Seniors away to Cambridge Country Club Friday July 29 2022

Organiser Derek Young reports

The return match against the Cambridge Country Club gave most of us a chance to see the newly built club house and, if marble is your thing, this is the place to come. If you are passing, I recommend you pop in and have a look round. They have certainly spent some money on the place.

To the golf. As they say in another sport Algy "played a Captains innings” and with a little help from me we managed to beat their Captain 5 and 4. There were also wins for Nigel Underwood and Tony Goodson 2 and 1 and Chris Sullivan and Paul Jones 3 and 2. Unfortunately, it meant we lost the match five games to three and therefore they retain the "Scroll" for another year. 

The Scroll goes back to 2011 and was duly inspected. It is believed it was presented by Alan Fowler and is called the Christening Trophy and  it was noted that the JOG Seniors had never actually held the scroll.

There may be a financial reward given next year if we can wrest it from their grip. 

Structures on the course. Pictures courtesy of Algy

Seniors at home to Gog Magog July 26 2022

 

Bill Walker and Richard Westergreen-Thorne with their Gog Magog opponents 

Organiser Nick Schumann reports

After a number of late call ups (thanks to all of the reserves) we gathered a strong team at the clubhouse to welcome the Elders from Gog Magog on a warm but rather cloudy day. The teams were introduced in the normal manner and off we set to the first tee on the Carthagena which although rather parched remains in good condition with excellent greens.

I had the privilege of playing with our captain “Algy” Grimes who proceeded to hit his first two drives out of bounds which rather set the tone for the day. We allowed our opponents to get 2 ahead early and despite our best efforts we could not catch them going down eventually 3 and 2. In our defence I spent a fair amount of time digging holes in bunkers and the opposition gave us a bit of a putting lesson.

Luckily the rest of team did not let our performance deter them and in a series of close and low scoring matches we ran out winners by 51/2 to 21/2. In the other lost match one of our team played 4 under handicap, shot 3 (or was it 4) birdies but still lost and in the halved match a birdie on 18 from us tied the match. Well done all - good result. 

A quick anecdote - I have been organising this match for several weeks with their captain Roy Fleetwood who as it turns out is someone I worked with in Hong Kong during the 80’s so we had a great time catching up as us old boys tend to do by trying to remember names, mostly unsuccessfully. The most worrying thing however is that neither of us managed to put two and two together until sitting having a drink on the patio after the round. A sure sign of old age!!

Organiser Nick Schumann caught in the trees on the Carthagena Third

Senior Section Captain Algy Grimes also on the Carthagena Third

Swap Day at Northampton July 18 2022

Senior Section Captain Algy Grimes reports

On what was one of the hottest days ever in the UK, a group of 40 JOG Seniors were due to play at Northampton with a similar number from Northampton, playing at JOG. Well the weather forecast took its toll and reduced the numbers for both groups. It resulted in only 23 eventually playing at Northampton. It was hoped to be at least 24 but someone having drunk too much wine the previous day forgot to set their alarm. It was also reported that one of our members thought following a car with a private registration number ending TEE must surely be going to the same place, only to find it wasn’t, so ended up being a little later than expected.

We had agreed to play a 4bbb competition and re-worked the draw with the remaining players, 5 x 4’s and 1 x 3 ball. So off we went after a cup of coffee (or black tea in my case thinking I had poured coffee) and a bacon roll. To the first tee and up went the umbrellas, no not raining but as protection from the sun. It was only about 28 degrees as we started, with a gentle breeze helping us. It was in the high 30s when we finished. A halfway house and on course bottles of water were a welcome relief too, I have never drunk so much on a golf course before.

On one particular par 3 there is an area of lovely wild flowers to the right, there is a sign which states ‘Do Not Enter’ you are allowed a free drop to protect such lovely flowers. Well, as Andy Shilton testified to all that would listen in the clubhouse afterwards, your Captain did not read the sign correctly and went looking for his ball, didn’t find it but did find about 6 others, then went back to the tee as advised by one of my playing partners. This I did so 3 off the tee into a greenside bucker, then the other playing member of our group (we were the 3 ball) read the sign correctly pointing out the free drop message. Not therefore being totally up on the rules of golf, I took a free drop and put that on the green, yes I know now that my second tee shot was the ball in play. However, it didn’t matter what I scored on that hole because my partner David Streatfield scored for us on that hole. It did give Andy some humour for the afternoon and something to tell everyone. Obviously he had a very boring day if that was his main item of conversation!! 

It is just as well that David scored on that hole because it meant there could be no dispute about our winning score.

In the clubhouse after a brilliant shower we enjoyed a very nice cold buffet, plenty of it and there was lots left over. Apple pie and ice cream followed

So the results;

First place on 42 points – Algy Grimes and David Streatfield.  £10 each

Second place on 39 points – Paul Jones and David Streatfield.  £8 to Paul Jones as David is not allowed to win 2 prizes.

Three teams tied on third place with 38 points.  £3 each to the following:-

Rafe Bateson and Michael Newstead

Jonathan Lean and Bill Conway

Brian Bullen and Terry Sweeney

Well done to all who played, and those that didn’t missed a great day out.

Algy Grimes – Seniors’ Section Captain

 

Here we have a selection of photos of the day taken by Senior Section Captain Algy Grimes and David Streatfield.

Below are photos taken by Malcolm Lee of all the participants enjoying lunch, plus winners Algy Grimes and David Streatfield and in second place Paul Jones and David Streatfield.

Andy Shilton on a few lost souls and THAT wildflower incident

Playing the 6th we were aware that the group behind,  Messrs Issacson, Fuller, Kerr and Imray (probably but difficult to tell who they were they were so far behind), had fallen more than a hole behind and were playing the 4th.  Suddenly we noticed they were on the 6th tee... Then 5 mins later they disappeared.  Bob Issacson came up to us on the 7th to enquire if we realised we had missed the 5th 😳😳

Later in the round we came across our Captain Algy and his group deep in the wildflowers on a short par 3.  After several fruitless minutes of searching our Captain returned to the tee box to play his 3rd shot.  Then he discovered that he shouldn't have been searching for his ball in the wild flowers as prominent signs indicated.  'Don't search free drop....' So our Captain duly dropped a third ball and played on playing 2. Obviously he came in for a bit of stick from the group behind who had watched this 15 minute farago.  In the  clubhouse Captain Algy was unmoved as apparently his partner put in a better score on the hole😳

Jonathan Lean provides more detail on that mystery drive!

One member found themselves on the M1 following a car with a personalised number plate ending ‘TEE’.  This car took all the same turns off the motorway and subsequently towards the golf club that they assumed that they were going to the same golf club.  So convinced were they that they ignored their satnav when close to the final destination that they followed this car and turned right when the satnav instructed them to turn left.  I was therefore 10 minutes late arriving!

 

Reg Batson Medal Trophy July 12 2022

 Dominic Murphy receives the Reg Batson Trophy from Senior Section Captain Algy Grimes

 Thirty-one of John O’Gaunt’s most in-form seniors battled it out for the Reg Batson Medal Trophy on one of the hottest days of the year.

The contest, open to those with the best scores after the Annual Medal and Rex Cleaver combined, plus the Senior Section Captain and last year’s winner, Club Captain Rob Bage, was won by Dominic Murphy, playing off 17, with nett 59. His round included two birdies, nine pars and six bogeys.

In second place, playing off 16, was Stephen Collins with nett 61, and in third place, with nett 62, was Richard Herbert, playing off 24.

The best gross score, 76,  was recorded by Peter Imray. 

Congratulations to Bill Walker for an eagle on the Carthagena par 4 14th and Ian Simpson for an eagle on the par 5 18th.

An honourable mention goes to Andy Shilton for his opening 6 pars on the trot. According to Andy: “Standing on the 13th tee I was 5 over par.  Needless to say there was plenty of colourful language as I did the last 5 holes in 13 over par” 😳😳

Raffle prizes were won by Richard Herbert and Dick Cobb.

Runner up Stephen Collins

Third place: Richard Herbert