very tight match - we managed to reach the turn all square after falling behind initially. The golf was very good with five birdies shared in these first nine holes.

With the signature 10th hole closed (we halved it in threes!), we moved ahead on 11th with a par before a long putt for a birdie by David on the 14th extended the lead. Another captain's par saw us go "dormie 3" on the 15th and we felt comfortable. Dangerous! Conceding a shot on the 16th, we lost to a nett birdie by their captain, John Morley, who was playing a lot better than he did at JOG. He then parred the 17th for us to go "dormie 1" and feel slightly nervous. On the 18th we all hit good tee shots but the Aspley team used their knowledge of the green to good advantage and just pipped us to halve the match. A fair result and friendships cemented in glorious sunshine.

In other news, Chris Saunders had a cracking round, conceding 20 and 26 shots to the opposition and going round in three over par, including three birdies. Ably supported by Nigel Underwood, they managed to halve their match, despite the shots deficit - a fine result.

In the third match from the first tee, David McNair and Jack Shepherd once again found themselves in a tight match against the same pair they played at JOG. Three up with four to play, they once again found Mac McGregor from Aspley Guise in fine form when it mattered to scrape a half on 18th. Another close match with some excellent golf meaning the first three matches were halved.

Dave Wood and Terry Domagala kept up their burgeoning relationship with a fine 2-up victory. This pair dovetail very well and have a promising future together.

After a worrying start when their Aspley Guise opponents scored two birdies and a nett birdie in consecutive holes, Neil Pinnington and Steve Mathers turned on the after-burners to win 5&4. The same result as the home match - a fabulous performance.

Unfortunately, some very strong opposition performances scuppered us in the matches that started on the 17th tee. This was despite David Tamsitt starting with a birdie on the 17th. Three heavy defeats left the final score Aspley Guise & Woburn Sands GC 4½ John O'Gaunt GC 3½.

So credit must go to our opposition for their efforts in sneaking past us after we took the honours at home. The course was in fine condition and has some wonderful views. I think we probably struggled a little on the greens, as they were undulating and fast, giving a definite home advantage which proved crucial. This was exemplified by not a single JOG name appearing on the Nearest the Pin challenge! Is that a first?

After a few refreshments and furthering of friendships, Captains David Barlow and John Morley praised each team for a hard-fought tussle and the catering staff for a wonderful meal of roast pork followed by lemon meringue pie with raspberry coulis. This was a really good day out with an exceptionally friendly team who fought hard but fair to pip us on the day. I really look forward to doing it all again next year.

Thank you all for your efforts.

Individual Results

David Barlow and Warren Churms TIED
Chris Saunders and Nigel Underwood TIED
David McNair and Jack Shepherd TIED
Dave Wood and Terry Domagala WON 2up
Steve Mathers and Neil Pinnington WON 5&4
Algy Grimes and David Tamsitt LOST 5&3
Anthony Thurgood and Paul Life LOST 6&4
Trevor Darrington and Tony Goodson LOST 6&5

Aspley Guise & Woburn Sands GC 4½ John O'Gaunt GC 3½.

Seniors at home to Cambridge Country Club April 21 2026

 

Seniors Captain David Barlow and organiser Dick Cobb with Cambridge Country Club's
 Richard Ricketts and Captain Keith Barton

Organiser Dick Cobb reports

Where to start? It was my first bash as an organiser of a Club match and I was keen to get it right for Captain Barlow so the first thing to get on point was to make sure he had his favourite meal - chicken and chips. Don't worry about the golf!

The next issue was to get a full team for this match. Due to numerous good reasons I had a churn rate of about 40%! So many thanks to the guys who jumped in to save my bacon . 

 Also Cambridge Country Club had their problems too, including their Captain who two days before fell over and head butted a door! So Keith Barton stepped in to great effect. The joys of Senior life!

 As far as the golf is concerned it was a great day - well almost. The Sun shone, the course looked great, but alas we lost.

It was very tight but we lost 5 games to 3. So close in fact that four games were decided on the 18th and two on the 17th.

So our Captain's run of two wins and a draw comes to a close, but not without a good fight. Well done to everyone .

 Graham Berry, who has never got up so early for a long time to play in the match, was rewarded with a bottle of wine for nearest the Pin on 16th!

If you are tempted to be an organiser, my advice is just do it. I found testing but rewarding! It was Richard Westergreen-Thorne's last weekly blog a few months back when he was looking for help. He wrote "come and help -  don't leave it for somebody else to do it".  Wise words.

Full results:

David Barlow and Dick Cobb: Lost 1 down.

Dave Woods and Graham Berry:  Lost 6&4

Trevor Darrington and David Price: Lost 1 Down

Tony Walters and Algy Grimes: Lost 2&1

Barry Donovan and Paul Life: Won 3&2

Nigel Underwood and Rob Ebsworth: Won 1 up

Paul Dobson and Daniel Emkes: Won 2&1

Stephen Mathers and Gavin Little: Lost 1 Down

Overall result: CCC 5 - JOG 3

Seniors at home to Wellingborough April 14 2026

 

Seniors Captain David Barlow and organiser Paul Jones with their Wellingborough opponents

Organiser Paul Jones reports on our match against Wellingborough

It was a lovely sunny morning when I set off from Northampton and I was grateful that I was organising a match that meant I had an hour extra in bed. The later tee time is due to the distance our opponents from Wellingborough have to travel, and the same arrangement will be afforded to us when we visit Wellingborough later in the year.

On paper, the two teams appeared to be extremely unevenly matched, as the JOG team were receiving 70 shots more than our opponents. The average Handicap Index for Wellingborough’s players was 13.9 and ours was 17.7

Fortunately, I had the luxury of having a draft version of their team, but it was a challenge to achieve matches that were closely matched.

The balance further tipped in our favour when a player from the Wellingborough team failed to make the journey.

Our team welcomed Paul Conibear for his first JOG Seniors match, and I paired him with the experienced Tony Lloyd.

As the organiser I was paired with David Barlow our Seniors Captain and unsurprisingly he was the “scratch” player in our group, so our opponents were getting 3 and 5 shots and I received 11.  Rather embarrassingly my handicap has crept up to 20 mainly due to playing several rounds at Collingtree Park (CPGC) whose Slope Index of 118 off the yellow tees means that it is perceived to be easier than both JOG courses. The fact that I hardly ever finish with the same ball at CPGC and very rarely score more than 30 points suggests that the slope system is not flawless.

We started well, winning 3 of the first 4 holes with David playing holes 2 to 4 in one under par. We both messed up the 5^th hole, but David found the green on the 6^th hole and, after our opponents had both extracted themselves from the same right-hand bunker (the Wellingborough nearest the pin hole,) he sank his putt for a two.

At the JOG nearest the pin hole (8^th) both David and I found the right-hand bunker and we lost that hole. So, we had played both nearest the pin holes and none of us recorded our names on the marker boards.

 David parred the ninth and we finished the front nine 3 up.

 On the 10th hole our opponents demonstrated that they hadn’t quite mastered the art of “ham and egging” as they both secured birdies whilst David and I decided if we were going to lose the hole, we might as well do it in style as we both messed up.

The 11^th was also won by our opponents who were now only one down.

The 12th was won by JOG to get us back to 2 up.

Wellingborough’s Senior Captain Neil, birdied the par 3 13^th so the margin was reduced to 1 again.

The turning point was the shortish par four 14^th when, with the honour off the tee, both the Wellingborough players went too far right and the JOG pair both pared that hole.

I parred the 15^th and with my shot that could not be matched, we were dormie 3 up.

We halved the 16^th in 5 shots with three of the four ball receiving a shot thus closing out our match 3&2.

On the 18^th tee we waited for match 2 to tee off on the 15^th tee and last year’s captain came up to us and apologised for falling three holes behind. I’m sure it must not have been Tony’s fault as once he is over the ball he plays quicker than you can say double bogey.

I suppose when you are behind a group when three of the four players were getting birdies and my contribution to the pace of play was picking up when my partner carried me, it cannot be easy keeping up.

After our golf and a long wait in the clubhouse for the results to come in, we enjoyed an excellent meal of pork loin steak, potatoes and veg followed by pavlova.

It then fell to our Captain to toast our guests and present the nearest the pin prizes. The JOG nearest the pin (NTP) was won by Martyn Graham (a tip here for future blog writers just copy and paste “the nearest the pin winner for JOG was Martyn” as, if I am not mistaken, we have played three matches and very admirably Martyn has won NTP each time.

Do not be surprised if at the “bring and win” event later in the year, Martyn donates a bottle of wine from the comprehensive collection in his wine cellar.

David then handed over to Captain Neil to announce the result which was a 4-4 draw.

Our Vice Captain shared with me that in the final match the teams stood tied on the 18^th tee. He was aware that sometimes teams have agreed a half on the tee in this scenario, but he wanted to play the 18th and try to get the win.  It was a good move as that win meant our unbeaten start lives on for another day.

This is an encouraging start for our Captain especially after his struggles last year. He has played three matches and won his game each time so long may his and the team's unbeaten run continue.

I have also won all three of my matches, but I am far too modest to mention that, other than to say that I have been blessed with good partners.

The individual match results were:

1	David Barlow	Won 3&2
	Paul Jones
2	Paul Conibear	Lost 3&2
	Tony Lloyd
3	Geoff Elcome	Lost 5&4
	Mehmet Osman
4	Graham Gadsden	Won 4&2
	Paul Dobson
5	Richard Westergreen - Thorne	Lost 3&1
	Ian Maddison
6	Martyn Graham	Lost 3&2
	Michael Newstead
7	Gavin Little	Won 2&1
	Chris  Roy
8	Terry  Domagala	Won 1 up
	Gerry Degaute