Rex Bullock Trophy - 30th April 2019

After the trials of the John O’Gaunt last week it was a welcome return to Carthegena and the Stableford format, well for me anyway. Judging by the scores I was not alone in this as there was generally a good scoring performance. In fact no fewer than nine players were cut a shot from this competition.

81 players took part which is an excellent turn out, and David Crosby remarked on the good pace of play, which only goes to show it can be done.

The major placing were shared by 3 people all of which scored 40 points. I managed a creditable third, with my vice captain Bill coming second. The victor and this year's champion was Stewart Denny which makes up for him narrowly missing out in last week's medal competition.

The nearest the pin was won by Steve Clark.

Dave Gauge
Seniors Captain

Winner - Stewart Denny

Second - Vice Captain Bill Walker

Third - Captain David Gauge

Nearest the pin - Steve Clark

Seniors Annual Medal - 23rd April 2019

Tuesday 23^rd April saw a large field gather for the Seniors Annual Medal ably organised by Chris Roy. The weather was reasonable if not a little cooler of late so perhaps an abundance of good scores would be returned, but this is JOG and white tees so who knows.

I had the pleasure of playing with Jack Shepherd and Harry Wakefield who were excellent company even if my golf was less than inspiring.

The field took a while to come in and unfortunately not everyone stayed for the presentations.

As Hon Sec was away training rabbits in Germany, ask him, Algy kindly stepped in to do the Admin as well as his normal photographic role, much thanks for that.

Now for the results. The nearest the pin was won, not for the first time, by Derek Page. Last year's captain Jim Kerr picked up the Jubilee Trophy for 21 to 28 handicaps.

 

In 3^rd place was Fergus Moynihan, a welcome return to the winners enclosure. Runner up and cut a shot was Jack Shepherd, with the winner, and also cut a shot was Jonathan Lean.

Congratulations to all those who had a level of success and a big thanks to all who contributed £210.00 towards my charity.

Dave Gauge

Senior Captain.

Winner - Jonathan Lean

 Third - Fergus Moynihan

 

Winner Jubilee Trophy - Jim Kerr

Nearest the pin on 16th - Derek Page

Away match v Aspley Guise & Woburn Sands - 18th April 2019

This return fixture, just 10 days after our home fixture, saw a first as far as I know. 19 members of John O’Gaunt turned up at Aspley Guise in the early morning fixture. Confused, well let me explain.

Two members, Steve Collins and Pete Jarman were there as guests of Aspley players on a pre-arranged visit. The third additional player, Fred Williams, was there because he thought he was a member of the team even though he had not been informed he was a team member.

A quick discussion and he had a round arranged, and was also invited to lunch with us. Lucky really as he had a lift there and couldn’t go home anyway.

As to the match, it was the normal close encounter with most matches being close with not more than a couple of shots in most.

There was one incident however when a crow swooped down on Colin Newbury’s bag and stole his banana, flew off up the fairway and continued to eat it.

As to the result, we lost narrowly by 4 ½ to 3 ½ but Jim claimed a draw as Steve and Pete beat their host.

Whatever we claimed a narrow victory over the two legs.

Dave Gauge

Senior Captain.

Home Match v Bourn - 16th April 2019

Has anybody seen the scroll? 

This was the question being asked by members of Bourn Golf Club as they left the John O’Gaunt on Tuesday 16^th April 2019. The reason, well that will be come apparent. 

Bourn turned up on Tuesday morning, full of familiar faces, and in high spirits expecting the normal victory, and later the retention of “the scroll” as has happened in past seasons. 

The match started as usual, I was partnering Gerry Gentle, with a couple of halves, we went one up, they pulled it back. Thus it continued to the turn when we were one down. 

We then managed three wins on the trot to go to two up, and after a little struggle managed to get to dorms three. A little blip on 16, well actually it would be hard to see how we could have played it worse, we managed to close out on 17. First point in the bag. 

Sitting in the clubhouse we waited for match 2, a loss. 1 each. Match 3 another win for two one up. Could it be? 

Match 4 was a loss, back to all square, but then came the surge, win after win all the way home, with the exception of a half to give us a rare victory by 5½ to 2½. This means that if we can muster 3 points at Bourn in July the ever allusive scroll could be coming to John O’Gaunt for the first time in living memory, well for a while anyway. 

Dave Gauge

Seniors Captain.

Home Match v Aspley Guise & Woburn Sands - 9th April 2019

John O’Gaunt Golf Club v Willmots Aspley Guise & Woburn Sands

A fairly strong JOG team welcomed Willmots from Aspley Guise at a later time than usual, a fact not recognised by all members of each team, and players were drifting in and out of the clubhouse over a two hour period. Steve even had time to organise the roll up before joining the team for the match.

Parish notices and Introductions completed players changed and proceeded to the first tee for a 10.00 start.

Jim and I started steadily, Jim sinking a storming putt to half the first, a feat he repeated again on the second. The match continued being close, we went one up, they pulled it back et ad infinitum. This continued until 15 when our guests went one up, halved the 16^th and 17^th. Our attempts to pull it back up 18 failed and Jim and I went down 2 shots. So first pairing 0-1. Fortunately for us this was our last defeat until our final pairing so the team was successful by 5-3.

Following a meal of chicken and ham pie followed by the syrup sponge and custard, the assembled company survived yet another joke from me and left looking forward to the return in 10 days time.

Footnote Bill Walker has nagged for a couple of weeks that I didn’t mention his eagle at Beds and County, a feat that failed to win his match. But nonetheless I have rectified this.

Dave Gauge

Seniors Captain

Home Match v Wellingborough - 2nd April 2019

Last year's home match against Wellingborough had to be postponed because of the weather, and I feared history might repeat itself when on Monday  I saw the Met Office forecast for the day as being heavy rain for the duration of the match. However, not to be deterred, the match went ahead as planned. Vice Captain Bill Walker and I set out in the first match in the dry. We even began to believe we might get away with it when after 6 holes our opponents checked the weather radar on their phone and were amazed to see JOG at the epicentre of an area of dry weather completely surrounded by rain storms.   We had been lulled into a false sense of optimism as the rains soon arrived with a vengeance. The golf did nothing to raise our spirits as Bill and I went down to a tame defeat of 4&3.

At least Algy Grimes and Fred Williams were able to avenge that defeat by taking down the team containing their Vice Captain by the same margin. Their Vice Captain, Chris Dickens, did take some comfort from winning the nearest the pin on the 6th. Dave Evans taking the JOG prize on the 8th.

I did hear the Wellingborough Match Organiser complaining bitterly about how well Graham Court had played in inflicting that same 4&3 defeat on him. Unfortunately there was no more good news to relate and the final score was a 6:2 loss.

Neil Pinnington

Organiser